Having "free will" always allows the jiva-souls to voluntarily choose their own unique contributions they want to offer to Krsna in loving service.
Lord Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes and not even a blade of grass can move unless He gives His sanction.
The phrase "THE CAUSE OF ALL CAUSES" is significant here, it means Krsna is the source of everything including the jiva-soul's "free will" and their ability to express themselves as an individual personality.
However, there is an obvious reason why Krsna allows free will.
The fact is, without "free will," loving exchanges and voluntary offerings to Krsna are not possible.
Free will allows the jiva-souls to express themselves in their own independent way, with loving personal exchanges with Krsna.
Without free will the jiva-souls can never personally voluntarily contribute to their relationship with Krsna in a positive constructive way, leaving them no better than dead stone or like a lifeless puppet controlled by the strings of a puppet master.
How can a "lifeless puppet" in a puppet show express loving emotions when it is always controlled and manipulated by the strings of a puppet master?
Similarly, how can the jiva-souls express loving emotions on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, if Visnu and Krsna do not allow "free will," or independence that allows self expression, so the jiva-souls can voluntarily provide their own contributions that enrich, expand and enhance one's eternal relationship with Krsna or Visnu?
Surrender to Krsna and His pure devotee is not impersonal, surrender does not mean giving up your intelligence, free will, individuality, and one's personal realization of being an independent unique contributing thoughtful PERSON that is really who the jiva-souls are eternally.
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 on BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York, 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 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." (Lecture on SB Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - ''Their (impersonalist) philosophy is oneness. So how there can be love, 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 on SB Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
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 - "A man may know better but still act wrongly".
Srila Prabhupada -"Yes, but that is free will. He misuses his. 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. Unless there is misuse of free will, there is no question of free will." (Excerpt from: Philosophy Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes)
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)
Devotee – "Srila Prabhupada, I can’t understand why we have impure desires when we are already serving."
Srila Prabhupada – "Because you have got little freedom, it is one's desire."
Devotee – "But in Srimad-Bhagavatam it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come, why are we here?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, you forced Krsna to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says, “My dear son, do not do this. Do not go there.” But he insists, “Oh, I must go. I must go.” “All right, you go at your risk and suffer. What can be done? So because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, therefore you have acquired the quality of your father, so God does not interfere with your independence. If you persist that “I must go and enjoy independently,” so God says, “All right, you can go.” This is the position. You have to take sanction. That is a fact. But when you persist, God sanctions. And you come and enjoy." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
If "free will" is taken away from the marginal living entities (jiva-souls), then they lose the ability to give and accept love by not being able to provide their own personal contributions.
In that condition, the jiva-soul becomes no better than dead stone Prabhupada has told us, or just become a mindless robot, slave or drone.
For love to truly exist, the jiva-souls MUST have their free will that is part and parcel of their marginal constitutional make up as said above and emphasized here.
Free will allows the jiva-souls to choose for themselves how they want to serve Krsna with voluntary contributions in a selflessness mood (the real meaning of surrender) in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.
Srila Prabhupada - "The jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is voluntary. Some devotee wants to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want that "As a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna," 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)
Each individual jiva-soul has their own independent personality (yet fully dependent on Krsna) and separate from Krsna's Personality.
This means each jiva-soul has their own independent sense of self, there own "unique identity" and personality they only individually each have. No two jiva-souls are the same.
These personal attributes are part and parcel of each individual marginal living entity (jiva-soul) making each of them a unique "PERSON" they are eternally.
"Free will" in its full potential, is only fully experienced in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, which are the jiva-soul's original (eternal) perpetual homes.
The spiritual worlds of Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana are not a dictatorial domineering impersonal place where everyone just does what Krsna wants without personal offerings and contributions that allow the jiva-souls to experience a reciprocal relationship established on loving exchanges with Krsna.
The Kingdom of God (Goloka-Vrindavana) is not impersonal in any way, there are always an unlimited varierty of loving exchanges and offerings going on between Radha and Krsna and His dear devotees eternally.
The Impersonal versions of God's Kingdom masquerading as religious cults around the world, claim that to enter God's Kingdom, the jiva-souls must give up their free will and independent thinking in order to enter either the Vaikuntha planets, or Goloka-Vrindavana, is nonsense.
Such impersonal versions of the Kingdom of God is a mindless loveless fools paradise occupied by only thoughtless drones programmed to only obey and denied the ability to make personal contributions.
Such an existence is no better than being a dead stone.
To Vaisnavas, those who attempt to extinguish their free will and individuality are committing spiritual suicide.
As said above, each individual jiva-soul is able to their own unique personal contributions as a personal offering to Radha or Krsna with love while associating with them in Vrindavana as the perpetual individual servant they are eternally.
No two jiva-souls are the same, each has their own unique individual personality, character and identity engaging in loving exchanges with Krsna.
Srila Prabhupāda - "Unless there are two persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange. Giving something, taking something, feeding something and to eat something, and speaking everything, no secrecy, and to know everything of the other person. 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)
The jiva-soul never loses their free will in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana, which means their own individual ability of self expression of choosing what they offer as their own personal contributions that are unique to each individual jiva-souls.
Only by falling to the mundane temporary material creation does the jiva-soul's free will almost ceases to exist and is replaced with the urges of the material nature - eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
Therefore, only in the human species (material bodily vessel) in the material creation does Karma exist and is rested by pious and impious activity, which means the jiva-souls, in only human form, are responsible for their actions good and bad.
However, in the 8 million lower species of material life, it is different, the covered jiva-soul there is controlled by the basic instincts of the material bodily vessel they are contained in, like a dog, monkey Lion, bird according to Srimad Bhagavatam.
Even in the higher heavenly planets and lower hellish planets no karma is created only worked off
Each jiva-soul (marginal living entity) has there eternal marginal quality of free will in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, which is part and parcel of there perpetual make up, allowing unique contributions eternal.
Each individual jiva-soul is a unique one of a kind PERSON in the spiritual world, different from all other jiva-souls, and includes Krsna.
Again, it is important to understand this means that no two jiva-souls are the same, and all jiva-souls have their own personality seperate from Krsna's Personality.
This eternally existing spiritual social code, that includes free will and an independent personal sense of individual self, make up the character and personality of each jiva-soul that is without any beginning or ending point, and is part and parcel of every marginal living entities (jiva-souls) eternal constitution as said above.
This allows the jiva-soul to personally always be aware that they are a unique individual independent person who us always able to make their own offerings and contributions while serving Krsna.
"Free will" means it is also the jiva-soul's choice of how to they want surrender and voluntarily serve Krsna, or even NOT surrender if they choose, although that is very rare.
The fact is, as said above, more than 90% of jiva-souls NEVER choose to foolishly reject Krsna, only less than 10% choose to reject Krsna and therefore enter the material creation.
If the jiva-soul in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana reject Visnu or Krsna, then they obviously cannot stay there.
The only place available to them is the temporary decaying material creation meant for those who have chosen to leave the spiritual worlds.
It is also the jiva-souls choice of what they offer the Lord or contribute to the Lord, which is the very best from their unique abilities and talents they voluntarily selflessly offer to Krsna.
However, each jiva-soul knows they please Krsna the most by humbly and selflessly serving the servants of the servants of Krsna in Goloka-Vrindavan or Vaikuntha. This "selflessness" of serving the servant of the servant of Krsna is the highest realization of love of God.
Most jiva-souls do not fall from God's personal Kingdoms on the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana.
The jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are personally responsible for their choices and actions and they have nothing to do with Maya or the material energy.
This is because Maya or material energy does not exist in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana.
It is always the jiva-souls choice to say or go from the spiritual worlds and not just Krsna's dominating force.
If the jiva-souls choose to stay in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana, or choose to enter the material creation, is their free will.
Such "free will" allows them to make that choice, to choose to remain in the spiritual worlds, or leave Visnu or Krsna for those who do not want to be on the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana.
In most case, not even Visnu or Krsna interfere with the choices of each individual jiva-souls.
This is why it is incorrect to claim no jiva-souls can again fall down to the material creation once they are in the spiritual world, no, they CAN fall down again and again if they choose.
The jiva-souls CAN go to the material creation anytime they like, this is because Krsna never forces the jiva-souls to love Him, or interfers with what ever they chose to do. There is always choice on the Vaikuntha planets and within Goloka-Vrindavana.
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling, then there is love. Not by force! Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada - ''Because you are Son of God you have got independence, so God does not interfere with your little independence. If you persist that “I must go and enjoy independently'', God says, “All right, you can go and enjoy." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada explains in "Nectar of Devotion", that just like the Sun-disc cannot be separated from the sun-rays, similarly Krsna cannot be seperate from His parts and parcels or be without the association of His loving devotees.
In Krsna Book Prabhupada explains-
Srila Prabhupada - "As the sun-disc and the sunshine cannot be separated, similarly Kṛṣṇa and His bodily rays, the brahmajyoti (made up of dormant jiva-souls), cannot be separated." (Krsna Book, 89)
The relationship between Krsna and His jiva-soul expansions (marginal living entities) is never one-sided, never a forced relationship, therefore never impersonal.
One's relationship with Krsna is always a personal relationship based on reciprocation, gental nurturing and voluntary service, in a "two-way" loving exchange.
Only then can there be real love in one's relationship with Krsna. Srila Prabhupada explained to us many years ago what reciprocation is-
“If you love me, then I will love you, only the in a two-way exchange can love exist”
Love is only real when it is based on a reciprocal relationship between two, love can NEVER exist when there is just one.
Here Prabhupada is giving us the example that there must always be loving respectful cooperation between two, exchanges and voluntary reciprocation, responding with each other with selfless kindness and devotion.
It is not that the jiva-souls serve Krsna without any response from Him, no the spiritual worlds are not "one-way" or impersonal like that, Krsna also enthusiastically serves His devotees.
Krsna's love for His parts and parcels is ALWAYS expanding and increasing, thinking of better ways to serve and please His friends, family and associates more than they could ever serve Him.
There are no new jiva-souls being created because they were never created, they have always existed as Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 2 text 20 reveals.
"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 "correct" 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 2 text 12 also confirms the jiva-souls were never created.
"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 2.12)
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, 7/9/1970)
However, there are an unlimited varierty of "new ways" on how to serve the Lord. It is that service to Lord that is always expanding the spiritual sky.
Exchanges of loving emotions can NEVER exist with just "one," there MUST be "two." Loving exchanges, reciprocation and cooperation can only be experienced between two.
Therefore, God is never one, God is ALWAYS two, Radha and Krsna however, when that two remains two in ONE body, that is Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The fact is 90% of all jiva-souls or marginal living entities choose to NEVER fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana, because that is their choice.
That expression of freedom or "free Will" in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana is always eternally part and parcel of the marginal living entities natural constitution and has always existed as explained above.
The jiva-tattva soul or marginal living entity has 78.125% of Krsna's quantities, which works out to be 50 of His 64 qualities.
This puts marginal living entities in the realm of having their own "sense of independent self, identity, individuality, free will, unique character and their own personality separate from Krsna's Personality.
This allows them to have the ability to choose for themselves how to serve Krsna with sincere unique endeavours of individual loving emotions.
This means the jiva-souls always have the freedom to agree, or not agree with Krsna.
Having such individuality and independence allows the jiva-souls to have their own ability to choose Krsna or choose to be separate from Krsna, that means entering the material creation because of that choice to reject Krsna.
The material creation technically also exists because of "free will" because if the jiva-souls never had their free will, then there would be no need of a separate existence known as the material creation where jiva souls can go when they choose to reject Krsna (God).
Remember Maya or the material energy does NOT exist in Vaikuntha, so MAYA is unknown to the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.
However, having "free will" and an independent personality separate from Krsna's Personality, means the jiva-souls have their own individual identity who can leave Krsna at anytime they choose and follow their own mistaken desires that automatically places them in the temporary decomposing material creation of Maha-Visnu.
Having this freedom also allows the jiva-soul to express themselves in their own unique way in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana too.
As said above, the material creation is also created because it allows the jiva-souls the freedom to choose for themselves what they can try to achieve for themselves or for Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore "free will" is eternally part and parcel of the eternal constitutional makeup of all marginal living entities (jiva-souls) in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.
The Visnu-tattva expansions of Krsna have 60 of Krsna's 64 qualities which is 93.75% of Krsna's 100% attributes.
These are direct expansions of Krsna's Personality who are different from the independent jiva-souls (marginal potency) who have their own personality seperate from Krsna's Personality.
This is because the Visnu-tattvas are direct expansions from Krsna's Personality who are Krsna just playing another role in His own pastimes.
Unlike the separated jiva-souls who have their own independent unique identity and personality separate from Krsna's Personality, making them the marginal potency which means they are sometimes under the control of the internal potency, and sometimes under the control of the external potency.
Srila Prabhupada - "The jiva-souls are marginal which means the jiva-souls may be under the control of the spiritual energy, or they may be under the control of material energy. But when the jiva-souls are under the control of the material energy, that is their precarious condition, struggle for existence. And when they are under spiritual energy, that is their original position and life of freedom." (Los Angeles, Nov 23, 1968)
The word "marginal" simply means the jiva-souls exist sometimes under the influence of the spiritual energy, or sometimes under the material energy.
Srila Prabhupada - "The jiva-souls are Krsna's marginal energy. Marginal energy means we can live either in this external energy or in the internal energy, in between. So at the present moment we are living in the external energy. But this external energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energies, God's energy. It is not different from Him. But the external energy means we are captivated by the external energy. But the external energy is not permanent. The internal energy is permanent. The spiritual world is permanent, and the jiva-souls are also permanent as Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 text 20 reveals." (Lecture on BG 9.4 -Melb, April 23, 1976)
"Free will" for the jiva-souls is eternal in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, and without this freedom of being able to choose, then the jiva-soul would be no better than dead stone.
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 soon as we try, "Oh, this material world is very nice," "Yes," Kṛṣṇa says, "yes, you can go." 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 enjoy like this." It is free will." (Morning walk at Cheviot Hills Golf course, May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
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 you cannot fall down, that is not independence, that is force. Therefore Krsna says, yathecchasi tathä kuru. “Now you do whatever you like." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Ultimately LOVE is NEVER a one-way dictatorship, real love is based on reciprocation and loving exhanges between two, not just one.
Therefore we must NOT forget the jiva-souĺs have THEIR choices too, even if that choice means rejecting Krsna.
This is because love is always based on reciprocation, a two way street between two.
Only impersonalists preach that "surrender" means giving up free will, individuality and that everyone should become "little Krsna imitaters".
If Krsna forced His will and dominance on the jiva-souls, denying them to contribute any personal offerings and thoughts, then they would be no better than dead stone Prabhupada tells us.
Such absolute one way control by this kind of God will only totally destroy the jiva-soul's independent expression of their individuality.
And if Krsna did force His will, forcing the jiva-souls to love Him, then how can that be genuine love?
Devotee – "If Krsna did not want us to come to the material world, then why are we here?”
Srila Prabhupada - "That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, ‘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)
Therefore by forcing the jiva-souls to comply is interfering with the jiva soul's free will. The fact is Krsna will NEVER make decisions for the jiva-souls, otherwise their sense of free will is violated.
There can be no question of love if the jiva-soul has no free will to choose for themselves.
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)
"Free will" is never acquired, nor ever given up or surrendered in the spiritual world, free will is eternally part and parcel of the jiva-soul's natural constitution and therefore ALWAYS exists without beginning or end on the spiritual planets.
However, free will in its full potential, is ONLY fully experienced in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, which is the jiva-soul's original perpetual home.
The relationship with Krsna is NEVER a one-sised dictatorship, it is never impersonal like that. One's relationship with Krsna is always based on reciprocation and loving exchanges.
The jiva-souls in their full potential in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana are forever expanding their individual expression of personal offerings to Krsna, hence the universe is always expanding with devotional service.
As said above, they are no new jiva-souls expanding the spiritual sky because all jiva-souls have always existed.
The jiva-souls relationship with Krsna is NEVER impersonal, one-sided or one-way because Krsna always reciprocates with his devotees with genuine loving effection and service.
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)
Real love can NEVER exist on a "one-way" street where so called "surrender" to Krsna extinguishes the jiva-soul's self determination, self respect, self esteem, free will and personal contributions.
All these points are important to study and understand..^^^..
Comments