Krsna's devotees (individual jiva-souls) never lose their "free will" in the spiritual world that allows unique self expression and voluntary participation.
This is because loving exchanges and reciprocation between Krsna and His devotees are based on "free will," which means having the freedom to express oneself by having the choice of how to voluntarily participate in Krsna's service.
Such cooperation between Kṛṣṇa His devotees is the based of personalism.
This further acknowledges that the devotee's independent identity, personality and character is eternally separate from Krsna's Personality, even though Krsna knows everything and is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes.
Krsna allows "free will" to exist because it creates diversity, unique personal contributions and offerings from His devotees in the spiritual world in a "two-sided" mood of cooperation and loving exchanges.
Of course to the devotees in the spiritual world, Krsna is the most beautiful and kindest Person they always want to be with.
Therefore, the Kingdom of God is not an impersonal paradise that denies personal individual contributions and voluntary participation while serving Krsna, no, Krsna is not an impersonal God like that.
Kṛṣṇa always allows His devotees to voluntarily decide how they want to serve Him, He never forces His devotees to do anything they do not choose to voluntarily do.
Having free will therefore gives the devotee their independence so they can contribute in their own personal way, rather than Krsna always deciding for them by controlling their every thought and actions.
Personalism and free will go together, both are eternally linked, without free will, personalism becomes impersonalism.
Krsna's devotees are unique independent persons who eternally express their individual full potential by voluntarily serving Krsna.
We must never forget that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes, who has won our heart by His selfless devotion and care for us.
Infact, Krsna's love for His devotees is far greater than they can EVER love Him.
If we properly understand this, then we will understand everything comes from Krsna, including free will. Srila Prabhupada confirms below that Krsna is always in control.
Syamasundara dasa - "Does the individual soul have a little independence to choose?"
Srila Prabhupada - ''No (not without the sanction of Krsna) Bhagavad-Gita states that when the individual soul wants to act, Krsna gives the orders. Man proposes, and God disposes."
Syamasundara dasa - "So we have no free will?"
Srila Prabhupada - ''Not independent from Krsna, not without the sanction of Krsna first. Without Him, we cannot do anything, therefore Krsna is the ultimate cause of all causes."
Syamasundara dasa - ''But I thought you have been saying that we have a little independence?"
Srila Prabhupada - "We have the independence (free will) in the sense that we may deny or affirm, but unless Krsna sanctions our desires, we cannot do anything." (Dialectical Spiritualism: A Vedic View of Western Philosophy)
Srila Prabhupada here is simply confirming everything comes from Krsna and must be sanctioned by Him first, including free will.
This is because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes meaning nothing can happen without His sanction first.
However, Krsna will always sanction free will and the ability to choose, because without free will, the devotees could never voluntary contribute in their own unique way in their relationship with Kṛṣṇa, free will actually makes the relationship with Krsna more personal because it allows "two-way" exchanges and loving reciprocation.
In this way, free will and personalism go hand in hand in a two-sided affair of loving co-operation and exchanges.
On the other hand, a "one-way" suppressive ruler only denies individual contributions and offerings, leaving only impersonalism.
Srila Prabhupada in his discussion with Syamasundara dasa, is simply making the point that everything is under the control of Krsna-
"Not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Lord."
In other words, we only have free will because Krsna allows it as part of our personality, therefore without free will there would only be impersonalism.
Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must have free will!" (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)
The individual personal contributions from Krsna's devotees are forever expanding their unique ability of self expression in the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.
This allows them to always make voluntary offerings to Krsna and Viṣṇu that forever increase and expand the loving emotions of cooperation in a healthy "two-way" exchange between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.
For love to truly exist, each devotee must have the free will to make their own choices, even if that choice means rejecting Krsna, otherwise there can be no question of genuine voluntary loving service or free will.
Swedish man - "Is there free will?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, just like you are sitting here. If you don’t like, you can go away. That’s your free will. There is free will, we are part and parcel of God, therefore we have got minute quantity of freedom." (Temple lecture Stockholm Sweden)
Srila Prabhupada - "Every individual soul is awarded a portion of independence because each is part and parcel of God. Thus he has the quality of independence, but in minute quantity. That is his individuality." (Dialectical Spiritualism: A Vedic View of Western Philosophy)
Srila Prabhupada - "Because you are son of God you have independence, you have acquired the quality of your father, so God does not interfere with your independence. If you persist that “I must enjoy independently," God says, "All right, you can go.” This is the position, if you persist, God sanctions. And you can come here and enjoy." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that is not independence, that is force.” (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly, that is free will. Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of free will. Where is free will then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no free will. Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means free will."
Hayagriva dasa - "A man may know better but still act wrongly."
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, but that is free will, he misuses his free will. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing, it is bad, but still he does it. That is free will. He cannot check his greediness, so in spite of his knowing that he is doing wrong thing—he will be punished, he knows; he has seen another thief, he was punished, he was put into prison— everything he knows, but still he steals. Why? Misuse of free will, therefore unless there can be the misuse of free will, then there is no question of free will." (Excerpt from Discussions on Rene Descartes philosophy)
Syamasundara - "But can we predict returning back home back to Godhead will be permanent? Can we predict that? Just like many prisoners leave the prison, however some do come back?''
Srila Prabhupada - "No, there is no permanent effect because we have got little independence. There is nothing permanent because you can misuse your independence at any time."
Syamasundara - "And some come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, otherwise there is no meaning of independence and free will. Independence means you can do this, you can do that. "All right. Whatever you like."
Devotee - "Then he is so many times falling down, again and again, so will he eventually permanently come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "He has got independence, therefore there is always the possibility he can misuse his independence, he can fall down. That's why when a man is released from the prison house, that does not mean permanently because he can come back again, the general law is not to come back, but if he likes, he can come back, otherwise what is the meaning of independence? Just like one becomes free from the prison house, naturally he should not go there again." (Talk with Syamasundara on Henri Bergson philosophy)
Bali Mardana - ''An example of free will is someone can choose Kṛṣṇa or turn away? Is that example of free will?''
Srila Prabhupāda - ''Yes, because if you accept Kṛṣṇa, then you must follow what Kṛṣṇa says. If you don't follow Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of talking of Kṛṣṇa?
Kṛṣṇa says, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām: (BG 9.14) "Always chanting about Me." That is mahātmā. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ: (BG 9.13)
Mahātmā, those who are devotee, they are not under these material influence. If he accepts Kṛṣṇa, he must abide by the injunction of Kṛṣṇa." (Morning Walk, Jan 22, 1974, Hawaii)
The qualities of "free will" allows the devotees to contribute in their own way.This means they can contribute to serving Krsna in their own unique way as the individual persons they always are eternally.
In other words, "free will" allows Krsna's devotees in the spiritual world to always voluntarily express themselves in their unique way to please Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada - “The individual jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is always voluntary, some devotees want to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there, If I want to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna and become a flower, voluntarily, and one can change his form in the spiritual world from flower to human body. That is spiritual life. There is no restriction. If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. It is inconceivable, yet a fact." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 text 1-4 Melb, Australia May 20, 1975)
In the spiritual world all relationships with Krsna are "equally blissful to each other." just like one may like a carnation flower while others may choose to like a rose flower.
Krsna's devotees are independent living entities (jiva-souls) in the spiritual world who have their own unique personality and sense of self, yet simultaneously always depend on Krsna as His eternal servants.
The reason why Krsna gave the jiva-souls their independence and free will is so they can choose for themselves how to voluntarily serve Krsna in their own unique personal way.
Real love or service only exists when there is freedom of expression that can only exist in a "two-way" relationship of cooperation, reciprocation and loving exchanges.
This allows Krsna's devotees to voluntarily participate as an independent person in loving devotional exchanges, offering personal contributions in their relationship with Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Srila Prabhupada - "Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is not love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation." (Lecture BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York City, Nov 23, 1966)
Srila Prabhupada - "We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only by one, there must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (Lecture SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "The impersonalist philosophy is oneness, so how can there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience? Love means one? No, love means two! There must be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He's so lover of you that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant." (Lecture SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
Surrender to Krsna in the spiritual world does not mean giving up your "free will" and individual personality, and allow Krsna to control your every actions, words and thoughts like a puppet master impersonally controls his puppets. Krsna is not like that at all.
No, the devotees in the spiritual world are not programmed drones who only obey and never contribute to their relationship with Krsna with their own unique offerings.
Therefore in the spiritual world, Krsna's devotees can never lose their "free will," this means they always have the choice to accept Kṛṣṇa or even reject Krsna.
Only by having "free will" can genuine loving exchanges and reciprocation (personalism) take place, and without "free will" personalism becomes impersonalism.
A devotee who is devoid of free will are no better than dead stone Prabhupada has said above.
Furthermore, in the spiritual world, Krsna never interferes with the free will of His devotees, they must decide for themselves.
This is because if He did, and never allowed them their free will to voluntarily choose their own contributions or offerings in the spiritual world, then loving exchanges, cooperation and voluntarily participation would never exist.
If one is forced to worship Krsna or Visnu, then that is not love, it is impersonalism.
Voluntary service to Krsna is the bases of surrender in Goloka-Vrindavana and on the Vaikuntha planets which are the permanent eternal homes and origin for all of Krsna's devotees
Krsna does control His pure devotees with selfless loving exchanges and reciprocation. The devotees voluntarily allow this out of their unconditional attraction and love for beautiful Krsna who does everything for His devotees and serves them more than they can ever serve Him.
Actually, Kṛṣṇa is far more selfless and caring than His devotees can ever be.
Srila Prabhupada - "Krsna does not want to become a lover by force, from the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; no, that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must have free will!" But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)
Srila Prabhupada - "As living spiritual jiva-souls we are all originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency (the jiva-souls) are in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity." (The "Happening Record Album" recorded Dec 1966 in New York City, USA)*
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