Learning the Science of the Soul
33
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  Then you must explain the difference between a living body and a dead body. I have already explained this at the beginning. As soon as the living force, the soul, is gone from the body, even the most beautiful body has no value. No one cares for it; it's thrown away. But now, if I touch your hair, there will be a fight. That is the distinction between a living body and a dead body. In a living body the soul is there, and in a dead body the soul is not there. As soon as the soul leaves the body, the body has no value. It is useless. This is very simple to understand, but even the biggest so-called scientists and philosophers are too dullheaded to understand it. Modern society is in a very abominable condition. There is no man with a real brain.
Mike Robinson:  Are you referring to all the scientists who fail to understand the spiritual dimension in life?
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  Yes. Real science means full knowledge of everything, material and spiritual.
Mike Robinson:  But you were a chemist in secular life, were you not?
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  Yes, I was a chemist in my earlier life. But it doesn't require any great intelligence to become a chemist. Any commonsense man can do it.
Mike Robinson:  But presumably you think that material science is also important, even if today's scientists are dullheaded.
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  Material science is important just so far. It is not all-important.
Mike Robinson:  I see. Can I come back to a question I had from before? When we were differing a few minutes ago you were saying, "Don't bring the scriptures in; just use common sense." But what part  do  the scriptures play in your religion? How important are they?
Śrīla Prabhupāda:  Our religion is a science. When we say that a child grows into a boy, it is science. It is not religion. Every child grows into a boy. What is the question of religion? Every man dies. What is the question of religion? And when a man dies, the body becomes useless. What is the question of religion? It is science. Whether you're Christian or Hindu or Muslim, when you die your body becomes useless. This is science. When your relative dies, you cannot say, "We are Christian; we believe he has not died." No, he has died. Whether you are Christian or Hindu or Muslim he has died. So when we speak, we speak on this basis: that the body is important only as long as the soul is in the body. When the soul is not there, it is useless. This science is applicable to everyone, and we are trying to educate people on this basis.