Fall of the Jiva & OOP

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna! Vraja Kumara prabhu wrote:

 

> >1. Living entities in Vaikuntha DO NOT fall down, ever.

 

Indeed, this viewpoint was confirmed by the GBC in their 1995

resolution: "79) THAT: 1. Vaikuntha is that place from which no

one ever falls down." Sometimes one hears ISKCON devotees saying

that jIvas fall from Vaikuntha, but that is clearly in violation

of the verdict of the GBC.

 

On 13 Feb 1999, Nayana-ranjana das wrote:

> Please read the book 'Our Original Position" and then one can be protected

> from all apasiddhanta and all of one's doubts are completely cleared

 

Indeed _Our Original Position_ is a good book. However, it's not

a perfect book, and is not sufficient to completely clear _all_

of one's doubts on this matter. In particular, it suffers from

numerous logical flaws, the most serious of which is neglect of

evidence. Its value is seriously hindered by its failure to address

such statements as: "The material activity of the living being is

beginningless, but it can be rectified by transferal into the

spiritual quality. Thus it can cease its material qualitative

reactions" (SB 1.15.27 purport) or "Therefore it is to be understood

that when Jaya and Vijaya descended to this material world, they came

because there was something to be done for the Supreme Personality of

Godhead. Otherwise it is a fact that no one falls from Vaikuntha"

(SB 7.1.35 purport).

 

It is also clear that the book was not sufficiently peer-reviewed;

this comes out in many points, such as the contention that the

quote "anAdi-mAyayA supto yadA..." had a Mayavadi tone (despite

the fact that it is accepted by Madhva as part of the Upanishad), and

the whole "mayy eva militvA" discusssion. A simple review could

have greatly improved the quality of the book and brought it up

to the standard that one is accustomed to seeing in technical

journals (or to a higher standard altogether).

 

That's just my two cents. You should read the book for yourself,

but also keep an eye out for flaws.

 

Yours,

 

Vijay