The jiva-souls are eternal and have no beginning or end, they will never cease to be as Bhagavad Gita teaches.

The only reason we change material bodies is because in the material world nothing lasts forever, everything is in a constant state of decomposition except for the jiva-souls who are the passengers within these material vessels.

Bhagavad Gita - "For the soul there is never birth nor death, nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the (material) body is slain." (BG Chapter 2 Text 12)

In most cases the cause of fall down to the material creation is free will.

Being a marginal living entity or jiva-soul means free will is included in their constitutional make up.

This means in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana (The Kingdoms of God), the jiva-souls always have a choice.

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." (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

Sadly, less than 10% do choose to leave Krsna and Visnu and enter the dreaming material creation of Maha-Visnu.

The good thing is more than 90% of jiva-souls never choose to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana Prabhupada has explained.

This fall down by some jiva-souls has nothing to do with the influence of Maya or the material energy because both do not exist in the spiritual planets.

However, free will does exists there and not only allows loving exchanges and reciprocation to exist with Krsna, but also allows the jiva-souls to reject Krsna if they choose.

A loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa and Visnu can only exist on a two-way street where each jiva-soul can also voluntarily contribute to the relationship.

Srila Prabhupada - "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? In Bengali it is said if you catch one girl or boy and you demand 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." (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C)

Srila Prabhupāda – ''Genuine 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." (August 9, 1976, Tehran)

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 Chapter 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 by only one, there must be two. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (SB Canto 1 Chapter 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 Chapter 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)

Srila Prabhupada - "Surrender BY your intelligence but don't surrender your intelligence." (Letter to Bali Mardan 1974)

Love can never exist when only one is involved, the freedom must be there to voluntarily participate in a two-way reciprocal relationship with the Lord.

Even Krsna had to divide Himself into two just so He could experience loving exchanges with a women.

The word reciprocation only has meaning when there are two involved, NOT one.

Also, on very rare occasions, the jiva-souls can fall down due to some offence against a great devotee or devotees like the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, Jaya and Vijaya who offended the 4 child like Kumaras by telling them they could not enter Vaikuntha.

As a result of their offence Visnu gave them two ways to enter the material creation, 7 times as devotees, or 3 times as demons.

Jaya and Vijaya could not stand the thought of being away from their master for seven lives, so they agreed to be born three times as the Lord's enemies. After fulfilling the curse, they could return to their immortal forms as His gatekeepers.  

The choice to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana is possible because Krsna allows love to be a two-way street, this means one can accept or reject Krsna if they choose to do so.

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 – "You have got little independence therefore you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God you have got independence, proportionately, therefore if he'd likes he can return. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We CAN misuse that." (Conversation, Mayapur, February 19, 1976) 

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." (Philosophy Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes)

There is only two causes that keep the jiva-souls continuingly taking birth in the material worlds-

1 - The result of accumulated past baggage of sinful and pious activity (Karma) from this and past lives forcing the conditioned in jiva-souls keep taking birth. 

2 - By not surrendering to Krsna's pure devotee and finding freedom from all karmic reactions and instead, continue to ignore Krsna by desiring to enjoy separate from Him or Visnu.

The jiva-souls are eternal, the only reason we change material bodies is because in the material world nothing lasts forever and material bodily vessels wear out, decay and die forcing the jiva-souls to take a new body.

This is called reincarnation.  

The material bodies we obtain at birth, are always on a constant journey in the temporary material creation where they are in a state of decay and decline, and eventually became food for maggots and worms.

Hence we experience birth, youth, middle age, old age and death.

This happens because all material bodies wear out, fade away, decompose and becomes unfit to house life (The jiva-souls).

Therefore the jiva-soul is eventually kicked out of the decomposing material vessel it is temporarily in and forced to take another material bodily vessel life after life.

And that re-birth could be any material body out of 8 million 400 thousand species of body.

The fact is to obtain the human bodily form is also very rare, most today are heading for rebirth in the animal kingdom as dogs, hogs, camels and asses..^..

There are important letters written by Prabhupada he instructed be presented and distributed as a Book. There is no difference between Prabhupada's lectures, letters (in most cases) morning walks and all his Books.

It is true many letters are personal, yes what one Maharaj has said is partly correct however, there are other letters by Prabhupada he instructed to be distributed to the devotees.

Like the letter, now a book called "Crow-And-Tal-Fruit Logic, the origin of the jiva" sent to Madhudvisa Swami in 1972 and the room discussion with John Lennon and Yoko Ono also now a book.

In fact, many lectures, morning walks and Room conversation's have been made into books.

Anyway there is absolutely "no material cause for one's fall down from Vaikuntha", this because Maya or the material energy does NOT exist in Vaikuntha

One important point about one Maharaj's talks on the jiva's origin is, he never mentions that our fall down from Vaikuntha is simply caused by "free will" and NOT Maya (which is the material energy that does NOT exist in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana).

On the other hand, "Free will" and the "ability to choose" is NEVER lost by the jiva-tattva because being an individual independent thinking living entity with their own independent personality and sense of identity and self, is also part and parcel of the jiva-tattva's eternal constitution and make up that is NEVER lost in Goloka or Vaikuntha under the heading of "surrender" either.

If it did, then that is impersonalism.

Those many Sakti-tattva and Vishnu-tattva's known as Vishnu-Sakti-Tattvas are direct expansions of the Lord that are in a different category from the jiva-tattvas who have 78% of Krishna's qualities. The Vishnu-Sakti-Tattvas have 93% of Krishna's qualities.

There are many associates of Krishna in this category of Vishnu-Sakti-Tattva playing different roles in both Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan and in Krishna's pastimes in the Material Universes also.

Technically they ARE Krishna experiencing Himself in different past times, unlike the jiva-tattva who have their own sense of individuality, independence and unique personality (sense of independent self) who can choose for themselves to serve or not serve Krishna.

The jivatmas (78% of Krishna's qualities) are different, they have their own independent sense of self that includes "free will and the ability to choose", therefore the jivatmas CAN choose not to be with Krishna if they "choose" where as the Vishnu-sakti-tattvas cannot (because they are Krishna)

The only cause for one's fall down from Vaikuntha is "free will" and "the ability to choose" and nothing else. The fact is without that ability to "choose" then how can there be love?

Sridhar Maharaj told one ISKCON devotee visiting him the jiva comes from ''a clear sheet of consciousness' from the dormant brahmajyoti in 1978 saying -

''The jiva soul is an atom in that effulgence, and the brahmajyoti is a product of an infinite number of jiva atoms. Generally, souls emanate from the brahmajyoti which is living and growing. Within the brahmajyoti, their equilibrium is somehow disturbed and movement begins. From nondifferentiation, differentiation begins. From a plain sheet of uniform consciousness, individual conscious units grow''.

The devotee told him it was impersonal nonsense what he was saying and NOT our Srila Prabhupada's teachings, he shook my head and walked out of his room -

Srila Prabhupada – ''There is no “ NEW” soul. “New'’ and “old'’ are due to this material body, but the soul is never born and never dies, so if there is no birth how there can be new soul''. Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970

Srila Prabhupada – ''Regarding your several questions: Where are the spirit souls coming from? These spirit souls and all spirit souls are coming from Vaikuntha'' Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970

Srila Prabhupada says - ''Existence in the impersonal brahman is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness. Those who are in the brahman effulgence are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition. The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness''. (Letter to Revatinandana Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

Letter to: Revatinandana — Los Angeles 13 June, 1970

Srila Prabhupada - 'The next question, about the living entities falling down in this material world are not from the impersonal brahman. Existence in the impersonal brahman is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness.

Those who are in the brahman effulgence they are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition.

The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness. So long one can maintain pure Krsna consciousness he is not fallen down. As soon as he becomes out of Krsna consciousness immediately he is fallen down. It does not matter where a living entity stays. In the material world also there are different stages of living conditions, and to remain in the brahman effulgence is also another phase of that fallen condition.

Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that conditioned souls by their pious activities are elevated to the higher planetary system, but as soon as the stock of pious activities is finished he again comes down on the earthly planet.

Similarly those who are elevated beyond the planetary system to the brahma effulgence, they are also prone to fall down as much as a living entity from the higher planetary system.

As such those who are thinking that they are liberated by being situated in brahman effulgence are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as impurely intelligent.

In other words, they are actually not liberated, and because they are not actually liberated they again come down to the material world as much as a living entity elevated to the higher planetary system comes down to this earthly planet.

So we do not accept anyone elevated to the brahman effulgence as actually liberated.” (Letter to Revatinandana Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

Srila Prabhupada - "The jivas were previously active ''before'' entering "inactive" or "dormant" Brahman effulgence" (Letter to Revatinandana Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

Here Prabhupada is saying they never originated from that effulgence (inactive aspect of the Brahmajyoti) even though it may ''appear'' they do because of an enormous time span.

They have actually fallen to that effulgence by entering it at the end of the previous material creation or may have entered it as an impersonalist yogi, they have never originated from there or Maha Vishnu either because long, long, long before that they fell from Vaikuntha.

This is explained here –

Revatīnandana: You very clearly explained to me once in a letter that if the spirit soul then goes into the brahma-jyotir, he is considered still fallen. Still fallen. Does that means the whole brahma-jyotir is composed of fallen souls? You see my question? If I go there, I'm a jīva soul, and I go to the brahma-jyotir I'm still fallen.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: That means all jīva souls there are also fallen souls.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: That follows?

Srila Prabhupāda: That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vibhinnāṁśa. Separated parts. Separated parts, vibhinnāṁśa. You can call it fallen.

Revatīnandana: But we usually think of fallen as being forgetful.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. This is also forgetfulness. In the brahma-jyotir you are forgetful still. Because you are... That is stated in the śāstra, anādhṛta yuṣmad anghrayaḥ. Anādhṛta. They do not know how to adore the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is forgetfulness.

Srila Prabhupada - “We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago.” - (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita on August 6, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - ‘’These spirit souls and all spirit souls are coming from Vaikuntha”. (Letter to Jagadisa das, 1970)

Srila Prabhupada - “As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness has now become polluted by the material atmosphere.” (Original Hare Krsna Happening record album New York 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - ”So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krishna? Why not become Krishna?’ I immediately fall down.” (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

Srila Prabhupada - "In the broader sense everyone comes from Krishna Loka. When one forgets Krishna he is conditioned, when one remembers Krishna he is liberated". (Letter to Mukunda, June 10, 1969)

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and who He really is

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahaprabhu (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534), was a Bengali Vedic mystic, saint, and the chief proponent of of the Achintya Bheda Abheda and Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism.

He taught there is only ONE Supreme Personality of  Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna, and all others so called gods are NOT the Supreme God at all, they are Administrators like ministers in a Government under a Prime Minister  or President.

Such representatives of Krishna or God, are in charge of different universal affairs throughout the material universes and number in the millions.

Many outsiders become confused with Vedic teachings and believe there are many gods.

This has to be properly understood.

No, the fact is there is only ONE Supreme Lord who can and does manifest Himself as many different Personalities like Vishnu, Narayana, Ramachandra, Narasingha deva and Lord Chaitanya etc

However, the 33 million demigods who administers the material universe, are NOT the Supreme God, that includes Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva who are very advanced administrators managing the mode of passion (Brahma) and ignorance (Shiva)

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also expounded the Vaishnava school of Bhakti yoga (meaning loving devotion to God), based on Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita.

Of various forms and direct or indirect expansions of Krishna such as Lord Narasingha (Krishna in mood of anger), Maha-Vishnu and Garbhodakshaya Vishnu respectively, he is Lord Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes in the mood of a devotee.

He popularised the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra and composed the Siksastakam (eight devotional prayers) in Sanskrit.

His followers, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, revere him as a Krishna with the mood and complexion of his source of inspiration Radha. His birthday is celebrated as Gaura-purnima.

Chaitanya is sometimes referred to by the names Gauranga or Gaura due to his fair complexion, and Nimai due to his being born underneath a Neem tree.

Chaitanya was born as the second son of Jagannath Mishra and his wife Sachi Devi. Jagannath's family lived in the village of Dhakadakshin, Golapganj, Srihatta, Bengal.

According to Chaitanya Charitamruta, Chaitanya was born on the full moon night of 18 February 1486, at the time of a lunar eclipse.

Alternatively, Chaitanya is also believed to born in Mayapur. Mayapur is located on the banks of the Ganges river, at the point of its confluence with the Jalangi, near Nabadwip, West Bengal, India, 130 km north of Kolkata (Calcutta).

Mayapur is considered a holy place by a number of other traditions within Hinduism.

A more number of stories also exist telling of Chaitanya's apparent attraction to the chanting and singing of Krishna's names from a very young age, but largely this was perceived as being secondary to his interest in acquiring knowledge and studying Sanskrit.

When travelling to Gaya to perform the shraddha ceremony for his departed father, Chaitanya met his guru, the ascetic Ishvara Puri, from whom he received initiation with the Gopala Krishna mantra.

This meeting was to mark a significant change in Chaitanya's outlook and upon his return to Bengal the local Vaishnavas, headed by Advaita Acharya, were stunned at his external sudden 'change of heart' (from 'scholar' to 'devotee') and soon Chaitanya became the eminent leader of their Vaishnava group within Nadia.

After leaving Bengal and receiving entrance into the sannyasa order by Swami Kesava Bharati, Chaitanya journeyed throughout the length and breadth of India for several years, chanting the divine Names of Krishna constantly.

At that time He traveled on foot covering a lot of places like Baranagar, Mahinagar, Atisara at last Chhatrabhog.

Chhatrabhog is the place where Goddess Ganga and Lord Shiva met, then hundred mouths of Ganga was visible from here. From the source of Vrindaban Das's Chaitanya Bhagavat.

He bathed at Ambulinga Ghat of Chhatrabhog with intimate companions with great chorus chanting (kirtan). After staying one night He set for Puri by boat with the help of Local Administrator Ram Chandra Khan.

He spent the last 24 years of his life in Puri, Odisha, the great temple city of Jagannath in the Radhakanta Math. The Gajapati king, Prataprudra Dev, regarded Chaitanya as Krishna's avatar and was an enthusiastic patron and devotee of Chaitanya's sankeertan gatherings.

It was during these years that Chaitanya is believed by his followers to have sunk deep into various Divine-Love (samādhi) and performed pastimes of divine ecstasy (bhakti).

Vrindavan, the land of Radha Rani, the “City of Temples” has more than 5000 temples to showcase the pastimes of Radha and Krishna, including temples as old as 5500 years.

The essence of Vrindavan was lost over time until the 16th century, when it was rediscovered by Chaitanya. In the year 1515, Chaitanya visited Vrindavana, with the purpose of locating the lost holy places associated with Lord Sri Krishna's transcendent pastimes.

He wandered through the different sacred forests of Vrindavana in a spiritual trance of divine love. It was believed that by His divine spiritual power, he was able to locate all the important places of Krishna's pastimes in and around Vrindavan including the seven main temples or sapta devalay, which are worshiped by Vaishnavas in the Chaitanya tradition to this day.

Discovery of Birthplace Yogapith

In 1886 a leading Gaudiya Vaisnava, reformer Bhaktivinoda Thakur, attempted to retire from his government service and move to Vrindavan to pursue his devotional life there.

However, he had a dream in which Chaitanya ordered him to go to Nabadwip instead.

After some difficulty, in 1887 Bhaktivinoda was transferred to Krishnanagar, a district center twenty-five kilometers away from Nabadwip, famous as the birthplace of Chaitanya.

Despite poor health, Bhaktivinoda finally managed to start regularly visiting Nabadwip to research places connected with Chaitanya. Soon he came to a conclusion that the site purported by the local brahmanas to be Chaitanya's birthplace could not possibly be genuine.

Determined to find the actual place of Chaitanya's pastimes but frustrated by the lack of reliable evidence and clues, one night he had a mystical vision:

By 10 o'clock the night was very dark and cloudy. Across the Ganges in a northern direction I suddenly saw a large building flooded with golden light. I asked Kamala if he could see the building and he said that he could. But my friend Kerani Babu could see nothing. I was amazed. What could it be?

In the morning I went back to the roof and looked carefully back across the Ganges. I saw that in the place where I had seen the building was a stand of palm trees. Inquiring about this area I was told that it was the remains of Lakshman Sen's fort at Ballaldighi.

Taking this as a clue, Bhaktivinoda conducted a thorough, painstaking investigation of the site, by consulting old geographical maps matched against scriptural and verbal accounts, and eventually came to a conclusion that the village of Ballaldighi was formerly known as Mayapur, confirmed in Bhakti-ratnakara as the actual birth site of Chaitanya.

He soon acquired a property in Surabhi-kunj near Mayapur to oversee the temple construction at Yogapith, Chaitanya's birthplace.

For this purpose he organized, via Sajjana-tosani and special festivals, as well as personal acquaintances, a massive and hugely successful fundraising effort among the people of Bengal and beyond.

Noted Bengali journalist Sisir Kumar Ghosh (1840-1911) commended Bhaktivinoda for the discovery and hailed him as "the seventh goswami" – a reference to the Six Goswamis, renowned medieval Gaudiya Vaisnava ascetics and close associates of Chaitanya who had authored many of the school's texts and discovered places of Krishna's pastimes in Vrindavan.

There are numerous biographies available from the time giving details of Chaitanya's life, the most prominent ones being the Chaitanya Charitamrita of Krishnadasa Kaviraja, the earlier Chaitanya Bhagavata of Vrindavana Dasa (both originally written in Bengali but now widely available in English and other languages), and the Chaitanya Mangala, written by "Lochana Dasa".

These works are in Bengali with some Sanskrit verses interspersed. In addition to these there are other Sanskrit biographies composed by his contemporaries. Chief among them are the works, Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛtam Mahākavyam by Kavi Karnapura and Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Caritāmṛtam by Murari Gupta.

According to the hagiographies of 16th-century authors, he exhibited his Universal Form identical to that of Krishna on a number of occasions, notably to Advaita Ācārya and Nityānanda Prabhu.

Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider Chaitanya to be Lord Krishna himself, but appearing in covered form (channa avatar). The Gaudiya Vaishnava acharya Bhaktivinoda Thakura had also found out the rare manuscript of Caitanya Upanisad of the Atharvaveda section, which reveals the identity of Chaitanya.

Chaitanya has left one written record in Sanskrit called Siksastakam (though, in Vaishnava Padavali it is said: "Chaitanya himself wrote many songs on the Radha-Krishna theme").

Chaitanya's epistemological, theological and ontological teachings are summarised as ten roots or maxims (dasa mula).

The statements of amnaya (scripture) are the chief proof.

By these statements the following ten topics are taught.

1 - Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth.

2 - Krishna is endowed with all energies.

3 - Krishna is the source of all rasa- flavor, quality, or spiritual rapture.

4 - The jivas (individual souls) are all separated parts of the Lord.

5 - In the liberated state the jivas are free from the influence of matter and are established in their ''original position'' in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana.

6 - The jivas and the material world are both different from and identical to the Lord.

7 - Simultaneously one and different.

8 - Pure devotion is the practice of the jivas.

9 - Pure love of Krishna is the ultimate goal.

10 - Krishna is the only lovable blessing .

Despite having been initiated in the Madhvacharya tradition and taking sannyasa from Shankara's tradition, Chaitanya's philosophy is sometimes regarded as a tradition of his own within the Vaishnava framework – having some marked differences with the practices and the theology of other followers of Madhvacharya.

He took Mantra Upadesa from Isvara Puri and Sanyasa Diksha from Keshava Bharati.

Chaitanya is not known to have written anything himself except for a series of verses known as the Siksastaka, or "eight verses of instruction", which he had spoken, and were recorded by one of his close colleagues.

The eight verses created by Chaitanya are considered to contain the complete philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in condensed form.

Chaitanya requested a select few among his followers (who later came to be known as the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan) to systematically present the theology of bhakti he had taught to them in their own writings.

The six saints and theologians were

1 - Rupa Goswami,
2 - Sanatana Goswami,
3 - Gopala Bhatta Goswami,
4 - Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami,
5 - Raghunatha dasa Goswami,
6 - Jiva Goswami, a nephew of brothers Rupa and Sanatana.

These 6 individuals were responsible for systematising Gaudiya Vaishnava theology.

Narottama Dasa, Srinivasa Acarya and Syamananda Pandit were among the stalwarts of the second generation of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Having studied under Jiva Goswami, they were instrumental in propagating the teachings of the Goswamis throughout Bengal, Odisha and other regions of Eastern India.

Many among their associates, such as Ramacandra Kaviraja and Ganga Narayan Chakravarti, were also eminent teachers in their own right.

In the early 17th century Kalachand Vidyalankar, a disciple of Chaitanya, made his preachings popular in Bengal. He traveled throughout India popularizing the gospel of anti-untouchability, social justice and mass education.

He probably initiated 'Pankti Bhojon' and Krishna sankirtan in eastern part of Bengal. Several schools (sampradaya) have been practicing it for hundreds of years.

Geetashree Chabi Bandyopadhyay and Radharani Devi are among many who achieved fame by singing kirtan.

The Dalits in Bengal at that time neglected and underprivileged cast readily accepted his libertarian outlook and embraced the doctrine of Mahaprabhu.

His disciples were known as Kalachandi Sampraday who inspired the people to eradicate illiteracy and casteism. Many consider Kalachand as the Father of Rationalism in East Bengal (Purba Banga).

The festival of Kheturi, presided over by Jahnava Thakurani, the wife of Nityananda, was the first time the leaders of the various branches of Chaitanya's followers assembled together.

Through such festivals, members of the loosely organised tradition became acquainted with other branches along with their respective theological and practical nuances. Around these times, the disciples and descendants of Nityananda and Advaita Acharya, headed by Virabhadra and Krishna respectively, started their family lineages (vamsa) to maintain the tradition.

The vamsa descending from Nityananda through his son Virabhadra forms the most prominent branch of the modern Gaudiya tradition, though descendants of Advaita, along with the descendants of many other associates of Chaitanya, maintain their following especially in the rural areas of Bengal.

Gopala Guru Goswami, a young associate of Chaitanya and a follower of Vakresvara Pandit, founded another branch based in Odisha. The writings of Gopala, along with those of his disciple Dhyanacandra Goswami, have had a substantial influence on the methods of internal worship in the tradition.

From the very beginning of Chaitanya's bhakti movement in Bengal, Haridasa Thakur and others, Muslim or Hindu by birth, were participants.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa of Dakshineswar, who lived in the 19th century, emphasized the bhakti marga of Chaitanya, whom he referred to as "Gauranga." (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna).

This openness received a boost from Bhaktivinoda Thakura's broad-minded vision in the late 19th century and was institutionalised by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati in his Gaudiya Matha in the 20th century.

In the 20th century the teachings of Chaitanya were brought to the West by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (1896-1977), a representative of the Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati branch of Chaitanya's tradition.

Srila Prabhupada founded his movement known as "The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)" to spread Chaitanya's teachings throughout the world.

Saraswata gurus and acharyas, members of the Goswami lineages and several other Hindu sects which revere Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, including devotees from the major Vaishnava holy places in Mathura District, West Bengal and Odisha, also established temples dedicated to Krishna and Chaitanya outside India in the closing decades of the 20th century.

In the 21st century Vaishnava bhakti is now also being studied through the academic medium of Krishnology in a number of academic institutions.

Cultural legacy

Chaitanya's influence on the cultural legacy in Bengal and Odisha has been significant, with many residents performing daily worship to him as an avatar of Krishna.

Some attribute to him a Renaissance in Bengal, different from the more well known 19th-century Bengal Renaissance.

Salimullah Khan (b.1958), a noted Bangladeshi linguist, maintains, "Sixteenth century is the time of Chaitanya Dev, and it is the beginning of Modernism in Bengal.

The concept of 'humanity' that came into fruition is contemporaneous with that of Europe".

Srila Prabhupada - "You are not ''eternally conditioned" [nitya-baddha] You are ''eternally liberated'' [nitya-siddha] but since we have become conditioned on account of our desire to enjoy materialistic way of life, from time immemorial, therefore it only appears that we are ''eternally conditioned."(Letter to Aniruddha - Los Angeles 14 Nov, 1968)

We are NOT "eternally conditioned" (nitya-baddha) our natural original state in our real home of Goloka-Vrindavana or the Vaikuntha planets is "eternally liberated" (nitya-siddha)

it only seems that we are because of the enormous time span in the material creation. In our original position we are all "eternally liberated."

Srila Prabhupada - "Your next question, "Is a pure devotee ''eternally liberated" and if so is he at any time a conditioned soul? We are ''eternally conditioned," but as soon as we surrender to Krsna do we then become eternally liberated? When Lord Christ appeared he seemed to be conditioned in his growth. Was he a specific incarnation or a conditioned soul who became liberated? 

You are not "eternally conditioned" (nitya-baddha), you are "eternally liberated" (nitya-siddha) but since we have become conditioned on account of our desire to enjoy materialistic way of life, from time immemorial, therefore it only appears that we are eternally conditioned. Because we cannot trace out the history or the date when we became conditioned, therefore it is technically called eternally conditioned. Otherwise the living entity is not actually conditioned.

A living entity is always pure. But he is prone to be attracted by material enjoyment and as soon as he agrees to place himself in material enjoyment, he becomes conditioned, but that is not permanent.Therefore a living entity is called on the marginal state, sometimes this side, sometimes that side.

These are very intelligent questions. And I am very glad that you are putting such intelligent questions and trying to understand it. It is very good. But best thing is that one should know he is in conditioned life and try to cure it.

When a man is in diseased condition he should try to get out of diseased condition without harassing his brain when the disease has begun. But it is to be understood that the disease is not our constant companion, it is temporary. So the best thing is to cure the disease, and not waste our time to find out the date when it began.

Forgetfulness of Krsna is the disease, so let us keep ourselves always in Krsna not Visnu-tattva.
When a jiva tattva becomes specifically empowered by the Lord, he is called saktyavesa avatara.
Lord Buddha and Lord Jesus Christ were in this group of saktyavesa avatara.. But they were not in conditioned state when they appeared; they came to teach here." (Letter to Aniruddha Los Angeles 14 Nov, 1968)

Srila Prabhupada - "By following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can also become siddha. He can become AGAIN nitya-siddha. So the Krsna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas AGAIN nitya-siddha." (New York City lecture on CC, July 13, 1976)

Srila Prabhupada - "The actual constitutional position of every living entity is nitya-siddha, because God is eternal and His part and parcels, the living entities, they are also eternal. So that is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha, sädhana-siddha, krpa-siddha-there are different grades. They are all described in The Nectar of Devotion. So one can become sadhana-siddha." (New York lecture on CC, July 13, 1976)

Srila Prabhupada - "So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krsna? Why not become Krsna?’ I immediately fall down. That is natural. A servant is serving the master, but sometimes he may think that, “If I could be come the master.” They are thinking like that; they are trying to become God. That is delusion. You cannot become God. That is not possible. But he’s wrongly thinking."

Vipina Purandara - "Why doesn’t Krishna protect us from that desire?"

Srila Prabhupada - "He’s protecting. He says, "You rascal, don’t desire. Surrender unto Me." But you are rascal; you do not do this."

Vipina Purandara - "Why doesn’t He save me from thinking like that?"

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.)

Devotee – "When we are in the spiritual sky and serving Krsna, we have a perfect relationship with Krsna, what causes us to fall down in the material world, because we’re already serving Krsna?"

Srila Prabhupada – "Because you desire to fall down. Here it is explained that “Don’t fall down."

Devotee – "Srila Prabhupada, I can’t understand why we should have an impure desire when we are already serving…"

Srila Prabhupada – "Because you have got little freedom. It is his desire."

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, 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. That’s all. And you suffer. What can be done?” Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, almighty—therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence. So God does not interfere with your little 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)

There are NOT two different types of jiva-souls as some wrongly believe, there is only one who can "choose" to remain nitya-siddha in the spiritual world, or become nitya-baddha in the material and impersonal Brahmajyoti.

In other words, each individual jiva-soul has "two-sides to their personality", they can either be nitya-siddha (eternally liberated) which is their original natural position, or they can be "eternally conditioned" in the material or dormant in the impersonalBrahmajyoti.

Or they can be nitya-baddha (eternally conditioned) within the material creation, or dormant (inactive) in the impersonal Brahmajyoti).

Srila Prabhupada – "In the Padma Purana, wherein it is said that there are two kinds of spiritual entities; one is called the jiva, and the other is called the Supreme Lord." (87th Chapter of Krsna Book, Prayers by the Personified Vedas)

"Nitya-baddha" is a condition the jiva-souls fall down to from their original position as "nitya-siddha" in either Goloka-Vrindavana or Vaikuntha when they enter the material world, and later the "inactivety" (becoming dormant) in the impersonal Brahmajyoti.

In this way the jiva-souls can choose for themselves to be with Krsna, or reject Krsna.

This is because each jiva-soul, as part of their spiritual constitutional make-up, has free will even to reject Krsna if they choose.

The point to understand here is there is only one kind of jiva-soul who can choose to be either nitya-siddha or nitya-baddha.

In other words there is only one category of jiva-soul that can be either (by choice) nitya-siddha (eternally liberated) or nitya-baddha (eternally conditioned)

Srila Prabhupada - "There are two kinds of marginal living entities: nitya-siddha and nitya-baddha but the actual constitutional position of every marginal living entity is nitya-siddha." (CC lecture, July 13, 1976) 

Srila Prabhupada - "Nitya-baddhas are within this material world. Beginning from Brahma down to a small ant, insignificant ant, they are all nitya-baddha. Anyone who is in this material world they are nitya baddha." (Lecture on BG, 13-14, July 14, 1973)

Originally all jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are nitya-siddha Prabhupada has explained.  

This is because they all came from Goloka Vrindavana, only when they enter the material creation and the impersonal brahman do they then become nitya-baddha.

Therefore a nitya-siddha eternally liberated jiva-soul can become a nitya-baddha conditioned jiva-soul, and the nitya-baddhas can AGAIN become nitya-siddha if they again choose to surrender to Krsna via His pure devotee.

Srila Prabhupada - "By following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can become AGAIN nitya-siddha. So the Krsna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas AGAIN nitya-siddha." (NY City Lecture on CC, July 13, 1976)

Srila Prabhupada - "So the Krsna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas AGAIN nitya-siddha, to bring them to their original position. It is a difficult task." (London lecture on BG, 13-14, July 14, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - "Your question about one's relationship with Lord Krsna on Krsnaloka, does he ever fall down? The jiva-souls are endowed with minute independence as part of their nature and this minute independence may be utilized rightly or wrongly at anytime, so there is always a chance of falling down by misuse of one’s independence." (Letter to Jagadisa dasa, 4/25/1970)***

Lord Brahmā appeared from His navel of Garbhodakashayi Vishnu who is also called Hiraņyagarbha.

Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu is an expansion of Mahā Vishnu and resides with Lord Brahma deep within each of Maha Vishnu's Brahmanda greater universes.

There are billions of these Brahmanda universes, each with a Garbhodakasayi Vishnu and Lord Brahma who reside deep within each Brahmanda in a smaller secondary universe.

All these Brahmanda's originate from the Body of Maha Vishnu (Kāraṇodakaśāyī Vishnu)

In Gaudīya Vaishnavism the Sātvata-tantra describes three different forms of Vishnu as:

1 - Mahā Vishnu a.k.a. Kāraṇodakaśāyī Vishnu
2 - Garbhodakaśāyī Vishnu Seen in painting below)
3 - Ksirodakaśāyī Vishnu (Paramātmā).

Each form has a different role in the maintenance of the Universe and its inhabitants.

"For material creation, Lord Krishna's plenary expansion assumes three Vishnus.

1 - The first, Mahā Viṣhṇu, creates the total material energy, known as the mahat-tattva.

2 - The second, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, enters into all the universes to create diversities.

3 - The third, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Vishnu, is diffused as the all-pervading super soul in all the universes; in the heart of every living being, is known as Paramātmā.

He is present even within the atoms.The real objective of meditation in Yoga is attaining a state of Paramātmā. Anyone who realises them can be liberated from material entanglement."

Garbhodhakaśāyī Viṣṇu is an expansion of Mahā Viṣṇu (expansion of Saṃkarṣaṇa of second caturvyūha, which expands from Nārāyaṇa in Vaikuṇṭhaloka).

Garbhodhakaśāyī Vishnu is realized as the form of Pradyumna within the material universe.

He is the father of Brahmā who appeared from His navel and hence Garbhodakashayi Vishnu is also called Hiraņyagarbha.

Love is reciprocal, it is NEVER a "one way street" where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self worth and individuality

The "highest sense of independent thinking" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krishna. However, real love is reciprocal, it is NEVER a "one way street" where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self, individuality and free will making one no better than a dead stone. No, Krishna does not want servants like that, who are denied their individuality of being an independent person who can choose for themselves. Surrender to Krishna NEVER takes away one's sense of self, individuality and free will. Goloka Vrindavana is the Kingdom of God where the jiva's independent identity and personal abilities are the qualities that go side by side with making ''personal choices'' of what they offer as an individual to Lord Krishna in the spirit of cooperation, reciprocation and love. In this way the "highest sense of independent thinking" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krishna. The Spiritual World is full of unlimited variety therefore Krishna only wants those in His circle who "choose" to be there and gives the best of who they are as an independent thinking individual person, who has their own unique abilities and talents they can offer to Krishna. The freedom to EVEN stay in Vaikuntha MUST be the jivas choice in reciprocation with Krishna because without free will there can be no real love. The fact is God is more inclined to help those who FIRST do everything they can to help themselves. Only then will Krishna help you when He sees you trying your best to help yourself to remember Krishna. This is because each jiva has their own independent individual personality and sense of self that allows them to ''choose'' to help themselves first. Otherwise if Krishna does everything for you, how can there be genuine love? Real love is reciprocal, it is NEVER a one way street where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self and individuality. The "highest independence" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krishna. The freedom to EVEN stay in Vaikuntha MUST be the jivas choice in reciprocation with Krishna because without free will there can be no real love. Srila Prabhupada has said not even Krishna can force you to love Him, LOVE or service is based on free will and then reciprocation. Srila Prabhupada told his disciples, if you love me then naturally I will love you. Our ONLY education should be being trained up from a very young age to go "back home back to Godhead" We should NOT attempt to help others achieve happiness in this world ONLY for being rewarded with taking birth on the higher heavenly planets or attempting to build comfortable Cities and Skyscrapers on this Planet seeking permanent satisfaction and happiness. Such actions are useless because nowhere in this material universe will we find our REAL home Many of our humanitarians and social workers are foolishly trying to build the Kingdom of God without God. This is not possible in the material universes that are constantly in a state of decay, decline and constant in need of maintenance. We should all learn we are the individual perpetual jiva soul trapped within these temporary material bodily containers. All material endeavours for happiness will NOT solve the problems of birth, disease, old age and death. The purpose of this very rare human form is to use it in devotional service and Street Sankirtan or chanting of Hare Krishna and get out of this material world. Srila Prabhupada - ''When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity'' - (From the "Happening Album" New York City, New York, USA 1966.) we should all do everything to try and remember Krishna, it does not matter how fallen you are or if in front of others you never feel worthy of their friendship or respect, or if so many even hate you for all your past foolishness. In the end none of that matters because the fact is you are NOT the material body or vessel that others can only see. We must become firm in our understanding that each of us are different from the material vessel we are in and covered by. No one in this material universe knows your real identity and who you really are, all they see is the outer "costume" (material body) you are wearing. The only important action we must constantly do is somehow, someway always remember Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes so we never EVER forget Him, no matter what others think or say about us due to past struggles. Your aspiring servant Gauragopala dasa ACBSP

The "highest sense of independent thinking" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krishna, real love is reciprocal, it is NEVER a "one way street" where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self, individuality and free will making one no better than a dead stone.

The "highest sense of independent thinking" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krishna.

However, real love is reciprocal, it is NEVER a "one way street" where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self, individuality and free will making one no better than a dead stone.

No, Krishna does not want servants (drones) like that, who are forced to surrender and therefore denied their individuality of being an "independent person" who can choose for themselves.

Surrender to Krishna NEVER takes away one's sense of self, individuality and free will.

Goloka Vrindavana is the Kingdom of God where the jiva's independent identity and personal abilities are the qualities that go side by side with making ''personal choices'' of what they offer as an "individual person" to Lord Krishna in the spirit of cooperation, reciprocation and love.
In this way the "highest sense of independent thinking" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krishna.

The Spiritual World is full of unlimited variety therefore Krishna only wants those in His circle who "choose" to be there and gives the best of who they are as an independent thinking individual person, who has their own unique abilities and talents they can offer to Krishna.

The freedom to EVEN stay in Vaikuntha MUST be the jivas choice in reciprocation with Krishna because without free will there can be no real love.

The fact is God is more inclined to help those who FIRST do everything they can to help themselves. Only then will Krishna help you when He sees you trying your best to help yourself to remember Krishna.

This is because each jiva has their own independent individual personality and sense of self that allows them to ''choose'' to help themselves first.

Otherwise if Krishna does everything for you, how can there be genuine love?

Real love is reciprocal, it is NEVER a one way street where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self and individuality.

The "highest independence" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krishna.

The freedom to EVEN stay in Vaikuntha MUST be the jivas choice in reciprocation with Krishna because without free will there can be no real love.

Srila Prabhupada has said not even Krishna can force you to love Him, LOVE or service is based on free will and then reciprocation.

Srila Prabhupada told his disciples, if you love me then naturally I will love you.

Our ONLY education should be being trained up from a very young age to go "back home back to Godhead"

We should NOT attempt to help others achieve happiness in this world ONLY for being rewarded with taking birth on the higher heavenly planets or attempting to build comfortable Cities and Skyscrapers on this Planet seeking permanent satisfaction and happiness.

Such actions are useless because nowhere in this material universe will we find our REAL home

Many of our humanitarians and social workers are foolishly trying to build the Kingdom of God without God. This is not possible in the material universes that are constantly in a state of decay, decline and constant in need of maintenance.

We should all learn we are the individual perpetual jiva soul trapped within these temporary material bodily containers.

All material endeavours for happiness will NOT solve the problems of birth, disease, old age and death.

The purpose of this very rare human form is to use it in devotional service and Street Sankirtan or chanting of Hare Krishna and get out of this material world.

Srila Prabhupada - ''When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity'' - (From the "Happening Album" New York City, New York, USA 1966.)

Lord Krishna and His wonderful friends in Goloka-Vrindavana who do not even know He is God nor care.

This material universe is constantly in a state of decay, decline and in need of continuous maintenance.

Our ONLY education should be being trained up from a very young age to go "back home back to Godhead"

We should NOT attempt to help others achieve happiness in this world ONLY for being rewarded with taking birth on the higher heavenly planets or attempting to build comfortable Cities and Skyscrapers on this Planet seeking permanent satisfaction and happiness.

Such actions are useless because nowhere in this material universe will we find our REAL home.

Many of our humanitarians and social workers are foolishly trying to build the Kingdom of God without God. This is not possible in the material universes that are constantly in a state of decay, decline and constant in need of maintenance.

We should all learn we are the individual perpetual jiva soul trapped within these temporary material bodily containers.

All material endeavours for happiness will NOT solve the problems of birth, disease, old age and death.

The purpose of this very rare human form is to use it in devotional service and Street Sankirtan or chanting of Hare Krishna and get out of this material world.

Srila Prabhupada - ''When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity'' - (From the "Happening Album" New York City, New York, USA 1966.)