Letter: Rupanuga, April 28, 1974, Tirupati Actually amongst my God brothers no one is qualified to become acharya. So it is better not to mix with my God brothers very intimately because instead of inspiring our students and disciples they may sometimes pollute them. This attempt was made previously by them, especially Madhava Maharaja and Tirtha Maharaja and Bon Maharaja but somehow or other I saved the situation. This is going on. We shall be very careful about them and not mix with them. This is my instruction to you all. They cannot help us in our movement, but they are very competent to harm our natural progress. So we must be very careful about them.
I was reading how the Gaudiya Math misled Sadhudasa Anudasa was talking nonsense by misinterpreting shastra in: http://www.harekrsna.com/sun/editorials/11-11/editorials7958.htm Sadhudasa Anudasa’s objective is to misinterpret the shastra to make it look as if the Jiva has never come from Vaikuntha rather he has fallen from Brahmajyoti.
Sadhudasa: “3 – The nitya-baddha-tatastha-jiva has never been engaged in a direct and active personal relationship with the Lord – either in Krishnaloka or the Vaikunthaloka – with a fully manifested siddha-deha or spiritual body. As separated part and parcel (vibhinnamsha) of the Lord, the nitya-baddha’s inherent Krishna consciousness – as constitutional Krishna’s servant with a spiritual body or siddha-deha – is eternally imbibed within the tatastha-jiva in a seed-deha or seed form. – letter to Rupanuga Dasa on August 8th, 1969.” The actual letter below states:
Letter: Rupanuga, August 8, 1969, Los Angeles In further reference to your question about the form of the spirit soul of the conditioned living
entity, there is a spiritual form always, but it develops fully only when the living entity goes back to Vaikuntha. This form develops according to the desire of the living entity. Until this perfectional stage is reached, the form is lying dormant like the form of the tree is lying dormant in the seed.
What Srila Prabhupada states nitya baddha as no one can trace out the history of his conditioning in the material world. Now if you think how many Brahmas have come and gone and the living entity has taken billions upon billions upon billions of births – so material history can NOT be calculated, hence the term used is nitya baddha.
“The conditioned soul is therefore called nitya-baddha, or eternally conditioned. No one can trace out the history of his becoming conditioned at a certain date in material history.” Sadhudasa Anudasa has cleverly manipulated shastra to make out that nitya baddha means the jiva was never from Vaikuntha or Goloka. This is the philosophy of non realized Gaudiya math bogus gurus. Srila Prabhupada’s Gaudiya math god brothers were never diksha gurus – at all. They were not realized souls. Hence – they present bogus concocted version of no fall from Vaikuntha.
Here is what nitya baddha means as per Srila Prabhupada as opposed to Gaudiya Matha:
Letter: Aniruddha, November 14, 1968, Los Angeles Your next question, "Is a pure devotee eternally liberated and if so is he at any time a conditioned soul? We are eternally conditioned, but as soon as we surrender to Krishna do we then become eternally liberated? When Lord Christ appeared he seemed to be conditioned in his growth. Was he a specific incarnation or a conditioned soul who became liberated?" You are not eternally conditioned. You are eternally liberated but since we have become conditioned on account of our desire to enjoy materialistic way of life, from time immemorial, therefore it appears that we are eternally conditioned. Because we cannot trace out the history or the date when we became conditioned, therefore it is technically called eternally conditioned. Otherwise the living entity is not actually conditioned. A living entity is always pure. But he is prone to be attracted by material enjoyment and as soon as he agrees to place himself in material enjoyment, he becomes conditioned, but that is not permanent. Therefore a living entity is called on the marginal state, sometimes this side, sometimes that side. These are very intelligent questions. And I am very glad that you are putting such intelligent questions and trying to understand it. It is very good. But best thing is that one should know he is in conditioned life and try to cure it. When a man is in diseased condition he should try to get out of diseased condition without harassing his brain when the disease has begun. But it is to be understood that the disease is not our constant companion, it is temporary. So the best thing is to cure the disease, and not waste our time to find out the date when it began. Forgetfulness of Krishna is the disease, so let us keep ourselves always in Krishna Consciousness, and get out of the disease, that is healthy life. Yes, Lord Jesus was jiva tattva He is not Vishnu tattva. When a jiva tattva becomes specifically empowered by the Lord, he is called Shaktyavesha avatara. Lord Buddha and Lord Jesus Christ were in this group of Shaktyavesha avatara. But they were not in conditioned state when they appeared; they came to teach here.
Letter: Upendra, October 27, 1969, Tittenhurst Regarding your question, in one sense both you and Mahapurusha are right. The fact is that after the dissolution of the Universe, the living entities remain in slumber within Maha Vishnu,
and again when the creation takes place they are impregnated in their original position and they come out in different species of life. By gradual evolutionary process, when they come to the human form there is good chance of getting out of the repeated birth and death, and one can enter into the Spiritual Realm. But if one loses this chance he is again put into the cycle of birth and death. The conditioned souls are always within the Maha Vishnu form, whereas the liberated souls in Vaikuntha, they are engaged in the service of the Lord. Constitutionally every living entity, even if he is in the Vaikuntha loka, has chance of falling down. Therefore the living entity is called marginal energy. But when the fall down has taken place for the conditioned soul it is very difficult to ascertain. Therefore two classes are designated: eternally liberated and eternally conditioned. But for arguments sake, a living entity being marginal energy, he can't be eternally conditioned. The time is so unlimited that the conditioned souls appear to be eternally so, but from the philosophical view he cannot be eternally conditioned. Since we cannot trace out when we have become conditioned, there is no use of arguing on this point. Better to take care first how we can get rid of this conditional existence; as much as a patient should take care for treating his disease more, and less waste his time in finding out the cause of his disease.
Lectures, January 9, 1973, Bombay
Prabhupada: Just like the shark fish, they do not come into the river. That means those who are nitya-mukta, eternally liberated, they do not come into this material world. They do not come There are two kinds of living entities, nitya-mukta, nitya baddha. Nitya-baddha, we are. Those who are in this material world, we are eternally conditioned. Eternally conditioned in this way, because I am changing my body, one after another. As I am desiring, I am getting my next body. This body I am creating, my next body, again when I shall get next body, I shall create another body. So this is going on. And because it is going on, when it has begun and when it is going to end, that you do not know. Therefore it is called nitya, eternal. Actually it is not eternal, but we do not know when I have begun my material existence. At least we can think that since this material, this term of material creation was there, I began my life. But no, that is not actual fact. The actual fact is, when there was no creation, I was submerged into the body of Narayana, Maha-Vishnu. And when there is again creation, I come out. So when I was submerged into the body of Maha-Vishnu, before that my activities began in this material world.
Bhutva bhutva praliyate.
So we are given chance when there is creation, another cosmic manifestation. We are given chance. Now, you take another chance. Come back home, back, go back to home, back to Godhead. But we misuse this chance. On account of our ignorance, we misuse this chance, especially this human form of body. Here is a chance. We can go back to home, back to Godhead.
Knowledge of the Absolute, Bhagavad-gita 7.14 purport The Supreme Personality of Godhead has innumerable energies, and all these energies are divine. Although the living entities are part of His energies and are therefore divine, due to contact with material energy, their original superior power is covered. Being thus covered by material energy, one cannot possibly overcome its influence. As previously stated, both the material and spiritual natures, being emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are eternal. The living entities belong to the eternal superior nature of the Lord, but due to contamination by the inferior nature, matter, their illusion is also eternal. The conditioned soul is
therefore called nitya-baddha, or eternally conditioned. No one can trace out the history of his becoming conditioned at a certain date in material history.
Fundamental Principles of Material Nature, Srimad Bhagavatam 3.26.5 purport It is stated in the previous verse that the material energy was accepted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead in order that He might exhibit pastimes for the living entities who wanted to enjoy and lord it over the material energy. This world was created through the material energy of the Lord for the so-called enjoyment of such living entities. Why this material world was created for the sufferings of the conditioned souls is a very intricate question. There is a hint in the previous verse in the word lilaya, which means "for the pastimes of the Lord." The Lord wants to rectify the enjoying temperament of the conditioned souls. It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that no one is the enjoyer but the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This material energy is created, therefore, for anyone who pretends to enjoy. An example can be cited here that there is no necessity for the government's creation of a separate police department, but because it is a fact that some of the citizens will not accept the state laws, a department to deal with criminals is necessary. There is no necessity, but at the same time there is a necessity. Similarly, there was no necessity to create this material world for the sufferings of the conditioned souls, but at the same time there are certain living entities, known as nitya-baddha, who are eternally conditioned. We say that they have been conditioned from time immemorial because no one can trace out when the living entity, the part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, became rebellious against the supremacy of the Lord.
Lecture, Srimad Bhagavatam, June 20, 1973, Mayapur Now we are under the control of this external energy, material energy. We have become controlled, just like we become controlled by the prison authorities when we are criminals, not ordinarily. Ordinarily we are free. Those who are not within the walls of prison house, they are free. They are acting wherever they like they are going, but within the law. Similarly we have got freedom. There are living entities, their number is greater. Nitya-mukta, ever liberated. They live in the spiritual world, Vaikuntha planets. Nitya-mukta. Nitya-mukta means eternally liberated.
They never come down in this material world. And we are nitya-baddha – ever conditioned, eternally conditioned.
Eternally conditioned means… we cannot be eternally conditioned, because we are part and parcel of Krishna. Our natural position is ever liberated, eternally liberated. But because we wanted to imitate Krishna, we wanted to become Krishna, as the Mayavadis want to do, therefore in the spiritual world, Krishna is the only enjoyer.
Lectures, Chaitanya Charitamrita, January 9, 1967, New York 'nitya-mukta'–nitya krsna-carane unmukha 'krsna-parisada' nama, bhunje seva-sukha Yesterday we have been discussing two kinds of living entities. One class, nitya-mukta, eternally liberated, they never come to this material world. They are eternally liberated. And another class, just like we are, conditioned. We are eternally conditioned. Eternally conditioned means we do not know when we have been conditioned like this. It is not possible to trace out the history. Because living entity, by nature, he is not conditioned. But actually we see that we are conditioned, and there is no possibility to trace out the history. Many, many Brahma's life…
Not only one Brahma's, there are so many Brahmas changed, and we are conditioned. So therefore we are called eternally conditioned.
Lectures, Philosophy Discussions, Plotinus, Hayagriva dasa
Prabhupada: That's right. There are souls, innumerable souls. Anantaya kalpate. Nobody can count how many souls are there. So all the souls are as described above. They have got the same qualities of the One, in minute quantity, but some of them are fallen. Just like in the fire there are so many sparks, but one or two may fall down from the fire. Others remain in the fire.
Those who are not falling down, they are called nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. They are never conditioned. And those who have fallen within this material world for sense gratification, they are baddha. They are called nitya-baddha, eternally conditioned. And eternally means that nobody can estimate how long one conditioned soul within this material world is existing here, because the creation is going on perpetually – sometimes manifest, sometimes nonmanifest.
But the conditioned soul without Krishna consciousness is continuing to exist in this material world. Before the creation he was there in dormant condition. Again with the manifestation he comes out. This is going on. They are conditioned. And for their deliverance that One, Supreme Personality, comes, descends, sends His incarnation, sends His devotee to call him back to home, back to Godhead. That is also going on. Those who are fortunate, they take to Krishna consciousness and go back to home, back to Godhead, and those who are unfortunate do not take advantage of the instruction personally given by God, and later on His devotees are engaged to preach, they do not take care; they remain conditioned within this material world.
And material world is created and annihilated, and he suffers this annihilation while in this body, while in this material world. But the intelligent living entity, if he is fortunate, he takes to Krishna consciousness and again he goes back to home, back to Godhead.
Letter: Jadurani, September 9, 1967, Vrindavan Please accept my blessings. Your letter of 8/24 contains some important questions. The six goswamis are not all eternal associates of Krishna. Only Rupa and Raghunatha Goswami are eternal associates. You know there are two kinds of living entities: nitya mukta or eternal associates of the Lord, and nitya baddha or eternally conditioned. This material manifestation is a chance for the eternally conditioned entities to go Back to Godhead; but when they go back there is no distinction between the two. When Krishna appears, some of his eternal associates come with Him to assist Him in His different incarnational activities; and some of the living entities from conditioned life are liberated by following the footprint of Lord Krishna and His bona associates; so all the six became eternal associates of Krishna. Regarding Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya, he descended from higher planet for being liberated in the association of Lord Chaitanya, so his conditioned life came to an end after he contacted Lord Chaitanya.
Soul’s origin Here are two statements from Bhaktivedanta Veda base to back-up that the letter “Crow and Tal-Fruit Logic” was in fact from Srila Prabhupada.
“2.3.1 “Formerly we were with Krishna in His lila” In 1972, a devotee in Australia began saying that the living entities in this material world were originally situated in the brahmajyoti. According to Madhudvisa Prabhu and Charu Prabhu, who were both in Australia at the time, this caused some fairly widespread disturbance. Srila Prabhupada therefore dictated a response, a typed copy of which was retained by Madhudvisa
Prabhu. This is the famous crow and tal fruit message. Madhudvisa has said that it was distributed to the Australian temple presidents. In this statement, given in direct response to inquiries from his students on the question of the origin of the jiva, Srila Prabhupada gives many definitive answers to the questions facing us. He intended these not just as answers to a particular devotee but as his official answer to a philosophical controversy that had arisen in the Society.” “80) That the GBC suggests that devotees interested in apparent logical contradictions surrounding the "fall of the jiva" read the following paper on the topic, which Srila Prabhupada had sent to devotees in Australia in 1972 to resolve controversies that arose among them about this topic. The paper came as an attachment to a letter from Srila Prabhupada to Madhudvisa dasa dated June 6, 1972.” Crow and Tal-Fruit Logic We never had any occasion when we were separated from Krishna. Just like one man is dreaming and he forgets himself. In dream he creates himself in different forms: now I am the King discussing like that. This creation of himself is as seer and subject matter or seen, two things. But as soon as the dream is over, the "seen" disappears. But the seer remains. Now he is in his original position.
Our separation from Krishna is like that. We dream this body and so many relationships with other things. First the attachment comes to enjoy sense gratification. Even with Krishna, desire for sense gratification is there. There is a dormant attitude for forgetting Krishna and creating an atmosphere for enjoying independently. Just like at the edge of the beach, sometimes the water covers, sometimes there is dry sand, coming and going. Our position is like that, sometimes covered, sometimes free, just like at the edge of the tide. As soon as we forget, immediately the illusion is there. Just like as soon as we sleep, dream is there.
We cannot say therefore that we are not with Krishna. As soon as we try to become Lord, immediately we are covered by Maya. Formerly we were with Krishna in his lila or sport. But this covering of Maya may be of very, very, very, very long duration, therefore many creations are coming and going. Due to this long period of time it is sometimes said that we are ever- conditioned. But this long duration of time becomes very insignificant when one actually comes to Krishna consciousness. Just like in a dream we are thinking very long time, but as soon as we awaken we look at our watch and see it has been a moment only. Just like with Krishna's friends, they were kept asleep for one year by Brahma, but when they woke up and Krishna returned before them, they considered that only a moment had passed.
So this dreaming condition is called non-liberated life, and this is just like a dream. Although in this material calculation it is a long, long period, as soon as we come to Krishna consciousness, then this period is considered as a second. For example, Jaya and Vijaya. They had their lila with Krishna, but they had to come down for their little mistake. They were given mukti, emerging into the Brahmasayujya after being killed three times as demons. This Brahmasayujya mukti is non-permanent. Every living entity wants pleasure, but Brahmasayujya is minus pleasure. There is eternal existence only. So when they do not find transcendental bliss, they fall down to make a compromise with material bliss. Just like Vivekananda founded so many schools and hospitals. So even Lord Brahma, he is still material and wants to lord it over. He may come down to become a germ, but then he may rise up to Krishna consciousness and go
back to home, back to Godhead. This is the position.
So when I say Yes, there is eternal lila with Krishna, that means on the evidence of Jaya-Vijaya.
Unless one develops full devotional service to Krishna, he goes up only up to Brahmasayujya but falls down. But after millions and millions of years of keeping oneself away from the lila of the Lord, when one comes to Krishna consciousness this period becomes insignificant, just like dreaming.
Because he falls down from Brahmasayujya, he thinks that may be his origin, but he does not remember that before that even he was with Krishna. So the conclusion is that whatever may be our past, let us come to Krishna consciousness and immediately join Krishna. Just like with a diseased man, it is a waste of time to try to find out how he has become diseased, better to spend time curing the disease.
On the top of the tree there is a nice tal-fruit. A crow went there and the fruit fell down, Some panditas, big big learned scholars saw this and discussed: the fruit fell due to the crow agitating the limb. No, the fruit fell simultaneously with the crow landing and frightened the crow so he flew away. No, the fruit was ripe and the weight of the crow landing broke it from the branch, and so on and so on. What is the use of such discussions? So whether you were in the Brahmasayujya or with Krishna in His lila, at the moment you are in neither, so the best policy is to develop your Krishna consciousness and go there, never mind what is your origin.
Brahmasayujya and Krishna lila – both may be possible, but when you are coming down from Brahmasayujya or when you are coming down from Krishna lila, that remains a mystery. But at the present moment we are in Maya's clutches, so at present our only hope is to become Krishna conscious and go back to home, back to Godhead. The real position is servant of Krishna, and servant of Krishna means in Krishna lila. Directly or indirectly, always we are serving Krishna's lila. Even in dream. Just like we cannot go out of the sun when it is daytime, so where is the chance of going out of Krishna lila? The cloud may be there, it may become very gray and dim, but still the sunlight is there, everywhere, during the daytime. Because I am part and parcel of Krishna, I am always connected. My finger, even though it may be diseased, remains part and parcel of my body. Therefore, we try to treat it, cure it, because it is part and parcel. So Krishna comes Himself when we forget Him, or He sends His representative.
Awakening or dreaming, I am the same man. As soon as I awaken and see myself, I see Krishna. Cause and effect are both Krishna. Just like cotton becomes thread and thread becomes cloth, still, the original cause is cotton. Therefore, everything is Krishna in the ultimate sense. When we cannot contact Krishna personally, we contact His energies. So there is no chance to be outside Krishna's lila. But differences we see under different conditions. Just like in the pool of water and in the mirror, the same me is reflecting, but in different reflections. One is shimmering, unsteady, one is clear and fixed. Except for being in Krishna consciousness, we cannot see our actual position rightly, therefore the learned man sees all living entities as the same parts and parcels of Krishna. Material existence is impersonal, because my real personality is covered. But we should think that because I am now covered by this clay, I am diseased, and we should think that I must get to business to get myself uncovered, not wonder how I got this way. Now the fruit is there, take it and enjoy, that is your first business. God is not bound by cause. He can change, He is the Cause of all Causes. Now don't waste your time with this "Kaka taliya nyaya," crows and tal-fruit logic.
Conversations, July 8, 1976, Washington DC
Prabhupada: Whatever it may be, the fall down is there. So because we are living entities, we are not as powerful as Krishna, therefore we may fall down from Vaikuntha at any moment. iccha-dvesa samutthena sarge yanti parantapa – Find out this verse.
Pusta Krishna: iccha-dvesa samutthena dvandva-mohena bharata sarva-bhutani sammoham sarge yanti parantapa "O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate."
Prabhupada: Purport.
Pusta Krishna: "The real constitutional position of the living entity is that of subordination to the Supreme Lord, who is pure knowledge. When one is deluded into separation from this pure knowledge, he becomes controlled by illusory energy and cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The illusory energy is manifested in the duality of desire and hate. Due to desire and hate the ignorant person wants to become one with the Supreme Lord and envies Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Pure devotees, who are not so deluded or contaminated by desire and hate, can understand that Lord Sri Krishna appears by His internal potencies. But those who are deluded by duality and nescience think that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is created by material energies. This is their misfortune. Such deluded persons symptomatically dwell in dualities of dishonor and honor, misery and happiness, woman and man, good and bad, pleasure and pain, etc., thinking 'This is my wife, this is my house; I am the master of this house, I am the husband of this wife.' These are the dualities of delusion. Those who are so deluded by dualities are completely foolish and cannot understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead."
Prabhupada: So even in the Vaikuntha, if I desire that "Why shall I serve Krishna? Why not become Krishna?" I immediately fall down. That is natural. A servant is serving the master, 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: Why doesn't Krishna protect us from that desire?
Prabhupada: He's protecting. He says, "You rascal, don't desire, surrender unto Me." But you are rascal, you do not do this.
Vipina: Why doesn't He save me from thinking like that?
Prabhupada: That means you lose your independence.
Vipina: And no love.
Prabhupada: That is force. (indistinct) prema. In Bengali it is said "If you catch one girl or boy, 'You love me, you love me, you love me.' " Is it love? (laughter) "You love me, otherwise I will kill you." (laughter) 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.
The… Why one is called lover, another is called rape?
Letter: Rupanuga, July 24, 1969, Los Angeles Regarding your question, "what is the difference between the spirit souls comprising the Brahmajyoti and the spirit souls here in Maya?", in the Brahmajyoti the spirit souls on account of their impersonal views are devoid of a body, exactly like here in Maya there are ghosts who are devoid of any gross bodies. The ghost being devoid of a body, he suffers terribly because he is unable to satisfy his senses. The spirit souls in the Brahmajyoti, although they have no desire for sense gratification, still they feel inconvenience like the ghost, and they fall down again in the Maya's atmosphere and develop a material body. In the Bhagavat therefore it is said that persons who are impersonalists and do not develop the dormant devotional attitude, their intelligence is not pure, because for want of a spiritual body, they come down again to the material world. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly said by the Lord that the only way of not coming back to the material world is to be promoted to the spiritual planets. For the impersonalists there is no such assurance of not falling down in the whole Vedic literature. The conclusion is that without developing the spiritual body and without being situated on one of the spiritual planets, the so-called liberation is also illusion, or it is not complete. A spirit soul who falls down from the Brahmajyoti to the kingdom of maya may have a chance of associating with a pure devotee, and then he may be elevated to the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha or to Goloka Vrindavan. From the Brahmajyoti there is no direct promotion to the spiritual planets, and it is clearly stated in the
Bhagavatam that such souls fall: patanty adha.
Letter: Jagadisha, February 2, 1970, Los Angeles Regarding your questions concerning the spirit souls falling into Maya's influence, it is not that those who have developed a passive relationship with Krishna are more likely to fall into nescient activities. Usually anyone who has developed his relationship with Krishna does not fall down in any circumstance, but because the independence is always there, the soul may fall down from any position or any relationship by misusing his independence. But his relationship with Krishna is never lost, simply it is forgotten by the influence of maya, so it may be regained or revived by the process of hearing the holy name of Krishna and then the devotee engages himself in the service of the Lord which is his original or constitutional position. The relationship of the living entity with Krishna is eternal as both Krishna and the living entity are eternal; the process is one of revival only. Nothing new.
Letter: Jagadisha, April 25, 1970, Los Angeles Regarding your questions about how and from where did the conditioned souls fall, your first question if someone has a relationship with Lord Krishna on Krishnaloka, 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 any time. So there is always the chance of falling down by misuse of one’s independence. But those who are firmly fixed up on devotional service to Krishna are making proper use of their independence and so they do not fall down.
Letter: Jananivasa, August 27, 1967, Vrindavan The spirit soul is certainly eternal and changeless; and the fall is superficial, just like the relation between father and son cannot be broken ever. Now we are simply in a phase of forgetfulness, and this forgetfulness is called Maya. There is a nice example in the waning of the moon. To us the moon appears to be changing, but in fact the moon is always the same. So as eternal
servitors of Krishna – our constitutional position – we fall down when we try to become the enjoyer, imitating Krishna. That is our downfall. Krishna is the Supreme Enjoyer, and we are constitutionally to be enjoyed by Him, and when we revive this constitutional position there is no more Maya. Krishna Consciousness gives us the opportunity of rendering service to Krishna, and this service attitude only can replace us on our original position. Please therefore, continue to chant faithfully, and Krishna will reveal Himself, by His Causeless Mercy, and you will know everything automatically. I shall, of course always be ready and anxious to answer any question you have.
Letter: Uttamasloka, June 07, 1969, Vrindavan Please accept my blessings. I am very glad to receive your letter (undated), and I have noted the contents that you had left the temple but now you have returned again. This is most encouraging, because it means that Krishna is very kind upon you. Although you left Him, He did not allow you to go away. It is His special favor upon you. As individuals there may be disagreement sometimes, but that is quite natural. Even in ordinary family affairs there is sometimes disagreement, but that does not mean immediately the disagreeing members shall leave the family. Similarly our Krishna Consciousness Movement means we are all gathering together in families of Krishna. Actually we are eternal family members of the Lord, but due to our misuse of independence we have now forgotten our eternal relationship with Krishna, exactly like a man who is mad forgets his family and loiters in the street. But when he is again in his normal mental condition, he remembers his family members and goes back to them.
Similarly this Krishna Consciousness Movement is a treatment for reviving the memory that we all belong to Krishna's family. So we are trying to establish a replica of Krishna's family in this material world wherein there is no material activities. To avoid the material activities means to follow the four regulative principles and to engage ourselves constantly in Krishna Consciousness activities and to have the association of pure devotees. We should not give indulgence to our senses more than what is required just to keep body and soul together. We should not engage ourselves in very difficult tasks, and we should not talk anything more than what is necessary for spreading Krishna Consciousness. We should follow the regulative principles, regard being had to situation, circumstances and objectives. We should not be greedy and we should not mix with persons not interested in Krishna. In this way, we can make steady progress and maintain our membership in Krishna's family. Thus, at the end of this life we will enter actually into the spiritual world. So your main business should be to spread Sankirtana, becoming tolerant as the tree and becoming humbler than the grass. If you have anytime any difficulty, please try to settle up in the above way, but do not leave the company of devotees That will not help you, even though there may seem to be some difficulties.
Letter: Rayarama, December 2, 1968, Los Angeles The answer to your question about the marginal energy is that the jiva soul is always called marginal energy whether he is in the spiritual world or in the material world. There are instances where marginal energy jiva souls have fallen from the spiritual world, just like Jaya and Vijaya.
So the potency to fall under the influence of the lower energy is always there. And thus the individual jiva soul is called as Krishna's marginal energy.
Letter: Upendra, October 27, 1969, Tittenhurst Regarding your question, in one sense both you and Mahapurusha are right. The fact is that
after the dissolution of the Universe the living entities remain in slumber within Maha Vishnu, and again when the creation takes place they are impregnated in their original position and they come out in different species of life. By gradual evolutionary process, when they come to the human form, there is good chance of getting out of the repeated birth and death, and one can enter into the Spiritual Realm. But if one loses this chance he is again put into the cycle of birth and death. The conditioned souls are always within the Maha Vishnu form, whereas the liberated souls in Vaikuntha, they are engaged in the service of the Lord. Constitutionally every living entity, even if he is in the Vaikuntha Loka, has chance of falling down. Therefore the living entity is called marginal energy. But when the fall down has taken place for the conditioned soul is very difficult to ascertain. Therefore two classes are designated: eternally liberated and eternally conditioned. But for argument’s sake, a living entity being marginal energy, he can't be eternally conditioned. The Time is so unlimited that the conditioned souls appear to be eternally so, but from the philosophical view he cannot be eternally conditioned. Since we cannot trace out when we have become conditioned, there is no use of arguing on this point. Better to take care first how we can get rid of this conditional existence; as much as a patient should take care for treating his disease more, and less waste his time in finding out the cause of his disease.
Letter: Upendra, October 9, 1971, Nairobi So far your question, the soul is fundamentally pure but he has an aptitude to come to the impure state of material contamination. He is therefore called tatastha or marginal. He has got the liberty of staying within the pure state or becoming contaminated. That is his choice. This marginal point can be understood in this way; just like you are standing on the shore of the sea.
So you can remain on the land or sometimes you can jump into the water to enjoy as you will see on the beaches. So many young boys are enjoying. But that is dangerous at the same time.
One who does not know swimming expertly well he may become drowned. Similarly the soul from the spiritual platform sometimes jumps over the material ocean of nescience. The Vedic knowledge gives him specific instruction how to swim over but if he is a rascal, he does not take the instruction through the bonafide representative, the spiritual master, and he becomes drowned. That is the position. The Vedic instruction is so nice that the soul, when he jumps over this material ocean, the Vedic instruction teaches him how to swim and come back again to the shore. This swimming process, according to Vedic instruction, is called sacrifice, charity and penance. One who learns these techniques of swimming over the ocean of nescience, he goes back to home, back to Godhead. One who does not take to this swimming process, he becomes drowned. In the Bhagavad-gita this is stated iccha dyesa samutthena . . . svarge yanti parantapa which means deluded by desire to enjoy the material world and becoming envious of Krishna, one comes to this material world. (Bhagavad-gita, 7.27). So read our literature profusely and you will get sufficient knowledge.
Lectures, June 6, 1974, Geneva Just like father gives some capital to the son: "You do some business." Now, you lose the money or increase it hundred times; that depends on you. Similarly, Krishna has given us. We wanted to enjoy this material world, and Krishna has given us. The first beginning body is Brahma, very exalted body. But on account of our abominable activities, from Brahma, we come down to become the worm of stool. This is called karma, kshetra.
Bhagavad-gita Introduction
Arjuna was in a relationship with the Lord as friend. Of course there is a gulf of difference between this friendship and the friendship found in the material world. This is transcendental friendship which cannot be had by everyone. Of course everyone has a particular relationship with the Lord, and that relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. But in the present status of our life, we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but we have forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord. Every living being, out of many, many billions and trillions of living beings, has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally. That is called svarupa. By the process of devotional service, one can revive that svarupa, and that stage is called svarupa- siddhi – perfection of one's constitutional position. So Arjuna was a devotee, and he was in touch with the Supreme Lord in friendship.
Note: the Gaudiya math’s Sridhara Maharaja, Narayana Maharaja, Puri Maharaja, etc., cannot accept Srila Prabhupada even when Srila Prabhupada has quoted Chaitanya Mahaprabhu: Krishnetra ‘nitya-dasa ': "Every living entity is constitutionally an eternal servant of Krishna.
The soul was nitya (eternally) serving Krishna – Krishnetra ‘nitya-dasa in lila (sport) with
Krishna: but they oppose Srila Prabhupada by stating Brahmajyothi is the actual origin of the soul. This shows Srila Prabhupada is realized Mahabhagavata whereas Gaudiya matha camp is a bunch of mental speculators.
Talks Between Narada and King Prachinabarhi, Srimad Bhagavatam, 4.29.36-37 purport Bhakti refers to those activities performed in the service of Lord Vasudeva. Because Lord Vasudeva is the Supreme, one should engage oneself in His service, not in the service of the demigods. Devotional service begins from the neophyte stage – the stage of observing the rules and regulations – and extends to the point of spontaneous loving service to the Lord. The purpose of all stages is to satisfy Lord Vasudeva. When one is perfectly advanced in the devotional service of Vasudeva, one becomes completely detached from the service of the body, that is, his designated position in material existence. After becoming so detached, one becomes actually perfect in knowledge and engages perfectly in the service of Lord Vasudeva.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, jivera ‘svarupa’ haya – Krishnetra nitya dasa. "Every living entity is by constitutional position an eternal servant of Krishna." As soon as one engages in the service of Lord Vasudeva, he attains his normal constitutional position. This position is called the liberated stage. Muktir hitvanyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih: in the liberated stage, one is situated in his original Krishna conscious position. He gives up all engagements in the service of matter, engagements concocted under the names of social service, national service, community service, dog service, automobile service and so many other services conducted under the illusion of "I" and mine.
Note: Sometimes some devotees with concocted views take shelter of Gaudiya matha misinterpreted books of previous acharyas this is why we cannot accept their version of previous acharyas books. Who knows what they have concocted to make-out what the previous acharyas have really stated in those books? Srila Prabhupada's God brothers – Gaudiya Matha and their followers cannot be trusted. Simple as that!
Letter: Gurukripa, Yashodanandana, December 25, 1973, Los Angeles Whatever is to be learned of the teachings of Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura can be learned from our books. There is no need whatsoever for any outside instruction.
Letter: Revatinandana, June 13, 1970, Los Angeles
The next question, about the living entities falling down in this material world are not from the impersonal brahman. Existence in the impersonal brahma is also within the category of non- Krishna 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 Krishna consciousness. So long one can maintain pure Krishna consciousness, he is not fallen down. As soon as he becomes out of Krishna consciousness, immediately he is fallen down. It does not matter where a living entity stays. In the material world also there are different stages of living conditions, and to remain in the brahman effulgence is also another phase of that fallen condition. Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that conditioned souls by their pious activities are elevated to the higher planetary system, but as soon as the stock of pious activities is finished, he again comes down on the earthly planet. Similarly those who are elevated beyond the planetary system to the brahma effulgence, they are also prone to fall down as much as a living entity from the higher planetary system.
As such those who are thinking that they are liberated by being situated in brahman effulgence are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as impurely intelligent. In other words, they are actually not liberated, and because they are not actually liberated they again come down to the material world as much as a living entity elevated to the higher planetary system comes down to this earthly planet. So we do not accept anyone elevated to the brahman effulgence as actually liberated.