Syamasundara: So Henri Bergson, his philosophy is called vitalism. He believes that there is a life force which is separate from the laws of physics and chemistry. Darwin thought that the life force was made up of physics and chemistry, but Henri Bergson said no, the life force is separate from Darwin’s mechanical laws, and that science will never be able to adequately explain what is life, the source of life.
Prabhupada: That’s nice. It is soul. He’s learning of soul. But he is unable to capture the soul, positively. But the soul is not controlled by the physical laws. That is described in the Bhagavad-gita. What does He say?
nainam chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakah
It is in the Second Chapter.
Devotee:
nainam chindanti sastrani nainam dahati pavakah na cainam kledayanty apo na sosayati marutah
Prabhupada: What is the translation?
Pradyumna: “The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.”
Prabhupada: What is the purport?
Syamasundara: “All kinds of weapons, swords, flames, rains, tornadoes, etc., are unable to kill the spirit soul. It appears that there were many kinds of weapons made of earth, water, air, ether, etc., in addition to the modern weapons of fire. Even the nuclear weapons of the modern age are classified as fire weapons, but formerly there were other weapons made of all different types of material elements. Firearms were counteracted by water weapons, which are now unknown to modern science. Nor do modern scientists have knowledge of tornado weapons. Nonetheless, the soul can never be cut into pieces nor annihilated by any number of weapons, regardless of scientific devices. Nor was it ever possible to cut the individual souls from the original Soul. The Mayavadi, however, cannot describe how the individual soul evolved from ignorance and consequently became covered by illusory energy. Because they are atomic individual souls (sanatana) eternally, they are prone to be covered by the illusory energy, and thus they become separated from the association of the Supreme Lord…”
Prabhupada: The vital source of the soul can be temporarily covered by physical elements, but it is not belonging to the group of physical elements. That is our system.
Philosophy Discussions
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Henri Bergson
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