The perpetual Spiritual World of Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan are NEVER places based on "master and slave" relationship. Srila Prabhupada rejected the impersonal nonsense that the marginal living entity must extinguish their independence and sense of individuality and free will when they surrender to Krishna.
Prabhupada explains this here -
Devotee – “In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it says that Krishna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krishna did not want us to come here, why are we here?” Why didn’t Krishna save us from coming to this material world?”
Srila Prabhupada - “Because 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 Krishna 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.)
No, Krishna does NOT want servants (mindless drones) like that who are forced to serve Him and not allowed to think for themselves by offering their own unique personal contributions, and therefore giving their best to Krishna as individuals in the mood of loving reciprocation.
Real love only exists when it is based on loving exchanges of reciprocation.
Surrendering to Krishna therefore, does NOT mean giving up your individual sense of self and and unique personality that only you have. In this way, each marginal living entity has their own personality and character unique to ONLY them, no two jiva souls who have 78.125% of Krishna's qualities, are the same. Surrender means you choose to serve Krishna with your own unique abilities, when discovered, in the mood of cooperation and reciprocation.
Of course, in the material creation one needs a qualified Spiritual teacher or Guru to train one up how they can discover the full potential of their individuality and unique personality that each marginal living entity (jiva-tattva soul) is endowed with however, in the material creation free will is greatly restricted by the modes of material nature.
Only in the Spiritual Words is free will fully expressed and realized.
Love can NEVER be forced.
Therefore, not even Krishna or Guru can force you to love him. And any so called God or guru who tries to force you to obey him and serve him under the heading of you are giving selfless love, is a bogus. In this way, each marginal living entity or jiva-tattva soul in the Spiritual World, must have the free will to offer the very best of who they are as an independent person, yet dependent on Krishna through loving exchanges of reciprocation.
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
The fact is, the marginal living entities never loses that individual ability and unique sense of self in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, it is part and parcel of the marginal living entities make up as individual persons. No one can rightfully claim "once there in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana, the jiva souls will never again fall down to the material creation. This is simply NOT true. No marginal living entity's residency in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan is permanent. This is because free will always exists there and the jiva soul can choose to leave at any time if they desire.
Therefore it is also the marginal living entities choice to stay or go too, and not just Krishna's choice on His own, even if He promises the jiva souls will never again fall to the material creation. This is because real love is a two way street meaning the jiva-tattva also has their say too. Real love is based on cooperation, reciprocation and loving exchanges meaning the jiva-tattva also has their choice too.
As previously said, Krishna does NOT force you to love Him, or force you to stay in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, that CHOICE is always yours and not just Krishna's on His own without your input.A loving relationship is a reciprocal union between Krishna and the individual marginal living entities. This is because real love or service is based on caring relationships. This further means all loving relationships are NEVER a one way street of master speaks and slave obeys without thinking for themselves. Who would want to enter a boring loveless Kingdom of a dictatorial God like that? That is what hell is like.
The marginal living entities have their own independence, personality and sense of self that is different from Krishna's Personality and identity. In other words the marginal living entities are NOT Krishna or God. Each marginal living entity or jiva-tattva are completely separate thinking individuals from Krishna with their OWN unique personality, yet ultimately dependent on Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes due to being His eternal parts and parcels.
This can be a little difficult to understand.
On the other hand, there are other expansions of Krishna, such as the Vishnu-sakti-tattva expansions of Krishna (93.75% of Krishna's qualities) who NEVER fall down because they ARE Krishna playing different roles in His own pastimes. The number of Vishnu-sakti-tattva's, include many eternal associates from gopis to gopas to family members and others who even appear to be just simple minded associates in Vrindavana.
Love can NEVER be forced.
Therefore, not even Krishna or Guru can force you to love him. And any so called God or guru who tries to force you to obey him and serve him under the heading of you are giving selfless love, is a bogus. In this way, each marginal living entity or jiva-tattva soul in the Spiritual World, must have the free will to offer the very best of who they are as an independent person, yet dependent on Krishna through loving exchanges of reciprocation.
Srila Prabhupada - "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 Krishna does not want to become a lover like that". (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada has said that a relationship where one is forced to love another is actually rape and not love.
The fact is, the marginal living entities never loses that individual ability and unique sense of self in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, it is part and parcel of the marginal living entities make up as individual persons. No one can rightfully claim "once there in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana, the jiva souls will never again fall down to the material creation. This is simply NOT true. No marginal living entity's residency in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan is permanent. This is because free will always exists there and the jiva soul can choose to leave at any time if they desire.
Therefore it is also the marginal living entities choice to stay or go too, and not just Krishna's choice on His own, even if He promises the jiva souls will never again fall to the material creation. This is because real love is a two way street meaning the jiva-tattva also has their say too. Real love is based on cooperation, reciprocation and loving exchanges meaning the jiva-tattva also has their choice too.
As previously said, Krishna does NOT force you to love Him, or force you to stay in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, that CHOICE is always yours and not just Krishna's on His own without your input.A loving relationship is a reciprocal union between Krishna and the individual marginal living entities. This is because real love or service is based on caring relationships. This further means all loving relationships are NEVER a one way street of master speaks and slave obeys without thinking for themselves. Who would want to enter a boring loveless Kingdom of a dictatorial God like that? That is what hell is like.
The marginal living entities have their own independence, personality and sense of self that is different from Krishna's Personality and identity. In other words the marginal living entities are NOT Krishna or God. Each marginal living entity or jiva-tattva are completely separate thinking individuals from Krishna with their OWN unique personality, yet ultimately dependent on Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes due to being His eternal parts and parcels.
This can be a little difficult to understand.
On the other hand, there are other expansions of Krishna, such as the Vishnu-sakti-tattva expansions of Krishna (93.75% of Krishna's qualities) who NEVER fall down because they ARE Krishna playing different roles in His own pastimes. The number of Vishnu-sakti-tattva's, include many eternal associates from gopis to gopas to family members and others who even appear to be just simple minded associates in Vrindavana.
The Caitanya Caritamrta explains that the great majority of Krishna's eternal associates are indeed also Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu-sakti-tattva or (Both having 93.75% of Krishna's qualities).So of course those associates will never leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan because they ARE Krishna playing different roles in His own eternal pastimes. The jiva-tattva souls or marginal living entities on the other hand, only have 78.125% of the Krishna's qualities.
The jiva tattva's CAN leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan if they choose because they are endowed with an "individual independent nature", each with their own unique personality as part of their marginal make up, separate from Krishna's "Personality". This means the marginal living entities each have their own "individual personality unique to each of them", meaning they are NOT Krishna. This independent sense of self, expressed as an individual personality, is the constitutional make up of all marginal living entities.
To understand personalism, these words are important to understand.
The jiva-tattvas are NOT "one" with Krishna's personality because they have their own unique individual personality and "sense of self" separate from Krishnas that is unique to each individual marginal living entity. These individual qualities gives the marginal living entities the free will to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan if they choose, but of course, most (90%) NEVER choose to leave.
The point is, this option of staying or going, must be in the make up of each of the marginal living entities (jiva-tattva souls) if there is to be true loving exchanges that can only happen by having their own individuality and free will. Without free will and the ability to choose, there can NEVER be any genuine selfless expressions of personal unique loving exchanges with Krishna. Entering Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan does not mean one extinguishes their individuality, sense of independent self and personal offerings they choose to offer to Krishna, even if it is just prayers.
In fact, ONLY in the Spiritual World does one experience the full potential of their individuality, personality, identity and free will, and knowing they ARE an eternal Spiritual Bodily form (vigraha) The "free will" the jiva-tattva soul perpetually have, also has nothing to do with Maya because there is NO Maya in Goloka Vrindavan or Vaikuntha however, in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan there is always FREE WILL.
Of course free will is greatly restricted in the material creation because the marginal living entity's Spiritual body is covered by a material bodily vessel subjected to birth, disease, old age and death. Furthermore, in the lower species of life, free will does not exist at all, one simply acts by instincts and the demands of the material body they are trapped in which is eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
Most (over 90%) jiva souls do not come here to the material creation Prabhupada has explained.
This eternal trait of the soul in the Spiritual World of having free will, is simply based on their independent freedom and nature to make THEIR own choices in the Kingdom of God. Sadly, less than 10% do choose to leave Krishna's association for the horrible material creation of repeated birth and death. I can understand why many devotees and scholars believe one can never fall down from either Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, why would they make that stupid choice to fall to the temporary decaying material creation?
And the jiva-tattva souls can never lose their free will or ability to make choices in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan either. Krishna will never interfere and stop one who has chosen to enter the material creation, He will give warnings and advice, but if they decide to go, He will not stop them Prabhupada has explained to us. Although many proclaim -
"Once you enter Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, you never again fall down to the material creation of repeated birth and death because Krishna's promise is that one will never again fall down to the material creation".
And yes that is very true if the jiva soul also chooses not to fall down to the material creation. An important point here is that it is not just up to Krishna to decide, the jiva-souls also have a choice too and can reject Krishna's promise they will never again fall down to the material creation.
This is why Prabhupada says some DO choose to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan and Krishna allows this, Krishna does NOT interfere with their free will, if He did, He would be in the impersonal category described above. But NEVER does Krishna interfere with the jiva-tattva's free will and right to choose for themselves.
The jiva tattva's CAN leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan if they choose because they are endowed with an "individual independent nature", each with their own unique personality as part of their marginal make up, separate from Krishna's "Personality". This means the marginal living entities each have their own "individual personality unique to each of them", meaning they are NOT Krishna. This independent sense of self, expressed as an individual personality, is the constitutional make up of all marginal living entities.
To understand personalism, these words are important to understand.
The jiva-tattvas are NOT "one" with Krishna's personality because they have their own unique individual personality and "sense of self" separate from Krishnas that is unique to each individual marginal living entity. These individual qualities gives the marginal living entities the free will to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan if they choose, but of course, most (90%) NEVER choose to leave.
The point is, this option of staying or going, must be in the make up of each of the marginal living entities (jiva-tattva souls) if there is to be true loving exchanges that can only happen by having their own individuality and free will. Without free will and the ability to choose, there can NEVER be any genuine selfless expressions of personal unique loving exchanges with Krishna. Entering Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan does not mean one extinguishes their individuality, sense of independent self and personal offerings they choose to offer to Krishna, even if it is just prayers.
In fact, ONLY in the Spiritual World does one experience the full potential of their individuality, personality, identity and free will, and knowing they ARE an eternal Spiritual Bodily form (vigraha) The "free will" the jiva-tattva soul perpetually have, also has nothing to do with Maya because there is NO Maya in Goloka Vrindavan or Vaikuntha however, in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan there is always FREE WILL.
Of course free will is greatly restricted in the material creation because the marginal living entity's Spiritual body is covered by a material bodily vessel subjected to birth, disease, old age and death. Furthermore, in the lower species of life, free will does not exist at all, one simply acts by instincts and the demands of the material body they are trapped in which is eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
Most (over 90%) jiva souls do not come here to the material creation Prabhupada has explained.
This eternal trait of the soul in the Spiritual World of having free will, is simply based on their independent freedom and nature to make THEIR own choices in the Kingdom of God. Sadly, less than 10% do choose to leave Krishna's association for the horrible material creation of repeated birth and death. I can understand why many devotees and scholars believe one can never fall down from either Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, why would they make that stupid choice to fall to the temporary decaying material creation?
And the jiva-tattva souls can never lose their free will or ability to make choices in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan either. Krishna will never interfere and stop one who has chosen to enter the material creation, He will give warnings and advice, but if they decide to go, He will not stop them Prabhupada has explained to us. Although many proclaim -
"Once you enter Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, you never again fall down to the material creation of repeated birth and death because Krishna's promise is that one will never again fall down to the material creation".
And yes that is very true if the jiva soul also chooses not to fall down to the material creation. An important point here is that it is not just up to Krishna to decide, the jiva-souls also have a choice too and can reject Krishna's promise they will never again fall down to the material creation.
Without voluntary reciprocation between the jiva-tattva soul (marginal living entity) and Krishna, there can never be genuine loving exchanges, if Krishna decided everything for the jiva souls, then where is there freedom? As Gandhi told the British, we want the freedom even to make our own mistakes.
So yes, Krishna never breaks His promise however, Krishna cannot ignore what the marginal living entity (jiva-tattva) wants too. Their desires and choices MUST be taken into consideration as well. If the jiva-tattva wants to go to the material creation, then Krishna will NOT stop that choice because He never forces His love on the jiva-tattva, that love MUST be voluntary from ''both sides'' in the mood of reciprocation, otherwise how can their be genuine love if it is just a one way impersonal none-reciprocal relationship, where the individual marginal living entities feelings are ignored and never considered?''
So yes, Krishna never breaks His promise however, Krishna cannot ignore what the marginal living entity (jiva-tattva) wants too. Their desires and choices MUST be taken into consideration as well. If the jiva-tattva wants to go to the material creation, then Krishna will NOT stop that choice because He never forces His love on the jiva-tattva, that love MUST be voluntary from ''both sides'' in the mood of reciprocation, otherwise how can their be genuine love if it is just a one way impersonal none-reciprocal relationship, where the individual marginal living entities feelings are ignored and never considered?''
This is the impersonal version of Gods Kingdom where the jiva-tattva souls are forced to obey without having any personal say or input of how THEY want to contribute the best of "their" unique individual abilities. This further means if the jiva-tattva soul, as their full Svarupa bodily self in Gods Kingdom is denied being able to offer the best of their own unique abilities and talents, then surrendering to such a bogus selfish, impersonal version of God, only leads to a stagnate unproductive mindless relationship because the jiva soul is denied the freedom to express themselves and who they are through free will.
This is why Prabhupada says some DO choose to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan and Krishna allows this, Krishna does NOT interfere with their free will, if He did, He would be in the impersonal category described above. But NEVER does Krishna interfere with the jiva-tattva's free will and right to choose for themselves.
Although Prabhupada also says only a small percentage of jiva souls choose to leave and that figure is less than 10%. (This information can be found on vaniquotes website)
But most are good, Prabhupada says, and they never miss use their free will and choose to leave Gods eternal Kingdom, only a few choose to do this.
So who is Lord Krishna and His many different expansions? Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan is an eternally youthful place that is ever fresh and forever new and permanent, it is a place devoid of decay, death and impermanence that only happens in the temporary mundane material creation.
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the cause of all causes and origin of all Vishnu and Narayana Forms of the Lord. He is the source of all expansions, from Vishnu-tattva, Vishnu-sakti-tattva, Shiva-tattva and jiva-tattva.
However, Krishna is the only Personality that has all 64 qualities in full, which is 100% of all His own Individual Self. This makes Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all that there is.
The jiva tattva souls, also known as the marginal living entities have 78.125% of Krishna's qualities.
Also all individual marginal living entities (jiva-tattva souls) have ALWAYS existed, therefore, never was there a time when they did not exist, nor in the future will they ever cease to be as Bhagavad Gita tells us. The individual marginal living entities have ALWAYS had their own individual "sense of self", free will and the ability to choose while in their full potential as eternal servants of the Lord in the Vaikuntha Planets and Goloka Vrindavan.
Relationships in the Kingdom of God are based on loving exchanges and service, and that is only possible when their is loving exchanges of reciprocation between the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Vishnu-tattva and the other eternal associates in both Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, known as Vishnu-sakti-tattva, both have 93.125% of Krishna's qualities and can never be covered by Maya (Material energy) because they ARE Krishna playing different roles in His own pastimes.
They appear in unlimited different Forms.
Shiva-tattva has 84.375% and is in a unique mysterious league of His own.
Jiva-tattvas, like us and also includes Lord Brahma and Narada Muni, all have 78% too.
Lord Krishna. 64 qualities or 100%
Vishnu-tattva. 60 qualities or ~93.75%
Shiva-tattva. 54 qualities or ~84.375%
Jiva-tattva. 50 qualities or ~78.125%
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krishna has all 64 transcendental qualities in full.
(1) Beautiful features of the entire body
(2) Marked with all auspicious characteristics
(3) Extremely pleasing
(4) Effulgent
(5) Strong
(6) Ever youthful
(7) Wonderful linguist
(8) Truthful
(9) Talks pleasingly
(10) Fluent
(11) Highly learned
(12) Highly intelligent
(13) Genius
(14) Artistic
(15) Extremely clever
(16) Expert
(17) Grateful
(18) Firmly determined
(19) An expert judge of time and circumstances
(20) Sees and speaks on the authority of Vedas, or scriptures
(21) Pure
(22) Self-controlled
(23) Steadfast
(24) Forbearing
(25) Forgiving
(26) Grave
(27) Self-satisfied
(28) Possessing equilibrium
(29) Magnanimous
(30) Religious
(31) Heroic
(32) Compassionate
(33) Respectful
(34) Gentle
(35) Liberal
(36) Shy
(37) The protector of surrendered souls
(38) Happy
(39) The well-wisher of devotees
(40) Controlled by love
(41) all-auspicious
(42) Most powerful
(43) all-famous
(44) Popular
(45) Partial to devotees
(46) Very attractive to all women
(47) all-worship able
(48) all-opulent
(49) all-honourable
(50) The supreme controller.
Besides all of the above-mentioned fifty qualities, Lord Krishna possesses five more, which are sometimes partially manifested in Lord Brahma or Lord Shiva. These transcendental qualities are as follows:
(51) Changeless
(52) all-cognizant
(53) Ever fresh
(54) sac-cid-ananda (possessing an eternal blissful body)
(55) Possessing all mystic perfections.
Krishna also possesses five other qualities, which are manifest in the body of Narayana/Vishnu, and they are listed as follows:
(56) He has inconceivable potency.
(57) Uncountable universes generate from His body.
(58) He is the original source of all incarnations.
(59) He is the giver of salvation to the enemies whom He kills.
(60) He is the attractor of liberated souls.
Besides these sixty transcendental qualities, Krishna has four more, which are not manifested even in the Vishnu/Narayana form of Godhead, what to speak of the demigods or living entities.
They are as follows:
(61) He is the performer of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes).
(62) He is surrounded by devotees endowed with wonderful love of Godhead.
(63) He can attract all living entities all over the universes by playing on His flute.
(64) He has a wonderful excellence of beauty which cannot be rivaled anywhere in the creation.
The Absolute Truth is anandamaya (desiring to increase His joy), hence from His original form He expands and becomes many. These emanations from the Supreme Person are of two categories: full expansions and partially manifested expansions. The Lord's various full and partial expansions and the Lord Himself simultaneously co-exist, only appearing to manifest under the influence of time. These expansions of the Supreme Being are known as Vishnu-tattva, and they are also Supreme Absolute Truth.
While non-different from the Lord, the Vishnu-tattvas all accept their own role as Godhead in the mood of Servitor to the "original" Supreme Being. This relationship is the foundation of Vedic monotheism, which encompasses the inconceivable, absolute personal nature of the original Godhead.
The Supreme Being possesses two other expansive qualities known as Shiva-tattva and jiva-tattva. Together with Vishnu-tattva, these three qualities are representative of the Absolute Person's internal, external and marginal energies. The Lord has expanded Himself as Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma, and we, the living entities, are also expansions. Like us, Lord Brahma is also jiva-tattva.
Lord Siva is between Vishnu-tattva and jiva-tattva. And Lord Visnu is Vishnu-tattva.
But most are good, Prabhupada says, and they never miss use their free will and choose to leave Gods eternal Kingdom, only a few choose to do this.
So who is Lord Krishna and His many different expansions? Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan is an eternally youthful place that is ever fresh and forever new and permanent, it is a place devoid of decay, death and impermanence that only happens in the temporary mundane material creation.
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the cause of all causes and origin of all Vishnu and Narayana Forms of the Lord. He is the source of all expansions, from Vishnu-tattva, Vishnu-sakti-tattva, Shiva-tattva and jiva-tattva.
However, Krishna is the only Personality that has all 64 qualities in full, which is 100% of all His own Individual Self. This makes Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all that there is.
The jiva tattva souls, also known as the marginal living entities have 78.125% of Krishna's qualities.
Also all individual marginal living entities (jiva-tattva souls) have ALWAYS existed, therefore, never was there a time when they did not exist, nor in the future will they ever cease to be as Bhagavad Gita tells us. The individual marginal living entities have ALWAYS had their own individual "sense of self", free will and the ability to choose while in their full potential as eternal servants of the Lord in the Vaikuntha Planets and Goloka Vrindavan.
Relationships in the Kingdom of God are based on loving exchanges and service, and that is only possible when their is loving exchanges of reciprocation between the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Vishnu-tattva and the other eternal associates in both Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, known as Vishnu-sakti-tattva, both have 93.125% of Krishna's qualities and can never be covered by Maya (Material energy) because they ARE Krishna playing different roles in His own pastimes.
They appear in unlimited different Forms.
Shiva-tattva has 84.375% and is in a unique mysterious league of His own.
Jiva-tattvas, like us and also includes Lord Brahma and Narada Muni, all have 78% too.
Lord Krishna. 64 qualities or 100%
Vishnu-tattva. 60 qualities or ~93.75%
Shiva-tattva. 54 qualities or ~84.375%
Jiva-tattva. 50 qualities or ~78.125%
The Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krishna has all 64 transcendental qualities in full.
(1) Beautiful features of the entire body
(2) Marked with all auspicious characteristics
(3) Extremely pleasing
(4) Effulgent
(5) Strong
(6) Ever youthful
(7) Wonderful linguist
(8) Truthful
(9) Talks pleasingly
(10) Fluent
(11) Highly learned
(12) Highly intelligent
(13) Genius
(14) Artistic
(15) Extremely clever
(16) Expert
(17) Grateful
(18) Firmly determined
(19) An expert judge of time and circumstances
(20) Sees and speaks on the authority of Vedas, or scriptures
(21) Pure
(22) Self-controlled
(23) Steadfast
(24) Forbearing
(25) Forgiving
(26) Grave
(27) Self-satisfied
(28) Possessing equilibrium
(29) Magnanimous
(30) Religious
(31) Heroic
(32) Compassionate
(33) Respectful
(34) Gentle
(35) Liberal
(36) Shy
(37) The protector of surrendered souls
(38) Happy
(39) The well-wisher of devotees
(40) Controlled by love
(41) all-auspicious
(42) Most powerful
(43) all-famous
(44) Popular
(45) Partial to devotees
(46) Very attractive to all women
(47) all-worship able
(48) all-opulent
(49) all-honourable
(50) The supreme controller.
Besides all of the above-mentioned fifty qualities, Lord Krishna possesses five more, which are sometimes partially manifested in Lord Brahma or Lord Shiva. These transcendental qualities are as follows:
(51) Changeless
(52) all-cognizant
(53) Ever fresh
(54) sac-cid-ananda (possessing an eternal blissful body)
(55) Possessing all mystic perfections.
Krishna also possesses five other qualities, which are manifest in the body of Narayana/Vishnu, and they are listed as follows:
(56) He has inconceivable potency.
(57) Uncountable universes generate from His body.
(58) He is the original source of all incarnations.
(59) He is the giver of salvation to the enemies whom He kills.
(60) He is the attractor of liberated souls.
Besides these sixty transcendental qualities, Krishna has four more, which are not manifested even in the Vishnu/Narayana form of Godhead, what to speak of the demigods or living entities.
They are as follows:
(61) He is the performer of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes).
(62) He is surrounded by devotees endowed with wonderful love of Godhead.
(63) He can attract all living entities all over the universes by playing on His flute.
(64) He has a wonderful excellence of beauty which cannot be rivaled anywhere in the creation.
The Absolute Truth is anandamaya (desiring to increase His joy), hence from His original form He expands and becomes many. These emanations from the Supreme Person are of two categories: full expansions and partially manifested expansions. The Lord's various full and partial expansions and the Lord Himself simultaneously co-exist, only appearing to manifest under the influence of time. These expansions of the Supreme Being are known as Vishnu-tattva, and they are also Supreme Absolute Truth.
While non-different from the Lord, the Vishnu-tattvas all accept their own role as Godhead in the mood of Servitor to the "original" Supreme Being. This relationship is the foundation of Vedic monotheism, which encompasses the inconceivable, absolute personal nature of the original Godhead.
The Supreme Being possesses two other expansive qualities known as Shiva-tattva and jiva-tattva. Together with Vishnu-tattva, these three qualities are representative of the Absolute Person's internal, external and marginal energies. The Lord has expanded Himself as Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma, and we, the living entities, are also expansions. Like us, Lord Brahma is also jiva-tattva.
Lord Siva is between Vishnu-tattva and jiva-tattva. And Lord Visnu is Vishnu-tattva.
Vishnu-tattva and jiva-tattva - they are expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead too
1 - Direct expansions are Vishnu-tattvas who ARE Krishna Himself playing another identity in His own pastimes
2 - And the jiva-tattvas expansions who experience their own sense of self and independent from Krishna, having been endowed with ''their own'' personality, identity, unique character and individuality.
Therefore we can summarize as
Lord Krishna. 64 qualities or 100%
Vishnu-tattva. 60 qualities or ~93.75%
Shiva-tattva. 54 qualities or ~84.375%
Jiva-tattva. 50 qualities or ~78.125%
This is the reason why Krishna is called Param Purushottam, Purnavatar or Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.
Srila Prabhupada - "Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have carefully analyzed the summum bonum Krsna to have sixty-four principal attributes. All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess only some percentages of these attributes. But Sri Krsna is the possessor of the attributes cent percent. And His personal expansions such as svayam-prakasa, tad-ekatma up to the categories of the avataras who are all visnu-tattva, possess up to ninety-three percent of these transcendental attributes. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.29)
Srila Prabhupada - "Lord Siva, who is neither avatara nor avesa nor in between them, possesses eighty-four percent of the attributes. But the jivas, or the individual living beings in different statuses of life, possess up to the limit of seventy-eight percent of the attributes. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.29)
Srila Prabhupada - "In the conditioned state of material existence, the living being possesses these attributes in very minute quantity, varying in terms of the pious life of the living being. The most perfect of living beings is Brahma, the supreme administrator of one universe. He possesses seventy-eight percent of the attributes in full. All other demigods have the same attributes in less quantity, whereas human beings possess the attributes in very minute quantity. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.29)
Srila Prabhupada - "The standard of perfection for a human being is to develop the attributes up to seventy-eight percent in full. The living being can never possess attributes like Siva, Visnu or Lord Krsna. A marginal living being (jiva tattva) can become godly by developing the seventy-eight-percent transcendental attributes in fullness, but the jiva tattva can never become a God like Shiva, Visnu or Krsna. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.29)
The jiva-tattva can become a Brahma in due course.
The godly living beings who are all residents of the planets in the spiritual sky are eternal associates of God in different spiritual planets called Hari-dhama and Mahesa-dhama. The abode of Lord Krsna above all spiritual planets is called Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana, and the perfected living being, by developing seventy-eight percent of the above attributes in fullness, can enter the planet of Krsnaloka after leaving the present material body in the material creation and stay there "if they choose".
The jiva-tattva living entities ALWAYS have "free will and the ability to choose" while in their full potential in the Spiritual Planets. And regardless of what some sangas have said, the marginal living entity (jiva tattva souls) CAN leave Vaikuntha or even Goloka Vrindavan if they choose to do so at any time. This "free will" has nothing to do with Maya, it is simply based on the souls "ability to ALWAYS choose for themselves that all jiva-tattvas never ever loses in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavan.
So we know some are saying that once the jiva soul is in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana, they can never ever fall down and enter the material creation of repeated birth and death, because it is Krishna's promise that once is in Vaikuntha, they never again falls down.
1 - Direct expansions are Vishnu-tattvas who ARE Krishna Himself playing another identity in His own pastimes
2 - And the jiva-tattvas expansions who experience their own sense of self and independent from Krishna, having been endowed with ''their own'' personality, identity, unique character and individuality.
Therefore we can summarize as
Lord Krishna. 64 qualities or 100%
Vishnu-tattva. 60 qualities or ~93.75%
Shiva-tattva. 54 qualities or ~84.375%
Jiva-tattva. 50 qualities or ~78.125%
This is the reason why Krishna is called Param Purushottam, Purnavatar or Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.
Srila Prabhupada - "Learned scholars in transcendental subjects have carefully analyzed the summum bonum Krsna to have sixty-four principal attributes. All the expansions or categories of the Lord possess only some percentages of these attributes. But Sri Krsna is the possessor of the attributes cent percent. And His personal expansions such as svayam-prakasa, tad-ekatma up to the categories of the avataras who are all visnu-tattva, possess up to ninety-three percent of these transcendental attributes. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.29)
Srila Prabhupada - "Lord Siva, who is neither avatara nor avesa nor in between them, possesses eighty-four percent of the attributes. But the jivas, or the individual living beings in different statuses of life, possess up to the limit of seventy-eight percent of the attributes. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.29)
Srila Prabhupada - "In the conditioned state of material existence, the living being possesses these attributes in very minute quantity, varying in terms of the pious life of the living being. The most perfect of living beings is Brahma, the supreme administrator of one universe. He possesses seventy-eight percent of the attributes in full. All other demigods have the same attributes in less quantity, whereas human beings possess the attributes in very minute quantity. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.29)
Srila Prabhupada - "The standard of perfection for a human being is to develop the attributes up to seventy-eight percent in full. The living being can never possess attributes like Siva, Visnu or Lord Krsna. A marginal living being (jiva tattva) can become godly by developing the seventy-eight-percent transcendental attributes in fullness, but the jiva tattva can never become a God like Shiva, Visnu or Krsna. (Srimad Bhagavatam 1.3.29)
The jiva-tattva can become a Brahma in due course.
The godly living beings who are all residents of the planets in the spiritual sky are eternal associates of God in different spiritual planets called Hari-dhama and Mahesa-dhama. The abode of Lord Krsna above all spiritual planets is called Krsnaloka or Goloka Vrndavana, and the perfected living being, by developing seventy-eight percent of the above attributes in fullness, can enter the planet of Krsnaloka after leaving the present material body in the material creation and stay there "if they choose".
The jiva-tattva living entities ALWAYS have "free will and the ability to choose" while in their full potential in the Spiritual Planets. And regardless of what some sangas have said, the marginal living entity (jiva tattva souls) CAN leave Vaikuntha or even Goloka Vrindavan if they choose to do so at any time. This "free will" has nothing to do with Maya, it is simply based on the souls "ability to ALWAYS choose for themselves that all jiva-tattvas never ever loses in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavan.
So we know some are saying that once the jiva soul is in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana, they can never ever fall down and enter the material creation of repeated birth and death, because it is Krishna's promise that once is in Vaikuntha, they never again falls down.
Yes that is true, they do not fall down as long as they do not CHOOSE to leave and enter the material creation, ultimately it is the living entities choice and not just Krishnas
In other words, that choice is not Krishna's alone, it is also the marginal living entities decision too.
Although it is a fact that Krishna never breaks His promise however, if the marginal living entity or jiva-tattva wants to go to the material creation, then Krishna will not stop that choice because He never forces His love on the jiva-tattva, that MUST be voluntary, otherwise how can there be genuine loving exchanges if one is forced to stay in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavan. This is why Prabhupada says some DO choose to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, giving the figure as less than 10%, but most are good, Prabhupada says, more than 90% NEVER miss use their free will and choose to leave Krishna or Vishnu.
Sakti-tattvas refers to the many energies of the Lord including both Vishnu-tattva and jiva-tattva.
Durga Devi is Sakti-tattva also but is technically an expansion of Vishnu-sakti-tattva playing her role in the material creation.
Sakti tattva means the energies of Krishna.
In Goloka there are many expansions of Radharani who act as gopis and other inhabitants of Goloka as well, they are in ''Her category'' of the Sakti-tattva, which are also expansions of Vishnu-tattva who have 93% of Krishna's qualities.
All of Krishna's expansions are called Sakti-tattva however, as said above, there are different categories of the Lords Sakti-tattva living entities.
Prabhupada has said, even though many in other Sangas and even some in ISKCON disagree, it is only the category of Sakti-tattva called jiva-tattva (78.125%) that can fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan to the material creation, but NOT Vishnu-tattvas (93.125%) or Vishnu-sakti-tattvas (93.125%) because they are a different category of Sakti-tattva who are different expressions of Krishna's Personality. In other words, they ARE Krishna just playing another role in His own Pastimes.
Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva never fall down because they are non different from Krishna and as said above. In these Forms Krishna is just playing different parts in His own play as a gopi or gopa or family member etc, He can be any personality in Goloka He chooses.
Therefore many personalities in Goloka-Vrindavan are both Vishnu-tattva (who play a more prominent role) and Vishnu-sakti-tattva, (who tend to be Krishna playing a more unnoticed roll as His expansion)
Also there are many jiva-tattvas whose original svarupa is a gopi, gopa, etc too however, they can NEVER be Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu-sakti-tattva expansions with only their 78% of Krishna's qualities. (The marginal living entity can never be God)
The term, "Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva" is explained here Lecture on SB 6.2.7, Vrndavana, September 10, 1975
Srila Prabhupada - "Prakṛti means enjoyed. Enjoyer and... Predominator and the predominated. So jīva-bhūta, we jīvas, we are all prakṛti. Puruṣa is only Kṛṣṇa. All living entities... Viṣṇu-tattva is puruṣa-tattva, and we are śakti-tattva, śakti, energy, marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa. So energy is prakṛti. The prakṛti is not puruṣa. So Māyāvāda philosophy is wrong. They pose them as so 'ham. So 'ham "I am the same." How you can be same? In the śāstra it is said that "You living entity, you are prakṛti."
How you can become same, you puruṣa. This is mistake. How prakṛti, how a woman can become man? Artificially one can become. Here also so-called woman, they are also puruṣa. They are thinking puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Here woman is also thinking to enjoy, and the so-called man is also thinking to enjoy. Nobody wants to serve. Everyone wants to be served. Puruṣa attitude. (Lecture on BG 1.13-14, London, July 14, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada -"There are jīva-tattvas, there are śakti-tattvas, there are Viṣṇu-tattvas. People do not know it".(Lecture on BG 9.11, Calcutta, June 30, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada -"Of course, Kṛṣṇa is viṣṇu-tattva. Kṛṣṇa is not in the category of jīva-tattva. There are jīva-tattvas, there are śakti-tattvas, there are viṣṇu-tattvas. People do not know it. Therefore in the next line it is said, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. They do not know what is viṣṇu-tattva, what is jīva-tattva, what is śakti-tattva, how things are working. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). Mama bhūta-maheśvaram: "I am the Supreme Person." (Lecture on BG 9.11, Calcutta, June 30, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada -"Gadādhara is śakti-tattva. So in this way, God is person and His personal expansions are innumerable, unlimited''. (Lecture on BG 9.11, Calcutta, June 30, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "So there are expansions, svāṁśa, personal expansion, and separated expansion. The personal expansions are called viṣṇu-tattva. Baladeva. Just like Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His personal expansion is Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu. And Śrīvāsādi they are separated expansion''. (Lecture on SB 1.3.27, Los Angeles, October 2, 1972)
Srila Prabhupada - "Although they are associates, but Śrīvāsa, jīva-tattva; and Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu, viṣṇu-tattva. And Gadādhara is śakti-tattva. So in this way, God is person and His personal expansions are innumerable, unlimited. Viṣṇu-tattva. They are worshipable. And other tattva, śakti-tattva and jīva-tattva, they are meant for service. But all together taken, that is one. That is Absolute Truth''. (Lecture on SB 1.3.27, Los Angeles, October 2, 1972)
Śakti-tattva is the energy of God.
Srila Prabhupada - "So God is one, but there are different kinds of demigods. That is also a fact. They are accepted as different parts and parcels of God, as we are also. The demigods are also living entities. They are not viṣṇu-tattva. There are viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva and śakti-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva is the Supreme Absolute Truth, jīva-tattva is part and parcel, and śakti-tattva is the energy of God. So the demigods... You can become a demigod. You can become. If you follow the process how to become, then you become one day the demigod in the sun planet. It is not difficult. You can become one day even Lord Brahmā''. (Lecture on SB 1.5.15, New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969)
Viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva. There are different tattvas".
Srila Prabhupada - "Anything about Nārāyaṇa, that is not of this material world. That is of the spiritual world. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa question and Kṛṣṇa answer, they are not material things. Therefore, if we always engage ourself in Kṛṣṇa question and Kṛṣṇa answer... śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Therefore it is called Viṣṇu. Not that any other śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Only Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means viṣṇu-tattva. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan''. (Lecture on SB 2.1.3, Delhi, November 6, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "Viṣṇu-tattva means rāmādi-mūrti. Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Kṛṣṇa... There are so many. They are described. They are viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva. There are different tattvas. So śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. If you engage yourself in śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, that should be for Viṣṇu, not for any other, anyone else. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam. Smaraṇam, meditation. That is also Viṣṇu. Tattva is manifested in different ways: Viṣṇu-tattva, Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva, like that. (Lecture on SB 2.1.3, Delhi, November 6, 1973)
Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva is explained here Lecture on SB 6.2.7, Vrndavana, September 10, 1975
Srila Prabhupada - "If one thinks that the holy name of Hari is as good as the name of other demigods, then it is nāmāparadha. That is not śuddha-nāma. So people are being misguided in that way. But the śāstra does not say that. The śāstra says, harer nāma, harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21), the holy name of Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu-tattva. Hari means Viṣṇu-tattva. (Lecture on SB 6.2.7, Vrndavana, September 10, 1975)
In other words, that choice is not Krishna's alone, it is also the marginal living entities decision too.
Although it is a fact that Krishna never breaks His promise however, if the marginal living entity or jiva-tattva wants to go to the material creation, then Krishna will not stop that choice because He never forces His love on the jiva-tattva, that MUST be voluntary, otherwise how can there be genuine loving exchanges if one is forced to stay in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavan. This is why Prabhupada says some DO choose to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, giving the figure as less than 10%, but most are good, Prabhupada says, more than 90% NEVER miss use their free will and choose to leave Krishna or Vishnu.
Sakti-tattvas refers to the many energies of the Lord including both Vishnu-tattva and jiva-tattva.
Durga Devi is Sakti-tattva also but is technically an expansion of Vishnu-sakti-tattva playing her role in the material creation.
Sakti tattva means the energies of Krishna.
In Goloka there are many expansions of Radharani who act as gopis and other inhabitants of Goloka as well, they are in ''Her category'' of the Sakti-tattva, which are also expansions of Vishnu-tattva who have 93% of Krishna's qualities.
All of Krishna's expansions are called Sakti-tattva however, as said above, there are different categories of the Lords Sakti-tattva living entities.
Prabhupada has said, even though many in other Sangas and even some in ISKCON disagree, it is only the category of Sakti-tattva called jiva-tattva (78.125%) that can fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan to the material creation, but NOT Vishnu-tattvas (93.125%) or Vishnu-sakti-tattvas (93.125%) because they are a different category of Sakti-tattva who are different expressions of Krishna's Personality. In other words, they ARE Krishna just playing another role in His own Pastimes.
Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva never fall down because they are non different from Krishna and as said above. In these Forms Krishna is just playing different parts in His own play as a gopi or gopa or family member etc, He can be any personality in Goloka He chooses.
Therefore many personalities in Goloka-Vrindavan are both Vishnu-tattva (who play a more prominent role) and Vishnu-sakti-tattva, (who tend to be Krishna playing a more unnoticed roll as His expansion)
Also there are many jiva-tattvas whose original svarupa is a gopi, gopa, etc too however, they can NEVER be Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu-sakti-tattva expansions with only their 78% of Krishna's qualities. (The marginal living entity can never be God)
The term, "Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva" is explained here Lecture on SB 6.2.7, Vrndavana, September 10, 1975
Srila Prabhupada - "Prakṛti means enjoyed. Enjoyer and... Predominator and the predominated. So jīva-bhūta, we jīvas, we are all prakṛti. Puruṣa is only Kṛṣṇa. All living entities... Viṣṇu-tattva is puruṣa-tattva, and we are śakti-tattva, śakti, energy, marginal energy of Kṛṣṇa. So energy is prakṛti. The prakṛti is not puruṣa. So Māyāvāda philosophy is wrong. They pose them as so 'ham. So 'ham "I am the same." How you can be same? In the śāstra it is said that "You living entity, you are prakṛti."
How you can become same, you puruṣa. This is mistake. How prakṛti, how a woman can become man? Artificially one can become. Here also so-called woman, they are also puruṣa. They are thinking puruṣa. Puruṣa means enjoyer. Here woman is also thinking to enjoy, and the so-called man is also thinking to enjoy. Nobody wants to serve. Everyone wants to be served. Puruṣa attitude. (Lecture on BG 1.13-14, London, July 14, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada -"There are jīva-tattvas, there are śakti-tattvas, there are Viṣṇu-tattvas. People do not know it".(Lecture on BG 9.11, Calcutta, June 30, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada -"Of course, Kṛṣṇa is viṣṇu-tattva. Kṛṣṇa is not in the category of jīva-tattva. There are jīva-tattvas, there are śakti-tattvas, there are viṣṇu-tattvas. People do not know it. Therefore in the next line it is said, paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ. They do not know what is viṣṇu-tattva, what is jīva-tattva, what is śakti-tattva, how things are working. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānantaḥ (BG 9.11). Mama bhūta-maheśvaram: "I am the Supreme Person." (Lecture on BG 9.11, Calcutta, June 30, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada -"Gadādhara is śakti-tattva. So in this way, God is person and His personal expansions are innumerable, unlimited''. (Lecture on BG 9.11, Calcutta, June 30, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "So there are expansions, svāṁśa, personal expansion, and separated expansion. The personal expansions are called viṣṇu-tattva. Baladeva. Just like Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His personal expansion is Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu. And Śrīvāsādi they are separated expansion''. (Lecture on SB 1.3.27, Los Angeles, October 2, 1972)
Srila Prabhupada - "Although they are associates, but Śrīvāsa, jīva-tattva; and Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu, viṣṇu-tattva. And Gadādhara is śakti-tattva. So in this way, God is person and His personal expansions are innumerable, unlimited. Viṣṇu-tattva. They are worshipable. And other tattva, śakti-tattva and jīva-tattva, they are meant for service. But all together taken, that is one. That is Absolute Truth''. (Lecture on SB 1.3.27, Los Angeles, October 2, 1972)
Śakti-tattva is the energy of God.
Srila Prabhupada - "So God is one, but there are different kinds of demigods. That is also a fact. They are accepted as different parts and parcels of God, as we are also. The demigods are also living entities. They are not viṣṇu-tattva. There are viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva and śakti-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva is the Supreme Absolute Truth, jīva-tattva is part and parcel, and śakti-tattva is the energy of God. So the demigods... You can become a demigod. You can become. If you follow the process how to become, then you become one day the demigod in the sun planet. It is not difficult. You can become one day even Lord Brahmā''. (Lecture on SB 1.5.15, New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969)
Viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva. There are different tattvas".
Srila Prabhupada - "Anything about Nārāyaṇa, that is not of this material world. That is of the spiritual world. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa question and Kṛṣṇa answer, they are not material things. Therefore, if we always engage ourself in Kṛṣṇa question and Kṛṣṇa answer... śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ (SB 7.5.23). Therefore it is called Viṣṇu. Not that any other śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. Only Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu means viṣṇu-tattva. Rāmādi-mūrtiṣu kalā-niyamena tiṣṭhan''. (Lecture on SB 2.1.3, Delhi, November 6, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "Viṣṇu-tattva means rāmādi-mūrti. Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha, Kṛṣṇa... There are so many. They are described. They are viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva. There are different tattvas. So śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam. If you engage yourself in śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, that should be for Viṣṇu, not for any other, anyone else. Śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam. Smaraṇam, meditation. That is also Viṣṇu. Tattva is manifested in different ways: Viṣṇu-tattva, Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva, like that. (Lecture on SB 2.1.3, Delhi, November 6, 1973)
Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva is explained here Lecture on SB 6.2.7, Vrndavana, September 10, 1975
Srila Prabhupada - "If one thinks that the holy name of Hari is as good as the name of other demigods, then it is nāmāparadha. That is not śuddha-nāma. So people are being misguided in that way. But the śāstra does not say that. The śāstra says, harer nāma, harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21), the holy name of Hari, Kṛṣṇa, Viṣṇu, Viṣṇu-tattva. Hari means Viṣṇu-tattva. (Lecture on SB 6.2.7, Vrndavana, September 10, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Tattva is manifested in different ways: Viṣṇu-tattva, Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva, like that. So śāstra says that harer nāma, Viṣṇu-tattva. Viṣṇu... Of course, Lord Viṣṇu has several thousands of names according to His different activities: Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Hari, Govinda, Mādhava, many names". (Lecture on SB 6.2.7, Vrndavana, September 10, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Īśvara-tattva and śakti-tattva. So within this group, there is no this material energy because in the spiritual world there is no action of material energy, only spiritual energy". (CC Adi-lila 1.12, Mayapur, April 5, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "We do not know who is the actual architect behind all this nice material creation. That is Mahā-Viṣṇu, and His incarnation is Advaita Prabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is directly Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. Nityānanda Prabhu is directly incarnation of Baladeva, and similarly, Śrī Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu. So all of Them are on the equal footing. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita. They are on the same equal level.
Srila Prabhupada - "Īśvara-tattva and śakti-tattva. So within this group, there is no this material energy because in the spiritual world there is no action of material energy, only spiritual energy". (CC Adi-lila 1.12, Mayapur, April 5, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "We do not know who is the actual architect behind all this nice material creation. That is Mahā-Viṣṇu, and His incarnation is Advaita Prabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu is directly Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's incarnation. Nityānanda Prabhu is directly incarnation of Baladeva, and similarly, Śrī Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Mahā-Viṣṇu. So all of Them are on the equal footing. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, śrī-advaita. They are on the same equal level.
And then śakti-tattva, Śrī-Gadādhara and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Gadādhara is the internal energy, and Śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, they are marginal energy. So Īśvara-tattva and śakti-tattva. So within this group, there is no this material energy because in the spiritual world there is no action of material energy, only spiritual energy. In the material world there is action of material energy.
In the spiritual world there is no material energy. Therefore, in this Pañca-tattva, there is no mention of material energy because in the spiritual world there is no material energy. We have to study īśvara-tattva, then śakti-tattva, jīva-tattva. That is knowledge; that is education. Durga even though sakti-tattva is also Vishnu-tattva" (CC Adi-lila 1.12, Mayapur, April 5, 1975)
The jiva-tattva souls (78.125% of Krishna's qualities) ALWAYS have "free will and the ability to choose" in their full potential be it in the material world or Spiritual Planets, they never loose that individual ability even in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan. Therefore regardless of what many devotees have said over the years, claiming no past acharays will ever agree that once a jiva tattva soul is in Vaikuntha, they will never again enter the material world, is not exactly right.
The fact is any "jiva-tattvas (souls)" CAN leave Vaikuntha or even Goloka Vrindavan if they choose to do so.
What past Acharya's are really referring to are different Vishnu-sakti-tattva expansions of Krishna who never fall down, that number includes many eternal associates from gopis to gopas and others who even appear to be just simple minded associates.
The Caitanya Caritamrta explains that the great majority of Krishna's eternal associates are indeed Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu-sakti-tattvas, so of course those associates never leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan because they ARE Krishna.
But the jiva-tattva souls who can only reach 78.125% of the Lords qualities, can leave Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavan at any time if they choose. This is because the jiva souls have their own individual independent personality that is separate from Krishna's Personality and therefore they can choose for themselves. The jiva souls or marginal living entity's individuality and personality is important to understand, the jiva-tattvas are NOT "one" with Krishna's Personality like the Vishnu-tattva expansions are.
This is because they have their own unique personality, character and individuality that gives each jiva soul their own sense of self, and the free will to leave even Goloka-Vrindavan at any time if they choose, however, most NEVER choose to leave (the figure is less than 10%)
However, free will is always there with each jiva soul as part of the marginal living entities natural constitution, it has to be this way if there is to be true loving exchanges and reciprocation. Without free will and individuality, one is dead stone, there can never be any genuine selfless love without free will.
This "free will" the jiva-tattva souls perpetually have, has nothing to do with Maya! Because there is NO Maya in Goloka Vrindavan or Vaikuntha however, there is always free will in the Spiritual Worlds. Free will and the ability to make choices is part and parcel of the jiva-tattva soul's eternal constitution.
Krishna never breaks His promise to protect his devotees from falling down from Vaikuntha to the material creation however, the jiva-souls can also choose to ignore that promise if they want. The fact is, Krishna will NEVER force that ''promise'' on the jiva souls because it is them that also have a choice.
Prabhupada explains this here -
The jiva souls are always able to make THEIR OWN choices in the Spiritual World, it is there the jiva souls experience the ''full potential'' of their marginal spiritual identity, unlike being conditioned, restricted and trapped in a material bodily vessel within the material creation.
Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)
For love to truly exist with the jiva-tattva souls, they MUST have the the right to choose in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana at anytime, therefore even returning there is not necessarily permanent Prabhupada explains -
Srila Prabhupada – “You have got little independence, you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God, God has got full independence, but you have got little independence, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, if he likes, he can return. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krishna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown”. (Conversation, Mayapur, February 19, 1976)
Syamasundara - "But can we predict that the process (returning back home back to Godhead) will be permanent? Can we predict that? Just like many prisoners leave the prison, but some come back''
Srila Prabhupada - "No, there is no permanent effect because we have got little independence. There is nothing permanent because you can misuse your independence at any time".
Syamasundara - "And some come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes. Otherwise there is no meaning of independence. Independence means you can do this, you can do that. "All right. Whatever you like. That's why when a man is released from the prison house, that does not mean permanently because he can come back again, the general law is NOT to come back. but if he likes, he can come back, otherwise what is the meaning of independence? Just like one becomes free from the prison house, naturally he should not go there again". (Discussions with Syamasundara > Henri Bergson)
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)
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada - "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 Krishna does not want to become a lover like that".(Washington DC July 8, 1976)
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. When these things are transacted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there''. (Evening Darsana, August 9, 1976, Tehran)
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 explained above.
This allows the jiva-soul to personally always be aware that they are a ''unique individual independent person'' while serving Krishna, being different from all other living entities in the Spiritual Sky. Free will means it is the jiva soul's choice of how to they want surrender and serve Krishna, or even not surrender if they choose.
However, the majority of jiva-souls (over 90%), never make that foolish ''choice'' and enter the material creation because they never forget or abandon their loving reciprocation with Krishna and selfless service to Him.
Srila Prabhupada - ''We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be achieved or executed only with one, there MUST be another one, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction is then love''. (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 2 text 6, Delhi, November 12, 1973)
In other words, love means two.
Srila Prabhupada - ''The (impersonalist mayavadi) philosophy is oneness. So how there can 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'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..." (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2 Chapter 1 text 3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974)
The jiva-soul in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, NEVER lose their free will, which means their own individual ability of self expression when choosing to offer their own personal contributions that are unique to each individual jiva-soul.
Each jiva-soul in their full natural spiritual potential in the Spiritual Worlds of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, have this eternal marginal quality of free will as already emphasised.
The fact is, Krishna actually NEVER gave the individual marginal living entities (jiva-tattva souls) free will BECAUSE the jiva-tattva souls HAVE ALWAYS HAD FREE WILL as part of their perpetual constitutional make up.
Just like Krishna NEVER created the marginal living entities or jiva souls because they have ALWAYS existed without having any beginning or will never cease to be as Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 2 Text 20 explains -
''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 body is slain''.
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, so how there can be new soul?''. (Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970)
Therefore like Krishna, the individual jiva-souls are beginningless and endless and are always perpetually together like the Sun and the sun rays are also inseparable. There is also no beginning point where "free will" began because it is eternal.
Krishna (God) is NOT responsible for all the suffering in the material creation, even though the material worlds are His creation. The individual jiva-tattva souls are responsible for their own actions in the material creation, good and bad. This begins when the jiva souls choose to enter the material creation, leaving their real eternal home in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana.
Yes, their is always choice and it is foolish to say once entering Vaikuntha, one can never leave. And those who claim this, no matter who they are, are NOT understanding the consequences of "free will" that all jiva souls have.
Srila Prabhupada - “So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that you cannot become fall down, that is not independence. That is force. Therefore Krishna says, yathecchasi tathä kuru. “Now you do whatever you like.” (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
The fact is there IS return if the jiva-tattva wants to return, this is Prabhupada's point here -
Acyutananda – “But in the Gita, it says, “Once coming there, he never returns. He can return?”
Srila Prabhupada – “If he likes he can return”.
Guru-kripa – “How is it that one can become envious of Krishna?”
Srila Prabhupada – “You have got little independence, you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God, God has got full independence, but you have got little independence, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, if he likes, he can return. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krishna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown”. (Conversation, Mayapur, February 19, 1976)
Although it is a fact 90% of jiva souls NEVER leave Vaikuntha Goloka-Vrindavan or Vaikuntha because they choose not to leave however, less than 10% DO choose to leave Prabhupada has explained to us.
So lets be clear, by having free will, one is able to make THEIR OWN choices, ESPECIALLY in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana where the jiva souls experience the full potential of their marginal spiritual identity. This also allows the jiva souls to reject or surrender to Krishna, what ever they choose.
That choice MUST be there for reciprocal love to truly exist. Love for another person can only truly exist, when one can choose to also reject that love as well. Love is a two way street, NOT a one way street of master and slave. That is not love it is "slavery" where one is no better than a dead stone.
What Prabhupada is saying, is no one, "NOT even Krishna Himself", can ever FORCE you to love Him, or surrender to Him and obey His order. This is because the marginal living entities NEVER lose being independent living beings who perpetually have their own unique independent expression of free will.
This further means the jiva souls or marginal living entities always have the ability to choose for themselves of what they want to do, or even not do for Krishna in the Spiritual Worlds.
The marginal living entities therefore NEVER lose their own unique individual personality and sense of independent self.
Real love, surrender and service is ONLY achieved by CHOICE and NEVER by force.
The jiva-tattva souls (78.125% of Krishna's qualities) ALWAYS have "free will and the ability to choose" in their full potential be it in the material world or Spiritual Planets, they never loose that individual ability even in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan. Therefore regardless of what many devotees have said over the years, claiming no past acharays will ever agree that once a jiva tattva soul is in Vaikuntha, they will never again enter the material world, is not exactly right.
The fact is any "jiva-tattvas (souls)" CAN leave Vaikuntha or even Goloka Vrindavan if they choose to do so.
What past Acharya's are really referring to are different Vishnu-sakti-tattva expansions of Krishna who never fall down, that number includes many eternal associates from gopis to gopas and others who even appear to be just simple minded associates.
The Caitanya Caritamrta explains that the great majority of Krishna's eternal associates are indeed Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu-sakti-tattvas, so of course those associates never leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan because they ARE Krishna.
But the jiva-tattva souls who can only reach 78.125% of the Lords qualities, can leave Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavan at any time if they choose. This is because the jiva souls have their own individual independent personality that is separate from Krishna's Personality and therefore they can choose for themselves. The jiva souls or marginal living entity's individuality and personality is important to understand, the jiva-tattvas are NOT "one" with Krishna's Personality like the Vishnu-tattva expansions are.
This is because they have their own unique personality, character and individuality that gives each jiva soul their own sense of self, and the free will to leave even Goloka-Vrindavan at any time if they choose, however, most NEVER choose to leave (the figure is less than 10%)
However, free will is always there with each jiva soul as part of the marginal living entities natural constitution, it has to be this way if there is to be true loving exchanges and reciprocation. Without free will and individuality, one is dead stone, there can never be any genuine selfless love without free will.
This "free will" the jiva-tattva souls perpetually have, has nothing to do with Maya! Because there is NO Maya in Goloka Vrindavan or Vaikuntha however, there is always free will in the Spiritual Worlds. Free will and the ability to make choices is part and parcel of the jiva-tattva soul's eternal constitution.
This eternal nature of the soul is based on loving exchanges of reciprocation with Krishna, and eternally having the freedom to choose for themselves how they want to serve in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan under the heading of cooperation and reciprocation.
Krishna never breaks His promise to protect his devotees from falling down from Vaikuntha to the material creation however, the jiva-souls can also choose to ignore that promise if they want. The fact is, Krishna will NEVER force that ''promise'' on the jiva souls because it is them that also have a choice.
Krishna will never interfere with that decision either.
This is because Krishna never forces His love on the jiva-tattva souls (marginal living entities), because that love is a two way street and NOT just Krishna's choice or promise.
This is because Krishna never forces His love on the jiva-tattva souls (marginal living entities), because that love is a two way street and NOT just Krishna's choice or promise.
A relationship of reciprocation MUST be a voluntary act between two people, in this case between Krishna and the marginal living entity (jiva soul), otherwise how can their be genuine love if one is forced to stay in Vaikuntha or even Goloka Vrindavan?
This is why Prabhupada says there are some that DO choose to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan and gives the figure at less than 10%. This means only a very few choose to do leave for the material creation, meaning over 90% choose to NEVER fall to the material creation.
Therefore most jiva souls are good Prabhupada has said, they do not CHOOSE to misuse their free will and leave Krishna's eternal Kingdom.
Sadly, some devotees still have no idea of what FREE WILL really means.
This understanding about "free will" is NOT referring to the jiva souls that have already fallen down to the material creation, who's free will is restricted by the laws of material nature in a material body. In fact in the lower species of life there is no free will or karma created, there is only the instinct of material bodily demands of eating, sleeping mating and defending.
The comment below by Prabhupada is referring to the living entity's "free will" that can only exist in tn its full potential in the Spiritual World and is ONLY where the marginal living entities experience who they really are as their svarupa spiritual body.
Sadly there are some foolish devotees who believe surrender means giving up your free will and independence in the Spiritual World, and let Krishna control everything you do like a puppet master controls his puppets with strings.
This nonsense idea of surrender, claiming you must give up your free will, is really impersonalism! This idea was popular with the 1960s and 70s new age cults. However, Prabhupada rejected this impersonal nonsense that we all must extinguish our independent sense of self, free will and individuality when we surrender to Krishna.
This is why Prabhupada says there are some that DO choose to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan and gives the figure at less than 10%. This means only a very few choose to do leave for the material creation, meaning over 90% choose to NEVER fall to the material creation.
Therefore most jiva souls are good Prabhupada has said, they do not CHOOSE to misuse their free will and leave Krishna's eternal Kingdom.
Sadly, some devotees still have no idea of what FREE WILL really means.
This understanding about "free will" is NOT referring to the jiva souls that have already fallen down to the material creation, who's free will is restricted by the laws of material nature in a material body. In fact in the lower species of life there is no free will or karma created, there is only the instinct of material bodily demands of eating, sleeping mating and defending.
The comment below by Prabhupada is referring to the living entity's "free will" that can only exist in tn its full potential in the Spiritual World and is ONLY where the marginal living entities experience who they really are as their svarupa spiritual body.
Sadly there are some foolish devotees who believe surrender means giving up your free will and independence in the Spiritual World, and let Krishna control everything you do like a puppet master controls his puppets with strings.
This nonsense idea of surrender, claiming you must give up your free will, is really impersonalism! This idea was popular with the 1960s and 70s new age cults. However, Prabhupada rejected this impersonal nonsense that we all must extinguish our independent sense of self, free will and individuality when we surrender to Krishna.
Prabhupada explains this here -
The jiva souls are always able to make THEIR OWN choices in the Spiritual World, it is there the jiva souls experience the ''full potential'' of their marginal spiritual identity, unlike being conditioned, restricted and trapped in a material bodily vessel within the material creation.
Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)
For love to truly exist with the jiva-tattva souls, they MUST have the the right to choose in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana at anytime, therefore even returning there is not necessarily permanent Prabhupada explains -
Srila Prabhupada – “You have got little independence, you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God, God has got full independence, but you have got little independence, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, if he likes, he can return. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krishna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown”. (Conversation, Mayapur, February 19, 1976)
Syamasundara - "But can we predict that the process (returning back home back to Godhead) will be permanent? Can we predict that? Just like many prisoners leave the prison, but some come back''
Srila Prabhupada - "No, there is no permanent effect because we have got little independence. There is nothing permanent because you can misuse your independence at any time".
Syamasundara - "And some come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes. Otherwise there is no meaning of independence. Independence means you can do this, you can do that. "All right. Whatever you like. That's why when a man is released from the prison house, that does not mean permanently because he can come back again, the general law is NOT to come back. but if he likes, he can come back, otherwise what is the meaning of independence? Just like one becomes free from the prison house, naturally he should not go there again". (Discussions with Syamasundara > Henri Bergson)
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)
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada - "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 Krishna does not want to become a lover like that".(Washington DC July 8, 1976)
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. When these things are transacted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there''. (Evening Darsana, August 9, 1976, Tehran)
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 explained above.
This allows the jiva-soul to personally always be aware that they are a ''unique individual independent person'' while serving Krishna, being different from all other living entities in the Spiritual Sky. Free will means it is the jiva soul's choice of how to they want surrender and serve Krishna, or even not surrender if they choose.
However, the majority of jiva-souls (over 90%), never make that foolish ''choice'' and enter the material creation because they never forget or abandon their loving reciprocation with Krishna and selfless service to Him.
Srila Prabhupada - ''We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be achieved or executed only with one, there MUST be another one, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction is then love''. (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 2 text 6, Delhi, November 12, 1973)
In other words, love means two.
Srila Prabhupada - ''The (impersonalist mayavadi) philosophy is oneness. So how there can 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'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..." (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2 Chapter 1 text 3 -- Paris, June 12, 1974)
The jiva-soul in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, NEVER lose their free will, which means their own individual ability of self expression when choosing to offer their own personal contributions that are unique to each individual jiva-soul.
Each jiva-soul in their full natural spiritual potential in the Spiritual Worlds of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, have this eternal marginal quality of free will as already emphasised.
The fact is, Krishna actually NEVER gave the individual marginal living entities (jiva-tattva souls) free will BECAUSE the jiva-tattva souls HAVE ALWAYS HAD FREE WILL as part of their perpetual constitutional make up.
Just like Krishna NEVER created the marginal living entities or jiva souls because they have ALWAYS existed without having any beginning or will never cease to be as Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 2 Text 20 explains -
''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 body is slain''.
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, so how there can be new soul?''. (Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970)
Therefore like Krishna, the individual jiva-souls are beginningless and endless and are always perpetually together like the Sun and the sun rays are also inseparable. There is also no beginning point where "free will" began because it is eternal.
Krishna (God) is NOT responsible for all the suffering in the material creation, even though the material worlds are His creation. The individual jiva-tattva souls are responsible for their own actions in the material creation, good and bad. This begins when the jiva souls choose to enter the material creation, leaving their real eternal home in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana.
Yes, their is always choice and it is foolish to say once entering Vaikuntha, one can never leave. And those who claim this, no matter who they are, are NOT understanding the consequences of "free will" that all jiva souls have.
Srila Prabhupada - “So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that you cannot become fall down, that is not independence. That is force. Therefore Krishna says, yathecchasi tathä kuru. “Now you do whatever you like.” (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
The fact is there IS return if the jiva-tattva wants to return, this is Prabhupada's point here -
Acyutananda – “But in the Gita, it says, “Once coming there, he never returns. He can return?”
Srila Prabhupada – “If he likes he can return”.
Guru-kripa – “How is it that one can become envious of Krishna?”
Srila Prabhupada – “You have got little independence, you can violate. Because you are part and parcel of God, God has got full independence, but you have got little independence, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, if he likes, he can return. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krishna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown”. (Conversation, Mayapur, February 19, 1976)
Although it is a fact 90% of jiva souls NEVER leave Vaikuntha Goloka-Vrindavan or Vaikuntha because they choose not to leave however, less than 10% DO choose to leave Prabhupada has explained to us.
So lets be clear, by having free will, one is able to make THEIR OWN choices, ESPECIALLY in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana where the jiva souls experience the full potential of their marginal spiritual identity. This also allows the jiva souls to reject or surrender to Krishna, what ever they choose.
That choice MUST be there for reciprocal love to truly exist. Love for another person can only truly exist, when one can choose to also reject that love as well. Love is a two way street, NOT a one way street of master and slave. That is not love it is "slavery" where one is no better than a dead stone.
What Prabhupada is saying, is no one, "NOT even Krishna Himself", can ever FORCE you to love Him, or surrender to Him and obey His order. This is because the marginal living entities NEVER lose being independent living beings who perpetually have their own unique independent expression of free will.
This further means the jiva souls or marginal living entities always have the ability to choose for themselves of what they want to do, or even not do for Krishna in the Spiritual Worlds.
The marginal living entities therefore NEVER lose their own unique individual personality and sense of independent self.
Real love, surrender and service is ONLY achieved by CHOICE and NEVER by force.
Sadly, some devotees still have no idea of what being a servant of Krishna really means.
ReplyDeleteThis understanding about "free will", is NOT referring to the "conditioned souls" in the material creation, who's free will is greatly restricted by the laws of material nature, and only experienced in a very small way in a human body.
(In the lower species of life, there is no free will or karma created, only instinct and the bodily demands of eating, sleeping mating and defending)
This comment below by Prabhupada, is referring to the living entity's "free will" in the Spiritual World!
This is ONLY where the marginal living entities experience the full potential of who they really are as their Svarupa marginal spiritual body.
Yet still in 2020, there are some foolish immature devotees who believe surrender means giving up your independence in the Spiritual World and let Krishna control everything you do and you.
This nonsense idea that surrender means giving up your independence, is really impersonalism! This nonsense idea was popular with the 1960s and 70s pioneering devotees.
However, Prabhupada rejected this silly immature impersonal nonsense that we all must extinguish our independence and sense of individuality when we surrender to Krishna and eventually enter the Spiritual World.
Prabhupada explains this here -
Devotee – “In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it says that Krishna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krishna did not want us to come here, why are we here?” Why didn’t Krishna save us from coming to this material world?”
Srila Prabhupada - “Because 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 Krishna 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.)
What Prabhupada is saying, is no one, "NOT even Krishna Himself", can ever FORCE you to love Him, or surrender to Him and obey His order. This is because the marginal living entities NEVER lose being independent living beings who perpetually have their own full unique independent expression of free will.
This further means the marginal living entities always have the ability to choose for themselves of what they want to do, or even not do for Krishna in the Spiritual Worlds.
The marginal living entities therefore NEVER lose their own unique individual personality and sense of independent self.
Real love, surrender and service is ONLY achieved by CHOICE and NEVER by force.
Even if fear tactics, bullying and threats are used that is attempting to warning the living entity that if you do NOT follow, then you are carving your way to hell, still he ultimate choice is the marginal living entities.
This means even if such hash threats are said as a warning, still, the final choice is YOURS and is NOT the Guru or Krishna's position to FORCE you into submission as Prabhupada says above.
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)
ReplyDeleteSelfless love (Bhakti that means devotion) is the key ingredient to making all relationships successful.
Understanding this is also the standard in Spiritual life or Krishna Consciousness when properly understood.
On the spiritual level of Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, one never denies, or attempts to extinguish their free will or individuality thinking that is becoming selfless, or is the meaning of surrender.
Being the unique person one eternally is, and having the free will that enables one to give the very best of their character in the service of the Lord, is what selflessness and surrender really means, and is basis of who one is as that independent person.
This is the constitutional make up of every marginal living entity.
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!". (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)
Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)
The jiva souls in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana therefore are forever expanding their sense of individuality with personal offerings based on selfless loving reciprocation with Krishna, it is NEVER a one sided relation with the Lord.
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (July 8, 1976)
Real love or Bhakti is reciprocal, as said above, it is NEVER a one way street where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self, individuality and personal contributions.
Devotee - "Srila Prabhupada why did Krishna give us free will if He knew we would miss use it in the material world?"
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)
This is important to understand because each individual jiva-soul has their own independent personality, sense of self and unique characteristics that THEY only individually have, that is part and parcel of each individual marginal living entities make up as the independent eternal "person" they are.
Srila Prabhupada - “Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence. "So God does not interfere with your little independence”. (Conversation in Melbourne, Australia June 25, 1974 between Srila Prabhupada and his disciples)
Devotee – "But In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it says that Krishna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krishna did not want us to come, why are we here?” 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 Krishna 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)