Book Six

 Book Six.

By Gauragopala dasa ACBSP initiated July 10th 1972 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Sydney Australia.

Essay One.

Knowledge given in this essay will help one understand that there is no death of who we REALLY are as an eternal "jiva-soul", ONLY the troublesome material bodily covering of the eternal jiva-soul is temporary, decays and eventually dies. 

None of us are the material bodily vessel we are presently in as a passenger.

Therefore, death simply means the end of one chapter of life's journey in a material body in the material creation, and the beginning of a new one.

No one really dies, only the material bodily vessel decays and wears out, so there is no need to lament explained as follows.

In the following historical narration from Srimad-Bhagavatam, King Citraketu's son reveals his previous births and instructs the King and Queen about the imperishable nature of the soul and the science of reincarnation.

King Citraketu had many wives, and although he was capable of producing children, he did not receive a child from any of them, for his beautiful wives were all barren.

One day the mystic sage Angira came to Citraketu's palace. The King immediately stood up from his throne and, as was the Vedic custom, paid his respects.

"O King Citraketu, I can observe that your mind is disturbed. Your pale face reflects your deep anxiety. Have you not achieved your desired goals?" the sage inquired.

Because he was a great mystic, Angira knew the cause of the King's distress, but for his own reasons he questioned Citraketu, as if in need of knowledge.

King Citraketu replied, "O Angira, because of your great penances and austerities, you have acquired complete knowledge. 

You can understand everything, both external and internal, about embodied souls like myself. 

O great soul, you are aware of everything, yet you ask why I am in such anxiety. 

Therefore, in response to your order, let me disclose the cause of my suffering. 

A starving man cannot be satisfied with a garland of flowers. 

In the same way, my vast empire and immeasurable wealth mean nothing, for I am bereft of a man's true wealth. I do not have a son. 

Can you not help me to become truly happy and arrange for me to have a son?"

Angira, who was very merciful, agreed to help the King. 

He performed a special sacrifice to the demigods and then offered the remnants of the sacrificial food to the most perfect of Citraketu's queens, Krtadyuti. 

"O great King, you will now have a son who will be the cause of both jubilation and lamentation," 

Angira said. The sage then vanished, without waiting for the King's response.

Citraketu was overjoyed to learn that he would finally get a son, but he wondered about the sage's last words.

"Angira must have meant that I will be greatly happy when my son is born. 

That is certainly true. But what did he mean by the child being the cause of lamentation? 

Of course, being my only son, he will automatically become the heir to my throne and kingdom. 

Therefore, he might become proud and disobedient. That might be a cause for lamentation. But a disobedient son is better than no son at all."

In due course of time, Krtadyuti became pregnant, and a son was born. 

Hearing this news, all the inhabitants of the kingdom rejoiced. King Citraketu could not contain his joy.

As the King carefully raised his infant son, his affection for Queen Krtadyuti increased daily, and he gradually lost affection for his barren wives. 

The other queens continuously lamented their fate, for a wife who has no sons is neglected at home by her husband, and her co-wives treat her exactly like a maidservant. 

The barren queens burned with anger and envy. 

As their envy increased, they lost their intelligence, and their hearts became hard like stone. 

They met secretly and decided that there was only one solution to their dilemma, one way to regain the love of their husband: poison the child.

One afternoon, as Queen Krtadyuti walked in the courtyard of the palace, she thought of her son sleeping peacefully in his room. 

Because she loved the child dearly and could hardly bear to be without him for a moment, she ordered the nurse to awaken him from his nap and bring the boy to the garden.

But when the maidservant approached the child, she saw that his eyes were turned upward, and there were no signs of life. 

Horrified, she held a swab of cotton beneath the boy's nostrils, but the cotton did not move. 

Seeing this, she cried out, "Now I am doomed!" and fell to the ground. 

In great agitation, she struck her breast with both hands and wept loudly.

Some time passed, and the anxious Queen approached the child's bedroom. 

Hearing the nurse's wailing, she entered the room and saw that her son had passed from this world. 

In great lamentation, her hair and dress in disarray, the Queen fell to the ground unconscious.

When the King heard of his son's sudden death, he became nearly blind with grief. 

His lamentation grew like a conflagration, and as he ran to see the dead child, he repeatedly stumbled and fell. 

Surrounded by his ministers and court officers, the King entered the boy's room and collapsed at the child's feet, his hair and dress scattered in all directions. 

When he regained consciousness, he was breathing heavily, his eyes were filled with tears, and he was unable to speak.

When the Queen saw her husband merged in great lamentation and again viewed the dead child, she began to curse the Supreme Lord. 

This increased the pain in the hearts of all the residents of the palace. 

The Queen's flower garlands slipped from her body, and her smooth jet-black hair became tangled. Falling tears smeared the cosmetics beneath her eyes.

"O Providence! During the lifetime of the father, you have caused the death of his son. 

You are certainly the enemy of the living beings and are not at all merciful." Turning to her beloved child, she said, 

"My dear son, I am helpless and aggrieved. You should not give up my company. 

How can you leave me? Just look at your lamenting father! You have slept for a long time. 

Now please get up. Your playmates are calling you to play. You must be very hungry, so please get up immediately and take your lunch. 

My dear son, I am most unfortunate, for I can no longer see your sweet smiling. You have closed your eyes forever. 

You have been taken from this planet to another place, from which you will not return. 

My dear son, unable to hear your pleasing voice, I can no longer maintain my life."

The King began crying loudly with an open mouth As the mother and father lamented, all their followers joined them, bemoaning the untimely death of the child. 

Because of the sudden accident, all the citizens of the kingdom were nearly unconscious with grief.

When the great sage Angira understood that the King was almost dead in an ocean of sorrow, he went there with his friend, Saint Narada.

The two sages found the King, overwhelmed by lamentation, lying like a dead body beside the corpse. Angira addressed him sharply, "Wake up from the darkness of ignorance! 

O King, what relationship does this dead body have with you, and what relationship do you have with him? 

You may say that you are now related as father and son, but do you think that this relationship existed before his birth? Does it truly exist now? Will it continue now that he is dead? 

O King, as small particles of sand sometimes come together and are sometimes separated due to the force of the ocean's waves, living entities who have accepted material bodies sometimes come together and are sometimes separated by the force of time." 

Angira wanted the King to understand that all bodily relationships are temporary.

"My dear King," the sage continued, "when I first came to your palace, I could have given you the greatest gift -- transcendental knowledge -- but when I saw that your mind was absorbed in material things, I gave you only a son, who caused you jubilation and lamentation. 

Now you are experiencing the misery of a person who has sons and daughters. 

These visible objects like wife, children, and property are nothing more than dreams. 

Therefore, O King Citraketu, try to understand who you really are. 

Consider where you have come from, where you are going after giving up this body, and why you are under the control of material lamentation."

Then Narada Muni did something very wonderful. By his mystic power, he brought the soul of the King's dead child into the vision of everyone. 

Immediately the room became effulgent with a blinding brightness, and the dead child began to move. 

Narada said, "O living entity, all good fortune unto you. Just see your father and mother. All your friends and relatives are overwhelmed with grief because of your death. 

Because you died untimely, the balance of your life still remains. Therefore, you may reenter your body and enjoy the remainder of the years allotted to you in this body with your friends and relatives, and later you may accept the royal throne and all the opulences given by your father."

By Narada's mystic power, the living entity reentered the dead body. 

The child who had been dead sat up and began to speak, not with the intelligence of a young boy, but with the full knowledge of a liberated soul-

"According to the results of my material activities, I, the living being, transmigrate from one body to another, sometimes going to the species of the demigods, sometimes to the species of lower animals, sometimes incarnating among the vegetables, and appearing sometimes in the human species. 

In which birth were these two people my father and mother? 

No one is actually my father and mother. I have had millions of so-called parents. 

How can I accept these two people as my father and mother?"

The Vedas teach that the eternal living being enters a body made of material elements. 

Here we find that such a living being entered a body produced by King Citraketu and his wife. 

Actually, however, he was not their son. The living entity is the eternal son of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but because he wants to enjoy this material world, God gives him a chance to enter various bodies. 

Yet the pure living being has no true relationship with the material body he gets from his father and mother. 

Therefore, the soul who had taken the body of Citraketu's son flatly denied that the King and Queen were his parents.

The soul continued, "In this material world, which is like a swiftly flowing river, all people become friends, relatives, and enemies in due course of time. 

They also act neutrally and in many other relationships. But despite these various transactions, no one is permanently related."

Citraketu was lamenting for his son, who was now dead, but he could have considered the situation otherwise. 

"This living entity," he could have thought, "was my enemy in my last life, and now, having appeared as my son, he is prematurely leaving just to give me pain and agony." 

Why should the King not consider his dead son his former enemy and instead of lamenting be jubilant because of an enemy's death?

The living being in the body of Citraketu's child said, 

"Just as gold and other commodities are continually transferred from one place to another through buying and selling, so the living entity, as a result of his karma, wanders throughout the universe, being injected into various bodies in different species of life through the semen of one father after another."

As explained in Bhagavad-gita, it is not by any father or mother that the living entity is given birth. 

The living entity's true identity is completely separate from the so-called father and mother. By the laws of nature, the soul is forced to enter the semen of a father and be injected into the womb of a mother. 

He cannot directly control the kind of father he will get; this is automatically determined by his activities in previous lives. 

The laws of karma force him to go to different fathers and mothers, just like a commodity that is bought and sold.

The living entity sometimes takes shelter of an animal father and mother and sometimes a human father and mother. 

Sometimes he accepts a father and mother among the birds, and sometimes he accepts a demigod father and mother in the heavenly planets.

As the soul transmigrates through different bodies, everyone, in every form of life -- be it human, animal, tree, or demigod -- gets a father and mother. This is not very difficult to understand. 

The real difficulty is to obtain a spiritual father -- a bona fide spiritual master. 

Therefore, the duty of a human being is to search out such a spiritual master, for under his guidance one can become free from the cycle of reincarnation and return to his original home in the spiritual world.

"The living being is eternal," the pure soul continued, "and has no relation with so-called fathers and mothers. 

He falsely accepts himself as their son and acts affectionately. 

After he dies, however, the relationship is finished. Under these circumstances, one should not be falsely involved with jubilation and lamentation. 

The living entity is eternal and imperishable, he has no beginning and no end, nor does he take birth or die. 

The living being is equal in quality to the Supreme Lord. Both are spiritual personalities. 

But because the living entity is so small, he is prone to be illusioned by the material energy, and thus he creates bodies for himself according to his different desires and activities."

The Vedas tell us that the soul is responsible for his lives in the material world, where he is trapped in the cycle of reincarnation, material body after material body. 

If he likes, he can remain suffering in the prison house of material existence, or he can return to his original home in the spiritual world. 

Although God arranges through the material energy to give the living beings the bodies they desire, the Lord's true desire is that the conditioned souls get off the punishing merry-go-round of material life and return home, back to Godhead.

Suddenly the boy became silent, as the pure soul left the body of the child, and the body fell lifeless to the floor. Citraketu and the other relatives were astonished. 

They cut the shackles of their affection and gave up their lamentation. Then they performed the funeral ceremony, cremating the body. 

Queen Krtadyuti's co-wives, who had poisoned the child, were very much ashamed. 

While lamenting, they remembered the instructions of Angira and gave up their ambition to bear children. 

Following the directions of the brahmana priests, they went to the bank of the sacred river Yamuna, where they bathed and prayed daily, atoning for their sinful activities.

Because King Citraketu and his queen had become fully cognizant of spiritual knowledge, including the science of reincarnation, they easily gave up the affection that leads to pain, fear, grief, and illusion. 

Although this attachment for the material body is very difficult to overcome, because they severed it with the sword of transcendental knowledge, they were able to give it up very easily.

"As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones".(Bhagavad-gita 2.22)

Srimad-Bhagavatam, contains the follo story that reveals the principles of reincarnation in action. 

India's great and pious monarch, King Bharata, due to his extreme attachment to a deer, had to spend one life in a deer's body before again attaining a human form.

King Bharata was a wise and experienced maharaja who one might have thought would rule for hundreds of years. 

But while in the prime of life, he renounced everything -- his queen, family, and his vast empire -- and went to the forest. 

In so doing, he was following the advice of the great sages of ancient India, who recommend that one devote the latter part of one's life to self-realization.

King Bharata knew that his position as a great monarch was not permanent; therefore, he did not try to keep the royal throne until death. 

After all, even a king's body ultimately becomes dust, ashes, or food for worms and other animals. But within the body is the imperishable soul, the real self. 

Through the process of yoga, the self can be awakened to its true spiritual identity. 

Once this occurs, the soul need not spend another term of imprisonment within a material body.

Understanding that the real purpose of life is to free oneself from the cycle of reincarnation, King Bharata journeyed to a sacred place of pilgrimage called Pulaha-asrama, in the foothills of the Himalayas. 

There, the former king lived alone in the forest along the bank of the Gandaki River. Instead of his royal dress, he now wore only a deerskin garment. 

His hair and beard grew long and matted and always appeared wet, because he bathed three times a day in the river.

Each morning Bharata worshiped the Supreme Lord by chanting the hymns given in the Rg Veda, and as the sun rose he recited the following mantra: "The Supreme Lord is situated in pure goodness. 

He illuminates the entire universe; by virtue of His different potencies He maintains all living beings desiring material enjoyment, and He bestows all benediction upon His devotees."

Later in the day he collected various fruits and roots, and as recommended in the Vedic scriptures, he offered these simple edibles to Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and then took them for his food. 

Even though he had been a great king, surrounded by worldly opulence, now, by the strength of his austerities, all his desires for material enjoyment vanished. 

Thus he became free of the root cause of bondage in the cycle of birth and death.

By his constant meditation upon the Personality of Godhead, Bharata began to experience symptoms of spiritual ecstasy. 

His heart was like a lake filled with the water of ecstatic love, and when his mind bathed itself in that lake, tears of joy flowed from his eyes.

One day while Bharata was meditating near the bank of the river, a doe came there to drink. While she drank, a lion in the forest nearby roared loudly. 

The doe was pregnant, and as she jumped in great fear and ran from the river, a baby deer fell from her womb into the swiftly flowing waters. 

The doe, shivering in fright and weak from the miscarriage, entered a cave, where she soon died.

As the sage observed the fawn floating down the river, he felt great compassion. 

Bharata lifted the animal from the water and, knowing it to be motherless, brought it to his asrama. 

Bodily differences are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist: because Bharata was self-realized, he saw all living beings with equal vision, knowing that both the soul and the Supersoul (Supreme Lord) are present within the bodies of all. 

He daily fed the deer with fresh green grass and tried to make it comfortable. 

Soon, however, he began to develop great attachment for the deer; he lay down with it, walked with it, bathed with it, and even ate with it. 

When he wanted to enter the forest to collect fruits, flowers, and roots, he would take the deer with him, fearing that if he left it behind, it would be killed by dogs, jackals, or tigers. 

Bharata took great pleasure seeing the deer leap and frolic in the forest like a child. Sometimes he would carry the fawn on his shoulders. 

His heart was so filled with love for the deer that he would keep it on his lap during the day, and when he slept, the deer would rest upon his chest. 

He was forever petting the deer and would sometimes even kiss it. Thus his heart became bound to the deer in affection.

Being attached to raising the deer, Bharata gradually became neglectful of his meditation upon the Supreme Lord. 

He thus became distracted from the path of self-realization, which is the actual goal of human life. 

The Vedas remind us that the human form is obtained only after the soul undergoes millions of births in lower species of life. 

This material world is sometimes compared to an ocean of birth and death, and the human body is compared to a solid boat designed to cross this ocean. 

The Vedic scriptures and the saintly teachers, or spiritual masters, are compared to expert boatmen, and the facilities of the human body are compared to favorable breezes that help the boat ply smoothly to its desired destination. 

If, with all these facilities, a person does not fully utilize his life for self-realization, then he commits spiritual suicide and risks taking his next birth in an animal body.

However, even though Bharata was aware of these considerations, he thought to himself, "Because this deer has taken shelter of me, how can I neglect it? 

Even though it is disturbing my spiritual life, I cannot ignore it. To neglect a helpless person who has taken shelter of me would be a great fault."

One day, as Bharata was meditating, he began, as usual, to think of the deer instead of the Lord. 

Breaking his concentration, he glanced around to see where the deer was, and when he could not discover it, his mind became agitated, like that of a miser who has lost his money. 

He got up and searched the area around his asrama, but the deer was nowhere to be found.

Bharata thought, "When will my deer return? Is it safe from tigers and other animals? When shall I again see it wandering in my garden, eating the soft green grasses?"

As the day wore on and the deer still did not return, Bharata became overwhelmed with anxiety. "Has my deer been eaten by a wolf or a dog? Has it been attacked by a herd of wild boars, or by a tiger who travels alone? 

The sun is now setting, and the poor animal who has trusted me since its mother died has not yet returned."

He remembered how the deer would play with him, touching him with the points of its soft, fuzzy horns. 

He remembered how he would sometimes push the deer away from him, pretending to be annoyed with it for disturbing his worship or meditation, and how it would then immediately become fearful and sit down motionless a short distance away.

"My deer is exactly like a little prince. Oh, when will he again return? When will he again pacify my wounded heart?"

Unable to restrain himself, Bharata set out after the deer, following its tiny hoofprints in the moonlight. 

In his madness, he began to talk to himself: "This creature was so dear to me that I feel as though I have lost my own son. 

Due to the burning fever of separation, I feel as if I were in the middle of a blazing forest fire. My heart is now blazing with distress."

While frantically searching for the lost deer along the dangerous forest paths, Bharata suddenly fell and was fatally injured. 

Lying there at the point of death, he saw that his deer had suddenly appeared and was sitting at his side, watching over him just like a loving son. 

Thus, at the moment of his death, the King's mind was focused completely on the deer. 

In Bhagavad-gita we learn, "Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail."

King Bharata Becomes a Deer

In his next life, King Bharata entered the body of a deer. 

Most living entities are not able to remember their past lives, but because of the spiritual progress the King had made in his previous incarnation, he could, even though in the body of a deer, understand the cause of his taking birth in that body. 

He began to lament. "What a fool I was! 

I have fallen from the path of self-realization. I gave up my family and kingdom and went to a solitary holy place in the forest to meditate, where I always contemplated the Lord of the universe. 

But due to my foolishness, I let my mind become attached to -- of all things -- a deer. And now I have justly received such a body. No one is to blame but myself."

But even as a deer, Bharata, having learned a valuable lesson, was able to continue his progress in self-realization. He became detached from all material desires. 

He no longer cared for the succulent green grasses, nor did he give a thought to how long his antlers would grow. 

Similarly, he gave up the company of all deer, male and female alike, leaving his mother in the Kalanjara Mountains, where he had been born. 

He returned to Pulaha-asrama, the very place where he had practiced meditation in his previous life. 

But this time he was careful never to forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead. 

Staying near the hermitages of the great saints and sages, and avoiding all contact with materialists, he lived very simply, eating only hard, dry leaves. 

When the time of death came and Bharata was leaving the body of the deer, he loudly uttered the following prayer: 

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source of all knowledge, the controller of the entire creation, and the Supersoul within the heart of every living being. 

He is beautiful and attractive. I am quitting this body offering obeisances unto Him and hoping that I may perpetually engage in His transcendental loving service."

The Life of Jada Bharata

In his next life, King Bharata took birth in the family of a pure, saintly brahmana priest and was known as Jada Bharata. By the Lord's mercy, he could again remember his past lives. 

In Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna says, "From Me come remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness." 

As he grew up, Jada Bharata became very much afraid of his friends and relatives, because they were very materialistic and not at all interested in making spiritual progress. 

The boy was in constant anxiety, for he feared that by their influence, he would again fall down into animal life. 

Therefore, although he was very intelligent, he behaved just like a madman. He pretended to be dull, blind, and deaf, so that mundane people would not try to taIk to him. 

But within himself, he was always thinking of the Lord and chanting His glories, which alone can save one from repeated birth and death.

Jada Bharata's father was filled with affection for his son, and in his heart he hoped that Jada Bharata would someday become a learned scholar. 

Therefore he tried to teach him the intricacies of Vedic knowledge. But Jada Bharata purposely behaved like a fool so that his father would abandon his attempts to instruct him. 

If his father told him to do something, he would do exactly the opposite. 

Nevertheless, Jada Bharata's father, until the time of his death, always tried to instruct the boy.

Jada Bharata's nine stepbrothers considered him dull and brainless, and when their father died, they abandoned all attempts to educate him. 

They could not understand Jada Bharata's inner spiritual advancement. 

But Jada Bharata never protested their mistreatment, for he was completely liberated from the bodily concept of life. 

Whatever food came his way, he would accept it and eat, whether it was much or little, palatable or unpalatable. 

Since he was in full transcendental consciousness, he was not disturbed by material dualities like heat and cold. His body was as strong as a bull's, and his limbs were very muscular. 

He didn't care for winter's cold, summer's heat, wind, or rain. 

Because his body was perpetually dirty, his spiritual knowledge and effulgence were covered, just like a valuable gem covered by dirt and grime. 

Each day he was insulted and neglected by ordinary people, who considered him to be nothing more than a useless fool.

Jada Bharata's only wages were the small portions of unpalatable foodstuffs provided by his brothers, who made him work like a slave in the fields. 

But he was unable to perform even simple tasks satisfactorily, because he did not know where to spread dirt or where to make the ground level. 

For food, his brothers gave him broken rice, rice chaff, oil cakes, worm-eaten grains, and burned grains that had stuck to the bottom of the cooking pots, but Jada Bharata gladly accepted all this as if it were nectar. 

And he never held any grudges. He thus displayed the symptoms of a perfectly self-realized soul.

Once a leader of a band of thieves and murderers went to the temple of the goddess Bhadrakali to offer in sacrifice a dull, unintelligent human being resembling an animal. 

Such sacrifices are nowhere mentioned in the Vedas and were concocted by the robbers for the purpose of gaining material wealth. 

Their plan was foiled, however, when the man who was to have been sacrificed escaped, so the chief robber sent his henchmen out to find him. 

Searching through fields and forests in the darkness of night, the robbers came to a rice field and saw Jada Bharata, who was sitting on high ground guarding the field against the attacks of wild boars. 

The robbers thought Jada Bharata would be a perfect sacrifice. 

Their faces shining with happiness, the robbers bound him with strong ropes and brought him to the temple of the goddess Kali. 

Jada Bharata, because of his complete faith in the protection of the Supreme Lord, did not protest. There is a song by a famous spiritual master that reads, 

"My Lord, I am now surrendered unto You. I am Your eternal servant, and if You like You can kill me, or if You like You can protect me. In any case, I am fully surrendered unto You."

The robbers bathed Jada Bharata, dressed him in new silk garments, and decorated him with ornaments and garlands. 

They fed him a sumptuous last meal and brought him before the goddess, whom they worshiped with songs and prayers. Jada Bharata was forced to sit before the deity. 

Then, one of the thieves, acting as the chief priest, raised a razor-sharp sword to slit Jada Bharata's throat so they could offer Kali his warm blood as liquor.

But the goddess could not bear this. She understood that the sinful thieves were about to kill a great devotee of the Lord. 

Suddenly, the form of the deity burst open and the goddess herself appeared, her body burning with an intense, intolerable effulgence. 

The infuriated goddess flashed her blazing eyes and displayed her fierce, curved teeth. 

Her eyes, crimson orbs, glowered, and she appeared as if she were prepared to destroy the entire cosmos. 

Leaping violently from the altar, she quickly decapitated all the rogues and thieves with the very sword with which they had intended to kill the saint Jada Bharata.

Jada Bharata Instructs King Rahugana

After his escape from the Kali temple, Jada Bharata continued his wanderings, remaining aloof from ordinary, materialistic men.

One day, as King Rahugana of Sauvira was being carried through the district on a palanquin resting on the shoulders of several servants, the men, who were fatigued, began to falter. 

Realizing they would need another carrier to help them cross the Iksumati River, the King's servants began searching for someone. 

Soon they saw Jada Bharata, who appeared to be a good choice because he was very young and strong as an ox. 

But because he saw all living beings as his brothers, Jada Bharata could not perform this task very well. 

As he walked, he kept stopping to be sure that he wasn't stepping on any ants. According to the subtle but precise laws of reincarnation, all living entities must remain for a specific length of time in a particular body before being promoted to a higher form. 

When an animal is killed before its time, the soul must return to that same species to complete its encagement in that type of body. Therefore, the Vedas enjoin that one should always avoid whimsically killing other living beings.

Unaware of what was causing the delay, King Rahugana shouted, "What's going on? Can't you carry this thing properly? Why is my palanquin shaking like this?"

Hearing the threatening voice of the King, the frightened servants replied that the disturbance was being caused by Jada Bharata. The King angrily chastised him, sarcastically accusing Jada Bharata of carrying the palanquin like a weak, skinny, tired old man. 

But Jada Bharata, who understood his true spiritual identity, knew that he was not his body. He was neither fat, nor lean, nor thin, nor did he have anything to do with the lump of flesh and bones that comprised his body. 

He knew that he was an eternal spirit soul situated within the body, like a driver within a machine. 

Therefore, Jada Bharata remained unaffected by the King's angry criticism. Even if the King were to order him killed, he would not have cared, because he knew that the soul is eternal and can never be killed. 

As Lord Krsna says in the Gita, "The soul is not slain when the body is slain."

Jada Bharata remained silent and kept carrying the palanquin as before, but the King, unable to control his temper, shouted, "You rascal, what are you doing? Don't you know that I am your master? For your disobedience I shall now punish you!"

"My dear King," said Jada Bharata, "whatever you have said about me is true. You seem to think that I have not labored hard enough to carry your palanquin. That is true, because actually I am not carrying your palanquin at all! 

My body is carrying it, but I am not my body. You accuse me of not being very stout and strong, but this merely shows your ignorance of the spirit soul. 

The body may be fat or thin, or weak or strong, but no learned man would say such things about the real selt within. 

As far as my soul is concerned, it is neither fat nor skinny; therefore you are correct when you say that I am not very strong."

Jada Bharata then began to instruct the King, saying, "You think you are lord and master, and you are therefore trying to command me, but this is also incorrect, because these positions are ephemeral. 

Today you are a king and I am your servant, but in our next lives our positions may be reversed; you may be my servant and I your master."

Just as the waves of the ocean bring pieces of straw together and then break them apart, the force of eternal time brings living entities together in temporary relationships, such as master and servant, and then breaks them apart and rearranges them.

"In any case," Jada Bharata continued, "who is master, and who is servant? Everyone is forced to act by the laws of material nature; therefore no one is master and no one is servant."

The Vedas explain that the human beings in this material world are like actors on a stage, performing under the direction of a superior. Onstage, one actor may play the role of a master, and another may play the role of his servant, but they are both actually the servants of the director. 

In the same way, all living entities are the servants of the Supreme Lord, Sri Krsna. Their roles as masters and servants in the material world are temporary and imaginary.

After explaining all this to King Rahugana, Jada Bharata said, "If you still think that you are the master and that I am the servant, I shall accept this. Please order me. What can I do for you?"

King Rahugana, who had been trained in spiritual science, was astonished to hear the teachings of Jada Bharata. Recognizing him as a saintly person, the King quickly descended from his palanquin. 

His material conception of himself as a great monarch had been obliterated, and he fell humbly to the ground, his body outstretched, offering obeisances, his head at the feet of the holy man.

"O saintly person, why are you moving through the world unknown to others? Who are you? Where do you live? Why have you come to this place? 

O spiritual master, I am blind to spiritual knowledge. Please tell me how I may advance in spiritual life."

King Rahugana's behavior is exemplary. The Vedas declare that everyone, even kings, must approach a spiritual master in order to gain knowledge of the soul and the process of reincarnation.

Jada Bharata replied, "Because his mind is full of material desire, the living entity takes on different bodies in this material world, to enjoy and suffer the pleasures and pains brought about by material activity."

When one sleeps at night, one's mind creates many dreamlike situations of enjoyment and suffering. 

A man may dream that he is associating with a beautiful woman, but this enjoyment is illusory. He may also dream that he is being chased by a tiger, but the anxiety he experiences is also unreal. 

In the same way, material happiness and distress are simply mental creations, based on identification with the material body and material possessions. 

When one awakens to his original, spiritual consciousness, he sees that he has nothing to do with these things. One accomplishes this by concentrating one's mind in meditation upon the Supreme Lord.

If one fails to constantly fix one's mind on the Supreme Lord and render service to Him, he must undergo the cycle of birth and death described by Jada Bharata.

"The condition of the mind causes births in different types of bodies," Jada Bharata said. 

"These bodies may be those of many different species, for when one uses the mind to understand spiritual knowledge, he gets a higher body, and when one uses it only for obtaining material pleasure, he receives a lower body."

Jada Bharata compared the mind to a flame in a lamp. "When the flame burns the wick improperly, the lamp is blackened with soot. 

But when the lamp is filled with clarified butter and the flame burns properly, the lamp produces brilliant illumination. 

The mind absorbed in material life brings endless suffering in the cycle of reincarnation, but when the mind is used to cultivate spiritual knowledge, it brings about the original brightness of spiritual life."

Jada Bharata then warned the King, "As long as one identifies with the material body, one must wander throughout the unlimited universes in different species of life. 

Therefore, the uncontrolled mind is the greatest enemy of the living being.

"My dear King Rahugana, as long as the conditioned soul accepts the material body and is not freed from the contamination of material enjoyment, and as long as he does not conquer his senses and his mind and come to the platform of self-realization by awakening his spiritual knowledge, he is forced to wander in different places and in different forms in this material world."

Jada Bharata then revealed his own past lives. "In a previous birth, I was known as King Bharata. I attained perfection by becoming completely detached from material activities. 

I was fully engaged in the service of the Lord, but I relaxed my control over my mind and became so affectionate to a small deer that I neglected my spiritual duties. 

At the time of death I could think of nothing but this deer, so in my next life I had to accept the body of a deer."

Jada Bharata concluded his teachings by informing the King that those who desire freedom from the cycle of reincarnation must always associate with self-realized devotees of the Lord. 

Only by associating with exalted devotees can one attain the perfection of knowledge and cut to pieces the illusory associations of this material world.

Unless one has the opportunity to get the association of the devotees of the Lord, he can never understand the first thing about spiritual life. 

The Absolute Truth is revealed only to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee, because in the assembly of pure devotees, there is no question of discussing material subjects like politics and sociology. 

In an assembly of pure devotees, there is discussion only of the qualities, forms, and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is praised and worshiped with full attention. 

This is the simple secret by which one can revive his dormant spiritual consciousness, end forever the vicious cycle of reincarnation, and return to a life of eternal pleasure in the spiritual world.

After receiving lessons from the great devotee Jada Bharata, King Rahugana became fully aware of the constitutional position of the soul and gave up completely the bodily conception of life, which chains the pure souls to the endless cycle of birth and death in the material world.

"Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail" (Bhagavad-gita 8.6)

As the soul sets out on its mysterious journey after death, it may, according to the traditions of the world's great religions, meet with beings from other levels of reality who help it, or judges who weigh its good and evil deeds on the scales of universal justice. 

In the Vedic scriptures of India we learn of the servants of Lord Visnu, who appear at the time of death to accompany the pious soul on its way to the spiritual world. 

The Vedas also tell of the fearsome agents of Yamaraja, the lord of death, who forcefully arrest the soul of a sinful man and prepare it for its next incarnation in the prison of a material body. 

In this historical account, the servants of Visnu and the servants of Yamaraja dispute the fate of the soul of Ajamila, deciding whether he should be liberated or reincarnated.

In the city of Kanyakubja, there once lived a young saintly brahmana priest named Ajamila, who fell from the path of spiritual life and lost all of his good qualities when he fell in love with a prostitute. 

Giving up his priestly duties, Ajamila now made his living through robbery and gambling and passed his life in debauchery.

By the time he was eighty-eight years old, Ajamila had fathered ten sons by the prostitute. 

The youngest, a baby, was named Narayana -- one of the names of the Supreme Lord, Visnu. Ajamila was very attached to his young son and derived great pleasure watching the child's early attempts to walk and talk.

One day, without warning, the time of death arrived for the foolish Ajamila. Terrified, the old man saw before him gruesome figures with fierce, twisted faces. 

These subtle beings with ropes in their hands had come to forcibly escort him to the court of Yamaraja, the lord of death. 

Seeing these ghoulish creatures, Ajamila became bewildered, and out of affection for his beloved child, who was playing a short distance away, he began to cry loudly, 

"Narayana! Narayana!', With tears in his eyes, weeping for his young son, the great sinner Ajamila unconsciously chanted the holy name of the Lord.

Hearing their master's name chanted with great feeling by the dying Ajamila, the order carriers of Visnu, the Visnudutas, arrived within a second. They appeared just like Lord Visnu Himself. 

Their eyes were exactly like the petals of a lotus flower; they wore helmets of burnished gold, glimmering silk garments the color of topaz; and their perfectly formed bodies were decorated with garlands of sapphire and milk-white lotuses. 

They appeared fresh and youthful, and their dazzling effulgence illuminated the darkness of the death chamber. In their hands they held bows, arrows, swords, conchshells, clubs, discs, and lotus flowers.

The Visnudutas saw the servants of Yamaraja, the Yamadutas, snatching Ajamila's soul from the core of his heart, and with resounding voices they cried, "Stop!"

The Yamadutas, who had never before encountered any opposition, trembled upon hearing the Visnudutas' harsh command. "Who are you? Why are you trying to stop us?" they asked. "We are the servants of Yamaraja, the lord of death."

The agents of Visnu smiled and spoke in voices as deep as the rumbling of rain clouds: "If you are truly the servants of Yamaraja, you must explain to us the meaning of the cycle of birth and death. Tell us: Who must enter this cycle, and who must not?"

The Yamadutas replied, "The sun, fire, sky, air, demigods, moon, evening, day, night, the directions, water, land, and the Supersoul, or the Lord within the heart, all witness the activities of everyone. 

The candidates for punishment in the cycle of birth and death are those who are confirmed by these witnesses to have deviated from their religious duties. 

In proportion to the extent of one's religious or irreligious actions in this life, one must enjoy or suffer the corresponding reactions of karma in the next."

Originally the living beings exist in the spiritual world as eternal servants of God. But when they give up the service of the Lord, they must enter the material universe, comprised of the three modes of nature -- goodness, passion, and ignorance. 

The Yamadutas explained that the living beings who desire to enjoy this material world come under the control of the modes and, according to their specific relationship with these modes, acquire suitable material bodies. 

A being in the mode of goodness obtains the body of a demigod, one in the mode of passion takes birth as a human, and one in the mode of ignorance enters the lower species.

All of these bodies are like the bodies we experience in dreams. When a man goes to sleep, he forgets his real identity and may dream that he has become a king. 

He cannot remember what he was doing before he went to sleep, nor can he imagine what he will do upon waking. 

In the same way, when a soul identifies with a temporary, material body, he forgets his real, spiritual identity, as well as any previous lives in the material world, although most souls in a human body have already transmigrated through all 8,400,000 species of life.

"The living entity thus transmigrates from one material body to another in human life, animal life, and life as a demigod," the Yamadutas said. 

"When the living entity gets the body of a demigod, he is very happy. When he gets a human body, he is sometimes happy and sometimes sad. And when he gets the body of an animal, he is always fearful. 

In all conditions, however, he suffers terribly, experiencing birth, death, disease, and old age. His miserable condition is called samsara, or transmigration of the soul through different species of material life.

"The foolish embodied living entity," the Yamadutas continued, unable to control his senses or his mind, is forced to act according to the influence of the modes of material nature, even against his own desires. 

He is like a silkworm that uses its own saliva to create a cocoon and then becomes trapped in it. 

The living entity traps himself in a network of his own fruitive activities and then can find no way to free himself. Thus he is always bewildered and repeatedly dies and is reborn.

"Because of his intense material desires," said the Yamadutas, "a living entity takes birth in a particular family and receives a body like that of either the mother or the father. 

That body is an indication of his past and future bodies, just as one springtime is an indication of past and future springtimes."

The human form of life is especially valuable, because only a human can understand the transcendental knowledge that can free him from the cycle of birth and death. But Ajamila had wasted his human life.

"In the beginning," the Yamadutas said, "Ajamila studied all the Vedic literatures. He was a reservoir of good character and conduct. He was very mild and gentle, and he kept his mind and senses under control. He was always truthful, knew how to chant the Vedic mantras, and was very pure. 

Ajamila always showed proper respect to his spiritual master, guests, and the elderly members of his household -- indeed, he was free from false prestige. He was benevolent to all living beings and never envied anyone.

"But once, Ajamila, following the order of his father, went to the forest to collect fruits and flowers. 

On the way home, he came upon a very lusty, low-class man shamelessly embracing and kissing a prostitute. 

The man was smiling, singing, and enjoying himself as if this were proper behavior. Both the man and the prostitute were drunk. 

The prostitute's eyes were rolling in intoxication, and her dress had become loose, partially exposing her body. 

When Ajamila saw this prostitute, the dormant lusty desires in his heart awakened, and in illusion, he fell under their control. 

He tried to remember the instructions of the scriptures, and with the help of his knowledge and intellect he tried to control his lust. 

But because of the force of Cupid within his heart, he was unable to control his mind. 

After that, he always thought of the prostitute, and within a short time he took her in as a servant in his house.

"Ajamila then gave up all of his spiritual practices. He spent the money he had inherited from his father for presents for the prostitute and even rejected his beautiful young wife, who came from a respectable brahmana family.

"This rascal Ajamila got money any way he could, legally or illegally, and used it to maintain the prostitute's sons and daughters. 

Before death, he did not undergo atonement. Therefore, because of his sinful life, we must take him to the court of Yamaraja. 

There, according to the extent of his sinful acts, he will be punished and then returned to the material world in a suitable body."

After hearing the statements of the Yamadutas, the servants of Lord Visnu, who are always expert in logic and argument, replied, 

"How painful it is to see that those in charge of upholding religious principles are needlessly punishing an innocent person. 

Ajamila has already atoned for all of his sins. Indeed, he has atoned not only for sins performed in this life, but for those performed in millions of previous lives as well, because he chanted the holy name of Narayana in a helpless state of mind at the time of death. 

Therefore, he is now pure and eligible for liberation from the cycle of reincarnation.

Essay Two.

The eternal jiva-souls (the individual marginal living entities who are eternal PERSONS) ALWAYS have Krsna by their side, who ALWAYS stands with each jiva-soul as their dear friend eternally.

No-one can EVER take that away from you!

Krsna is the Supreme Personality (PERSON) of Godhead and cause of ALL causes, and the origin of all other Forms of God know as Visnu-tattva expansions of Krsna.

Remember that in the face of arrogent bullies, fault finders and so called devotees who constantly try to break your spirit, bring you down and make you feel insignificant and useless, you ALWAYS have wonderful Krsna in your heart with you in this temporary material creation.

Krsna is ALWAYS standing with you as your very dear friend and no-one can EVER take that away from you with their belittling patronising judgemental opinions.

As Prabhupada taught us long ago, "when the DOGS bark, you do not bark with them, you ignore them and keep moving forward".

If an aspiring devotee tries their very best to help themselves serve and always remember Kṛṣṇa, then even if they committ the MOST sinful disgusting act at some point on their devotional journey, Krsna WILL always stand by them, He promises this in Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 9 Text 30-

"Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated".

There is nothing free in this material creation except the grace of God (Krsna)

It is VERY important to understand that the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are eternal "PERSONS" who have their own unique individuality and personality different from Krsna's Personality, but simultaneously dependent on Krsna who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes.

The jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are "PERSONS" with their own unique individual "feelings", who ALWAYS eternally have the right of self expression in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana with Krsna (The Kingdom of God).

LOVING service to Krsna is NOT 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 only has meaning when the jiva-souls can express themselves in a "two-sided" relationship with 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!" (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

In other words, loving reciprocation is ONLY possible between "two", with each contributing to the relationship, expanding the the variety of nectarine mellows.

The word "reciprocation" only has meaning when there are "TWO involved", NOT one!

To experience reciprocation there MUST be two.

"Free will" is eternally the constitutional make up of EVERY "marginal living entity" (jiva-soul) and the foundation in ALL relationship with Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada - ''Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is NOT love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation. (Lecture on BG Chapter 9 text 2-5, New York, Nov 23, 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - "Love means two. There MUST be two, the lover and the beloved". (Lecture on BG Chapter 9 text 2-5, New York, Nov 23, 1966)

In Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, personal voluntary expressions of loving exchanges are ALWAYS encouraged by Krsna in His relationship with the jiva-souls that adds flavour, variety and mystery to their association with Krsna in Goloka-Vrndavana.

This means the Kingdom of God (Goloka-Vrindavana) is NOT a "one-sided" dominating impersonal domain devoid of "free will" that does not allow personal contributions or offerings to God (Krsna) that expand, enrich and flavour the relationship.

"Free will" is eternally the constitutional make up of EVERY "marginal living entity" (jiva-soul) and the foundation in ALL relationship with Krsna.

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 there is loving exchanges''. (SB Canto 1 Chapter 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)

Essay Three.

The following essay explains the workings of Maha Visnu's mysterious material creation and the original position (home) of the jiva-souls.

And then finally reveals from Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 28 Text 53 and Canto 4 Chapter 28 Text 55, that the jiva-soul's original home is with Krsna and that we are NOT suppose to be in the material creation or the impersonal Brahmajyoti.

From Srimad Bhagavatam Krsna directly asks the jiva-soul now trapped in the material creation, 

"Do you remember Me!"

Therefore, how can you remember what you never knew? 

This clearly means we all came from Goloka Vrindavana or Vaikuntha and from there entered the material creation.

The mysterious workings of Maha-Visnu's material creation works in a way that not even science fiction writers could imagine.

All material bodily vessels in the material creation originate from the dreams of Maha Visnu.

Such material bodily containers are an instant alternative for those jiva-souls (marginal living entities) who reject serving Krsna.

Therefore such material bodily vessels are provided by Maha Visnu to those individual jiva-souls who can no longer stay in the Spiritual Planets because of their rejection of Krsna or Visnu.

No jiva-souls (marginal living entities) originate from Maha-Visnu, they only move into His dreams (material bodies) according to their desires for their journey through the material creation.

There are unlimited material bodily vessels available to those jiva-souls who have chosen to leave Vaikuntha, that instantly places them in Maha-Visnu's material creation.

And the jiva-souls (marginal living entities), just like Krsna, were NEVER created! Each jiva-soul has no origin because they were NEVER created.

Krsna and the jiva-souls are like the Sun-disc and the sun-rays, that cannot exist without each other.

Therefore Krsna and the jiva-souls have ALWAYS existed and were never created.

Although the REAL home of the jiva-souls is always in either the Vaikuntha Planets of Lord Visnu, or Krsna's central Planet of Goloka Vrindavana, and NOT living in the temporary mundane material creation or merged inactive (dormant) in the impersonal Brahmajyoti.

From Maha Visnu's point of view, the movement through material time's past, present and future, all exist simultaneously and is always there as a permanent pathway that unlimited jiva-souls are continuously moving through.

Srila Prabhupada – “This material creation is the spirit soul’s dream. Actually all existence in the material world is a dream of Maha-Visnu, as the Brahma-Samhita describes- 

“This material world is created by the dreaming of Maha-Visnu. The real, factual platform is the spiritual world, but when the spirit soul wants to imitate the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he is put into this dreamland of material creation”. (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 29 Text 83)

Srila Prabhupada – “Everything happening within time, which consists of past, present and future, is merely a dream. This is the secret in understanding in all the Vedic literature.” (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4.29.2b)

Srila Prabhupada – “Our contact with matter is just like dream. Actually we are not fallen. Therefore, because we are not fallen, at any moment we can revive our Krsna consciousness, we break the dream.” (Tokyo Japan 1972 lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam)

Srila Prabhupada – “Factually all of material existence is only a dream. Thus there is no question of past, present or future. Persons who are addicted to karma-kanda-vicara, which means ‘working for future happiness through fruitive activities’, are also dreaming. Similarly, past happiness and present happiness are merely dreams” (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4.29.2b)

The material bodily roadway or pathway is where the jiva-soul moves through the past, to the present, and then to the future, from its start (birth) to its end (death)

These realities of Maha Visnu's dreaming material creations CAN be rewinded, they CAN be fast forwarded, BUT they can NEVER be changed.

This is because each material bodily vessel's pathway is already set in stone from its beginning to its end, this means each material bodily "pathway" that the visiting jiva-soul travels on, comes from the already "dreamed" dreams of Maha Visnu and can only be lived through and can never be changed (hence, set in stone).

The visiting jiva-souls who enter the material creation and obtain (lease) a material bodily "blue-print" from Maha Visnu's dreams, are already a set reality from its beginning to its end.

This is why once the jiva-soul has entered one of Maha-Visnu's dreams, nothing in that bodily pathway can be changed.

Also each material bodily pathway is repeatedly available and continuously re-occupied by other visiting jiva-souls who have also chosen to enter the temporary material creation.

Linear time is the movement from past to present and then to future.

In other words linear time is where time is seen sequentially, as a series of events that are leading along a pathway, from experiencing its beginning middle and end.

Seeing the entire journey on a long winding road all at once is seeing ABOVE linear time.

Maha-Visnu and rare yogis and devotees can see ABOVE linear time, just like one sees an entire roadway from above, its beginning, middle and end, all at once. 

All material bodily vessels are chosen from Maha Visnu's dreams, His collection of material bodily vessels from His permanent volt of dreams lived out by a visiting jiva-soul in normal linear time.

All material bodily vessels are like costumes "leased out" constantly from the Costume shop owner Maha Visnu to visiting jiva-souls.

All of the jiva-soul's desires,  choices and expressions of "free will" are factored in before the jiva-soul is given a particular material bodily vessel to enter the material creation.

However, free will only partially exists in the material creation and only in the human species of life.

Free will does not exist in lower species of life, there is only the urges of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. 

Maha Visnu sees all, beginning, middle and end of all material bodily vessels because He is God and knows past, present and future.

All material bodily vessels are the dreams of Maha-Visnu.

There is always "free will" however, each material body's destiny that the visiting jiva-soul experiences, is already mapped out within the dreams of Maha Visnu explained above.

And "free will" is factored into the equation in such a way that the free will of each jiva-soul is not affected.

"Free will" always exists in the Spiritual Worlds that allows the jiva-souls to except or even reject Krsna by choosing to leave Krsna's association if they choose. 

Such freedom MUST be there if love is to truly exist in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.

So from the mistaken desires of the rebellious jiva-soul, that begins when they put their own selfish desires in the centre, instead of first pleasing Krsna, they are "forced" to choose a vessel from Maha-Visnu's "library of dreams" that transfers them to His temporary material creation and into a temporary material bodily vessel (Maha Visnu's dreams)

This is the beginning of the jiva-souls fall down to the material creation from Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana.

But such fall downs are very rare, less than 10% of jiva-souls fall down from the Spiritual Planets.

Rejecting Krsna means the jiva-soul can no longer stay in the Spiritual World and is therefore instantaneously transferred out of Vaikuṇṭha or Goloka Vṛndāvana and relocated to the dream bodies of Maha Visnu (the pathway of material bodily vessels) material creation.

The jiva-soul already knows and agrees with the entire pathway or journey they have because their "desires" are in sync with the bodily pathway (material bodily vessel) from Maha Visnu's dreams they will enter.

Within Maha-Visnu's material creation exists every possible "dream" to fulfil every desire the visiting jiva-souls have, every scenario they can come up with is eternally existing in Maha Visnu's dreams.  

This means the jiva-soul's ability to express "free will" is already factored into the equation of the destiny of the material bodily vessel one has chosen to enter as explained above.

Bhagavad-gītā As It Is Chapter 11 Text 7-

"O Arjuna, whatever you wish to see, behold at once in this body of Mine! This universal form can show you whatever you now desire to see and whatever you may want to see in the future. Everything moving and nonmoving is here completely, in one place".

Purport

Srila Prabhupada  - "No one can see the entire universe while sitting in one place. Even the most advanced scientist cannot see what is going on in other parts of the universe. But a devotee like Arjuna can see everything that exists in any part of the universe. Kṛṣṇa gives him the power to see anything he wants to see, past, present and future. Thus by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna is able to see EVERYTHING" 

(Bhagavad-gītā As It Is Chapter 11 Text 7)

The great sages and devotees in previous ages thousands of years ago were "tri-kāla-jñā".

Tri-kāla-jñā means they could understand -

1 - What was in the past,

2 - What there shall be in the future,

3 - And what is at present.

Srila Prabhupada - ''So the point is that five thousand years ago the things which were written for this age, how they are coming to be true in our experience. That is the point: how they could see past, present, and future so nicely.

The sages were known as tri-kāla-jñā. Tri means three. There is almost similarity, tri and three. Tri is Sanskrit, and three is English or Latin, but there is similarity. Tri-kāla-jñā.

Tri means three, and kāla means time.

Time is experienced by three ways- 

past, 

present,

future. 

Time limitation, past, present and future. Whenever you speak of time, it is past, present or future.

So the sages in those days were tri-kāla-jñā. Tri-kāla-jñā means they could understand, they could know what was in the past, what there shall be in the future, and what is at present.

Just like in the Bhagavad gītā Kṛṣṇa says,

"My Dear Arjuna, you, Me, I, and all these kings and soldiers who have assembled in this battlefield, they were all individuals, and we are still individual. And in this past, in the future, we shall all remain individuals. That past, present, and future, he explained.

Another place Kṛṣṇa says, vedāhaṁ samatītāni (BG 7.26). Atītāni, atītāni means past. Vartamānāni ca, "and present." 

So that is yogic power, one CAN know past, present, and future''. (Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 12 Chapter 2 Text 1 San Francisco, March 18, 1968)

There is still a lot more to learn about the movement of the marginal living entity (jiva-soul) through material space/time's past, present and future.

We have only scratched the surface in understanding Vedic texts in the 50 years since Srila Prabhupada made his valuable contribution to the Western World.

The movement of space/time in the temporary material creation is eternally divided into past, present and future as a roadway that has its beginning point (birth), middle (youth and middle age) and end of the roadway (old age and death), but ONLY while the individual jiva-souls are covered by these material bodily vessels governed by the movement of material time.

"Temporary" means the decaying progression of material nature forced by time's movement of past, present and future with its side effect of birth, youth, middle age, old age and death.

Whereas in the Spiritual Worlds there is only the "permanence" of the "eternal presence" of Krsna where everything is eternally fresh, youthful and never decomposes 

In the Spiritual Planets the jiva-souls ARE their body and no longer possess a material decaying bodily vessel or covering.

All material bodily vessels or bodily containers, are part and parcel of the fabric of material energies space/time that governs the temporary material creation and takes up 1/4 of the Spiritual Sky (matter)

The other 3/4s of the Spiritual Sky are the permanent eternally youthful Spiritual Worlds (anti-matter) eternally existing in the "eternal presence" beyond the decaying influence of past, present and future that only exists in the material creation.

In the material creation's bodily vessels, the jiva-souls are there as the passengers who are riding within the material energies fabric of material bodily vessels. 

Each material body is made of material energy that the jiva-souls possess.

The individual marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are the passengers in the material body made of material energy.

Material energy is "all one", the bodily forms eventually wear out and die and breaks down and merges back into the oneness of material energy.  

Our material bodily vessels are ultimately impersonal dead matter when the body is no longer held together by the presence an individual jiva-soul who possess the material body.

Only the presence of the jiva-soul gives the appearance of life in a material body.

The individual jiva-soul is anti-matter and NOT matter.

1 - "Matter" is lifeless dead energy existing in the material creation.

2 - "Anti-matter" is living individual living entities AS Spiritual bodily forms that pervades the Spiritual Worlds of the Vaikuntha Planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.

The jiva-souls ARE "life", whereas the material energy has no life, it is simply dead matter.

All material bodily vessels are given to the jiva-souls by Maha Visnu (from His dreams) according to their "desires".

And as the embodied jiva-soul continues their journey in the material creation life after life, the accumulation of the reactions from acting out those original desires, creates pious and impious reactions.

But ONLY in a human material body does the jiva-souls create Karma.

There is no Karma (being responsible for your actions) in the lower species of life where one acts only on the instincts of eating, sleeping, mating and defending. 

From the viewpoint of Maha Visnu and great sages, they see past, present and future in the material creation, all existing simultaneously.

Just like from above one can see the beginning, middle and end of a long winding roadway.

Also with mundane logic, the material desires of an individual marginal living entity (jiva-soul) would eventually repeat themselves over the span of an eternity if they stayed in the material creation long enough.

This is because every combination of material elements would be exhausted to the point they would again repeat over an eternity.

If the jiva-soul chooses to remain in the material creation for an almost eternity, they could experience this.

This is possible because the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are eternal. 

But what is really going on?

Even though the material energy is temporary and always decays, the material energy itself is eternal, but when material Kingdoms and material bodies decay and are destroyed, the material energy will again eventually reappear as different forms and bodily vessels due the movement of past, present and future.

Many have asked, could the past activities of a material body one chooses from Maha Visnu's dreams, still be happening in the universe's "same space" but happening in a different "time", with another individual jiva-soul playing that same part?

The answer is yes, infact that is exactly what's going on.

This is because past, present and future are happening "always" (simultaneously) and are a permanent fixture of the fabric of material energy.

This means all material bodily vessel are a permanent 'POST' or roadway that many jiva-souls also experience that same journey.

Just like Lord Brahma's material body is also a POST that many jiva-souls can experience, if qualified, to attain the material body of Brahma.

This further means only those jiva-souls with the right qualifactions can experience what ever bodily vessel they are offered, but only if they deserve it.

To be qualified for any material bodily vessel, one must be trained up and simultaneously have corresponding desires and Karma to qualify and enter a particular material bodily vessel they deserve, desire, rewarded with or punished with.

Once in the material creation, the jiva-souls will eventually take a material body created by their own karma (past good and bad actions)

It is also seems to some that the material universe of material bodily containers or vessels are repeating itself, except with a different batch of individual jiva-souls possessing all material bodily vessels.

 Some philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche call this the "eternal reoccurrence"

But NO, that is NOT what is going on, there is no such thing as eternal reoccurrence, there is only the permanent roadway of material bodily vessels the jiva-souls are eternally travelling through.

This means EVERYTHING already exists eternally and the jiva-souls just move through those permanent pathways of material energy (dreams of Maha-Visnu).

The "material body" is NOT the PERSON because the material vessel is made of material elements that a jiva-soul is covered by and travels through.

The jiva-souls are the only PERSONS and not the outer material covering. 

Some have asked where is Adolf Hitler today or where is Joseph Stalin today? 

However, who really is Hitler or Stalin? Actually no-one because the "material body" is a POST that many jiva-souls can experience.

The material body is NOT the person, the jiva-soul in that material vessel is the person.

What we know of them is only what we call their material bodies.

As explained, each material bodily pathway (vessel) is the creation of Maha Visnu from His dreams.

And these dreams (material bodily vessels) are a permanent fixture of Maha-Visnu's material energies space-time.

This means unlimited jiva-souls can "lease" such material bodily pathways (dreams) from Maha Visnu and also experience that dream. 

In other words, the material bodily pathway is NOT the PERSON, it is the outer vessel the PERSON is in.

The REAL individual is the jiva-soul that passes through the material bodily vessel's pathway of Hitler, Stalin or whoever.

All material bodily vessels are POSTS in the material creation that the visiting jiva-soul to the material creation can experience if they deserve that position according to desire and Karma.

As explained earlier, all material vessels are "leased" from the dreams of Maha-Visnu which means unlimited jiva-souls have travelled the bodily pathway of Hitler.

This includes the material body you (the individual jiva-soul) are in now.

The important point is we are NOT the material bodily vessel or container we are presently in, we are the passenger only.

As said above, there are some who believe this is the same as a "repeating material universe of eternal reoccurrence" but no, this is NOT what is happening. 

This is because the material energy is an eternal roadway of space-time" that perpetually exists as a permanent pathway of material energy where unlimited jiva-souls traverse along as the passengers of that pathway of material energy.

This means all material bodily vessels are existing from past, present to future like the different points on roadway are also always exists.

In other words, if one can observe past, present and future of the material energy (meaning the different stages from birth to old age of the material bodily vessel) it would look like a permanent pathway the jiva-souls are passing through continuously like one passes over a road that is permanently there.

Therefore it only appears that the material bodily vessels are continually reoccurring when in actual fact they are not.

The jiva-souls are entering a permanent pathway in the fixture of material energy which exists eternally.

Everything is temporary in the material creation and in a constant state of decay and experienced that way as one moves along the pathway.

This is because of the movement of past, present and future that has the side effect of impermanence, decomposition, birth, youth, disease, old age and death.

In the Spiritual Worlds of Vaikuṇṭha and Goloka Vṛndāvana, only the "eternal presence" of Krsna exists with no concept of past or future and therefore there is no impermanence or decay there.

This means everything there is eternally fresh and youthful in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana the eternal Kingdoms of God.

Temporary material energy makes up all material bodily vessels or containers that the jiva-souls enters as a passenger (covered by).

When these material bodily vessels wears out and decays, they break down into material elements and merges again back into the material energy.

Only the jiva-souls who uncovered by material energy, are a perpetual spiritual (anti-matter) bodily form (vigraha) and NEVER decays.

The jiva-souls eternally remains an individual PERSON separate from the mundane material creation, even though covered by its decaying material material energy in the form of material bodily vessels.

Therefore, the material universes concept of time is governed by past, present and future, but exists ALL at the same time to those who can see from above this mundane movement material time like Maha Visnu sees.

This means that all material bodily vessels (material energy), like yours and mine we occupy, are all a permanent fixture of the material energy owned by Maha Visnu.

Such material vessels originate from His dreams of the material universe that are eternally existing through the continuous flow of material space-time as explained above.

All such material bodily vessels exist in Maha Visnu's "library of material dreams" available to be "leased out" to those jiva-souls who have chosen to visit His material creation after choosing to leave the Spiritual Planets.

So as said above, it is the constant flow of material space-time of past, present and future (material energy) that is seemingly repeating itself as the material bodily vessels.

But again NO, there is no repetition or eternal reoccurrence going on, there is ONLY the constant movement of jiva-souls travelling on a permanent roadway or pathway that ETERNALLY exists for unlimited jiva-souls to travel on.

Only by through the fabric of material space-time do we experience each stage of the "NOW" (past, present and future)

But in actual fact all past, present and future eternally exist together.

Srila Prabhupada always encouraged us to have personal realizations and yes, the ones here are thought provoking because they are based on Vedic teachings.

Keep in mind, the "dreams" of Maha Visnu are almost inconceivable to understand, even when Arjuna viewed past, present and future simultaneously, being able to see that EVERYTHING, past, present and future, was existing in the NOW, he was scared and confused because he was seeing his own future and the future of his family.

And the reason he could see his future is because technically it is already exists due to the entire roadway of past, present and future ALWAYS existing as a pathway the jiva-souls traverse down. (as explained above)

Only by understanding this can realise so catime travel into the past or future IS possible.  

This means one is just traveling through what is already there, what already exists.

Another way of understanding this is just like when one rewinds a video tape, the contends captured will always be the same at every stage on the tape.

Similarly, the material bodily vessel we are now in is a 'POST' that is always existing for jiva-souls to enter and experience.

This means material time and space is permanently recorded and ALWAYS exists AS the material dreams of Maha Visnu.

This also means we take our next birth in a material bodily vessel that already eternally exists in the past, present and future time zone explained above, where the jiva-soul moves though the stages of past, present and future, experiencing each moment of "NOW", meaning birth, childhood, youth, middle age, old age, death of the material vessel the jiva-soul is "moving through".

That further means when we choose a bodily vessel, the pathway in its different stages of childhood, youth, middle age, old age etc of that material body, already exists in its time zone because each material bodies time zone is a permanent fixture of this material universe known as the Maha-tattva (material creation).

What we are learning here, is all the 'dreams' of Maha Visnu are all happening "NOW" which means past, present and future exist simultaneously and we only move through the different time stages of a material bodily vessel that exists in its past, the present or the future time zone.

The dreams (material pathways) of Maha Visnu are eternal.

The material energy is all one but NOT the life force (jiva-souls) that are individual PERSONS as Prabhupada has taught us.

This is important to understand as there are many impersonalists who believe there is one all pervasive life force that IS also all the material bodily species are also material energy.

Such philosophy is called impersonalism, their ideas are wrong and dangerous.

So to be clear in the material creation everything in under the movement time (past, present and future) already exists, like a long winding roadway already exists from its beginning to its end.

This means the pathway or roadway of the material bodily vessels, gross or subtle, the individual jiva-soul possess and enters, like the roadway, is already carved out and we are simply passengers on that roadway in that material bodily vessel for it's journey.

In other words, one who worships the rich and famous can take birth in those material bodily vessels they admire, after being trained up and qualified to take that birth, which in itself would take many, many, many births just for that opportunity to be that famous "material body" for one insignificant life time, similar to Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Elvis Presley, Bill Gates etc.

What an ignorant selfish waste of time compared to just choosing to return home back to Godhead and be in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, the jiva-soul's REAL home.

If those jiva-souls in those material vessels knew what they had to go through to attain that famous wealthy materialistic bodily existence, they would have second thoughts about seeking material fame and wealth on this planet or the material heavenly planets.

All material bodily vessels are "POSTS" in the material creation that must be deserved and qualified to experience.

Usually the most pious living entity in each material universe can take up the post of Lord Brahma when the next universe manifests.

In the same way; we are all awarded with a material bodily vessel according to our past pious and impious activities known as karma.

All individual living entities (jiva-souls) who understand the fabric of space-time, know each jiva-soul is moving along the many stages of the roadway representing past, present and future (also the pathway of each material bodily vessel)

However, from above just like one sees the entire journey of a roadway, one is able to see the beginning, middle and end, all at once of that pathway.

This means "materially" one can see all past, present and future existing together, and its every twist and turn on that roadway.

The explanation in the above essay is correctly suggesting that all material bodily vessels are like "permanent" fixture or pathway (real but temporary) that ETERNALLY exists in the dreams of Maha Visnu.

As said above, this may give the impression of eternal repetition but no, the material universe is in a constant state that is ABOVE the movement of past, present and future that the jiva-souls only experience by moving or flowing through the material energy existence of the fabric of past, present and future.

In other words, moving along the pathway of twists and turns on the  road is compared to the jiva-soul experiencing the birth, childhood, youth, middle age, old age and death of the material bodily vessel the jiva-souls are in.

This birth, youth, middle age and death DOES eternally repeat itself, but ONLY because of the material fabric of time (past, present and future), that is continuously existing with the constant flow of visiting jiva-souls passing through it.

In other words, what is seen from above (the entire roadway from beginning, middle and end) is the movement of all material time which are Maha Visnu's dreams all existing simultaneously.

Such dreams (pathways) are always available for lease to those jiva-souls who choose to enter Maha-Visnu's material creation.

This means all past, present and future are ALWAYS existing simultaneously to Maha Visnu and some advanced devotees and yogis.

So clearly there is a constant flow of material "space-time" 

(past, present and future) on the "permanent" pathway from its beginning, middle and end (birth, disease, old age and death)

This pathway or roadway is always available for others jiva-souls to also traverse the same permanent fixture of the material energy (roadway) and experience the same material body billions of other jiva-souls have passed through (along this pathway).

Modern science cannot understand the material universe in this way where time travel has ALWAYS been possible into the past or into the future.

This is because the "roadways or pathways" of space-time's "past, present and future" NEVER disappear as explained above, they always exist because they are a permanent fixture within the fabric of the material universe.

The material bodily vessels, pathways or containers we are in/on, are always the property of Maha Visnu's dreams that are leased out to any jiva-soul qualified, but will always remain his property and part and parcel of His dreaming material creation, available for other jiva-souls to also "travel through" to experience their desires found also in Maha Visnu's material creation.

In Maha Visnu's dreams, every scenario conceivable is possible and is ALREADY existing and available for lease to any visiting jiva-souls who qualify from their own desires.

Leasing the material dreams off Maha Visnu are similar to visiting a "costume shop" that is full of many different costumes (material bodily pathways) that the jiva-soul can choose to enter/travel in or possess.

Every jiva-soul who enters the material creation must go to this so called costume shop of material bodily vessels (dress shop) that are all from the dreams of the sleeping Maha Visnu.

And then choose which material bodily vessel they want to enter as an attempt to imitate Krsna and enjoy separate from Krsna.

This is where the jiva-souls are offered a particular material bodily vessel by Maha Visnu according to their material desires, so they can enter into the material creation with a suitable material body that is in accordance with their own material desires.

Maha Visnu always owns all such material vessels that are part and parcel of His material creation that He is dreaming.

Therefore, those who have chosen to enter the material creation, must go to Maha Visnu's "library of dreams" and choose a material bodily vessel from His unlimited dreams of all material affairs.

Everything conceivable material bodily vessel or container exists in Maha Visnu's dreams, every scenario is possible as said above, no matter how strange or bizarre it is, ALL realities already exists in the dreams of Maha Visnu.

This means all that there is and all that there will be, every combination of material existence possible, ALREADY exists in His dreams.

It is the material bodily vessels (coming from Maha Visnu's dreams) all jiva-souls in all the billions of Brahmanda universes coming from Maha Visnu, must choose from, just like one chooses from a variety of costumes from a Fancy dress store.

Regarding eternal associates of Krsna like Arjuna, there is a different set of rules here.

The fact is, Arjuna is always with Krsna in innumerable different material universes at one time, and there is only one jiva-soul who is Arjuna.

The individual jiva-soul who surrenders to Krsna, CAN expand or project their consciousness into many different material bodies at the same time and still be just the "one jiva-soul" in all those material bodies.

Advanced yogis can also do this but limited to eight expansions however, for Krsna's eternal associate like Arjuna it is in many, many universes simultaneously.

Yes this is very true as sastra tells us but very rare to understand especially in this degraded age of Kali-yuga.

The fact is the jiva-soul in Arjuna's material bodily vessel is the same "jiva-soul" in all the different Arjunas throughout all the material universes according to Srila Prabhupada.

This is achieved because the "one" individual jiva-soul (Arjuna) expands himself into many different material bodily vessels or containers that are all him in different pastimes with Krsna. 

This means no one can become Arjuna because his position is NOT a POST like Brahmas is, the jiva-soul of Arjuna is always the the one individual Arjuna no matter where he is with Krsna.

Such a position like Arjuna is very rare.

As said above, yogi can also project his consciousness and be in 8 different material bodies at one time.

But this is NOT the case with every material bodily vessel in the material creation! Only some rare jiva-souls (yogis) can possess more than one material bodily vessels at once.

This is NOT the case with the billions of different Lord Brahmas who are each in their small material universe that is deep within the greater Brahmanda universal shell.

In each case each Lord Brahma is occupied by a different individual jiva-soul.

So as said above, in every material bodily vessel of Lord Brahma, there is a different jiva-soul every time Maha Visnu creates all the billions of Brahmanda universes in the material creation.

All the different Brahmas are NOT the same "jiva-souls", there are billions of different individual jiva-souls who can become a Brahma in all the different material univeses that are deep inside each outer Brahmanda universe that comes from the Body of Maha Visnu.

There are those who believe the material universe is continuously repeating itself each time Maha Visnu creates the material Brahmanda universes, but is that true?

Actually, it only "seems" that way because in true reality everything that is, and can be, already exists within the dreams of Maha Visnu.

A dream the jiva-souls lease off Maha Visnu is also a permanent roadway or pathway that many jiva-souls can travel on.  

This means the material universe, including all bodily vessels, are continuously existing with an endless flow of individual jiva-souls possessing those material bodies by passing through them like one passes over a roadway.

Therefore it only "seems" the material universe is repeating itself when in actual fact it is complete like travelling on a roadway.

This is also because each material bodily vessel or container eternally exists within the material dreams of Maha Visnu that can be leased out by any visiting jiva-soul who has matching desires that are in sync with Maha-Visnu's dreams.

The dreams of Maha-Visnu gives the visiting jiva-souls the facilities to fulfill their desires.

The fact is such dreams (material bodies) are a permanent "POST" or PATHWAY that "always" exists within the dreams of Maha-Visnu so the visiting jiva-souls can travel within and simultaneously have their desires fulfilled while in the mundane temporary material creation.

Remember all these material bodily containers ARE a creation coming from the dreams of Maha Visnu.

In this way all facilities in the material creation come from Maha Visnu.

The jiva-souls by their desires, move through the journey of material existence in a material body on the pathway of birth, youth, middle age, disease, old age and death and then again rebirth if one fails to get out of this temporary material mundane world of repeated birth and death.

Being in a material bodily vessel or container is being on the pathway or road that leads to a one's destination.

All "pathways" (the journey of a material body from the dreams of Maha-Visnu) have always existed as part and parcel of the fabric of material space-time that many other visiting jiva-souls have/can also experienced and continue to move through. 

In other words, there is always a flow of jiva-souls experiencing the road journey of material bodily containers or vessels coming from the dreams of Maha Visnu. 

This is what is really happening in the material creation instead of eternal repetition or reoccurrence.

Each point along the roadway is eternally there as part of the road that the jiva-soul passes through experienced as Linear time.

The pathway of material bodily vessels (Maha-Visnu's dreams) that confine or cover the jiva-souls, are always covered by the fabric of material energy that moves through past, present and future due to space-time where one experiences the effect of time which is birth, youth, disease, old age, and death.

This is the "roadway'' or "pathway" of material existence known as linear time (the movement through past, present and future)

But from OUTSIDE of linear time, rare souls CAN see the entire movement of past, present and future simultaneously, like from above one can view an entire roadway from its beginning to its end.

This process of material existence "seems to repeat itself" over and over but that is not seeing the full picture of the material creation.

It "seems" that the material universes are constantly annihilated and again created by Maha Visnu, but as explained above, that is NOT what is really going on.

Only the movement of past, present and future gives one the view of creation and annihilation.  

Also as explained above, there is no such thing as eternal reoccurrence going on, where the material universe repeats itself, no it is not like that at all.

What is really "constantly" unfolding through the fabric of material energy and time, are permanent pathways made up of past, present and future from Maha Visnu's dreams that are a feature and fixture of each material universe the individual jiva-souls can enter and pass along and through.

The fact is, all material bodily vessels ARE the dreams of Maha-Visnu, and are a permanent fixture or POST in the material universe existing "as dreams" coming from Maha Visnu that the visiting jiva-souls move through, like one moves on a roadway or pathway that ALWAYS remains there for other travellers to pass on/though.

Another way of looking at this-

Just like in society there exists fancy dress shops where one can go and lease out costumes to experience a particular play (material reality).

Similarly in the material creation every material bodily vessel conceivable exists within Maha Visnu's "fancy dress shop of material costumes" (His dreams) that one can lease from Maha Visnu. 

All such realities, pathways, bodily vessels all come from Maha-Visnu's dreams and are available to all visiting jiva-souls who choose to enter the material creation.

Therefore each time the material universe again manifests, a different batch of jiva-souls enters those pathways of material bodily costumes the jiva-souls wears/and passes through.

In other words, just like the costumes in a fancy dress rental shop, all material bodily vessels in the material universe are provided to all jiva-souls who enter the material creation.

Therefore each material bodily "costume" (vessel) is a permanent "POST" coming from Maha Visnu's dreams that provide the material bodily facilities so the jiva-soul experiences birth, youth, disease, old age and death through the movement of time, past, present and future.

All material vessels or costumes always remain the property of Maha Visnu's dreams and are only "leased out" to the visiting jiva-souls who choose to enter the material creation.

At all times they always remain the property of Maha-Visnu.

The cycle of decay and renewal, birth and death in this temporary material existence continues on eternally, with a continuous flow of individual "jiva-souls" experiencing each material bodily pathway (the dreams of Maha-Visnu)

There is always free will because without "free will" the jiva-souls are no better than dead stone.

As said above, each pathway always remains the same as a "leased" dream from Maha Visnu, where the embodied jiva-soul experiences birth, childhood, disease, old age and death as they move along that pathway in a material bodily vessel.

Each time the jiva-soul, who is now presently confined to this material universe, travels through the movement of past, present and future, it seems to repeats itself with a different batch of jiva-souls who also enter the same pathways of material bodily vessels ("POST") provided by Maha Visnu's dreams.

This means the material creation created by Maha Visnu, is ALWAYS the exact same material creation, but only seems it is changing because of the movement of material time (past, present and future) 

Within each material bodily vessel, exists a different individual jiva-soul playing that part, different from the previous jiva-souls who played that exact same roll in the previous movement of space-time.

The material bodily vessels are a fixed fabric of the material universes past, present and future and there is no repetition going on.

In other words past, present and future, like the beginning, middle and end of a roadway, are eternally existing just like a roadway seen above exists from its beginning, middle and end.

However, the anti-matter "jiva-soul" is NOT the material bodily vessel. 

The material bodily vessel is only like a garment covering the jiva-soul who is a passenger in that outer garment or material body.

One's relationship with Krsna is NEVER impersonal, nor did the jiva-souls originate from some nonsense impersonal beginning (impersonal Brahmajyoti)

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.

The "marginal living entities" ARE a collective of eternal jiva-souls without any beginning point who are spread throughout the entire Spiritual Sky (both Spiritual Worlds and material worlds) 

Those jiva-souls who have made the choice to enter the temporary decomposing material creation, can later, due to the frustration of material life, enter an inactive dormant state within the Brahmajyoti (the impersonal aspect of Brahman). 

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 Prabhupada explains here.

Srila Prabhupada - "So this material world is the taṭastha (conditioned) characteristics, and the Spiritual Worlds are the Personal (Vaikuntha) characteristics" (New York, December 28, 1966)

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". (Room Conversation August 17, 1971, London)

Srila Prabhupada - ''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". (Letter to: Revatinandana, Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

Srila Prabhupada - ''When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition. The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness'' (Letter to: Revatinandana, Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

In the jiva-souls original state, they have the same bodily features like Krsna, sat-cit-ananda-vigraha (eternity, knowledge, bliss and FORM.

The full potential and original feature of all marginal living entities is a two arm form like Krsna's Form.

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". (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.1-4 - Melbourne, May 20, 1975)

The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are a collective of an unlimited number of individual jiva-souls who are eternal, meaning they have ALWAYS existed but, as said above, they are only called tatastha-sakti while "conditioned" in the material creation and impersonal Brahmajyoti.

As said above, the jiva-souls were NEVER created or created from any origin (starting point) because there is NO origin of the jiva-souls, they have ALWAYS existed without beginning or end.

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 and sad that big big sannyasi and gurus claim once entering the Spiritual Worlds the jiva-souls can never fall down again.

No, they CAN fall down again and again if the jiva-souls choose to do so. 

And such fall downs have nothing to do with Maya (material energy), it is simply free will.

The fact is Maya or material energy does NOT exist in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana (The Kingdom of God).

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  - "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 – “So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that is not independence, that is force.” (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)

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

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 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)

So the proper understanding is the marginal living entities, energy or potency (jiva-souls) are known in the material conditioned state as "tatastha-sakti" but NOT referred to by that name in their original Spiritual bodily form (vigraha) in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana.

The jiva-souls (marginal potency) were NOT created from a nonsense "clear sheet of consciousness" either.  

This is because they have ALWAYS existed everywhere (sarva-gatah means life is everywhere)

Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 2 Text 12 confirms the jiva-souls were NEVER created and have no origin-

"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".

The jiva-souls may FALL to an "inactive" or dormant state (the impersonal Brahmajyoti), but they certainly did NOT originate from there.

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 souls spread throughout the entire Spiritual Sky (material and Spiritual Worlds).

The way the jiva-souls first entered the material creation is they came down from Vaikunthaloka or Goloka Vrindavana by choice (free will).

Srila Prabhupada - “We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago.” 

(Lecture on Bhagavad-gita on August 6, 1973)

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

As said above, the marginal potency or plane is a collective of eternal individual jiva-souls that always have existed without beginning or end.

The jiva-souls are eternal PERSON without any beginning point, nor will they ever cease to be as Bhagavad Gita teaches.

Prabhupada says in the first record Album he made in New York in December 1966, that we’re all originally Krsna conscious entities.

The jiva-souls are NOT originally from an impersonal or inactive clear state of consciousness, and the marginal potency isn’t a place that the jiva-souls came from either. 

The marginal platform is NOT a place, it is an eternal collective of individual jiva-souls that are perpetually endowed with "free will" expressed fully in the Spiritual Worlds only.

And being marginal also means having free will.

There is always "free will" on all the Spiritual Planets including Goloka Vrindavana meaning one can leave anytime they want because of the free will. 

So, if we came to this material world due to our choice to reject Krsna, that does NOT mean we had to know what all other options for us were.

Our desires are still there but centred around ourselves instead of Krsna.

The simply choice to leave Krsna's association means one wants to explore their own options, and this means they do NOT know what the material universe even is.

So how could one say the jiva-soul chose the material world, when the jiva-soul didn’t even know what the material world is?

No it is not like that, they simply had desires to please Krsna but those same desires are now self gratification.

The real meaning of all this is one's choices and desires ALWAYS exist, but by rejecting Krsna, those SAME choices and desires become "self centred" and no long Krsna centred.

It is that "original choice of rejecting Krsna" that takes the jiva-soul out of the Spiritual Worlds and eventually places them in the material creation under the jurisdiction of Maha Visnu without even knowing what the material world is.

All they know is their desires that were NOT material but rather no longer meant to please Krsna.

Previously the jiva-souls ALWAYS had their own desires and choices of what they want to do to please Krsna in the Spiritual Worlds, but now those same desires are no longer Krsna centred, they are self centred.

This is how the jiva-soul chooses to reject Krsna. 

So now separated from Krsna, they simple put themselves in the center instead of Krsna.

"Desires" are always there.

All the desires the jiva-souls had previously to serve Kṛṣṇa are now independent from Krsna. 

This means Krsna is no longer in the center and is ignored. 

When the jīva-souls choose to reject Krsna in the Spiritual Planets, they then attempt to imitate Krsna and that is when they are instantaneous placed in the material creation under the jurisdiction of Maha Visnu's dreams.

Every desire that now does not include Krsna, is already on the "menu of choices" in blue-print within the dreams of Maha-Visnu.

In order for the rebellious jiva-soul to make a choice, they ALREADY previously knew what their options were because they had those same desires for Krsna before they rejected Krsna.

The only difference is Krsna is no longer the object of one's loving effection.  

In the Spiritual Worlds you cannot compare one's desires, choices and free will to the mundane material creation because while still in the Spiritual Worlds, the jiva-souls have no information about the material creation. 

The Spiritual worlds are always in the "eternal presence" of Krsna and NEVER influenced by the material creations past, present and future, that only exists in the temporary decaying material creation.

By moving under the jurisdiction of Krsna's expansion Maha-Visnu, then what ever the jiva-souls choices are all will be fulfilled by Him.

This is achieved when the jiva-souls enter one of His dreams of the material creation that are simultaneously in sync with their own desires.

Only in the Spiritual Worlds do the marginal living entities (individual jiva-souls) fully express their full potential and never in the mundane material creation.

The jiva-souls are eternal PERSONS and have always had "desires" however, in the Spiritual Worlds their only desire to reciprocate and please Krsna is now to please themselves.

As said above, the jiva-souls can never become desireless, maybe for a short time by those impersonalists who enter the impersonal Brahmajyoti, but they will always fall down from there.

The eternal nature of the jiva-souls are to be always active and ALWAYS have desires ultimately to please Krsna.

So when some jiva-souls reject Krsna their desires to please Him remain, they are still there, but are now self centred.

The jiva-souls in their natural position are never desireless which is the goal of impersonalists who foolishly believe the jiva-souls originated from the impersonal inactive Brahmajyoti.

It is a nonsense philosophy to say that we didn’t come from Krsna's abode of Goloka Vrindavana, which is the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) REAL eternal home. 

Krsna states twice in the Srimad Bhagavatam that we left Him. Canto 4 Chapter 28 Text 53 and Canto 4 Chapter 28 Text 55. 

Krsna directly asks the jiva-soul, 

"Do you remember Me!!"

How can you remember what you never knew? 

Krsna directly says 'hitvā māṁ', You rejected me. He says it again at 4.28.55 sa tvaṁ vihāya māṁ bandho. 

"You are the one who rejected Me, O friend!" sa tvaṁ vihāya māṁ bandho. 

Yes, we should now be determined to return back home back to Godhead, to again be with Krsna.”

Srila Prabhupāda clearly explains here from Srimad Bhagavatam that our original home, from where we all have originated from, is Goloka Vrindavana, the perpetual Kingdom of God.

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 28 Text 53-

api smarasi catmanam

avijñata-sakham sakhe

hitva mam padam anvicchan

bhauma-bhoga-rato gatah

Translation by Srila Prabhupada-

The brahmana continued-

"My dear friend, even though you cannot immediately recognize Me, can’t you remember that in the past you had a very intimate friend? Unfortunately, you gave up My company and accepted a position as enjoyer of this material world".

Purport by Srila Prabhupada-

As stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.27)

iccha-dvesa-samutthena

dvandva-mohena bharata

sarva-bhutani sammoham

sarge yanti parantapa

“O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.”

This is an explanation of how the living entity falls down into this material world.

In the spiritual world there is no duality, nor is there hate.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead expands Himself into many. In order to enjoy bliss more and more, the Supreme Lord expands Himself in different categories.

As mentioned in the Varaha Purana, He expands Himself in visnu-tattva (the svamsa expansion) and in His marginal potency (the vibhinnamsa, or the living entity). These expanded living entities are innumerable, just as the minute molecules of sunshine are innumerable expansions of the sun.

The vibhinnamsa expansions, the marginal potencies of the Lord, are the living entities. When the living entities desire to enjoy themselves, they develop a consciousness of duality and come to hate the service of the Lord.

In this way the living entities fall into the material world.

In the Prema-vivarta it is said-

krsna-bahirmukha haña bhoga-vañcha kare

nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

The natural position of the living entity is to serve the Lord in a transcendental loving attitude.

When the living entity wants to become Krsna Himself or imitate Krsna, he falls down into the material world.

Since Krsna is the supreme father, His affection for the living entity is eternal. When the living entity falls down into the material world, the Supreme Lord, through His svamsa expansion (Paramatma), keeps company with the living entity.

In this way the living entity may some day return home, back to Godhead.

By misusing his independence, the living entity falls down from the service of the Lord and takes a position in this material world as an enjoyer — that is to say, the living entity takes his position within a material body.

Wanting to take a very exalted position, the living entity instead becomes entangled in a repetition of birth and death.

He selects his position as a human being, a demigod, a cat, a dog, a tree, etc.

In this way the marginal living entity selects a material body out of the 8,400,000 forms and tries to satisfy himself by a variety of material enjoyment.

The Supersoul, however, does not like him to do this. Consequently, the Supersoul instructs him to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The Lord then takes charge of the living entity. But unless the living entity is uncontaminated by material desires, he cannot surrender to the Supreme Lord.

In Bhagavad-gita (5.29) the Lord says-

bhoktaram yajña-tapasam

sarva-loka-mahesvaram

suhrdam sarva-bhutanam

jñatva mam santim rcchati

“The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.”

The Supreme Lord is the supreme friend of everyone; however, no one can take advantage of the supreme friend’s instructions while making his own plans to become happy and entangling himself in the modes of material nature.

When there is creation, the living entities take on different material forms according to past desires.

This means that all the species or forms of life are simultaneously created.

Darwin’s theory stating that no human being existed from the beginning but that humans evolved after many, many years is simply a nonsensical theory.

From Vedic literature we find that the first creature within the universe is Lord Brahma.

Being the most intelligent personality, Lord Brahma could take charge of creating all the variety found within this material world.

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 28 Text 54-

hamsav aham ca tvam carya

sakhayau manasayanau

abhutam antara vaukah

sahasra-parivatsaran

Translation by Srila Prabhupada-

My dear gentle friend, both you and I are exactly like two swans. We live together in the same heart, which is just like the Manasa Lake. Although we have been living together for many thousands of years, we are still far away from our original home.

Purport by Srila Prabhupada-

The original home of the living entity and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the spiritual world.

In the spiritual world both the Lord and the living entities live together very peacefully. Since the living entity remains engaged in the service of the Lord, they both share a blissful life in the spiritual world.

However, when the living entity wants to enjoy himself, he falls down into the material world.

Even while he is in that position, the Lord remains with him as the Supersoul, his intimate friend.

Because of his forgetfulness, the marginal living entity does not know that the Supreme Lord is accompanying him as the Supersoul.

In this way the living entity remains conditioned in each and every millennium. Although the Lord follows him as a friend, the living entity, because of forgetful material existence, does not recognize Him.

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 28 Text 55

sa tvam vihaya mam bandho

gato gramya-matir mahim

vicaran padam adraksih

kayacin nirmitam striya

Translation by Srila Prabhupada-

My dear friend, you are now My very same friend. Since you left Me, you have become more and more materialistic, and not seeing Me, you have been traveling in different forms throughout this material world, which was created by some woman.

Purport by Srila Prabhupada-

"When the living entity falls down, he goes into the material world, which was created by the external energy of the Lord.

This external energy is described herein as “some woman,” or prakrti. This material world is composed of material elements, ingredients supplied by the mahat-tattva, the total material energy.

The material world, created by this external energy, becomes the so-called home of the conditioned soul.

Within this material world the conditioned soul accepts different apartments, or different bodily forms, and then travels about.

Sometimes he travels in the higher planetary systems and sometimes in the lower systems.

Sometimes he travels in higher species of life and sometimes in lower species. He has been wandering within this material universe since time immemorial.

As explained by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu-

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva

guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

The living entity wanders into many species of life, but he is fortunate when he once again meets his friend, either in person or through His representative.

Actually, it is Krsna who personally advises all living entities to return home, back to Godhead. Sometimes Krsna sends His representative, who, delivering Krsna’s very message, canvasses all living entities to return home, back to Godhead.

Unfortunately the living entity is so greatly attached to material enjoyment that he does not take the instructions of Krsna or His representative very seriously.

This material tendency is mentioned in this verse as gramya-matih, sense gratification. The word mahim means “within this material world.”

All marginal living entities (jiva-souls) within this material world are sensually inclined. 

Consequently they become entangled in different types of bodies and suffer the pangs of material existence". (SB.4.28.55)

The Sun-disc and the sun-rays CANNOT exist separately from each other, similarly Krsna's devotees can NEVER exist separate from Him, and Krsna can NEVER be separated from His devotees (parts and parcels)

Loving devotional service to Krsna is ALWAYS based on a "two-way" voluntary exchange of personal feelings manifesting as loving acts of reciprocation between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees.

The sincere devotee voluntarily contributes their unique individual expressions of service as the real act of surrendering to Krsna.

Where as a "one-way" domineering forceful demand of surrender from a so called God or Guru, who does not allow personal voluntary contributions and expressions, is cold impersonalism.

Denying an individual jiva-soul to have a "two-way" exchange of reciprocating feelings condemns the so called devotee to be no better than dead useless stone.

Personalism MEANS a "two-way" relationship of voluntary loving exchange that expands, enriches and multiplies loving affection, sentiment and exchanges between the jiva-souls, Krsna and Guru.

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 - ''Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is NOT love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation. (Lecture on BG Chapter 9 text 2-5, New York, Nov 23, 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - ''We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed by only one, 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 Chapter 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)

It is VERY important to understand that the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are eternal "PERSONS" who have their own unique individuality and personality different from Krsna's Personality, but simultaneously dependent on Krsna who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes.

The jiva-souls are eternal "PERSONS" with their own unique individual "feelings", who ALWAYS have their unique right of self expression in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana with Krsna (The Kingdom of God).

LOVING service to Krsna is NOT a "one-sided" impersonal 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 only has meaning when the jiva-souls can express themselves in a "two-sided" relationship with 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!" (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) can NEVER exist independently from Krsna even though they CAN express their own independent free will that Krsna provides separately for the purpose of allowing "two-way" voluntary exchanges of loving expressions for encouraging unique individual contributions and personal offerings.

In Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, personal voluntary expressions of loving exchanges expressed through free will are ALWAYS encouraged by Krsna in His relationship with the jiva-souls, that adds flavour, variety and mystery to the association.

This means the Kingdom of God is NOT a one-sided dominating impersonal domain devoid of free will that does not allow personal contributions or offerings toq God (Krsna), meant to expand, enrich and flavour the relationship.

As said above, LOVE or service is NOT a "one-sided" affiliate of total supremacy or preeminence Krsna always encourages self expression. 

As emphasised above, genuine loving relations and service are based on voluntary reciprocal exhanges and contributions between TWO and NEVER just one!

The individual jiva-souĺs have THEIR choices and voice too, EVEN if that means rejecting Krsna!

Free will only has meaning when the jiva-souls can express themselves in a "two-sided" affair that includes even rejecting Krsna.

In other words, loving reciprocation is ONLY possible on a "two-way" street between two, with each contributing to the relationship's expansion of nectarine mellows.

The word "reciprocation" only has meaning when there are TWO involved, not one!

As said clearly above, this means the individual jiva-souls CAN reject Krsna if they choose, which in a sense proves that "free will" DOES truly exist.

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." (Philosophy Discussions with Rene Descartes)

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.” (Mayapur, June 20, 1973)

Having "free will" is the eternal constitutional make up of EVERY "marginal living entity", and is the foundation for ALL jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna.

Srila Prabhupāda – ''Love means a relationship between "two persons", then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there". (August 9, 1976, Tehran)

Essay Four.

In the material creation it takes the jiva-soul many, many, many life times to reach even the human form of life.

And then it takes many, many more life times to be trained up to be qualified to have a particular material bodily vessel we desire.

And out of all material bodily forms the most rare is being a devotee of Kṛṣṇa.

In the material creation one of the most famous song writers in modern times has been Sir Paul McCartney from the Beatles.

The fact is the material body he has achieved is the result of a very long journey of many, many life times that not even he realizes.

In other words, over thousands of life times, the jiva-soul's determination and endeavours to become the famous musician Paul McCartney has now been reached in this life.

The fact is this individual jiva-soul has worked very hard over many, many life times to achieve the material bodily vessel of a Paul McCartney. 

In the material creation each jiva-soul is determined to reach the full expression of their desires by discovering from their free will, how to reach and achieve the full potential of their desires, separate from Krsna. 

Only in the material creation can the rebellious jiva-soul attempt to imitate Krsna.  

However, whatever is achieved is temporary and death eventually comes and takes everything away throwing the jiva-soul back into the cycle of birth and death.

If Paul McCartney and others on the rich and famous list knew the many, many thousands of life times they have had of being trained up to achieve what they now have in this life time, they would be amazed. 

Actually in the material world we are ALL in the same boat meaning individually each of us have our own individual material desires of seeking out fame and wealth, and like the jiva-soul in Paul McCartney's material body, we also we must EARN the human bodily vessel we achieve, nothing happens by chance.

To be born in a human body is very rare because there are 8 million 400 thousand species of life in the material creation, and only 400,000 human species.

So getting a human body is very rare, we forget the great opportunity we have in having a human material body that gives us the intelligence to inquiry about our existence.

The lower species are controlled by the instincts of eating, sleeping, mating and defending and does not allow inquisitive inquiry.

The lower species are controlled by the instincts of eating, sleeping, mating and defending and does not allow inquisitive inquiry.

Also no Karma is created in the lower species, the hellish planetary systems or the heavenly planets.

Only in a human form on this Earth planet (Bhurloka) is Karma created. 

The material body known as Paul McCartney was achieved by the jiva-soul over many, many, many life times of being trained up for that position.

Each jiva-souls can also achieve the fulfillment of a similar "dream of material greatness" such as Paul McCartney if that's what they "mistakenly" desire from the mundane material creation.

It is a mistake because human life is NOT meant for chasing individual selfish fame and wealth that lasts for one short life time of 70 or 80 years, it is meant for self-realization and getting out of this mundane material creation and return back home back to Godhead.

Yes, we CAN also experience  famous life times over an eternity if we "desire and deserve" because we (the individual jiva-souls) are also on a long journey of self discovery attempting life after life to fulfill our material desires, just like the jiva-soul in the material body of Paul McCartney has done.

The jiva-soul is eternal, this  means we were NEVER created and will never cease to be as Bhagavad Gita As It Is teaches, it is only the outward material bodily vessel that is perishable, temporary and eventually fades away with all its wealth and fame and eventually forgotten.

The material desires that each jiva-soul strives to experience in a material bodily vessel has to be earned over many, many, many life times (karma), and like all famous people who have reached their goal, all other embodied jiva-souls are also on their own journey to experience THEIR dreams too of grandeur, what ever they maybe.

However, to achieve such material dreams, it will take many, many life times to achieve, of being trained up to be qualified to enter a particular material bodily vessel one has desired, just like the jiva-soul in the material body of Paul McCartney has done.

However, the FULL potential of one's existence and the REAL permanent happiness of the individual jiva-soul, is to AGAIN return back home, back to Godhead and finish up these silly temporary material DREAMS of searching for so called fame, fortune and greatness life after life in the mundane decaying material worlds, and simply play in the wonderful forests of Vrindavana eternally with child Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes. (George Harrison on his death bed realised this)

This is called personalism where one does NOT deny who they are as an individual contributing person, who is voluntarily an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa (God).

Those jiva-souls who have chosen to leave Vaikuntha and enter the temporary material creation, eventually move through the 8 million 400 thousand species (material bodies) of life in material nature.

Therefore acquiring the human form of life is extremely rare (there are only 400 thousand species of human beings) and MUST be used properly to AGAIN help re-establish (realise) one's eternal spiritual identity and NOT continue attempting to exploit the material creation life after life (repeated birth and death experienced in a material bodily vessel)

ONLY in the human species can the journey of Spiritual life begin because as a human being one can inquire about the purpose of their existence, where they came from, what they are doing here, and where they are going.

All other species of life act only on the urges of eating, sleeping, mating and defending.

Essay Five.

In Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, personal voluntary expressions of loving exchanges expressed through free will are ALWAYS encouraged by Krsna.

The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) can NEVER exist independently from Krsna even though they CAN express their own independent free will that Krsna provides separately for the purpose of allowing "two-way" voluntary exchanges of loving expressions for encouraging unique individual contributions and personal offerings.

In Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, personal voluntary expressions of loving exchanges expressed through free will are ALWAYS encouraged by Krsna in His relationship with the jiva-souls, that adds flavour, variety and mystery to the association.

This means the Kingdom of God is NOT a one-sided dominating impersonal domain devoid of free will that does not allow personal contributions or offerings to God (Krsna), meant to expand, enrich and flavour the relationship.

As said above, LOVE or service is NOT a "one-sided" affiliate of total supremacy or preeminence. 

The fact is genuine loving relations and service are based on voluntary reciprocal exhanges and contributions between TWO, not just one!

The individual jiva-souĺs have THEIR choices too, EVEN if that choice means rejecting Krsna!

Free will only has meaning when the jiva-souls can express themselves in a "two-sided" affair.

In other words, loving reciprocation is ONLY possible on a "two-way" street between two, with each contributing to the relationship's expansion of nectarine mellows.

The word "reciprocation" only has meaning when there are TWO involved, not one!

The individual jiva-souĺs have THEIR choices too, EVEN if that choice means rejecting Krsna!

Free will only has meaning when the jiva-souls can express themselves in a "two-sided" affair.

In other words, loving reciprocation is ONLY possible on a "two-way" street between two, with each contributing to the relationship's expansion of nectarine mellows.

The word "reciprocation" only has meaning when there are TWO involved, not one!

This also means the individual jiva-souls CAN reject Krsna if they choose, which in a sense proves that "free will" DOES truly exist.

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." (Philosophy Discussions with Rene Descartes)

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.” (Mayapur, June 20, 1973)

Having "free will" is the eternal constitutional make up of EVERY "marginal living entity", and is the foundation for ALL jiva-soul's relationship with Krsna.

Srila Prabhupāda – ''Love means a relationship between "two persons", then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there". (August 9, 1976, Tehran)

The Sun-disc and the sun-rays CANNOT exist separately from each other, similarly Krsna cannot exist separately from His living entities (parts and parcels) and the living entities CANNOT exist without Krsna.

Each "jiva-soul" (marginal living entity) is a one of a kind independent individual with their own unique personality and character different from other personalities including Kṛṣṇas.

No two individual jiva-souls are the same, and no jiva-souls can EVER become God (Krsna or Visnu).

Loving devotional service to Krsna is ALWAYS based on a "two-way" voluntary exchange of personal feelings manifesting as loving acts of reciprocation between Kṛṣṇa and His devotees, who voluntarily contribute their own unique expressions (offerings) of devotional service to Him as the real act of surrendering to Krsna's will that does not deny the "free will" of each jiva-soul.

On the other hand, actions expressed in a "one-way" domineering forceful mood from a "so called God" in His Kingdom that does not allow personal voluntary contributions from the individual jiva-souls in a "two-way" exchange of feelings, is dangerous impersonalism.

Personalism means a "two-way" relationship that includes voluntary loving exchange of feelings that expands, enriches and multiplies loving affection, sentiment and exchanges between the jiva-souls and 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!" (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

Srila Prabhupada - ''Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is NOT love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation. (Lecture on BG Chapter 9 text 2-5, New York, Nov 23, 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - ''We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed by only one, 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 Chapter 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)

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

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 devotees want to serve Krsna as flower; so they become flower there. If I want that, to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna, then 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". (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.1-4 - Melbourne, May 20, 1975)

All the individual personal contributions from the jiva-souls are forever expanding their unique ability of self expression in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.

This allows them to always make voluntary offerings to Krsna that forever increase and expand loving emotions in healthy "two-way" exchanges between Kṛṣṇa and the individual jīva-souls.

It is VERY important to understand that the individual jiva-souls are "PERSONS" with their own unique individual feelings of self expression existing always in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.

It must be clearly understood for love to truly exist, each jiva-soul MUST have their free will to make their own choices, even if it means leaving Krsna if they choose, otherwise there can be no question of genuine love or service.

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

This quality or attribute of free will is part of the jiva-soul's marginal constitutional nature, as an independent free thinking part and parcels expansion of the Krsna.

Krsna allows this freedom that all jiva-souls have because without free will loving exchanges and reciprocation can NEVER exist.

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

Having "free will" is the constitutional make up of all marginal living entities (jiva-souls) that is ALWAYS part and parcel of 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.

Free will always allows this and if it didn't then there is no question of loving exchanges.

Being a marginal living entity (jiva-soul) means free will.

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

There is no such thing as permanently staying in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana simply because the the jiva-souls can leave anytime they like, and Krsna does not interfere with the jiva-souls free will.

If Krsna did interfere then there is no such thing as free will.

Sadly in the mundane material creation, so many terrible things are constantly happening but taken for granted due to ignorance.

Like the unnatural painful cycle of birth, disease, old age and death the jiva-souls experience while covered by a material body foolishly taken for granted.

Frustration in the constantly changing (decaying) material creation, will always be experienced by those foolish jiva-souls who do choose to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana and enter the material creation.

This is because the material creation is ALWAYS in a constantly progressive state of decay, decline and forgetfulness where one's material body will always wear out, breaks down and die

But the jiva-soul, covered by the material temporary body, is eternal and therefore is NEVER subjected to decay or decline, but sadly IS forced to continuously change material bodies because of the temporary nature of the material creation.

The suffering of the individual jiva-soul within this temporary material nature, does NOT happen because of Krsna, He is not responsible for the jiva-soul's choices.

No, Krsna is NOT responsible for the suffering of the individual jiva-souls who have chosen to enter the material creation, even though the massive Brahmanda material universes are Krsna's creation, built by His expansion Maha-Visnu.

The suffering in the material creation happens because at one point in the Spiritual Worlds, the individual jiva-soul has "chosen" to misuse their "free will", given to them by Krsna for the purpose of allowing voluntary diversity meant to encourage individual offerings and loving exchanges. 

Therefore, as a result of mistakingly misusing their free will, the jiva-soul is forced by their own actions, to enter the temporary material creation and become entangled in repeated cycle of birth and death.

The spherical material massive universal shells coming from Maha Visnu, are called Brahmandas.

Deep inside each Brahmanda is a secondary universe created by Garbhodakashayi Visnu, who is an expansion of Maha Visnu.

From Garbhodakashayi Visnu Brahma is born who builds the many planetary systems within the inner material universe inside the Brahmanda as painting below reveals.

As said above, Krsna will NEVER interfere with the individual jiva-soul's free will because if he did, the jiva-souls would have no independent sense of self, or the ability to accept, experience and respond with genuine personal loving exchanges and service.

Without an independent sense of "unique self" of having personal individual abilities that allows one to "choose" for themselves how to voluntary serve Kṛṣṇa by contributing in their own way, based on loving exchanges and reciprocation, then how can there be genuine love?

These individual unique qualities are the characteristics that make the jiva-soul (marginal living entity) the individual PERSON they are eternally.

Love or service in the Spiritual Worlds are NEVER a "one-way street", love can ONLY exist when "two" are exchanging loving feelings to each other.

Only then when there is reciprocation and exchanges of loving service between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, does love truly exist.

Only when "two" are voluntarily involved in reciprocating with each other can love exist.

In this way, real love or service is ALWAYS based on a "two-way exchange of feelings".

As said above, that means offering individual contributions that will enhance, expand and perpetually uplift the relationship between Krsna and His marginal living entities (jiva-souls).

This can ONLY exist if the jiva-souls are allowed to express their own independent individuality, and unique free will without interference (forced surrender) from Krsna.

As already explained if Krsna did force His will on the jiva-souls, then there can NEVER be genuine loving exchanges because denying free will is also denying the jiva-souls to voluntary contribute the very best of their unique individuality.

Srila Prabhupāda - ''Unless there are "two persons", where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange. When these things are transacted, 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''. (Evening Darsana, August 9, 1976, Tehran)

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, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Having "free will" is the eternal constitutional make up of EVERY "marginal living entity", and is the foundation for ALL jiva-soul's relationship with 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!" (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

Srila Prabhupada - ''Love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No. It is not good. That is NOT love. That is exploitation. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation. (Lecture on BG Chapter 9 text 2-5, New York, Nov 23, 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - ''We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed by only one, 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 Chapter 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)

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

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 devotees want to serve Krsna as flower; so they become flower there. If I want that, to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna, then 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". (Srimad Bhagavatam 6.1.1-4 - Melbourne, May 20, 1975)

All the individual personal contributions from the jiva-souls are forever expanding their unique ability of self expression in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.

This allows them to always make voluntary offerings to Krsna that forever increase and expand loving emotions in healthy "two-way" exchanges between Kṛṣṇa and the individual jīva-souls.

It is VERY important to understand that the individual jiva-souls are "PERSONS" with their own unique individual feelings of self expression existing always in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.

It must be clearly understood for love to truly exist, each jiva-soul MUST have their free will to make their own choices, even if it means leaving Krsna if they choose, otherwise there can be no question of genuine love or service.

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

This quality or attribute of free will is part of the jiva-soul's marginal constitutional nature, as an independent free thinking part and parcels expansion of the Krsna.

Krsna allows this freedom that all jiva-souls have because without free will loving exchanges and reciprocation can NEVER exist.

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

Having "free will" is the constitutional make up of all marginal living entities (jiva-souls) that is ALWAYS part and parcel of 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.

Free will always allows this and if it didn't then there is no question of loving exchanges.

Being a marginal living entity (jiva-soul) means free will.

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

There is no such thing as permanently staying in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana simply because the the jiva-souls can leave anytime they like, and Krsna does not interfere with the jiva-souls free will.

If Krsna did interfere then there is no such thing as free will.

Sadly in the mundane material creation, so many terrible things are constantly happening but taken for granted due to ignorance.

Like the unnatural painful cycle of birth, disease, old age and death the jiva-souls experience while covered by a material body foolishly taken for granted.

Frustration in the constantly changing (decaying) material creation, will always be experienced by those foolish jiva-souls who do choose to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana and enter the material creation.

This is because the material creation is ALWAYS in a constantly progressive state of decay, decline and forgetfulness where one's material body will always wear out, breaks down and die

But the jiva-soul, covered by the material temporary body, is eternal and therefore is NEVER subjected to decay or decline, but sadly IS forced to continuously change material bodies because of the temporary nature of the material creation.

The suffering of the individual jiva-soul within this temporary material nature, does NOT happen because of Krsna, He is not responsible for the jiva-soul's choices.

No, Krsna is NOT responsible for the suffering of the individual jiva-souls who have chosen to enter the mundane material creation, even though the massive Brahmanda material universes are Krsna's creation, built by His expansion Maha-Visnu.

The suffering in the material creation happens because at one point in the Spiritual Worlds, the individual jiva-soul has "chosen" to misuse their "free will", given to them by Krsna for the purpose of allowing voluntary diversity meant to encourage individual offerings and loving exchanges. 

Therefore, as a result of mistakingly misusing their free will, the jiva-soul is forced by their own actions, to enter the temporary material creation and become entangled in the repeated cycle of birth and death.

As said above the massive spherical material universal shells coming from Maha Visnu, are called Brahmandas, ours is 44 quadrillion 444 trillion 444 billion miles in diameter.

Deep inside each Brahmanda is a secondary universe created by Garbhodakashayi Visnu, who is an expansion of Maha Visnu. 

Our inner secondary material universe according to the 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, is only 4 billion miles in diameter, very small compared to the massive surrounding Brahmanda universe our small universe is deep within.

From Garbhodakashayi Visnu Brahma is born who builds the many planetary systems within the inner material universe, ours has 14 planetary systems and our Earth globe is in the middle planetary system.

As said above, Krsna will NEVER interfere with the individual jiva-soul's free will because if he did, the jiva-souls would have no independent sense of self, or the ability to accept, experience and respond with genuine personal loving exchanges and service.

Without an independent sense of "unique self" of having personal individual abilities that allows one to "choose" for themselves how to voluntary serve Kṛṣṇa by contributing in their own way, based on loving exchanges and reciprocation, then how can there be genuine love?

These individual unique qualities are the characteristics that make the jiva-soul (marginal living entity) the individual PERSON they are eternally.

Love or service in the Spiritual Worlds are NEVER a "one-way street", love can ONLY exist when "two" are exchanging loving feelings to each other.

Only then when there is reciprocation and exchanges of loving service between Kṛṣṇa and His devotee, does love truly exist.

Only when "two" are voluntarily involved in reciprocating with each other can love exist.

In this way, real love or service is ALWAYS based on a "two-way exchange of feelings".

As said above, that means offering individual contributions that will enhance, expand and perpetually uplift the relationship between Krsna and His marginal living entities (jiva-souls).

This can ONLY exist if the jiva-souls are allowed to express their own independent individuality, and unique free will without interference (forced surrender) from Krsna.

As already explained if Krsna did force His will on the jiva-souls, then there can NEVER be genuine loving exchanges because denying free will is also denying the jiva-souls to voluntary contribute the very best of their unique individuality.

Srila Prabhupāda - ''Unless there are "two persons", where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange. When these things are transacted, 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''. (Evening Darsana, August 9, 1976, Tehran)

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, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Having "free will" is the eternal constitutional make up of EVERY "marginal living entity", and is the foundation for ALL jiva-soul's relationship with 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!" (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

In the Spiritual World or Kingdom of God (Goloka-Vrindavana), loving service can never be a one-way or one-sided affair, no, real love or service is always an exchange of voluntary loving exchanges between two in a two-way relationship.

Surrendering one's "free will" to Krsna so He has complete control over the jiva-soul's every thought and actions, just like a puppet master has absolute control over his puppets, to a Vaisnava, is dangerous impersonalism.

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 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).

Such impersonalism is just like a puppet master controls his mindless puppet by moving the strings. 

The puppet has no sense of life, freedom or independence, similarly if Krsna had full control over the individual jiva-soul's ability to make their own choices, it would deny the jiva-souls from experiencing their own personal sense of an independent self, and being able to make their OWN decisions and choices of offering their own personal unique contributions.

Sadly this type of bogus surrender, where immature leaders demand you surrender your free will and let Krsna flow through you and do all the thinking for you is Impersonalism.

This is a serious problem for some trying to understand what "surrendering" to Krsna (God) really means. 

The fact is, if Krsna had full dictatorial control over the jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, then how could they independently offering anything?

Such a "one-sided" relationship is only empty impersonalism that is slaverly and devoid of real love. 

Only a fool would want to be Krsna's mindles slave by attempting to extinguish their individuality, free will and independence thoughts, that makes them the "unique" PERSON they are eternally.

Therefore all jiva-souls CAN make their own choices and contribute to the relationship they have with Krsna.

Such a nonsense "one-sided" dictatorial relationship in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana would simply make the jiva-souls no better than "mindless" lifeless dead stone Prabhupada has warned, just like a lifeless Puppet controlled by strings!

Therefore the jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan ALWAYS have their own independent "free will" that is part and parcel of their unique individual marginal identity (As jiva-soul)

This "freedom" of having free will, allows the jiva-souls to each make their own unique personal offerings and voluntary contributions to Visnu or Krsna, where each jiva-soul can offer or serve Krsna in their own unique personal way.

This is REAL freedom.

In this way each individual jiva-soul has their own special unique (personal) association and relationship with Krsna that no other jiva-soul has like theirs.

These loving exchanges are based on a "two-way" relationship between Krsna and the jiva-souls.

However, in the temporary material creation, it is different because those who have entered the material creation have previously chosen to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan by rejecting Visnu in Vaikuntha or Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana.

So why then does Krsna allow the jiva-souls to have their independent freedom to even leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan if they choose?

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?” Why doesn’t He save me from thinking like that?”

Srila Prabhupada - “That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, ‘You love me, you love me, you love me.’ ” Is it love? “You love me, otherwise I will kill you!’ Is that love? So Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?” (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C)

First of all we read from above by Prabhupada, Krsna gives the jiva-souls "free will" in the Spiritual Worlds that allows them to make their own choices there. 

Having free will also makes the jiva-souls fully responsible for all their choices and actions. 

Rejecting Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan and therefore having to enter the material creation, (but only less than 10% make such a choice) was a mistake by those jiva-souls because the material creation is NOT the real home of the individual jiva-souls.

It is unnatural for the individual jiva-souls to be covered by a temporary material bodily vessel or container that they are given when they enter the material creation.

It must be clearly understood for love to truly exist, each jiva-soul MUST have their "free will" to make their own choices, even if it means leaving Krsna if they choose, otherwise there can be no question of genuine love or service.

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

This quality or attribute of free will is part of the jiva-soul's marginal constitutional nature, as an independent free thinking part and parcels expansion of the Krsna.

Krsna allows this freedom that all jiva-souls have because without free will loving exchanges and reciprocation can NEVER exist.

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

Having "free will" is the constitutional make up of all marginal living entities (jiva-souls) that is ALWAYS part and parcel of 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.

Free will always allows this and if it didn't then there is no question of loving exchanges.

This is why it is foolish that big, big sannyasis and gurus in some other sangas (religious cults) claim once entering the Spiritual Worlds the jiva-souls can never leave or down again.

No, they CAN fall down again and again if they choose to do so!

And as said above, such choices or fall downs have nothing to do with Maya (material energy) because Maya does not exist in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.

It is simply the misuse of free will that is the cause of fall down.

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

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)

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 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". (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 February 19, 1976)

Paramahamsa - “But ultimately if we come to Krsna, there’s no return?

Srila Prabhupada - “There IS return, that is voluntary. Return there is”.

Paramahamsa - “If we want”.

Srila Prabhupada - “Yes”.

Paramahamsa - “So we can come to the spiritual world and return?”

Srila Prabhupada - “Yes”.

Paramahamsa - “Fall down?”

Srila Prabhupada - “Yes. As soon as we try, “Oh, this material world is very nice,” “Yes,” Krsna says, “yes, you go and enjoy the material world, otherwise what is the meaning of free will? 

Every living entity has got a little free will. And Krsna is so kind, He gives him opportunity, "All right, you enjoy like this." 

Just like some of our students sometimes go away, again come back. It is free will. Just like one goes to the prisonhouse, not that government welcomes, "Come on. We have got prisonhouse. Come here, come here." He goes out of his free will; again comes out, again goes. Like that."

Paramahamsa - ''So our desire to enjoy, we achieve these material bodies; and our desire to achieve Krsna brings us to our natural position''.

Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes. (Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course, May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)

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 - ''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)

All jiva souls must have these 3 basic qualities.

1 - An independent sense of self worth, 

2 - Individuality,

3 - Their own personal unique character and personality. 

Only then can when these qualities exist can there be meaningful reciprocal loving exchanges between Krsna and His marginal living entities (jiva-souls)

It is a fact that sadly, some jiva-souls make wrong choices in the Spiritual World Prabhupada has told us, giving the figure at less than 10%

This has nothing to do with Maya or material energy because Maya does not exist there but free will does.

Srila Prabhupada also explains that over 90% of jiva-souls choose to NEVER rebel or leave the Spiritual Worlds that would instantly transfers the less than 10% of rebellious jiva-souls to the temporary decaying material creation, where one is forced to accept the cycle of repeated birth and death.

Dr. John Mize – “Does Krsna know ahead of time that a soul is going to be foolish and fall?”

Srila Prabhupada – “Krsna? Yes, Krsna may know because He is omniscient”.

Dr. John Mize – “Are more souls falling all the time?”

Srila Prabhupada – “Not all the time. But there is the tendency of fall down, not for all, but because there is independence… Everyone is not liking to misuse the independence. The same example: 

Just like a government constructing a city and constructs also prison house because the government knows that somebody will be criminal. 

So their shelter must be also constructed. It is very easy to understand. Not that cent percent population will be criminal, but government knows that some of them will be. 

Otherwise why they construct prison house also? One may say, “Where is the criminal? You are constructing…” Government knows, there will be criminal. 

So if the ordinary government can know, why God cannot know? Because there is tendency”.

Dr. John Mize – “The origin of that tendency (to fall from Goloka) is…?”

Srila Prabhupada – “Yes”.

Dr. John Mize – “From where does that tendency come?”

Srila Prabhupada – “Tendency means the independence. 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 Krsna says,yathecchasi tathä kuru. “Now you do whatever you like.” (Bhagavad Gita As It Is. lecture, Mayapur, June 20, 1973)

While in the material creation, their actions, good and bad, come under the laws of material nature called karma, and they have to answer for all they do, good or bad.

Therefore, the full freedom or free will that exists in Goloka Vrindavana and Vaikuntha, certainly does NOT exist in the material creation. 

Choosing to reject Krsna means the jiva-souls are FULLY responsible for their own actions, life after life in the material creation. 

Krsna is NOT responsible for the choices each jiva-soul makes, they are.

All the suffering the jiva-souls experience in the material creation is caused by them leaving Krsna in the first place and then reaping the reactions of their own mistaken choices of actions within a temporary material bodily vessel or container within the material creation.

In other words, the jiva-soul is punished or rewarded for what ever actions, good or bad, they have "chosen" to act out in this life that may not be payed for until the next life, or even the life after that.

No one understands how Karma fully works because no one knows how many births we have had in the material creation over billions of years!!

This is important to understand and realize, we are all responsible for our own actions and pay for them with the kind of material body we get.

We CANNOT blame God (Krsna) for our suffering in the material worlds because it was our choice we went there. 

Without "free will" in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, the freedom to uniquely serve and love Kṛṣṇa by also contributing to the relationship in one's own way, then loving exchanges with Krsna will NEVER exist.

This means the jiva-souls MUST always have an independent sense of self worth, strong sense of individuality, and confidence in their own unique character and personality as Krsna's eternal servant.

As said above, only then can reciprocal love between two exist with Krsna and His marginal living entity (jiva-soul) exist.

Srila Prabhupada has said without free will and the ability to reciprocate as an independent individual servant of Lord Krsna, then we are all no better than a dead stone.

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)

The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) can NEVER exist independently from Krsna even though they CAN express their own independent free will that Krsna provides separately for the purpose of allowing "two-way" voluntary exchanges of loving expressions and encouraging unique (individual contributions) personal offerings.

We must never forget that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, if we properly understand this, then we will understand the following discussion that EVERYTHING comes from Krsna including free will-

Swedish man - ''Is there free will?''

Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes, just like you are sitting here. If you don’t like, you can go away. That’s your free will. There is free will, we are part and parcel of God, therefore we have got minute quantity of freedom. (Temple lecture Stockholm Sweden). 

Srila Prabhupada - ''Every individual soul is awarded a portion of independence because each is part and parcel of God. Thus he has the quality of independence, but in minute quantity. That is his individuality.'' 

Syamasundara dasa - ''Is Krsna within each atom as an individual entity different from every other entity?

Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes. Krsna is there, He is individual. There are varieties of atoms, and sometimes they are combined together.

Syamasundara dasa - ''How is each Krsna different? How is it He is an individual in each of the atoms?

Srila Prabhupada - ''Why is He not an individual? Krsna is always an individual. He is always a person, the Supreme Person, and He can expand Himself innumerably.

Syamasundara dasa - ''And is Paramatma a person?

Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes, every expansion is a person. We are all atomic expansions of Krsna, and we are all individual persons. Paramatma is another expansion, but that is a different kind of expansion.

Syamasundara dasa - ''Is the jivatma, the individual jiva-soul, also a person?

Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes. If he were not a person, then how would you account for the differences? We are all different persons. You may agree with my opinion or not, but in any case you are an individual. Krsna is also an individual. Nityo nityanam. There are innumerable individual souls, but He is the supreme individual person. 

Syamasundara dasa - ''So even within material atoms, there is a spiritual life, a spiritual force?

Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes, force means spiritual force''.

Syamasundara dasa - ''But even within the dead body there are forces. There is the force of decomposition.

Srila Prabhupada - ''Krsna is within the atom, and the body is a combination of so many atoms; therefore the force for creating other living entities is also there even in the process of decomposition. 

When the individual soul's force is stopped within a particular body, we call that body a dead body. Still, Krsna's force is there because the body is a combination of atoms. 

The ultimate desire is of Krsna. If you take it in that way, Krsna is within every atom, and therefore Krsna wants whatever is to be.  

Therefore He wills that these two elements become one, and therefore the molecules combine to create water, or whatever. 

Thus there is a creation, and again there is another creation, and so on. In any case, the ultimate brain governing all creation is Krsna''.(Dialectical Spiritualism: A Vedic View of Western Philosophy)

We must never forget that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes, if we properly understand this, then we will understand the following discussion that EVERYTHING comes from Krsna including free will.

Srila Prabhupada is simply confirming below that EVERYTHING comes from Krsna and MUST be sanctioned by Krsna first, including FREE WILL 

Syamasundara dasa - ''Does the individual soul have a little independence to choose?

Srila Prabhupada - ''No (not without the sanction of Krsna) Bhagavad-Gita states that when the individual soul wants to act, Krsna gives the orders. Man proposes, and God disposes.

Syamasundara dasa - ''So we have no free will?

Srila Prabhupada - ''Not without the sanction of Krsna. Without Him, we cannot do anything. Therefore He is the ultimate cause.

Syamasundara dasa - ''But I thought you have been saying that we have a little independence.

Srila Prabhupada - ''We have the independence in the sense that we may deny or affirm, but unless Krsna sanctions, we cannot do anything''. (Dialectical Spiritualism: A Vedic View of Western Philosophy)

Srila Prabhupada here is simply confirming that EVERYTHING comes from Krsna and what the jiva-souls do MUST be sanctioned by Krsna first, including FREE WILL because Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes.

Nothing can happen without the sanction of Krsna first, not a blade of grass can move without the will of Krsna.

However, Krsna will always sanction free will and the ability for each jiva-soul to choose for themselves, regardless of what is said above because without free will, the jiva-souls could never voluntary contribute in their own individual way to their relationship with Kṛṣṇa, which actually what makes the relationship an eternal "two-way" exchange as Prabhupada also explains.

Above Srila Prabhupada in his discussion with Syamasundara dasa, is simply making the point that EVERYTHING is under the control of Krsna as the Bhagavad-gita teaches us -

"Not a blade of grass moves without the will of the Lord"

In other words, we only have free will because Krsna allows it.

On the other hand, without free will in God's  Kingdom, the Spiritual Worlds would be impersonal and emotionally stagnant and cold like dead stone!

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)

All the individual personal contributions from the jiva-souls are forever expanding their unique ability of self expression in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.

This allows them to always make voluntary offerings to Krsna that forever increase and expand loving emotions in healthy "two-way" exchanges between Kṛṣṇa and the individual jīva-souls.

It is VERY important to understand that the individual jiva-souls are "PERSONS" with their own unique individual feelings of self expression existing always in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.

It must be clearly understood for love to truly exist, each jiva-soul MUST have their free will to make their own choices, even if it means leaving Krsna if they choose, otherwise there can be no question of genuine love or service.

Paramahaṁsa -''So we can come to the spiritual world and return?''

Prabhupāda -''Yes''.

Paramahaṁsa - ''Fall down?''

Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes. 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)

Bali Mardana - ''An example of free will is someone can choose Kṛṣṇa or turn away? Is that example of free will?''

Srila Prabhupāda - ''Yes. Because if you accept Kṛṣṇa, then you must follow what Kṛṣṇa says. If you don't follow Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of talking of Kṛṣṇa? 

Kṛṣṇa says, satataṁ kīrtayanto mām: (BG 9.14) "Always chanting about Me." That is mahātmā. Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). Mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ: (BG 9.13) 

"Mahātmā, those who are devotee, they are not under these material influence. If he accepts Kṛṣṇa, he must abide by the injunction of Kṛṣṇa''. (Morning Walk, January 22, 1974, Hawaii)

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)

Cintamani (or the Cintamani Stone), is a wish-fulfilling jewel in Goloka Vrindavana.

Cintamani is ALWAYS aspired to achieve by great devotes because they ONLY desire to please Krsna.

To say you have no desires in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana is Impersonalism or Mayavadi nonsense.

One NEVER loses "desires" in the Spiritual Worlds because THOSE desires are forever expanding to always please Krsna.

It is foolish to think one becomes desireless in the Spiritual Worlds, only impersonalist try to extinguish their desires.

Actually devotees increase their desires in both Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana because they desire to ALWAYS please Krsna more and more.

Essay Six.

The "Universal Form of Krsna", the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes, who is also the origin of all Visnu/Narayana forms of God.

Within the universal form of Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes, one can see EVERYTHING in the universe, all at once, one can see all that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present (now) and all that WILL happen in the future. 

One can easily understand the universal form by studying the Bhagavad Gita As It Is through the testimony of Arjuna and the devotees who Follow him.

Arjuna asked to see the universal form not for himself but for the benefit of others, who might doubt that Krsna is God. 

Arjuna indeed accepted Krsna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes including the origional source of all Narayana and Visnu incarnations. 

Earlier in the Gita Arjuna had already expressed his realization that Krsna is the Absolute Truth. 

The Lord had described that he is all-pervading and can be seen in everything great and powerful in the material world. 

Krsna says - “Of purifiers, I am the wind. Of flowing rivers I am the Ganges. Of all sciences I am the spiritual science of the self. 

Know that all beautiful, glorious and mighty creations spring from but a spark of My splendor.”

Hearing of Krsna’s opulences, Arjuna declared - 

“You are the Supreme Brahman, the Ultimate.” 

Arjuna had testified, moreover, that although some might think that his friendship with Krsna had swayed his opinion, such great sages as Narada, Devala Asita and Vyasa—and all the Vedic scriptures—confirm that Krsna is indeed the Supreme. 

Nevertheless, so that his acceptance of Krsna as God would not be merely theoretical, Arjuna requested Krsna to reveal his visva-rupa or universal form. 

Krsna therefore agreed to reveal this form to Arjuna, and He blessed Arjuna with the special vision he needed to see it.

Within the universal form of Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes, one can see EVERYTHING in the universe, all at once. 

In the universal form, one can see all that happened in the past, all that is happening in the present (now) and all that WILL happen in the future. 

One can see all the demigods of the material creation, and all other living beings. 

Bhagavad-gita graphically describes the revelation of the universal form-

“Arjuna saw in that universal form many unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes. It was all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and arrayed in many garbs, all was magnificent, all expanding, unlimited. 

This was seen by Arjuna. 

If hundreds of thousands of suns were to rise at once in the sky, they might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form.” (Bg. 11.10-12)

While Krsna manifested His cosmic form, He nonetheless continued to exist in His form as a human being, sitting beside Arjuna. 

Arjuna was Krsna’s friend, but upon seeing Krsna in the universal form, he was filled with awe and wonder. 

Bewildered and astonished, his hairs standing on end, Arjuna began to pray with folded hands, offering obeisances to the Supreme Lord-

“O Lord of the universe, I see in Your universal body many, many forms—bellies, mouths, eyes—expanded without limit. 

There is no end, there is no beginning, there is no middle to all this. Your form, adorned with various crowns, clubs and discs, is difficult to see because of its glaring effulgence, which is fiery and immeasurable like the sun. 

You are the supreme primal objective. You are the best in all the universes, You are inexhaustible, and You are the oldest. 

You are the maintainer of religion, the eternal Personality of Godhead. You are spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between.”

With innumerable faces, arms and legs, terrible teeth, and radiant colors spreading everywhere, the universal form bewildered the great warrior Arjuna. 

“I cannot keep my balance,” 

Arjuna said - “Seeing Your blazing deathlike faces, I am bewildered! All our soldiers and the soldiers of the enemy are rushing into Your mouths, their heads smashed by Your fearful teeth. 

As the rivers flow into the sea, all these warriors enter Your blazing mouths and perish. 

I see all people rushing with full speed into Your mouths as moths dash into a blazing fire. I see You devouring all people.” 

In great fear, Arjuna told the Lord - “I do not know what Your mission is, and I desire to hear of it.”

There upon, the universal form of the Lord replied-

“Time I am, the destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you, the Pandava brothers, all the soldiers on both sides will be slain.” (Bg. 11.32)

Those who have studied Bhagavad-gita know that it is a dialogue between Krsna and Arjuna in which Krsna, the Supreme Lord, tries to convince Arjuna, His friend and disciple, to fulfill his duty as a warrior by fighting against a demoniac army. 

Throughout Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Krsna gives many arguments why Arjuna should fight, and He especially assures Arjuna that he and all the others in the battle are eternal spiritual souls who cannot actually be killed. 

In His universal form, however, the Lord tells Arjuna that even if he refused to fight, the material bodies of all the warriors would nevertheless be destroyed, for that was the plan of the Lord. 

If Arjuna refused to fight, they would die in another way; their death could not be checked. Thus Krsna explained to Arjuna the mission of the universal form.

Although Krsna is the Supreme Lord of the universe, He enjoys eternal personal relationships with His devotees such as Arjuna. 

However, when Krsna appeared in His universal form. Arjuna was overwhelmed and begged Krsna to forgive him for all the personal familiarities of their friendship. 

Arjuna said - “I have in the past addressed You as my friend, Krsna, without knowing Your glories. Please forgive whatever I may have done in madness or in love. 

I dishonored You many times while we were relaxing, lying on the same bed or eating together, sometimes alone and sometimes among friends. 

Please excuse me for all my offenses. You are the father of the complete cosmic manifestation, the worshipful chief, the spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You.” (Bg. 11.41-43) 

Thus although Arjuna, seeing his friend in the form of Time, was very much afraid, he could not forget that Krsna was his friend in a loving relationship.

According to ISKCON's founder Srila Prabhupada, the main reason Arjuna asked Krsna to show this form was to discredit imposters who might come later and claim to be God. 

Many rascals boast that they are God or incarnations of God, but they should be challenged to show a form as wonderful as the visva-rupa, in which all the universes appear within Krsna’s body. 

No one but the Supreme Lord Krsna Himself can display such a form.

Arjuna’s vision of the universal form was real; it was not a dream, for the Gita indicates that many other important personalities also beheld the universal form when the Lord revealed it to Arjuna. 

Moreover, since five thousand years ago, when Bhagavad-gita was spoken, great philosophers and spiritual masters have confirmed the reality of Lord Krsna’s universal form.

Sometimes fraudulent so called gods bluff their followers by asserting that they can indeed show them the universal form. 

One time a boy came to the Krsna consciousness center in New York and announced to the devotees that he was God. 

When asked to show his universal form, he declared, “Yes, here it is,” and then he held up his arms so that everyone could behold his cosmic body. 

But a display of mere insolence and a form of skin and bones—”Here it is. Can’t you see it?”—does not constitute a revelation of the universal form. 

Nor can word jugglery, the powerful mind altering drug LSD, hypnotism or charisma induce a true vision of the universal form. 

Only the Supreme Godhead can reveal that cosmic form, and as stated in the Gita only His pure devotees are qualified to see it.

Krsna's Universal Form

Some professors and scholars try to dismiss the universal form by saying that it is a poetic fantasy. Such an interpretation, however, is contrary to all the understanding of Vedic literature. 

These professors and their students may take Bhagavad gita to be fanciful, but the real philosophers, the spiritual masters who come in the disciplic line from Krsna and who have guided the course of Vedic philosophy for thousands of years, accept Bhagavad-gita as the Absolute Truth. 

Mundane scholars do not know whether Krsna showed His universal form, but the acaryas (the spiritual masters who teach by the example of their lives) do know. 

That the tiny minds of atheists cannot accept such a wonderful manifestation as the universal form does not disprove its existence. 

The message of the Gita was spoken by Krsna, who showed the universal form, as clearly stated in the Gita itself. 

We accept the Universal Form as it is, on the authority of Krsna, Srila Prabhupāda and the Vedic acaryas. Thus we need not consult foolish speculators for their opinions. 

Since they try to interpret Bhagavad-gita in their own way, they cannot possibly understand the universal form as it is.

After seeing the form of the universe in the body of Krsna, Arjuna could not maintain his equilibrium. 

Thus he begged Krsna not only to forgive him for his familiarity as a friend, but to relieve his mind by again showing him the form in which Arjuna knew Him as the Personality of Godhead. 

Arjuna prayed - “After seeing this universal form, which I have never seen before, I am gladdened, but at the same time my mind is disturbed with fear. 

Therefore, please bestow Your grace upon me and reveal again Your form as the Personality of Godhead. 

O universal Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form.”

According to the Vedic scriptures, the Supreme Lord has innumerable forms and incarnations. 

Among them, the four armed form of Visnu is often celebrated as the foremost, for He is the source of many other incarnations and is the ultimate controller of the material world. 

Despite popular Western misconceptions, Visnu is not one of a hierarchy of Hindu deities like the gods and goddesses of the ancient Greeks. 

No, according to the Vedic scriptures, God is one without a second, but He can appear in many different forms, just as a gem appears in different colors when viewed under different kinds of light. 

Thus the Supreme Lord may appear as Krsna, as Visnu or as the universal form, but He is always the same Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Thus Krsna answered - “My dear Arjuna, happily have I shown you this universal form within the material world by My internal potency. 

No one before you has ever seen this unlimited and glaringly effulgent form…. But your mind has been perturbed by seeing this horrible feature of Mine. 

Now let it be finished. My devotee, be free from all disturbance. With a peaceful mind you can now see the form you desire.” (Bg. 11.47, 49)

Thus at the request of His friend Arjuna, Krsna stopped displaying the universal form and showed Arjuna His four-armed form as Visnu. 

Then at last He showed him His two-armed form. This very much encouraged Arjuna. 

Arjuna said - “Seeing this human like form, so very beautiful, my mind is now pacified, and I am restored to my original senses.”

Krsna’s changing from the universal form to the four-armed form and finally to the two-armed form is most significant, for this demonstrates that all other forms are coming from the original form of Krsna. 

Many interpreters say that the universal form is the most important feature in Bhagavad-gita. Others stress the form of Visnu. 

Actually, however, Visnu and the universal form are but aspects of Lord Krsna as we see Him in His two-armed form when He drives the chariot for Arjuna. 

As stated in Srimad Bhagavatam, Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam: Krsna is the source of all other incarnations of Godhead. 

In that human like form, He has such inconceivable potencies that He can expand into the whole universe. 

Therefore that original form is His most worshipable and most important. Furthermore, Lord Krsna, in His two-armed form, is the reservoir of all loving relationships. 

The Lord appears in various forms to create the material world and perform various pastimes, but in His original form as Krsna, the Lord fully reciprocates transcendental love with His devotees.

To say that the impersonal spirit or universal form is more exalted than Krsna, the Personality of Godhead, is a great disservice to the meaning of Bhagavad-gita. 

Krsna’s humanlike form is His very Self, and there is no truth higher than Krsna. 

As stated in the Brahma samhita, isvarah paramah Krsnanah - "Krsna is the Supreme Lord, the supreme controller". 

Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami - Krsna is the original form of Godhead. 

Therefore devotees desire to see Krsna in His two armed form, which is the most confidential form of Godhead. 

Srila Prabhupada has commented- 

“Those who deride Krsna, taking Him to be an ordinary person, must be ignorant of His divine nature. Krsna has actually shown His universal form and His four-armed form, so how can He be an ordinary human being?” 

Most editions of Bhagavad gita unfortunately give interpretations that misguide the reader, but an actual devotee is not confused because the original verses of Bhagavad-gita are as clear as the sun. 

They do not require a lamplight from foolish commentators.

Although Krsna gave Arjuna special vision to see the gigantic visva-rupa, to see Krsna in His original form is even more difficult. 

In the Gita, Lord Krsna, after returning to His original two-armed form, tells Arjuna-

“The form you are seeing now is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form, which is so dear.”

In His original two armed form in Goloka-Vrindavana  and his Narayana 4 armed form in Vaikuntha, the Lord eternally reciprocates with His devotees with loving exchanges as their master, friend, child or lover. 

The visva-rupa, however, is not an eternal form of Krsna, but a temporary manifestation to convince even a common man or women of the Lord’s almighty nature. 

Srila Prabhupada has said- “Don’t try to love the visva-rupa, it is not possible.” 

In the universal form, the Lord displays His opulence and power, but He does NOT reciprocate love with His devotees. 

Srila Prabhupada therefore gives the example that if a boy’s father is a policeman, even the boy himself might become afraid and forget his love if his father appeared before him, revolver blazing, in the line of duty. 

Similarly, Arjuna became fearful when he saw Krsna’s universal form. When Krsna returned to His pleasing two-armed form, however, Arjuna was fully satisfied.

Lord Krsna displayed His universal form to inspire all men and women to fix their minds upon Him and devote themselves to Him alone. 

The universal form is meant to convince us that although Krsna may appear like an ordinary human being, He is indeed the all powerful Personality of Godhead. 

Therefore Lord Krsna, not the visva-rupa, should be the object of our meditation and our love. 

He is the original form of Godhead, the reservoir of all beauty, knowledge, wealth, strength, fame and renunciation. 

Therefore when we revive our dormant love for Krsna, we also, like Arjuna, will find full spiritual satisfaction and reciprocation with Krsna as the individual contributing person we are eternally.

The Hare Krsna Maha Mantra is praying to God for help saying, 

“O Krsna, O energy of Krsna, please engage me in Your devotional service.”

Therefore the Hare Krsna Maha-mantra can help everyone by going to every City, Town and Village of the entire globe.

Maha means “great” and mantra means “sacred chant for deliverance.”

Of all mantras in the Vedas, one is called the Maha-mantra, or great mantra and is-

Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna

Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare

Hare Rama, Hare Rama

Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

The words “Hare” (pronounced ha-ray), “Krsna” (pronounced krish-na), and “Rama” (rhymes with “drama”), are Sanskrit words.

“Hare” is an address to God’s energy, known as Radha, and “Krsna” is name of God meaning “He who is attractive to everyone.” “Rama” means “one who gives pleasure and enjoys life.” 

harinama harinama harinama eva kevalam kalau nastyeva nastyeva nastyeva gatir anyatha

‘'In this Age of Kali there is no other means, no other means, no other means for self-realization than chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name, chanting the holy name of Lord Hari.’'

Spiritual life is like learning to walk no matter how many times you fall down, you must always get up again and again and keep trying until you succeed.

Actually for many of us this may take many births but best to finish all this material selfish activity up in this life under the very rare guidance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

When we chant the Maha-mantra, it is a petition to God-

“O Krsna, O energy of Krsna, please engage me in Your devotional service.”

Years ago in the 1960s and early 1970s, we chanted 7 hours a day 5 days a week.

These days in the 2020s the same street chanting can continuously happen with devotees doing it in shifts, that can keep going all day.

If taken seriously and acted in every City, Town and Village on the Planet, then this chanting of Hare Krsna will save the world.

In the early days of the Australian ISKCON's Sankirtan Movement 50 years ago in 1972, we chanted 7 hours a day lead by Madhudvisa Swami and Upananda dasa now Avadhoot Maharaj.

It worked perfectly for 4 years, than we went from chanting 7 hours a day to mass book distribution 10 to 12 hours day and chanting ad well but not as long as before.

Today's goal is to chant Hare Krsna all day for 7 hours on the streets with different shifts of devotees, some can put in an hour, some two hours, some even 7 hours,  and distribute Prabhupada's Books simultaneously.

So in this way one can gradually increase their Sankirtan service over time.

The point is the Yuga Dharma of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Kali-yuga is to see street Sankirtan in every Town, Village and City on the globe.

As a reminder to all, Spiritual life is like learning to walk, therefore no matter how many times you stumble on the Spiritual path or fall over, you must always get up and keep trying again and again if necessary.

If one is critical of another aspiring devotee who is trying their hardest to overcome past mistaken actions and fast downs, and are always spreading rumours and gossip of how fallen he or she is, then such hate is NOT good.

This is because it can lead to the fault finders taking birth in their next life in the exact same fallen situation of those they angrily criticising!

Karma unfolds like this in ways we least expect.

The conclusion is we should never give up trying to be Krsna Conscious no matter what we have done in this life or a past life, no matter how sinful we may have been.

All of us live in glasshouses in this material world, we are all here because of our past sins, no one is innocent in the material world.

As Srila Prabhupada says-

"Even gold covered with stool is still gold once you remove the covering of stool".

Similarly, when the jiva-soul is freed by its material covering, then one can experience the full potential of their Spiritual uncontaminated position.

Therefore good advice from the most sinful and fallen is still good advice.

The special mercy of deliverance by Sankirtan in this rare Kali-yuga, has to include all living beings, the pious and sinful, otherwise there is no meaning to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Prabhupada's claim they have come to save the most fallen.

The fact is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu only comes "once" out of every 1000 Kali-yugas, or once every 8 billion 640 million years!

That is once in a day of Brahma to to one Kali-yuga to deliver and SAVE "the most fallen.

End of Book Six January 4 2022