Śrīla Prabhupāda, in order to present this to scientists in general, we are saying specifically that there is no life in stone.
Prabhupāda: No, that one stone may be dead. Just like a tree is standing, but when it is dead, the symptoms are different—there is no more green leaf. But the tree as it is, it is standing. But there is no more green leaf.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Yes, but there is a basic difference . . .
Prabhupāda: So similarly we may not understand that life, so long life is there, there is development. There is a stone in Benares, Śilā-bandheśvara. Everyone knows that stone is increasing. Still it is there. So people go to see it. One who has seen that stone ten years ago, you will see it is developed now. So life, symptom of life, is growth.
Rūpānuga: So, Śrīla Prabhupāda, sometimes only a single symptom of life may be demonstrated. Like in crystal there is some growth only, with no other manifestation. Then the crystal may stop growing. Just like a tree . . .
Prabhupāda: Stops growing means dead.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Even if the stone is growing, there is no metabolism.
Prabhupāda: That is different thing. Machine . . . we have said that the body is the machine. Then all mechanical arrangement may not be the same in many machines. But it is a machine.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: One question I have is about this personality. We know from . . .
Prabhupāda: Just add consciousness. When consciousness is not developed, the personality is not developed. Just like tree you cut, there is no personality, it does not protest, "Why you are cutting?" It does not scream. But a man or animal, when you attempt to injure, it screams, it protests. That means consciousness is developed.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: How can we prove that the personality . . .
Prabhupāda: This is the proof. Consciousness developed and the symptoms are there. Just like we are studying this. Our consciousness is developed. This discussion is not possible by the animals, although it has got the all life symptom