Monday, April 12, 2021

Love or genuine service can only exists when two are involved in a relationship of mutual respect.

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 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 text 2-5, New York, November 23, 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - ''We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love''. (Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 2 text 6, Delhi, November 12, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - ''Their (impersonalist) philosophy is oneness. So how there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience that love means one? No. Love means two. There MUST be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant..." (Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2 Chapter 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)

REAL love or service can ONLY exist in the Spiritual World when "TWO" have voluntary exchanges based on reciprocation between each other.

All the jiva souls (individual marginal living entities) are independent living beings with their own unique personality that is separate from Krishnas, yet simultaneously dependent on the energies of Lord Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes.

However, the jiva souls have their own freedom (free will) eternally. This means the individual jiva souls have the right to make their own choices that includes accepting or rejecting Krishna.

Which also means not just doing what Krishna wants them to do.

In other words, Krishna does NOT force us to love Him and just do only what He wants.

This is because love or service is NOT a "one way impersonal street" of domination and dictatorship.

The jiva souls can also voluntarily offer their own independent contributions too that Krishna DOES NOT have direct control over or interferes with.

If Krishna forced His will on the individual jiva souls, then that is NOT love, that is forced slavery which is exploitation.

Love is based on "free will" which includes the right to make independent choices that may agree, or even disagree with Krishna. 

Genuine loving emotions and devotional service can only exist on a "two way street" between two individuals. 

Our relationship with Krishna therefore, is based on loving exchanges and reciprocation with Krishna in a two-way exchange.

And that love can only exist when it is based on a "two way" exchange of mutual respect and NOT dominated by one individual, NOT even Krishna!

The living entities are NOT Krishna's mindless slaves or yes men or women that He does all the thinking for!

No, Krishna is not like that at all, the fact is, the jiva souls in their full potential in Goloka Vrindavana or Vaikuntha, ALWAYS have their choices too that Krishna does NOT interfere with.

If He did, then loving exchanges could NEVER exist.

The jiva souls are eternal individuals with their own sense of self and unique personality that is independent from Krishna's Personality.

If Krishna forced the jiva souls in anyway to just obey and not think for themselves, then that is not love, it is rape. 

The fact is Krishna does not want relationships like that based on force, fear, abuse and bullying.

Our relationship is unique with Krishna and very personal, each jiva soul has a different exchange with Krishna.

Therefore REAL love or service can only exist when TWO have voluntary exchanges based on reciprocation and mutual respect.

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)

Krishna NEVER forces the jiva souls to surrender to Him, if He did, then that is NOT love, it is force, exploitation and abuse.

That impersonal version of Krishna Consciousness MUST be seen as bogus and rejected.

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, on the point of revolver". (Washington DC July 1976)

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". (August 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 jiva soul is a unique PERSON with their own unique personality who can choose for themselves how to voluntarily serve Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, or ignore Him if they want.

As Prabhupada explains, Krishna NEVER forces the jiva soul to surrender to Him, never forces them to love Him, that MUST be voluntary otherwise love can NEVER exist without voluntary reciprocal exchanges.







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