“Regarding your question about Krsna’s associates, the principle is that all living entities are expansions of the Original Living Entity, Krsna. But there are different grade of living entities: Visnu-tattva and jiva-tattva. Visnu-tattva is almost equal to the level of the Personality of Godhead, and jiva-tattva is minute particles. So when Lord Caitanya appeared, Nityananda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu were Visnu-tattva; whereas Gadadhara Prabhu and Srivasa Prabhu were sakti-tattva. Jiva-tattva is also within the sakti-tattva. These things are explained in Teaching of Lord Caitanya and other of our
books.”
(SPL to Jaya Govinda, 8th December, 1969)
70-02 “Because Krsna knows everyone’s future does not remove our free will. Someone may commit a theft, and if I know that then I know that he will be captured and punished. That is knowing his future, but to know that future does not mean that he had no choice not to commit the criminal act. There are two destinies for everyone. One destiny is Krsna consciousness and the other destiny is in material consciousness. So if someone is in Krsna consciousness then Krsna knows his future and if he is in material consciousness and acting in that way, Krsna also knows his future. In this way the free will is not affected by knowing the future of the living being, that is an erroneous conclusion.”
(SPL to Madhudvisa, 14th February, 1970)