Distinguish between (Conv. and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"distinguish between" |"distinguished between" |"distinguishes between" |"distinguishing between"

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

You have to distinguish between superior and inferior.

Morning Walk -- May 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Karandhara: They say there is no difference between that life and that matter.

Prabhupāda: No, how can you say rascal? Then you are rascal immediately. There is so much difference. Then immediately you talk like rascal. There is difference. You have to accept superior, inferior. Just like two things. When you go to purchase something the shopkeeper gives you, "Here is superior." Although there is no difference, but there is difference of superiority and inferiority. That you have to accept. Therefore you pay more price to the superior. How there is no difference? This is another rascaldom. You have to distinguish between superior and inferior.

Karandhara: Well, they say it is all made up of the same elements.

Prabhupāda: That is all right, but do why you pay more? That is difference. Question is difference. You have to accept difference. Why do you pay more for the superior thing? That is difference. Why do you pay more respect to a superior person? That is difference. Mr. Nixon is also a human being, you are also human being. But if Mr. Nixon immediately comes, we shall all pay him respect. Why? That is difference.

Karandhara: That's all on the same plane.

Prabhupāda: That's all not. That not all. He is the superior, He is getting respect. Therefore he is not equal to you. You cannot say that. You may say... A rascal may say that "A superior person is as good as I am." But people will not accept it. People will say, "No, you are a rascal. He is an intelligent." Although you have got two hands, he has got two hands, that doesn't matter. So you must distinguish between superior and inferior. We say it is one, but superior and inferior.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: But in other words, the matter cannot grow without a living force.

Prabhupāda: No, that is another branch of, I mean to say, accepting matter as life. We have to distinguish them, that life is superior than matter. That we have to accept. You cannot say both of them are all the same. No. We have to distinguish them as superior, inferior.

The common sense is that can you distinguish between matter and spirit? Can you distinguish?

Room Conversation With David Lawrence -- July 12, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: You have to come to the platform of general, common sense.

David Lawrence: Yes.

Prabhupāda: If you become biased, then it will be impossible.

David Lawrence: Yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Then you cannot make progress. You have to come to the platform... Now, the common sense is that can you distinguish between matter and spirit? Can you distinguish?

David Lawrence: In what, in what respect?

Prabhupāda: That I was speaking, that the distinction between matter and spirit: the spirit is the vital force...

David Lawrence: Yes.

Prabhupāda: ...or you call spirit soul or ātmā. That you can distinguish. As soon as the vital force is off from this body, this body is a lump of matter. Therefore even if you do not know the spirit soul, any sane man can guess that something is missing in this body. Therefore this body is called dead. Now, that something is described definitely, is soul. So we can distinguish between the spirit and soul, some way or other. So as there is material world, there must be some spiritual world. Otherwise how the spirit is there? The spirit is there, the soul is there. That is spiritual. So two things we are experiencing: spirit and matter. So as we are experiencing this material world, so similarly there must be a spiritual world. There must be a spiritual world. Otherwise wherefrom the spirit comes?

David Lawrence: Yes, yes.

As I asked you what is spiritual life, he cannot describe. What is the distinction between spiritual life and material life? What is the goal? He cannot define spiritual life.

Room Conversation with Rosicrucians -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Yogeśvara: No, he said, all of their students, they know the value of realizing God in their heart.

Prabhupāda: How do they know? How do they know?

Yogeśvara: There are already people who are aspiring after a richer, more spiritual life.

Prabhupāda: What is that spiritual life? (break)

Yogeśvara: ...high spiritual values, the things...

Prabhupāda: These are simply words. What is the spiritual life. I want to know. (break) ...is useless.

Yogeśvara: He says when God. He is just using a lot of names.

Prabhupāda: He is simply speaking. He does not know what is the aim, what is the goal, what is spiritual life... (break) ...no tangible knowledge of everything, what I ask. As I asked you what is spiritual life, he cannot describe. (break) ...distinguish between spiritual life and material life?

Yogeśvara: (break)... as we can have spiritual realization and still live in the material world.

Prabhupāda: But what is the spiritual life? What is the distinction between spiritual life and material life? What is the goal? He cannot define Spiritual life.