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THE SCIENCE OF SELF-REALIZATION
philosophical discussions are given in our  Teachings of Lord Caitanya . It is remarkable that Prakāśānanda himself with all his disciples became Vaiṣṇavas.
Similarly, Caitanya Mahāprabhu had a great discussion with Sārvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, the greatest logician of that time, who was also Māyāvādī, impersonalist, and he was also converted. So Caitanya Mahāprabhu's movement is not mere sentimentalism. There is a very rich background if one wants to understand this  saṅkīrtana  movement through philosophy and logic. There is ample opportunity, for this movement is based on science and on the authority of the  Vedas . But it is all simplified. That is the beauty of this movement. Whether one is a great scholar or philosopher or a child, he can take part without any difficulty. Other systems of self-realization, the  jñāna  process or yoga process, are also recognized, but it is not possible to practice them in this age. That is the verdict of the  Vedas :
kṛte yad dhyāyato viṣṇum tretāyām yajato makhaiḥ dvāpare paricaryāyām kalau tad dhari-kīrtanāt
[Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 12.3.52]
In the Satya-yuga, the Golden Age, it was possible to execute the meditation process. For instance, Vālmīki Muni meditated for sixty thousand years to get perfection. But where is our old age? Besides that, for the meditation process, as described in the  Bhagavad-gītā , one has to select a secluded place, he has to execute it alone, he has to sit down in a rigid posture, he has to lead a life of complete celibacy, and so on. There are many rules and regulations. Thus  aṣṭānga-yoga  meditation is not possible. If one is satisfied by imitating, that is a different thing, but if one wants perfection, then he has to execute all the eight stages of  aṣṭānga-yoga . If this is not possible, then it is a waste of time.
What is the ultimate goal of the yoga process or meditation? Contact with the Supreme, the Supersoul, the Supreme Lord, is the aim and object of all yoga processes. Similarly, philosophical research, the  jñāna  process, also aims at understanding the Supreme Brahman. These are recognized processes, undoubtedly, but according to authoritative description, they are not practical in this Iron Age of Kali. Therefore one has to take to this process of  hari-kīrtana . Anyone can practice without prequalification. One doesn't have to study philosophy or Vedānta. This