Love can NEVER be experienced by just "one", there MUST be "two" in a "two-way" exchange of personal expressions and offerings, otherwise the jiva-souls are no better than dead stone Prabhupada has warns us.
Krsna must first give His sanction to the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) so they have this freedom (free will)
How do we understand this?
The fact is the jiva-souls ALWAYS have their "free will" in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan for the simple reason that without free will and the ability to choose for themselves, in a voluntary way, a relationship of loving exchanges and reciprocation with Krsna, as a contributing independent individual person, is NOT possible.
This is why Krsna ALWAYS allows "free will"
Furthermore, there was never a time where Krsna never granted this freedom (free will) to the individual jiva-souls because only by having free will can the jiva-souls express their voluntary love for Krsna in their own unique way.
Therefore, having free will is eternally part and parcel of the of the constitutional make up of every marginal living entity (jiva-soul).
Ultimately it is by Krsna's will and favour the living entities have their "free will", this is because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes, meaning He is the Supreme controller of ALL things and nothing can take place without His sanction and approval first.
So Krsna DOES allow "free will" to those who doubt it, for the purpose of allowing them the opportunity to contribute their own unique offerings out of love, allowing an independent mood of self expression of personal exchanges with Krsna as a thoughtful contributing offering as an individual PERSON.
The fact is love can NEVER be a one-sided, one-way affair, love is ALWAYS based on building a loving relationship of exchanges between "two" expressed in the mood of reciprocation.
Therefore any jiva-soul who denied their free will are just "mindless emotionless" drones in their version of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana because their every thought and action are fully controlled by their bogus God, making them no more than dead stone Prabhupada has said.
So having "free will" is always part and parcel of the marginal living entities eternal spiritual constitution.
If Krsna had this absolute control over all marginal living entities (jiva-souls) in the Spiritual World, then the "Kingdom of God" would be an "impersonalists mindless loveless paradise"
Therefore ultimately within the most intense loving emotional exchanges between the Lord and the jiva-souls, there is ALWAYS free will, there are always individual choices of expression because without free will, there can NEVER be any loving voluntary exchanges of good feelings.
If the jiva-souls do not have the freedom to think for themselves independently, then how can love exist?
No, it is not possible without free will because loving exchanges are a very personal unique expression of feelings shared voluntary with one's beloved.
This is how the jiva-souls surrender their unique personality and individuality with the object of one's love, Krsna - the real meaning of surrender.
Srila Prabhupada - "Surrender BY your intelligence but don't surrender your intelligence."(Letter to Bali Mardan 1974)
Therefore without having "choices" in the jiva-soul's relationship with Krishna, then there can be no question of loving exchanges.
This is because if it is just a one sided affair with no imput from the jiva-soul too, then how can their be genuine love?
This idea of Krsna completely taking over the jiva-soul's free will, in the name of surrender and denying any independent thoughful contributions from the jiva-souls, is nonsense impersonal that many foolish bogus gurus teach and cheat their naive disciples today.
Loving exchanges are only possible when it is allowed to be governed by self expression in a reciprocal relationship between "two individuals", the jiva-souls and Krsna.
This loving reciprocation is always expressed in its full potential in either Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan but serverly covered in the material creation where free will is supressed and almost does not exist in the human species.
And certainly not in the lower species of life in the material creation where the instincts of eating, sleeping, mating and defending are controlling the lower species and NOT free will or Karma.
Also it is foolish and total nonsense to think Krsna overides and extinguishes the jiva-soul's free will and individuality when they enter Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan.
One should understand that being part and parcel of Krsna means the jiva-souls can etenally make independent choices for themselves in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan while serving of Krsna, that some immature devotees still have not understood properly.
This is because real love (prema) or devotional service, is ONLY possible when the relationship is between two.
Love can NEVER be experienced by just ONE, not even by Krsna, even He had to divided Himself into TWO (Radha and Kṛṣṇa) just to experience loving exchanges.
So let's be clear, loving relationships in the Spiritual World are ALWAYS based on the reciprocation between two because love can only exist when there is a caring respectful nurturing relationship between two, between God and His disciples the jiva souls-
Srila Prabhupāda – "Unless there are two persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)
Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that is not independence, that is force." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom." (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)
Ultimately each individual soul is a unique person who can choose for themselves to voluntarily serve Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, or ignore Him.
As Prabhupada explains, Krsna NEVER forces you to surrender to Him, never forces you to love Him, that must be voluntary otherwise love can never exist.
Srila Prabhupada – "Krsna NEVER forces you to love Him, that MUST be voluntary." (Melb June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada – "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that." (July 8, 1976)
Krsna never interferes with the free will of the jiva-souls.
Srila Prabhupada - ''As soon as we try, "Oh, this material world is very nice," "Yes," Kṛṣṇa says, "yes, you go." Otherwise what is the meaning of free will? Every living entity has got a little free will. And Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives him opportunity, "All right, you enjoy like this." It is free will." (Morning Walk, May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
Krsna allows the jiva-souls to be independent individuals with free will because they then can freely contribute their very best to Krsna in a two-way relationship of loving exchanges.
As Prabhupada has also said, having free will also means the jiva-souls can reject Krsna too if they choose.
Freedom MUST also include that one can reject God if they choose, or can accept Him if they choose.
Krsna allows the jiva-souls to have there freedom because it allows them to voluntarily express their own unique individual love for Krsna in a "two way" relationship.
This is better than being surrounded by "jiva-souls" who are "mindless drones" and impersonally programmed to worship Krsna without personal contributions and individual inputs.
Such an impersonal one-sided relationship is NOT love at all because real love can NEVER exist on a one-way street, or in a "one-side" domineering dictatorship.
Real love can only exist between "two persons" in a "two-way" relationship.
If Krsna is surrounded Himself with none thinking living entities doing all that He wants and says, then that is certainly NOT love because love cannot exist in such a one-way fashion.
The individual jiva-souls ARE independent living entities who surrender and love Krsna in their own unique way.
Krsna does not force His dominance over the jiva-souls like a Puppet Master controls his puppets with strings.
It is complete nonsense to think "surrender" means ONLY Krsna controls all loving emotions and expressions between Himself and the jiva-souls, and overrides the jiva-soul's free will, independent and individuality and voluntary contributions, by choosing everything for them once they enter the Spiritual Worlds.
Actually this kind of impersonal "surrender" is Spiritual suicide.
That kind of forceful dominance over the individual jiva-souls is Mayavadi impersonalism!
Therefore to say the jiva-souls can NEVER choose to fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan is also nonsense.
Although Prabhupada told us that only less than 10% of jiva-souls make that choice to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, while the rest (over 90%) do not choose to fall down.
You see, it is the the jiva-souls choice too that Krsna allow so they can experience their full freedom that includes rejecting Krsna if they want.
Krsna never surrounds Himself with mindless drones programmed just to love Him unconditionally, no, Krsna does not want emotionally dead servants like that.
We are all unique individual jiva-souls who each have a individual sense of self that can voluntarily contribute to our relationship with Krsna.
Each jiva-soul is able to give their own unique loving offerings in one's own special personal way to love Krsna.
Therefore ONLY such reciprocation of loving exchanges between Krsna and the jiva-souls is what makes selfless love (Krsnaprema) real.
The jiva-tattva souls are also expansions of Krsna but with minor independent qualities that allows then to express by their voluntary actions based on their free will.
The jiva-souls are endowed with independence and individual personality that enables them to experience an independent personal sense of self separate from Krsna's Divine Personality.
Krsna allows this "freedom" (free will) among the jiva-soul because Krsna wants to experience loving exchanges between Himself and the jiva-souls, between "two", experiencing the jiva-souls individual contributions and personal imput too.
This however does not means all jiva-souls are independent from Krsna's control, that is not possible.
At all time the jiva-souls are ALWAYS dependent on Krsna even while experiencing their little independence.
So the jiva-souls are always independent individual living entities that depends on Krsna and His expansions in both the Spiritual Worlds and material worlds at all times.
So even though the jiva-soul is an expansion of Krsna, the jiva-souls are NOT one with Krsna's Personality.
The loving expressions between Krsna and His more direct Visnu-tattva expansions is different than the jiva-tattva souls.
They fact is, they are Krsna just playing another role in His own pastimes.
Both Visnu-tattva and Visnu-sakti-tattva expansions have 93.75% of Krsna's qualities which is having 60 of Krsna's 64 attributes.
These expansions are very different from the individual jiva-tattva souls who have only 78.125% of Krsna's qualities which is having 50 of Krsna's 64 attributes.
This is because the Visnu-tattva and Visnu-"sakti"-tattva expansions ARE Krsna, they are "one with Krsna", where as the individual jiva-tattva souls (marginal living entities) are NOT fully Krsna like them because the jiva-souls have their own personality, independent identity and free will.
All Visnu-tattva expansions of Krsna, that include Balarama, Maha Visnu etc, and Visnu-"sakti"-tattvas like Radharani and the many gopis, gopas and other personalities in the Spiritual World, ARE Krsna Himself playing different part in His own pastimes, like in a play.
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the manifestation of Radha and Krsna as "one" who both experience each other's love for each other.
Krsna and Radharani are ONE in Lord Caitanya as ONE personality.
This subject can be difficult to comprehend, especially by those who wrongly believe that once they enter Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, they can never again fall down to the material world.
Such an idea is nonsense because the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) all have free will
Because we have free will, there is always the possibility of fall down, therefore at all times "we must use our free will correctly" and choose to perpetually serve Krsna at ALL times.
This is the only way that will protect us from fall down as Prabhupada explains here-
Devotee – "In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come, why are we here?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, you forced Krsna to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says, “My dear son, do not do this. Do not go there.” But he insists, "Oh, I must go. I must go. All right, you go at your risk. That’s all. And you suffer. What can be done?" Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, almighty—therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence. So God does not interfere with your little independence. If you persist that "I must go and enjoy independently, I'm mm mm" so God says, "All right, you can go." This is the position. You have to take sanction. That is a fact. But when you persist, God sanctions. And you come and enjoy." (Melb, Aust June 25, 1974)
Devotee – "Krsna did not want us to come here, so why are we here?” Why didn’t Krsna 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 Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
The individual jiva-souls all have their own unique individual thoughts and desires, that includes diversity and varigatedness in the way they choose to serve in Vaikuntha Planets or in Goloka Vrindavan.
"Free will in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan gives the jiva-soul the ability to make their own individual contributions in their ow⁷n unique way.
And with out free will, the jiva-souls can NEVER experience loving exchanges and reciprocation with Krsna.
Of course Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes.
As long as Krsna, Viṣṇu or Narayana are in the centre encouraging loving exchanges between two in the mood of cooperation, then love in its full potential is experienced in a "two way experience the way it is meant to be.
"Love can NEVER exist in a "one way" atmosphere or a one sided affair! No, it is never ONE, it is always a reciprocation between TWO.
And that includes Narayana in the Vaikuntha Planets and Krsna in Goloka-Vrindavan too.
The point is, as Prabhupada has said, love is NEVER be forced by Krsna, that MUST be voluntarily.
Also, if each of us never had an independent sense of self and personality, then we would never have the individual abilities and talents unique to our Spiritual identity.
And if everyone was the same, then their version of the Kingdom of God (Vaikuntha) is simply a boring, stagnated impersonal cold dictatorship devoid of loving exchanges.
The "highest sense of independent thinking" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krsna.
However, real love is reciprocal, it is NEVER a "one-way street" where surrender to Krsna takes away one's sense of self, individuality, voluntary exchanges and free will, making one no better than a dead stone.
No, Krsna does not want lovers like that, who are denied their individuality of being the independent person who can choose for themselves.
Surrender to Krsna NEVER extinguishes one's ability of self expression, individuality or one's unique personality.
Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana are the Kingdoms of God where the jiva-soul's independent identity and personal contributions enables them to make ''personal choices'' in their offerings to Visnu or Krsna in the spirit reciprocation and loving selfless exchanges.
Love in this way the "highest meaning of independent thinking" is "choosing" to be fully dependent on Krsna in the mood of good devotional loving exchanges.
Love can only exist when their are exchanges between two, love is NEVER just one.
The Spiritual world is full of unlimited variety and variegatedness, therefore Krsna only wants those who actually voluntarily choose to want to be with Him and serve Him
Real love is reciprocal and can only exist between two, it is NEVER a one-way street where surrender to Krsna takes away one's unique ability of self expression that will only make one no better than dead stone.
In this mundane material world, it is not possible to experience "free will" in its full potential, in fact the concept of "free will" is almost no existent, that is only possible in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan.
Our ONLY education should be being trained up from a very young age to go "back home back to Godhead", and NOT try, or plan to make this decaying temporary material World our home.
And tatastha-sakti is NOT the original starting point of the jiva-souls, it is actually a fallen condition of the jiva-souls after they leave the Spiritual World.
Srila Prabhupada - "This material world is the "taṭastha" conditioned characteristics, and the Spiritual Worlds are the Personal (Vaikuntha) characteristics." (New York City, Dec 28, 1966)
The marginal living entities or jiva-souls are NOT called tatastha-sakti in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana as Prabhupada explains above.
The word "tatastha-sakti" refers to the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) in their FALLEN conditioned state in both the material creation and when dormant in the (impersonal) Brahmajyoti.
Revatīnandana - "Srila Prabhupāda you very clearly explained to me once in a letter that if the jiva-soul then goes into the brahmajyoti, he is considered still fallen. Still fallen. Does that means the whole brahmajyoti is composed of fallen souls? You see my question? If I go there, I'm a jīva-soul, and I go to the brahmajyoti I'm still fallen."
Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes."
Revatīnandana - "That means all jīva-souls there are also fallen souls?"
Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, existence in the impersonal brahman is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness. Those who are in the brahman effulgence are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition (Goloka-Vrindavana and Vaikuntha). The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness." (Letter to Revatinandana, Los Angeles 13 June, 1970 and 1971 London)
The jiva-soul's ORIGINAL position in Goloka Vrindavana from where they originated from, have the same bodily features as Krsna-
sat,
cit,
ananda,
vigraha.
Which means-
Eternity,
Knowledge,
Bliss,
Form
All together AS a perpetual spiritual bodily FORM like Krsna's body.
The full potential and original feature of all marginal living entities is a two arm form like Krsna's Body.
Devotee – "Is the original body of the spirit soul a human form?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, human form. God is also human form. "Man is made after the shape of God." I think there is in the Bible. Is it not? So God is also like human form. Here you see Krsna, two hands, two legs."
Hari-sauri – "How do we understand, then, that there are peacocks and flowers and trees in the spiritual world? Are these not eternal forms?"
Srila Prabhupada – "[describing material form first]: Yes. They are more covered. Just like if you cover your body with blanket, the hands and legs are invisible. But you are not the blanket.
So the trees and plants, they are more covered. They are not in full manifestation. The human form is the full manifestation of the soul."
Hari-sauri - "They are covered in the spiritual world?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Not in the spiritual world. There that is voluntary.
Some devotee wants to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna, he becomes flower, voluntarily, and he can change his, from flower to human body.
That is spiritual life. There is no restriction.
If some devotee wants to serve Krsna as cow, he serves Krsna as cow, as calf, as flower, as plant, as water, as ground, field, or as father, as mother, as friend, as beloved, anything. It is inconceivable, yet a fact." (SB 6.1.1-4 - Melb, May 20, 1975)
As Prabhupada says, this material world is where the taṭastha conditioned characteristics are, and the Spiritual Worlds of Vaikuṇṭha and Goloka Vṛndāvana are the "Personal" characteristics.
Therefore the word "tatastha-sakti" refers to the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) in their FALLEN conditioned state in both the material creation and when in the impersonal inactive Brahmajyoti or Brahman.
The "marginal living entities" or marginal plane is a collective of eternal jiva-souls who are without any beginning or end spread throughout the entire Spiritual Sky (both Spiritual Worlds and material worlds)
The marginal plane does NOT mean the original starting point of all jiva-souls, no, they were NEVER "literally generated" from that position as the less intelligent fools think.
The marginal plane or category of living entities (jiva-souls) is eternal and just means they are not in the category of Viṣṇu-tattva.
Those jiva-souls who made the choice to enter the temporary material creation, can later enter, due to the frustration of material life, go into an inactive dormant state within the Brahmajyoti (the impersonal aspect of Brahman).
As said above, the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are known in both the material creation and the impersonal Brahmajyoti as tatastha sakti but NOT in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana from where they have originated from Prabhupada has explained above.
In other words, tatastha-sakti is the "conditioned fallen designation" of the marginal living entity that describes those jiva-souls who have entered the material creation and impersonal Brahmajyoti, but NOT those jiva-souls (marginal living entities) in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.
This is important to try and understand as the marginal living entity (jiva-souls) has many different names describing their position and condition, and tatastha-sakti is one of those names describing the jiva-souls conditioned state.
The jiva-souls (marginal potency) were NOT created from a "clear sheet of consciousness" either as some big gurus wrongly claim, because they have ALWAYS existed everywhere, sarva-gatah means life is everywhere.
Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Text 12 confirms the jiva-souls were NEVER created and have no origin from some nonsense "clear sheet of consciousness"-
Also Ch 2 text 20 is incorrect in the 1972 edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is (explained below)
Therefore it is foolish to preach this edition to the public because they will think the jiva-souls have a beginning point when in fact they don't.
How can you preach from both when the 1972 edition is wrong and misleading?
The jiva-souls have existed for "infinity" which means they are beginningless and endless.
Bhagavad Gita As It Is 1983 correct edition, Chapter 2 text 20-
"For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (BG Ch 2 text 20)
The 1972 edition indicates the soul has a beginning when it does not, people who read the 1972 Bhagavad Gita As It Is are being mislead.
"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." (BG Ch 2 text 20)
The comment "Nor, having once been", wrongly indicates a beginning for the jiva-soul which is wrong because the jiva-soul is beginningless and endless.
Please avoid reading Prabhupada's incorrect 1972 edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is where the above text clearly indicates the jiva-soul has a beginning when infact the jiva-souls are beginningless and endless.
Those who like the original 1972 edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is Ch 2 text 20 are being mislead, NOR HAVING ONCE BEEN, is nonsense, they are not understanding the jiva-souls were never "once been" because they have ALWAYS been without beginning or end as corrected in the 1983 edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is.
"NOR HAVING ONCE BEEN" is what is wrong with the 1972 edition (Ch 2 text 20) and is not in the 1983 edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is.
In English "NOR HAVING ONCE BEEN" means the soul had a beginning - This is why the 1972 edition is wrong and was changed in the 1983 edition.
Also not all conversations in Prabhupada's room were recorded, in fact many were not recorded.
Often when I was in Prabhupada's room there was no recordings, but on Vaniquotes there are many references where Prabhupada asked Jayadvaita Swami to "clean up" the punctuation and mistakes done by Hayagriva in the 1972 edition.
In "Easy Journey to Other Planets" Hayagriva left out what he did not agree with.
Those corrections are already there in the more accurate 1983 edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is.
Frankly I just ignore those sentimentalist who will only accept the 1972 edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, and block them in some cases.
I have no interest in silly arguments, the corrections have already been made.
It is GBC policy that the 1983 edition of Bhagavad Gita As It Is, is only read in ISKCON Temples.
I know this is the standard in Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia instructed by Ramai Swami the GBC.*^
The jiva-souls may FALL to an "inactive" or dormant conscious state in the impersonal Brahmajyoti, but they certainly did NOT originate from the impersonal Brahmajyoti, Brahman or tatastha-sakti.
Even entering the impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahman is also only temporary relief for the jiva-souls as explained above, who entered there to escape the suffering and pain of being embodied in the material world in the cycle of repeated birth and death.
In fact the fallen jiva-soul can stay in the impersonal Brahmajyoti for a very, very, very long time, so long a time that some foolishly believe it is where they originated from after emerging from there as also explained above.
It should be made clear the dormant inactive aspect of the Brahmajyoti is NOT the origin of the jiva-soul, it is actually a fallen state.
The fact is, the individual jiva-souls do not originate" from anywhere including the impersonal Brahmajyoti because they have ALWAYS existed as part and parcel of the "marginal plane collective" of Krsna's energies that are individual jiva-souls spread throughout the entire Spiritual Sky.
The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) in their full potential, ARE a Spiritual bodily PERSON (vigraha -form) however, some time over eternity, due to choice (free will) some jiva-souls fell down from Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana to the temporary material creation.
The now embodied jiva-souls in their material vessels, eventually over time, became frustrated with the constant cycle of repeated birth and death and decaying nature of the material creation.
Seeking freedom from that frustration in the temporary material creation, the fallen jīva-souls then attempt to find their liberation (freedom) from the continuous difficulty of material existence (the painful cycle of repeated birth and death) by attempting to end their existence.
They do this by endeavouring to extinguish their spiritual individuality and personality by appearing as a dormant none entity (inactive) bodiless individual unit or none conscious spark in the impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti.
This can also be an almost dead motionless existence in the material atom too as Prabhupada has explained.
To a devotee attempting to extinguish one's individuality by merging into the impersonal Brahmajyoti is Spiritual suicide.
However, entering the impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti, or in the atom as an inactive almost dead unit, is also temporary because the natural nature of the jiva-souls are to ALWAYS be active.
Therefore, eventually the jiva-souls fall out of their impersonal prision and AGAIN take birth in the material creation, within the 8 million 400 thousand species of life to again experience the suffering of repeated birth and death.
Sadly for some who spent an enormous amount of time in the impersonal Brahmajyoti, when they eventually come out of that FALLEN condition, they foolishly believe the impersonal Brahmajyoti is their origin.
Having "free will" is the constitutional make up of all "marginal living entities" (jiva-souls) that is ALWAYS part and parcel within their eternal character and personality in the Spiritual Worlds.
This means the jiva-souls can even choose to leave the Vaikuntha Planets or Goloka-Vrindavana if they want, this is also what free will allows and if it didn't, then they have no free will.
This is why it is foolish to believe the jiva-souls can never fall down again.
No, they CAN fall down again and again if they choose to do so!
And such fall downs have nothing to do with Maya (material energy), it is simply free will in most cases (refering to the offence Jaya and Vijaya did the the Kumaras)
The fact is Maya or material energy does NOT exist in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana.
The choice to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana IS possible because Krsna allows love to be a "two-way" street, this means one can accept or reject Krsna if they choose to do so.
Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that is not independence, that is force." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly. That is free will. Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of free will. Where is free will then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no free will. Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means free will."
Hayagriva - "A man may know better but still act wrongly."
Srila Prabhupada -"Yes, but that is free will. He misuses his. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing, it is bad, but still he does it. That is free will. He cannot check his greediness, so in spite of his knowing that he is doing wrong thing—he will be punished, he knows; he has seen another thief, he was punished, he was put into prison— everything he knows, but still he steals. Why? Misuse of free will. Unless there is misuse of free will, there is no question of free will." (Talk with Rene Descartes)
Srila Prabhupada - "As soon as we try, "Oh, this material world is very nice," "Yes," Kṛṣṇa says, "yes, you can go." Otherwise what is the meaning of free will? Every living entity has got a little free will. And Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives him opportunity, "All right, you enjoy like this." It is free will." (Morning Walk May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
Srila Prabhupada - "We cannot say therefore that we are not with Krsna. As soon as we try to become Lord, immediately Maya covers us. Formerly we were with Krsna in His lila or sport. But this covering of Maya may be of very, very, very, very long duration; therefore many creations are coming and going." (Letter to Madhudvisa Swami June 1972 Australia)
Srila Prabhupada - "So to go to Krsna means you will have to acquire your original, spiritual body. The spiritual body is already there, but we are now covered by this material body." (Germany, June 22, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada - "We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago. Anadi karama-phale. Anadi means before the creation. The real desire is how to go to home, back to Godhead." (Lecture on BG, London, Aug 6, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "We may fall down from Vaikuntha at any moment, so even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krsna? Why not become Krsna?’ I immediately fall down." (Lecture in Honolulu, July 4, 1974)
Syamasundara - "But can we predict returning back home back to Godhead will be permanent? Can we predict that? Just like many prisoners leave the prison, however some do come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "No, there is no permanent effect because we have got little independence. There is nothing permanent because you can misuse your independence at any time."
Syamasundara - "And some come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, otherwise there is no meaning of independence. Independence means you can do this, you can do that. "All right. Whatever you like."
Devotee - "Then he is so many times falling down, again and again, so will he eventually permanently come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "He has got independence, therefore there is always the possibility he can misuse his independence, he CAN fall down. That's why when a man is rel,eased from the prison house, that does not mean permanently because he can come back again, the general law is NOT to come back, but if he likes, he can come back, otherwise what is the meaning of independence? Just like one becomes free from the prison house, naturally he should not go there again." (Talk with Syamasundara and Henri Bergson)
Even though Krsna has promised there is no return to the material creation once returning to the Spiritual Worlds.
The fact is there IS return if the jiva-souls want to return as Prabhupada explains here-
Acyutananda – "In Bhagavad Gita Krsna says, once coming to the Spiritual World, the jiva-soul never returns, so He can return?"
Srila Prabhupada – "If he likes he can return."
Guru-kripa – "How is it that one can become envious of Krsna?"
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 independence too, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, so if he likes, he can return. That independence has to be accepted. We can misuse that. Krsna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown." (Mayapur Feb 19, 1976)
Devotee - "Well, I believe you once said that once a conditioned soul becomes perfected and gets out of the material world and he goes to Krsnaloka, there’s no possibility of falling back."
Srila Prabhupada - :No! There is possibility, but he does not come IF he is intelligent. Just like after putting your hand in the fire, you never put it in again. So those who are going back to Godhead, they MUST become intelligent. Why going back to Godhead?" (Talk with Syamasundara Dasa).
Srila Prabhupada - "So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that you cannot fall down, that is not independence, that is force. Therefore Krsna says, yathecchasi tathä kuru. “Now you do whatever you like." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Therefore returning back home back to Godhead is not necessarily permanent Prabhupada has explained above, that choice to stay with Krsna or go is ALSO the jiva-soul's choice too.
Therefore it is NOT just a one-way decision that Krsna only makes, no, real loving exchanges can NEVER exist in a one-sided affair because there is ALWAYS "free will"
Krsna does NOT control the "surrendered" jiva-souls by force like a puppet master controls every movement of his puppets with the manipulations of strings.
Similarly Krsna does NOT forcibly control the jiva-souls by denying their free will, their natural constitutional right of self expression, voluntary individual contributions and having their own unique personality separate from Krsna's Personality.
Srila Prabhupada - "Krsna does not want to become a lover by force, from the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
Srila Prabhupada - "We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed by only one, there MUST be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (SB Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "Love means "two", there MUST be two, the lover and the beloved". (Lecture on BG Ch 9 text 2-5, New York, Nov 23, 1966)
Srila Prabhupāda – "Unless there are "two persons", where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there". (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)
In Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana personal voluntary expressions of loving exchanges are always encouraged by Krsna in His relationship with the jiva-souls. This adds flavour, variety and mystery to their association with the Lord.
This means the Kingdom of God (Goloka-Vrindavana and Vaikuntha) are NOT a "one-sided" dominating impersonal domain devoid of "free will" or voluntary service.
Denying "free will" does not allow or encourage voluntary personal contributions (offerings) expressed in a "two-way" exchange, that can only expand, enrich and flavour one's eternal relationship with Krsna (God).
LOVING service to Krsna and exchanges with Him cannot exist if there is only a "one-sided" affiliate of total supremacy or preeminence.
The fact is genuine loving relations and service are based on "free will" which includes loving exhanges between TWO, and is NEVER a one-sided dominating affair!
Free will means the jiva-souls are "marginal" and that ALL decision making is a "two-sided" affair, that allows the jiva-souls to choose for themselves, EVEN if it means rejecting Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must have free will. But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)
Having "free will" ALWAYS allows the jiva-souls to voluntarily choose their own unique contributions that they want to selflessly offer to Krsna in loving service.
This is the real meaning of surrender.
Without "free will", lovinpqqg voluntary exchanges with Krsna are NOT possible.
Loving relationships can only work in a "two-way" exchange based on reciprocation and loving selfless service with two sharing loving exchanges.
In this way, the Kingdom of God is NEVER a domineering "one-sided" bullying dictatorship run by a forceful so called God.
No! Krsna is not like that at all.
The fact is, such a "one-way" impersonal master/servant dictatorship is actually a loveless relationship that only destroy one's real freedom of expression (free will) and having a sense of individual self and unique personality independent from Krsna's Personality.
How can a "lifeless puppet" in a puppet show express loving emotions when it is ALWAYS controlled and manipulated by the strings in the hands of the puppet master?
Similarly, how can the jiva-souls express loving emotions in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana if Krsna does not allow "free will" or individual independence and self expression which is the real meaning of being a "marginal living entity?
Surrendering to Krsna and His pure devotee is NOT impersonal like that, surrender does NOT mean giving up your intelligence, free will, individuality and the awareness of being an independent unique contributing free thinking PERSON you are eternally.
Srila Prabhupada - "Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is NOT love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation." (Lecture on BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York, Nov 23, 1966)
Srila Prabhupada - "We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (SB Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "The (impersonalist) philosophy is oneness. So how there can be love, one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience? Love means one? No. Love means two. There must be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He's so lover of you that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant..." (SB Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
Devotee – "Srila Prabhupada, I can’t understand why we can have impure desire when we are already serving Krsna."
Srila Prabhupada – "Because you have got little freedom, it is one's desire."
Devotee – "But in the Srimad Bhagavatam it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come here, why are we here?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, you forced Krsna to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says, "My dear son, do not do this. Do not go there" But he insists, "Oh, I must go. I must go." "All right, you go at your risk and suffer. What can be done?" (June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada - "Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, therefore you have acquired the quality of your father, so God does not interfere with your independence." (June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada - "If you persist that "I must go and enjoy independently," so God says, "All right, you can go." This is the position. You have to take sanction. That is a fact. But when you persist, God sanctions. And you come and enjoy." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
Being on the "marginal plane" (jiva-souls) MEANS free will.
Which means there is ALWAYS voluntary respectful loving exchanges and contributions going on between TWO, between Krsna and His jiva-soul independent expansions.
Srila Prabhupada - "Service to the Lord is ALWAYS voluntarily, one can choose who they want to be in Goloka-Vrindavana at Krsna’s lotus feet, or on the Vaikuntha Planets serving Visnu. And they can change their relationship (rasa) with the Lord if they desire at any time." (Melb, May 20, 1975).**
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