Transmigration of the soul (Lectures, SB)

Expressions researched:
"transmigration of one's soul" |"transmigration of soul" |"transmigration of souls" |"transmigration of the self, soul" |"transmigration of the soul" |"transmigration of the spirit soul"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.1.4 -- London, August 27, 1973:

But spiritual life is essential, it is very serious subject matter, that I am covered by this material body, and I am changing one after another. And I do not know what the next change is going to happen, either cat or dog or tree. We are not at all interested. You see? There is no such education in the university, the transmigration of the soul, the eternity of the soul, what is the aim of life. Therefore, mandāḥ sumanda-matayaḥ. Sumanda-mati. Their philosophy is still more bad. You see? They are simply thinking on the bodily concept of life. Asses' philosophy, dogs' philosophy, frogs' philosophy. This is going on. And they are passing on as philosopher.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

The soul is migrating, transmigrating. There are 8,400,000 species of bodies; and you are transmigrating from one to another, another, another, in this way. They don't care for it. Even if you are Hindu... (break) ...he is informed, that if you are acting like this you are going to be a tree next life, "Oh, it doesn't matter, let me enjoy." You see. They say frankly, "If I become tree what is the harm? I shall forget." The people have become so rubbish that they have lost their self-interest. Just like if you say to a child that "You are always playing, you are not going to school, you are not becoming educated, you will suffer in your future life, you will have no position in the society." But if he says, "I do not care..." He may say that, but the risk is there. Similarly the modern human being, you inform him about the transmigration of the soul, and by his activities he is supposed to become next life very low grade animal, or aquatics, or reptiles. So if they are informed, if they do not care, that is not very good intelligence. This is a fact.

Lecture on SB 1.2.8 -- New Vrindaban, September 6, 1972:

Just like if you say to a child that "You are always playing, you are not going to school, you are not becoming educated, you will suffer in your future life, you will have no position in the society." But if he says, "I do not care..." He may say that, but the risk is there. Similarly the modern human being, you inform him about the transmigration of the soul, and by his activities he is supposed to become next life very low grade animal, or aquatics, or reptiles. So if they are informed, if they do not care, that is not very good intelligence. This is a fact.

Just like, in my, this life, I can experience. In each stage of my life, I have my past, present and future. You are all young boys. You had your past, as a child, as a boy. Now you are young, and your future is also there as old, as I have become old. So in any stage of life, there is past, present, and future. So why not, I am old man, so when I shall die, why there is no future? There must be future. I had my past, I am at present, and there must be future also. The future is that I must get another body.

Lecture on SB 1.2.14-16 -- San Francisco, March 24, 1967:

There is a knot of our activities. Without performing this ceremony, or without following these instructions, to hear, chant, think and worship, we cannot be out of the great knot of our material activities. So long we are engaged in material activities, we are just acting one after another just like filmspool. We have seen film—one picture after another, one picture, one picture one... There are hundreds and thousand and millions of pictures. Similarly, for my past activities I am now in this picture. So my present activity is making another picture forward. Just like in my past activities I created this body. Similarly, by my present activity also I am creating my next body. So this transmigration of soul is going on. But if you adopt this process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then karma-granthi-nibandhanaṁ chindanti. This knot, one after another, this will be cut off.

Lecture on SB 1.2.23 -- Vrndavana, November 3, 1972:

That is a great science one has to learn: how the transformation of the body takes place, how our attachment acts in that way. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke (BG 8.6). This is a great science. Unfortunately, there is no educational system. Neither do they know the process of transmigration of the soul. So everyone is in ignorance. Everyone is in ignorance. Neither they're interested to take knowledge from the Vedic scripture. Everything is described there. Just like Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. It is the end of knowledge. Vidyā-bhāgavatāvadhi. If one wants to be educated, he has to come to the limit of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, and all the sublime informations are there.

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

They got this opportunity, human form of life—they should have been educated to understand Kṛṣṇa. And by understanding Kṛṣṇa, they become liberated. Here, as it is here: mumukṣavaḥ. Mumukṣavaḥ, those who are desiring for liberation. But they do not know what is liberation, what is transmigration of the soul, what is soul—nothing. Simply rascals, and they are leading the whole people. They do not know what is liberation. The Darwin's theory, bodily concept of life, but..., and, and anthropology. That is going on in the university. A false theory, without any idea.

So here it is said, mumukṣavaḥ, "desiring for liberation." But the people do not know what is liberation. They are thinking liberation in terms of politics. Just like we have become liberated from the British rule. What sort of liberated? Liberation? During British rule, people were free to move, free to spend their money. Now you are so liberated that you cannot move, you can (not) spend your money. This is liberation.

Lecture on SB 1.2.26 -- Vrndavana, November 6, 1972:

"This time I am very nice American. I have got my skyscraper building and motorcar and very good bank balance. I am very happy." They don't care. But he does not know that next life he may become a cats or dog. That he does not know. There is risk. This science is not taught in any university. They are so fools and rascals. It is a great science, transmigration of the soul, immortality of the soul, how to elevate the soul to the highest perfection; these things are... They do not know, the rascals, they do not know. Neither do they teach. Mumukṣavo ghora-rūpān. A so unfortunate time it is.

Therefore there is great necessity of spreading this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement to actually educate the human being to the highest perfect of life. That is required. It is not a religious system, competing with some other religion. Just like they are thinking that we are making Christians, Hindus. This is nonsense. We are not concerned with Hindus, Muslims or Christians. We are not... If these boys... They're educated boys; they have no business to come..., become Hindu from Christian.

Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976:

We have discussed about brahmāstra. It is almost similar to the modern nuclear weapon or bomb. But it is made with chemicals, but this brahmāstra is made of mantra. That is the subtle way. Modern science has not reached to that point of subtle existence. Therefore they cannot understand how transmigration of the soul takes place. The modern science has no knowledge. Imperfect knowledge. They see the gross body, but they have no knowledge about the subtle body. But the subtle body is there. Just like we do not see your mind, but I know that you have got mind. You do not see my mind, but you know that I have got mind. Mind, intelligence and ego. My conception, identity, "I am," that conception is there. That is ego. And my intelligence and my mind, you cannot see. Neither I can see. Therefore how the mind, intelligence, and personal identity or egotism carries the soul to other body, they do not see it. They cannot see it. They see the gross body is stopped, everything is stopped. The gross body is burned into ashes.

Lecture on SB 1.7.26 -- Vrndavana, September 2, 1976:

We cannot even imagine what is the length and breadth of the hair, but the soul is one ten-thousandth part. So how you can see the soul? That small particle is being carried by the subtle body—mind, intelligence, and ego. And it is pushed through the semina of the father into the womb of the mother, and another body is manufactured in due course of time, and it comes out and works. This is called transmigration of the soul—from one body to another. That body is given by superior examination, Yamarāja. Yamarāja fixes up what kind of body this soul will get. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1) (SB 3.31.1). Just like in the court, there is case, and the magistrate decides what kind of punishment this criminal should be awarded. So similarly, here in this material world, we are simply engaged in sinful activities. Here the so-called pious and impious, that is simply imagination. Really, if I am actually pious, I should not get this material body. Just like to remain in the prison house means criminal. You may be a first-class prisoner, it doesn't matter, but you are a prisoner.

Lecture on SB 1.8.52 -- Los Angeles, May 14, 1973:

They are not meant for the animals, because they cannot be purified. They must have to come to this position by evolution of human being. Then there is chance of purification.

Therefore in this human life, if we do not purify our existence, then we go on with this impure existence. Impure existence means transmigration of the soul from one body to another, and become subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. This is impurification. So they do not know that "Death is not my obligation. Because I am impure, therefore I am dying. Birth is not my obligation. Because I am impure, therefore I am taking birth." Janma-mṛtyu... Four things: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Janma, birth, is due to my impure consciousness. Therefore if we purify our consciousness by advancing, by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then we become pure. This is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, cleansing the heart.

Lecture on SB 1.15.22-23 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1973:

The pig is eating stool, but he is very much satisfied: "Such a nice food." He is having intercourse with his daughter or sister or mother, he is enjoying.

So the hellish condition. So we create our hellish condition. Wherefrom the hog comes? The hog comes also... He is also living entity. By process of transmigration of the soul, one is accepting sometimes as a hog, sometimes a dog, sometimes a demigod, sometimes rich man, sometimes poor man, sometimes tree. That they do not know. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). We are spoiling our time in this way, transmigrating from one type of body to another, and there are 8,400,000 types of body. So in the human form of life, if one is actually fortunate, then guru-kṛṣṇa-kṛpāya pāya bhakti-latā-bīja (CC Madhya 19.151). By the mercy of guru and by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa one gets the opportunity of understanding Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Lecture on SB 1.15.35 -- Los Angeles, December 13, 1973:

Therefore they say "No soul," but the soul is there, and he is being carried. He is being carried by nature's subtle intelligence, mind and ego. These are subtle material things. He is covered. As long he is in the material world, his subtle body..., the subtle body is being carried to another gross body. This is the, I mean to, science of transmigration of the soul.

So you are also changing body. We, everyone we have to change body. Similarly, advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Kṛṣṇa has got also ananta-rūpam. Our rūpam, our this form, is imitation of one of the forms of Kṛṣṇa. This is imitation. So but His forms are not like our form. His forms are spiritual. He is existing in different spiritual forms. Advaitam acyutam anādim ananta-rūpam (Bs. 5.33). Ananta means unlimited. But every form is spiritual. So He is changing. He is changing, yathā naṭaḥ. He is changing like naṭaḥ. Naṭaḥ means actor, dramatic actor. Just like in the stage the dramatic actor is sometimes coming as a king and next time by changing the dress he is coming as (indistinct).

Lecture on SB 1.15.49 -- Los Angeles, December 26, 1973:

That is gone. Now you have got another body. This example is given in the Bhagavad-gītā. So as you are changing body, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13), similarly, after giving up this body, you have to accept another body. This is the logic, and any sane man can understand.

So we have become so rascal that we do not believe in the transmigration of the soul. Actually, I am...Presently I can understand that "I had such and such body; now I have transmigrated to this body." How I have done, that is not known to you or me. That is called acintya. Perceptive. Just like the child is changing body, and you saw one child on the lap of his mother. So after few years, you come. You cannot recognize the same child who has grown up: "Oh." The mother says that "This is such and such." "Oh, you have become so grown up." So things are taken imperceptibly. That is going on by the subtle laws of nature. It is a great science, but there is no discussion of this science in any university of the whole world. And they are advancement of knowledge. They are claiming advancement of knowledge. What knowledge you have got?

Lecture on SB 1.16.13-15 -- Los Angeles, January 10, 1974:

So simply you have no eyes to see, you have no brain to understand. You may be... Because you are cat and dog, you cannot understand. Because the cats and dogs, they cannot understand that there is another life after this dog's body and cat's body. They cannot understand. So anyone who cannot understand the simple truth of the transmigration of the soul, he is no better than this cat and dog.

So these karmīs are like that. Some of them understand. They at least believe in future life. But they do not know how to stop this transmigration of the soul. That they do not know, karmīs. They know, "It is unavoidable to change the bodies. So there is no need of endeavoring..." Therefore they do not know, they cannot know, neither they can do. They simply, "Yes, there is life, but let me become in more comfortable situation." Just like in this life, they are trying just to become in comfortable situation of this body, similarly, when they understand that, accepting at least that there is next life, they want to go to the heavenly planet, svarga.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1 -- Vrndavana, March 16, 1974:

So one has to become dhīra. These, nowadays, the modern civilization is a rascaldom. Everyone is adhīra. He does not know... In the Western countries, big, big, professors, they do not know how the soul is existing, how the transmigration of the soul is taking place, how the body is changed, what is the purpose of life, what is the perfection of... Nothing they... Simply like cats and dogs. Work very hard like an ass and enjoy like cats and dogs, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhir narāṇām. This life is most degraded life, that at the present moment we see that people are suffering because they have simply become animals, all over the world. Simply taking care of this body. But here Parīkṣit Mahārāja, now he knows that "Taking part of the body is now finished; I have to take care of the soul." Therefore he wanted to ask from Śukadeva Gosvāmī, "Now what I have to do? Shall I fully think of Kṛṣṇa?" Because he was a Kṛṣṇa devotee. Naturally, he was thinking of Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Vrndavana, March 19, 1974:

The real business is that we have to withdraw our attraction for this material... That they do not know. I am a spirit soul. Being attracted by this material nature, I am now encaged within this body, and I am changing this body. Just like I am changing this body from boyhood to childhood, childhood to, from childhood to boyhood, from youthhood. In this way, I have been entangled in this transmigration of the soul. This is my problem. Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says, "Real problem is janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)." This is not problem. Nowadays they have discovered so many problems. But actual problem—janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi—they are not very much serious. Therefore they have been described here as pramattaḥ, madmen. He does not know what is the real problem, but he is very busy with the superficial problems. Therefore śāstra says that these people, blind, they do not know what is the problem. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum (SB 7.5.31). My real self-interest is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is my real self-interest. They do not know.

Lecture on SB 2.2.5 -- Los Angeles, December 2, 1968:

So anyway, qualitatively, we are one with God. Therefore our business is how to again unite with God qualitatively. That is the highest perfection of human life. And this chance of realization, how we can unite again with God or Kṛṣṇa, is given only in the human form of life. We are wandering in so many species of life, transmigration of the soul. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya (BG 2.22). Just we change our dress, similarly we are changing our body every moment, and finally we are changing to other body. Not only we are changing or transmigrating from one body to another, but we are transmigrating from one planet to another. These things are all explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. How we are changing our planets also, that is explained:

ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthā

madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ

jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā

adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ

(BG 14.18)

Those who are developing the modes of good qualities, they are gradually being promoted to the higher planetary system, heavenly planet-Satyaloka, Janaloka, Maharloka. In those planets the duration of life is very long, the possibilities of sense enjoyment is very nice. Everything thousands, thousands times better than this. This is not very difficult to understand.

Lecture on SB 2.3.2-3 -- Los Angeles, May 20, 1972:

This is gross example. Similarly, we have got this gross body and when the gross body is finished, then I keep myself in this mental body. That is called ghostly body. The ghostly body means one who is living in the subtle body. Ghost is a fact; it is not fictitious. So the subtle body carries me to another gross body. That is called transmigration of the soul. I must have some vehicle. The subtle body... Gross body is finished. That is gone. Now, the subtle body is there; therefore my mentality will create another gross body. If I am dog mentality, then I'll create another body, dog's body. And if I am God mentality, then I'll create another body like God.

This is the process. So, everyone has got full liberty how, what kind of body he's going to get next. So if you keep yourself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, that consciousness, subtle body, then you are sure to get next life, if not in Vaikuṇṭha, at least you get a high standard life. That is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate (BG 6.41). Yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ. Bhraṣṭaḥ means fallen, fallen.

Lecture on SB 3.26.34 -- Bombay, January 11, 1975:

So this we experience every night, that because the gross body stops working, it does not mean the soul stops working. The soul works with his mind, intelligence and ego. So when this body becomes incapable of working further, then the mind, intelligence and ego carries me to another body, means another process of formation of the body into the womb of the mother, and when the body is formed and in working capacity, even as a child or baby, then the body comes out and the living entity's another chapter of life begins. This is the process of transmigration of the soul.

So mind is the basic principle of another form of body. Therefore our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is training the mind how to remain Kṛṣṇa conscious at the time of death, because Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvam (BG 8.6). Therefore in Bengali poetry there is a saying, bhajan kara sādhan kara mate janle haya,(?) means "You are doing everything in spiritual life, but everything will be examined at the time of death.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

As we are getting different bodies in this life also, from childhood to boyhood, from boyhood to old body, then what is after old body? Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ: you get another body. But we do not know what kind of body we are getting. Where is that science? Where is that education, that there is dehāntara-prāptiḥ, there is transmigration of the soul, and there are so many different types of body? Suppose in this body I am very comfortably situated, I am a very big man, or very great minister, politician, everything is all right—but in the next life, if I am going to get the body of a dog, who can check it? Nature's law will go on. At that time, as minister or big man, if you dictate that "Give me a body like this," oh, that will not be heard. You will get a type of body according to your karma. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). According to your karma, you will get a type of body. This is nature's law. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmani sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). We are completely under the grip of nature's law. We cannot change it. If we challenge that "There is no death," no, death will come.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1-2 -- London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969:

Nature's codes are different. It can be controlled. But human consciousness, this control is, I mean to say, practiced from the brahmacārī life. Because the... Unless we control our sex life, there is very little possibility of advancing in spiritual consciousness.

Because spiritual perfection means to stop the transmigration of the soul from one body to another. That is real spiritual perfection. Stopping. Stopping the soul, the spirit soul, transmigrating. This process is going on. Ei rūpe brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva (CC Madhya 19.151). Lord Caitanya says that each and every spirit soul is just wandering throughout the whole universe from one planet to another, one body to another. This business is going on. But the basic principle of that continued transmigration is sex life or sense gratification. Anyway, as long we have got a pinch of sense gratification we have to take birth in any form or any shape within this material world. That is the whole process. Therefore if we are at all interested... And that interest must be there in human life; otherwise it is spoiling.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

The first paragraph we have discussed last night. The second paragraph, the Ṛṣabhadeva says, mahat-sevāṁ dvāram āhur vimukteḥ (SB 5.5.2). If you want to be liberated from this entanglement of bodily concept of life and mental concept of life and become more and more entangled in the process of transmigration of the soul from one body to another... That is entanglement. And to come out of this entanglement is called mukti. That is mukti: no more material body, no more material mind—everything is spiritual. That is called mukti. So Ṛṣabhadeva recommends that if you want mukti, if you want to come out of the entanglement of bodily concept of life and mental concept of life, then mahat-sevā: associate with mahātmās. Mahat. Mahat means who are not crippled, who are broad-minded. Mahat-sevā. You have to serve him. In the... One Vaiṣṇava ācārya, he says, chāḍiyā vaiṣṇava-sevā nistāra pāyeche kebā. If you do not agree to serve mahat... That is the Vedic injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreya uttamam (SB 11.3.21). This is the injunction.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Hyderabad, April 11, 1975:

Everything is there.

So why should we waste our time? Why we should be entangled in this bodily concept of life and become subjected to the transmigration of the soul from one body to another? We should be disgusted, this repetition of birth and death. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). One should be intelligent enough to understand, "Why I should be subjected to birth and death?" Nobody wants to die. Ke āmi kene āmāya jāre tāpa-traya. Nobody wants the threefold miserable condition of this material life, but it is forced upon us, and we are thinking "Independent." That is foolishness. We are not independent. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). As you are associating with the different modes of material nature, the prakṛti, material nature, by pulling your ear, "You'll come on here. Take this body." "No, I don't want." "No, that is not your discretion.

Lecture on SB 5.5.2 -- Johannesburg, October 22, 1975:

Similarly, our, this present position, tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena śuddhyet sattvam (SB 5.5.1). We are constantly, repeatedly changing body, transmigration of the soul. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). That means we are accepting death. Death means change of the, final change of the body. When this body is no more useful to continue, then by nature another body is offered. At the time of death, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran loke tyajaty ante kalevaram, sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ (BG 8.6)—we create a mental situation. We have got two kinds of bodies—subtle body and gross body. This gross body is made of five gross material elements: earth, water, fire, air, ether. And the subtle body is made of mind, intelligence and ego. When we sleep, the gross body does not work but the subtle body works.

Lecture on SB 5.5.3 -- Boston, May 4, 1968:

Then he gets cured. Similarly, we are all materially diseased at the present time. So spiritual life means completely freed from material disease. The material diseases are birth, death, old age, and bodily diseases. They are material disease. Because I am spirit soul, I am eternal. I have no death. I have no birth. But because I am contaminated with this material body, therefore with the birth and death of this body I am thinking that I am taking birth and dying. That is my material condition of life. Actually I am not subjected to birth and death. These things are very nicely described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). So the immortality of the soul, transmigration of the soul, everything is described there. So there are books of authority. If we learn, if we'll be trained, then our spiritual liberation is open. Therefore it is recommended here that one should associate with great souls.

Lecture on SB 6.1.1 -- Melbourne, May 21, 1975:

Your subtle body is lying is some apartment, and you have gone to the seaside by the mental body. So, so long this gross body is able, you again come and enter into this gross body, but when it is not workable, then you have to find out another gross body in the womb of a certain type of mother. This is the law of transmigration of the soul. That subtle body will be carried by the laws of nature. According to the work you have done to your whims, then a certain type of body will be offered to you. You will be forced to enter into the womb of a certain type of mother, and the mother will give you the body. That we have got, everyone, experience. In the mother's body, after pregnancy, the body grows. Everyone knows it. So body grows why? Because the soul has entered, and according to his karma, either good mother or bad mother... So you are growing the same body or better body or lower body, and when it is mature, then you come out. You begin again your life. That is called pravṛtti-mārga. In this way we have to accept birth, death, old age.

Lecture on SB 6.1.6-15 -- San Francisco, September 12, 1968:

"Please explain to me how one can become free from this hellish condition of life." We are not only living very unhappy while we are in life; after death there are so many miserable conditions, hellish conditions, transmigration of the soul from one body to another. That is also very miserable condition. And to remain in the body of a dog or hog, that sort of degradation is also there. And again to come even in the human body, in the womb of the mother, that is also very miserable condition. Now this child, the small child, he's protesting that "I'm not in comfortable condition. Mother, take me in this way." So mother is trying to satisfy him. So always, always. That thing has to be understood, that so long we are in this material world, the miseries will continue. So a very intelligent question, that "How one can get out of this miserable life?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- London, August 3, 1971:

We are getting different bodies, that's a fact. Even in our present life we have passed through so many different bodies: a baby's body, a child's body, a boy's body, young man's body. All those bodies are gone. Now I am undergoing in an old man's body. Similarly, when this body will be useless for any purpose, then I accept another body. This is called transmigration of the soul. So for another body, that will be created according to the mental situation we made here at the present body—just like the same air passing through rose garden and air passing through a toilet room.

Therefore, this human form of body is especially meant for creating a favorable situation so that when we pass through this body or we leave this body and we accept another body, we'll get exact a body like Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are trying to change the consciousness of the people so that this preparation will help him to get exactly a body like Kṛṣṇa in next life, and he may dance with Kṛṣṇa in rasa dance. That is our propaganda. Body you'll get.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

"I am talking with a beautiful girl or beautiful man." So this dream we every day see. So that means when this body stops, the gross body, the subtle body is there. Why don't you believe it? Unless the subtle body is working, how do you dream? The dreaming means subtle body is working. So transmigration of the soul means the soul is twice covered—subtle body and gross body—just like shirt and coat. So when this gross body is finished, the subtle body is there. It takes you to another body. The subtle body with the semina of the father, it is injected in the mother's womb, and then again you will develop another body. This is the process of transmigration. So this body, how you'll be transferred to another body, that will be judged by the Yamarāja. Daiva-netreṇa. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). By our activities we shall be judged. Those who are criminal, they will be judged, not that everyone will be judged. So, and because those who are devotees, they are... Mad-yajino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). Those who have devoted their life, dedicated their life only in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are sure.

Lecture on SB 6.1.20 -- Honolulu, May 20, 1976:

That is sure. They are going back to home, back to Godhead. And those who are not dedicated or taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, they are criminals. They will be taken to the Yamarāja's court, and Yamarāja will decide what kind of body. There are 8,400,000 different forms of body, and he will be given a certain type of body. This is called transmigration of the soul.

And so Śukadeva Gosvāmī is going to give example from the history about the Ajāmila, how he was in the beginning very good boy, brāhmaṇa, and then, under the influence of a prostitute, he fell down and became most degraded, and then again, because in the past he had some good asset of spiritual life... That is described in the Bhāgavata, svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt. Spiritual life is so nice, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one has executed even for a short time, it may help to deliver him from the greatest dangerous way of life, and that history will be recited by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. Kānyakubje dvijaḥ kaścid dāsī-patir ajāmilaḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.1.28-29 -- Honolulu, May 28, 1976:

God—he doesn't care for that. He's unnecessarily laboring whole day in the sea, so that he's developing the mentality at the time of, you think of swimming in the water, and the subtle body will carry him to the fish journey.

The subtle body, the transmigration of the soul means when the gross body stops. The subtle body... Just like... This is very easy to understand. Little brain is required. Just like when you sleep, your gross body is on the bed, but the subtle body takes you somewhere. So the transmigration of the soul takes place carried by the subtle body. And mukti means when there is no more working of the subtle body also. This death, this elimination of this gross body, that is not mukti, because the subtle body will work and subtle body will carry you to the next gross body. The soul will be carried by the subtle body and, according to its mentality, nature will put him into the semina of a certain father, and the father will inject the semina within which the soul is there, and then again, with the mixture of ovam and semen there will be formation a pealike body, and the soul is there, and he'll develop.

Lecture on SB 6.1.42 -- Los Angeles, June 8, 1976:

"Where is the evidence that I did something; therefore I am suffering?" They take the analogy: just like a criminal in the court is convinced when there is sufficient witness, not that I have complained against you, and you go to the court, you are punished. No. My charges against you should be corroborated by sufficient witness. So the Christian religionists, they do not believe in the next birth, transmigration of the soul, something like that. So they do not believe also in the fruitive activities' resultant action of our past life. This very word "witness"... It is my personal experience. I was student in the Scottish Churches College, and we had to attend half an hour Bible class. So Dr. W.S. Urquhart, he was teaching, Reverend W.S. Urquhart. He said, I remember, that "Where is the evidence? The Hindus believe in the karma, but where is the evidence that I did it?"

Lecture on SB 6.1.49 -- Detroit, June 15, 1976:

So in this way, this body will be also destroyed, and we shall get another body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). In this way, we are changing body, one after another. So why there are different types of body? That means the living entity, spirit soul, he is contacting different types of material modes of nature. And according to that, we are developing a gross body. The transmigration of the soul means the gross body is lost. Because anything material, it will be finished. That is the nature of material, anything material. It will be finished. But the spirit soul is not finished.

So we have got this body according to our past work. Karmaṇā daivā-netreṇa jantra jantor deha upapatti (SB 3.31.1). How one gets a particular type of body? Because according to his past karma. Nature will automatically act. Just like if you contact some contaminous disease, nature will act. You will have to undergo the process of disease or develop that disease. So nature's law is working so nicely. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Everything is being done by the laws of nature.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

That is my material position. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). Tathā dehāntara prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati (BG 2.13). We have to change this body. Death means changing body. We are changing body every moment, every second, and getting a new body imperceptibly. And the last change of this body is taken as death, transmigration of the soul. But nobody knows "What kind of change is going to happen in my next body or next life." But there is change of body, dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Just like I was a child. Now I have got another body, the body is changed. Similarly, when this body will be finished, then I will get another body. This is a fact. If we cannot understand, then we have to take it from authority to understand, because understanding means taking knowledge from the authority.

So Kṛṣṇa says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). Dehāntara-prāptiḥ is there, information. So how can we deny that there is no life after death? There is. But nobody is caring to understand, "What is my next life, what is going to happen?

Lecture on SB 7.6.15 -- New Vrindaban, June 29, 1976:

This family attachment is so strong that a person who is not satiated, he simply gathers money. On one side, they do not believe in the next life, and if you ask him that "Why you are gathering so much money?" he'll say that "My grandson will enjoy it." They say like that. But if you don't believe in the transmigration of the soul, then who is coming to be your grandson and son you are accumulating money? So there is no logic, there is no argument. But people do so. Anyāyenartha-sañcayan. Anyāyena, it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that is demonic principle. So a gṛhastha, of course, required to accumulate some money because he's living with family, but so far brahmacārī, vānaprastha and sannyāsī is concerned, they should not keep any money. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was so strict that his personal servant, one day he was taking after eating a little, what is called, myrobalum (indistinct), haritaki. So one day he was giving myrobalum (indistinct) and Caitanya Mahāprabhu inquired, "Where you got this myrobalum (indistinct)?" So he said, "I kept it from yesterday." "Oh, you are stocking?" He immediately criticized him.

Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:

They are bodily conscious that "I am this body." And as soon as one is such foolishly conceiving body as self, his activities will be demonic. Yasyātma-buddhiḥ kunape tri-dhātuke (SB 10.84.13). The demons also sometimes they have got conception of the soul, they believe in transmigration of the soul, but though they... Simply on the platform of accepting this body as self, they have been compared with animals.

So, Prahlāda Mahārāja has very nicely analyzed the characteristics of the soul by twelve items: ātmā, nitya, avyaya, śuddha, eka, kṣetra-jña, āśraya, avikriya, sva-dṛk, hetuḥ, vyāpaka, asaṅgī, anāvṛta. These things I have explained in Calcutta. Again we may repeat. These are important points. The characteristic of ātmā, either ātmā or paramātmā, the same characteristics are there. Exactly like gold bar and gold particle. The chemical composition of the gold bar and the gold particle is the same. So, ātmā nitya eternal. The materialistic scientists, they have no information of the ātmā. They think that this material combination of elements evolved some living force.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Calcutta, March 5, 1972:

Because if you try to protect this body by all kinds of knowledge, but it will not stay. And after giving up your this body, you have to accept another body. Then what is the value of material knowledge? This time you may have this human form of body, next time you may not have. Then what is the value of material knowledge? Because you cannot change the order of transmigration of the soul from one body to another. That you have to accept according to your karma. So, therefore, material knowledge will not help me. Therefore they struggle so. You are under the grip of natural laws, daivi hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Natural, nature's law are very stringent. You cannot interfere with the... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). The prakṛti, the nature, material nature is so strong that you cannot interfere with her business, that is not possible. So your material knowledge will not help you, unless you have got Kṛṣṇa consciousness knowledge. You can, anyone can understand.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 28, 1977:

Sometimes the mind is jumping over sattva-guṇa, sometimes on the rajo-guṇa, and sometime on the tamo-guṇa. In this way we are getting different types of mentality. In this way, at the time of death the mentality which is just at the moment of leaving this body will carry me to a different body of sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. This is the way of transmigration of the soul. Therefore we have to train up the mind until we get the another body. That is the art of living. So if you train up your mind simply to think of Kṛṣṇa then you are safe. Otherwise there is chance of accidents. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of leaving this body, if we have not practiced the mind to fix up at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then there is... (break) A particular type of body we get.

So Prahlāda Mahārāja, although he does not belong to this platform of mental speculation... He is nitya-siddha. He has no chance because he's always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. (loud electrical noise) (aside:) What is that?

Lecture on SB 7.9.54 -- Vrndavana, April 9, 1976:

They accept, "Yes, there is." Only the rascals, they cannot understand, the rascals. The opposite number of dhīra, the crazy rascals, they cannot understand. Simple thing.

Now, if you study the whole world at the present moment, they do not believe in the soul. They do not believe in the transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Even big, big professors, big, big learned scholars, they do not believe. So therefore you can understand that what is the present population of the world—all rascals. All rascals. They cannot understand the simple truth, and they are passing on as great scholars, great scientists, great politicians and so on, so on, but all of them rascals. That's all. This is the conclusion. Kṛṣṇa says, dhīras tatra na muhya... This transmigration of the soul from one body to another, Kṛṣṇa says, dhīras tatra na muhyati. And here also the same thing, prīṇanti hy atha māṁ dhīrāḥ sarva-bhāvena sādhavaḥ. The spiritual... If you do not understand what is spirit, then where is the question of spiritual life and advancement of spiritual life? There is no question.