Dharmacandra Dasa:  Resolving the three basic points of view in the discussion on the fall of the jiva

There are various ideas on the fall of the jiva discussion. However, they may be divided into three:

  1. The jiva has not fallen from the spiritual world.
  2. The jiva has fallen from the spiritual world.
  3. The jiva has fallen from the margin of the material and spiritual worlds.

Each school of thought has its details for the above scenarios, however when those details are removed, then the essence is revealed as presented above. One can see that all bases are covered by these three concepts of the initial fall of the jiva-soul to material conditioning.

All three schools have their treasured quotes of Srila Prabhupada, which they, of course, interpret to indicate their concept exclusively, and sometimes even convincingly. Let us step back and take a fresh look. However first let us hear from Srila Prabhupada describing the nature of the tatastha-shakti-jiva. Interestingly, the following is from the concluding paragraph of the last purport of the Bhagavad-gita, i.e., 18.78:

Srila Prabhupada: “The living entity in his original position is pure spirit. He is just like an atomic particle of the Supreme Spirit. Thus Lord Krsna may be compared to the sun, and the living entities to sunshine. Because the living entities are the marginal energy of Krsna, they have a tendency to be in contact either with the material energy or with the spiritual energy. In other words, the living entity is situated between the two energies of the Lord, and because he belongs to the superior energy of the Lord, he has a particle of independence. By proper use of that independence he comes under the direct order of Krsna. Thus he attains his normal condition in the pleasure-giving potency.”

So Srila Prabhupada is quite clear the jiva is “the marginal energy” of Krsna “situated between the two energies of the Lord” and in that position he uses his “particle of independence”. “By proper use of that independence he comes under the direct order of Krsna. Thus he attains his normal condition in the pleasure potency.”

Srila Prabhupada is quite clear: from between matter and spirit, the jiva uses his particle of independence to come under and attain the spiritual world or by improper use of that independence he falls under the illusory potency, rejecting devotional service, forgetting Krsna and his original constitutional position as “pure spirit”.

If one can understand the marginal position, only then one can resolve the above three schools of thought quoted at the start of this essay. A margin is an extremely subtle state in terms of position and consciousness. Between the sea and the land is “the margin” a practically indistinct line that nonetheless exists, as undoubtedly there is a line of transmission from sea to land.

Now if we comprehend this example of the subtle marginal state between sea and land and then apply this understanding to the juncture of the material and spiritual worlds between which the marginal jiva is located in terms of position and consciousness, then it is easy to resolve the above three schools of thought.

  1. The jiva has not fallen from the spiritual world because the margin is not the spiritual world.
  2. The jiva has fallen from the spiritual world because the margin is transcendental to the material energy and the jiva is “pure spirit in his original position” at that margin.
  3. The jiva has fallen from the margin of the material and spiritual worlds because he is the marginal energy “situated between the two energies of the Lord”, at least according to Srila Prabhupada.

In this way, all three perspectives are seen to have validity.

Therefore, with the proper understanding of the margin-line between spirit and matter and that the jiva is “between the two energies of the Lord” on this margin-line, one can see that all three schools of thought contain validity. But the problem is that the three schools of thought only accept their own point of view excluding the two other points of view. Thus, they expose their poor realization of the marginal jiva at the margin-line of spirit and matter. This poor fund of knowledge can be overcome by accepting the quotation of Srila Prabhupada above on face value, and then contemplating the nature of the marginal line and the marginal jiva so positioned in terms of consciousness and location at that subtle juncture.

Once we understand that all three concepts are valid based on particular perspectives, then we can understand why there is evidence to support all three points of view in Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Put simply, all three are correct according to the perspective of the discussion. The caveat is that one should have a correct realization of the marginal jiva at the subtle margin-line “between matter and spirit”.

Of course, many don’t accept Srila Prabhupada’s teaching as quoted above. They fall into two categories:

  1. Those that say the jiva has not fallen from the margin because he was always in the material world. This point of view is proposed, for example, in the “Leaves” book, that the GBC quite rightly rejected.
  2. Those that say the jiva has not fallen from the margin because he was once face to face with Sri Krsna in krsna-prema in Goloka Vrndavana.

These two points of view are false conclusions, opposed to Vedic knowledge and easily defeated:

  1. If we say the jiva was always in the material world, then we deny his emanation from Sri Krsna, who is of course transcendental to the material energy. If the jiva is the emanation of Sri Krsna, then he was certainly emanated above the material energy, as Sri Krsna is eternally situated in transcendence. And above, Srila Prabhupada states, “The living entity in his original position is pure spirit.”
  2. To assert that the jiva enviously rejects the service of Sri Krsna from within Goloka and in the consciousness of krsna-prema is an illogical and unbelievable scenario without any supportive Vedic sastric evidence. How can mundane envy enter Goloka? Such an implausible scenario can only be supported by a blinkered reading of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings and a fanciful misinterpretation of the same. The teachings of the Vedas and all Vaisnava acaryas is that the residents of all the Vaikuntha planets, not just Goloka, enjoy the eternal perfection of ever-increasing krsna-prema in the eternal abode of Sri Krsna, eternally.

Therefore the conclusion of Srila Prabhupada is that the marginal jiva has emanated from Sri Krsna, and situated on the margin-line of spirit and matter he has chosen his subsequent engagement by his “particle of independence”. And according to one’s perspective, one can argue that fall from this marginal state means:

  1. Jiva has not fallen from the spiritual world.
  2. Jiva has fallen from the spiritual world.
  3. Jiva has fallen from the margin-line of spirit and matter.

 

In this way, all three perspectives on the fall of the jiva are resolved and seen to have their own form of validity based on their adherent’s particular perspective. The mistake is to accept one’s own perspective to the exclusion of the other two. Of course, if one does not accept the jiva as the marginal energy of the Lord, situated ”between spirit and matter”, then the resolution is not possible.

One simply has to understand the subtle concept of the margin-line and the jiva awakening to choice in that position. That marginal-line position is simultaneously: (1) not in the spiritual world; (2) not in the material world, therefore in the spiritual realm; and (3) on that subtle margin. A little unbiased intelligence, however, is required.

As Srila Prabhupadate teaches:

“The living entity in his original position is pure spirit. He is just like an atomic particle of the Supreme Spirit. Thus Lord Krsna may be compared to the sun, and the living entities to sunshine. Because the living entities are the marginal energy of Krsna, they have a tendency to be in contact either with the material energy or with the spiritual energy. In other words, the living entity is situated between the two energies of the Lord, and because he belongs to the superior energy of the Lord, he has a particle of independence. By proper use of that independence he comes under the direct order of Krsna. Thus he attains his normal condition in the pleasure-giving potency.”

 

“Situated between, situated between, situated between!”

Kindly accept the words of Srila Prabhupada, contemplate without prejudice, then one can understand wherefrom the three perspectives with their attendant quotes, logic and argument have arisen. Ultimately, however, the clearest statement of Vedic siddhanta is that the marginal-potency jiva chooses active engagement in either the spiritual energy or the material energy by his “particle of independence” from the marginal-line. That is the clear teaching of Srila Prabhupada, as above.

All Glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Aum Tat Sat