It is indeed essential for the Infinite to have infinitesimal emanations, distinct souls inseparable from Him, the Supreme Soul. As living beings are tiny parts of the Supreme, there is reciprocity of feelings between the Infinite and the Infinitesimal. In the absence of the tiny beings, the Supreme Lord would have remained inactive, and the spiritual life would have been devoid of variety. If there were no infinitesimal beings, the notion of the Supreme God would lose all meaning, just as there can be no king without subjects. Wouldn't the title of “Lord” lose its meaning if there was no one over whom to exercise supremacy?
Living beings, spiritual entities or spiritual souls, are regarded as emanations of the energy of the Supreme Lord, and God, Krishna, as the energy source. Being eternally an integral part of God, the living being who has reached liberation finds his original and eternal identity. The realization of the aham brahmasmi aphorism (I am not this body) does not mean that the being loses his identity. I currently believe to be matter, but once released I will understand that I am in fact a spiritual soul, a fragment of Infinity, Krishna. Becoming Krishna aware, or spiritually enlightened, and engaging in his service of absolute love are the real signs of liberation.
The energy of the Supreme Lord falls into three categories: para, ksetragya and avidya. The para energy is in fact that of the Lord Himself, while the ksetragya energy is that of the living being, the individual soul distinct from God, and the avidya energy, that of the material universe, or maya (the illusion). It is called ignorance, because under the influence of material energy, we forget its true nature as well as the relationship that unites us to the Supreme Lord. Living beings represent one of the energies of the Sovereign Lord, tiny parts of Him. All visible phenomenon of cosmic manifestation belongs to the energy of the Supreme Lord, not different from Him. Therefore, He is the master, friend and support of all living beings. Let us therefore live by the grace of God, and take only what is due to us, without encroaching on the part of others. So we can live happily.
The Lord said: I am the supreme center of the relationships of all living beings. Knowing myself is the king of knowledge. The way allowing the living being to reach Me is called abhidheya, and it confers the highest perfection of existence, namely the love of God. Once reached the level of love for the Divine, the life of the being becomes perfect.
Lord Chaitanya specifies that no one can know the intrinsic nature of the Supreme Lord, that is his position, his attributes, his acts and his excellences, all spiritual and absolute. Neither intellectual speculation nor formal education allows us to apprehend them. Only the grace of the Lord gives access to it. Thus the person blessed by divine grace can know and understand all these notions. The Lord existed before the material Creation. The ingredients of matter, nature and living beings therefore all emanate from Him and rest in Him after the dissolution or end of the world. When creation is manifested, He sustains it. At the same time, any visible manifestation is only a transformation of its external energy.