Are the jiva-soul's ultimately persons as an individual spiritual bodily form?
Many quotes about the jiva-soul's (marginal living entity) features explains their journey as a bodiless spark of consciousness entering the material world, or being freed from being merged as an individual unit in the impersonal Brahmajyoti.
There in the impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti, the jiva-soul is often described as an inactive spark of consciousness that enters the impersonal Brahmajyoti after being frustrated in the material creation by the terrible cycle of birth and death experienced in material bodily vessels.
Only when Prabhupada talks about the impersonal Brahmajyoti does he call the jiva-soul a spark, and then CLEARLY adds being a spark is a fallen condition that the jiva-souls fall too.
This is because originally, the jiva-souls were all in the pastimes of Krsna as individual PERSONS as a spiritual bodily form (vigraha).
Srila Prabhupada also explains this in a more simple way that the jiva-souls have fallen from the personal pastimes of Krsna to the material creation, or further to the impersonal Brahmajyoti.
Ultimately, Prabhupada explains below, that all jiva-souls are eternal PERSONS AS their original Spiritual bodily form.
Srila Prabhupada - "Your question about one's relationship with Lord Krsna on Krsnaloka, does he ever fall down? The souls are endowed with minute independence as part of their nature and this minute independence may be utilized rightly or wrongly at anytime, so there is always a chance of falling down by misuse of one’s independence''. (Letter to Jagadisa Prabhu, 4/25/1970.)
Srila Prabhupada – "Where are the spirit souls coming from, these spirit souls and all spirit souls are coming from Vaikuntha, but in these material worlds they are taking various grades of bodies according to their material activities". (Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970)
Srila Prabhupada - "In the broader sense everyone comes from Krsnaloka. When one forgets Krsna he is conditioned, when one remembers Krsna he is liberated". (Letter to Mukunda, June 10, 1969)
Srila Prabhupada - "We cannot say therefore that we are not with Krsna. As soon as we try to become Lord, immediately Maya covers us. Formerly we were with Krsna in His lila or sport. But this covering of Maya may be of very, very, very, very long duration; therefore many creations are coming and going". (Letter to Madhudvisa Swami June 1972 Australia)
Srila Prabhupada - "So to go to Krsna means you will have to acquire your original, spiritual body. The spiritual body is already there, but we are now covered by this material body". (Germany, June 22, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada - “We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago.” - (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)
Srila Prabhupada – Regarding your several questions: Where are the spirit souls coming from? These spirit souls and all spirit souls are coming from Vaikuntha". (Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970)
The marginal living entities are a unlimited number of individual PERSONS (jiva-souls) who in their full potential are as follows-
sat,
chit,
ananda,
vigraha.
This means in English the individual jiva-souls are-
eternity,
Knowledge,
bliss,
bodily form.
This ORIGINAL eternal form of the jiva-soul is a bodily form like Krsnas Prabhupada has said, two arms, two legs etc like Krsna has in Vṛndāvana.
All of Krsna's marginal so called 'sparks' and so called 'atoms (souls) in the effulgence that impersonalists claim are bodiless and dormant, are in that conditioned state because they are fallen and have forgotten their original two armed spiritual bodily form in Goloka Vrindavana.
Only in the conditioned fallen state does the marginal living entity (jiva souls) merge into the 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, 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 and conversation August 17, 1971)
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 position, 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 a beginning or end.
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, and we should now be determined to return back home back to Godhead, to again be with Krsna.”
Srila Prabhupāda fully 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.
Acyutananda - ''So what made the jiva-soul take birth in the first place?''
Srila Prabhupada - ''In the first place?''
Acyutananda - ''What is the first birth? What is the cause of the first birth''.
Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes. That is stated in the Prema-vivarta:
krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare
We are eternal servant of Krsna. As soon as we want to become master, that is the beginning of our first birth in the material world. We have got independence. Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva bhutah—we are part and parcel of Krsna—so Krsna has got full independence, but we are minute; therefore we have got minute independence. Our business is to serve Krsna, but as soon as we give up this idea, we want to become master. That is the beginning of our material birth''. (Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.2--Hyderabad, April 11, 1975)
Acyutananda - ''But in the Gita, it says, "Once coming there, he never returns."
Srila Prabhupada - ''But if he likes, he can return''.
Acyutananda - ''He can return?''
Srila Prabhupada - ''That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown''. (Morning Walk--February 19, 1976, Mayapur)
Devotee – “When we are in the spiritual sky and serving Krsna, we have a perfect relationship with Krsna, what causes us to fall down in the material world, because we’re already serving Krsna?”
Srila Prabhupada – “Because you desire to fall down. Here it is explained that “Don’t fall down.”
Devotee – “Srila Prabhupada, I can’t understand why we should have an impure desire when we are already serving…”
Srila Prabhupada – “Because you have got little freedom. Why one is not coming here and going to the liquor shop? It is his desire''.
Devotee – “In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come, why are we here?”
Srila Prabhupada – “Yes. You forced Krsna to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says, “My dear son, do not do this. Do not go there.” But he insists, “Oh, I must go. I must go.” “All right, you go at your risk. That’s all. And you suffer. What can be done?" (Melbourne, Australia June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupāda - "Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, almighty—therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence, so God does not interfere with your little independence. If you persist that “I must go and enjoy independently,” so God says, “All right, you can go.” This is the position. You have to take sanction. That is a fact. But when you persist, God sanctions. And you come and enjoy”. (Melbourne, Australia June 25, 1974 between Srila Prabhupada and his disciples)
In the Spiritual World ALL relationships with Krsna are "equally blissful to each other", just like one may like a carnation flower while others may choose to like a rose flower.
This means all the individual jiva-souls in the Spiritual Worlds can voluntarily express themselves in their own unique way by offerings personal unique contributions to Krsna.
"Real love" or service can ONLY exist when "free will" allows the jiva-souls to "voluntarily" participate in "loving devotional exchanges" by contributing to their relationship with Krsna in their own unique way.
Such voluntary service deepens the mood of loving exchanges with Krsna, through personal expressions and offerings that enhance, enrich and add so much variety and flavour to one's unique 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 Bhagavad Gita Chapter 9 text 2-5, New York, November 23, 1966)
Srila Prabhupada - “The jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is voluntary. Some devotees want 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)
Srila Prabhupada - "Because you are Son of God you have independence, you have acquired the quality of your father, so God does not interfere with your independence. If you persist that “I must enjoy independently,” God says, “All right, you can go.” This is the position, if you persist, God sanctions. And you can come here and enjoy”. (Melbourne, Australia June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada – “So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that is not independence, that is force.” (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Free will" means that you can act wrongly. That is "free will". Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of "free will". Where is "free will" then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no "free will". Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means free will."
Hayagriva - "A man may know better but still act wrongly".
Srila Prabhupada -"Yes", but that is "free will". He misuses his. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing, it is bad, but still he does it. That is free will. He cannot check his greediness, so in spite of his knowing that he is doing wrong thing—he will be punished, he knows; he has seen another thief, he was punished, he was put into prison— everything he knows, but still he steals. Why? Misuse of free will. Unless there is misuse of free will, there is no question of free will. (Excerpt from: Philosophy Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes)
Srila Prabhupada - ''As soon as we try, "Oh, this material world is very nice," "Yes," Kṛṣṇa says, "yes, you can go." Otherwise what is the meaning of free will? Every living entity has got a little free will. And Kṛṣṇa is so kind, He gives him opportunity, "All right, you enjoy like this." It is free will''. (Morning Walk Cheviot Hills May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
The individual jiva-souls are unique independent living entities in the Spiritual Worlds, who have their own personality and a sense of independent self that is separate from Krsna's Personality, yet simultaneously dependent on Krsna as His parts and parcels.
The reason is very clear, Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes including the jiva-soul's free will.
Krsna gives the jiva-souls their independence and "free will" so they can choose how to serve Him voluntarily in their own unique personal way, or even reject Him if they choose, this is having "free will" fully.
This also allows the jiva-souls to always contribute their own unique offerings out of unconditional personal love, without the need of any pressure or force from Krsna or His devotees (however, their are always words of encouragement and suggestions from other genuine devotees).
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 love''. (Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 2 text 6, Delhi, November 12, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - ''The impersonalist philosophy is oneness. So how can there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience? Love means one? No. "Love means two". There must be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He's so lover of you that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant..." (Lecture on Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 2 Chapter 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
Surrender to Krsna in the Spiritual World NEVER means giving up your "free will" and allowing Krsna to control all your every actions, deeds, words and thoughts.
No, the jiva-souls in the Spiritual World are NOT programmed "mindless" impersonal drones who only obey and never contribute to their relationship with Krsna in their own special way by ALWAYS thinking for themselves of different ways to please Krsna.
The jiva-souls can NEVER lose their free will in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana, which is the individual ability of self expression of offering their own personal contributions to Krsna "unique" to each individual jiva-soul.
Only by having "free will" does the jiva-souls have a unique personality and individual character, otherwise the jiva-souls are no better than dead mindless stone.
"Free will" allows genuine loving exchanges and reciprocation to take place, and as said above, without free will the jiva-souls are no better than dead stone Prabhupada has warned us.
Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no "free will", then you are a stone. The stone has no "free will". You want to be stone? Then you must have "free will!" But don't misuse your "free will". But don't try to become stone either. That is not life". (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)
Furthermore, Krsna NEVER interferes with the "free will" of the jiva-souls because if He did by never allowing "free will", that would mean loving exchanges of voluntarily reciprocation with Krsna would NEVER exist!
If one is forced to worship Krsna or Visnu then that is NOT love, it is tyranny, bullying and enslavery.
This "impersonal" version of God's Kingdom explained above, where the jiva-souls are forced to surrender their "free will" and allow this so called "God" to take over their every actions and thoughts, is mayavadi impersonalism.
By denying the individual jiva-souls their unique free will, personality and independent character by forcing them to only obey without any voluntary contributing thoughts and service, by letting others do all the thinking and actions for them you in the name of "surrender", is bogus nonsense, and dangerous IMPERSONALISM.
Having genuine "free will" allows the jiva-souls to be themselves, which is an independent unique contributing PERSON who can ALWAYS voluntarily choose their own personal offerings to Krsna.
Voluntary service is the bases of REAL surrender to Krsna in Goloka Vrindavana and Visnu in the Vaikuntha Planets, which are the permanent eternal homes of the marginal living entities (jiva-souls).
The jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana are forever voluntarily expanding the expression of their unique individuality with an increasing variety of personal devotional offerings based on free will, it is NEVER a nonsense one-sided master/slave mindless relationship with Krsna.
Krsna does NOT control the "surrendered" jiva-souls by FORCE like a puppet master controls every movement of his puppets with the manipulations of strings, denying self expression, individual contributions and voluntary service.
However, Krsna DOES control His pure devotees with loving effection and exchanges because the jiva-souls allows this out of their unconditional love for Krsna who ALWAYS looks after them.
Srila Prabhupada - "Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of "free will". Where is "free will" if I can act only one sided? That means I have no "free will". Because we CAN act wrongly (sometimes), that means we have free will." (Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes).
The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) NEVER lose their "free will" because they are eternal as Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is explains-
Bhagavad Gita - "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". (Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 2 Text 20)
Srila Prabhupada – "There is NO new souls. New and old are due to this material body, but the jiva-soul is NEVER born and NEVER dies, so if there is no birth, how can there be new souls?''. (Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970)
"Free will" has NOTHING to do with the material body, "free will" is a symptom of the eternal jiva-soul.
"Free will" is the constitutional makeup of every marginal living entity (jiva-soul) in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.
Also nothing material exists in the Spiritual Worlds, there is no Maya in the Spiritual Worlds of Vaikuṇṭha and Goloka Vṛndāvana but there is ALWAYS free will.
Many cannot understand this fact that due to free will, the jiva-souls CAN leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana anytime they choose.
Although most, over 90% of jiva-souls NEVER make that choice to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, BUT can if they want too, Prabhupada explains here-
Syamasundara - "Can we predict that 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).
Srila Prabhupada - "Krsna does not want to become a lover by force, from the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; no, that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?” (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
Srila Prabhupada - ''So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krsna? Why not become Krsna?’ I immediately fall down. That is natural. A servant is serving the master, but sometimes he may think that, “If I could become the master.” They are thinking like that; they are trying to become God. That is delusion. You cannot become God. That is not possible. But he’s wrongly thinking”.
Vipina Purandara - “Why doesn’t Krsna protect us from that desire?
Srila Prabhupada - “He’s protecting. He says, “You rascal, don’t desire. Surrender unto Me.” But you are rascal; you do not do this”.
Vipina Purandara - “Why doesn’t Krsna 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.)
By misusing one's free will causes the jiva-soul to live separately from Krsna by entering the material creation.
And this choice has nothing to do with maya or material energy as explained above.
As Prabhupada has explained, it is one's free will that allows the jiva-souls to reject Krsna, this is because each jiva-souls are independent individual persons who can make their own choices, and that includes rejecting Krsna if they want which instantly places them in the material creation.
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.” Just like nobody is interested in Krsna consciousness. So, they want to enjoy this 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, Krsna conscious, sometimes go away, again come back. It is free will, not stereotyped.
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.
Krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare, nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare. The police is there. Just like the police car was there. We have nothing to do with it. But if you do anything criminal, immediately you will be arrested, under police custody.
The maya may be there, but maya captures him who is not a devotee of Krsna. That’s all. Therefore, mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te: "Anyone who surrenders unto Me, maya does not interfere anymore."
Paramahamsa - ''So our desire to enjoy, we achieve these 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)
Srila Prabhupada - "As living spiritual jiva-souls we are all originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere". (Happening Record Album December 1966 New York City, USA)
Different categories of living entities explained.
Only the Visnu tattva and Visnu-sakti-tattva direct expansions of Krsna are playing different rolls in Vaikuntha, Goloka Vrindavan, or managing the material creation, never fall down because they ARE Krsna.
Only the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) can fall down to the material creation.
This is because part of their marginal constitution is having their own individual personality separate from Krsna's Personality, this allows them to have even the "free will" to reject Krsna if they choose.
What is Visnu-sakti-tattva?
Srila Prabhupada - "Tattva is manifested in different ways:
1 - Viṣṇu-tattva,
2 - Viṣṇu-śakti-tattva
3 - jīva-tattva, like that". (Lecture on SB 6.2.7, Vrndavana, September 10, 1975)
Śakti-tattva is the energy of God and has many categories of living entities in its meaning.
However, when putting Viṣṇu in front of sakti like "Visnu-sakti-tattva" it then refers to the direct expansions of Krsna whereas sakti can also refer to the jiva-souls.
As said above, Krsna has many different energies called sakti. The jiva-souls are one, Matter is one, the consort expansions of the Lord are one.
Srila Prabhupada - "Sakti or shakti means the "energy of Krsna."(Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 4 Chapter 6 text 43, Purport)
The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are parts and parcels of Krsna and are also the sakti energy of Krsna, along with other categories of living entities known as Viṣṇu-tattva and Visnu sakti-tattva expansions of Krsna.
However, the jiva-tattva souls are NOT on the same level as Krsna's direct expansions known as Viṣṇu-tattva and Visnu-sakti-tattva.
Visnu-sakti-tattva is represented by Srimati Radharani, Krsna's internal potency.
"Sakti" as Visnu-sakti-tattva individuals refers to Krsna's direct expansions within the internal potency.
On the other hand, all jiva-souls (marginal living entities) also known as sakti CAN leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana anytime they choose as explained above because they have the quality of "free will" as part of their marginal constitution.
If they had no choice to choose between serving Krsna and doing their own thing in the material creation, then without that choice of using one's free will, then how can there be genuine love?
Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you MUST have free will! But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life". (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)
The Spiritual worlds of Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana are personal Kingdoms based on voluntary loving exchanges and cooperation between Krsna and His devotees, it is NEVER a "one-way" street of forceful demands.
Ultimately we are all Krsna's servant and are very dear to Him however, that does not mean we have to give up our "free will", "individuality" and unique personality to be Krsna's friend and servant.
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)
As already explained, "free will" in its full potential ONLY fully exists in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, and is greatly restricted and almost does not exist in the material creation (only minutely in the human species).
Krsna does NOT force the living entity (jiva-soul) to love Him.
Srila Prabhupada - "When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.
In the material creation chanting the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra is the sublime method for reviving our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
As living spiritual souls we are all originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere.
In this polluted concept of live, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities.
This illusion is called māyā, or hard struggle for existence over the stringent laws of material nature.
This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. And the process is recommended by authorities for this age.
By practical experience also, we can perceive that by chanting this mahā-mantra, or the great chanting for deliverance, one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum.
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane.
There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this mahā-mantra.
It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration, without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy.
We have seen it practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it.
The chanting should be heard, however, from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of a nondevotee should be avoided, as much as milk touched by the lips of a serpent causes poisonous effect.
The word Harā is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Kṛṣṇa and Rāma are forms of addressing directly the Lord, and they mean "the highest pleasure, eternal." Harā is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, when addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.
The material energy, called mayā, is also one of the multipotencies of the Lord, as much as we (jiva-souls) are also the marginal potency of the Lord.
The three words, namely Harā, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, are transcendental seeds of the mahā-mantra, and the chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Harā, for giving protection to the conditioned soul.
The chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by the child for the mother. Mother Harā helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord reveals Himself to such a sincere devotee.
No other means, therefore, of spiritual realization is as effective in this age, as chanting the mahā-mantra. (Purport to Hare Krsna Mantra as explained on the cover of the (Happening Record Album recorded December 1966 New York City, USA).^÷^.
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