In the lower form of life, the progress is by the laws of nature, and in the human form of life, you get consciousness development. Therefore you have got discretion

Expressions researched:
"in the lower form of life, the progress is by the laws of nature, and in the human form of life, you get consciousness development. Therefore you have got discretion"

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Why is it in the Vaivarta Purāṇa, after traveling 8,400,000 species of life, we get this human form of life? Is that contradiction with the . . .? Prabhupāda: No. Because in the lower form of life, the progress is by the laws of nature, and in the human form of life, you get consciousness development. Therefore you have got discretion. The other forms, they have no discretion: one after another.

730511 - Morning Walk - Los Angeles

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Why is it in the Vaivarta Purāṇa, after traveling 8,400,000 species of life, we get this human form of life? Is that contradiction with the . . .?

Prabhupāda: No. Because in the lower form of life, the progress is by the laws of nature, and in the human form of life, you get consciousness development. Therefore you have got discretion. The other forms, they have no discretion: one after another.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No. My point being the . . . some human beings, they come without traveling through these 8,400,000 species.

Prabhupāda: Then he can come.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So this applies only to those living entities who are born . . .

Prabhupāda: They are advanced in consciousness. They are advanced in consciousness. Suppose you are advanced in consciousness. So you are not going to get the dog's body or cat's body. You get another human body. yoga-bhraṣṭo sañjayate (BG 6.41). yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ is not ordinary man. He is practicing yoga, but somehow or another could not fulfill.