Origin of life

Expressions researched:
"origin of life"

SB Canto 4

SB 4.25.33, Purport:

The living entity is ignorant of his origin. He does not know why this material world was created, why others are working in this material world and what the ultimate source of this manifestation is. No one knows the answers to these questions, and this is called ignorance. By researching into the origin of life, important scientists are finding some chemical compositions or cellular combinations, but actually no one knows the original source of life within this material world. The phrase brahma jijñāsā is used to indicate an inquisitiveness to know the original source of our existence in this material world. No philosopher, scientist or politician actually knows wherefrom we have come, why we are here struggling so hard for existence and where we will go. Generally people are of the opinion that we are all here accidentally and that as soon as these bodies are finished all our dramatic activities will be finished and we will become zero.

SB Canto 8

SB 8.17.23, Purport:

Here it may also be appropriate to explain, in these days of controversy, the origin of life. The life force of the living entity—the soul—is different from the ovum and semen of the human being. Although the conditioned soul has nothing to do with the reproductive cells of man and woman, he is placed into the proper situation because of his work (karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1)). Life is not, however, a product of two secretions, but is independent of all material elements. As fully described in Bhagavad-gītā, the living entity is not subject to any material reactions. He can neither be burnt by fire, cut by sharp weapons, moistened by water, nor dried by the air. He is completely different from the physical elements, but by a superior arrangement he is put into these material elements. He is always aloof from material contact (asaṅgo hy ayaṁ puruṣaḥ) but because he is placed in a material condition, he suffers the reactions of the material modes of nature.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 20, 1975:

"What is this, father? What is this father?" And the father replies. So unless this enquiry is there, he is not human being. A cat and dog cannot enquire about the origin of a thing. But a human mind is developed in such a way that he enquires, he makes research to find out the original cause. Just like nowadays the scientists are enquiring about the origin of life. But unfortunately, they are finding out the original cause which is not. Just like they are trying to research out what is the origin of life. And there are many, many learned scientists. They think that the origin of life is chemical combination. So that is not the fact.

Therefore, without being guided by authority, nobody can find out the perfect answer of an enquiry. Even in the university level, those who are research scholar, they are guided by three experienced professors. And when the student's research work is admitted by the three professors, then he is awarded the doctorate designation. So the, as I have already said, the child enquires, "What is this, father?"

Lecture on SB 1.1.1 -- Caracas, February 21, 1975:

Then the origin of everything, what is the nature of that origin? That is being explained now. Vāsudeva is everything, accepted, but whether Vāsudeva is a living being or a dull matter. Nowadays the theory, scientists' theory, is going on that life is made of chemicals. That means matter. This has been discussed five thousand years ago by Vyāsadeva, whether the origin of life is life or matter. So he says that the origin of everything is life because Vāsudeva is also life. And now you come to your argument and reason, whether origin of life is matter or life. That you have to discuss. So here it is said that origin is life because here it is said, yato 'nvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ. Just like if I am taken as the origin of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that means I know everything directly and indirectly of all this movement. If I do not know directly or indirectly everything of this movement, then I cannot be called the founder-ācārya. And as soon as the origin becomes a knower, he is life. So therefore dull matter cannot be the knower of everything.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Śyāmasundara: There are several theories in that book of yours. Where is that book about the origin of life? There are several theories how everything began. They are quite interesting.

Prabhupāda: That is theory, but we see practically that material things, material elements, ingredients, they cannot be combined automatically. There must be a living entity who will combine them.

Śyāmasundara: One of the theories is that everything comes out of energy.

Prabhupāda: Energy means somebody's energy. I am sitting here, I am pushing one button, the energy is immediately created, and it goes. Just like this telex machine. So somebody is pushing the button.

Karandhara: The energetic.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- May 4, 1972, Mexico:

Devotee: I'd like to ask what do the scientists explain is the origin of life? Do they have any explanation how life is caused?

Martin: Oh, scientists concern themselves with the process, not the reason. Right now, scientists are spending a tremendous amount of time duplicating this process, trying to be able to produce life in the laboratory. This now, they are saying that thus they will be able to say that this is how life started at the beginning of the world. It does not take... Scientists don't concern themselves with why life started, just how, what method.

Devotee: What do they think, how it started?

Martin: Oh, they think life started by the effect of the atmosphere...

Prabhupāda: Then the atmosphere is the cause. Then next question is, Who created the atmosphere? (break)

Martin: This doesn't... This is why I feel science... I don't feel...

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Ahh. This is wet also. Let's go this side.

Prabhupāda: Everywhere wet. There is a little space to walk. Biology, chemistry is the origin of life. So the chemistry, biology's so much advanced. Why they cannot create life? When the crucial point is touched, they say: "We shall do it in future." Why future? If it is already done at present, why future? What is this?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: This is... Small ones?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: These are some small earth, mound of earth taken out from the inside to make room for oxygen for the plants to breath.

Prabhupāda: No, no. These are stools.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, these are not stools, Śrīla Prabhupāda. There's a machine. They go around like this. And that makes a little earth taken out.

Morning Walk -- April 19, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Locana: So where is the question of control?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is why, in the ultimate analysis, the geologists, mostly when they trace the origin of life, they say everything started from matter. Living matters came out from non-living matters.

Prabhupāda: Where it is coming now? It came in the past and not in the now, and not at present? Wherefrom an ant is coming from this dust. Is there any proof? Even an ant does not come.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In fact, there are several theories like that, about the origin of life. And they say starting from matter, all the living matters came from nonliving.

Prabhupāda: That's all right. Why it is not coming now, rascal? I kick on your face with boots. Why it is not coming now?

Karandhara: If it happened before, it should happen now.

Morning Walk -- May 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Recently I went to a lecture called "The origin of life." It was given by a well-known biochemist whose name is Professor Stanley Miller. He was talking about the origin of life.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So what is origin of life?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He said that there are twenty amino acids, twenty of them which are necessary for the maintenance of life, the living entities. So he was discussing how these amino acids are formed before the dawn of creation, and he had so many theories, all nonsense.

Prabhupāda: So did you not protest?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Then there was... After his lecture... It was a one hour long seminar, and there was question and answer. So they invited questions. Nobody asked.

Prabhupāda: So you did not ask?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: No, I asked later on. I asked, that "Your topic is about origin of life, but you are not talking about the origin of life. So there is no basis of your argument."

Prabhupāda: Very good.

Morning Walk -- May 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is why the scientists, when they are trying to find out the origin of life, they are concerned only on the matter, the elements, chemical elements and the chemical compounds, the molecules, not on the superior energy.

Prabhupāda: No, there is superior energy. The same example. Just like because I am now living, I am eating something, going to the stomach, the chemical action is going on. If I am dead, it will not. Therefore life is superior. On account of presence of life, the foodstuff which we are taking, that is being divided into different chemicals, some urine, some stool, some blood, and they are being utilized differently. So how can you say? But without life, such distinction will not act. Therefore life is superior. Even accepting life is also matter.

Karandhara: They say there is no evidences that that life is eternal.

Prabhupāda: Life is eternal? That is another question. That we shall see. First of all, you accept that life is superior. Make solution one after another.

Morning Walk -- May 3, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: But as soon as gone, everything is finished. Why these rascals do not know? Why they cannot replace with chemicals to bring life again? Why these rascals are accepted, I do not know. If the matter is the cause of origin of life... Now one dead man, such a big man, such a Professor Einstein, big brain, he is dying. Put another chemical. Let him come back to life and work again. So why these rascals talk like this? You cannot protest? You should protest. Your protest will be accepted because our, they say that "You are not scientist. We cannot talk with you." That's all right. But here is a scientist. Talk with him. Where is your that material chemical by injecting which...? What do they say? What is wanting in the dead body that the body is dead?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That they do not know.

Morning Walk -- December 3, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: What is the scientific question? Muḍhāḥ. Māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15).

Svarūpa Dāmodara: When they say about the, how one starts talking about the origin of life, they say that one should first of all consider how the earth was formed, how this planet earth where we live, how it was formed, what is the origin of the earth.

Prabhupāda: Earth. Origin of earth is life. It is very simple to understand. Just like your body. Your body is... Or why your body? Take the tree. Tree is matter, it is earth. Wherefrom the big tree comes? From the life within the seed.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But they say that about 4.5 billion years ago this earth condensed in such a form, but before that there was no living entity because this earth was not suitable for it.

Prabhupāda: That is rascal. No, no. You have got history for billions of years?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: What is that history? We have got history that Brahmā was the first creation, and from Brahmā... Brahmā created this universe.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1975, Atlanta:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Recently there were some journals that came out. The title is called "The Origin of Life." I will bring in school when we discuss... It started about from last year. And they have got an international association of scientists, and they discuss about the origin of life. And then... I wrote a letter to the editor of that journal, and they replied me that they're going to have another meeting, international meeting, in Japan in 1977. And there will be several meetings in Europe in the coming years. So their aim and object is to prove that life started from chemicals. It is a big group, all international scientists. So he asked me to become a member of a research group.

Prabhupāda: So you become member and protest, "No," and prove. You just become the opposite.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I also asked whether they...

Prabhupāda: Don't say, "Yes, it is all right." No, don't say. That will be your duty.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1975, Atlanta:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That's why we title our book as "The Origin of Life in Matter." We do not talk simply "life" because...

Prabhupāda: Origin of everything.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Matter, crude matter, origin of the chemicals, the, this carbon, hydrogen, these elements, these also, there is a brain behind it who made these chemicals.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we have to find out who is that brain, who is that scientist. That is real research. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is brahma-jijñāsā. Jijñāsā means enquiry, that "Who is that brain?" Because things are already going on. It is not depending on your so-called research. It is already going on nicely. So your business should be: "Who is that brain behind it?" That should be your research, not that how chemical combination can be... It is already being produced without your so-called scientific knowledge. It is already going on. So as you are taxing your brain that "How this chemical combination produces life?" So that brain is already there. Otherwise how life is coming? What do you think? So why you are trying to find out the chemicals? You find out the brain. As you are taxing your brain to find out the chemicals, the original brain has already done it. Now you find out who is that person who has got such a nice brain.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: That is... This foolishness is going on throughout the whole world, and scientist and people are after the so-called scientist, Darwin. So we want to stop this misleading. That is our duty.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Actually, the way they study the origin of life is nothing but the origin of molecules. It's not actually of life, the way they are studying. So there is a misunderstanding what is life and what is matter.

Prabhupāda: No, no, whatever they are studying, this rascal cannot make life even with combination of those original molecules. Where is that proof? Our challenge is that because they cannot do it, therefore they are rascals. And that vṛścika taṇdūla nyāya, that a scorpion is coming out of rice, that's it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Their claim depends on the...

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The title is "The Origin of Life and Matter," and then there will be a sub-title called "Life is a Manifestation of Life Only."

Prabhupāda: Mm?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: "Life is a Manifestation of Life Only." I mean "Life Comes from Life."

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is the sub-title.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Then we have some tentative titles of the chapters and the first one is "A Unique Differentiation between a Living Spade(?) and a Non-living Matter."

Prabhupāda: Mm.

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: This will be tentatively planned to write by me and the second chapter is "The Eternality of the Living." That's also by me. And the third chapter is called "A Look at the Natural Laws Regarding the Origin of Life and Matter." In this there are different sections. First section is quantum mechanical demonstration that will be written by Jad (?) Prabhu, he's a mathematician.

Prabhupāda: Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And the second part of it...

Prabhupāda: That theory, mathematics, you presented...

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, this is...

Prabhupāda: His.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, it's his.

Prabhupāda: So it is very nice. You have dedicated to Hare Kṛṣṇa. Then?

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: That's nice. Then we shall immediately publish. What (is) the title you have given?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's called "The Origin of Life and Matter." The origin of everything. When one talks about the life here in the material world, one cannot leave matter. Because the scientists, what they are doing, is the materialists taken it for granted. They do not ask who made this matter. So they've started at... "Oh, matter is already, given by nature." So they'll take the matter and then start life. That is their increasing. So we want to bring it that matter is also from life.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rūpānuga: That's like saying the car produces the driver. That's what they're thinking.

Prabhupāda: The car necessitates the driver's service. Otherwise car is useless.

Rūpānuga: Neither is the driver dependent on the car for his existence. He doesn't need the car. The car needs him.

Room Conversation -- March 2, 1975, Atlanta:

Prabhupāda: That is not the fact. Car requires the help of the driver.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I have interest for these journals, say life, origin of life, that started from last year. So here the international scientists from all over the world, they have combined together and then they formed this, this is all chemicals, this. And they're a big group.

Prabhupāda: So why don't you protest?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, that's what we're starting the background.

Prabhupāda: Refute their arguments, then it will be nice. Aiye (Hindi—Prabhupāda greets guests and asks which province of India they come from and they reply Punjab). How long you are here?

Guest (1) (Indian man): (Hindi) Emory University.

Devotee: Oh, Emory.

Morning Walk -- June 10, 1975, Honolulu:

Prabhupāda: It is called, in logic it is called prititio principia(?). So it is useless.

Paramahaṁsa: In our movement, Śrīla Prabhupāda, we have that group of scientists who are preparing that book, The Origin of Life, but will they actually be able to prove anything through that book?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Paramahaṁsa: Will they actually be able to prove anything by scientific presentation or...?

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is science. If you can prove it by experiment. Otherwise, it is not science, theory.

Paramahaṁsa: But how can they prove the existence of the soul through experiment?

Prabhupāda: No, first of all let them prove by chemical composition they can produce life. Then we shall talk of soul. First of all let them, in the laboratory, let the chemicals be mixed up and produce a small ant. Then we shall understand.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: You can cover it with some cloth. Take that cloth.

Hari-śauri: Use that cādara on the back of the rocking chair.

Prabhupāda: Cādara will be too heavy. Here, take this.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Now most of these slides will appear in our book, the origin of life and matter, Life Comes From Life. Now Sadāpūta and myself made these slides. These are some of the... Only a few slides. We specifically want comments from your Divine Grace Śrīla Prabhupāda, whether these slides will be appropriate to be in the book. Now this is the philosophy between the difference between life and matter. So this is sāṅkhya philosophy. The principles and the philosophy, as Śrīla Prabhupāda comments in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam in the Third Canto, the sāṅkhya philosophy is especially meant for persons who are conditioned by this material world, and by understanding the science of devotional service and sāṅkhya philosophy, one can become free from the modes of material nature. So we want to impose that in order to understand the distinction between life and matter, one must at least have a glimpse of the Absolute Truth, at least some idea of the Absolute Truth. Otherwise, it is completely impossible to understand the difference between what is life and what is matter. That is why scientists nowadays are so much confused about the concept of life and matter. So in fact the scientist Orgell, in his book The Origin of Life, he starts with saying "What is life? The question 'What is life?' should not be inquired." He says...

'Life Comes From Life' Slideshow Discussions -- July 3, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Now understanding these basic differences, to study the origin of life has some meaning. But scientists studying the origin of life, they have no idea about these fundamental differences. So they claim that life actually is a manifestation of matter. In other words, life comes from molecules. They call it "molecule to man" theory. That we will see in the next slide. Now in this slide the molecules is called primordial chemical soup. Now these chemicals are supposed to be formed from simple, reduced substances like water and ammonia and carbon and hydrogen compounds. They are called hydro-carbons. Now these somehow, under the action of ultra-violet radiation or cosmic force, they combine together and form these amino acids. Now these amino acids, in due course of time, form the polymers called proteins. And similarly, several polymeric compounds develop and, given a long period of time, we've shown there chance and given a long period of time, then it's going to bring life, it's going to give life. That is the fundamental background of the scientific study of origin of life. This is what they have proposed. These molecules, somehow they combine, given enough length of time, billions of years as the time period, and then it's bound to happen. They say, given enough length of time...

Prabhupāda: Provided he lives billions of years. But he's finished within fifty years. (laughter) And his theory remains. The rascal cannot remain more than fifty years, and he's talking of billions of years. This is the defect. Who will see after billions of years? He is finished within hundred years. These are theories only. We see practically. Egg appears like chemical combination, but if you give, proper fermentation will come, fermentation?

Room Conversation -- July 5, 1976, Washington D.C.:

Prabhupāda: One, the origin of life, and the other, planetary system. There is no knowledge. They are simply speculating.

Rākṣana: It is correct that the illumination of the moon is caused by the movement of the vegetation on the surface?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Rākṣana: So it should be fairly easy for scientists to prove, Svarūpa Dāmodara and such, that.... I know they can't prove there is illumination caused by the deserts.

Prabhupāda: That is the point. Therefore it is doubtful whether they have gone there.

Devotee (1): Did they go to some other planet, Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: That is different question. But they did not go to the moon planet.

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In speaking (at) colleges and universities. The other day when you spoke there, we were not speaking about astronomy, you were speaking of the origin of life, and these people, outsiders, they already had the concept to raise up that question. So without any connection they brought up. So the question was, "Whatever you present is very nice, fine, but what about the moon? Do you believe that the moon is farther away than the sun?"

Prabhupāda: But they have already...?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, they already studied, they are ready to ask those things, and they say, "Just give me an answer, yes or no."

Prabhupāda: They asked you? They asked you?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes.

Prabhupāda: So what did you answer?

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Two problems in man's history is this: one is this astronomical problem and the second is the origin of life.

Prabhupāda: Just see. And we have to... Touching (?) these three worlds.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So my feeling is that in about fifty years something is going to be settled.

Prabhupāda: (laughs) It's already settled. They should accept the (indistinct). It's already settled.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Especially about this origin of life business.

Prabhupāda: That is also settled. Everything is settled. But these rascals must admit. That's all.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's settled in the sense that even the scientist will come around that, "Oh, yes, what we taught was wrong."

Prabhupāda: Yes. That we want. They have become unnecessary authorities and misleading people. That we want to expose.

Room Conversation -- July 7, 1976, Baltimore:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. He works in National Institute of Health in Washington, D.C. We was telling me he was from Haridwar from a very pious family, and he said his parents are Vaiṣṇavas, and he has been thinking since from his childhood about this problem about life, the origin of life and consciousness, and we talked a little bit about our concept of this origin of life, connecting from the Vedas and the scientific interrelationship. And he was very much impressed, and he told me that if he can be of any help, he's willing to...

Prabhupāda: You should call him, let us.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, he's coming this evening.

Prabhupāda: All right, very good.

Pradyumna: In India, there are many Ph.D.'s and scientists who are Vaiṣṇavas, and they write articles. But in India it doesn't go noticed. In the South, there are many.

Prabhupāda: In South, eh?

Pradyumna: In Bangalore and many places.

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: There is an international meeting coming up next year on the origin of life, in Japan, Tokyo. They have an international body called International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life, and there are participants from all over the world actually. They hold this meeting once every four years. Next one is scheduled to be in Tokyo. We were thinking that if we get some material, we'll go and represent there.

Rūpānuga: Scientists will come there from around the world?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes, big, big scientists.

Prabhupāda: But they are biased on the point that origin of life is chemical.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Oh, yes. Everybody is coming for them one hundred percent.

Rūpānuga: What is the discussion then?

Room Conversation with Scientists -- July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: So how it is fact? You cannot do. So what is the fact?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: They are cheating. There is also a big man in Bombay who is working on this line. He's a member of this International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life. Now they call... In fact, they use a Sanskrit word for this life coming from chemicals, they call jīvana particles of life. So they are also catching this idea that life is nothing but molecules. So along with this article, they are also writing from Bombay. So actually it is worldwide, all over, this concept. In India I think a little more interesting to give seminars along these lines. In India in the universities, the reaction of the... My feeling is that it will be different.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So do it.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Just like that Dr. Sharma, who came yesterday, he's very much along our thought.

Prabhupāda: Who wrote the book?

Morning Walk -- August 11, 1976, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: But they cannot produce life.

Hari-śauri: They haven't succeeded in having it develop any further than that.

Prabhupāda: They have not succeeded in a thing which they proposed as the origin of life. This is going on.

Hari-śauri: I remember they showed the experiment on TV on a science program, and they said "Now we've discovered how to make life." And they showed this chamber, and they put these gases in and an electrical spark.

Prabhupāda: And there was life? No.

Hari-śauri: And they made these amino acids. So they said "We've created life. Now, it won't be long before we can develop..."

Prabhupāda: And you have to wait one million years. (japa)

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 27, 1977, Puri:

Prabhupāda: Practically everything. But these two we challenge. We can challenge. They know. Therefore they want to bluff. They know that it is not possible for them to know. They know it perfectly well. It is not possible for their so-called science to understand what is the situation of this planetary system and what is the origin of life. They do not know. They admit. Two things unknown. Everything is unknown, but especially these two things. Simply speculate and bluff and... Mūḍha. And we consider them as rascals. That's all. By taking information from Kṛṣṇa, we understand these are rascals. Duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ narādhamāḥ, māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15), bas.

Gurukṛpā: Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ.

Prabhupāda: Therefore we say that... We say, "They are rascals," and they say, "These are rascals, brainwashing." This is the position.

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- January 30, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hari-śauri: It's a long one. "I have been looking for a spontaneous generation for twenty years without discovering it. Now I do not judge it impossible, but what allows you to make it, 'the origin of life'? You place matter before life, and you decide that matter has existed for all eternity. How do you know that the incessant progress of science will not compel scientists to consider that life has existed during eternity and not matter? You pass from matter to life because your intelligence of today cannot conceive things otherwise. How do you know that in ten thousand years one will not consider it more likely that matter has emerged from life?"

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That is exactly what we say, what Prabhupāda says.

Hari-śauri: Louis Pasteur.

Prabhupāda: Yes, matter has come from life.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: We conclude our lecture with this. So they are all silent, (laughter) because a famous scientist said that.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Prabhupāda: That is the position. And I have heard that among the scientists' society, if somebody speaks of God he's immediately rejected.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes. Just like, for example, NASA this, what is it? Aeronautics and Space Institute, they are applying a lot of grants especially to the study of the origin of life from chemicals and all these research schemes. They are spending billions of dollars. But once...

Prabhupāda: See. How foolish. Billions of dollars they are spending for a false thing, and they are educating. Durāśayā bahir-artha-māninaḥ. (chuckling) It is stated in the SB.. They're proposing something which is not the fact, which will never be possible. still, they'll do.

Morning Walk -- February 1, 1977, Bhuvanesvara:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: In fact, there's one member from here from India, he's in Bombay, that Atomic Research Institute. He's one of the (indistinct) members in this study of the origin of life from chemicals. And if it's possible we would like to give a lecture there in the...

Prabhupāda: He is talking nonsense also?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: All of them.

Prabhupāda: A nonsense society. "International Society of Nonsense."

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Their theory is that they know this much...

Prabhupāda: I think, perhaps, we have detected first that these are rascals.

Gurukṛpā: You have detected.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Room Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- February 28, 1977, Mayapura:

Prabhupāda: No, no. Let them demon, but we are talking like gentleman.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: He's the only man that I knew from outside, from the Scientific Journal. His man was one of the editorial boards. They have also an international society for the study of the origin of life from chemicals, and he's the...

Prabhupāda: Oh. Oh.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So I specifically chose him because I knew his name, because it was there. So I made an appointment on the phone. He was real nice on the phone. He even wanted to send his car to pick me up from the temple.

Prabhupāda: Oh, then very respectful, yes. Very respectful. (laughter)

Svarūpa Dāmodara: When I went there I started talking a little about Hare Kṛṣṇa. Immediately he said he didn't like Hare Kṛṣṇa people.

Conversations with Kirtana Groups -- May 29, 1977, Vrndavana:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: That also corresponds with another theory, a scientific theory, is that the origin of life comes from other planets. That is one theory, not Darwin. This is not Darwin.

Prabhupāda: Darwin... Grand rascal. All speculation. Transportation I told.

kabhu svarge uṭhāya kabhu narake ḍubāya

daṇḍya-jane rājā yena nadīte cubāya

Just try to explain to them. (break) ...interesting. I can give you the ideas. You put in the scientific way. But whatever idea I give, that's a fact. They have stopped making propaganda about going to Mars?

Brahmānanda: Going to Mars? They've stopped propaganda?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yeah, they are a little silent.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) Hoax. First hoax was little successful. Now they say it will not be very successful.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: And I also published this little concept about what these, all these lectures is about. So it says, "Announcing a worldwide lecture tour on the origin of life and matter, sponsored by Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies, Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda." And then I give a whole series from here to here, and I also give the topics and...

Prabhupāda: Very nice.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So like to hear a little bit?

Prabhupāda: Yes. (Svarūpa Dāmodara reads pamphlet announcing worldwide lecture tour of Bhaktivedanta Institute) All glories to Svarūpa Dāmodara.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. And I already got some very positive remarks, especially in Manipur. They invited us... There is a center called Bhaktambabu(?) Research Center in Manipur, so they invited for a speaking engagement. They wanted in printed form so that they also publish. There is a Jawaharlal University in Manipur, and there is also low college. In several college they already invited.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: So let them issue later on, and you can make.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Sometime we are preparing, called, a brochure for this lecture series. We'll make it color. So I already have the outline in Boston. So we're titling, "Announcing a Worldwide Lecture Series on the Origin of Life in the Matter, sponsored by Bhaktivedanta Institute for Higher Studies and Founder-Ācārya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda." And we have some colored pictures inside and a little also, synopsis of the theme, the topics. We said, "Chemical Evolution-A Molecular Fairy Tale," and we have about three or four lines describing what the lecture should be about and what is the main theme of the talk. And we also have photographs of four or five of us who are going to speak and a little background of the candidate. So we wanted to make it very official.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Talk with Svarupa Damodara -- June 20, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Cheating.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I saw a newsletter issued by the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life from Chemicals. They just had an international meeting in Japan this April, and I am a member, so they send me a newsletter, national newsletter. They have interesting schemes. The next meeting is in 1981 in Israel. I was actually thinking of presenting a paper in the last meeting, but time was little short for us. So we are thinking of presenting papers in that international meeting. It is a whole scientific community all over. So I thought it will be very interesting to present our viewpoint and make it very strong. We are very small in number, but our thoughts will be very challenging to all of them, especially mathematics and physical chemistry together. They also have a journal, the Journal of the Origin of Life, and there the write only about chemicals. Everything is just like a story. So we make it a fairy tale, the molecular fairy tale, and it's very appropriate. All are stories.

Prabhupāda: They invented stories for going to the moon planet.

Conversation with Svarupa Damodara -- June 21, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Bhagavad-gītā says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat (BG 7.7). That is Kṛṣṇa. That Supreme Being is Kṛṣṇa.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The origin of life is Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Aham ādir hi devānām (Bg 10.2). From Brahmā we have come. And Brahmā is generated from Kṛṣṇa. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). Paraṁ satyaṁ dhīmahi. So let them come forward and discuss. So we have to prove to the world that it is not brainwashing. It is real knowledge. Why you should keep it suppressed and leave the people in ignorance? It is not your duty to bluff and cheat. That is not science. You are cheating people and getting Nobel Prize. That we have to..., in a large scale.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: There will be immediate reaction from the team called "The Study of the Origin of Life from Chemicals." They have also an international society. They also publish a journal.

Prabhupāda: We have to defeat them.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: So it will be just like a battle.

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is a battle.

Room Conversations Bangladesh Preaching/Prabhavisnu Articles by Hamsaduta -- August 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Very good. This is preaching.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He says, "On the 28th and 29th of July we held Hare Kṛṣṇa festivals at one prominent hall and spoke on the origin of life and matter. The second evening this Dr. Kovoor showed up with seven or eight of his followers, all doctors and scientists of some sort. By your mercy and the mercy of the Lord-teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam (BG 10.10)—the lecture which somehow emanated from my mouth was so brilliant that the audience, about one thousand people who were all aware of Dr. Kovoor's presence and sensed the intention of challenge in the air, unanimously applauded as we spoke the last sentence." They unanimously applauded. "I then asked for questions, but the Dr. Kovoor and his friends did not make a peep, while everyone waited in dead silence. It was clear that he was defeated, hands down. After I came off the stage, he was still sitting in the audience. I went to him and gave him my garland so he might not feel bad." So anyway, that's what happened there. He says, "Now we have exhausted all possibilities of extending our visas here. We were not able to meet the Prime Minister again, so he is very busy rewriting the constitution of this country.

Room Conversation -- October 3, 1977, Vrndavana:

Haṁsadūta: Well, the public has really relished the whole situation. But it seemed to me afterwards that this same technique could be applied in any university or anywhere where such a man is propagating this idea. As soon as you find one out, then make a public announcement that a program will be conducted, he's invited, and such-and-such amount of money would be offered if he can substantiate his idea of inert chemicals being the origin of life. Because I saw that the public interest became very keen, especially when they saw there was such a huge reward being offered to substantiate such a widely accepted, scientific idea.

Prabhupāda: Yes, it is a challenge to the, all these Nobel Prize-winner scientists. So our position is better. Hm?

Room Conversation -- October 11, 1977, Vrndavana:

Devotee: This is one introductory... "Bhaktivedanta Institute Lecture Series on the origin of life and matter, sponsored by Bhaktivedanta Institute."

Prabhupāda: Get this.

Devotee: Here is a copy...

Dr. Kapoor: Yes, I was given a copy also this morning.

Rūpānuga: This is a partial list of those who've been invited.

Dr. Kapoor: How many of these people are going to speak?

Rūpānuga: Svarūpa Dāmodara has invited a couple of opposing scientists to speak, also, so that we can discuss two points of view.

Dr. Kapoor: That's good.

Rūpānuga: Yes. A couple of important men. Also three of our GBC men have been invited to speak in informal discussion in the evening-Satsvarūpa Mahārāja, Haṁsadūta Mahārāja, and one other. I'm not sure.

Dr. Kapoor: Are these tulasī beads red-colored?

Rūpānuga: No, no. Very old beads.

Dr. Kapoor: What are they made of?

Rūpānuga: I don't know.

Dr. Kapoor: Not tulasī?

Rūpānuga: No.

Brahmānanda: These are the original beads that we got in New York when Prabhupāda made the first initiations. There were no tulasī beads available in New York City.

Dr. Kapoor: No, I see. (laughs)

Rūpānuga: We went to a bead shop on 14th Street.

Dr. Kapoor: I see. (laughs)

Rūpānuga: Japanese beads.

Dr. Kapoor: That has some historic significance, yes.

Rūpānuga: Actually, they come out to be very long. Six feet.

Dr. Kapoor: You can now get tulasī beads from here, because it should really be tulasī and not any other thing. Japa-mālā.

Rūpānuga: Śrīla Prabhupāda chanted on these, so...

Brahmānanda: Now they're tulasī.

Dr. Kapoor: (laughs) (pause) Prabhupāda seems to be slightly better today. He takes interest in other things and wants to speak.

Brahmānanda: You're feeling better today, Śrīla Prabhupāda?

Prabhupāda: (Bengali) ...syrup.

Dr. Kapoor: That syrup, he says, that has...

Prabhupāda: (Bengali)

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: Oh, that's all right.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: It doesn't matter. "...Bhaktivedanta Institute, it was stressed that life was independent of matter and dependent on higher principles lying beyond the present limitations of physics and chemistry. The assumption that life itself was nonphysical was the key note. The conference was opened by Dr. Prem Kripal, former president of the executive board of UNESCO. Three lectures were delivered by Dr. Thoudam D. Singh, director of the Institute; Mr. Robert Cohen, a geologist from USA; and Dr. Michael Marchetti, a theoretical chemist and student of the philosophy of science; on the fundamental nature of life and matter, new findings in paleontology and their effect on the theory of evolution, and the social consequences of the materialistic view of life. The philosophical foundations of life was the theme by discourse by Dr. S. R. Bhatt, associate professor of philosophy at Delhi University. Dr. Richard Thompson, a mathematician from Cornell University, and Mr. David Webb from England dealt with the application of information theory to the theory of evolution, thermodynamics and the origin of life. The limitations of science were discussed by Dr. A. Ramaya, professor of Biochemistry of the All-India Institute of Medical Science.

Room Conversation -- October 27, 1977, Vrndavana:

Prabhupāda: But he quotes from the Ramakrishna.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In his book that he wrote, Dr. Kapoor quoted the great authority Ramakrishna. (laughter)

Jayādvaita: "The Russian scientist Dr. A. I. Oparin has been propagating this view since 1957, but his challengers demand 'really solid examples of life arising from matter.' At a three-day international conference on life comes from life at Vṛndāvana last week at the Bhaktivedanta Institute, it was stressed that life was independent of matter and dependent on higher principles lying beyond the present limitations of physics and chemistry. The assumption that life itself was nonphysical was the keynote. The conference was opened by Dr. Prem Kripal, former president of the executive board of UNESCO. Three lectures were delivered by Dr. Thoudam D. Sing, director of the Institute; Mr. Robert Cohen, a geologist from the USA; and Dr. Michael Marchetti, a theoretical chemist and student of the philosophy of science on the fundamental nature of life and matter, new findings in paleontology and their effect on the theory of evolution, and the social consequences of a materialistic view of life. The philosophical foundations of life was the theme of a discourse by Dr. S. R. Bhatt, associate professor of philosophy at Delhi University. Dr. Richard Thompson, a mathematician from Cornell University, and Mr. David Webb from England dealt with the application of information theory to the theory of evolution, thermo-dynamics and the origin of life.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Svarupa Damodara -- Vrindaban 29 October, 1973:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 15, 1973 and was very glad to read the contents. Regarding your book, "The Origin of Life," I have already given you the points, so you can inquire from me any intricate question in this connection and I shall try to reply. In the meantime I have received a letter from Ramananda and I am enclosing herewith. I think you can send him a ticket by arranging with Karandhara so he can immediately come there. When I come there to Los Angeles in my presence both of you can discuss threadbare all questions and put them in a satisfactory way.

The headings you have selected are nice. Now I may add one heading which may be the conclusion as follows: "Original Life is God." Because the soul is eternal (which you have discussed in point 2), the origin of life, God, is eternal.

We have to fight with all these so-called leaders, scientists, and philosophers, just like Krsna came to kill all the demons because the whole world is full of demons.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Svarupa Damodara -- Los Angeles 23 June, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 20, 1975 with enclosures, and I thank you very much for it. It is very good that you are progressing with the book proving scientifically that Lord Sri Krishna is the origin of life. Yes, do it slowly but surely. It is important work for our preaching mission.

As you say you are thinking of retiring from the university, yes, as you are not a family man, you can do it for better service to the Lord. Regarding Manipur, you said that there is a Govinda temple there and that they are willing to hand over the management. I think somebody came to see me in India about it, but I don't exactly remember the name. The best thing will be for you to retire and take charge of such a noble project.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Charles Gold -- Bhuvanesvara 29 January, 1977:

As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, everything in the universe is actually under the control of the Supreme Being, the Cause of all Causes, and He is Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Hearing from the perfect source of the Supreme Being, one can get answers to solve the miseries of life, which begins with self-realization, knowledge of the self as the soul, beyond the body. Knowledge of the cause and origin of life are also given perfectly. I request you to first make a thorough study of these Vedic books as I have translated, and make inquiries of the devotees in the New York temple. Gradually all these things will be known to you.