“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)
“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)
“Regarding your first question, a pure devotee is never under the modes of nature. In other words, no material laws apply on a devotee because he is fully under the direction of Krsna. So a devotee can continue his present occupation or he may change it if he likes. Krsna does not force a devotee because the devotee acts spontaneously according to the desire of the Lord. In this kind of loving service there is no question of force. Force is applied only when there is denial of Krsna. Just as the citizens of a state have freedom to follow the laws of the state, that is subordinate freedom, and the freedom of the living entities is also subordinate to Krsna. The clue is given there in the Bhagavad-gita that the living entities are fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, this means that all the qualities of Krsna are therefore present in minute quantity in each of His parts and parcels. That is simultaneously one and different philosophy—the living entities thus have free will because they are parts of Krsna and Krsna has free will, but the free will of Krsna is Supreme while the freedom of the parts and parcels is minute. So if the living entity out of love subordinates his free will to Krsna that is his liberation. He is no longer forced to act helplessly, but he acts freely rendering loving devotional service to Krsna in every way. Then we have the practical conclusion from Krsna confirmed by Him in Bhagavad-gita (18.66), ‘Just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore you have nothing to fear.’ In this way astral influences are also material and therefore they do not affect the devotee who has taken protection of Krsna’s internal energy, by surrendering his life and soul in the service of the Lord.”
(SPL Madhudvisa, 14th February, 1970)