Devotee (3): I was just wondering if the spirit soul being in the spiritual world is eternally liberated, how can he return. By desire?

Prabhupāda: Yes. If he desires, he can come again. That option is always there. Just like I remain in India. I come here. And if I like, I may not come. It is my option.

(Morning walk---------Denever).

Devotee (3): So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if at this platform we are not yet..., we are still desiring to depart from Kṛṣṇa's service and enjoy, then we are not, we have not yet tasted devotional service, what is it that we have tasted that is keeping us temporarily connected to Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: That is the Vedic injunction: You keep yourself connected with Kṛṣṇa, then you will develop the taste. Just like a jaundice patient does not taste sugar as sweet, but if he continues to take sugar candy, then he will have the real taste for sugar candy, sweet, not bitter. So he has to continue to eat sugar candy continually. Śravaṇam, kīrtanam. Then he'll have the taste.

(Garden conversation----------New Vrndaban).

Guest (3): Swami, one more question. If you have misused the energy of the past and go on with the results of your misuse, are you still responsible for those forms?

Prabhupāda: As you had misused your independence in your past life or in past, similarly, you can immediately, properly use your independence. Do you follow? You... Somehow or other, you misused your independence. Similarly, immediately, if you use your independence properly, then the result of that misuse of independence is corrected. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (B.G.18:66). Because the conditioned souls here in this material world, they have all misused their independence... Anyone, beginning from the highest planet down, beginning from Brahmā down to the small ant, everyone has misused his independence. This conditional life, this material body, is due to that. Therefore our reactions of that misuse is going on life after life. Now, Kṛṣṇa says that "If you surrender immediately, then I take charge of you." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: (B.G.18:66) "You just give up all your other engagements. Just surrender unto Me." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi: "I shall give you protection from all reaction of your misuse of independence."

Guest (4): The false wrong(?) is that he is misled by material consciousness execute the things, really.(?) If he is misled by other, by circumstances, this is... He has no fault of his own.

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but innocence is no excuse of law. If you say that "Somebody misled me to go to the left side" in the court, oh, that does not mean that you will be saved from the fine. So you have to become such intelligent person that you may not be misled by others. You have got the intelligence. Why should you be misled? Then what is the meaning of this human form of life? And you have to be educated. You have to take the opportunity of education so that you may not be misled. Why do you agree to be misled? Then you must agree to take the punishment also. If you, by innocence, put your hand on the fire, so fire will not excuse you. So innocence is no excuse. You have to be learned. Therefore we are here to give proper education to the people. Yes?

(Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam----------Montreal).