Soul is eternal (Conversations and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"soul is eternal"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

So this theory that body is eternal..., soul is eternal and body is temporary, that's a fact. Therefore this life, this present life, is meant for manufacturing the next body.

Room Conversation With John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison -- September 11, 1969, London, At Tittenhurst: Prabhupāda: After destruction of this body the living entity is not destroyed. He is there. That we can understand. Just like in your childhood, you had a small body. That body is no more, but you are existing. So it is natural, when this body will not exist, I will exist in another body. It is not very difficult to understand. So this theory that body is eternal..., soul is eternal and body is temporary, that's a fact. Therefore this life, this present life, is meant for manufacturing the next body. That is Vedic knowledge.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

How to prove that the soul is eternal? The body has changed, but you remember everything. Therefore you are eternal, body's not eternal. This is the proof. Simple proof, even a child can understand.

Morning Walk -- May 14, 1973, Los Angeles:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: How to prove that the soul is eternal?

Prabhupāda: That is the first lesson. You do not understand? You are a child, now you're a grown up boy. Where is your childhood? Where is that body? Ha? The dead body does not exist but you are existing. That means you're eternal. Body has changed, but you have not changed. Circumstances have changed, but you have not changed. This is the proof of (indistinct). What do you want more? You may remember that I did yesterday these things, today I remember yesterday's activities, but your body of yesterday is not this body. Do you admit or not? As a scientist, the body has changed already. He cannot say that 1973, twelfth May yesterday. He cannot say. It is already changed. But you remember everything of yesterday. That is eternity. The body has changed, but you remember everything. Therefore you are eternal, body's not eternal. This is the proof. Simple proof, even a child can understand. But they'll not understand. That is the difficulty.

"If the soul is eternal and passes through one body after another, how is not possible that it accepts, let's say, three, four, five bodies and then dies?" You are accepting millions of bodies and then die. That you do not know.

Morning Walk -- May 14, 1973, Los Angeles:

Paramahaṁsa: Another question, Prabhupāda, that could be raised is that "If the soul is eternal and passes through one body after another, how is not possible that it accepts, let's say, three, four, five bodies and then dies?"

Prabhupāda: You are accepting millions of bodies and then die. That you do not know. I say that your body of yesterday is not of this body. So, similarly, if we live for one hundred years, how many bodies you are changing every moment? Just calculate.

Karandhara: Thirteen.

Prabhupāda: Ha? Thirteen? Why thirteen?

Karandhara: Every seven years.

Prabhupāda: No, no, every seven years. I say every second. Every second the blood corpuscles are changing. Is it not?

Devotees: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Then you're chang... As soon as the blood corpuscle changes, you change your body. You do not know the science. So how many millions of birth you are changing even this experience?

Karandhara: That is their stumbling block. They say they want to be able to observe everything with their imperfect senses.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is their folly, foolishness.

So that body is finished but you are not finished. So therefore you, the soul, is eternal.

Room Conversation with Graham Hill Former World Champion Race Car Driver -- London, August 26, 1973: Prabhupāda: Yes, transmigration. Just like you also were a boy like him, but where is that body? There is no... That body, that is finished. But you exist, you remember that you were a boy like him. You remember that boy's childhood body. So that body is finished but you are not finished. So therefore you, the soul, is eternal. You are simply changing body. This is called death. Death means changing the body. As soon as the body becomes old enough, no more youthful, then you die. Die means to change the body just like you change your garment. When the garment is no more useful, then you change to another garment. That is truth. vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. (aside:) You come here. Just like jīrṇāni, when old garment, no more youthful, you change it to a new garment.

Therefore, the conclusion should be that body may change or may not remain, but the soul is eternal.

Room Conversation with British Man -- August 31, 1973, London: Prabhupāda: Therefore, the conclusion should be that body may change or may not remain, but the soul is eternal. Therefore, the next body means when this body will be useless... I am old man, you are also getting old.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

So if we accept this definition, then we can understand the soul is eternal.

Room Conversation with Russian Orthodox Church Representative -- June 13, 1974, Paris: Prabhupāda: No, it is characteristic. Definition means you mention the characteristic. That is definition. Definition, you mention the characteristic. So that can be mentioned directly, or if it is not perceivable, then you can define in opposite way. Just like we have got experience: everything in the material world, it is beginning. There is a beginning. Anything of this—your body, my body, everything—it has got a beginning, and it has got an end. So it is stated, na jāyate na mriyate vā: "It has no beginning, no end." And nityaḥ, eternal, śāśvataḥ, very old, purāṇaḥ. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. "It is not destroyed, annihilated, after the destruction of the body." So if we accept this definition, then we can understand the soul is eternal. Our characteristic, if we accept these characteristics, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], after the destruction of body the soul is never destroyed, then you can understand the soul is eternal. And it is clearly stated, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. "After the destruction of the body, it is not destroyed." So, it means it takes another body.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Just like this cloth. I am using it, but when it will be old, no more useful, then I throw it away. I get another dress. This body is like that. Soul is eternal.

Room Conversation with Sanskrit Professor, other Guests and Disciples -- February 12, 1975, Mexico: Prabhupāda: No, no, "dies" means the body dies. The soul does not die. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20]. When the body annihilates... Body becomes old. Just like this cloth. I am using it, but when it will be old, no more useful, then I throw it away. I get another dress. This body is like that. Soul is eternal. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācit. It does not die, it does not take birth, but because he is in material condition, therefore he has to change the material body because no material thing is permanent. Therefore the aim of life should be how to avoid this material body. That is real business. Jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā. That is called athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is only business, how to stop acceptance of this material body. And that is very clearly and simply stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, janma karma me divyaṁ yo janāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. We can do that. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, that you try to understand Kṛṣṇa, then you are not going to accept any more material body. That means there is no more birth, no more death, no more disease, no more, and what is called, old age.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

So the spirit soul is eternal, and the body is temporary. So we are taking care of the body very much. That is also required. But what about the spirit soul? This education is lacking.

Room Conversation with George Gullen, President of Wayne State University -- June 15, 1976, Detroit: Prabhupāda: But material, that is temporary. This body, your body, my body, anyone's body, that is temporary. It will not stay. It has taken birth at a certain date, it will endure for certain years, and then it will be finished. But the spirit, that will continue. It will accept another body. Just like we are accepting, we are giving up our body, childhood body, accepting the body of a boy, then giving up the boyhood body, accepting the body of a young man. Similarly, this body.... Just like I am an old man. This will be finished, and I will accept another body. So the spirit soul is eternal, and the body is temporary. So we are taking care of the body very much. That is also required. But what about the spirit soul? This education is lacking.

So if the soul is eternal, it does not die or it is slain after the body is finished. But that is eternal fact.

Interview with Newsweek -- July 14, 1976, New York: Prabhupāda: Yes. When the system is imperfect, then it has to be changed according to time and circumstance. But if the system is itself perfect, there is no question of... Just like the perfect system: the sun rises from the eastern side. So for millions and trillions of years the system is going on because the system is perfect. It doesn't require change, neither you can change. You cannot ask the sun to rise from the western side. So if the soul is eternal, it does not die or it is slain after the body is finished. But that is eternal fact. Destined in the past present and future, everything.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Either stop this... And accept, soul is eternal; body is changing.

Morning Talk -- June 19, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: Therefore the real problem is the change of body should be stopped. And that is real scientific advancement. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Stop change of the body. We are trying to follow this culture. They say, "It is impossible." So what is their knowledge of? Why the scientists cannot at least stop change of body? Young man... When I was young man, sir, stout and strong, then people came here. Now, on account of change of body, I am now invalid. Why the scientists cannot stop this? This is change of body. Simply bluff. They are big man amongst the rascals. They have not contributed anything. They say, "Change of body cannot be done"? What do they say? A young man is becoming old man. This is not change of body? Either stop this... And accept, soul is eternal; body is changing. What you can do? You cannot stop the change. Young man became old man. Or accept it is change of body.

1975 Correspondence

Regarding your question at the end, yes, the soul is eternal and it is transmigrating from one body to another.

Letter to Dr. W.H. Wolf-Rottkay -- Honolulu 8 June, 1975: Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated June 1, 1975 along with your elaboration of the word LIFE. It is very interesting. Regarding your question at the end, yes, the soul is eternal and it is transmigrating from one body to another. Therefore the body is undergoing evolution, not the soul. Just like if I come to the USA from India, I have to change my residence. I personally do not have to change, but my residence changes. So, the soul travels from one body to another and always remains the same.

The idea is that spirit-soul is eternal and the material body is temporary.

Letter to Professor Stillson Judah -- Honolulu 11 June, 1975: It is my great delight that you have realized how Krishna Consciousness has transformed lives from drug addicted hippies to loving servants of Krishna and humanity. Loving service of Krishna is so exalted, that it automatically turns loving service to humanity. Krishna is just like the root of the tree and if you pour water on the root, it automatically reaches other parts of the tree. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna manorathenasati dhavato bahih [SB 5.18.12]. If a person has unflinching devotion at the lotus feet of Hari (God), then all the good qualities of great personalities like the demigods, automatically becomes manifest in the person of a devotee. Whereas a nondevotee, even he is decorated with material qualities, he is forced to act on the material plane and he stays in temporary field of activities. The idea is that spirit-soul is eternal and the material body is temporary, or for the sake of sense gratification.

The Vasana is an eternal function of the soul and as the soul is eternal or "Sanatana" souls so also is the Vasana.

Letter to: Ved Prakash ji — Unknown Place Unknown Date: Lord Caitanyas presentation of facts is that you cannot kill the human propensities, but they can be changed for higher purposes. You said of annihilation of desire orVasana. But you can think on it very wisely of Vasanacan be stopped at all. No; vasana can never be stopped. The Vasana is an eternal function of the soul and as the soul is eternal or "Sanatana" souls so also is the Vasana Therefore Vasana can be changed only from one object to another.