The first step is to know the difference between a living body and a dead body. What is the difference? The difference is that when someone dies, the spirit soul or the living force leaves the body. And, therefore, the body is called “dead.” So there are two things: one is this body; and the other, the living force within the body.
One must first understand that he is a soul, or something other than this body.For example, as a child grows, he becomes a boy, the boy becomes a young man, the young man becomes an adult, and the adult becomes an old man. Throughout all this time, although his body is changing from a child to an old man, he still feels himself to be the same person, with the same identity. The body is changing but the occupier of the body, i.e. the soul, is remaining the same.
So when your body is finished, annihilated, you are not finished. You get another body, just as you may change your coat and shirt. If you come to see me tomorrow wearing a different shirt and a different coat, does that mean that you are a different person?
No. Similarly, each time you die, you change your bodies but you, the spirit soul within the body, remain the same. This point has to be understood. Then, one can make further progress in the science of Krishna Consciousness.
The spirit soul is invisible to our material eyes. It is atomic in size. After the destruction of the gross body, which is made up of the senses, blood, bone, fat, and so forth, the subtle body of mind, intelligence and ego goes on working. So at the time of death, this subtle body carries the small spirit soul to another gross body.
The process is just like air carrying fragrance. Nobody can see where this rose fragrance is coming from but we know that it is being carried by air. You cannot see how but it is being done. Similarly, the process of transmigration of the soul is very subtle. According to the condition of the mind at the time of death, the minute spirit soul enters into the womb of a particular mother through the semen of a father and then the soul develops a particular type of body given by the mother. It may be a human being; it may be a cat, a dog or anything.
You are eternal. According to your work, you are simply changing bodies. Therefore, you should want to know how to stop this business, how you can remain in your original, spiritual body. This is Krishna Consciousness.
