Proper understanding of "free will" and "surrender" is NOT correctly understood in both ISKCON and the Gaudiya Math Sangas.

Proper understanding of "free will" and "surrender" is NOT correctly followed in both ISKCON and the Gaudiya Math Sangas in these early Western World pioneering years.

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

These comments by Srila Prabhupada, very few properly understand. 

Most foolishly believe to enter Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana, one must extinguish or surrender their free will and just allow Krishna to completely control your every actions and thoughts.

Sadly most do not even care to stop this nonsense impersonalism.

This is because they enjoy having "mindless yes men and women" followers around them that they do the thinking for, and who obey without question.

To these fools this blind obedience is the meaning of surrender.

Many devotees today have absolutely no idea what "free will" really is or means, or what "surrender" really means including many naive arrogent gurus and sannyasis.

Sadly their ignorance and fanaticism is stagnating the advancement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's great Sankirtan Movement. 

Devotee - "Srila Prabhupada why did Krishna give us free will if He knew we would miss use it in the material world?"

Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must have free will! But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life". (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

Free will is something never acquired, nor ever given up in the Spiritual World as these ignorant fools believe. 

Free will is eternally part and parcel of the jiva souls (marginal living entities) natural constitution and therefore ALWAYS exists in the Spiritual Planets.

However, free will in its full potential, is ONLY fully experienced in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan, which is the jiva souls original perpetual home.

Only in the material creation is free will completely covered over restricted and suppressed by material nature and karma. 

Losing one's free will (only covered over and never really lost) therefore is only experienced if the jiva soul foolishly chooses to enter the darkness of the material creation and be confined to temporary material bodily containers.

Therefore the jiva souls full Spiritual potential of being a free individual in the Spiritual world serving Krishna, is mostly lost if they choose to enter the material creation.

All jiva souls originally HAVE free will as part of their perpetual constitution make up, but can be forgotten (not ever lost) if they choose to enter the material creation.

Therefore in the material creation, the jiva souls original expression of freedom (free will) becomes covered over, suppressed and forgotten and must be AGAIN revived so the jiva soul is reinstated to their original spiritual position.

This revival is only possible by the process of Krishna Consciousness under the guidance of a bonafide Spiritual Master.

Devotee – "In Srimad Bhagavatam, it says that Krishna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krishna did not want us to come, why are we here?” 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).

Acyutananda - ''So what made the soul take birth in the first place, what is the cause of the first birth in the material world?''.

Srila Prabhupada - ''Yes that is stated in the Prema-vivarta -"We are eternal servant of Krsna. As soon as we want to become master, that is the beginning of our first birth in the material world". 

We have got independence. Krsna says, mamaivamso jiva bhutah—we are part and parcel of Krsna—so Krsna has got full independence, but we are minute; therefore we have got minute independence. 

Our business is to serve Krsna, but as soon as we choose to give up this idea and want to become master, then that is the beginning of our material birth''. (Lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.2--Hyderabad, April 11, 1975)

Acyutananda - ''But in the Gita, it says once returning back home, back to Godhead he never again goes to the material as world."

Srila Prabhupada - ''But if he likes, he can return''.

Acyutananda - ''He can return?''

Srila Prabhupada - ''That independence has to be accepted, we can misuse that and is the cause of our falldown''. (Morning Walk, February 19, 1976, Mayapur)

The jiva souls in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana therefore are forever expanding their sense of individuality with personal offerings based on selfless loving reciprocation with Krishna, it is NEVER a one sided master/slave relationship with the Lord.

Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Real love or Bhakti is reciprocal, as said above, it is NEVER a one way street where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self, individuality and personal contributions.

This is important to understand because each individual jiva-soul has their own independent personality, sense of self and unique characteristics that THEY only individually have, that is part and parcel of each individual marginal living entities make up as the independent eternal "person" they are.

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”. (Conversation in Melbourne, Australia June 25, 1974 between Srila Prabhupada and his disciples)

The jiva-soul in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, NEVER lose their free will, which means their own individual ability of self expression when choosing to offer their own personal contributions that are unique to each individual jiva-soul.

Each jiva-soul in their full natural spiritual potential in the Spiritual Worlds of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, have this eternal marginal quality of free will as already emphasised.

The fact is, Krishna actually NEVER gave the individual marginal living entities (jiva-tattva souls) free will BECAUSE the jiva-tattva souls HAVE ALWAYS HAD FREE WILL as part of their perpetual constitutional make up!

Just like Krishna NEVER created the marginal living entities or jiva souls because they have ALWAYS existed without having any beginning or will never cease to be.

Bhagavad Gita As It Is Chapter 2 Text 20 explains -

''For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain''.

Srila Prabhupada – There is no “ NEW” soul. “New'’ and “old'’ are due to this material body, but the soul is NEVER born and NEVER dies, so if there is no birth, so how there can be new soul?''. (Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970)

Therefore like Krishna, the individual jiva-souls are beginningless and endless and are always perpetually together like the Sun and the sun rays are also inseparable.

Therefore there is no beginning point where "free will" began because it is eternal.

We must all try to understand that love can ONLY exist in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana the Spiritual World when there is free will Prabhupada told us all those years ago.

Srila Prabhupāda - ''Unless there are two persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, there is exchange. Giving something, taking something, feeding something and to eat something, and speaking everything, no secrecy, and to know everything of the other person. When these things are transacted, 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". (Evening Darsana, August 9, 1976, Tehran) 

With such selfless emotions of loving devotion, the jiva-soul NEVER loses their free will, which means their own individual ability of self expression, when choosing to offer their own personal contributions that are unique to each individual souls (jiva-tattva)

Each jiva-soul has this eternal marginal quality, which is part and parcel of there perpetual make up or constitution as being the marginal living entity or jiva-tattva-soul they eternally are.

In this way, each of the jiva-soul's have their own individual sense of self, character and personality and being a unique one of a kind in the Spiritual Sky, unlike any other jiva-soul.

Again it is important to understand that no two jiva-souls are the same.

This eternally existing spiritual social code, that includes free will and an independent personal sense of individual self, make up the character and personality of each jiva soul that is without any beginning or ending point, and is part and parcel of every marginal living entities (jiva-souls) eternal constitution.

This allows the jiva-soul to personally always be aware that they are a unique individual independent person while serving Krishna, being different from all other living entities in the Spiritual Sky.

Free will means, it is the jiva soul's choice of how to they want surrender and serve Krishna, or even not surrender if they choose.

However, the fact is, more than 90% of jiva souls NEVER choose to foolishly enter the material creation.

Only less than 10% foolishly choose to enter the material creation Prabhupada tells us.

It is also their choice of what THEY want to offer and contribute to the Lord, which is the very best from their personal unique abilities and talents they voluntarily choose to selflessly offer to Krishna.**

Krsna is like the "Sun-disc" and all of his different expansions of living entities are like the "sun-rays".

Krsna is like the "Sun-disc" and all of his different expansions of living entities are like the "sun-rays".

Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes is like the "Sun Globe" and all of his different expansions are like the "Sunrays" (sakti)

So what are the different categories of Krishna's "parts and parcels" or different expansions?

Krishna's love is based on personal intimate exchanges and reciprocation with His devotees (individual parts and parcels called sakti energy) 

The love Krishna has for His devotees is far greater than any of them can ever have for Him.

Krishna therefore is like the "Sunglobe" and all of His different categories of "sakti" expansions are like the "sunrays".

These "sun-rays" who are the individual living entities, are called the sakti-tattva energy of Krishna however, there are different categories of sakti energy. 

The Sakti-tattva energy of Krishna also includes 4 different individual categories of living entities called 

1 - jiva-tattva, 

2 - shiva-tattva,

3 - Vishnu-sakti-tattva, 

4 - Vishnu tattva.

However the Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva expansions are "all-one" with Krishna, unlike the individual jiva-tattva souls who have their own sense of self, personality, character, independence and individuality.

In simple terms, the jiva-tattvas are NOT Krishna, Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu-sakti-tattva.

Shiva-tattva is in a league of his own, he is neither jiva-tattva, Vishnu-sakti-tattva or Vishnu-tattva.

In this way Sakti-tattva is divided into four categories, all are like the Sunrays and Krishna is like the central Sun globe surrounded by the Sunrays.

These sunrays (sakti) perpetually  emanating from and surrounding the Sun (Krishna) are in different categories.

So what are the categories of Krishna's sakti ("parts and parcels") that are all different expansions of Krishna?

1 - Vishnu-tattvas have 93.75% of Krishna's qualities which is 60 attributes out of Krishna's 64 attributes, like Krishna's older brother Balarama, and Vishnu or Narayana in each Vaikuntha Planet, or Maha Vishnu, Garbhodakashayi Visnu and Paramatma who enter the material creation.

2 - Sakti-vishnu-tattvas have 93.75% of Krishna's qualities which is 60 attributes out of Krishna's 64 attributes, like Srimati Radharani, some leading gopis and gopas and other associates and residents of Vrindavan, including many others who appear in Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's lila or pastimes on Earth.

None of these can ever fall down to the material world because they ARE "direct" expansions of Krishna, meaning they ARE Krishna's personality expressed in a different way according to pastime. 

In other words both Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattvas ARE Krishna Himself playing another role in His own pastimes.

Many of the living entites are both Vishnu-sakti-tattvas and Vishnu-tattvas in the Spiritual World of Goloka-Vrindavana and the unlimited Vaikuntha planets, and many others are also jiva-tattva souls like us. 

And, as explained above, both Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva can NEVER fall down and forget Krishna because THEY are already the full expansions of Krishna's personality just playing another role in His unlimited pastimes (lilas) in either the Vaikuntha Planets, Goloka Vrindavan, or in the material creation.

In other words, all Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva ARE Krishna in a different forms experiencing His own pastimes.

3 - Shiva-tattva has 84.375% of Krishna's qualities which is 54 attributes out of Krishna's 64 attributes.

Lord Shiva is in a league of His own. 

Many scholars believe Hanuman is an incarnation of Shiva, but not all. There are many incarnations of Shiva however, he can never be Vishnu-tattva or Vishnu-sakti-tattva. 

Although Shiva and a Vishnu-tattva form can merge as one which really means a Vishnu-tattva form is in "the mood" of Shiva. 

Once Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu adapted the "mood" of Shiva, not that He is Shiva. 

This can also be the same for other Vishnu-tattva expansions that are tinged with Lord Shiva's attributes. 

4 - Jiva-tattvas have 78.125% of Krishna's qualities which is 50 attributes out of Krishna's 64 attributes.

The Jiva-tattvas are known as the "marginal living entities", they are also Krishna's sakti expansions but NOT direct full expansions like Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva explansions or a special expansion in a league of their own like Shiva-tattva. 

The individual jiva-tattvas or marginal living entities are NOT directly krishna like the above 2 categories of Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva are.

Shiva is NOT Vishnu-tattva, Vishnu-sakti-tattva or jiva tattva). 

The jiva-tattvas or marginal living entities are independent free thinking thinking living entities who have full free will in the Spiritual Planets (not fully in the material creation though). 

The jiva souls in their full potential in both Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, are individual living entities with their own sense of self, personality, individuality and character eternally who can choose for themselves how to serve Krishna, or even not serve Him if they choose.

The marginal living entities (jiva-tattvas) are also known as the jiva soul or jivatma, they have their own "sense of individual self" that is independent and separate from Krishna's personality, therefore, they are their own person yet are always fully dependent on Krishna's energies whether in the Spiritual or material worlds. 

This is because EVERYTHING is under His control because Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.

In this way, all jiva-tattva souls have free will eternally as part of their marginal spiritual make up that allows them to have the ability to choose for themselves in both Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavan as part of their marginal constitution.

This means, as separate thinking living entities, the jiva soul can choose to be with Krishna or Vishnu, or reject the Lord and enter the material creation if they want, such freedom ONLY fully exists in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana.

In the material creation freedom is almost none existant because as soon as the jiva-tattva soul takes a material bodily vessel, the embodied soul becomes trapped and entangled under the influence of material nature.

The hash control from material nature includes the animalistic instincts of eating, sleeping, mating and defending that directs and forces the destiny of all lower species of life.

No karma is created in the lower species of life in the material creation or the heavenly and hellish planetary systems.

There are only the reactions to one's deeds "pious or impious", while in the rare human bodily form on this Earth Burloka, can create karma.

In the human form, the embodied jiva soul must take responsibility for their actions.

Also because material time is divided into past, present and future, each material bodily container experiences birth, youth, disease, middle age, old age and death.

Material time means one's existence is in a constant progression of decline and decomposition, nothing lasts in the material creation, everything eventually fades away in oblivion.

Eventually in the material creation, the trapped jiva soul becomes frustrated with the temporary nature of material life, and the constant changing of material bodies due to them always being in a state decline and decomposition, causing them to eventually wear out due to this decay, then eventually cease to function.

This leads to rebirth or the cycle of birth and death.

The trapped jiva soul therefore can choose to escape the material creation and enter the impersonal Brahmajyoti effulgence and hover inactively their in a dormant state for billions of years if they want.

However, merging into the impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahman as an individual inactive impersonal formless spark, is artificial and only temporary.

Even if one foolishly believes it's for eternity or one's original position, then they are being decieved. No, the impersonal Brahmajyoti is NOT the jiva souls's original position or source.

The impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahman is a fallen condition the jiva souls eventually falls too from their originally position in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavan, no jiva soul originates from this nonsense inactive "clear sheet of consciousness" within the impersonal brahman or Brahmajyoti.

They first fall to the material creation and take birth, then after millions of years of being frustrated with the temporary nature of material existence, they can fall further thinking it is liberation by merging into the impersonal Brahmajyoti (Brahman effulgence)

Eventually ALL jiva souls fall out of the impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahman effulgence too because it is NOT permanent, nor is it one's original position or home as already explained. 

The fallen jiva soul then again takes birth in lower species of material life.

From there, they have to progress within 8 million 4 hundred thousand  species of life, moving through the cycle of birth and death for millions of bodies, taking millions of years, until they again get back to the human species of life.

Only in the human material bodily vessel can the jiva soul again have the opportunity to realize "their full potential" as a spiritual individual person and form (vigraha) originally from Vaikuntha by living under the guidance and direction of a bonafide Spiritual Master like Srila Prabhupada, who can take the fallen jiva soul back home, back to Godhead.

Fortunately for most jiva souls or marginal living entities, over 90%, according to Srila Prabhupada, NEVER make this foolish troublesome choice and enter the mundane decaying material creation of constant suffering and experiencing repeates birth and death.

The following is from the Book "Teachings of Lord Caitanya"-

Srila Prabhupada - "There are forms of Kṛṣṇa that are a little different from His original form, and these are called tad-ekātma-rūpa forms. 

These may be further divided into the vilāsa and svāṁśa forms, which in turn have many different features and can be divided into prābhava and vaibhava forms.

As far as the vilāsa forms are concerned, there are innumerable prābhava-vilāsas, headed by Kṛṣṇa's expansions as-

Vāsudeva, 

Saṅkarṣaṇa, 

Pradyumna,

Aniruddha. 

Sometimes the Lord thinks of Himself as a cowherd boy, and sometimes He thinks of Himself as Vasudeva's son, a kṣatriya prince, and this "thinking" of Kṛṣṇa is called His "pastimes." 

Actually, Krishna is in the same form in His vaibhava-prakāśa and prābhava-vilāsa, but He appears differently as Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma" (Teachings of Lord Caitanya)

Percentages of Krishna's 64 qualities that others have mathematically work out as follows -

Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva Forms of the Lord have 60 qualities.

So how much is 60 qualities out of 64 qualities written as a percentage exactly?

Convert fraction (ratio) 60/64

Answer: 93.75%

Shiva-tattva - How much is 54 out of 64 written as a percentage?

Convert fraction (ratio) 54/64

Answer: 84.375%

Jiva-tattva - How much is 50 out of 64 written as a percentage?

Convert fraction (ratio) 50/64

Answer: 78.125%

Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes.

Krishna is the ORIGINAL Form of God from whom ALL His Vishnu and Narayana forms expand from.

This means the only difference between Srimati Radharani and Krishna, and Lord Balarama and Krishna, is Lord Krishna IS the Supreme Personality of Godhead and ORIGINAL cause of all causes, and has an extra 4 qualities MORE than both Radharani and Balarama (His Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva expansions).

Therefore, not even Srimati Radharani or Balarama (Krishna's older brother) have 64 unique qualities like Krishna, they also have only 60 qualities which is 93.75% of Krishna's 64 qualities that is 100%.

Lets make this easy to understanding -

Lord Krishna has 64 qualities which is "exactly" 100% of those unique set qualities.

Vishnu-tattva and Vishnu-sakti-tattva have 60 qualities or "exactly" 93.75%.

Shiva-tattva has 54 qualities or "exactly" 84.375%.

Jiva-tattva has 50 qualities or "exactly" 78.125%..**..

Srila Prabhupāda - ''Unless there are two persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange. When these things are transacted, then there is love. So if you want to love Kṛṣṇa, God, then these things MUST be there''. (Evening Darsana, August 9, 1976, Tehran)

Love between the devotee, Guru and Krishna is NEVER selfish, inconsiderate, forceful, threatening or impersonal, which means a one-way master/servant controlling relationship of just obeying. 

This is because loving devotion between individuals is NEVER "one-way", love can only exist when there is two who have a reciprocal relationship of loving exchanges.

It is NEVER a demanding relationship of obedience where the devotee is told by a so called guru to just obey without personal input and intelligent inquiry.

This kind of "surrender" is impersonalism because the personality and character of the individual jiva soul's natural marginal attributes, are suppressed due to denying the jiva souls natural expression of freedom in the Spiritual World or Kingdom of God.

Free will ONLY fully exists in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana and is greatly restricted in the material creation to the point it does not exist in lower species of life and only expressed in a minor way in the human form of life.

Srila Prabhupāda - ''Unless there are two persons, where is the question of love? Love means two persons, then there is exchange. When these things are transacted, 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''. (Evening Darsana, August 9, 1976, Tehran)

Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Gurus and So called Spiritual leaders who preach that you do not even need to think this way for your self claiming they will do the thinking for you, are bogus dictatorial impersonalists and bullies.

Real love or service is ALWAYS based on a two-way street that includes individual contributions and personal inputs that can only be real and selfless when one can express their own independent individuality or free will. 

Without free will and the ability to reciprocate, one is no better than dead stone that can never receive or give love.

Krishna ALWAYS serves His pure devotees far more than they can EVER serve Him!

The mundane cold loveless "slave/master" relationship of convenience between individuals NEVER exists in the REAL Goloka Vrindavana or Vaikuntha.

In the Spiritual world there is ALWAYS deep loving exchanges of emotions and reciprocation going on between Krishna and his dear friends, family members and inhabitants of Vrindavana, such reciprocation is the foundation of Spiritual life.

It is NEVER a one way street of just obey, obey obey and do what you are told, that will only deny one's individual input, contribution and unique abilities. 

No two jiva-souls are the same in the Spiritual Sky, every jiva-soul is "unique" with their own personality, individuality and ''special'' relationship with Krishna.

How boring would Goloka-Vrindavan be if every soul in God's Kingdom cooked food preparation in exactly the same way being like a robot in an assembly line.

That version of Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, or God's so called Kingdom, I reject because it is IMPERSONALISM!!

That "impersonal" version of "surrender", prominent in the 1970s with many nonsense religious cults and sangas, is just a "mindless" concocted "slave mentality" dangerous version of religion, where so called cult or religious and congregation members are encouraged to extinguish their individual identity, free will and sense of self in "the name of surrender" and "autocracy", and just do what they are told to do. 

No, love between the devotee and Krishna or Guru is NEVER selfish, impersonal or just "one way" like that.

This kind of impersonalism DENIES loving reciprocation and individual contributions between Krishna and all his associates.

The fact is, this kind of impersonal mindless "surrender", that denies one's personal contributions and sense of individual self, does NOT exist in the Kingdom of God of Goloka-Vrindavan or the Vaikuntha planets.

On the spiritual level of Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, one never denies, or attempts to extinguish their free will or individuality, thinking that is becoming selfless, or is the meaning of "surrender".

Being the unique person one eternally is, and having the free will that allows one to give the very best of their character in the service of the Lord, is what selflessness and surrender really means, and is the basis of who one really is as that independent person.

Having "free will" is the eternal constitutional make up of EVERY "marginal living entity", and is the standard for all jiva-souls to follow and understand.

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!" (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom.” (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

The jiva souls in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana therefore are forever expanding their sense of individuality with personal offerings based on selfless loving reciprocation with Krishna, it is NEVER a one sided relation with the Lord.

Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krishna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Real love or Bhakti is reciprocal, as said above, it is NEVER a one way street where surrender to Krishna takes away one's sense of self, individuality and personal contributions.

Devotee - "Srila Prabhupada why did Krishna give us free will if He knew we would miss use it in the material world?"

Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must have free will! But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life". (August 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

This is important to understand because each individual jiva-soul has their own independent personality, sense of self and unique characteristics that THEY only individually have, that is part and parcel of each individual marginal living entities make up as the independent eternal "person" they are.

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”. (Conversation in Melbourne, Australia June 25, 1974 between Srila Prabhupada and his disciples)

Devotee – "But In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, it says that Krishna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krishna did not want us to come, why are we here?” 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)**

Association between the devotee, Guru and Krsna is never a selfish, impersonal one-sided "puppet on a string like domination."

Real love or service is based on a "two-way" expression where the student Vaisnava is carefully nurtured to achieve the personal goal of voluntary loving exchanges that are the foundations of pure devotional service. 

Genuine voluntary loving exchanges with Krsna can only be fully expressed when the jiva-souls realize they each have their independent individual freedom and unique personality separate from Krsna's Personality endorsed with free will. 

Without free will, one would never have the vision to intelligently contribute in their relationship with Kṛṣṇa, increasing and expanding one's awareness of who they are as a contributing independent marginal living entity (jiva-soul).

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 "free will," and why the jiva-souls always have their free will, but only fully realized in Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets.

Having free will in the spiritual world is necessary for the jiva-souls, so they can voluntarily express themselves in the unique service of their choice to Krsna in a "two-sided" relationship of loving exchanges, cooperation and reciprocation.

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 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." (Srila Prabhupada quotes 1966 - 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 on SB, Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)

Bali Mardana - "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)

Krsna always serves His pure devotees far more than they can EVER serve Him! However, such pure devotees are extremely rare in the material world.

The mundane cold loveless slave/master "impersonal relationship of convenience" between individuals does not exists in Goloka Vrindavana or Vaikuntha (The Kingdoms of God).

In the spiritual world there are ALWAYS deep loving exchanges of emotions and reciprocation going on between Krsna and His dear friends, family members and inhabitants of Vrindavana. 

Reciprocation and loving exchanges between two are the only foundation of spiritual life because "love." can never exist in a "one-sided" relationship.

It is NEVER a "one-way street" of just obey, obey obey and do what you are told, no, that impersonal reaction will only deny and restrict the jiva-soul's individual voluntary contributions of sharing of one's unique abilities. 

No two jiva-souls are the same in the Spiritual Sky (both spiritual and material worlds), every jiva-soul is "unique" with their own personality, individuality in their relationship with Krsna.

How boring would Goloka-Vrindavan be if every jiva-soul in God's Kingdom cooked food preparation in exactly the same way being like a robot in an assembly line.

That version of Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, or God's so called Kingdom, should be rejected because it is IMPERSONALISM!!

That "impersonal" version of "surrender", prominent in the 1970s with many nonsense religious cults and sangas, is just a "mindless" concocted dangerous version of religion, where the cult congregational members are encouraged to extinguish their individual identity, free will and voluntarily acting as an independent contributing PERSON in the name of surrender, and instead just being told what to do and how think. 

No, love between the devotee, Krsna and Guru can NEVER exist in a selfish, domineering relationship, that is a "one-sided" and impersonal like that.

That kind of unproductive impersonalism denies loving reciprocation, voluntary contributions and individual personal exchanges of intimacy between Krsna and his servants.

The fact is, this kind of nonsense mindless surrender that denies personal contributions and self-expression, certainly does NOT exist in the Kingdom of God of Goloka-Vrindavan or the Vaikuntha planets.

On the spiritual level of Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana, one never denies, or attempts to extinguish their free will or individuality, thinking that is becoming selfless, or is the real meaning of "surrender."

Being Krsna's mindless drone by giving up your free will is NOT the meaning of surrender, it is actually spiritual suicide.

Being the unique person one eternally is, and having the free will that allows one to give the very best of their character in the service of the Lord, is what selflessness and surrender really means, and is the basis of who one really is as that independent person in both Goloka-Vrindavana and the Vaikuntha planets.

Having "free will" is the eternal constitutional make up of EVERY "marginal living entity (jiva-soul)", and is the standard for all to follow and understand.

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!" (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

Srila Prabhupada - "So, unless there is a possibility of misusing our free will, there is no question of freedom." (Dialectical Spiritualism, Critique of Descartes)

The jiva-souls in Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana therefore are forever expanding their sense of individuality with personal offerings based on selfless loving reciprocation with Krsna.

It is NEVER a "one-sided" puppet/master impersonal relation with the Krsna.

Srila Prabhupada - "Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force, no, Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!" (Washington DC July 8, 1976)

Real love or Bhakti is reciprocal, as said above, it is NEVER a one way street where surrender to Krsna takes away one's sense of self, individuality and personal contributions.

Devotee - "Srila Prabhupada why did Krsna give us free will if He knew we would miss use it in the material world?"

Srila Prabhupada - "If you have no free will, then you are a stone. The stone has no free will. You want to be stone? Then you must have free will! But don't misuse your free will. But don't try to become stone either. That is not life." (Aug 5, 1976, New Mayapur France)

This is important to understand because each individual jiva-soul has their own independent personality, sense of self and unique characteristics that THEY only individually have, that is part and parcel of each individual marginal living entities make up as the independent eternal "person" they are.

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." (Conversation in Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)

Devotee – "But 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?” 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 and demand you love me, you love me, you love me, is that 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).*^*.

Krsna is the source of all Narayana/Visnu forms of God who are further expansions from Krsna's first expansion Balarama. However, Krsna is always the original Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of ALL causes.

The original and similtaneously infinite Krsna eternally resides in His personal abode known as Goloka-Vrindavan and NEVER leaves.

Srila Prabhupada - "Kṛṣṇa as His original childhood form NEVER leaves Vṛndāvana, all the forms of Kṛṣṇa that appear elsewhere are His Viṣṇu-tattva expansions." (BG, Ch 10 text 37)

Srila Prabhupada - "The original Lord Kṛṣṇa never leaves Goloka Vṛndāvana. All the plenary expansions are one and the same Viṣṇu-tattva, and there is no difference in Their potency." (SB, Canto 3 Ch 1 Text 34)

Srila Prabhupada - "Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Baladeva (Balarama) is Kṛṣṇa's immediate expansion. Because Kṛṣṇa NEVER leaves Vṛndāvana, all the forms of Kṛṣṇa that appear elsewhere are His expansions." (BG, Ch 10 Text 37)

However, when Krsna wants to enter the material world, He personally does not come as His original form but instead sends His first expansion Balarama, who plays the role of Krsna in the material creation as explained above.

When Krsna seemingly enters the material world, it is actually from His first expansion Balarama that all the unlimited Visnu-tattva expansions expand from, including the Visnu-tattva expansion who plays the role of Krsna in a facsimile version of Goloka-Vrindavana in the material world. 

Two major difference between the Goloka-Vrindavana in the spiritual world and its facsimile in the material world, is Krsna never kills demons in the spiritual world, and the gopis and other inhabitants of Vṛndāvana never feel separation from Kṛṣṇa in the spiritual world, that only happens in the Goloka-Vrindavana facsimile in the material world.

Krsna through Balarama, further expands Himself as a Visnu who plays the role of Krsna outside the spiritual world in the material world.  

In the spiritual world (Goloka-Vrindavana), Balarama is the older brother of Krsna which is a paradox because Krsna is the Supreme of Godhead and the cause of ALL causes.  

Krsna is the first therefore the original and for infinity is the source of all the unlimited Narayana/Visnu forms of God, each with their own name that gives insight into their particular pastime.

The Visnu/Narayana expansions reside in an unlimited number of perpetual Vaikuntha planets that surround Krsna's central abode of Goloka-Vrindavana all together taking up 75% of the Spiritual Sky)

Krsna further expands, via His first Visnu-tattva expansion Balarama as Maha-Visnu (Karanodakshayi Visnu) who creates and manages the unlimited temporary material universes called Brahmandas that take up 25% of the Spiritual Sky.

These unlimited number of Brahmandas are coming from the Body of Maha-Visnu through His breathing and pores.

Each Brahmanda universe is massive in size and each houses a "secondary smaller" spherical material universe inside of them.

Each individual material universe’s outer Brahmanda covering is made up of material elements (both subtle and gross)

Each massive Brahmanda material universe covers, encases and surrounds the inner material universe that is deep inside them with 7 layers of material elements.

Maha-Visnu expands again as Garbhodakashayi Visnu who creates each secondary material universal sphere deep inside each Brahmanda.

Then from Garbhodakashayi Visnu, Brahma manifests who creates the different planetary systems within each inner secondary material universe.

There is only one Maha-Visnu however, there are unlimited Garbhodakashayi Visnus and Brahmas who are in their particular secondary material universe.

Due to the massive material elements that make up the outer Brahmanda universe, no one inside their inner material secondary universe can see outside of their own universe Srimad Bhagavatam explains.

This means from within our small secondary material universe inside our Brahmanda, we cannot see the billions of other Brahmandas around us.

Also each secondary material universe deep inside their Brahmanda, has a different amount of planetary systems according to Srimad Bhagavatam basedon how many heads their Lord Brahma has.

In other words, the Brahmanda universe and its inner secondary material universe inside it, all come in different sizes because some Brahmas have 4 heads, 20 heads, 50 heads, 1000 heads, even 100,000 heads, all inconceivable to the non-devotees.

Karanodakshayi Visnu (Maha-Visnu) is sleeping and DREAMING the activities within each of the secondary material universes that are deep within each of the unlimited number of Brahmanda universes.

Those dreams Maha-Visnu has, are all the activities happening within each Garbhodakashayi Visnu's secondary universes.

In painting below Karanodakshayi Visnu (Maha-Visnu) is seen laying down sleeping and Garbhodakashayi Visnu is seen within each of His Brahmanda universes.

When Maha-Visnu dreams, He first creates the entire material universe known as the Maha-tattva (matter) which takes up 25% of the Spiritual Sky or Brahmajyoti,

As said above the other 75% is the active perpetual spiritual world (anti-matter) that is ever fresh, always youthful and never ending, known as the eternal Vaikuntha planets of Visnu and Krsna's central abode of Goloka-Vrindavan.

Within Maha-Visnu's 25% of the Spiritual Sky called the temporary material world (mahat-tattva), we find it is always in a state of decay, decline, impermanence, birth, disease, old age and death requiring constant maintenance.

Each eternal individual jiva-soul who chooses to enter the material creation, are forced to experience repeated birth and death by possessing a material bodily vessel, a temporary material body or container that temporarily houses the individual jiva-soul.

The visiting eternal individual jiva-souls in the material creation take repeated births again and again and again because each material body they are in is temporary and subject to getting old, wearing out, breaking down and eventually ceasing to operate.

The conclusion is-

1 - Within this temporary material creation we find unlimited individual massive single Brahmanda universes coming from the Body of Maha-Visnu.

2 - And deep inside each of those massive Brahmanda universes, there is a "secondary smaller material universe" where Maha-Visnu expands Himself as Garbhodakashayi Visnu in each one.

3 - And from Garbhodakashayi Visnu, Lord Brahma appears from His naval at the top of a lotus flower in each secondary material universe.

4 - Then Lord Brahma builds the many planetary systems inside each of the inner secondary universes deep inside their individual Brahmanda that can be 14 planetary systems like in our secondary material universe (our Brahma has 4 heads) or many, many more planetary systems depending on how many heads their Lord Brahma has.

As explained above, the number of planetary systems deep inside each Brahmanda's "secondary material universe", vary in size, some larger and some smaller than others.

Our material universe within our Brahmanda has 14 planetary systems in it, and is considered a small material universe explained in Srimad Bhagavatam as being only 4 billion miles in diameter.

Some Vedic Cosmologists think this figure of 4 billion miles in diameter describing our material universe inside our Brahmanda, is way to small of a figure.

Many scholars suggest the figure of 4 billion miles in diameter (500 million yojanas), as described in the 5th Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, is really a code that needs decoding because they claim just our solar system alone is said to be 22 billion miles in diameter, and that the planet Pluto is 5 billion miles from our earth planet, recently visited by a NASA space-craft.

Another answer is the measurement of ''space and time'' is different on each planetary system, just like the fabric of "space-time" moves at a different rate in each of the 14 planetary systems.

For example, 100 earth years on Brahmaloka, the highest planetary system out of the 14 systems, is 311 trillion and 40 billion human years long experienced on our Earth planet.

As also said above, other "secondary material universes" inside their Brahmanda, have many, many more planetary systems in them than just 14, and are obviously much bigger than our mere 4 billion miles in diameter.

The fact is, as explained above the size of each Brahmanda and their inner secondary material universe, depends on the how many heads Lord Brahma has, some Lord Brahmas, like ours, has only 4 heads, while other Brahma's within their universe inside their Brahmanda, may have 10, 20, 50, 500, 1000, 100,000 or even a million or more heads.

In this way, all the quadrillions of Brahmanda universes coming from the Body of the sleeping Maha-Visnu (as seen in painting below), each have a "secondary inner material universe" deep inside them as seen in painting below.

Each massive Brahmanda outer universe has 7 material coverings or layers that surround and enclose each of the inner secondary material universe, this means the massive outer Brahmanda surrounding universe we are deep within, is 44 quadrillion 444 trillion 444 billion miles in diameter.

This explanation maybe the full size of the Brahmanda or could be just the size from the outer edge of the inner secondary material universe.

If that is true then the full size of our Brahmanda is double the figure mentioned above.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam Bhu-Mandala is described as the “earth mandala” (not to be confused with our small earth globe), is a disk 500 million yojanas in diameter (4 billion miles in diameter)

The word ''earth'' has many meanings.

For example, our small earth global round sphere is only 24,901 miles in circumference and is 7,917.5 miles in diameter, it is NOT Bhu-Mandala.

Our "secondary material universe" is 500 million yojanas (4 billion miles) in diameter or 12.6 billion miles in circumference.

A yojana is a unit of distance about 8 miles long. 

So the diameter of our "secondary material universe" is about 4 billion miles in diameter.

Our earth planet is NOT flat! It is a round global sphere.

Srila Prabhupada - "On the ground our earth looks flat but when you go up you will see our earth planet is a ball." (Lecture New York City 1966)

The Sanskrit word "dvīpa" has two meanings

1 - "Islands" or "continents" on a planet

2 - "Globes or spheres" in outer space.

Bhu-Mandala is marked by circular features designated as islands (dvipas that can also mean planets) and oceans.

Srila Prabhupada -"The "planets" are called "dvīpas". Outer space is like an ocean of air. Just as there are islands in the watery ocean, these planets in the ocean of space are called dvīpas, or islands in outer space." (CC Madhya 20.218, Purport)

Therefore, Bhu-Mandala (which is really the 4 billion diameter secondary material universe) is far too big to be our small earth globe. 

However, this does describe our small single secondary material universe with it's 14 planetary systems that are deep inside our surrounding Brahmanda.

Therefore, the 14 planetary systems deep within our surrounding Brahmanda, would fit in the circumference of Bhu-Mandala (4 billion miles in diameter, which is 500,000,000 yojanas in diameter)

The individual jiva-souls are eternal, they have no beginning point, nor will their existence ever end. Therefore, if they choose, they can stay in the temporary decaying material universe's cycles of annihilation and creations, for almost an infinity! 

Or make the right choice and return back home, back to Godhead (Goloka-Vrindavana where there is no birth, disease, old age and death.

When Lord Brahma dies after 100 of his years (311 trillion and 40 billion human years), there is an equal period of his life span of 311 trillion, 40 billion human years where nothing living exists, a gap in space-time where everything in the material universe remains dormant for that enormous amount of time.

Then the next material creation of Brahmanda's manifest from Maha-Visnu (Karanadakashayi Visnu)

All the eternal individual jiva-souls have merged as "individual sparks" temporarily into the Body of Karanadakashayi Visnu (Maha-Visnu) and remain that way until the next creation of Brahmandas appear when they are again created from Maha-Visnu's dreaming spiritual Body as seen in painting below.

In other words, in the next new creation of Brahmanda universes coming from the Body of Maha-Visnu, all the dormant eternal individual jiva-souls awaken and continue on again within a "secondary material universe" that is deep inside each Brahmanda from where they left off in the previous inner secondary material universe.

As explained above, each secondary material universe is deep within each of the massive surrounding Brahmanda outer universes that all lasts for 311 trillion and 40 billion human years, or the life span of Lord Brahma.

It is important to understand at the annihilation of each Brahmanda universe, and its inner secondary universe, Garbhodakashayi Visnu temporarily merges back as one with Maha-Visnu until the next Brahmanda universes manifests from the breathing and pores of Maha-Visnu.

Then the process repeats itself, the sleeping Maha-Visnu (Karanadakashayi Visnu) expands Himself into the inner secondary universe that is deep inside each Brahmanda as Garbhodakashayi Visnu that is in the Centre of each Brahmanda universe.

The eternal individual jiva-souls are suspended in ''inactivity'' (dormant) within the Body of Karanadakashayi Visnu (Maha-Visnu) for 311 trillion 40 billion human years.

The jiva-souls re-emerge and continue on (their karma) from where they left off in the previous creation.*××*