The Jiva-soul: Its Origin, Nature, And Potentialities

The perpetual Kingdom of Radha and Krishna, known as Krishna-Loka or Goloka-Vrndavana and encircled by the imperishable Vishnu-Loka or the Vaikuntha Planets, where Krishna’s numerable expansions of Vishnu and Lakshmi reside along with their infinite number of devotee’s (known as Krishna’s marginal potency or individual bodily servants) takes up 3/4 of the imperishable Spiritual Sky or total creation.

Krishna’s planet is centered above in the red lotus flower and surrounded by unlimited expansions of Vishnu and Lakshmi in the surrounding yellow Vaikuntha planets, both transcendental abodes are made up of living entities (individual bodily personalities and Krishna’s marginal potency) with eternal devotional bodies, where as the less significant and smaller mahat-tattva cloud, also in that Spiritual Sky (perishable material universe only 1/4 of creation), as well as its impersonal escape, is nothing other than the rebellious dreams, thoughts and desires of just a few of those eternal bodily personalities. Such dreams, thoughts and desires are projected or transmitted as a ‘secondary consciousness’ to the mahat-tattva or temporary material manifestation, due to their desire not to be with Krishna as their devotional form or body. It is there within that mahat-tattva cloud the projected secondary consciousness, emanating from ones original perpetual body, becomes contained by ethereal and biological vessels provided by the presiding Deity of the mahat-tattva, Maha-Vishnu.

Krishna’s subsidiary or marginal living entities make Him inclusive and all pervading like the sun and the sunrays, yet both Krishna and His marginal potency always remain individual persons as those original authentic perpetual person in/as transcendental bodies that is always who they really are for eternity.

In other words such spiritual bodies in the Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha Empire are not vessels or container or a body one is housed in, no, it is not like that in the perpetual spiritual Sky because those bodies are who one really is for infinity.

The energy of Lord Krishna is divided into three: para, kshetrajna and avidya. The para energy is actually the energy of the Supreme Lord Himself; the kshetrajna energy is the individual living entities or the marginal potency of Krishna that are all originally eternal bodily persons like Krishna yet always in the constitutional position of eternal servants and the enjoyed, while Krishna is the enjoyer; and the avidya energy is the material world (mahat-tattva), under the influential control of Maya-Devi, the wife of the creator of the mahat-tattva, Maha-Vishnu.

Never was there a time when all the individual transcendental bodies (marginal potency, soul or atma-jiva-vigraha devotee’s) did not exist, nor in the future will such original bodies cease to be. This is confirmed as follows –

‘Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be’ - Bhagavad-Gita as it is chapter 12 text 2.

Krishna is a perpetual ‘Bodily-Person’ and so are all of the individual marginal potencies that emanate/surround Him.

We hear from the Vedic texts that the Supreme Brahman or Brahmajyoti exhibits Krishna’s effulgence (originates from Krishna), and therefore everything becomes illuminated. We can understand from Brahma-samhita that this Brahmajyoti, or the Brahman effulgence, emanates from the Personal body of Lord Krishna. Many Vaishnava philosophers have considered this effulgence of individuals to be Impersonal however, all ‘so-called sparks’ in Krishna’s effulgence are actually the manifestation of unlimited individual bodily-personalities that are referred to as Krishna’s marginal potency or sparks. All marginal sparks, atoms in the effulgence, potencies, energies etc are all individual bodily personalities that originally manifested as an eternally Krishna Conscious body or sat-cit-ananda-vigraha. Even the terminology ‘originally manifested’ is incorrect because there is no beginning or end to Krishna or His marginal devotee’s. One thing is cetain; all living entities who enter the dark mahat-tattva cloud in the far corner of the Spiritual Sky have all originated from the Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha, not as their perpetual devotional Krishna Conscious body, but rather as a transformation of consciousness caused by non-Krishna conscious desires.

It is only when they (the marginal devotee’s in Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha) foolishly transmit their secondary consciousness to the mahat-tattva that such knowledge of their originality is temporarily lost (although the conection to ones authentic bodily self can never be lost, only forgotten) and the disease of Impersonalism (Mayavadism) overwhelms them. In this way, when one chooses to leave Krishna's association, they also leave behind the body that they really are, and always will be, and always have been, even though their geniun bodily self is temporarily ‘consciously’ abandoned to pursue self-centered pleasures!

Unfortunately the disease of believing our origins are from the Impersonal origins of 'sparks and atoms' even affects many great Vaishnava devotee’s like Srila Bhaktirakshaka Sridhar Dev Goswami Maharaja, Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja Swami, B.G. Narasingha and many others in both the Gaudiya Math and ISKCON (The Internation Society For Krishna Consciosness). Their understanding of the jiva or souls origins is simply incorrect. The fact is, we are all eternal person as a perpetual transcendental body and always have been that bodily form. We can either accept that Krishna conscious bodily origins, or we can deny that body and consciously transfer our desires, aspirations, dreams and thoughts to he mahat-tattva (impermanent material universe of self centered importance). Ultimately Krishna’s ‘marginal-potency-bodily personalities’ are the Brahmajyoti!! It is from all those perpetual bodily individuals forms (vigraha’s), who are always engaged in various pastimes with Krishna in Goloka-Vrndavana or Vishnu within the surrounding Vaikuntha planets, may sometimes go on to ‘consciously’ (never as the body they are eternally, that is their true selfless devotional unique self) leave Krishna’s imperishable abode and enter the perishable mahat-tattva cloud within one corner of the Spiritual Sky in a secondary non-Krishna conscious state that automatically becomes an Impersonal phenomenon within the Brahmajyoti. Only in this way via the mahat-tattva cloud can the Impersonal Brahmajyoti temporarily exist.

All the ‘individual bodily marginal sparks (vigraha’s) of the effulgence emanating from Krishna’ are actually collectively the Brahmajyoti Brahman effulgence or the Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha’s bodily personalities serving Krishna. The mahat-tattva on the other hand, is also part of the Brahmajyoti, and comes into existence due to the non-Krishna conscious desires, aspirations, thoughts and dreams of the marginal living entities perpetually serving the either Vaikuntha or Goloka-Vrndavana when they abandone that service. Krishna and his marginal devoteee’s are inseperible even when his marginal servants choose even when His marginal servants choose to extend their consciousness to a secondary existence away from the full potentialities of their own original devotional bodily identity.

Because Krishna is the Supreme Personality of God and the cause of all causes, He anticipates such choices of His marginal energy (vigraha’s). In other words, for Krishna to be complete, the marginal potency, including their secondary transmitted consciousness, actually make Krishna the absolute-whole or simultaneously one and different (acinta-beda-beda-tattva) It is because Krishna allows individuality, He knows in advance that some will choose to reject Him and their own Krishna conscious nitya-siddha-svarupa-sat-cit-ananda-vigraha body and apt for the secondary option which is the mahat-tattva or material universe. For Krishna to be complete, He creates this secondary option via His Maha-Vishnu expansion (technically Maha-Vishnu is an expansion of Balarama who is Krishna’s brother). The mahat-tattva is created ironically out of love for His marginal vigraha devotee’s because He would rather they choice to love or serve Him than be like a slave or ‘mindless’ servant without free will. Therefore one can stay in Krishna’s Autocratic Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha realm if they choose, or they can ‘consciously’ enter the impermanent mahat-tattva (never as their authentic bodily form as that body is perpetually part and parcel of the Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha Spiritual Sky).

All of Krishna’s marginal ‘sparks’ have the same bodily features like Krishna – sat-cit-ananda-vigraha. The marginal potency or sparks emanating from the whole categorically means individual bodily personalities emanating and surrounding Krishna’s Personal bodily form. Sometimes this is compared to a fire from whence those individual sparks come from. It’s only a metaphor, a allegory, a figure of speech, Krishna is certainly not a blazing fire in His Ultimate self and bodily form and neither are the marginal individual bodily personalities impersonal sparks emanating from that blazing fire. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is often referred to as the energetic, while His marginal servants are known as the marginal energies however, in both cases the original and ultimate appearance of both Krishna (energetic) and His marginal potency (energies) are always individual bodily personalities of Master (Krishna) and servant (marginal individuals called nitya-siddha-svarupa-sat-cit-ananda-vigraha eternal devotee’s of Krishna). In other words every living entity (marginal potency) has an original devotional bodily form that is perpetually serving Krishna in unlimited pastimes within either Goloka-Vrndavana or Vaikuntha. 

The smaller mahat-tattva (material universes) phenomenon on the other hand is a dark perishable cloud, as shown above, that is also situated in the Spiritual Sky and surrounded by the superior Vaikuntha Planets that vastly out number the insignificant material universes within the mahat-tattva cloud. This dark impermanent cloud is a discoloration within the Spiritual Sky and is constructed for the mutinous desires, thoughts or dreams of those individuals who no longer wish to be with Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Krishna is the original Supreme Personality from whence all other individual perpetual bodily personalities (known as Krishna’s marginal potency or energy) are sustained from. Krishna also expands Himself from His Personal Goloka-Vrndavana abode and takes up residents on the infinite number of Vaikuntha planets; however Balarama, Krishna’s brother in Goloka-Vrndavana, appears as Sankarshana and is the origin of Maha-Vishnu who goes on and creates the mahat-tattva.

Lord Krishna, the original Godhead and cause of all causes, firsts expands as Balarama who resides with Him in His Personal abode. It is Balarama who creates and maintains the dark cloud (mahat-tattva) that is encircled by overwhelming presents of perpetual Vaikuntha Planets. It is within the mahat-tattva, the four-armed sleeping expansion of Balarama appears. He is known as Maha-Vishnu and is accompanied by His wife Maya Devi. Together they build, administer and create the facilities to fulfil the desires, thoughts and dreams of those who no longer yearn to remain in the Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha realm and who prefer to ‘consciously’ transfer their ‘self-awareness’ or secondary conscious state (jiva-sakti or jiva-bhutah) to Maha-Vishnu’s mahat-tattva creation. One has to understand Maha-Vishnu’s appearance in the mahat-tattva with great intelligence because the material energy is also emanating from Him. Maha-Vishnu is the original source of the impermanent material energy or mahat-tattva, just as the sun is the source of the sunshine. The sunshine cannot cover the sun globe, nor can the material energy, being an emanation from of Maha-Vishnu, cover Him. Maha-Vishnu is simultaneously within and without of the mahat-tattva, He is in the three modes of material energy, but actually the three modes of material energy cannot cover Him. The highly intellectual philosophers understand this. In other words, although Maha-Vishnu appears to be within the material energy yet is never covered by it.

Maha-Vishnu therefore provides the bodily vessels and their material surroundings that make the transmitted jiva-bhutah’s desires a reality however, even though it is all-real, it is also temporary and for that reason the dreams of Maha-Vishnu are considered an illusion. All non-Krishna conscious dreams or disloyal thoughts of self importance are transmitted as the jiva-bhutah consciousness (the soul or life force) and then contained in outward ethereal or biological vessels (supplied by Maha-Vishnu) or may eventually, after many, many births and deaths, become silent in an impersonal inactive un-bodied liberated state that both belong to and are only achieved after ones secondary projected consciousness has entered the mahat-tattva (the impermanent material universal creation).

As explained, the non-Krishna conscious dream, seditious feelings and requirements of self-importance is expressed as a secondary conscious condition known as the jiva-bhutah consciousness which is transferred out of the imperishable Vaikuntha realm to the perishable mahat-tattva cloud phenomenon also in the Spiritual Sky. Then entire Spiritual Sky or creation is further known as the Brahmajyoti, as shown above.

Once the transmitted jiva-bhutah consciousness enters the mahat-tattva cloud, it is immediately contained in outward ethereal or biological vessels that belong to and are provided from within the mahat-tattva by Maha-Vishnu, or eventually, after many, many births of trying to enjoy those bodily vessels, the transmitted jiva-bhutah consciousness may discover the existence of an Impersonal inactive outlet state of consciousness (jiva-nikaya) if they continue to deny the Krishna Conscious bodily origins of their transmitted secondary consciousness transferred to the mahat-tattva from the outside Vaikuntha realm. The Impersonal condition, only found after going through the mahat-tattva in ethereal and biological vessels, releases one from being trapped in those impermanent decaying vessels. The jiva-nikaya condition of inactive consciousness is only achieved after one is impersonally liberated from those bodies by withdrawing into a dreamless, thoughtless and desireless condition of consciousness they foolishly believe is becoming one with God and the universe. Maha-Vishnu, the Over-Lord, facilitator and provider within the mahat-tattva or material universe, does also allowthe jiva-nikaya impersonalists to merge into His body but they certainly do not become Maha-Vishnu, they simply remain dormant there until Maha-Vishnu creates the next mahat-tattva manifestation. Such dormant jiva-nikaya dormant consciousnesses eventually fall down to the jiva-bhutah condition and become again contained in ethereal and biological vessels provided by Maha-Vishnu.

Both states of consciousness, namely the active embodied jiva-bhutah consciousness that is confined to ethereal and biological vessels, as well as the ‘play-acting imaginary oneness with the universe, whichis actually just an inactive condition of individual consciousness called the jiva-nikaya liberated position, are both only attained after first ‘consciously’ entering the mahat-tattva from ‘the outside surrounding Vaikuntha planets’ where ones perpetual Krishna Conscious bodily form exists. The so-called dormant jiva-nikaya dreamless condition, where ones consciousness isindividuallymerged into the ‘supposed Impersonal Brahma-sayujya or Impersonal Brahmajyotiis actually no more than just a consciously non-active place or reality within the mahat-tattva creation where ones secondary consciousness, that changes from the active jiva-bhutah condition to the inactive jiva-nikaya condition, remains dormant. This Impersonal stationary condition is not full of an unlimited number of individual ‘inactive’ jiva-nikaya, it is all those transmitted jiva-nikaya consciousnesses congregated together that are the stationary effulgent Brahma-sayujya or Impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti.

The Impersonal Brahmajyoti is Krishna’s individual marginal perpetual bodily personalities or potency in their secondary conscious manifestation that only exists for those who travel first through the mahat-tattva. As they persist to enjoy the material universe on their own terms and ignore, not only Krishna, but also their original personal devotional bodily identity and continue to arrogantly refuse to accept the existence of Krishna and there own original body, they will continue on being embodied by ethereal and biological vessels until they become fed-up with such impermanent vessels. It is then they seek an inactive solution because their only memory of being active in a bodily form always ends in pain and suffering because they cannot see their genuine bodily origins beyond the mahat-tattva cloud. In this way the Brahma-sayujya and impersonal Brahmajyoti condition is ultimately, after first existing in those frustrating ethereal vessels covered by biological bags of bones and stool, achieved as a relief from the temporary painful nature of those vessels confined to the mahat-tattva. Finding liberation from those vessels is how the Brahma-sayujya and Impersonal Brahmajyoti manifest.

This dormant secondary conscious condition of the marginal potency is transmitted as the individual sparks that is the Impersonal Brahmajyoti, Brahma-sayujya. Such dormant Impersonal consciousness can also merge into the Body of Maha-Vishnu, yet at no stage does such transmitted inactive projected consciousness loose its individuality. All these aspects of Impersonalism are actually a state of ‘motionless individual consciousness’ that can only first exist in a unmoving state after first eventually emerging or withdrawing from the confines and shackles of ethereal and biological vessels within the mahat-tattva. These Impersonal states of liberation can only be achieved after millions of births and deaths of attempting to end the ‘thought process of material desires’ that confine ones transmitted consciousness to ethereal and biological vessels that belong to and are part and parcel of the mahat-tattva.

The great Impersonalist yogis struggle very hard to achieve their freedom from Karma, or attempting to shed the ethereal and biological vessels or bodies the transmitted forgetful consciousness is restricted to. If the Impersonalists do not realize their true authentic Krishna Conscious bodily origins or source from whence their consciousness originates, then the only way to be free from the ethereal and biological containers is inactivity and cessation of thoughts, desires and dreams - an extremely difficult task. Only when one no longer desires or attempt to enjoy the impermanent material universe or mahat-tattva in ethereal and biological vessels, can they then achieve the difficultly attained Impersonal liberated state by freeing themselves from karma, good and bad. It is then that the inactive jiva-nikaya consciousness individually merges either into the collective Impersonal compilation, where numerous other inactive individual jiva-nikaya consciousnesses are situated or even worse, attempt to merge into the Transcendental bodily form of Maha-Vishnu which is a most regrettable selfish ignorant act to the Vaishnava’s or Krishna’s devotees.

All Impersonal aspects of existence are only made possible by first travelling through the mahat-tattva impermanent cloud when ones secondary consciousness becomes free from the ethereal and biological constraints however, even the merging into the Brahma- sayujya, Impersonal Brahmajyoti or the bodily form of Maha-Vishnu, is temporary. As already emphasized, the Impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahma-sayujya is only attained after one first enters the mahat-tattva after being consciously transferred from their perpetual original and authentic body in Goloka-Vrndavana or the Vaikuntha’s. Such Impersonal liberation is only attained after one first ‘consciously’ abandons their original perpetual Krishna Conscious body in Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha, and then after entering the mahat-tattva and chasing desires, dreams and thoughts of self importance and grander, further abandons the ethereal and biological vessels one has ‘consciously’ transferred too in order to achieve their independence from Krishna’s Personal association.

This is what His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society or Krishna Consciousness means when he says:

“Because he falls down from Brahma-sayujya (impersonal liberated condition or Impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahman), he thinks that may be his origin, but he does not remember that long, long, long, long ago before that even, he was with Krishna.

This is an important revelation at a time (the beginning of the 21st century) when even so-called advanced Guru’s and Swami’s in Vaishnava traditions like the Gaudiya Math, foolishly mislead others to believe their origins are from the Brahma-sayujya, Impersonal Brahmajyoti or Tatatra-sakti. All these states of impersonal consciousness are only attained after first passing through the mahat-tattva or creation of Maha-Vishnu.

Srila Prabhupada in his lectures always says that originally we were all Krishna-conscious living entities and on the Hare Krishna album He addresses a large audience with the words: "We are all originally Krishna conscious entities . . ."

Srila Prabhupada further explains: -

“Regarding your questions concerning the spirit soul’s falling into Maya’s influence, it is not that those who have developed a passive relationship with Krishna are more likely to fall into nescient activities. Usually, anyone who has developed his relationship with Krishna does not fall down in any circumstances, but because the independence is always there, the soul may fall down from any position or any relationship by misusing his independence. But his relationship with Krishna is never lost. Simply it is forgotten by the influence of Maya, so it may be regained or revived by the process of hearing the Holy Name . . ." Letter to Jagadish, 4.25.70

"A living entity misuses his little independence when he wants to lord it over material nature. This misuse of independence, which is called Maya, is always available. Otherwise, there would not be independence. Independence implies that one can use it properly or improperly." Srimad Bhagavatam 3.31.15

Only after many births confined to ethereal and biological containers or bodies within the mahat-tattva, does one eventually no longer desire to be ‘consciously extended’ to those bodies and contained in those impermanent vessels or bodies of suffering and despair within the smaller inconsequential mahat-tattva cloud or material manifestation. It is Impossible for such inactive consciousnesses to exist in the Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha domain (3/4 of the Spiritual Sky or Brahmajyoti) or within the active dreams of Maha-Vishnu within the mahat-tattva. 

It must be emphasized that such an inactive state of consciousness is generally only attained after first being consciously transferred (Not in ones original genuine Krishna Conscious body because ones perpetual bodily form never leaves Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha) to the mahat-tattva cloud and only then after being active in ethereal and biological bodies for millions of births and deaths, until one becomes fed-up with those impermanent decaying bodies supplied by Maha-Vishnu in the mahat-tattva. Only then, while immersed deeply in forgetfulness of who’s one’s authentic perpetual bodily identity is outside the mahat-tattva, and the frustration with ethereal and biological vessels one has taken shelter of for so long, does one seek out the Impersonal solution. Such an inactive state of individual consciousness (jiva-nikaya) and its motionless quiescent place called the Impersonal Brahma-sayujya and the Impersonal Brahmajyoti can never exist in the Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha Spiritual Sky or Brahmajyoti that takes up 3/4 of Krishna’s Creation. Such mysterious non-Krishna conscious impermanent realities exist only because of the mahat-tattva dark cloud that is created by Maha-Vishnu for those who do not wish to be with Krishna. 

Unlike the projected jiva-bhutaha relocated consciousness, the ethereal and biological vessels are eternally part and parcel of the mahat-tattva (the impermanent material universal creation). Such vessels within the mahat-tattva are only obtained after ones extended secondary consciousness first enters the mahat-tattva, which is a dark existent (real but temporary) impermanent cloud where the four-armed expansion of Balarama, (Krishna’s brother) the dreaming Maha-Vishnu, and His wife Maya Devi (an expansion of Lakshmi) resides and manages, as shown above. Unfortunately it also appears many scholars are getting Krishna’s Goloka-Vrndavan/Vaikuntha permanent Spiritual sky mixed up with Maha-Vishnu’s impermanent mahat-tattva. 

The biological human body is a garment provided by Maha-Vishnu that is made up of billions of other embodied jiva-bhutah’s each at different stages of evolving from a single cell through to complex organs on their path of evolving back to the biological human form. Human biological existence on the middle planetary systems is not possible without the complex existence of lower life forms. Biological life can only be sustained within the mahat-tattva have ‘feeding’ off other biological bodies; this will be fully explained in later chapters. To enter into the lower biological species in the first place, the embodied jiva-bhutah conscious had fallen (a further fall down) from the biological human platform. The biological human body is achieved (covers or further contains the ethereal vessel) after falling from the heavenly sub-space universe. The heavenly planets are achieved after one abandons their service to Krishna in the Goloka-Vrndavana, or Vishnu in the Vaikuntha’s, by consciously (not as their true bodily form and identity) leaving Vaikuntha and entering the mahat-tattva cloud as already explained. The ethereal vessels in the sub-space heavenly and hellish realms can never be proved as an existence by means of the biological human body and the secular gross material facilities surrounding the human biological body, no-matter how scientifically or technological advance our human society becomes. 

The five realities achieved or realized in the mahat-tattva are – 1. The transcendental abode of Maha-Vishnu, Vishnu in the Vaikuntha’s or Krishna in Goloka-Vrndavana, that is only realized as one awakens from their secondary relocated consciousness and realizes whom they really are serving Krishna ‘outside’ of the mahat-tattva.

2. The sub-space subtly refined heavenly and vulgar hellish material universes where the jiva-bhutah consciousness is constrained in ethereal bodies.

3. The secular-space middle gross material universes where the ethereal vessel is further restricted in a biological container.

4. The hard and awkward liberation from both those vehicle constraints, where the jiva-bhutah amends into a ‘dormant’ transformation called the jiva-nikaya motionless consciousness which becomes (not enters) as another individual inactive consciousness (tatastra-sakti) and part and parcel of the Brahma-sayujya or Impersonal Brahmajyoti.

5. Merging (as an individual dormant consciousness) into the body of Maha-Vishnu either by choice or forced to at the time of annihilation of the material universes.

Where there is life, then there is either an embodied jiva-bhutah moving those single celled biological organisms, or they may also be moved by Maha-Vishnu’s all-pervasive aspect. This happens all through the mahat-tattva, from Brahma down to the amoeba. In other words, if no embodied jiva-bhutah is available to fill those ‘posts’ within the mahat-tattva, then Maha-Vishnu expands Himself to ‘fill in the gaps’ in order to facilitate those few who have abandoned their service to Krishna by ‘consciously’ leaving their unique Krishna Conscious perpetual jivatma-vigraha body. Due to that choice, the jiva-bhutah consciousness foolishly takes shelter within the mahat-tattva dark cloud. Within this dark cloud or material manifestation, there only exists the phenomenon of decay, impermanence and forgetfulness, even on the opulent heavenly planets within the mahat-tattva where one can live in an ethereal vessel for tens of thousands of years, which is the goal of Jews, Christians, Muslims and some schools of Buddhism, the heavenly planets are only temporary. These frustrating impermanent qualities do not exist outside the mahat-tattva in the surrounding Vaikuntha Planets. To achieve the mahat-tattva, one does not have to first forget Krishna, no, that is not possible in the Vaikuntha realm, forgetfulness only comes after entering the mahat-tattva. 

One chooses to leave Krishna which simultaneously means they leave behind, in Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha, their perpetual unadulterated body that is their genuine self simply because they want to enjoy existence on their own terms without Krishna. This is only achieved through conscious projection or teleportation. (Many Vaishnava’s are not familiar with the many terminologies in this book however, if we are to correctly understand the origin of the jiva soul, then such terminologies are necessary for explaining that we all originate from Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha) 

Due to the perpetual nature of the Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha’s, ones original body is always there even if one has ‘consciously’ extend themselves to the mahat-tattva. For the purpose of allowing the choices of His marginal potency-jivatma-vigraha devotee’s, Krishna has created the mahat-tattva cloud via His Maha-Vishnu expansion. In this way, be it in the Vaikuntha’s or the mahat-tattva, Krishna is the only provider. 

The biological bodily garments (8,400,000 of them) cover the ethereal vessel, which contains or embodies the transmitted jiva-bhutah or jiva-sakti-secondary relocated consciousness. As already explained but needs to be emphasized, this transferred jiva-bhutah secondary consciousness originates from ones authentic perpetual bodily-self (nitya-siddha-svarupa-sat-cit-ananda-vigraha) that eternally exists in a loving servitor relationship with Krishna in either Vaikuntha or the more intimate Goloka-Vrndavana Kingdom of Radha, Krishna and Lord Chaitanya and their expansions and associates.

The extension of consciousness, transmitted from ones eternal Krishna Conscious body, or ones authentic, original and genuine bodily appearance, that is often referred to as the so-called marginal sparks or atoms in the effulgence, is only transferred (as a secondary self-centered consciousness) from ones perpetual bodily self to the containments of ethereal and biological vessels in the mahat-tattva (the dreams of Maha-Vishnu) when one wants to enjoy existence separately from Krishna. This choice is given to all marginal living entities in Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha (vigraha’s) because without it there can never be genuine love or service?

Always chant Hare Krishna for the purpose of always remembering Krishna and to further gradually reawaken ones ‘old dormant original’ Krishna Consciousness, then these seemingly inconceivable topics can easily be understood regardless if one is a fallen rascal who previously selfishly and insensitively exploited the material world around them due to the diseased conditioned of their biological vessel, caused by the individual embodied soul’s (life force or jiva-bhutah’s entrapment within ethereal and biological containments) accumulation and crushing build-up of an overwhelming avalanche of Karmic reactions! 

Srila Prabhupada and Lord Chaitanya (the most merciful combination of Radha and Krishna) have come to save such delinquent souls from their accretion and devastating massive karmic backlog that is like an overpowering flood forcing one in the opposite direction to where they are trying to swim! Such souls have forgotten they have all been transferred as the jiva-bhutah consciousnesses that have emigrated to the mahat-tattva as a secondary consciousness that was originally transmitted from their authentic innovative perpetual Krishna Conscious bodily form outside of the confines of ethereal and biological vessels. Such impermanent vessels are the part and parcels of the mahat-tattva. In this way one’s eternal consciousness does not belong to the mahat-tattva or the ethereal and biological vessels one is presently housed in. Srila Prabhupada, the great pure devotee of Lord Chaitanya (the most merciful combination of Radha and Krishna) have come to save such delinquent souls and finally direct them back home back to Godhead. 

There are two kinds of sayujya-mukti: merging into the Brahman effulgence and merging into the personal body of the Lord. Merging into the Lord's body is even more abominable than merging into His effulgence. According to the opinion of the Mayavadi Vedantists, the living entity's ultimate success is to merge into the impersonal Brahman after being liberated from ethereal and biological vessels inside the dreams of Maha-Vishnu within the mahat-tattva cloud.

Krishna is the source of both the Personal Goloka-Vrndavana realm and the less significant Impersonal mahat-tattva cloud. 

The impersonal Brahman, or bodily effulgence of the Maha-Vishnu within the mahat-tattva, is known as Brahmaloka or Siddhaloka. According to the Brahma-samhita (5.40), yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti: the material universes are generated from the bodily rays Maha-Vishnu. Some Impersonalist Yogis accept the form of Maha-Vishnu yet want to merge into the transcendental body of the Supreme Lord. That is their desire, however this is only possible within the mahat-tattva. Being the creator and facilitator of the mahat-tattva, Maha-Vishnu can easily allow many millions of living entities to merge their transmitted jiva-nikaya consciousness into His body. The origin of everything is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan, and Maha-Vishnu is his expansion within the mahat-tattva, His bodily effulgence is known as the brahmajyoti, Brahmaloka or Siddhaloka. Thus Brahmaloka or Siddhaloka is a place where the jiva-nikaya ‘inactive’ consciousness appears as sparklike and in total denial of their original authentic bodily form outside of the mahat-tattva cloud.

This jivatma-vigraha bodily Krishna Conscious form is the authentic constitutional position of all of Krishna’s marginal potency or energy. 

Because these living entities dare to enter the mahat-tattva cloud and eventually do not wish to keep their individual existences due to the despair, frustration and suffering they experience in ethereal and biological vessels provided by Maha-Vishnu within His the dreams, they are combined individually together and allowed to remain in Brahmaloka like so many atomic particles of sunshine emanating from the sun. Such a condition of the inactive motionless transmitted conscious state is not possible outside the domain of the mahat-tattva cloud (where the perpetual Goloka-Vrndavana/Vaikuntha aspect of the Spiritual Sky or Brahmajyoti exists)