Many unqualified immature leaders cannot understand that the nature of the jiva-soul in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, IS being an independent contributing free thinking "PERSON" who voluntarily serves Krsna.
Each individual jiva-soul eternally has within their constitution the God given right of self expression, and should be encouraged to voluntarily express themselves in their own unique way to find ways to please Krsna.
Such self articulation allows the jiva-souls in the Spiritual World, to voluntarily contribute THEIR own unique offerings instead of always being mindlessly told what they MUST offer, think and do.
Such self determination based on "free will" is sadly called "radical personalism" by bogus religious fundamentalists, fanatics, dictators and tyrants who fear that their position of authority is threatened if they allow others to express their own realizations, opinions and free will.
Sadly, we see many condemn "free will" or joke about free will and destiny claiming some jiva-souls may never be granted free will because Krsna may not always allow it, which is a nonsense comment to those in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.
However, these fools do not fully explain what that really means, which is "free will" IS greatly restricted but ONLY for those jiva-souls in the the material creation under the modes of material nature where all species (except the human species) are FORCED to act under the modes of material nature, which is eating, sleeping, mating and defending.
Obviously under those harsh conditions, they have no "free will", therefore there are very little "choices" also in the human bodily forms (vessels) of life, forced to act by the modes of material nature and the reactions from past karma.
However "free will" in its full potential IS always experienced in the Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana (The Kingdom of God) where free will ALWAYS exists.
If the jiva-souls have no free will in the Spiritual World, then they are no better than dead stone Prabhupada tells us.
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 – “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. (Excerpt from: Philosophy Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – 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 Cheviot Hills May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
They CANNOT understand the teachings of Srila Prabhupada explained here.
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)
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).
As Prabhupada also 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. (Melbourne June 25, 1974)
Krsna will never interfere with the free will of the jiva-soul.
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 At Cheviot Hills Golf Course, May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
Devotee – "In Srimad Bhagavatam, it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come, why are we here?” Why doesn’t He save me from thinking like that?”
Srila Prabhupada - “That means you lose your independence, your free will. 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)
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 with their own sense of independent self who are able to choose for themselves how to voluntarily serve Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, OR even ignore Him if they choose to do so.
"Free will" in its full potential ONLY fully exists in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, the Spiritual Worlds, which ARE the jiva-souls original perpetual home.
Devotee - "Srila Prabhupada why did Krsna give us free will if He knew we may miss use it?"
As Prabhupada has warned us, if you have no free will then you are no better than dead stone, the stone has no free will, no one wants to be dead and mindless like cold stone.
Becoming a disciple by first surrendering to Krsna's pure devotee, does NOT mean one must extinguish their individuality, unique spiritual identity, personality and free will and then become Krsna's mindless drone and controlled pawn.
No, that is NOT surrendering to Krsna's pure devotee, it is actually embracing IMPERSONALISM and committing spiritual suicide!
The qualities of a genuine REAL leader.
Srila Prabhupada - "Parīkṣit Mahārāja was an ideal king and householder because he was a devotee of the Personality of Godhead.
A devotee of the Lord automatically has all good qualifications. And the Emperor was a typical example of this. Personally he had no attachment for all the worldly opulences in his possession.
But since he was king for the all-around welfare of his citizens, he was always busy in the welfare work of the public, not only for this life, but also for the next. He would not allow slaughterhouses or killing of cows. He was not a foolish and partial administrator who would arrange for the protection of one living being and allow another to be killed.
Because he was a devotee of the Lord, he knew perfectly well how to conduct his administration for everyone's happiness—men, animals, plants and all living creatures.
He was not selfishly interested.
Selfishness is either self-centered or self-extended. He was neither. His interest was to please the Supreme Truth, Personality of Godhead. The king is the representative of the Supreme Lord, and therefore the king's interest must be identical with that of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord wants all living beings to be obedient to Him and thereby become happy. Therefore the king's interest is to guide all subjects back to the kingdom of God.
Hence the activities of the citizens should be so coordinated that they can at the end go back home, back to Godhead. Under the administration of a representative king, the kingdom is full of opulence. At that time, human beings need not eat animals. There are ample food grains, milk, fruit and vegetables so that the human beings as well as the animals can eat sumptuously and to their heart's content.
If all living beings are satisfied with food and shelter and obey the prescribed rules, there cannot be any disturbance between one living being and another. Emperor Parīkṣit was a worthy king, and therefore all were happy during his reign". (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 4 text 12, Purport)
Prabhupada explains also here the proper way relationships are conducted.
Srila Prabhupada - "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. Therefore love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only one, there MUST be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, so there must be lover, there must be beloved" (quote 1966 - 1974, Vaniquotes)
Srila Prabhupada - "We must understand that 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 and forced obedience. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation" (quote 1966 - 1974, Vaniquotes)
The word "surrender" should be properly understood so that one's so called "surrender" and voluntary service is appreciated, reciprocated with and NOT demanding and impersonal.
Being an Impersonalist means-
1 - Attempting to extinguish your individuality, unique spiritual identity, personality and free will to just become Krsna's mindless drones and controlled pawns.
2 - Being bullied, patronized, talked down too and treated and used like a slave who is NEVER allowed to think for themselves, but rather instead should be nurtured, appreciated and encouraged to be a contributing independent living entity with the freedom of individual "self expression" when serving God.
3 - lnactively merge dormantly into His Brahman effulgence (Impersonal Brahmajyoti) attempting to extinguish one's individuality and unique personality.
In the Spiritual World with Krsna, "surrender" does NOT mean you give up you individuality, free will, sense of self or the independence that allows you to make your own personal contributions and offerings to Krsna unique to just you.
Goloka Vrindavana and Vaikuntha are very "personal" places based on loving voluntary exchanges eternally going on with Krsna and His servants and friends.
Therefore the jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna is unique and very personal, each jiva-soul has their own different personal exchanges with Krsna that no other jiva-soul duplicates.
No two jiva-souls are the same in Vaikuntha (in personality and character) or Goloka-Vrindavana.
Therefore REAL love, service and surrender can ONLY exist in TWO WAY voluntary exchanges, based on reciprocation and mutual respect, Krsna NEVER forces His will on anyone in the Spiritual World.*^*^.
Foolish fanatics cannot understand that the nature of the jiva-soul, IS being an independent contributing "PERSON", who eternally has within their constitution, the individual right of self expression.
ReplyDeleteSuch self determination based on free will is sadly called "radical personalism" by religious fanatics, dictators and tyrants.
They CANNOT understand the teachings of Srila Prabhupada explained above.