Flood the World with Prabhupada's Books

The knowledge in Srila Prabhupada's books is exactly what everyone needs in order to become happy. Therefore the wide scale distribution of Srila Prabhupada's books is the most important welfare work for the deliverance of the human from the miseries of material existence. Thus, if we truly care about our friends, neighbors, family members, and fellow citizens of planet earth, we must induce them read and follow Srila Prabhupada's books. These sublime spiritual masterpiece books of His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada will bring in a new age of peace, prosperity, and happiness for the entire world population, but only if we massively distribute them.

Every year at this time the ISKCON devotees all over the world engage in a book distribution marathon for distributing as many of Srila Prabhupada's books as possible. Contact your nearest ISKCON center to see what you can do to participate in this wonderful act of mercy for saving the lost souls of this age.

Distributing Prabhupada's Books is Ultimate Bliss

Distributing Prabhupada's Books is Ultimate Bliss

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Free Will and Predetermination

Dear Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

Another question I have is about the paradox of free will and predetermination. If we are given free will, how is it that everything is written. How can we choose what our path is if we don't have control on the outcome. I asked this question to an aspiring devotee, and the answer I got was that if we pursue material advancement, then all is predetermined, but if we pursue spiritual advancement then we are at free will. I was not satisfied with this answer. So I hoped you might be able to explain better.

Thank you so much for your time and guidance.

Kayton Parekh

Answer: Use Free Will Properly. Get Total Freedom.

Regarding this question: The devotee has answered you correctly. But perhaps if I elaborate a little further, it will become clear to you. Consider this example: One's activities must be conducted under the laws of the government while at the same time one has a free will. He can choose to be either a law abiding citizen or a criminal. In either case he will regulated by the government. As a free citizen who obeys the state laws he enjoys so many freedoms. Or as a criminal he will be forced to live the completely regimented life a prison inmate.

So we have a free will. We can choose which of the Lord's energies we would like to serve. We can serve His material energy in the cycle of birth and death and be carried along on the predetermined conveyor belt of repeated birth and death. Or we can choose to serve His spiritual energy in an eternal life of full freedom. The choice is totally ours how we want to live. If we use free will properly, we will enjoy an eternal life of unlimited freedom. Or if we abuse free will, we will experience ongoing suffering being beaten by the whips of the material energy. Of course, there is no eternal damnation. One who has misused his free will can rectify himself at any time and return to his original position of unlimited freedom.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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