Free will expressed in a "two-way" exchange of loving reciprocation, is the real basis and meaning of personalism and surrender, meant for the individual jiva-souls to be always voluntarily engaged in loving service to Krsna eternally.
On the Vaikuntha planets of Viṣṇu/Narayana, and Krsna’s central Abode of Goloka Vrindavana, personal voluntary contributions (service) expressed through free will, are always encouraged by Krsna to create diversity and a two-way reciprocal relationship of loving exchanges.
Although, it must be remembered that the eternal individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) can never exist independently from Krsna who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.
Such free will encourages unique individual contributions and personal offerings from the eternal jiva-souls.
On the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, personal voluntary expressions of loving exchanges expressed through free will are always encouraged by Krsna, this adds flavour, variety, mystery and variegatedness to the association.
This means the Kingdom of God is not a "one-sided" dominating impersonal domain devoid of free will that does not allow personal contributions or offerings to God (Krsna), meant to expand, enrich and flavour the relationship eternally.
As said above, loving exchanges and service can never be executed under a "one-sided" affiliate of total supremacy or preeminence.
The fact is, genuine loving relations and service are based on voluntary reciprocal exhanges and contributions between two, and not just one!
Free will expressed in a "two-way" exchange of loving reciprocation, is the real basis and meaning of personalism.
The eternal individual jiva-souĺs have their choices too, even if that choice means rejecting Krsna. If that is denied then it means the eternal individual jiva-souls do not have free will.
Free will only has meaning when the eternal individual jiva-souls can express themselves in a "two-sided" way, by serving Krsna, or rejectiing Krsna.
In other words, loving reciprocation and exchanges are only possible on a "two-way" street between two, with each contributing to the relationship's expansion of nectarine mellows and loving exchanges.
The word "reciprocation" only has meaning when there are two involved, not one!
This also means the eternal individual jiva-souls can reject Krsna if they choose, which in a sense proves that "free will" does truly exist.
Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly or rightly, 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 we have free will." (Discussions on Rene Descartes philosophy)
Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence (free will) means one can use it properly or one can misuse it, that is independence, that is the meaning of free will. If you make it one way only so you cannot fall down, that is not independence (free will), that is force." (Mayapur, June 20, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)
Srila Prabhupada - "Because you are son of God you have independence (free will), you have acquired the quality of your father, so God does not interfere with your independence (free will). If you persist that “I must enjoy independently," God says, "All right, that is your free will, you can go and enjoy or suffer." This is the position, if you persist, God sanctions. And you can come here to the material world and enjoy or suffer." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada - "As soon as we try, "Oh, this material world is very nice," "Yes," Kṛṣṇa says, "yes, you can go and enjoy or suffer." Otherwise what is the meaning of free will? Every living entity has got a little free will and Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives him opportunity, "All right, you go and enjoy or suffer, it is your choice, your free will." (Morning Walk Cheviot Hills May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence (free will) means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence has to be there if free will truly exists. If you make it one way only, that is not independence (free will), that is force.” (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Devotee – "In the Srimad Bhagavatam it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come here, why are we here? Why doesn’t He save us from thinking like that and coming to the material world?"
Srila Prabhupada - "That means you lose your independence (free will), that is force. In Bengali it is said, "If you catch one girl or boy and demand, You love me, you love me, you love me, is it love? You love me otherwise I will kill you! Is that love? So Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, on 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; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C)
Krsna will always sanction free will 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 but also allows the devotee to reject Krsna if they choose making them responsible for their good and bad actions.
The reality is there really is no death of the jiva-soul, only the material body dies while the soul lives on into eternity, always getting unlimited chances in unlimited material bodily vessels to improve themselves and eventually get it right and return home back to Godhead.
Remember, for the eternal individual jiva-souls there is neither birth or death - so there is really no death of who we really are.
Free will and personalism go hand in hand in a two-sided affair of loving co-operation and exchanges with Krsna.
On the other hand, a "one-way" suppressive God only denies individual contributions and offerings, leaving only impersonalism.
The eternal individual jiva-souls only have free will because Krsna allows it to be part of our personality that allows voluntarily loving exchanges and unique contributions in a "two-way" exchange.
Krsna therefore allows free will meant to expand loving expressions but can also be misused leading to suffering.
Without free will there can only be impersonalism because individual participation and voluntary contributions would never exist.
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)
Having free will is the eternal constitutional make up of every individual marginal living entity (jiva-soul), and is the foundation for all relationship with Krsna.
Srila Prabhupāda – ''Love means a relationship between "two persons," then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)
Just like the Sun-disc and the sun-rays cannot exist separately from each other, similarly Krsna cannot exist separately from His devotees (His parts and parcels the eternal individual jiva-souls)
Each eternal individual jiva-soul (marginal living entity) is a one of a kind independent person with their own unique personality different from other personalities including Kṛṣṇas.
Therefore, no two eternal individual jiva-souls are the same, and no jiva-soul can ever become God (Krsna or Visnu).
Loving devotional service to Krsna is always based on a "two-way" voluntary exchange of personal feelings manifesting as loving acts of reciprocation between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.
Each individual eternal jiva-soul can always voluntarily contribute their own unique expressions (offerings) of devotional service to Krsna, which is the real meaning of surrender to Krsna's plan (will).
This correct understanding of surrender and devotional service does not deny the "free will" of each eternal individual jiva-soul and their unique relationship with Krsna.
On the other hand, actions expressed in a "one-way" domineering forceful mood from a so called God that denies self expression within his dictatorial mindless Kingdom, will never allow a personal voluntary "two-way" contribution of loving exchanges, emotions, feelings and unique offerings to take place, allowing the eternal individual jiva-souls to contribute to the relationship.
Without individual unique loving contributions from the individual jiva-souls in "two-way" loving exchange, will only makes the relationship with a so called God, restrictive, dictatorial, oppressive, loveless, making the relationship dangerous impersonalism.
Personalism means a "two-way" relationship based on "free will" that includes voluntary loving feelings and emotions that expand, enrich and multiplies the affection, sentiment and exchanges between the eternal individual jiva-souls and Krsna.
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)
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 by only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "The impersonalist philosophy is oneness, so how there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience that love means one? No. Love means two. There must be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
Devotee – "Is the original body of the spirit soul a human form?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, human form, God is also human form, "Man is made after the shape of God." I think there is in the Bible, is it not? So God is also like human form. Here you see Krsna, two hands, two legs."
Hari-sauri dasa – "How do we understand then, that there are peacocks and flowers and trees in the spiritual world? Are these not eternal forms?"
Srila Prabhupada – [describing material form first] - "Yes, they are more covered, just like if you cover your body with blanket, the hands and legs are invisible, but you are not the blanket. So the trees and plants, they are more covered. They are not in full manifestation of the jiva-soul's full potential. The human form is the full manifestation of the soul."
Hari-sauri dasa - "So they are covered in the spiritual world?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Not in the spiritual world, there that is always voluntary. This means the devotee can always choose how they want to serve Krsna, and never told how to serve Krsna, it is their choice. Some devotees want to serve Krsna as flower; so they become flower there. If I want that, to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna, then he becomes flower, voluntarily, and he can change his, 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)
All the individual personal contributions from the eternal jiva-souls are forever expanding their unique ability of self expression on the Vaikuntha planets serving Visnu, and in Goloka Vrindavana serving Krsna.
This allows the eternal individual jiva-souls to always make voluntary offerings to Krsna that forever increase and expand loving emotions in healthy "two-way" exchange between Kṛṣṇa and the individual jīva-souls.
It is very important to understand that the eternal individual jiva-souls are "PERSONS" with their own unique individual feelings of self expression existing always in both the Vaikuntha planets and Krsna’s central Abode of Goloka-Vrindavana.
It must be clearly understood for love to truly exist, each eternal individual jiva-soul must have the free will to make their own choices, even if it means leaving Krsna if they choose, otherwise there can be no question of genuine love, service, personalism or free will.
Free will is part of the jiva-soul's marginal constitutional nature, as an independent free thinking part and parcels expansion of the Krsna who can make their own unique contributions to Krsna that brings intrigue and mystery into the relationship, instead of an impersonal existence of the Puppet master who totally controls his puppets in everything they think and do.
Krsna allows the jiva-souls to have their freedom because without free will, loving unique exchanges and reciprocation will never exist.
Srila Prabhupada – "You have got little independence (free will) therefore you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God you have got independence (free will), proportionately, therefore if he likes he can return. That independence (free will) has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that." (Mayapur, Feb 19, 1976)
Free will is the constitutional expression of all marginal living entities (jiva-souls), and is always part and parcel of their eternal character, personality and unique individuality in the spiritual world.
This means the eternal individual jiva-souls can even choose to leave the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana if they want. Free will always allows this and if it didn't then there is no question of loving exchanges or free will.
The choice to leave the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana is possible because Krsna allows a "two-way" relationship based on free will, this means one can accept or reject Krsna if they choose to do so.
There is no such thing as permanently staying in the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka Vrindavana simply because the the individual jiva-souls can leave anytime they like, and Krsna does not interfere with the jiva-souls free will.
If Krsna did interfere then there is no such thing as free will.
Sadly, in the mundane temporary material creation, so many terrible things are constantly happening but taken for granted due to ignorance.
Like the unnatural painful cycle of birth, disease, old age and death the jiva-souls experience while covered by a material body foolishly taken for granted and normal by fools.
Frustration in the constantly changing (decaying) material world, will always be experienced by those foolish jiva-souls who do choose to leave the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana and enter the material world of repeated birth and death.
The temporary material world is always in a constantly progressive state of decay, decline and forgetfulness where one's material body will always wear out, breaks down and die (no long capable to support life).
But the eternal individual jiva-soul, covered by the material temporary body, is eternal and therefore is never subjected to decay or decline, but sadly is forced to continuously change material bodies because of the temporary nature of the material creation.
The suffering of the eternal individual jiva-soul within this temporary material world, does not happen because of Krsna, He is not responsible for the individual jiva-soul's choices and their suffering.
No, Krsna is not responsible for the suffering of the individual jiva-souls who have chosen to enter the material world, even though the massive Brahmanda material universes and their inner secondary material universe are Krsna's creation, built by His expansions Maha-Visnu, Garbhodakashayi Visnu and Brahma.
The suffering in the material world happens because at one point in the spiritual world, the individual jiva-soul has "chosen" to misuse their "free will", given to them by Krsna for the purpose of allowing voluntary diversity meant to encourage individual offerings, personal offerings and loving exchanges.
Therefore, as a result of mistakingly misusing their free will, the individual jiva-soul is forced by their own actions, to enter the temporary material world and become entangled in the repeated cycle of birth and death.
The massive spherical material universal shells coming from Maha-Visnu, are called Brahmandas.
Deep inside each Brahmanda is a secondary universe created by Garbhodakashayi Visnu, who is an expansion of Maha-Visnu.
From Garbhodakashayi Visnu Brahma is born who builds the many planetary systems within the inner material universe inside the Brahmanda as painting below reveals.
As said above, Krsna will never interfere with the eternal individual jiva-soul's free will because if he did, the eternal individual jiva-souls would have no independent sense a contributing personality, or the ability to accept, experience and respond with genuine unique loving exchanges and personal service.
Without an independent sense of "unique self" where the individual jiva-souls have their ability to voluntarily contribute in one's service to Krsna, allowing one to "choose" for themselves how to voluntary serve based on loving exchanges and reciprocation, then how can there be genuine love?
These individual unique qualities are the characteristics that make the jiva-soul (marginal living entity) the individual PERSON they are eternally.
Love or service in the spiritual world is never a "one-way street," love can only exist when "two" are exchanging loving feelings to each other.
Only then when there is reciprocation and exchanges of loving service between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, does love truly exist.
Only when "two" are voluntarily involved in reciprocating with each other can love exist. In this way, real love or service is always based on a "two-way exchange of feelings."
As said above, that means offering individual contributions that will enhance, expand and perpetually uplift the relationship between Krsna and His marginal living entities (jiva-souls).
This can only exist if the jiva-souls are allowed to express their own independent individuality, and unique free will without interference (forced surrender) from Krsna.
As already explained if Krsna did force His will on the jiva-souls, then there can never be genuine loving exchanges because denying free will is also denying the individual jiva-souls to voluntary contribute as a person with their unique individuality.
Srila Prabhupāda - "Unless there are "two persons", where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange. When these things are transacted, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Evening Darsana, Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
Having "free will" is the eternal constitutional make up of every "marginal living entity", and is the foundation for all eternal individual jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna.
In the spiritual world or Kingdom of God (Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets), loving service can never be a one-way or one-sided affair, no, real love or service is always an exchange of voluntary loving exchanges between two in a two-way relationship.
Surrendering one's "free will" and "intelligence" to Krsna so He has complete control over the jiva-soul's every thought and actions, is impersonalism.
It is just like a puppet master who has complete control over his puppets.
However, to a Vaisnava devotee of Krsna, such absolute mindless control over one's thoughts and actions by a so called God or His representative, where the devotee is only told what to do without questioning, contributing or thinking for one's self, meaning only God will do all the thinking for you, is dangerous impersonalism.
Such impersonalism is just like a puppet master controls his mindless puppet by moving the strings.
The puppet has no sense of life, freedom or independence, similarly if Krsna had full control over the individual jiva-soul's ability to make their own choices, it would deny the jiva-souls from experiencing their own personal sense of an independent self, and being able to make their own decisions and choices of offering their own personal unique contributions.
Sadly this type of bogus surrender, where immature leaders demand you surrender your free will and let Krsna flow through you and do all the thinking for you is Impersonalism.
This is a serious problem for some trying to understand what "surrendering" to Krsna (God) really means.
The fact is, if Krsna had full dictatorial control over the jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, then how could they independently offering anything?
Such a "one-sided" relationship is only empty impersonalism that is slaverly and devoid of real love.
Only a fool would want to be Krsna's mindles slave by attempting to extinguish their individuality, free will and independence thoughts, that makes them the "unique" PERSON they are eternally.
Therefore all individual jiva-souls can voluntary make their own choices and contribute to the relationship they have with Krsna in their own unique way.
Such a nonsense "one-sided" dictatorial relationship in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana would simply make the eternal individual jiva-souls no better than "mindless" lifeless dead stone Prabhupada has warned, just like a lifeless puppet controlled by strings!
The individual eternal jiva-souls on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavan, always have their own independent "free will" which means unlimited voluntary ways of contributing in their relationship with Kṛṣṇa making the relationship unique.
Therefore, free will is part and parcel of the jiva-soul's unique separate individual marginal identity eternally.
This "freedom" of having free will, allows the jiva-souls to each make their own unique personal offerings and voluntary contributions to Visnu or Krsna, where each jiva-soul can offer or serve Krsna in their own unique personal way.
This is real freedom.
In this way each individual jiva-soul has their own special unique (personal) association and relationship with Krsna that no other jiva-soul has like theirs.
These loving exchanges are based on a "two-way" relationship between Krsna and the individual jiva-souls.
However, in the temporary material creation, it is different because those who have entered the material creation have previously chosen to leave the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavan by rejecting Visnu on the Vaikuntha planets or Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana.
Even though Krsna has promised there is no return to the material creation once returning to the spiritual worlds, the fact is there is return if the individual jiva-souls want to return as Prabhupada explains here-
Acyutananda – "In Bhagavad Gita Krsna says, once coming to the spiritual world, the individual jiva-soul never returns to the material world, so He can return?"
Srila Prabhupada – "If he likes he can return, that is voluntary."
Guru-kripa – "How is it that one can become envious of Krsna?"
Srila Prabhupada – "You have got little independence (free will), you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God. God has got full independence, but you have got independence (free will) too, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, so if he likes, he can return, there is always a choice. That independence has to be accepted. We can misuse that. Krsna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown." (Mayapur Feb 19, 1976)
Paramahamsa - "But ultimately if we come to Krsna, there’s no return?
Srila Prabhupada - "There is return, that is voluntary, return there is if one chooses."
Paramahamsa - "If we want."
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes."
Paramahamsa - "So we can come to the spiritual world and return to the material world?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes."
Paramahamsa - "Fall down?
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, as soon as we think, “Oh, this material world is very nice, yes, Krsna says, yes, you go and enjoy or suffer in the material world, otherwise what is the meaning of free will? Every living entity has got a little free will, and Krsna is so kind, He gives him opportunity due to free will. "All right, you enjoy or suffer like this, you choose." Just like some of our students sometimes go away, again come back. It is free will. Or just like one goes to the prisonhouse, not that government welcomes, "Come on. We have got prisonhouse. Come here, come here." He goes out of his free will; again comes out, again goes back. Like that."
Paramahamsa - "So because of our desire to enjoy separate from Krsna, we achieve these temporary material bodies; and our desire to achieve Krsna brings us to our natural position."
Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes." (Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course, May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
Srila Prabhupada also explains that over 90% of eternal individual jiva-souls choose to never rebel or voluntary leave the spiritual world.
But sadly less than 10% do rebell and enter the temporary decaying material creation, where one is forced to accept the cycle of repeated birth and death.
Dr. John Mize – “Does Krsna know ahead of time that a soul is going to be foolish and fall?”
Srila Prabhupada – “Krsna? Yes, Krsna may know because He is omniscient”.
Dr. John Mize – “Are more souls falling all the time?”
Srila Prabhupada – “Not all the time however, there is the tendency of falling down from the spiritual world, not for all, but for some because there is independenc (free will). Everyone in the spiritual world does not misuse their independence (free will), most use it properly. The same example with the laws of this land, just like the government constructs a city and further constructs a prison-house because the government knows that somebody will be criminal. So, their shelter must be also constructed. It is very easy to understand. Not that cent percent population will be criminal, but government knows that some of them will be. Otherwise why they construct prison house also? One may say, “Where is the criminal? You are constructing a prison, but Government knows not everyone will do the right thing, there will be criminal, this is free will. So, if the ordinary government can know, why God cannot know? Because there is tendency to misuse free will."
Dr. John Mize – “The origin of that tendency (to fall from Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets) is free will?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Yes."
Dr. John Mize – "From where does that tendency come?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Tendency means the independence (free will). So everyone can know that independence (free will) means one can use it properly or one can misuse it, that is independence. If you make it one way only that you cannot fall down, then that is not independence, it means you have no free will. That is force, therefore Krsna says,yathecchasi tathä kuru. "You have your free will, you can do whatever you like." (BG lecture, Mayapur, June 20, 1973)
While in the material world, the fallen individual jiva-soul's actions, good and bad, come under the laws of material nature called karma, and they have to answer for all they do, good or bad. Therefore, the full freedom or free will that exists in Goloka Vrindavana and on the Vaikuntha planets, certainly does not exist in the material world.
Choosing to reject Krsna means the eternal individual jiva-souls are responsible for their own actions, life after life in the material world and create their own destiny.
We see so many suffer and enjoying but what we cannot see is what these individual jiva-souls did in their previous life times that created the good and bad karma they experience in the material body.
Krsna is not responsible for the choices, good or bad, each individual jiva-soul makes, they are.
All the suffering the individual jiva-souls experience in the material creation is caused by them leaving Krsna in the first place and then reaping the reactions of their own mistaken choices of actions within a temporary material bodily vessel or container they are in within the material world.
In other words, the individual jiva-soul is punished or rewarded (karma) for what ever actions, good or bad, they have "chosen" to act out in this life that may not be payed for until the next life, or even the life after that.
No one understands how Karma fully works because no one remembers all many births and deaths we have had in the material creation over infinity (eternity)
Remember, the eternal individual jiva-souls are beginningless and endless and therefore never created, they are as old as Krsna is as Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter Two explains-
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (BG, Ch 2 text 12)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change."(BG, Ch 2 text 13)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (BG, Ch 2 text 14)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation." (BG, Ch 2 text 15)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both." (BG, Ch 2 text 16)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul." (BG, Ch 2 text 17)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “The material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is sure to come to an end; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata." (BG, Ch 2 text 18)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain." (BG, Ch 2 text 19)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (BG, Ch 2 text 20 “corrected” 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?" (BG, Ch 2 text 21)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." (BG, Ch 2 text 22)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind." (BG, Ch 2 text 23)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same." (BG, Ch 2 text 24)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body." (BG, Ch 2 text 25)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] is always born and dies forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty armed." (BG, Ch 2 text 26)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament." (BG, Ch 2 text 27)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?" (BG, Ch 2 text 28)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all." (BG, Ch 2 text 29)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the material body can never be slain. Therefore, you need not grieve for any living being." (BG, Ch 2 text 30)
All individual jīva-souls are eternal persons, therefore there are no new jiva-souls being created because they have always existed meaning they are beginningless and endless.
Srila Prabhupada – "There are no new souls, new and old are due to this material body, but the jiva-soul is never born and never dies, so if there is no birth, how can there be new souls?" (Letter to Jagadisa dasa 9th July 1970)
This is important to understand and realize, we are all responsible for our own actions and must pay for them with the kind of material body we get.
We cannot blame God (Krsna) for our suffering or enjoying in the material worlds.
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)
The spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavana are personal Kingdoms based on voluntary loving exchanges and cooperation between Krsna and His dear devotees, it is never a "one-way, one-sided" pathway of forceful demands on both sides.
Ultimately, every individual jiva-soul in their full potential in the spiritual world, are Krsna's eternal servant and very dear friend however, that does not mean we have to give up our free will and intelligence that allows unique voluntary contributions, to be Krsna's dear friend and servant.
Actually, Kṛṣṇa acknowledges the eternal individuality and unique personality each individual jiva-soul is as their spiritual bodily form.
Krsna always responds to His devotees in a two-sided relationship of loving co-operation, recognition, reciprocation and exchanges.
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
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