Question: A devotee asked me the following question last night but I could not answer it. He asked – “Can the soul be bad?” I answered – I cannot answer that question. I stated that in our pure form, we (our souls) are all parts and parcel of the Lord so in actuality they cannot be bad but they are influenced by our life situations. Is this a correct reply?
Answer by Romapada Swami: What is necessary in addressing this question is to clearly distinguish the difference between the soul and actions that are carried out by material nature.
The soul is part and parcel of the Supreme, qualitatively one with Krishna. Thus the soul is good.
However, the soul is quantitatively different from the unlimitedly great Supreme, thus very tiny. The tiny free will of the tiny soul can be properly used or improperly used, which is a major aspect of his being situated in the ‘marginal energy’ position.
When the tiny soul misues his tiny free will, he acts in a rebellious spirit, trying to imitate the position of the Supreme, thus falling into maya. This misuse of the tiny soul’s minute free will is his greatest misfortune.
According to the modes of nature which the rebellious tiny soul associates with, the soul accepts those qualities. Nonetheless, the soul itself is not ‘bad’, even though their behaviors influenced by the lower modes of nature may be forbidden by scripture, or sinful.
