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)

Krsna NEVER interferes with the jiva-soul's "free will", even when they choose to reject Him.

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)

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)

It is NOT Maya and her material energy causing the jiva-souls to leave or fall down from Vaikuntha because there is no material nature (Maya) in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana that forces the jiva-soul to leave Krsna, Maya's temptation and material energy do NOT exist in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana however,  free will does exist there.

There is no material cause for our fall down from Vaikuntha to the material creation however, what DOES exist eternally in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, and is mostly the real cause of our fall down, is "free will", or the ability to make one's own choices of "this side or that side".

Krsna NEVER interferes with the jiva-soul's "free will", even when they choose to reject Him.

To follow Krsna or not follow Krsna is based on "choice" or "free will".

Without "free will", then genuine loving exchanges in a "two-way" direction based on reciprocation and voluntary contributions or offerings, can NEVER exist.

Freedom and free will means having the choice to accept or reject Krsna.

Real loving exchanges and cooperation can never exist if this was not the standard.

Those scholars who make the ridiculous claim "not even the leaves can fall down from Vaikuntha" are not understanding the concept of "free will" and the "two-way" reciprocal relationship between Krsna and the jiva-souls.

The Spiritual Planets are NOT a "one-way" impersonal totalitarian dictatorship.

The fact is one's position in the Spiritual Planets can NEVER be claimed to be eternally permanent there.

This is because there is ALWAYS free will in both Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.

This means at any time the jiva-soul can leave if they choose to do so at any time.

Many Vaisnava's in other Sangas claim the jiva-soul can never fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana once there, no, this idea is incorrect because the jiva-souls CAN leave anytime they want due to free will, but it is a fact that most NEVER fall down (over 90%)

It is the choice of the jiva-souls too, NOT just Krsna's command and total domination over the jiva-souls that He would NEVER force on the jiva-souls anyway.

Therefore the jiva-souls CAN fall down from Vaikuntha at anytime they choose, not because of Maya or any material cause as explained above, but because they have their "free will", or the ability to make their own decisions.

Maya and material nature cannot exist in Vaikuntha and therefore is NOT the cause of fall down.

But the ability to choose DOES exist in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.

However, once in the material creation "free will" is greatly restricted and almost does not exist.

Only in the human species does free will exist, all other species act according to the instincts of eating, sleeping, mating and depending.

Therefore, in the lower species, good or bad karma is NOT created.

In fact good or bad karma is not created in the hellish or heavenly planets either, one who is there simply burns off their pious and impious bank balance accumulated while in a human material body on this Earth.

Only Visnu tattva and Visnu-sakti-tattva direct expansions of Krsna (All are just playing different rolls in Vaikuntha, Goloka Vrindavan or their management of the material creation) never fall down because they ARE Krsna.

What is Visnu-sakti-tattva? 

Srila Prabhupada explains-

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)

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 where as "sakti" alone can refer to the "jiva-souls" 

On the other hand, all jiva-souls (marginal living entities) CAN leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana anytime they desire 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?

Krsna does NOT force the living entity (jiva-soul) to love Him.

Sadly, many devotees, Gurus  and sannyasis in other Sangas cannot get their head around this fact that one CAN leave Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana anytime they want.

It is NOT true that once in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana, the jiva soul remains there forever.

No one, not even Krsna, can promise one will eternally stay in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana and will NEVER fall down.

Frankly that choice is NOT only Krsnas, it is also the jiva-souls choice, and they can change their minds at ANYTIME because such association is based on a two-way relationship.

Only a fool makes the silly comment that once reaching Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana, one will never again fall down to the material creation, such fools do not understand the importance of "free will".

No one knows what each jiva-soul will choose in the future including within the "eternal presence" of Krsna's Abode.

Also, the jiva-souls do not come from any "impersonal origin" either as those same foolish devotees claim.

The fact is, we have ALL come down from our original home on the  Vaikuntha Planets or Goloka Vrindavana long, long, long ago.

Originally all those on the Vaikuntha Planets also came from Goloka Vrindavana.

Years ago in Mayapur, I had big aguments with leaders in other sangas across the river in the 1970s, who claimed we have never been to Vaikuntha which our Srila Prabhupada says is nonsense and that we should avoid their ignorant teachings.

I told them their understanding is incorrect and all marginal living entities (jiva tattva souls) do NOT come from an impersonal "inactive clear sheet of consciousness" they limit to the word tatasta-sakti.

Such an impersonal state of consciousness in NOT our origin as some other Sangas believe.

The fact is ALL jiva-souls have originally come directly from being in Krsna's "personal active pastimes" in Goloka Vrindavana.

I also told them new jiva-souls are NOT created as they foolishly claimed, by quoting Bhagavad Gita As It Is-

"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)

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-soul is an independent individual persons, who can make their own choices, and includes rejecting Krsna if they want that instantly places them in the material creation.

After making that choice, the rebellious jiva-soul is given material bodies by Maha Visnu, both subtle and gross material vessels that covers the anti-material spiritual form.

In the material world the jiva-souls are confined to a gross material bodily vessel that is always in a state of decay and decline, and in need of constant maintenance.

Eventually the jiva-soul, trapped within a decaying material body, is forced to take another gross material body when their present one decomposes and wears out.

Everything in the material creation perishes due to decay caused by the temporary nature of the material creation.

Also once in the material creation, the jiva-soul is on their own path directed by their own pious and impious actions.

This is because they are responsible for their actions good and bad and are punishment or rewarded according.

Therefore karma begins as soon as the jiva-soul leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana.

No jiva-souls originate from the dormant Brahmajyoti or Brahman effulgence, or the Body of Maha-Visnu because as said above, ALL jiva-souls originate from Vaikuntha as Prabhupada explains.

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)

Although many jiva souls fall to impersonal Brahman or Brahmajyoti AFTER being in the material creation.

However, NEVER did the jiva-tattva souls originate from that impersonal Brahmajyoti Prabhupada explains-

Srila Prabhupada - ''The next question, about the living entities falling down in this material world are not from the impersonal brahman. Existence in the impersonal brahman is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness.Those who are in the brahman effulgence they are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition. When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition. The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness. So long one can maintain pure Krsna consciousness he is not fallen down. As soon as he becomes out of Krsna consciousness immediately he is fallen down’’. (Letter to: Revatinandana, Los Angeles 13 June, 1970)

Srila Prabhupada - “As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness has now become polluted by the material atmosphere.”(Original Hare Krsna "Happening record album" New York December 1966)

Srila Prabhupada - "So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krsna? Why not become Krsna?’ I immediately fall down.” (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)

Srila Prabhupada - 'This material world is created by the dreaming of Mahā-Viṣṇu. 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”. (SB 4.29.83 Purport)

Many have an impersonalist idea about what Vaikuntha is like and do not even know it. Only when the living entity desires not to be with Krsna do they enter the material world and realize Maya's existences.

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)

Therefore the jiva-souls are responsible for their choices and actions. And in the material creation free will almost does not exist because one is binded by their own reactions to their pious and impious deeds (karma)

Srila Prabhupada – ''Regarding your questions about how and from where did the conditioned souls fall, your first question if someone has a 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 – Regarding your several questions: Where are the spirit souls coming from that are taking microbe bodies? It is not a matter of any particular body. 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 – "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)

Srila Prabhupada - “Regarding your questions concerning the spirit souls falling into Maya’s influence, it is not that those who have developed a passive relationship with Krsna are more likely to fall into nescient activities. Usually anyone who has developed his relationship with Krsna does not fall down in any circumstance, but because the independence is always there, the soul may fall down from any position or any relationship by misusing his independence. (Letter to Jagadisa 02/27/1970)

Srila Prabhupada - “The relationship with Krsna is never lost, it is simply forgotten by the influence of maya, so it maybe regained or revived by the process of hearing the Holy Name of Krsna and then the devotee engages himself in the service of the Lord which is his original or constitutional position. The relationship of the living entity with Krsna is eternal as both Krsna and the living entity are eternal; the process is one of revival only, nothing new'' (Letter to Jagadisa 02/27/1970)

Srila Prabhupada - “The answer to your question about the marginal energy is that the jiva-soul is always called marginal energy whether he is in the spiritual world or in the material world. There are instances where marginal energy jiva souls have fallen from the spiritual world, just like Jaya and Vijaya. So the potency to fall under the influence of the lower energy is always there. And thus the individual jiva soul is called as Krsna’s marginal energy.” - (Letter to Rayarama, December 2, 1968)

Srila Prabhupada - “Every living being has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally, That is called svarupa. By the process of devotional service, one can revive that svarupa, and that stage is called svarupa-siddhi-perfection of one’s constitutional position. (Bhagavad-Gita as it is, Introduction)

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 – “In the Padma Purana, wherein it is said that there are two kinds of spiritual entities; one is called the jiva, and the other is called the Supreme Lord”. (87th Chapter of Krsna Book, Prayers by the Personified Vedas.)

Full conversation in the heading quotes reveals what Prabhupada means when he says less than 10% fall down Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.

Dr. John Mize – “Did all the souls that were in the spiritual sky fall out of the spiritual sky at once or at different times, or are there any souls that are always good, they’re not foolish, they don’t fall down?

Srila Prabhupada – “No, there are… Majority, 90%, they are always good. They never fall down”.

Dr. John Mize – “So we’re among the 10%.

Srila Prabhupada – “Yes. Or less than that. In the material, whole material world all the living entities they are… Just like in the prison house, there is some population, but they are not majority. The majority of the population, they are outside the prison house. Similarly, majority of living being, part and parcel of God, they are in the spiritual world. Only a few fall down”.

Dr. John Mize – “Does Krishna 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)

Srila Prabhupada - "In the broader sense everyone comes from Krsna Loka. 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)

Acyutananda - ''So what made the 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)

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura - ''When the marginal living entity has contact with matter, the imprisoned soul loses the memory of his original spiritual form in Vaikuntha., material rasas (tastes and desires) are perverted reflections of the soul's original spiritual rasas. (Prema-pradipa, p. 83)

Devotee - "Srila Prabhupada why did Krishna give us free will if He knew we could fall down in the material world?"

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).

Can we predict that returning back home back to Godhead will be permanent? Can we predict that?

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).×