BENGALURU: Dr Benford: How do you know that people return in some other form?
Srila Prabhupada: We see that there are so many forms - the form of the dog, cat, tree, reptile, insects, fish? What's your explanation for these different forms?
Dr Benford: Evolution.
Srila Prabhupada: Not exactly. The different species are already existing. “Fish,” “tiger,” “man”-all of these are already existing. The living entity, according to his karma, is given facility to occupy one of these bodily forms. But there is evolution, also-spiritual evolution. From the fish, the soul evolves to plant life. From plant forms the living entity, enters an insect body. The next stage is bird, then beast, and finally the spirit soul may evolve to the human form of life. If one gets qualified, he may evolve further. Otherwise, he must again enter the evolutionary cycle. Therefore, this human form of life is an important juncture in the evolutionary development of the living entity. In the Bhagavad gita, Kona says, whatever you like you can achieve. There are different lokas, or planetary systems, and you can go to the higher planetary systems where the demigods live and take a body there, or you can go where the Pits, or ancestors, live. You can take a body here in Bhaloka, the earthly planetary system, or you can go to the planet of God, Krsnaloka. This method of transferring oneself at the time of death to whatever planet one chooses is called yoga. There are physical, philosophical and devotional processes of yoga.
Dr Benford: Few people feel that if God had wanted us to know more about Him, then He would have been more easily apprehendable.
Srila Prabhupada: Then you don’t believe in God?
But you think sometimes that there may be God, do you not?
Dr Benford: Yes.
Srila Prabhupada: So you are in doubt, but your inclination is that you think there is a God, is it not? Your knowledge being imperfect, you are in doubt, that’s all. Otherwise you are inclined to think of God. But because you are a scientific man, unless you perceive it scientifically, you do not accept. But from your side, you believe in God.
Dr Benford: Sometimes.
Srila Prabhupada: You have become a scientist by proper training, proper education. Similarly, the dormant con-sciousness of God, or Krsna, is there in everyone. It simply requires proper education to awaken it. However, this education is not given in the universities. Although the inclination to be Krsna conscious is there, the authorities are unfortunately not giving any education about God. Therefore people feel baffled in obtaining the true joy and satisfaction. In San Diego, some priestly orders hold a meeting to investigate why people are becoming averse to religion and not coming to church. It is simple: Your government does not know that human life is meant for understanding God.
Dr Benford: So, of course, the reason is separation of Church and State.
Srila Prabhupada: Reasons there may be many, but the principal reason is that this age is the Kali-yuga, people are not very intelligent; they try to avoid this most important department of knowledge. Your advancement of knowledge is comprised of four things-eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. For example, you are discovering so many lethal weapons, and the politicians are taking advantage of it for defending. You are discovering so many chemicals to check pregnancy, and people are using them to increase sex life.