View source for You must approach to a person who knows by surrender, not by challenge. You cannot know about soul and God by this challenging spirit. You have to become a submissive, submissive. You have to accept a spiritual master who knows

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<div id="Lectures" class="section" sec_index="4" parent="compilation" text="Lectures"><h2>Lectures</h2>
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<div id="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" class="sub_section" sec_index="0" parent="Lectures" text="Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures"><h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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<div id="LectureonBG212HyderabadNovember171972_0" class="quote" parent="Bhagavad-gita_As_It_Is_Lectures" book="Lec" index="54" link="Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972" link_text="Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972">
<div class="heading">You must approach to a person who knows by surrender, not by challenge. You cannot know about soul and God by this challenging spirit. You have to become a submissive, submissive. You have to accept a spiritual master who knows. Then you'll know. It is not that in a meeting by challenging, you can know. No. That is not possible.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972|Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Hyderabad, November 17, 1972]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Question: So what is the form and what is the definition of soul, and how to know whether there is soul...?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That is... that is... that is described. We are describing na jāyate na mriyate. Soul is never born, soul never dies. Soul is eternal. Nityaḥ śāśvato 'yaṁ na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre ([[Vanisource:BG 2.20|BG 2.20]]). Even after the destruction of this body, the soul is not destroyed. These, these are the education.</p>
<p>Indian: There is a test of knowing the thing. You are just describing the qualities of the soul. If you can say mango, mango is very sweet, color is like this. But it requires to taste the mango. So I want to realize the soul. What is the shortest way?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: There is mango. But you have no eyes to see it. That is the difference. Soul is there. Just like we have begun our instruction: dehino 'smin yathā dehe ([[Vanisource:BG 2.13|BG 2.13]]). There is dehī. There is the soul within this body. Kṛṣṇa says. So we have to accept Kṛṣṇa's authority. You cannot see the soul. That does not mean there is no soul. Your, what is the value of your eyes? You cannot see so many things. Because you cannot see the soul, it does not mean there is no soul. We have to accept the authority.</p>
<p>Indian: Why can't I see?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Eh?</p>
<p>Indian: Why I can't...?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Because your eyes are imperfect.</p>
<p>Indian: So what is the proof that there is soul?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Because there is a proof. As soon as the soul is gone, you are dead body. That is the proof.</p>
<p>Indian: I should like that thing...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Eh?</p>
<p>Indian: I should see.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: But you must be qualified to know.</p>
<p>Indian: How?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That I have already explained, that you must become... Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā ([[Vanisource:BG 4.34|BG 4.34]]). You must approach to a person who knows by surrender, not by challenge. You cannot know about soul and God by this challenging spirit. You have to become a submissive, submissive. You have to accept a spiritual master who knows. Then you'll know. It is not that in a meeting by challenging, you can know. No. That is not possible.</p>
<p>Indian: How to get that master who knows?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: That you have to search out. If you are fortunate, you'll get.</p>
<p>Indian (2): In Bhagavad-gītā... (break)</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: ... dvaita-advaita, that we have explained.</p>
<p>Indian: Dvaita-advaita, yes?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Dvaita and advaita. Just like this finger is, is my finger. So it is part of this body. So you can, you can say, "This finger is also body." But, at the same time, the finger is not the body. Is it clear? You cannot say "This finger the whole body." But at the same time, you can say, "Yes, finger is body." If you say, "This is my body," there is no wrong because finger is also part of the body. But if you say that "The finger is body," that is also wrong. This is dvaita-advaita. It is simultaneously one and different. Similarly, the soul and the Supreme Lord, equal in quality. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśa. The small particle of gold is gold. That is advaita. You cannot say, because it is small particle of gold, you cannot say, "It is iron." It is gold. That is advaita. But the gold mine and the gold earring, there is difference. You cannot say the gold earring is as good as the gold mine. That is dvaita. so in this way, as so far our spiritual existence is concerned, we are one. But so far our energies are concerned, that is different. That is dvaita-advaita. You have no such big energy as God has. In that sense you are different. God can create millions of universe by His breathing. Yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ (Bs. 5.48). You can create one small sputnik, and take credit. But God can create innumerable universes simply by breathing. So your energy, your power, is different from God's power. But in quality, you are one with God.</p>
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