The soul eternally transcends the body's temporary changes; serving God is humanity's constitutional nature.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Room Conversation with Kenneth Keating, U.S. Ambassador to India [Previous Attorney for Macmillan] — October 14, 1972, Delhi 721014R1-DELHI [41:20 Minutes] Conv_721014R1-DELHI Prabhupāda: Because, we are actually spirit soul we are not this body. But, our present civilization is going on, on the concept of this body. That I'm this body, and therefore I'm thinking I'm Indian, you are thinking you are American, somebody is thinking something else.
This is our body. Just like I give you an example. Suppose you have got this striped coat. I cannot address you Mr. striped coat.
[laughs] Similarly, but we are actually being addressed like that. We are identified with this body, and the body is considered as the dress, and the person who is dressed, that is within. dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā tathā dehāntara-prāptir dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13] Just like this child, this is a dress. Now, after some days this dress will be changed to another dress. After some time another dress, another dress.
This body is dress, we should always [indistinct], but the person who is putting on the dress... Just like I can remember my childhood state, dress and condition, my youthhood condition. So many things I remember. So although the body has changed—either you say it has grown or changed—I am the same.
Therefore conclusion should be that after giving up this dress, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ [Bg. 2.13], I must have another body. This is the proof of immortality of the soul and transmigration from one body to another. Now, there are 8,400,000's of different dresses. There are 900,000 dresses within the water, then plants and trees, then insect, then birds. This is evolution, or different dresses.
The spirit soul is passing through different dresses. Ambassador Keating: Both the human and the animal? Prabhupāda: Spirit soul, individual. He is passing through the evolutionary process. Evolutionary process means as he is desiring, nature is supplying a particular type of body. Mrs. Keating: That's very interesting.
I believe in the transmigration of the soul. Prabhupāda: Yes. It is a fact. Mrs. Keating: It's very interesting. Prabhupāda: It is a fact. Just like this child is transmigrating from one body, one kind of body to another body.