Free will therefore allows the jiva-souls to voluntarily contribute and participate in a "two-way" devotional exchange of self expression with Krsna, that forever enriches and deepens the relationship with Him in a variety of ways unique to each individual jiva-soul.
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." (SB, Canto 6 Ch 1 Text 1-4, Melb, Australia May 20, 1975)
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 the individual jiva-souls in the spiritual worlds can always voluntarily express themselves there in their own unique way by offerings personal contributions to Krsna.
Real loving reciprocation or service with Krsna ONLY exist when there are voluntary exchanges made possible because of "free will," which allows the jiva-souls to voluntarily contribute and participate in "two-way" devotional exchanges that enriches and deepens the jiva-souls relationship with Krsna in their own unique individual way.
Srila Prabhupāda – "Unless there are "two-persons," where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)
Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling, then there is love. Not by force! Krsna does not want to become a lover like that." (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada - "Love means two. There MUST be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. Therefore love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only one, there MUST be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, so there must be lover, there must be beloved. We must understand that love means you take and you give also. Suppose if you love somebody and you simply take from him, but you don't give. Oh, do you think it is very good? No, it is not good, that is NOT love, that is exploitation and forced obedience. If I go on simply taking from you, and if I don't offer you anything, that is simply exploitation." (Quotes from 1974, Vaniquotes)
Srila Prabhupada - "The impersonalist philosophy is oneness. So how there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience that love means one? No. Love means two. There MUST be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant." (Lecture SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
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 BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York City, Nov 23, 1966)
Loving exchanges, cooperation, reciprocation and voluntary expressions from the jiva-soul's unique personality, MUST be there as contributions to the relationship with Krsna, by serving Him in a "two-way" exchange that makes the relationship personal, caring and genuine.
Loving feelings and emotions towards Krsna can only exist in a "two-sided" exchange, where the jiva-souls can also voluntarily add to the relationship and friendship with Krsna.
In other words, love can ONLY exist when it is "voluntarily" expressed in a "two-way" exchange, where the jiva-soul's person unique contributions adds to one's relationship with Krsna, only be expressed by having free will.
Having the "free will" to voluntarily contribute to one's relationship with Krsna, allows the jiva-souls to participate in selflessly serving Krsna by contributing to the relationship in their own unique way, and not allow any so called "God" to impersonally control one's every thought, actions and deeds (offerings) like a puppet master controls and manipulates his puppets.
In the spiritual world the jiva-souls can never be influenced by maya or material energy because maya and the material energy, including "material" desires" do NOT exist there.
However, free will ALWAYS exists on the Vaikuntha planets and in Goloka-Vrindavana in its full potential.
Devotee - "Is material desires the cause of fall down, or is it misuse of free will?"
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." (Discussions on Rene Descartes philosophy)
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." (Melb, 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 dasa- "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 on Rene Descartes)
Without free will the jiva-souls would never have the vision to voluntarily contribute to their relationship with Kṛṣṇa, increasing and expanding their self awareness as Krsna’s eternal servant and ever increasing personal unique offerings to the Lord.
Bali Mardana dasa- "An example of free will is someone can choose Kṛṣṇa or turn away? Is that an example of free will?"
Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, because if you accept Kṛṣṇa, then you must follow what Kṛṣṇa says. If you don't follow Kṛṣṇa, then what is the use of talking of Kṛṣṇa? If he accepts Kṛṣṇa, he must abide by the injunction of Kṛṣṇa." (Morning Walk, Jan 22, 1974, Hawaii)
So, without free will, one is no better than dead stone that is unable to voluntarily receive or give 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." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)
Swedish man - "Is there free will?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, just like you are sitting here. If you don’t like, you can go away. That’s your free will. There is free will, we are part and parcel of God, therefore we have got minute quantity of freedom." (Temple lecture Stockholm Sweden 1974)
Srila Prabhupada explains that the jiva-souls always have free will, but only fully acted upon and realized in Goloka Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets, and greatly restricted in the material world.
Having free will in the spiritual world is necessary so the jiva-souls can voluntarily express themselves in the unique service of their choice to Krsna in a "two-sided" relationship of loving exchanges, cooperation and reciprocation.
Association between the devotee, Guru and Krsna is never an impersonal one-sided "puppet on a string forceful domination" where an aspiring devotee is often foolishly told to forget themselves and who they are as an individual, and just let Krsna flow through them and let Krsna do all the thinking and actions for then.
No, such a nonsense idea of "surrender" is self denial and impersonalism.
Such a bogus idea of "surrender to Krsna" is really attempting to extinguishing one's identity, individuality and the ability to voluntarily make contributing offerings to Krsna through personal acts of unique individual self expression.
The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) can only learn to "surrender" by voluntarily contributing to their relationship with Krsna in their own unique way.
The idea that "surrender" means forgetting yourself as an independent person, by giving up your "freedom of expression" (free will) and unique individuality that allows personal contributions, and NEVER being allowed to voluntarily express yourself as an individual, and only let Krsna completely control all your thoughts, deeds and actions, is not only impersonalism, but is spiritual SUICIDE!!
The individual jiva-souls are independent living entities in the spiritual world and have their own unique personality and sense of self that is separate from Krsna's Personality, yet are simultaneously dependent on Krsna as His parts and parcels.
However, this also means Krsna NEVER interferes with the free will and individual identities (personalities) of the jiva-souls.
The reason why Krsna gives the jiva-souls their independence and "free will" is so they can choose for themselves how to serve Him in their own unique personal way, or even reject Him if they choose.
This means the jiva-souls can always contribute their own unique offerings out of unconditional personal love, without the need of any pressure or force from Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada - "We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed only by 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 SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Surrender to Krsna in the spiritual world does not mean giving up your "free will" and allowing Krsna to control all your every actions, deeds, words and thoughts that extinguishes all voluntary contributions and personal offerings. No, the jiva-souls in the spiritual world are not programmed "mindless" drones who only obey and never contribute to the relationship with Krsna in their own unique way.
The jiva-souls can never lose their free will in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana and the individual ability of self expression by offering their own personal contributions to Krsna that are "unique" to each individual jiva-soul. Only by having free will can genuine loving exchanges and reciprocation take place, and without free will the jiva-soul is no better than dead stone Prabhupada has warned us.
Therefore, Krsna never interferes with the "free will" of the jiva-souls because if He did, and never allowed them to have their free will to make their own choices in the spiritual world, then that also would mean loving exchanges of voluntarily reciprocation with Krsna would never exist and spiritual life is a dead stagnated existence.
If one is forced to worship Krsna or Visnu then that is not love, it is tyranny, bullying and impersonalism.
The "impersonal" version of Krsna's abode of Goloka-Vrindavana or the Vaikuntha Planets where jiva-souls are forced to surrender their "free will" and allow their bogus version of Krsna (God) to take over their individual existence by doing all their thinking for them, as many nonsense sangas (religious cults) propagate, is dangerous impersonalism.
Having genuine "free will" on the other hand, 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 in a "two-way" loving exchange, is the bases of surrender in Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets which are the permanent eternal home and origin 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 as Prabhupada explains.
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 His kind selfless love. The jiva-soul's voluntarily accept this out of their unconditional love for Krsna ONLY when based on loving exchanges and reciprocation.
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.)
If the jiva-souls had no "free will" in the spiritual world then they are no better than dead stone Prabhupada tells us.
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. 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. This transcendental vibration of chanting-
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare
This 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. 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.
This chanting of-
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, surpassing all lower states of consciousness namely sensual, mental and intellectual. 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 are also the marginal potency of the Lord. The "marginal living entities" (jiva-souls) are described as a superior energy than matter. 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. 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, found on the cover of the "Happening Record Album" recorded Dec 1966 New York City, USA)
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 and suffer. What can be done? So because you are son of God you have acquired the quality of your father so God does not interfere with your independence (free will)." (Lecture Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
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 on Rene Descartes philosophy)
The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) never lose their "free will" over their eternal beginningless and endless existence.
It is important to understand there is no such thing as new jiva-souls being created because they have always existed and were never created.
We are all "old souls" because we have always existed. The jiva-souls are eternal spiritual living PERSONS and can never be destroyed, terminated or extinguished, the jiva-souls are indestructible.
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.” (BG, Ch 2 text 12, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change." (BG, Ch 2 text 13, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O son of Kuntī, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed." (BG, Ch 2 text 14, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for liberation." (BG, Ch 2 text 15, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent [the material body] there is no endurance and of the eternal [the soul] there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both." (BG, Ch 2 text 16, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul." (BG, Ch 2 text 17, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “The material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is sure to come to an end; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata." (BG, Ch 2 text 18, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - “Neither he who thinks the living entity the slayer nor he who thinks it slain is in knowledge, for the self slays not nor is slain." (BG, Ch 2 text 19, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (BG Ch 2 text 20 "corrected" 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O Pārtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible, eternal, unborn and immutable kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?" (BG, Ch 2 text 21, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones." (BG, Ch 2 text 22, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind." (BG, Ch 2 text 23, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same." (BG, Ch 2 text 24, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the material body." (BG, Ch 2 text 25, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "If, however, you think that the soul [or the symptoms of life] is always born and dies forever, you still have no reason to lament, O mighty armed." (BG, Ch 2 text 26, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "One who has taken his birth is sure to die, and after death one is sure to take birth again. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament." (BG, Ch 2 text 27, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state, and unmanifest again when annihilated. So what need is there for lamentation?" (BG, Ch 2 text 28, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all." (BG, Ch 2 text 29, 1983 edition)
Bhagavad Gita As It Is - "O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the material body can never be slain. Therefore, you need not grieve for any living being." (BG, Ch 2 text 30, 1983 edition)
Because all jīva-souls are ETERNAL then there are no new jiva-souls because they have ALWAYS existed.
Srila Prabhupada – "There are 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 dasa 9th July 1970)
The jiva-souls therefore are eternal spiritual living PERSONS and can never be destroyed, terminated or extinguished, the jiva-souls are indestructible.
There is no origin to Krsna's marginal energy who have existed for as long as Krsna has existed which is eternity.
Only matter is temporary, like the material bodily vessel the jiva-soul are in as passengers, while in the material world.
The jiva-souls are eternal and can never be destroyed, the material bodily vessels they are in as passengers, are temporary and are always in a state of decline and decay.
This means when the material vessels the jiva-souls are in, breaks down due to disease, decay or accidents, and ceases to function, the jiva-souls trapped within those decaying material vessels, are forced to vacate that decomposing material bodily vessel and take another body in the cycle of repeated birth and death in the material world.
The real home of the jiva-souls is with Krsna in the spiritual world, of either the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana.
Free will has nothing to do with the material body, "free will" is a symptom of the eternal jiva-soul and is the constitutional makeup of every marginal living entity (jīva-soul)
The jiva-soul's eternal position and home is in the Vaikuntha planets or within Krsna's central Abode of Goloka-Vrindavana where nothing material can exists and where nothing ever decays or fades away.^^^
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