# Free Will *On the soul's independence - our freedom to choose between serving God or forgetting Him* --- ### Little Independence Is Our Nature > You have got little independence. You are put into certain position, but you can change it at anytime. So your position is, actually, you are eternal servant of God. As soon as you change it, then your suffering begins. That independence you have got. Kṛṣṇa, or God, does not interfere with the little independence He has given to us. And because we are part and parcel of God, God is fully independent, so we have got little portion of independence. So by misusing that independence, we can desire to become God, and we suffer. — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### The Meaning of Independence > That is the nature, little independence. That is the nature. You can properly use independence, and you can improperly use. That is the meaning of independence, that you can use it improperly; then you suffer. That is the meaning of independence. If it is that I have got independence—I cannot use it otherwise—that is not independence. — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### Whatever You Like, You Can Do > After instructing Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna, Kṛṣṇa is asking, "Now I have instructed you everything. Now whatever you like, you can do." Yathecchasi tathā kuru. That independence you have got. Kṛṣṇa, or God, does not interfere with the little independence He has given to us. — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### Why We Came to the Material World > Generally, when we want to become God, there is separation. You cannot... There is one God, and if you want to become God, you are immediately driven away: "Just become God in the material world. Go there and try to become God." — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### Like Lucifer in the Bible > This rascaldom makes him a dog. Instead of God, he become a dog. So this rascaldom is going on, that "I am God." For this purpose he's suffering, and still, he wants to continue it. Nobody can become God; God is one. Ekaṁ brahma dvitīyaṁ nāsti. So how we can become God? But that endeavor is going on. — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### God Knows Our Choices > You make your choice; you can change it. But as soon as you change it, God knows what you are going to do. This is very common sense. Suppose you are honest man; I entrust you with something. But as soon as you become dishonest, immediately I withdraw my entrust, because I know what you'll do. — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### Free Will in Making Decisions > So that small, miniscule amount of independence that we have represents our free will in making decisions and choices towards either returning toward God or trying to go on our own way, which is the origin of our original position, being in this material world. — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### The Most Confidential Instruction > So therefore Kṛṣṇa said that "The most confidential part of knowledge I am giving you, Arjuna, because you are My very intimate friend, that you give up your all nonsense plans." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: "You just surrender to Me. This is the most confidential knowledge. You can misuse your independence, but I am instructing you most confidentially because you are My intimate. Don't make plans like rascals. You just surrender to Me." — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### Learning Through Suffering > One wonders why the structure of the universe or of the world has been made in such a fashion that it takes a great deal of misery and difficulty for us to turn towards God. Because he doesn't want to turn towards God. God says that "You surrender unto Me." And who is going to surrender? He says clearly, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, and who is doing that? So why he'll not suffer? He must suffer. — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- ### Illusion Is Another Punishment > Illusion is another punishment. We wanted to forget God, and God's illusory energy is giving him facility to forget God. This is called illusory energy. — [[spoken/1976/760609gc.la|Garden Conversation, Los Angeles, 1976]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on free will and the soul's independence* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]