Dharma means the characteristic. That is real meaning. Dharma is not a kind of faith. Dharma is characteristic. Sanātana-dharma means sanātana characteristic, eternal characteristic. The changing... Now, I have got now this body, Indian body, and then, next body may be cat's and dog's or demigod's, according to my karma. So the body changes. So sanātana-dharma cannot be applied to this body. Sanātana-dharma means the characteristic of the soul. That is sanātana-dharma, to understand the characteristic of the soul.
Body changes
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 13 - 18
As long as a living entity is conditioned, his body changes due to contact with matter; matter is changing, so the living entity appears to be changing. But in the spiritual world the body is not made of matter; therefore there is no change.
BG 15.16, Purport: According to the statement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, there are two classes of living entities. The Vedas give evidence of this, so there is no doubt about it. The living entities who are struggling in this world with the mind and five senses have their material bodies, which are changing. As long as a living entity is conditioned, his body changes due to contact with matter; matter is changing, so the living entity appears to be changing. But in the spiritual world the body is not made of matter; therefore there is no change. In the material world the living entity undergoes six changes—birth, growth, duration, reproduction, then dwindling and vanishing. These are the changes of the material body. But in the spiritual world the body does not change; there is no old age, there is no birth, there is no death. There all exists in oneness. Kṣaraḥ sarvāṇi bhūtāni: any living entity who has come in contact with matter, beginning from the first created being, Brahmā, down to a small ant, is changing its body; therefore they are all fallible. In the spiritual world, however, they are always liberated in oneness.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
The quality of a devotee's body changes from material to transcendence.
SB 1.6.28, Purport: A devotee's body becomes at once surcharged with the transcendental qualities as soon as he is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. It acts like the magnetic influence of a touchstone upon iron. The influence of transcendental devotional service is like that. Therefore change of the body means stoppage of the reaction of three qualitative modes of material nature upon the pure devotee. There are many instances of this in the revealed scriptures. Dhruva Mahārāja and Prahlāda Mahārāja and many other devotees were able to see the Personality of Godhead face to face apparently in the same body. This means that the quality of a devotee's body changes from material to transcendence. That is the opinion of the authorized Gosvāmīs via the authentic scriptures.
SB Canto 4
The mind continues, although the body changes. Even in this life-span we can sometimes experience dreams of our childhood.
SB 4.29.68, Purport: The activities of the living entity in the body of a dog may be experienced in the mind of a different body; therefore those activities appear never to have been heard or seen. The mind continues, although the body changes. Even in this life-span we can sometimes experience dreams of our childhood. Although such incidents now appear strange, it is to be understood that they are recorded in the mind. Because of this, they become visible in dreams.
SB Canto 5
When a person, even though a caṇḍāla, is initiated by a pure devotee into chanting the holy name of the Lord, his body changes as he follows the instructions of the spiritual master.
SB 5.1.35, Purport: When a person, even though a caṇḍāla, is initiated by a pure devotee into chanting the holy name of the Lord, his body changes as he follows the instructions of the spiritual master. Although one cannot see how his body has changed, we must accept, on the grounds of the authoritative statements of the śāstras, that he changes his body.
Although sometimes we cannot see the gross body changing, chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord immediately changes the subtle body, and because the subtle body changes, the living entity is immediately freed from material bondage.
SB 5.1.35, Purport: The body is a symbolic representation of material bondage according to one's karma. Although sometimes we cannot see the gross body changing, chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord immediately changes the subtle body, and because the subtle body changes, the living entity is immediately freed from material bondage. After all, changes of the gross body are conducted by the subtle body. After the destruction of the gross body, the subtle body takes the living entity from his present gross body to another. In the subtle body, the mind is predominant, and therefore if one's mind is always absorbed in remembering the activities or the lotus feet of the Lord, he is to be understood to have already changed his present body and become purified. Therefore it is irrefutable that a caṇḍāla, or any fallen or lowborn person, can become a brāhmaṇa simply by the method of bona fide initiation.
SB Canto 8
In one life the conditioned soul desires to progress toward a certain objective, but after his body changes, he forgets everything.
SB 8.3.14, Purport: The living entity under the clutches of māyā wants to enjoy this material world, but unless You give him directions and remind him, he cannot make progress in pursuing his shadowy objective in life. The conditioned soul wrongly progresses toward the wrong objective, life after life, and he is reminded of that objective by You. In one life the conditioned soul desires to progress toward a certain objective, but after his body changes, he forgets everything.
SB Canto 9
The body, however, has no connection with the soul. The body can be changed, either in this life or the next.
SB 9.1.33, Purport: The body is just like a dress, and here this is proved. Sudyumna and his associates were all male, which means that their souls were covered by male dress, but now they became female, which means that their dress was changed. The soul, however, remains the same. It is said that by modern medical treatment a male can be transformed into a female, and a female into a male. The body, however, has no connection with the soul. The body can be changed, either in this life or the next.
SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13
Even in the present life, the body changes from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youth, and from youth to old age.
SB 10.1.39, Purport: A person or an animal is not the material body; rather, the material body is the covering of the living being. Bhagavad-gītā compares the body to a dress and elaborately explains how one changes dresses one after another. The same Vedic knowledge is confirmed here. The living being, the soul, is constantly changing bodies one after another. Even in the present life, the body changes from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to youth, and from youth to old age; similarly, when the body is too old to continue, the living being gives up this body and, by the laws of nature, automatically gets another body according to his fruitive activities, desires and ambitions.
As soon as the body changes, one's whole program of work changes also.
SB 10.8.5, Purport: Kṛṣṇa, the greatest authority, says that the body will change. And as soon as the body changes, one's whole program of work changes also. Today I am a human being or a great personality, but with a little deviation from nature's law, I shall have to accept a different type of body. Today I am a human being, but tomorrow I may become a dog, and then whatever activities I have performed in this life will be a failure.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Adi-lila
Because the soul is within the body, the body changes through so many forms.
CC Adi 17.169, Purport: Because the soul is within the body, the body changes through so many forms. There is a soul within the body of every living creature, whether animal, tree, bird or human being, and the soul is transmigrating from one type of body to another.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Light of the Bhagavata
Only the body changes, whether spiritually or materially.
Light of the Bhagavata 34, Purport: The householders are allowed a pension from service so that they can live for a higher cultural life. But foolish men, reluctant even to accept this pension, want to artificially increase the duration of their life. Such foolish men should take lessons from the drying pools of water and should know, in their own interests, that life is eternal, continuing even after death. Only the body changes, whether spiritually or materially. An intelligent man should be careful to know what sort of body is going to be awarded him, and thus he must prepare for a better life in other planets, even if he is reluctant to go back to Godhead.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Now, I have got now this body, Indian body, and then, next body may be cat's and dog's or demigod's, according to my karma. So the body changes.
Lecture on BG 2.24 -- Hyderabad, November 28, 1972: The body changes. Kṛṣṇa does not... Avyayātmā. That is the difference.
Lecture on BG 4.6 -- Bombay, March 26, 1974: Here, our body, now we have got human body. So next, next life it may be a demigod's body, or it may be cat's body, dog's body. The body changes. Kṛṣṇa does not... Avyayātmā. That is the difference.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So body can be changed. There is no difficulty if you know the process.
Lecture on SB 1.7.24 -- Vrndavana, September 21, 1976: So Saubhari Muni understood that "The king has tactfully avoided to give his daughter." So he was a yogi. So he made himself very beautiful young man. That yogi can do that. They can change. Because we are not this body, so body is old, it can be younger; younger body can be older. Nowadays in medical science, they are also doing. A man is woman, woman is man. So body can be changed. There is no difficulty if you know the process. So he changed to be a very nice, beautiful young man.
The soul never takes birth; the body changes.
Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:
You do not exactly remember last year on this date at this time what you were doing because body has changed. Similarly, it is the nature of the body to change and you forget.
Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968: Guest: You stated that the reason that we forget is that we change, the body changes. Now when we chant, we remember. What correlation is there between this... I talked to Janārdana before about the horizontal memory and the vertical memory, and I understand... So I wish you could sort of elaborate on why we forget. I don't completely understand.
Prabhupāda: Yes. It is intelligent question. You forget because you have got this material body, and because the material body is changing every moment, every second, therefore we forget. Is it not? You are forgetting. You do not know what exactly you were doing at this time, because your body has changed. Similarly, you do not exactly remember last year on this date at this time what you were doing because body has changed. Similarly, it is the nature of the body to change and you forget. That is the nature of this material body. But if you constantly remain in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that means you stand on the spiritual platform. In the spiritual platform you don't forget Kṛṣṇa.
As the body changes, the standard of living also changes.
Lecture on SB 7.7.30-31 -- Mombassa, September 12, 1971: With this body, we change our characteristics. That is not eternal characteristics. Just like a human body. The standard of living of a human being and the standard of living of an animal, different. As the body changes, the standard of living also changes. Therefore, they are not eternal.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
The body changes so long the soul is there.
Arrival Address -- Paris, August 11, 1975: The simple philosophy is that the child is now possessing a small body, then he will possess a big body, then another big body. In this way the child is there, the body is changing, that's a fact. And the body changes so long the soul is there. Therefore, the conclusion should be the body and the soul, they are different. It is very simple truth, but because we have accumulated so much garbage dirty things within our heart, we cannot understand even this simple thing.
General Lectures
Just as a soul comes from the womb of his mother with a small body, and that small body changes—it becomes the body of a boy.
Lecture -- San Francisco, April 2, 1968: Just as a soul comes from the womb of his mother with a small body, and that small body changes—it becomes the body of a boy, it becomes the body of a youth, then it becomes the body of an old man, then it vanquishes... That we have to admit. We may say that the body is growing, but actually, the fact is, body is changing. It is medically admitted that we are changing our body every second. We are changing our blood corpuscles, and therefore a change of the body is taking place, and that is being manifested in a different shape only.
This body changes, and the living entity's there, everywhere. Therefore every moment the reincarnation is going on, every second.
Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969: I have already explained that the child, a small child, is reincarnating from one body to another, one body to another, one body to another. So similarly, the final change is called reincarnation. So there is no question of believe. It is a fact. Only the blind man, he cannot see it. Believe means it may be fact or not fact—I blindly believe. That is another thing. Here is a science. "One plus one equal to two." Just like that. This body changes and the living entity's there, everywhere. Therefore every moment the reincarnation is going on, every second. What is the question of believe? It is a fact.
Therefore the conclusion should be I, the soul, is different from this material body. The material body changes on account of presence of the soul.
Lecture at the Hare Krsna Festival at La Salle Pleyel -- Paris, June 14, 1974: You ask yourself whether you are finger, the answer will be "No, I am not finger. It is my finger." Everyone will say, even a child will say, "This is my finger, my hand, my leg, my head." Nobody will say that "I leg, I finger, I head." Nobody will say. Therefore the conclusion should be I, the soul, is different from this material body. The material body changes on account of presence of the soul.
Philosophy Discussions
The body changes and the soul remains eternal.
Philosophy Discussion on Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz: Hayagrīva: He says there are no entirely separate souls without bodies.
Prabhupāda: That is rascal. That means he is imperfect. How he can say so when we practically see that the soul is changing from childhood to boyhood, boyhood to youthhood? How he can say like that? He is transmigrating. That is, every day we have experience. How he can deny that? Otherwise, if he, if the soul does not transmigrate, then how the child becomes a young man? The body is different. The, this is simple understanding, that he has changed the body. The body changes and the soul remains eternal.
Spiritual body cannot be changed.
Philosophy Discussion on Henri Bergson: Śyāmasundara: So if he says that the physical world...
Līlāvatī: Does that mean that the spiritual body changes, Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Not spiritual body, material body. Spiritual body cannot be changed.
The body changes. But the subtle material accompanies me, unless I am liberated.
Philosophy Discussion on William James: Śyāmasundara: Oh. But you carry your material mind throughout all of your lifetimes.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So long as you are not liberated.
Śyāmasundara: The same mind.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. The same mind.
Śyāmasundara: So the mind I have now I have always had.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Śyāmasundara: But the body I have now...
Prabhupāda: The body changes. This is also material; that is material. But the subtle material accompanies me, unless I am liberated.
Because the soul is there, therefore the body changes or develops.
Philosophy Discussion on Ludwig Wittgenstein: Prabhupāda: It is very simple. So long the soul is there, it is moving, and as soon as the soul is out, it is not moving. Anyone can understand. You say something is wanting. I say it is soul, definitely. But you do not know what is that something. Therefore your knowledge is imperfect, my knowledge is perfect. My knowledge is supported by Bhagavad-gītā, but your knowledge has no support; therefore your knowledge is nonsense.
Śyāmasundara: In order for that statement or that proposition to be true, there must be evidence.
Prabhupāda: This is evidence: that there is no soul. The self, the individual soul, is now departed; therefore this body is lump of matter. This is evidence. And because the soul is there, therefore the body changes or develops.
Material body changes, but God has no material body.
Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung: Prabhupāda: That I said, the spiritual body. The spiritual body never changes. When one comes with the spiritual body there is no change. Material body changes, but God has no material body. The conception of..., Māyāvādī conception that Absolute Truth is impersonal, when He comes as a person He accepts a material body, that is not understood by those who are advanced in spiritual knowledge or take information from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says, avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritāḥ (BG 9.11). Because He appears as a human being, rascals think that He is a human being, but He is not. Paraṁ bhāvam ajānanto. He has no knowledge of the spiritual body.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
On account of the active principle, the body is changing, the body is moving, and in the absence of the active principle, neither the body changes, neither moves.
Room Conversation with Professor Durckheim German Spiritual Writer -- June 19, 1974, Germany: Prabhupāda: Now, the question will be: "What is that active principle?" Athāto brahma jijñāsā. First of all let him distinguish what is the difference between this dead body and living body. If a student is unaware of it, he can see that on account of the active principle, the body is changing, the body is moving, and in the absence of the active principle, neither the body changes, neither moves. Just like in our childhood we used to think that the gramophone box, there is a man, and he is speaking from the box. This is a childish suggestion only, but similarly, anyone can think that within this body there is something which is making the body moving. It is not very big philosophy.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
When there is life, living entity, the body grows, body changes or grows.
Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1975, Atlanta: Prabhupāda: The fact is that the parent of the scorpion, they put their eggs within the rice and, being fermented, the scorpion comes out, not that from rice the scorpion is coming out. Therefore it is called vṛścika-taṇdūla-nyāya. Vṛścika means scorpion, and taṇdūla means rice. So "Life is coming from matter"—this is called vṛścika-taṇdūla-nyāya. Life cannot come from matter. Besides that... Just like when there is life, living entity, the body grows, body changes or grows, as you say. But if the child is dead or come out dead, then the body does not grow. Then matter is growing on life. Why, a dead child born, it does not grow? What is the reason? What is your scientists' reason?
Body changes but the spiritual form is the same.
Morning Walk -- March 15, 1975, Tehran: Devotee: When the body changes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, does that mean that also that the real form changes?
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Devotee: Because the body...
Prabhupāda: No, body changes but the spiritual form is the same.
Body changes so long the soul is there. And as soon as the soul goes out of the body, there is no more change.
Room Conversation with Bernard Manischewitz -- July 13, 1975, Philadelphia: Bernard Manischewitz: Can it sometimes be perceptibly? Can a person...?
Prabhupāda: Perceptibly we can understand that the body is being changed so long you are within this body. Because if the person, the soul, is not in the body, the body does not change. Body changes so long the soul is there. And as soon as the soul goes out of the body, there is no more change. Is it not perceptible?
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
We are changing every moment the body, and they don't believe that body changes and the soul continues.
Room Conversation with George Gullen, President of Wayne State University -- June 15, 1976, Detroit: Prabhupāda: So according to our mentality, we get another body. Nature's law. Nobody can check it. This life I may be very satisfied, that "I have got this body, let me enjoy without any responsibility and become an animal." That's not very good civilization. They do not believe in the next life. Big, big educated men, they have no brain even to understand that we are changing every moment the body, and they don't believe that body changes and the soul continues.
That man who is proposing chemicals, so how much quantity of chemical he has eaten to speak all this nonsense?
Morning Walk -- July 13, 1976, New York: Jayādvaita: Sometimes people say that although the body changes, the genes are the same, therefore it's not the soul that continues in the body, but these genes. So they argue that we're this body.
Rāmeśvara: (break) ...that by genetics they can develop the higher qualities in man, and they can arrange at birth to develop the finest qualities, strength, different talents also, like artistic talents, musical talents, better intelligence, all by chemistry.
Prabhupāda: So how much chemical he has devoured for becoming so intelligent? That man who is proposing chemicals, so how much quantity of chemical he has eaten to speak all this nonsense?
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
"Science accepts that all the cells in human body changes completely in seven years." Yes.
Conversation, 'Rascal Editors,' and Morning Talk -- June 22, 1977, Vrndavana: Svarūpa Dāmodara: Science accepts that all the cells in human body changes completely in seven years.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Every seven years...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
| Page Title: | Body changes |
| Compiler: | Sharmila, ChandrasekharaAcarya, Alakananda |
| Created: | 09 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=8, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=15, Con=7, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 33 |