Devotee – "When we are in the spiritual sky serving Krsna, we have a perfect eternal relationship with Krsna, what causes us to fall down into the material world, because we’re already serving Krsna?"
Srila Prabhupada – "Because you desire to fall down, it is your desire, here it is explained don’t fall down!"
Devotee – "Srila Prabhupada, I can’t understand why we would have an impure desire when we are already serving…"
Srila Prabhupada – "Because you have got little freedom, you have "free will." Why one is not coming here and others going to the liquor shop? It is his desire."
Devotee – "In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it says that Krsna did not want us to come to this material world. If Krsna did not want us to come, why are we here?"
Srila Prabhupada – Yes, you forced Krsna to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says, 'My dear son do not do this. Do not go there.' But he insists, 'Oh, I must go. I must go!' "All right, you go at your risk and you suffer. What can be done? Because you are Son of God you have got independence, free will, therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence, so God does not interfere with your little independence (free will), if you persist that "I must go and enjoy independently, God says, "All right you can go and enjoy." This is the position. You have to take sanction. That is a fact. But when you persist, God sanctions and you go to the material world and enjoy." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
In the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana all "active" relationships with Krsna are equally blissful to each other, just like one may like a carnation flower, while others may choose to like a rose flower.
This means all the individual jiva-souls in the spiritual world voluntarily express themselves in their own unique way by offerings personal contributions to Krsna as their service to Him.
Loving exchanges, cooperation, reciprocation and voluntary expressions from the jiva-soul's unique personality, MUST be there when serving Krsna that makes it personal and genuine.
Loving feelings and emotions towards Krsna can only exist in a "two-sided" exchange where the jiva-souls also voluntarily add to the relationship and friendship.
In other words, love can only exist when voluntarily expressed in a "two-way" exchange where the jiva-soul's contributions adds to one's relationship with Krsna that can only be expressed by having their unique free will.
Having the "free will" to contribute to one's relationship with Krsna allows the jiva-souls to voluntarily participate personally by contributing to the relationship with Krsna in a personal unique way, and not allowing even Kṛṣṇa to impersonally control your every thought and actions, like a puppet master controls his puppets.
Surrender to Krsna does NOT mean you surrender your intelligence, free will or the individuality where you can "actively" express yourself independent from Krsna while serving Him.
Such voluntary service deepens one's exchanges with Krsna through personal expressions that enhances, enriches and forever continues to add flavour to one's unique relationship with Krsna.
Spiritual life is never stagnant, everything is forever fresh and new in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana (the eternal youthful Kingdoms of God)
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 on BG, Ch 9 text 2-5, New York City, Nov 23, 1966)
Srila Prabhupada - "The jiva-soul's position in the spiritual world is voluntary. Some devotees want to serve Krsna as flower; they become flower there. If I want to be a flower I shall lie down at the lotus feet of Krsna 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 6.1.1-4 - Melb, Australia May 20, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Because you are Son of God you have independence, you have free will, you have acquired this quality from 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 to the material world and enjoy." (Melb, Australia June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence (free will) means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that is not independence, that is force." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly. That is free will. Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of free will. Where is free will then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no free will. Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means we have free will."
Hayagriva - "A man may know better but still act wrongly."
Srila Prabhupada -"Yes, but that is free will. He misuses his free will. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing 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." (From Philosophy Discussions with Srila Prabhupada and Rene Descartes)
The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are unique independent living beings in the spiritual worlds, who have their own personality separate from Krsna's Personality, individuality, independence and free will. Yet simultaneously the jiva-souls are always dependent on Krsna because everything comes from Krsna including them the (jiva-souls)
We must never forget that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, which includes the jiva-soul's having their "free will."
Krsna gives the jiva-souls their independence and free will so they can choose to serve Kṛṣṇa in their own unique way (voluntary), or even reject Krsna if they choose. This is what it means when you have free will, to be able to do good or bad, right or wrong otherwise having free will is meaningless.
Therefore having "free will" is the basis of spiritual life and participating in loving exchanges with Krsna.
Free will always allows the jiva-souls to contribute in their own unique way out of unconditional personal love, without the need of any pressure or force from Krsna or His devotees.
Although there are often nurturing words of encouragement and suggestions from other genuine devotees who selflessly want to see service to Krsna also increase.
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, there must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then there is love." (Lecture SB Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada - ''The impersonalist philosophy is oneness. So how can there be love with just one? Is it possible? Have you got any such experience? Love means one? No, love means two, there must be two, the lover and the beloved. Kṛṣṇa is already lover, He loves you so much that He is trying to get you back, that is Kṛṣṇa's attempt. "Please, My dear boy and girl, or My dear friend, My dear servant." (Lecture SB Canto 2 Ch 1 text 3, Paris, June 12, 1974)
Surrender to Krsna in the spiritual world never means giving up your free will and independent identity and personality by allowing Krsna to control all your actions, deeds, words and thoughts.
No, the jiva-souls in the spiritual world are not programmed mindless drones like that who only obey and never contribute to their relationship with Krsna in their own special unique way by thinking for themselves the different ways to serve and please Krsna.
The jiva-souls can never lose their free will and independent identity and personality in Vaikuntha or Goloka Vrindavana.
This is because free will allows the jiva-souls to have the individual ability of self expression of voluntarily offering their own personal contributions to Krsna, such a quality is unique in the character and personality of each individual jiva-soul.
Only by having "free will" can the jiva-souls express their unique personality and individual character by sharing their loving emotions and feelings with Krsna, otherwise the jiva-souls are no better than dead mindless stone Prabhupada has said.
Free will allows genuine loving exchanges and reciprocation to take place, and, as said above, without free will the jiva-souls are no better than dead stone.
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)
Furthermore, Krsna never interferes with the free will of the jiva-souls because if He did, and never allowed them to think for themselves of what they choose to voluntarily offer to Kṛṣṇa, then that would mean personal offerings of loving exchanges and reciprocation with Krsna, would never exist!
If one is forced to worship Krsna or Visnu then that is not love, it is mindless slavery therefore, no devotee who truly understands the eternal constitutional position of the jiva-souls wants to be Krsna's eternal mindless slave.
It is only natural to want a loving reciprocal relationship with Krsna, not a "one-sided" dictatorship of obeying without person contributions.
Real love can only exist on a "two-way" street.
HERE HERE HERE
In this way, an increasing variety of personal devotional offerings, based on free will, are offered to Krsna.
It is never a nonsense "one-sided" master/slave mindless relationship with Krsna.
Krsna does not control the truly surrendered jiva-souls by force like a puppet master controls every movement of his puppets by manipulating strings connected to the puppets, denying self-expression, individual contributions and voluntary service.
However, Krsna does control His pure surrendered devotees by showing them with loving effection and serving them more than they can ever serve Him as reciprocation for their selfless love for Him.
Without free will (where one can choose for themselves) there can never be love.
Srila Prabhupada - "Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of "free will". Where is free will if I can act only one sided? That means I have no "free will". Because we can act wrongly, that means we have free will." (Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes)
Srila Prabhupada - "So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krsna? Why not become Krsna?’ I immediately fall down. That is natural. A servant is serving the master, but sometimes he may think that, “If I could become the master.” They are thinking like that; they are trying to become God. That is delusion. You cannot become God. That is not possible. But he’s wrongly thinking."
Vipina Purandara - "Why doesn’t Krsna protect us from that desire?"
Srila Prabhupada - "He’s protecting, He says, "You rascal, don’t desire like that, surrender unto Me." But you are rascal; you do not do this."
Vipina Purandara - "Why doesn’t Krsna save me from thinking like that?"
Srila Prabhupada - "That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, ‘You love me, you love me, you love me.’ ” Is it love? “You love me, otherwise I will kill you!’ Is that love? So Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
Srila Prabhupada – "So everyone can know that independence (free will) means one can use it properly, or one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that is not independence, that is force." (Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
Srila Prabhupada - "Free will means that you can act wrongly. That is free will. Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of free will. Where is free will then? If I act only one sided, that means I have no free will. Because we act sometimes wrongly, that means we have free will."
Hayagriva - "A man may know better but still act wrongly."
Srila Prabhupada -"Yes, but that is free will. He misuses his free will. Just like a thief, he knows that his stealing 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." (From Philosophy Discussions with Srila Prabhupada and Rene Descartes)
The individual jiva-souls (marginal living entities) are unique independent living beings in the spiritual worlds, who have their own personality separate from Krsna's Personality, individuality, independence and free will. Yet simultaneously the jiva-souls are always dependent on Krsna because everything comes from Krsna including them the (jiva-souls)
We must never forget that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes, which includes the jiva-soul's having their "free will."
Krsna gives the jiva-souls their independence and free will so they can choose to serve Kṛṣṇa in their own unique way (voluntary), or even reject Krsna if they choose. This is what it means when you have free will, to be able to do good or bad, right or wrong otherwise having free will is meaningless.
Therefore having "free will" is the basis of spiritual life and participating in loving exchanges with Krsna.
Free will always allows the jiva-souls to contribute in their own unique way out of unconditional personal love, without the need of any pressure or force from Krsna or His devotees.
Although there are often nurturing words of encouragement and suggestions from other genuine devotees who selflessly want to see service to Krsna also increase.
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, there must be another one. I love somebody; somebody loves me, there must be lover, there must be beloved, and the transaction, then there is love." (Lecture SB Canto 1 Ch 2 text 6, Delhi, Nov 12, 1973)
Acyutananda - ''But in the Bhagavad Gita it says, "Once coming back there to the spiritual world, he never returns to the material world?"
Srila Prabhupada - ''But if he likes, he can return, that is voluntary."
Acyutananda - ''He can return?''
Srila Prabhupada - ''That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krsna bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown." (Morning Walk - Feb 19, 1976, Mayapur)
Paramahamsa - "But ultimately if we come to Krsna, there is no return."
Srila Prabhupada - "There is return, that is voluntary, return is there."
Paramahamsa - "If we want."
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes."
Paramahamsa - "So we can come to the spiritual world and return to the material world?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes."
Paramahamsa - "Fall down?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, as soon as we try, "Oh, this material world is very nice, yes, Krsna says, yes, you go." Just like here almost nobody is interested in Krsna consciousness because they want to enjoy this material world, otherwise what is the meaning of free will? Every living entity has got a little free will. And Krsna is so kind He gives one 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. 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. 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." (May 13, 1973, LA)
Srila Prabhupada - "As living spiritual souls we are all originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity." The "Happening Record Album" Dec 1966 New York City).^.^.
HERE HERE HERE
Only in the beginning of being trained up on the path of devotional service does the devotee pray to be taken over by Krsna's pure devotee and used by him to spread Krsna Consciousness in the service of the Lord.
In the beginning stages one MUST strictly follow the instructions of the Spiritual Master, Teacher or Guru in a "one-sided" discipline in order to learn proper actions and philosophy and process to a more mature "two-way" relationship with the Spiritual Master otherwise by neglecting the orders of the spiritual master one will again fall down to the lower species of life suffering repeated birth and death for what could be an almost eternity.
However, eventually over time the relationship, if it matures in spiritual life, will begin to blossom and mature into a "two-way" loving exchange under the guidance of a genuine bonafide spiritual master, where the disciple progresses to being Krsna's dear friend and experiences loving personal exchanges and reciprocates with Krsna.
Eventually the jiva-souls who are properly trained up by the spiritual master, reaches their full potential and can choose to voluntarily enter one of the 5 categories of service to Krsna.
The five transcendental rasas of a devotee.
1 - Sant-rasa - means the position of neutrality or fully attached to the Lotus Feet of Krsna.
For example, they can become a throne, a flower, grass, trees a flag pole, a chariot etc to please the Lord.
However, there is no full exchange or reciprocation with Krsna as these forms, there is no active service to the Lord only appreciation of the greatness of being with the Lord.
Srila Prabhupada - "Santa-rasa means appreciation of the greatness of the Lord, but there is no active service of the Lord. The land, the grass, the trees, the plants, fruits, or the cows in the transcendental world are supposed to be situated in the santa-rasa.
As spiritual beings, they are all conscious of Krsna, but they prefer to appreciate Krsna's greatness remaining as they are." (Letter to Rupanuga - San Francisco 12 March, 1968)
2 - Dasya Bhav rasa means service or servitude to the Lord. From santa-rasa is dasya-rasa, which means voluntary offering of some service.
For example here the devotee offers service and bhakti to Krsna or Visnu on the Vaikuntha planets in awe, reverence and respect so there are formalities to follow putting restrictions a complete exchange of love.
3 - Sakhya Bhav rasa means the different moods of friendship with Krsna. Sakhya rasa is service in spirit of friendship and well-wisher.
4 - Vatsalya rasa is service as well wisher and affection. Vatsalya Bhav also means loving relationships, parental love, to love Kṛṣṇa as a mother loves her child.
Here, the devotee is older and senior to Krsna and is in the mood of parents and sees Krsna as their little lalla or dear most child.
There is a free flow of motherly, fatherly (or paternal love) for Krsna which is indeed beautiful, but yet there is a scope for a more free flow of love without any restrictions.
5 - Madhurya rasa is conjugal love and the conclusion of Srimad Bhagavatam. This is the topmost madhurya rasa where the devotee is Krsna's dear sakhis (female friends) and lovers.
All the boundaries that were there in earlier 4 bhavas are crossed here.
The flood gates of prema-rasa fully open in this bhav and the heart of devotee and Krsna is flooded with love.
Here, the devotee does everything for satisfaction and pleasure for only Krsna.
Srila Prabhupada - "Madhura rasa is intimate service, friendship, affection and conjugal love.
So in the Madhura rasa, everything is complete; there is Santa rasa, Dasya rasa, Sakhya rasa, Vatsalya rasa, and Madhura rasa.
But each and every one of the rasas is complete in itself.
A person in Santa rasa or Sakhya rasa is as good as one in Madhura rasa because in the spiritual world everything is absolute.
But from the platform of spiritual vision, where there is transcendental discrimination, one can appreciate Madhurya rasa as complete as anything." (Letter to Rupanuga - San Francisco 12 March, 1968)
So, on the Vaikuntha planets and on Goloka-Vṛndāvana everything is voluntary, one's personal choice of relationship.
Everyone is Kṛṣṇa's dear friend who experience loving exchanges with Him even if you choose to be a blade of grass or a pebble Krsna walks over.
The spiritual relationships in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana are unlimited and experienced in 5 main mellows mentioned above.
There are also no demons in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana as well, they only exist in the material creation when Krsna has His pastimes in there.
Even Krsna never leaves Goloka-Vrindavana to enter the material creation, instead Krsna as His 4 armed Visnu-tattva form, instead enters the material creation playing the part of the two-armed original Vrindavana form of Kṛṣṇa.
Vaikuntha means without anxiety, so how can demons be there?
The impersonal version of being in God's Kingdom is where the jiva-souls are forced to give up their free will and individuality and then allow their version of God to take over their every actions and thoughts, such nonsense version of "surrender" is mayavadi impersonalism.
Therefore, denying the individual jiva-souls to have their own unique independent personality, character separate from Krsna's Personality and foolishly claim the real meaning of "surrender" is allowing God to "flow through you" and do all the thinking and actions for you in the name of "surrender," is dangerous impersonalism.
Having free will allows the jiva-souls to be independent thinking persons who can voluntarily choose for themselves what to contribute in their personal unique relationship with Krsna.
Voluntary service is the correct meaning of surrender in Goloka Vrindavana and Vaikuntha, which are the permanent eternal homes and origin of all the marginal living entities (jiva-souls).
The jiva-souls in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana are forever expanding the expressions of their unique individual personality with unlimited varieties of service that forever increase and expand the loving exhanges between Kṛṣṇa and the jiva-souls.
In this way, an increasing variety of personal devotional offerings, based on free will, are offered to Krsna.
It is never a nonsense "one-sided" master/slave mindless relationship with Krsna.
Krsna does not control the truly surrendered jiva-souls by force like a puppet master controls every movement of his puppets by manipulating strings connected to the puppets, denying self-expression, individual contributions and voluntary service.
However, Krsna does control His pure surrendered devotees by showing them with loving effection and serving them more than they can ever serve Him as reciprocation for their selfless love for Him.
This is why over 90% of jiva-souls never choose to leave Krsna but sadly less than 10% do because free will is part and parcel of the constitutional makeup of each jiva-soul.
Without free will (where one can choose for themselves) there can never be love.
Srila Prabhupada - "Unless there is chance of doing wrong or right, there is no question of "free will". Where is free will if I can act only one sided? That means I have no "free will". Because we can act wrongly, that means we have free will." (Discussions with Srila Prabhupada – Rene Descartes).
The marginal living entities (jiva-souls) are eternal beings who were never created, nor will they ever cease to be as Srila Prabhupada's Bhagavad Gita As It Is explains-
Srila Prabhupada - "For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." (BG As It Is Ch 2 Text 20)
Srila Prabhupada – "There is no new souls. New and old are due to this material body, but the jiva-soul is never born and never dies, so if there is no birth, how can there be new souls?'' (Letter to Jagadisa 7/9/1970)
Free will has nothing to do with the material body, free will is a symptom of the eternal spirit soul or jiva-soul.
As said above, free will is the constitutional makeup of every jiva-soul in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana.
Also nothing material (maya) exists in Vaikuntha and Goloka-Vrindavana, there is no material energy there in the spiritual worlds however, there is always free will or the ability to choose.
Therefore, many cannot understand that due to free will, the jiva-souls can leave Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrindavana anytime they choose.
As said above most, over 90% of jiva-souls never make that choice to leave.
However, less than 10% do choose to leave Prabhupada explains here-
Syamasundara - "Can we predict that returning back home back to Godhead will be permanent? Can we predict that? Just like many prisoners leave the prison, however, some do come back?''
Srila Prabhupada - "No, there is no permanent effect because we have got little independence. There is nothing permanent because you can misuse your independence at any time".
Syamasundara - "And some come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, otherwise there is no meaning of independence. Independence means you can do this, you can do that. "All right. Whatever you like."
Devotee - "Then he is so many times falling down, again and again, so will he eventually permanently come back?"
Srila Prabhupada - "He has got independence, therefore there is always the possibility he can misuse his independence, he can fall down. That's why when a man is released from the prison house, that does not mean permanently because he can come back again, the general law is not to come back, but if he likes, he can come back, otherwise what is the meaning of independence? Just like one becomes free from the prison house, naturally he should not go there again." (Discussions with Syamasundara > Henri Bergson).
Srila Prabhupada - "Krsna does not want to become a lover by force, from the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; no, that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
Srila Prabhupada - ''So, even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that ‘Why shall I serve Krsna? Why not become Krsna?’ I immediately fall down. That is natural. A servant is serving the master, but sometimes he may think that, “If I could become the master.” They are thinking like that; they are trying to become God. That is delusion. You cannot become God. That is not possible. But he’s wrongly thinking."
Vipina Purandara - "Why doesn’t Krsna protect us from that desire?"
Srila Prabhupada - "He’s protecting, He says, "You rascal, don’t desire like that, surrender unto Me." But you are rascal; you do not do this."
Vipina Purandara - "Why doesn’t Krsna save me from thinking like that?"
Srila Prabhupada - "That means you lose your independence. That is force, in Bengali it is said, ‘If you catch one girl or boy, ‘You love me, you love me, you love me.’ ” Is it love? “You love me, otherwise I will kill you!’ Is that love? So Krsna does not want to become a lover like that, on the point of revolver. ‘You love me, otherwise I shall kill you!’ That is not love; that is threatening. Love is reciprocal, voluntary, good exchange of feeling. Then there is love. Not by force; that is rape. Why one is called lover, another is called rape?" (July 8, 1976 in Washington, D.C.)
By misusing one's free will causes the jiva-soul to live separately from Krsna by entering the material creation.
And this choice has nothing to do with maya or material energy as explained above.
As Prabhupada has explained, it is one's free will that allows the jiva-souls to reject Krsna.
This is because each jiva-soul is an independent individual persons, who can make their own choices, and includes rejecting Krsna if they want that instantly places them in the material creation.
Acyutananda - ''But in the Bhagavad Gita it says, "Once coming back there to the spiritual world, he never returns to the material world?"
Srila Prabhupada - ''But if he likes, he can return, that is voluntary."
Acyutananda - ''He can return?''
Srila Prabhupada - ''That independence has to be accepted, little independence. We can misuse that. Krsna bahirmukha hana bhoga vancha kare. That misuse is the cause of our falldown." (Morning Walk - Feb 19, 1976, Mayapur)
Paramahamsa - "But ultimately if we come to Krsna, there is no return."
Srila Prabhupada - "There is return, that is voluntary, return is there."
Paramahamsa - "If we want."
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes."
Paramahamsa - "So we can come to the spiritual world and return to the material world?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes."
Paramahamsa - "Fall down?"
Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, as soon as we try, "Oh, this material world is very nice, yes, Krsna says, yes, you go." Just like here almost nobody is interested in Krsna consciousness because they want to enjoy this material world, otherwise what is the meaning of free will? Every living entity has got a little free will. And Krsna is so kind He gives one 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. 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." (May 13, 1973, LA)
Srila Prabhupada - "As living spiritual souls we are all originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere. When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Harā, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.
In the material creation chanting the Hare Krsna Maha Mantra is the sublime method for reviving our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
As living spiritual souls we are all originally Kṛṣṇa conscious entities, but due to our association with matter since time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by material atmosphere.
In this polluted concept of live, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities.
This illusion is called māyā, or hard struggle for existence over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind. This consciousness is the original energy of the living entity.
When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived. And the process is recommended by authorities for this age.
By practical experience also, we can perceive that by chanting this mahā-mantra, or the great chanting for deliverance, one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum.
Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare
When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding, surpassing the stages of sense, mind and intelligence, one is situated on the transcendental plane.
There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor is there any need of mental speculation nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this mahā-mantra.
It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration, without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy.
We have seen it practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it.
The chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effect can be achieved. AAs s far as possible, chanting from the lips of a nondevotee should be avoided, as much as milk touched by the lips of a serpent causes poisonous effect.
The word Harā is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Kṛṣṇa and Rāma are forms of addressing directly the Lord, and they mean "the highest pleasure, eternal." Harā is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, when addressed as Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.
The material energy, called mayā, is also one of the multipotencies of the Lord, as much as we (jiva-souls) are also the marginal potency of the Lord.
The three words, namely Harā, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma, are transcendental seeds of the mahā-mantra, and the chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Harā, for giving protection to the conditioned soul.
The chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by the child for the mother. Mother Harā helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, and the Lord reveals Himself to such a sincere devotee.
No other means, therefore, of spiritual realization is as effective in this age, as chantingsq the mahā-mantra." (The "Happening Record Album" Dec 1966 New York City).^.^.
