A small percentage of marginal living entities or jiva-souls (less than 10% according to Srila Prabhupada (jīva-souls) do fall down to the material worlds (Brahmandas) from Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana.
The jiva-souls do not originate from the Impersonal Brahman, or the Body of Maha-Visnu, entering those conditions are also an already fallen condition.
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. 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)
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 Krsna.”
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?” Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, 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." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
Question - Is there a place in the spiritual world from where we can never fall down from?
The jiva-souls or marginal living entities have 78.125% of Krsna's quantities, this percentage means they each have 50 of Krsna's 64 qualities.
This puts the jiva-souls in the realm of having their own independence, individual identity, unique personality, and the ability to choose to accept or reject Krsna.
In other words the jiva-souls can make their own choices without being dictated too or bullied into submission or against their will.
As said above, this means the jiva-souls can agree or not agree with Krsna if they choose.
This sense of individuality allows the jiva-soul the right to choose Krsna or choose to exist separate from Krsna's pastimes and enter the material creation.
Remember, Maya and the material energy does not exist in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana so maya is unknown to the jiva-souls there.
Having free will is permanent and is part and parcel of each jiva-soul's constitutional make in their "real home" in the spiritual worlds.
Having individuality, independence, experiencing a unique sense of individual self, and the ability to express all these qualities, is eternally the makeup of all jiva-souls.
As said above, each jiva-soul has 78.125% of Krsna's qualities (50 qualities only) that makes them minor expansions of Krsna.
The jiva-souls each have their own individual personality separate from Krsna's Personality.
Unlike the more direct Visnu-tattva expansions, who have 60 of Krsna's 64 qualities (93.75%) that puts them in the category of being Krsna in just another role as Himself so obviously that never come under the influence of Maya or the material energy.
If free will is taken away from the jiva-souls, then they lose the ability to give and accept love, they become no better than dead stone or mindless drones.
Srila Prabhupada - "Because you are Son of God you have got independence, full independence, therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence. So God does not interfere with your little independence." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974).
For love to truly exist, the jiva-souls must have their own unique free will so they are able to contribute to the relationship with Krsna in their own special way.
This means the marginal constitutional make up of each jiva-soul always allows them to choose what to contribute in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana at all times.
As already explained, there are a small minority of jiva-souls who do choose to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan numbering less than 10%.
To say those in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana will never ever fall down is true - but only for those who choose not to fall down.
At anytime the jiva-souls can fall down from being eternal liberated (nitya-siddha) to being eternally conditioned (nitya-baddha)
In other words, if the jiva-souls want to leave they certainly can and not even Krsna interferes with their choice.
To make a blanket comment that "not even the leaves fall and leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana" seems to not take into consideration the free will of the jiva-souls.
Therefore to leave and end up in the material creation is ultimately the jiva-soul's choice, and Krsna does not interfere with that, even though Krsna has promised there is no return to the material creation once back in the spiritual worlds.
The fact is there is return if the jiva-soul wants to return Prabhupada explains here-
Acyutananda – "But in the Gita, it says, “Once coming there, he never returns. 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 little independence, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, if he likes, he can return. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krsna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown." (Conversation, Mayapur, Feb 19, 1976)
Returning home back to Godhead is not necessarily permanent Prabhupada explains here, that choice to stay or go is always the jiva-souls.
For those who believe "no one can ever fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana once there, have not understood the Spiritual worlds where all jiva-souls originated from anyway.
Many today have not understood there are many different inhabitants of Vrindavana who never fall down by choice because they are more direct expansions of Krsna, such as some sakti-tattvas who are Krsna Himself playing another role in His pastimes, they never fall down because they are simultaneously eternal associates and Krsna experiencing Himself in unlimited extended ways.
And over 90% of jiva-souls choose to not fall down but because of free will that also can change over time as said above.
There is no such thing as permanently staying in the spiritual worlds because at anytime that can change because each jiva-soul has free-will, they may not fall down because they choose not to fall down.
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. Just like after putting your hand in the fire, you never put it again if you are really intelligent. So those who are going back to Godhead, they must become intelligent. Why going back to Godhead?" (Discussions with Syamasundara Dasa).
However, there will always be some jiva-souls (not Visnu-tattva direct expansions of Krsna) who misuse their free will and choose to leave Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.
Free will is eternal in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan and without the choice to forget or remember Krsna, then there would be no individuality and no independent personality, and no ability to love, we would simply be mindless yes man and woman like machine drones in a factory.
The jiva-souls have to be educated to think for themselves and never indoctrinated to be told what think.
Such a dictatorship that denies personal contributions and voluntary participation in a two sided relationship, is the worse type of impersonalism.
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. Therefore Krsna says, yathecchasi tathä kuru. "Now you do whatever you like." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
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 little independence, proportionately, because you are part and parcel, if he likes, he can return. That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krsna-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown." (Mayapur, Feb 19, 1976)
More than 90% of jiva-souls also “choose” to stay in Vaikuntha and NEVER fall down, which means entering the material creation seeking selfish desires.
All jiva tattvas have only 78.125% of Krishna’s qualities (50 out of Krishna's 64 qualities) can leave if they choose.
To be in Vaikuntha does not always guarantee you will stay there forever and never enter the material world again.
Although as already explained 90% never choose to forget Krishna because that is their desire and expression of free will, sadly some jiva souls DO choose to leave or fall from Vaikuntha however, Prabhupada explains it is only a very small minority who foolishly make that choice, less than 10%.
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”. (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
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Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana are made up of many Sakti-"Visnu"-tattvas and Visnu-tattvas expansions such as gopis, gopas and many, many others.
There is also jiva-tattvas (marginal living entities) playing many roles too in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrndavana as well, just like the Sakti-"Visnu"-tattva are, but they are jiva-tattva.
In Goloka Vrindavana, no one knows who is who, who is jiva-tattva, who is sakti-Visnu-tattva or who is Visnu-tattva, they do not even know this little boy Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the cause of all causes, nor do they care.
As already explained, sakti-Visnu-tattva, like Visnu-tattva expansions, can never fall down because they are one of Krsna's many personalities.
Krsna is the original Form of God from whom all His Visnu and Narayana forms expand from.
This means the only difference between Srimati Radharani and Krsna, and Lord Balarama and Krsna, is Lord Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead and original cause of all causes.
And that Krsna also has 4 more qualities than both Radharani (Sakti-Visnu-tattva expansion) and Balarama (Visnu-tattva expansion) explained below.
Therefore, not even Srimati Radharani, Krsna's eternal consort, or Balarama, Krsna's older brother, have 64 unique qualities like Krsna has, they have ONLY 60 of Krsna's 64 qualities which is 93.75% of Krsna's 100%.
Let's make this easy to understanding-
Lord Krsna has 64 qualities which means He has 100% of His own qualities.
Visnu-tattva has 60 qualities or 93.75%
Sakti-"Visnu"-tattva 60 qualities or 93.75%.
Siva-tattva has 55 qualities or 84.375%.
Jiva-tattva has 50 qualities or 78.125%.
Also the jiva-tattvas 78.125% of Krishna's qualities, can NEVER become Sakti-visnu-tattva or Visnu-tattvas who have 93.75% of Krishna's qualities.
And jiva-tattvas can never lose their separate individual unique sense of independence self from Krishna either, even though technically all living entities are "Sakti tattva" expansions of Krishna that are fully dependent on Krishna like the sun rays are expansions that emanate from the Sun.
Even though being parts and parcel of the Lord, the jivatma or jiva tattva souls still has "their own" sense of being an separate independent free thinking individual from Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada - "The words bṛhate namas te have been explained by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura: bṛhate śrī-kṛṣṇāya. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa the maintainer of all and cause of all causes. We are "separate and none separate" from Krishna simultaneously. There are many tattvas, such as viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva and śakti-tattva, but above everything is the viṣṇu-tattva, which is all-pervading.
This all-pervading feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is explained in Bhagavad-gītā (10.42), wherein the Lord says:
athavā bahunaitena
kiṁ jñātena tavārjuna
viṣṭabhyāham idaṁ kṛtsnam
ekāṁśena sthito jagat
"But what need is there, Arjuna, for all this detailed knowledge? With a single fragment of Myself I pervade and support this entire universe."
Thus Kṛṣṇa says that the entire material world is maintained by His partial representation as Paramātmā. The Lord enters every universe as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and then expands Himself as Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu to enter the hearts of all living entities and even enter the atoms.
Aṇḍāntara-stha-paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham (Bs. 5.35). Every universe is full of atoms, and the Lord is not only within the universe but also within the atoms.
Thus within every atom the Supreme Lord exists in His Viṣṇu feature as Paramātmā, but all the viṣṇu-tattvas emanate from Kṛṣṇa.
As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (10.2), aham ādir hi devānām: Kṛṣṇa is the ādi, or beginning, of the devas of this material world—Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara. Therefore He is described here as bhagavate bṛhate. (SB Canto 8 Ch 3 text 17)
The jiva-souls have 78.125% of Krsna's qualities and are called the marginally energy.
The jiva tattva soul is different from direct expansion of the Lord like the Sakti-Vishnu-tattvas and Vishnu tattvas. However, all can play the part of gopis, cowherd boys in Krishna lila.
Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana have so many expansions of Krishna that it is mind boggling.
The jiva-tattva can play the role of a gopa or gopi like a Sakti-Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-tattva but NEVER be Sakti-Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu-tattva who are Krishna Himself expanded as multiple personalities.
The jiva-tattvas can ALWAYS choose in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, and play many roles including Brahma however, the marginal living entity ALWAYS remains jiva-tattva and can NEVER become God (Vishnu-tattva)
The jiva-tattvas, unlike Sakti-Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu tattvas, can 'choose' to forget Krishna if they desire and enter the mahat tattva or material creation of Maha Vishnu as nitya baddha and think they are an independent god.
Vishnu tattvas and Sakti-Vishnu-tattva do not do that because they ARE direct expansion of Krishna and only carry out the will of God.
Our eternal constitution position and eternal spiritual body is already there in Vaikuntha waiting for us to wake up from this temporary material dream and return back home back to Godhead.
Just like Jaya and Vijaya's eternal position as gatekeepers of Vaikuntha is always there waiting for their return from falling down into the material creation.
In Vaikuntha there is no concept of past and future time, only the ''individual awareness" of the "eternal presence'' of Krishna and being a dependent unique person and sense of the "self" that eternally exists there in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.
This is how we know all the universe is not ''all-one" with an all pervading consciousness that plays out different roles while contained in different material bodily vessels.
Except for Krishna and His unlimited direct Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-Sakti-tattvas expansions, we are all individual jiva-tattva soul expansions with our own unique sense of self and personality.
Therefore we never lose our independence and sense of self as an individual identity of being a "person"
Even a blade of grass, leaf, tree, clouds, rain drops, grains of sand and dirt or chair is a Person in Goloka.
Everything there is alive!
Of course in the material world our individuality becomes covered by many different species of material bodies but underneath it all the jivatma or jiva tattva is there as an individual.
Therefore it is very important we understand we have a "sense of independence and individuality as jiva-tattva souls". And this is what "marginal" means, that makes us the unique individual "persons" we eternally are.
To say you can never leave Goloka once there is true for most but not all because we can choose to miss use our free will. Without having that choice, Prabhupada says we are no better than dead stone that would not be able to give love or receive love.
And yes, many devotees have found this subject’s true meaning in Sastra very difficult to understand and therefore call it inconceivable rather than attempting to understand it, or believe others understand it.
Like making "choices" (that allows one to increase their “unique” individual expression of love for Krishna) is always with the marginal living entity even in Vaikuntha, and to take that ability (the sense of self) away from the marginal living entity in Vaikuntha, the jiva-tattva soul loses the individual ability to “give and accept love”.
This is because without free will we lose our sense of independence as a person of having a unique separate identity from all of other individual jiva-tattva souls, Vishnu tattvas, and Krishna Himself.
These are important points to understand.
We, the jiva-tattva souls are independent thinking souls eternally but simultaneously part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Krishna the cause of all causes meant to please the Lord as the unique “persons”.
Therefore, no one can force the jiva-soul to stay in Vaikuntha, that choice MUST be eternally yours (the jivatma)
Only Vishnu-tattvas and Vishnu-Sakti-tattvas never fall down from Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana because they ARE direct expansions of Krishna, playing different roles in Krishna's pastimes and have 93.75% of Krishna’s qualities (60 out of Krishna's 64 qualities) making them direct full expansions of Krishna Himself.
Some Visnu-Sakti-tattvas are gopis including Radharani, gopas, parents, lovers etc many, many different personalities.
Krishna’s brother Balarama is Vishnu-tattva, Srimati Radharani is Vishnu-Sakti-tattva expansion of Krishna, and many others are too, playing different parts in Krishna Lila.
Just like in Lord Caitanya’s pastimes where many are Vishnu-tattvas and Vishnu-Sakti-tattvas playing many of His devotees.
It is ONLY these residents of Vrindavana who NEVER fall down into forgetfulness.
And the fact is, more than 90% of jiva-tattva souls also “choose” to stay in Vaikuntha and NEVER fall down, which means entering the material creation seeking selfish desires.
All jiva tattvas have only 78.125% of Krishna’s qualities (50 out of Krishna's 64 qualities) can leave if they choose.
To be in Vaikuntha does not always guarantee you will stay there forever and never enter the material world again.
Although as already explained 90% never choose to forget Krishna because that is their desire and expression of free will, sadly some jiva souls DO choose to leave or fall from Vaikuntha however, Prabhupada explains it is only a very small minority who foolishly make that choice, less than 10%.
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”. (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Let's clear one thing up, falling into the material world has absolutely nothing to do with maya or the material energy because maya does not and can not exist in Vaikuntha.
The jiva-souls do not even know Maya or the material energy exists, however, they do have "free will and the ability to choose" and are aware that this quality is “eternally” part and parcel of the jiva-tattva’s makeup and exists in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.
We do not lose our independence and sense of individual identity once we enter Vaikuntha, we are eternally independent living entities even in Vaikuntha.
However, we always depend of Krishna in Vaikuntha, or His many Vishnu-tattva expansions like Maha Vishnu and Garbhodakashayi Vishnu who provide all facilities in the material creation.
We can never be truly independent because everything, all that is, belongs to Krishna. In other words we are always independent living entities but always depend on Krishna for our existence, just like the Sun-rays cannot exist without the Sun.
The fact is because we CAN "choose to be with Krishna or reject Him", then there can be increasing endeavors of loving exchange and reciprocation due to “choice”.
This is one of the reasons why the material universe was created - to give "reality" to that choice of rejecting and forgetting Krishna, just so the living entity can go to another place outside Vaikuntha and try to enjoy life without being Krishna conscious.
The marginal living entity or jiva-tattva souls MUST have that free will to choose to be with Krishna, or not be with Krishna if they want, instead of just being in Vaikuntha without having no choice or free will at all as some believe.
Such mentality that denies free will is actually impersonalism.
The point made here is the position of the jiva-tattva soul in Vaikuntha must be voluntary.
HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE
Once again to be truly free there must be the choice of Vaikuntha or its so called opposite where Krishna can be forgotten, the "material creation.
Without the jiva-tattva souls being able to choose Krishna or not there can never be love, Prabhupada has said to force love is called rape.
Srila Prabhupada - "So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krishna? Why not become Krishna?’ 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 Krishna 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 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 Krishna 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.)
It takes only free will to live separately from Krishna and this choice has nothing to do with maya or material energy as explained above - it is simple free will that allows us to be a independent person and enter the material creation too.
To do that one is given material bodies, a subtle and gross body that covers the spiritual form. In the material world, the jiva-soul or jiva-tattva has to put up with the gross material bodily vessel always being in a state of decline and decay, and then eventually being forced to take another gross material body when it ceases to function.
Also once in the material creation, you're on your own terms, you are responsible for all your actions good and bad, therefore karma begins as soon as you leave Vaikuntha.
No jiva-tattva souls originate from the dormant Brahmajyoti ot Brahman. Jiva sous often fall to impersonal Brahman or Brahmajyoti, but NEVER did the jiva-tattva souls originate from the impersonal Brahmajyoti as Srila Prabhupada tells us.
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 - “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 - “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 Krishna? Why not become Krishna?’ I immediately fall down.” (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
Srila Prabhupada - ''The actual constitutional position of every living entity is nitya-siddha, because God is eternal and His part and parcels, the living entities, they are also eternal. So that is nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha, sädhana-siddha, krpa-siddha-there are different grades. They are all described in The Nectar of Devotion. So one can become sadhana-siddha. (Caitanya-caritamrta, July 13, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada - ''By following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can also become siddha. He can become AGAIN nitya-siddha. So the Krsna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas AGAIN nitya-siddha, to bring them. It is a difficult task'' - (New York lecture on Caitanya-caritamrta, July 13, 1976)
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)
Once, an Indian political leader, Syamasundara Chakravarti, asked Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada.
“Why has the Lord granted such freedom to the jiva soul?”
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta told him, “You are fighting for freedom. Don’t you know the value of freedom?
Devoid of freedom, the soul is only matter.”
Freedom offers us the alternative to do right or wrong. Once, Gandhi told the British authorities, ”We want freedom.”‘ They replied, “You are not fit to have self-government. When you are fit, we shall give it to you.” But finally, he told them, “We want the freedom to do wrong.” So, freedom does not guarantee only acting in the right way; freedom has its value independent of right and wrong.
Free will is only absolute with the Absolute Truth. Because we are finite our free will is infinitesimal. The possibility of committing a mistake is there. Our first choice was to dominate and so, gradually we have entered the world of domination. As a result of this first action, everything else has developed.
So, in different ranks the species have been divided from the demigods down to the trees and stones. And watery bodies, gaseous bodies, anything that we find here has evolved in that way. The activating principle in any form of embryological development is the soul, and from the soul, everything has evolved.” (End of quote)
Srila Prabhupada makes our "original position" with Krishna very clear.
And yes, maya cannot be blamed for our fall down from Vaikuntha in any way because She, in her role as the personification of material energy, does NOT exist in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana, nothing material can exist there.
But free will does and always will exist in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana. Therefore "we" are responsible for our choices and actions.
Srila Prabhupada on the other hand chose to come here to serve Krishna's plan to attract the fallen souls in the material universe back home back to Godhead.
Many devotees also come here to preach Krishna Consciousness.
There are three ways the jiva-tattva souls can come here to the material creation
1 - As a devotee who preaches God Consciousness.
2 - As a devotee who plays the part as a great demon like Jai and Vijayi the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha.
3 - And those who "choose" to just forget and give up Krishna's association and do their own thing in the material creation.
Also one can never have material desires in Vaikuntha because Maya does NOT exist there.
Maya cannot be blamed for tempting us and causing our fall down from Vaikuntha in any way because She, in her role as the personification of material energy, does NOT exist in Vaikuntha.
Nothing material can exist there.
But ''free will'', ''independence'' and ''individuality'' does and always will exist in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.
We therefore leave because of free will and the ability to choose to accept or reject Krishna.
As an individual ''person'' endowed with independent thought and identity, we are able to make such chooses.
What does the majority of people think being a "PERSON" really means after you surrender to Krishna?
1 - Do they think it is becoming some "yes man or women" of Krishna in His Kingdom where one becomes a mindless none thinking denier of the "individual self" who has unique qualities that makes you an individual?
2 - Do they think surrender means we give up our individuality? Sadly, so many have no idea what real "personalism" is which is a word tied to individuality.
The idea of "don't think just do what your told" is impersonalist nonsense because it denies ''you'' to use your own abilities and talents to contribute something unique to your personality that no one else may have.
So no, "you" DO NOT give up your independent individuality and sense of self worth and esteem to be fully surrendered and "dependant" on Krishna, maintaining that giving up individuality is part of surrendering.
In fact in Goloka your individual independence and dependence on Krishna go together side by side increasing simultaneously at the same time and is always expanding in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.
It takes spiritual intelligence to understand what real surrender is, and that includes understanding ‘’you’’ are eternally an independent individual person with your own sense of "individual self" separate from all other individual jiva souls.
Although Krishna always accompanies all jiva tattva souls as a friend and witness to the jiva-souls individual choices and actions because we are eternally parts and parcels of the Lord.
Please read the above essay again, it explains we are all "unique individual persons" who are endowed with independent qualities allowing one to eternally give "THEIR OWN" best to Krishna.
HERE HERE HERE HERE
The jiva-souls are not part of an "all-one programmed none thinking impersonal collective" within God's Kingdom, no, that is a description of what hell is like.
Impersonalism means believing that in Vaikuntha we give up our free will, independence, individuality and unique personality and become part of an all-one collective consciousness.
Living an impersonal existence is to be devoid of individual thought that does not allow personal contributions that makes you, who you really are, as a person, as Krsna's eternal servant, as a unique living entity who can contribute the best of their'' individual abilities to Krsna.
On the other hand personalism means the individual jiva must be able to grow and flourish as an independent living being giving their own personal contributions of devotional service to Krsna.
To deny the jiva-souls their individuality and independent sense of identity and personality is a hell real Krsna devotees fear.
Only when the jiva-souls desires not to be with Krsna do they enter the material creation and realize Maya's existences and later, after becoming frustrated with the cycle of birth and death, do they attempt to merge into the impersonal Brahmajyoti.
Such an attemp to extinguish one's individual identity is spiritual suicide to a Vaisnava devotee.
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."
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." (May 13, 1973, Los Angeles)
Therefore "we" are responsible for our 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 - "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." (BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, NY City, Nov 23, 1966)
Srila Prabhupada - "We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be done or love cannot be executed only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (SB Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Love means two.
Srila Prabhupada - "Their (impersonalist) philosophy is oneness. So how there can be love, 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." (SB Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
The jiva-souls in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, never lose their free will, which means their own individual ability of self expression when choosing to voluntarily offer their own personal contributions that are unique to each individual jiva-soul.
Each jiva-soul as their full natural ''svarupa'' form in the spiritual worlds of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, have the eternal marginal quality of free will as part and parcel of their perpetual constitutional makeup.
In this way, each jiva-soul has their own individual sense of self, character and personality separate from Krsna's Personality, who are one of kind in the Spiritual Sky.
This eternally existing makeup of each jiva-soul, is without any beginning or ending point, and is part and parcel of every marginal living entities (jiva-souls).
This allows the jiva-soul to "personally" always be aware of their own individuality and independent nature while serving Krsna that is different from all other living entities in the Spiritual Sky.
This is a very important point to understand as we progress and mature in our Krsna Consciousness.
The relationship between Krsna and the jiva-soul is never one-sided, never forced, never impersonal, it is always reciprocal, nurturing, personal and voluntary, in a mood of good exchanges and feelings, only then can there be real love.
So the conclusion is Srimad Bhagavatam explains the fall down of the jiva-soul from Vaikuntha to the material creation found in the 4th Canto Chapter 28 text 53 of Srimad Bhagavatam where the Supreme Lord is disguised as a brahmana-
The brāhmaṇa 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." (SB 4th Canto Ch 28 text 53)
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