Prabhupāda: As soul without the body means ghost. (laughter) Yes, that's a fact. Ghost means he has got no gross body, but he's working with the subtle body. We have got two kinds of bodies. The gross body is made of five elements: earth, water, air, fire, sky. And the subtle body is made of intelligence, mind and ego. So when a soul does not get a gross body, he has to work with the subtle body. That is ghostly life. So ghostly life is not false. Those who are too . . . too much sinful, sometimes they are condemned not to get a gross body. Just like if a man commits suicide. So nature gave him this gross body. He misused it. Therefore he's punished sometimes not to get again gross body. He becomes ghost. Guest: Isn't it the principle of human . . .
Prabhupāda: What is that?
(break) . . . means you accept another body. So long you are under the laws of karma, you have to accept another body.
- prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
- guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
- ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
- kartāham iti manyate
- (BG 3.27)
Nature. You are desiring so many things in your life. They are recorded. And you have to accept each and every body, one after another. That is nature's gift. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. That is the nature's work. As you desire, so you get a body. If you misuse the body, then for sometimes you are restrained not to get a gross body.
There are so many scientific problem about this life and transmigration of the soul. You can understand from the authorized Vedic literature how the soul transmigrates from one body to another. That is also explained. The soul remains with the subtle body, which we cannot see. But after destruction of this gross body, the soul is carried to another gross body according to his desire by the subtle body. The example is given—just like the flavor of flower garden is carried by the air, and if you do not . . . even though you do not see the flower, when you smell the good smell, you can understand where from the air is blowing. Similarly, according to your desire you get a body, and that desire, that capsule of mind, intelligence will carry you to another body. God will give you the chance. This is the process.