Brian Singer: But what.... I would like to know more about the, the soul in so far as, does it have beginning? Does it have end?
Prabhupāda: No, soul is always there. Just like the soul in the boy, the soul in the young man, and the soul in the old man—the same.
Brian Singer: Yeah, and before life...
Prabhupāda: Body has changed. Body has changed. The soul is the same. You can remember, I can remember that "I was a small boy. I was a small child." But the body is not there. I remember, when I was six months old I was lying down on the lap of my eldest sister, and she was knitting. I was seeing. I still remember. But where is that body? That body's gone.
Brian Singer: Yeah, this is possible to understand. Before the body, the soul is still there?
Prabhupāda: Before the childhood body and..., you were existing. Before your body was formed in the womb of your mother you were existing.
Brian Singer: Existing for millions of years.
Prabhupāda: Then you entered a matter, material body created by your father and mother. Then you grew. Then, when you were sufficiently grown, then you have come out. Then again grew, again grow, again grow. Again it becomes old. You give up this body, in the same way again enter another mother's body, again develop another body. This science has to be understood, how it is going on. And that is Bhagavad-gītā.
Brian Singer: And in the beginning of time of the soul?
Prabhupāda: Why...? There is no beginning. Beginning of the body.
Brian Singer: No, I don't want to know about the beginning of the body. I can understand. I want to know about the beginning of the soul.
Prabhupāda: The soul is already there. Soul is already.... Just like this room was already there. Now I have entered. And again I give up this room; I go to another room. Like that. Not that this room becomes another room, room. If I have to go to another room, I have to give up this room. I have to go another room. So I am the same. I am changing different rooms, different body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). Find out this verse.
- dehino 'smin yathā dehe
- kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
- tathā dehāntara-prāptir
- dhīras tatra na muhyati
- (BG 2.13)
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "As the embodied soul continually passes in this body from boyhood to youthhood to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change."
Prabhupāda: Hm. Purport.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Purport: "Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is changing his body every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a youth, and sometimes as an old man. Yet the same spirit soul is there and does not undergo any change. This individual soul finally changes the body at death and transmigrates to another body. And since it is sure to have another body..."
Prabhupāda: The example is already given: The child is transmigrating to the boy's body. Already given. Similarly.... Go on.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: "And since it is sure to have another body in the next birth, either material or spiritual, there is no cause for lamentation by Arjuna on account of death, neither for Bhīṣma nor for Droṇa, for whom he was so much concerned. Rather he should rejoice for their changing bodies from old to new ones, thereby rejuvenating their energy. Such changes of body account..."
Prabhupāda: Now, suppose I am old man. If by some medical process, if I am given a young man's body to be more enthusiastic for working, is it not benefit for me? Similarly, in old age, when the body is changed, he gets another new body. That is a profit. There is no loss. The old body, it cannot work nicely. It cannot move nicely. Just old car.... If your old car is changed into new car, will you not accept it? So it is just like machine, car.
Brian Singer: You're not aware of this...
Prabhupāda: Aware? You have to aware, become aware by the books, by the knowledge.
Brian Singer: How was the soul originally created? This...
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Brian Singer: The original creation...
Prabhupāda: There is no creation. That you have to understand.
Brian Singer: It always is.
Prabhupāda: It is eternal. There is no creation. If soul is created by some combination of matter, then you could create. That you cannot do.