The problem is that we try to understand the eternal, spiritual objects with our material mind.  We understand things by comparison with our experience.  All our experiences in the material world are material and are about objects which have a beginning and an end.  It is a difficult task for the spiritual teacher to explain the eternal and spiritual entities in the language of material experience and for a man with only material experience to properly grasp the transcendental objects.  One needs purity of heart and spiritual realization to grasp transcendence.  If that is lacking, then it is impossible to comprehend correctly topics such as the bondage of the jiva and concepts such as anadi.  In this connection, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has warned us in the following statement (Jaiva Dharma, Chapter Fifteen):

When Vrajanatha heard that there are three types of living entities—originating from Baladeva, Sankarsana and Maha-Visnu—he asked Babaji:

Vrajanatha:

“Previously, I heard that the spiritual world and the living entities are eternal. 

If that is true, then how can an eternal object be created or manifested? 

If they are manifest at a particular time, then it would imply that they were unmanifest before that; then how can they be considered eternal?”

Babaji:

“The space and time of the spiritual world are completely different from the space and time you are experiencing in this inert world.  Material time is divided into past, present, and future.  But in the spiritual world there is only the one imperishable present time.  Every event in the spiritual world is ever-present.

Whatever we speak or describe in the material world is under the influence of material space and material time.  Therefore, whenever we make statements such as,

‘the jivas were created,’

‘thereafter the jivas became bound by maya,’

‘the spiritual world became manifest,’

‘there is no aspect of maya in the constitution of the jiva.’

Material time influences our language.  These kinds of statements are unavoidable in our conditioned state.  For this reason, no statement concerning the jiva and spirit is exempt from the jurisdiction of material time. Feelings of past and future naturally creep in.  Therefore, while experiencing the import of the descriptions of the spiritual world and spiritual objects, people who are devoted to pure thinking experience the changeless nature of present time.  Be very careful in this respect.  Giving up the unwanted sense which is unavoidable (due to the influence of material time) try to experience the spirit. . ..

I know at present you will not be able to digest these subtleties so quickly.  As the spiritual influence will increase in your heart, so the spiritual understanding will easily increase, distinguishing it from the material conception.  Your body is inert and so are all the bodily activities, but you are not; you are an atomic conscious being.  The more you are able to understand yourself, the more you will experience yourself as superior to the material world.  Therefore, even if I explain it and you listen, you will not be able to grasp it.  The more you awaken your spiritual consciousness by taking shelter of the holy name, the more you will experience the spiritual world.”

In this passage Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura explains the difficulty in understanding spiritual topics while in the conditioned state.  The same problem exists for the person who has to explain it to the conditioned souls.  The teacher is limited by language and the student is limited by his experience.  Thus, Bhaktivinoda Thakura suggests that if we want to have proper understanding and experience of spiritual topics, we have to purify our heart and abandon the influence of material time which is unavoidable in spiritual descriptions.  If this is not done, then our understanding will be incorrect, which is exactly the case with the fall-vadis.  They are trying to understand the jiva-issue only on the basis of words such as,

“when they forget their eternal relation with Krishna.” 

The fall-vadis, due to the influence of material time on the spiritual descriptions, pay attention only to the words, “when they forget,”, which implies a beginning, but they overlook the word eternal in “eternal relation.” 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura suggests that we give up the influence of material time and keep the pure spiritual characteristics.  But the fall-vadis keep the influence of material time and give up the spiritual characteristics.  The result is that the spiritual entities (such as nitya-muktas) are treated as ephemeral objects.  This is a major obstacle to spiritual realization. 

In later chapters we will explain how by accepting the fall-vada theory and following their premise to its logical conclusion, materialistic concepts creep into Vaikuntha and all other spiritual objects.  Lord Krishna Himself becomes reduced to an ephemeral object.  Indeed, the whole spiritual process becomes a mockery.  Therefore, such apa-siddhantas must be challenged and uprooted to safeguard the bhakti marga.