Feb 21, AUSTRALIA (SUN) — Part 1.
The teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada have always had the final words on the origin of the jiva soul, and he tells us very clearly we all came directly from Krsnaloka to this material creation some millions of years ago.
I'm aware how some schools of thought incorrectly claim that some jiva-souls originally emanate from the Impersonal Brahmajyoti, which, they claim, is growing with a constant march of new jiva-souls.
They further incorrectly claim that within the dormant characteristics of the Brahmajyoti, the immovability of these inactive jiva-souls is ‘somehow' disturbed and movement begins. They then erroneously claim that from non-differentiation, separation begins. From a bare expanse of standardized consciousness, individual conscious components grow.
Srila Prabhupada rejected this nonsense idea that souls 'originate' from the Brahmajyoti from a dormant state of individual bare consciousness. To start with, this impersonal claim is totally rejected by the present bona fide Acarya of Lord Caitanya's teachings. Srila Prabhupada without a doubt tells us ALL marginal living entities come to this material creation from the pastimes of Krishna in Goloka.
Srila Prabhupada: "The actual constitutional position of every living entity is nitya-siddha, by following the rules and regulations and instructions of the spiritual master, he can become AGAIN nitya-siddha. So the Krsna consciousness movement is to make the nitya-baddhas AGAIN nitya-siddha.
(Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya 20.107 New York, July 13, 1976)
Srila Prabhupada: "Originally everyone is nitya-siddha. nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti 'sadhya' kabhu naya sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya. Every living entity originally nitya-siddha".
(Srimad-Bhagavatam Class 7.9.4– Mayapur, February 18, 1977)
It is therefore untrue to suggest the jiva soul 'originate' from the dormant feature of the Brahmajyoti as some other schools of Hinduism teach.
Srila Prabhupada: "We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago."
(Lecture on Bhagavad-gita on August 6, 1973)
Srila Prabhupada: "So to go to Krishna means you will have to acquire your original, spiritual body. The spiritual body is already there, but we are now covered by this material body".
(Germany, June 22, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada: "As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness has now become polluted by the material atmosphere."
(Original Hare Krsna album)
Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur: "However, because of contact with matter, the imprisoned soul loses the memory of his original spiritual form in Vaikuntha. . . material rasas are perverted reflections of the soul's original spiritual rasas."
(Prema-pradipa)
Srila Prabhupada's teachings fully represents the full authority of Sadhu, Shastra and Guru that clearly tells us from the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita and others Shastras, that the jiva souls are NEVER CREATED because they have always been.
Actually our perpetual origins are directly from Krishna's pastimes in Goloka because originally EVERY JIVA SOUL is a selfless nitya-siddha devotee of Krishna within His pastimes as Srila Prabhupada has told us.
Srila Prabhupada: "Existence in the impersonal Brahman is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness. Those who are in the Brahman effulgence, they are also in the fallen condition. So there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition".
(Letter, June 13, 1970
From this understanding of Srila Prabhupada's teachings, the dormant aspect of the Brahmajyoti, where souls (baddha-jivas) are in an individual slumber, is already a fallen state where one has entered previously from the material creation. Therefore no souls ‘originate' from the dormant characteristic of the Brahmajyoti. ALL living entities originate from the pastimes of Krishna in Goloka.
The technical term for the jiva-soul that enters the mahat-tattva and the impersonal Brahmajyoti is the baddha-jiva. This secondary condition of the marginal living entity (the original condition of every marginal living entity is nitya-siddha in Goloka) is the fallen state activated by free-will and choose, hence this is why we are called marginal.
The baddha-jiva secondary state or sub-conscious condition of the marginal living entity can exist embodied (trapped) in subtle and gross material vessels in the mahat-tattva, or further more, exist free of such material vessels in as a dreamless dream inactive condition of consciousness within the impersonal characteristic of the Brahmajyoti, that is also a temporary condition of the baddha-jiva sub-consciousness.
No jiva souls ‘originate' from this impersonal aspect of Brahman or the dormant Brahmajyoti and furthermore, only the baddha-jiva condition of the marginal living entity can enter the inactive dreamless state called the impersonal Brahmajyoti.
Every marginal living entity is therefore originally a nitya-siddha body in Goloka, it's just some think, dream or imagine in their awareness of themselves, due to free will and choice, they are not there in Goloka but in the material creation. This non-Krishna conscious dream-state in the material creation is called the nitya-baddha inferior feature of the marginal living entity.
Souls can fall from Goloka-Vrndavana or Vaikuntha if they choose. Srila Prabhupada explains in Mayapur, India, on February 19, 1976 -
Srila Prabhupada: "Because you are part and parcel of God, God has got full independence, but you have got little independence, proportionately, because you are part and parcel"
Acyutananda: "But in the Gita, it says, "Once coming there (Vaikuntha), he never returns."
Srila Prabhupada: "But if he likes, he can return".
Acyutananda:"He can return (from Vaikuntha)".
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".
(Mayapur, India, on February 19, 1976)
Acyutananda:The following Conversation took place in Los Angeles, June 23, 1975 between Srila Prabhupada and Dr. John Mize that all marginal living entities come from Vaikuntha or Goloka.
Dr. John Mize: "Did all the souls that were in the spiritual sky fall out of the spiritual sky at once or at different times, or are there any souls that are always good, they're not foolish, they don't fall down?"
Srila Prabhupada: "No, there are... Majority, 90%, they are always good. They never fall down".
Dr. John Mize: "So we're among the 10%.
Srila Prabhupada: "Yes. Or less than that. In the material, whole material world all the living entities they are... Just like in the prison house, there are some population, but they are not majority. The majority of the population, they are outside the prison house. Similarly, majority of living being, part and parcel of God, they are in the spiritual world. Only a few fall down".
Dr. John Mize: "Does Krishna know ahead of time that a soul is going to be foolish and fall?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Krishna? Yes, Krishna may know because He is omniscient".
Dr. John Mize: "Are more souls falling all the time?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Not all the time. But there is the tendency of fall down, not for all, but because there is independence... Everyone does not like to misuse their independence. The same example: Just like a government constructing a city and constructs also prison house because the government knows that somebody will be criminal.
So their shelter must be also constructed. It is very easy to understand. Not that cent percent population will be criminal, but government knows that some of them will be. Otherwise why they construct prison house also?
One may say, "Where is the criminal? You are constructing..." Government knows, there will be criminal. So if the ordinary government can know, why God cannot know? Because there is tendency".
Dr. John Mize: "The origin of that tendency is...?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Yes".
Dr. John Mize: "From where does that tendency come?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Tendency means the independence. So everyone can know that independence means one can use it properly, one can misuse it. That is independence. If you make it one way only, that you cannot become fall down, that is not independence. That is force. Therefore Krishna says, yathecchasi tatha kuru. "Now you do whatever you like."
Devotee: "Because Krishna is independent, therefore the part and parcels..."
Srila Prabhupada: "Yes. Part and parcel must have a little portion of independence. Qualitatively, part and parcel means... Just like you take a drop of water from the sea. The, all the chemical composition is there in the drop. So Krishna is fully independent. So we living entities we are drop. Still, the independence quality is there in minute quantity".
(Los Angeles, June 23, 1975)
The following Conversation took place in Melbourne, Australia June 25, 1974 between Srila Prabhupada and his disciples about why souls fall down from Goloka.
Devotee: "When we are in the spiritual sky and serving Krishna, we have a perfect relationship with Krishna, what causes us to fall down in the material world, because we're already serving Krishna?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Because you desire to fall down. Here it is explained that "Don't fall down." And as soon as you associate with the material nature, then you fall down".
Devotee: "Srila Prabhupada, I can't understand why we should have an impure desire when we are already serving..."
Srila Prabhupada: "Because you have got little freedom. Why one is not coming here and going to the liquor shop? It is his desire. Because he has associated with a different type of material quality..."
Devotee: "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?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Yes. You forced Krishna to allow you to come. Just like sometimes a child forces his father. Father says, "My dear son, do not do this. Do not go there." But he insists, "Oh, I must go. I must go." "All right, you go at your risk. That's all. And you suffer".
Srila Prabhupada: "What can be done?"
Srila Prabhupada: "Because you are Son of God—God has got independence, full independence, almighty—therefore you have acquired the quality of your father. You have got little independence. So God does not interfere with your little independence".
Srila Prabhupada: "If you persist that "I must go and enjoy independently," so God says, "All right, you can go." This is the position. You have to take sanction. That is a fact. But when you persist, God sanctions. And you come and enjoy".
Beginning from Lord Brahma down to the worms in the stool, gradually, according to your work, according to your desire, you manufacture your different types of body and enjoy and suffer. That's all. That is explained. Prakriti-stho hi bhunkte prakriti-jan gunan. And as soon as you, entangled in different types of punishment, not enjoyment but punishment. You will find in this practical experience. Suppose a boy is very rich man's son. But still, he thinks, "Why shall I live under the rules and regulations of my father? Let me go out. I shall enjoy life freely." Freely, what freedom?
You are already rich man's son. You can enjoy the property of your very, very rich powerful father, and what independence you will enjoy? This is criminality. This is criminality. We are sons of God, part and parcels of God, and God means almighty. So we have got almighty father.
Leaving His place, I have come to this material world to enjoy independently. That is criminality. And we are suffering. That is explained here: prakriti-stha, "being placed in this material world," purusha, bhunkte prakriti-jan gunan, "He is enjoying, but enjoying the quality of the modes of material nature."
(Bg. lecture, Melbourne, June 25, 1974)
Srila Prabhupada: "Eternally conditioned? We cannot be eternally conditioned (nitya-baddha), because we are part and parcel of Krishna. Our natural position is ever liberated, eternally liberated (nitya-siddha). Bhäg. lecture, Mayapur, June 20, 1973
End of Part one.
Hare Krsna.
Your fallen servant,
Gauragopala dasa
