Plotinus

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Hayagrīva: This is Plotinus. Plotinus lived from 204-269 A.D. He was not Christian. He took... He's what's called a neo-Platonist, a new Platonist. Much of his philosophy comes from Plato. But he believed in the theory of emanation, that the soul emanates from the intelligence. What Aristotle called, "The nous," or the intelligence, and the intelligence emanates from the One, what he calls, "The One." Who is omnipresent, transcendental, the cause of all multiplicities, the Lord of all. So there's a hierarchy in Plotinus of the One, the intelligence, and the individual souls.

Prabhupāda: That, "One," is Vedic conception, eka brahma evdvitya nnsti. Supreme Truth, Absolute Truth--advaya-jna. So this is our philosophy, that these living entities--soul. They are of the same quality as the one Supreme, but they are fragmental parts emanation from Him. He has got the same intelligence, same mind, but limited jurisdiction. God is... That One is omnipresent but we are not omnipresent, but we are present. Omniscient; but we are not omniscient, but we are sensient [sic], not that dull matter. In this way that One has got all spiritual qualities in fullness; we have got the spiritual qualities in minute quantity. That is our constitutional position. But we are like sparks, and the Supreme One is like big fire. When we leave the association of the big fire, as sparks we become extinguished--means our illumination stops. That is called my, my andhakra--darkness. That we can revive also, again be put with the One and revive our illuminating power, spiritual power, and live with the Supreme One peacefully, eternal life of bliss...

Hayagrīva: Plotinus is an impersonalist. He believed that attributing attributes to God limit God.

Hayagrīva: He believes that attributing qualities to God necessarily limit God, so he's an impersonalist.

Hayagrīva: Limit. Any attribute or quality is by necessary limiting. This is a typical impersonalist stand.

Hayagrīva: That the One, the One is transcendental, but there's no multiplicity in Him. That means im..., impersonal. Although He is the cause of all multiplicities, He is the cause of all living entities, He Himself...

Prabhupāda: Yes, He is the cause of all living entities. That is Vedic conception; nityo nityn cetana cetannm [Kaha Upaniad 2.2.13(69)]. He is the chief amongst the eternals, chief amongst the sensients [sic], but unless He has got unlimited transcendental qualities, how He can be omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, all-powerful? That is not perfection. A perfect conception of the Supreme One: He is unlimited, we are limited. That is--sense. How the Supreme One, who is the cause of everything, He can be limited? I do not know what do they mean by, "Limit." He cannot be limited by anything. Even for the impersonal Brahman, that Brahman, sarva khalv ida brahma [Chndogya Up. 3.14.1]: everything is Brahman--unlimitedly. Why He should be limited? Mat-sthni sarva-bhtni: [Bg 9.4] everything is emanation from Him and resting in Him. That is His impersonal conception. Everywhere He is there. And personal is localized, and..., but from the person,

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