How a devotee loses his eligibility to be in Goloka and falls down?
A male devotee asked like this:
“Hare Krishna! Subh sandhya prabhu. As I still have to clarify bit regarding a counselling. Though Krishna reserved some Independence to everyone and everywhere. Then How could a devotee willingly able to think of material world when he is living with Krishna eternally and blissfully and as he is familiar with the material pains?
Why don’t Krishna understand and convince him (say) saying you don’t have to go there it is full of pains as you’ve already suffered much and you came to me detaching every material pains behind, when while his devotee thinking of going back to material planet leaving spiritual planet behind?
I’m actually deep into it and curious to know further from u Prabhu. Hare Krishna.
REPLY:
Before seeing how a devotee loses his eligibility to be in Goloka, let us read a few examples to understand this well.
(1) Let a person has all the wealth – big house, cars, bank balance, beautiful wife, child, good health etc. He has no need to have any other worry.
But, his wife and child do not give him respect and his wife is dominating the family. The wife receives all respects and appreciation from child and relatives. Though he has everything, he is not able to be a respectable leader of the family.
(Can One have Intimate relationship with Krishna in Goloka? READ HERE!)
How will he feel?
He will develop some other circles like friends, business partners, etc., and spend more time with them. He will not prefer to live with his wife and child who are not treating him as the leader of that family.
Day by day, these neglecting attitudes make him to think of other options.
(2) Let a cine actor marries an actress. That actress was acting only in a few films. This actor was popular at the time of marriage. They were living happily because his ego had been satisfied that he is more popular than his wife. At a point of time, one of the film of the wife was a super hit and the films of the actor are utter flop. The wife started to earn more money and his demanding position weakened and he was not booked for new films. His wife is now earning well acting in many films without rest.
Now, the actor feels and develops an inferiority complex or ego that he is not preferred like his wife now a days. This makes him to quarrel with his wife very often and they part each other.
These are the two examples to show that one’s needs should be satisfied for him to be happy.
(How to know whether we have taken many births or just fallen from Goloka? READ HERE!)
Now, let us come to the matter of how a devotee loses his eligibility to be in Goloka.
This devotee was following devotion to Krishna sincerely when he was in the material world. He was very much respected by a group of people for his devotional status.
Getting convinced with his devotion, Krishna allows him to come to Goloka and serve Him. While taking him to Goloka, Krishna does not take away his freedom to act even in Goloka. Krishna reserves this freedom at all places including Goloka. He does not consider a devotee acting with free will in the material planet also. If he was serving selflessly to Krishna, Krishna takes that devotee to Goloka THOUGH SOME DESIRES ARE IN A HIDDEN STATE IN THE MIND OF THAT DEVOTEE. Because of the power of devotion, that devotee did not use that free will so far. That’s all. Krishna does not consider it as a disqualification. This is the causeless mercy of Krishna.
For better understanding, if a devotee is giving a pure selfless service, Krishna accepts that devotee at Goloka even with some defects arising out of his free will because it was allowed by Krishna Himself.
Krishna accepts a devotee even if he is purified to the level of around 80% because this level of purity itself is difficult in kaliyuga and hence is rewarded by Krishna.
(How many Qualities required to go back to Goloka for humans and gods? READ HERE!)
So, the devotee enters into the Goloka though he has some hidden and unexposed desire out of his free will. This entry into the Goloka is the gift for His service to Krishna hiding all his personal choices and desires.
When we perform devotion sincerely, our personal desires are taken to a dormant state since we concentrate only in the devotion. Krishna accepts us in this condition only. The devotee sacrificed his self interests for entire birth. This alone is rewarded by Krishna by allowing him to enter into Goloka though the devotee has about 20% of contamination.
Thus, the devotee comes to Goloka.
In Goloka, there are only two activities:
(1) Krishna is served. He is the only master there.
(2) The devotees serve Krishna.
This devotee who entered Goloka has his own free will in a dormant state. It does not come out easily because he will be busy serving Krishna there.
Since the free will is in a dormant state, it will come out at any time. It did not come out when he was in earth and hence he was allowed into Goloka.
(Can I take my parents, wife and children to Krishna’s Kingdom Goloka? READ HERE!)
Here, his service to Krishna continues. On earth, he served Krishna indirectly. Here, he serves directly. That is the difference.
He has freedom to act as in the earth even in Goloka. He can think of his own. Krishna never curtails this freedom of a devotee even in Goloka.
So, the devotee has the thoughts of the penances he performed when he was in the earth. So, comparative thoughts are possible.
On earth, he was honoured by a group of people. In the Goloka, He continues to honour Krishna. But, since everyone is busy in serving Krishna, this devotee some times think that Only Krishna is the honourable person in Goloka and he can only serve and he can’t be a leader to a group as he was on earth.
The special honour received by him on earth was boosting his ego. In Goloka, though he will be serving Krishna, some times, he may think of his days in earth.
This may kindle his dormant free will of choosing his own way of life with honours. So, he just thinks how it will be if others serve me in Goloka, but, Only Krishna is receiving all the honours.
(GOLOKA VRINDAVAN, VAIKUNTA & SPIRITUAL SKY – DESCRIPTION! READ HERE!)
Just thinking, not even attempting to get the respect. Even this thinking is identified by Krishna. He understands that this devotee has started to use his free will to receive honours.
Since Krishna feels that this devotee may need some more grooming to be eligible to be in Goloka eternally, He sends that devotee to the material planets again.
This is how a devotee loses his eligibility to be in Goloka.
The point is that Krishna first gives us a chance to serve Him directly as a recognition of our services on earth. If He feels later that the devotee needs more time, He sends back here. But, the same devotee will be subjected to severe conditions of material planets and within a few births, he will go back to Goloka again.
Understandably, this time, he will not even think of material planets.
A school appoints a teacher believing that he will be up to his qualification. If he is not up to the level, they send him for more training in some institutes and then take him again.
Similarly, Krishna sends us to the material planet for some more training to be gained through some more experience. Not permanently.
When he takes this devotee for the second or third time, the devotee would have become well trained with experience. So, he will not lose his eligibility to be in Goloka again and avoid fall down.
Hope you are clear about the causeless and merciful approach of Krishna and How a devotee loses his eligibility to be in Goloka. We can try to give the causes for His actions. But, His mercy is causeless.
(Why and How did we fall down from Goloka? How to avoid it? READ HERE!)