True reasoning recognizes the soul as eternally distinct from matter, establishing our nature as finite beings dependent on the infinite God.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Hayagrīva: This is the continuation of the notations on Descartes.
Hayagrīva: Descartes, Rene Descartes, the French... Descartes writes, "The power of forming a good judgment and of distinguishing the true from the false, which is properly speaking. What is called good sense or reason, is by nature equal in all men. God has given to each of us some light with which to distinguish truth from error." Now in the West this has been called conscience, and Descartes uses the term, "Reason." Now is this simply a form of mental speculation, or is the...
Prabhupāda: No. Mental speculation should be there. It is not actually speculation but it is reasoning. Just like if we study our own body, whether I am this lump of matter, namely this skin, bone and stool, urine and muscles and blood... If we analyze this body we find practically these things. So the
reasoning is that whether combination of these thing can give life. So externally we have got all these things. Blood we can get from slaughterhouse, and bone we can collect, or you can manufacture and set up an instrument with these things. Will it be, bring life? So the reasoning is life is different from this lump of matter. That is reasoning. Why...
Hayagrīva: He says reason is by nature equal in all man. Now isn't reasoning power different in different men?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Otherwise why it is called, "This man is intelligent," other man is called, "You are ass." So when on this reasoning platform, when one comes to the conclusion that the living force within the body is different from this lump of matter, then he is on the human platform. And if he keeps himself that this life means combination of these material things, then he remains an animal. This is the reasoning. Where is the life? You analyze beginning from the breathing up to the urine and stool--where you will find life? That is human reasoning. Human civilization is now advanced in analyzing things in the chemical laboratory. So if we analyze this breathing, it is air. So you replace this air, let life come again. What is this breathing? Breathing is simply exhaling and inhaling some air. So by machine, by electric, what is called? Batteries, let it work and it will act accordingly, breathing. But does it mean it will bring life? So they say breathing is stopped; therefore life is stopped. So breathing can be revived, but where is the life? They say the blood has become white. So blood can be colored. So anything of this body, analyze perfectly and bring life; then you say that life is combination of this matter. You cannot bring it; therefore it must be concluded that life is different from this combination of matter. This is reasoning. This is human reasoning. And if you still keep yourself that this body is, is everything then you are animal. This is reasoning. That is the verdict of the Vedic..., sa eva go-khara.
Yasytma-buddhi kuape tri-dhtuke [Bg 3.40, purport]. If one is thinking still that he is this body, he no better than animal. There is no reasoning. Who can challenge this? Analyze every part of the body. Where is life? Hm? What do you think? Is that reasoning or not?