The Brāhmaṇa said - "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, Canto 4 Ch 28 text 53)
The choice to enter the material world has nothing to do with Maya (material energy) because Maya does not exist in the spiritual world.
The marginal living entities (also known as jiva-tattva, jiva souls or jivatma) can fall down to this temporary material world from the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.
The jiva-souls do NOT originate from the material world, the impersonal brahman or the Body of Maha-Visnu, which are all fallen conditions of the jiva-souls.
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 dasa, 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 (free-will)."
Devotee – “But in 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, your free will. 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 the jiva-souls can never fall down from?
Answer - No, because the individual jiva-souls have free will and are independent living beings who have ALWAYS had a choice over infinity and can fall down from any position in the spiritual world.
Being permanently safe so one never falls down is not based on a place you can never fall down from on the Vaikuntha planet or on Goloka-Vrindavana.
It does not work that way because serving Krsna or Visnu is based on having the "free will" that allows the jiva-souls to voluntarily contribute to Krsna in their own unique way or reject Him if they choose.
If the jiva-souls are forced to love Krsna, then how can there be genuine love? There MUST always be a choice.
Genuine loving relationships are always a "two-way" street based on reciprocation and loving exchanges, it is never a slave domineering master relationship that only destroys one's ability of self expression (free will), and the sense of having an individual separate existence in the spiritual world the jiva-souls controls with their voluntary selfless service and contributions.
Voluntary remaining on the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana in the spiritual world eternally, is based on the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) responsible execution of their free will, that same free will allows them to leave Krsna or Visnu at anytime they like.
Being able to voluntarily choose to engage in loving exchanges in different ways while serving Krsna, is how devotional service really works in the spiritual world.
On the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, no two jiva-souls are the same, each has their own unique individual personality, character and spiritual bodily form eternally.
Even with such selfless emotions of loving devotion and dedication, the jiva-souls NEVER lose their free will, individuality identity and unique personality.
Each individual jiva-soul (marginal living entity) is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.
However, all jiva-souls have a "separate" existence from Krsna that He allows them to experience diversity, mystery, intrique and unique self expression.
The perpetual make up or constitution of the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) is they always have the freedom in the spiritual world to voluntarily serve Krsna in so many ways, or reject Him.
In this way, each jiva-soul has their own individual sense of self, unique character, personality and spiritual bodily features in the spiritual world based on how they want to voluntarily serve Krsna or Visnu.
Srila Prabhupada - "The jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is voluntary, some devotees want to serve Krsna as a flower; they become flower there. If I want to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna and become flower, voluntarily, and he can change 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.
The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) can NEVER lose their free will in the spiritual world which allows them to always voluntary choose how to serve Visnu on the Vaikuntha planets, or Kṛṣṇa on Goloka Vrindavana.
The individual jiva-souls in the spiritual world always voluntarily express themselves in their own unique way with their personal contributions they offer to Krsna.
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 – "You are part and parcel of God and have your independence, if he likes, he can return, that independence has to be accepted, we can misuse that. Such misuse is the cause of our falldown." (Conversation, Mayapur, Feb 19, 1976)
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)
This infinitly (eternity) is the makeup of each individual jiva-soul who each have no beginning or end.
This beginningless and endless existence of the jiva-souls, is part and parcel and the eternal constitution of every marginal living entity (jiva-soul) as Bhagavad Gita As It Is teaches.
The jiva-souls, as individual PERSONS eternally, are always aware of their own unique individuality and independent nature that is separate from Krsna's Personality.
This is the different between the other type of living entities in the spiritual world known as Visnu-tattva, who are direct expansions of Krsna in the spiritual world, they are Krsna Himself playing a different role in His own pastimes.
Free will allows the individual jiva-souls to voluntarily contribute or serve Krsna in the way they choose, in the way they want, or NOT serve Krsna at all if they choose.
This is the full meaning of Freedom.
If the jiva-souls can never fall down from the spiritual world as some foolishly believe, then they are NOT free in the spiritual world.
It is the jiva-soul's choice of what THEY want to offer and contribute to the Lord, which is the very best of their personal unique abilities and talents that they selflessly offer Krsna while serving the servants of the servants of the servants of Krsna in Goloka-Vrindavan or on one of the unlimited Vaikuntha planets.
Those jiva-souls who choose NOT to fall down from God's personal Kingdom in the spiritual world, is the jiva-souls personal responsibility and choice, and NOT Krsna.
It must be the choice of the jiva-souls to remain in the spiritual world or leave otherwise what is the point of having free will if one cannot decide for themselves what they want to do.
Free will means always having a choice and that includes living the the perpetual spiritual world, or living in the temporary material world.
Not even Kṛṣṇa interferes with the choices of the jiva-souls because Krsna NEVER forces us to love Him.
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, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)
Srila Prabhupāda – "Love means a relationship between two persons, then there is exchange, then there is love. I must deal with you open-hearted, you must deal with me open-hearted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things must be there." (Aug 9, 1976, Tehran)
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)
Srila Prabhupada - "We have got the propensity to love. Love means somebody else. Love cannot be one or love cannot be executed by only one, personally. There must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then love." (SB, Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - "The impersonalist philosophy is oneness, so how there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience that love means one? No. Love means two. There MUST be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover. He loves you so much that He's trying to get you back. That is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy, or My dear friend, My dear servant." (SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
On the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, no two jiva-souls are the same, each has their own unique individual personality, character and spiritual bodily form eternally.
Srila Prabhupada explains in "Nectar of Devotion", that just like the Sun cannot be separated from the sun-rays, similarly Krsna is meaningless without the association of His loving devotees.
Srila Prabhupada explains - "As the sun disc and the sunshine cannot be separated, Kṛṣṇa and His bodily rays, the brahmajyoti, cannot be separated." (Krsna Book, 89)
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.
Srila Prabhupada explained to us many years ago -
“If you love me, then I will love you”
as an example that there must always be loving cooperation on a "two-way street" responding in kindness."
The fact is 90% of all living entities choose NOT fall down from Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana because they "choose" not to do so. That "choice" is always with the marginal living entities or jiva-souls as well.
The jiva-souls (marginal living entity) have 78.125% of Krsna's qualities, which means they have 50 of Krsna's 64 qualities.
This puts the marginal living entities (jiva-souls) in an independent state of being, with their own unique personality, spiritual bodily features and character totally separate from Krsna's Personality and demands.
The jiva-souls in the spiritual world always have their own "sense of independent self, identity, personality, individuality, and the ability to choose or contribute for themselves.
This also naturally means the jiva-souls have the ability to agree or not agree with Krsna if they choose. Once again, having these qualities is the real meaning of Freedom and without the above qualities one is just a mindless slave.
Some foolish immature devotees even pray to be Kṛṣṇa's mindless slave, or to become an ecstatic motionless atom in His lotus feet (Actually a very selfish desire)
The sense of individuality allows the jiva-soul the to choose Krsna or choose to be separate from Krsna and enter the material creation.
Remember, Maya or the material energy, does NOT exist on the Vaikuntha planets or in Goloka-Vrindavana, so Maya is unknown to the jiva-souls (marginal living entities) in both the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.
However, having "free will, individuality, independence, experiencing a unique sense of individual self, and the ability to express all these qualities is eternally the constitutional makeup of all marginal living entities (jiva-souls) on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.
The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are minor separate expansions of the Lord who have their own independent identity and personality and therefore NOT full expansions of Kṛṣṇa like the Visnu-tattva Personalities are.
The jiva-souls have their own unique personality unlike the direct Visnu-tattva expansions who are all almost direct expansions of Krsna.
The Visnu-tattva expansions have 60 of Krsna's 64 qualities which is exactly 93.75%. They ARE Krsna just playing another role in His own pastimes.
If free will is taken away from the marginal living entities (jiva-souls), then they would lose their ability to voluntarily give and accept love, and would be no better than dead stone or a mindless machine drone.
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 the free will, as part of their marginal constitutional make up, to choose to be on the Vaikuntha planets, Goloka-Vrindavana or in the material world.
Sadly, a small minority of jiva-souls do choose to leave the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavan (less than 10%), regardless of how some have foolishly claimed no one can ever fall down from the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana which is nonsense!
In fact over "infinity" most jiva-souls have entered the material world at least once however, it is true most jiva-souls choose to never to the temporary decaying material world again.
But still there are some who wrongly claim those in the spiritual world can never fall to the material world once there, claiming you give up your free will once in the spiritual 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." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)
In the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, the individual jiva-souls are never denied their independent nature of voluntary service and personal contributions.
The jiva-souls never attempt to extinguish their individual identity, independent contributions, free will and unique character and personality, thinking by giving these up is the real meaning of surrendering to Krsna. No, actually this nonsense idea of surrender is impersonalism and spiritual suicide.
Being the unique individual PERSON the jiva-souls eternally are, always have their free will in the spiritual world. This allows them to voluntarily serve Krsna the way the choose, or reject His assocition also.
Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom." (Dialectical Spiritualism)
If the rebellious jiva-souls want, they can stay in the temporary material world for an almost eternity, they CAN stay in the temporary decaying material universe's cycles of birth and death and cycles of annihilation and creations for an "almost" infinity! Or within the "inactive" formless impersonal brahman (brahmajyoti).
However, both the material world and impersonal brahmajyoti are also temporary places for the jiva-souls, even though they can stay there for many, many creations of Maha-Visnu (His breathing in and out).
Being in the material world, or being merged in the impersonal brahmajyoti, are also temporary, meaning at any time, if the fallen jiva-souls choose, they can return back home back to Godhead.
Having free will enables the jiva-souls to contribute in their own unique way instead of being a mindless puppet controlled by the strings of a dictatorial puppet master. To voluntarily serve Krsna in one's own unique way, is what surrender really means.
Having individual freedom (free will) is the quality the jiva-souls must have so they can expression themselves as an independent PERSON. This is the constitutional make up of every jiva-soul.
To say those on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana will never ever fall down IS true - but ONLY for those jiva-souls who choose NOT to fall down.
If the jiva-souls want to leave the spiritual world, they certainly can at any time otherwise free will has no meaning.
To make a blanket comment that "not even the leaves fall from the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavana" certainly does NOT take into consideration the free will the individual jiva-souls eternally have.
To leave the spiritual and enter 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.
The fact is, there IS return if the jiva-souls want to return to the material world. This is ALWAYS possible because of free will.
Srila Prabhupada explains the jiva-souls CAN fall down from both the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana at any time they choose.
Acyutananda – "In the Bhagavad Gita it says, “Once coming to the spiritual world, he never returns to the material world, He can return?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Yes, if he likes he can return, that is voluntary."
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 also explains here, that choice to stay or go is always the jiva-souls choice and not just Krsna dictating His will over the jiva-souls
For love to truly exist with the jiva-soul (jivatma or jiva-tattv we MUST have the the right to choose to leave Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana at anytime, therefore returning there is not necessarily permanent Prabhupada explains here.
Syamasundara - "Can we predict the process of returning back home back to Godhead will be permanent? Can we predict that? Just like many prisoners leave the prison, but some come back."
Srila Prabhupada - "No, there is no permanent effect because we have got little independence and can change our mind at any time. There is nothing permanent because you can misuse your independence at any time."
Syamasundara - "And some come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "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 - "No, there is no question of permanent because he has got independence (free will in the spiritual world), he can misuse his independence at any time and 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 on Henri Bergson philosophy)
For those who believe no one can ever fall down from the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana, have NOT understood only a very small minority of jiva-souls, less then 10%, who choose to leave.
They have NOT understood there are many different inhabitants of Vrindavana who are also Viṣṇu-tattva (Krsna's direct expansion) who never fall down because they ARE Krsna playing a different role in His eternal pastimes.
Over 90% of jiva-souls never fall down to the material world because they NEVER "choose" 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 Goloka-Vrindavana and there is no possibility of falling back to the material world?"
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 become intelligent. Why going back to Godhead? Just like we are in renounced order of life. So we have renounced our family life after thinking something. Now, if somebody comes, “Swamiji, you take thousand millions of dollars and marry again and become a family man,” I’ll never become, because I have got my bad experience. I’ll never become." (Discussions with Syamasundara Dasa)
However, there will always be a very small minority of jiva-souls (not the direct expansions"of Krsna) who misuse their free will ability and leave the spiritual world.
Free will is eternal on the Vaikuntha planets and in Goloka Vrindavan, and without our sovereignty as an individual living being (jiva-soul) who is able to either forget or remember Krsna, then we would have no better than dead matter.
No individuality, no independent personality, and no ability to have loving reciprocation in a "two-way" exchange. We would simply be mindless yes men and woman or like a dead machines in a factory drones.
Srila Prabhupada - “So everyone should 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 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 are part and parcel of God and have your independence, if he likes, he can return, that independence has to be accepted, we can misuse that. Such misuse is the cause of our falldown." (Conversation, Mayapur, Feb 19, 1976)
Krsna has many different energies (sakti), jiva-tattva or jiva-souls (the marginal living entities) is one, matter (mahat-tattva) is one, the consorts of the Lord headed by Srimati Radharani (Visnu-"sakti"-tattva), are one, Lord Siva (Siva-tattva) is one.
"Sakti" means the different energies of Kṛṣṇa however, when referring to the direct expansions of Krsna, those sakti entities are called Visnu-"sakti"-tattva
Therefore we are all "sakti-tattva" because we are all Krsna's energy.
However, there are different categories, we are the jiva-tattva living entities known as the the ''marginal living entities or jiva-souls, while others sakti-tattvas entities are part of Krsna's internal potency or energy Known different than Krsna.
The Visnu-"sakti"-tattva and Visnu-tattva Personalities are ''the eternal inhabitants of Vrindavana who never fall down or choose to forget Krsna because THEY are direct expansions of Krsna Himself, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa's internal potency of unlimited direct expansions and associates.
In other words, the Visnu-"sakti"-tattva and Visnu-tattva are Krsna playing a variety of unlimited roles within His own pastimes.
The Pancha-tattva 5 are a combination of different expansions of Krsna.
1 - Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the combination of Radharani and Krsna.
2 - Lord Nityānanda is Balarāma
There are the Visnu-"sakti"-tattva, Visnu-tattva expansions, and then there is Siva-tattva in his own unique category.
3 - Śrī Advaita - Lord Siva shares a spiritual body with Maha-Visnu in the Pancha-tattva
4 - Śrī Gadādhara Pandit is the combined power of Kṛṣṇa's internal energy headed by Radharani (Śakti).
5 - And the 5th is Śrīvāsa, jiva-tattva (jiva-soul) who is also Narada Muni.
Srila Prabhupada - ''Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Śrī Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Śrī Gadādhara, and Śrīvāsādi. Śrīvāsādi means jīva-tattva. The jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, viṣṇu-tattva, these are all tattvas. So Pañca-tattva. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is the supreme tattva, Kṛṣṇa. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya, rādhā-kṛṣṇa nahe anya. We are worshipping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya is Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa combined." (Lecture CC Adi-lila 7.5, Mayapur, March 7, 1974)
The Five Features of Pancha Tattva.
1 - Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is Kṛṣṇa Himself (Svayam Bhagavan) and the combination of Radharani and Krsna
2 - Śrī Nityānānda Prabhu is Kṛṣṇa's first personal expansion with the combined power of Balarama.
3 - Śrī Advaita Ācārya is the combined power of Śri Viṣṇu and Śri Śiva (Harihara).
4 - Śrī Śrīvāsa Thakura is Kṛṣṇa's pure devotee (jiva-soul) and symbolizes devotion (Bhakti).
5 - Śrī Gadadhāra Pandita is the combined power of Kṛṣṇa's internal energy lead by Srimati Radharani (Śakti).
Caitanya Caritamrita - "I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa, who is nondifferent from His features as a devotee (bhakta-rūpa; Śrī Caitanya), devotional incarnation (svarūpakam; Śrī Nityānānda), devotional manifestation (bhaktāvatāraṁ; Śrī Advaita), pure devotee (bhaktākhyaṁ; Śrī Śrīvāsa), and devotional energy (bhakta-śaktikam ŚrīGadadhāra)."[CC Adi 1.147.6]
"Sakti-tattva" NOT only means the internal energy headed by Srimati Radharani because the word "sakti" also means all the various energies of Kṛṣṇa.
When using the word "sakti" to describe Krsna's internal energy headed by Srimati Radharani, "Visnu-"sakti"-tattva" is used while "sakti" is also used for all of Krsna’s energies.
Therefore, the correct understanding is that all of Krsna’s energies are under the broader category of sakti-tattva.
Srila Prabhupada - ''There are Viṣṇu-tattva, jīva-tattva and sakti-tattva. Viṣṇu-tattva is the Supreme Absolute Truth, jīva-tattva is part and parcel, and sakti-tattva is the energy of God." (Lecture SB, Canto Ch 5 Text 15, New Vrindaban, June 19, 1969)
Technically, a personality who is sakti-tattva are really Visnu-"sakti"-tattva because they are direct expansions of Krsna also having 93.75% of Krsna's qualities like the Visnu-tattva expansions have.
Sakti-tattva the energy of Krsna are eternally occupied with their service to the Lord, such expansions have only the desire to please Krsna or His Visnu expansion, they can never be covered by Maya and their concept of free will and independence is only to please Krsna or Visnu because they ARE indirect and direct expansions of Godhead with 93.75% of Krsna's qualities (60 of Krsna's 64 qualities).
Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are made up of many Visnu-"sakti"-tattvas and Visnu-tattvas expansions such as gopis, gopas and many, many others.
There is also jiva-tattvas playing many roles too in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrndavana as well, just like the Visnu-"sakti"-tattva are, but they are jiva-tattva (jiva-soul).
In Vrindavana, no one knows who is who, who is jiva-tattva, who is Visnu-"sakti"-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, Visnu-"sakti"-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 Visnu-tattva forms expand from.
This means the only difference between Srimati Radharani and Krsna, and Lord Balarama and Krsna, is Lord Krsna IS the Supreme Personality of Godhead and ORIGINAL cause of all causes.
And that Krsna also has 4 more qualities than His Visnu-tattva/Narayana expansions.
Lord Krsna has 64 qualities which is having 100% of His own attributes.
Visnu-tattva has 60 qualities which is 93.75% of Krsna's 64 quantities
Visnu-"sakti"-tattva has 60 qualities of Krsna's 64 qualities which is also 93.75%.
Siva-tattva has 55 of Krsna's 64 qualities which is 85.938%.
Jiva-tattva (jiva-soul) has 50 of Krsna's 64 qualities which is 78.125%.
The jiva-souls can NEVER be Visnu-tattva and have 93.75% of Krsna’s qualities like Visnu/Narayana does.
Nor can the jiva-souls become Siva and have 85.938% of Krsna's qualities like Siva has.
And the jiva-souls can never lose their separate individual unique sense of independence either.
As said above, all the variety of living entities and matter (the mahat-tattva) are "sakti" (energy) expansions of Krsna and always connected to Krsna like the sun-rays are always connected to the Sun-disc.
The jiva-souls are parts and parcel of the Lord, they have "their own" sense of self of being a separate independent free thinking individual from Krsna's absolute.
Srila Prabhupada - The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa the maintainer of all and cause of all causes. We are "separate and none separate" from Krsna 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 separated independent jiva-souls are eternally different from direct expansions of Krsna, just like the unlimited Visnu-tattvas beginning with Balarama and including Krsna's intimate expansion and eternal associate Srimati Radharani.
However, both the jiva-souls and the Visnu-tattvas can play the part of gopis, cowherd boys in Krsna lila and no one really knows if some are a jiva-souls or direct expansions of of Krsna (Visnu-tattva)
The Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana have so many expansions of Krsna (Visnu-tattva) that it is mind boggling.
The jiva-souls can play the role of a gopa or gopi just like the Visnu-"sakti"-tattva and Visnu-tattva also can but the jiva-souls can NEVER become Visnu-"sakti"-tattva or Visnu-tattva (Krsna Himself expanded as multiple personalities)
The jiva-souls can ALWAYS choose how to appear on the Vaikuntha planets, or on Goloka-Vrindavan, and therefore play many roles from a blade of grass to Brahma.
However, the marginal living entity ALWAYS remain jiva-soul and can NEVER become God (Visnu-tattva)
The individual jiva-souls, unlike the Visnu-"sakti"-tattva and Visnu tattvas, can forget Krsna if they choose and enter the mahat tattva (the material creation of Maha-Visnu as nitya baddha (materially conditioned) and think they are an independent god.
Visnu-tattvas and Visnu-"sakti"-tattvas do not ever forget Krsna because they ARE direct expansions of Krsna and only carry out the will of God because they ARE God (Krsna) playing a different part in His own pastimes.
The jiva-soul's eternal constitution position as an eternal spiritual bodily form eternally exists for infinity.
The individual jiva-soul's spiritual bodily form, is fully realized only on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana (the spiritual world) and never in the temporary decaying material world.
All conditioned jiva-souls in the material world, trapped in the cycle of repeated birth and death, are forced to transmigrate through 8 million 400 thousand species of life, the human body is very, very rare.
The individual jiva-souls fallen to the material world from the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana, have to wake up from this mundane temporary material dream of repeated birth and death of the material bodily vessels and return back home back to Godhead.
On the Vaikuntha planets and in Goloka Vrindavan, there is no concept of past and future, only the awareness of the "eternal presence'' of Krsna's pastimes infinitely exist in God's non-material permanent Kingdom.
In the spiritual world ALL individual jiva-souls are independent unique contributing PERSON eternally, existing there voluntarily serving Visnu or Krsna.
The universe is NOT an' 'all-one" impersonal all pervading consciousness that plays out different roles only while contained in different material bodily vessels and then merges back into the oneness at the demise (death) of the material bodily container.
Although Krsna and His unlimited direct Visnu-tattva and Visnu-"sakti"-tattvas expansions are "all-one," expanding from the spiritual Bodily form of Krsna who is NEVER impersonal.
The separated individual jiva-souls expansion of Krsna ALWAYS have their own unique sense of self or independent 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 are all individual PERSONS on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana eternally.
Everything in the spiritual world is alive and individual personalities! No jiva-souls can merge into another jiva-soul and become one (impersonalism) because ALL jiva-souls are eternally individuals serving Krsna in their full potential.
Of course in the material world the jiva-souls individuality and free will becomes covered by the many different species of material bodies, (8 million 400 thousand species of life) but underneath it all, the jiva-souls are eternal individual PERSONS.
Therefore, it is very important to understand the jiva-souls eternally have a "sense of independence" who voluntarily serve Krsna.
HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE.
individuality as jiva-souls". And this is what "marginal" means, that makes us the unique individual "persons" we eternally are.
To say you can never leave Goloka-Vrindavana 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.
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.
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 Krsna) 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-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-souls, Visnu tattvas, and Krsna Himself. These are important points to understand.
We, the jiva-souls are independent thinking souls eternally but simultaneously part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Kṛṣṇa 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 jiva-soul)
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 Krsna 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-soul'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 Krsna in Vaikuntha, or His many Visnu-tattva expansions like Maha-Visnu and Garbhodakashayi Visnu who provide all facilities in the material creation.
We can never be truly independent because everything, all that is, belongs to Krsna. In other words we are always independent living entities but always depend on Krsna for our existence, just like the sun-rays cannot exist without the Sun.
The fact is because we CAN "choose to be with Krsna 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 Krsna, just so the living entity can go to another place outside Vaikuntha and try to enjoy life without being Krsna conscious.
The marginal living entity or jiva-souls MUST have that free will to choose to be with Krsna, or not be with Krsna 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-soul on the Vaikuntha planets and in Goloka Vrindavan must be voluntary. Who you love and who you choose to serve MUST be voluntary.
Many cannot understand these facts about the importance of free will, individuality, identity and the sense of self worth of being a unique person who can give selfless ever increasing love or service in their own way to Krsna.
These qualities are based on the importance of the individual's ability to have "choices" within their experiences as a individual person.
To be truly free there must be the choice of being on the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana serving Visnu or Krsna, or its opposite where Krsna and Visnu can be forgotten, the material creation.
Without the jiva-souls being able to choose Krsna, or not choose Krsna, there can NEVER be reciprocation, loving exchanges and a two-way dialogue.
Srila Prabhupada - ''So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krishna? 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 He save me from thinking like that? ”
Srila Prabhupada - “That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, ‘You love me, you love me, you love me.’ ” Is it love? “You love me, otherwise I will kill you!’ Is that love? So Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?” (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
It takes only free will to live separately from Krsna 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 jivatma has to put up with the gross material body always being in a state of decay and then eventually being forced to take another gross material body. Once in the material creation, the fallen jiva-souls are on their own terms and are responsible for their actions (karma)
No jiva-souls originate from the dormant brahmajyoti or brahman however, jiva-souls often fall to impersonal brahmajyoti, but NEVER did the jiva-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 BG, Aug 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." (Hare Krsna "Happening record album" New York City Dec 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 - ''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." (CC, 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 City lecture CC, 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, Canto 4 Ch 29 text 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 "infinite original position" with Krsna very clear.
And yes, maya cannot be blamed for our fall down from the Vaikuntha planets in any way because She, in her role as the personification of material energy, does NOT exist in there or Goloka-Vrindavana, nothing material can exist there.
But free will always exists on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavana. And the jiva-souls are always responsible for their choices and actions in the spiritual world and while in the human form in the material world.
Srila Prabhupada on the other hand chose to come here to serve Krsna's plan to attract the fallen jiva-souls in the material universe back home back to Godhead.
Many devotees also come here to preach Krsna 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 Krsna'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 on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana.
Nothing material can exist there in the Vaikuntha planets or Goloka-Vrindavana.
But free will, independence and individuality does and always will exist on the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka Vrindavana.
We therefore leave because of free will and the ability to choose to accept or reject Krsna.
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 Krsna?
1 - Do they think it is becoming some "yes man or women" of Krsna 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 and spiritual bodily form.
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 Krsna, maintaining that giving up individuality is part of surrendering.
In fact in Goloka your individual independence and dependence on Krsna 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 Krsna 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 Krsna.
The jiva-soul is 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 and individuality 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 Krishna'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 eternal jiva-soul's unique individuality and their independent identity is the real hellish life Krsna devotees fear.
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.” So, they can choose 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 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 – "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 Dasa, 25 April 1970).**.
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