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Life of freedom

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

The ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person.
SB 1.2.25, Purport:

The purpose of performing religion is neither to profit by material gain nor to get the simple knowledge of discerning matter from spirit. The ultimate aim of religious performances is to release oneself from material bondage and regain the life of freedom in the transcendental world, where the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person. Laws of religion, therefore, are directly enacted by the Personality of Godhead, and except for the mahājanas, or the authorized agents of the Lord, no one knows the purpose of religion. There are twelve particular agents of the Lord who know the purpose of religion, and all of them render transcendental service unto Him. Persons who desire their own good may follow these mahājanas and thus attain the supreme benefit.

SB Canto 3

The word pāragam is very significant. pāragam refers to one who can take the disciple to the other side. This side is conditioned life; the other side is the life of freedom.
SB 3.25.8, Purport:

It is very difficult to get out of this entanglement and attain freedom, but if one is fortunate enough to get the association of a spiritual master like Kapila Muni or His representative, then by his grace one can be delivered from the mire of ignorance. The spiritual master is therefore worshiped as one who delivers the disciple from the mire of ignorance with the light of the torch of knowledge. The word pāragam is very significant. pāragam refers to one who can take the disciple to the other side. This side is conditioned life; the other side is the life of freedom. The spiritual master takes the disciple to the other side by opening his eyes with knowledge. We are suffering simply because of ignorance.

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Easy Journey to Other Planets

In free life one can go from one home to another home, but in prison life one cannot do that but must stay in his cell. All these planets are like cells.
Easy Journey to Other Planets 2:

Both the material and spiritual worlds belong to Kṛṣṇa. We are not proprietors of anything. It is all the property of the Supreme Lord, just as everything in the state belongs to the government, either in the prison house or outside the prison house. Conditioned life is just like life in a prison house in this material world. A prisoner cannot freely change from one cell to another. In free life one can go from one home to another home, but in prison life one cannot do that but must stay in his cell. All these planets are like cells.

Light of the Bhagavata

A life of freedom in eternity, complete knowledge, and a blissful atmosphere is the heart's desire of an enlightened soul.
Light of the Bhagavata 4, Purport:

We should not try to be beautiful like seasonal flowers or greenery that flourish in the rainy season but are weary in the winter. To be enlivened by the clouds of ignorance overhead and to enjoy the sight of temporary greenery is not at all desirable. One should try to live in the unlimited clear sky overflooded with the rays of the sun and moon. That is what we actually desire. A life of freedom in eternity, complete knowledge, and a blissful atmosphere is the heart's desire of an enlightened soul. We should undertake all sorts of penances and austerities to attain that permanent source of happiness.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Either you are in jail life or you are in free life, you are always under government control.
Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Vrndavana, August 3, 1974:

Just like you cannot avoid government control. That is not possible. Either you are in jail life or you are in free life, you are always under government control. Similarly, either we remain in the material world or we remain in the spiritual world, we are controlled by Kṛṣṇa. There is no escape. You cannot do that. But if you remain controlled by the spiritual energy, by directly being controlled by Kṛṣṇa, not by His energy, or by His internal energy, then you will be happy. That is the ambition of persons who are in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So there is a life of freedom. That is spiritual life.
Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

There are so many instances. Just like even on this planet if you want to go to other countries, say, America, you have to fulfill so many conditions. Passport, visa, then P-form and so many other forms. Not easily. This is called conditioned life. We have no freedom to move.

And there is another life which is life of freedom. Just like Nārada Muni. Nārada Muni travels everywhere. He goes in the spiritual world. He comes in the material world. In the material world he can go in any one of the planets. Sometimes by yogic practice we can go also, but not so easily. So there is a life of freedom. That is spiritual life.

Our activities are conditioned, not free. But you can attain a life of freedom, life of unlimited energy, unlimited happiness, unlimited bliss.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So we cannot tolerate the cold climate of this planet, how we shall be benefited even we go to the moon planet? And moon planet is the nearest planet. There are millions of other planets also, and the scientists say that to reach the highest, topmost planet, it will take forty thousands of years. And who is going to live for forty thousand years to go and come back?

These are practical difficulties, and therefore we are called conditioned souls. Our activities are conditioned, not free. But you can attain a life of freedom, life of unlimited energy, unlimited happiness, unlimited bliss. There is possibility. This is not story or fiction.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Just like in free life you can go from this home to that home, in prison life you cannot do that. You must stay to your cell.
Lecture on SB 2.3.17 -- Los Angeles, July 12, 1969:

Everything belongs to God. Just like everything belongs to government, either in the prison house or outside the prison house, similarly, this material world is just like prison house, conditioned life. Just like in the prison house you cannot change your cell from this cell to another cell. Just like in free life you can go from this home to that home, in prison life you cannot do that. You must stay to your cell. So all these planets are like cells. We are trying to go to the moon planet; that is not possible, not in this way. That way is different. I have explained many times in this meeting. Because we are given a particular cell. Either we are Americans or Indians or Chinese or Russian, we have been given this planet. Live—you cannot leave it by your will.

Primitive life means simple life. Keeping pace with the nature's law, it gives you an anxiety-free life.
Lecture on SB 2.3.24 -- Los Angeles, June 22, 1972:

Even if you say "primitive," the primitive life is very nice. Primitive life means simple life. Keeping pace with the nature's law. It is very nice. Primitive life ... It gives you anxiety-free life, and therefore, even if you take it as primitive, the saintly persons, sages, they used to live long, long years, and their brain was so sharp, because they were taking natural food, fruits, grains, and milk that helps to develop human brain for understanding subtle subject matter.

General Lectures

When souls return to the human form of life, again there is a chance to get out of this bodily entanglement, and they can get free life in the spiritual world.
Lecture to Technology Students (M.I.T.) -- Boston, May 5, 1968:

There is gradual evolution. From dog life, from animal life, again by evolutionary process... That is accepted by anthropo... What is called? Anthropology. That they come to the human being, again there is a chance to get out of this bodily embodiment, and you can get yourself free life in the spiritual world. So if you lose this chance, then you again go to the cycle of birth and death in so many forms of bodies. Therefore we should utilize this enlightened body, the human form of body, the civilized form of life, for our next eternal life.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

Jail life is inauspicious, and free life is auspicious, but it depends on the choice whether we prefer free life or jail life.
Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 5 July, 1969:

Regarding your questions, "Is Subhadra, Lord Krishna's Sister, the same Durga or Maya?", the answer is that originally Krishna's energy is one: that is spiritual energy. But according to different functions, the Maya is represented differently. In the material world the energy is called Bhadra, and in the spiritual world the same Maya is called Subhadra. The only distinction is su and without su. Su means auspicious. So in the spiritual world, the same Maya works auspiciously, and in the material world the same Maya works inauspiciously. This auspiciousness and inauspiciousness is our own choice. The same example that jail life is inauspicious, and free life is auspicious, but it depends on the choice whether we prefer free life or jail life. The energy of the government works in the same way both in the jail department and the freedom department. It is the choice of the person who is relatively concerned with either jail or freedom.

1974 Correspondence

The whole world is engaged in unnecessary hard labor with their factories. It is a brain killing civilization. Let them come to free life.
Letter to Rupanuga -- Vrindaban 4 September, 1974:

Regarding the Buffalo project, New Vrindaban is the example. You should develop in a similar way. Have milk, vegetables, simple living, and chanting Hare Krsna. The whole world is engaged in unnecessary hard labor with their factories. It is a brain killing civilization. Let them come to free life. Spend time chanting Hare Krsna, reading books and making their lives successful. This is very essential propaganda. People must be informed.

Page Title:Life of freedom
Compiler:Serene, ChrisF, Sahadeva
Created:05 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=2, Lec=5, Con=0, Let=2
No. of Quotes:11