On the Falling/no-falling of the Jiva
BY: ISVARA DASA
Mar 15, INDIA (SUN) — I just read the current article by Bahushira Prabhu, "The Fifth Veda and Unanswered Questions, Part 2", and I can say its quite amusing how he has supplied the references from some loose translations of Brahma Vaivarta Purana alleging Vaikuntha and Goloka as a place to be attained by pious activities, then once the result of one's pious works are exhausted, one falls down again to the material world. I think Bahushira Prabhu could have done better research before making this kind of posting.
This debate of fall and no-fall has been going on for ages in ISKCON, and it has basically divided devotees into two camps of understanding; those who firmly believe we were never there, and those who still believe we were once there in the Krishna lila, then for whatever reason, became envious of Krishna, thus fell down to the material world. It is basically troubling when both camps of devotees cite Srila Prabhupada as the authority by citing his various statements on the issue. However one thing for sure, I have yet to read from anywhere in Srila Prabhupada's books alleging that someone can fall from the spiritual world.
The most famous line by Srila Prabhupada in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam is, ‘it is a fact no one falls from the spiritual world'. Srila Prabhupada's purports to the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam have higher authority as he was writing his books for all of mankind, whereas his lectures, letters, conversations etc., were for certain times, places, and individuals. After all, Srila Prabhupada never said, ‘distribute my lectures and conversations', but ‘distribute my books'. Therefore how can we put emphasis on the lectures, letters and conversations by Srila Prabhupada above his written statements in his books?
Did Srila Prabhupada invent a teaching that was different from his predecessors and contemporaries, namely his Godbrothers who all had the same guru? Nowhere among the Gaudiyas or even in various sampradayas here in India have we heard this idea that we fell from the spiritual world.
Bhakta dasa Prabhu wrote a few days ago how it is hard to imagine a more powerful force of maya that can overcome one in the spiritual world, causing one to become envious of Krishna and thus fall down. Maya means ignorance or darkness. It is such ignorance that causes one to become forgetful of his real constitutional position and try to imitate God. But Maya has no place in the spiritual world. Maya is forever in the dark corner of the Lord's manifestation; that dark corner is this material world. The spiritual world of Goloka is an abode of love. Love of God is not something to be philosophized about; it requires real experience to understand. Anyone who understands the subject of prema or love of God can never subscribe to the idea that a jiva who is in loving association of Krishna can fall from that position.
Basically if we surmise that we fell from the spiritual world because of becoming envious of Krishna, then we are alleging that maya is a stronger force in the spiritual world that can overcome one, to enable him to become envious of Krishna and thus, immediately fall into the material world. Well I think not. Goloka dham is the abode of light and love. That love is forever increasing. The appearance of Lord Krishna as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was to understand and experience that love that the loving devotees have for Him.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta said Krishna is like the sun, maya is like darkness. Where there is sun, there cannot be darkness. Thus according to the conclusion of Srila Prabhupada in his book, "It is a fact no one falls from the spiritual world."
Isvara dasa
Touchstone Media, India
