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Breathing is not life. Life is different from breathing. You have to study scientifically. Because breathing can be produced

Expressions researched:
"breathing is not life. Life is different from breathing. You have to study scientifically. Because breathing can be produced"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Breathing is not life. Life is different from breathing. You have to study scientifically. Because breathing can be produced.

Prabhupāda: Just like a thief in the prison house. How he becomes liberated? When his term of suffering in the prison house is finished, then he is again free man. And again if he is criminal, he is put into jail. So human form of life is meant for understanding, as I am explaining, what is the problem of my life. I do not wish to die; I am put to death. I do not wish to become old man; I am obliged to become old man. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). So he . . . Just like the same example: a thief. When he is free, if he thinks, ponders, that "Why I was put into this miserable condition of six month prison life? It was so botheration," then he becomes actually human being. So similarly, the human being has got advanced power of deliberation. If he thinks that "Why I am put into this miserable condition?" Everyone has to admit that he is in miserable condition. He is trying to become happy, but there is no happiness. So how that happiness can be achieved? That chance is in the human being. But if we receive, by the mercy of the material nature, a human being and we do not utilize it properly, if we misuse this benediction as cats and dogs or other animals, then you have to accept again the animal form, and when the term is finished . . . It takes long, long duration of time, because there is evolutionary process. So again you'll come to this human form of life, when the term is finished. Exactly the same example: A thief, when he has finished his term of imprisonment, he's again a free man. But again he commits criminality; again he goes to the jail. So there is cycle of birth and death. If we utilize our human form of life properly, then we stop the cycle of birth and death. And if we do not use this human form of life properly, again we go to that cycle of birth and death.

Guest (1): Yes, I wanted to know what processes happen to the spiritual soul between a beast and human life.

Prabhupāda: That will depend on his work. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). According to the association of the material nature, you get the next body. Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). We have got different types of bodies. That is due to our association, past association with the different modes of material nature. Therefore, in this life, if we associate with the modes of goodness, then there is possibility of being promoted to the higher planetary system, or if we become God conscious, then we go back to home, back to Godhead. This chance is there. Now it is up to us to utilize it properly.

Lady guest (2): Śrīla Prabhupāda, most of us or some of us on this earth are lucky enough to have . . .

Prabhupāda: That is already explained. According to past karma, you get different position. Sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Sad-asat, abominable life and pleasing life, that is due to our past association with different modes of material nature.

Lady guest (2): Some of us are lucky enough to have realized . . .

Prabhupāda: That is lucky or unlucky. That means according to our past association.

Lady guest (2): There is such injustice . . .

Prabhupāda: Just like if you . . . In this life also, if you are properly educated, then you get good position in the society, same as a lucky, or a lucky position. But the lucky position was due to your personal association of being educated. It depends on you to get this lucky or unlucky position.

Lady guest (2): There are so many children in the world that are suffering.

Prabhupāda: The same law is working. Law is one. Just like you infect some disease; you must suffer from the disease. There is no excuse. Because you are children, you are child, nature will not excuse. If the child touches fire, the fire will not excuse. It will burn. Similarly, as soon as you put yourself under the control of the material nature, then, according to your association, you have to accept the result. There is no question of child or elderly person.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Other questions?

Guest (3) (young man): I, I . . . I'm talking about, from a Christian point of view . . .

Prabhupāda: No, don't put any question from any particular . . . You try to understand the philosophy. If "Two plus two equal to four," that doesn't matter whether he's a Christian or Hindu or Muslim. Two plus two equal to four everywhere.

Guest (3): All right. Well, the point is that you say, or members of the Society say, that "I am not this body," and in Christianity this is my body and this is my blood, and . . .

Prabhupāda: "This is my blood." You are not blood. That is all right.

Guest (3): Right.

Prabhupāda: "This is my blood," you can say, just like I say, "This is my body." But you are not this body. If I say this, "My microphone," does it mean that I am microphone? Why do you put this question?

Guest (3): Well, that's all right. That's all very well.

Prabhupāda: So that is to be understood. You can say "my blood," but you don't say "I blood." That is foolishness.

Guest (3): Yeah, I didn't say "I blood."

Prabhupāda: Then you say "my blood." Therefore the blood is different from you. As soon as say "my blood," then "my house," then house is different from you.

Guest (3): The point is that it makes it one. It makes body and soul one when one says, "This is my body and this is my blood."

Prabhupāda: No.

Guest (3): And in this Society I've heard people saying that "This is not my body," so, okay . . .

Prabhupāda: It requires little intelligence. Just like you are breathing. So when the breathing is stopped, you say, "The man is dead." But what is this breathing? This breathing is nothing but a little portion of air passing. So you can artificially make that arrangement, air passing, but does it mean that it will bring life? So therefore breathing is not life. Life is different from breathing. You have to study scientifically. Because breathing can be produced. This respiration of . . . Even in the, what is called, bellow, there is breathing, "Hans-phans, hans-phans . . ." (laughter) Does it mean life? No. Therefore you have to study every part of your body. You'll find there is no life.

Guest (3): Well . . .

Prabhupāda: So therefore life is different from this combination of matter. This is intelligence.

Guest (3): Then . . . I do understand it.

Prabhupāda: First of all you understand this: that you are different from your body. Analyze your body part by part. Then you come to understand. Don't jump over. Your question was, "The body's not different from the life." That was his question.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So it is different. You analyze this body. You'll find in every part of body, take this and you study it. You'll find no living force there. So how the living force is equal or identical with the body?

Guest (3): All right, I agree. I . . .

Prabhupāda: Then you agree. Then you accept that the soul is different from the body.

Guest (3): Yeah, I understand. So you call that Kṛṣṇa. But God is God. God's name is God, not Kṛṣṇa. You may call Him Kṛṣṇa if you want.

Prabhupāda: So who is God?

Guest (3): God is God.

Prabhupāda: Who is that? You do not know. You do not know.

Guest (3): God is God.

Prabhupāda: "God is God," you say. Man is man. But who is that man you do not know.

Guest (4): I think what he's getting at is that there's a basic division of three forces—spirit, soul and body; and the spirit is . . .

Prabhupāda: Different from the body.

Guest (4): . . . what is the part that's not you.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: I think he also has a misunderstanding. Prabhupāda is not saying that each individual soul is God.

Guest (4): Yeah, that's why I wanted to say that.

Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: He had a misunderstanding himself.

Prabhupāda: No.

Guest (5) (Indian woman): If God is a word, it is part of the language. So you call it God; I call it Kṛṣṇa. There is no difference at all.

Prabhupāda: Hmm? What she . . .? (laughter) First of all try to understand. This is the beginning of knowledge, that "I am not this body."

Guest (3): All right, I can understand.

Prabhupāda: Then other things will follow.

Page Title:Breathing is not life. Life is different from breathing. You have to study scientifically. Because breathing can be produced
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-09-09, 08:58:55
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1