Indian man: (indistinct) you know there is soul.
Prabhupāda: Ha.
Indian man: Body is finished and ātmā is emerged. So, what, why the ātmā suffers next generation for the deeds done by the body in this life?
Prabhupāda: Because ātmā is continuation.
Indian man: Continuation, I understand. Suppose my body does something...
Prabhupāda: Not body is doing, you are doing...
Indian man: I am doing, that means...
Prabhupāda: Therefore you must suffer.
Indian man: ...my ātmā is not doing. Atma is...
Prabhupāda: Ātmā is doing; therefore ātmā is suffering. You are not doing. When the ātmā is born out of your body, body does not do anything. Then...
Indian man: Ātmā...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man: Ātmā is amara. So it is eternal, it has no death, no life, no.... It has got a birth, it has got a death that only are superfluous, say only for consolation. But actually it does not die. Body dies, or body destroyed, and that is (indistinct) or suffering. But, when I do something good or bad in this life, see, I am doing.
Prabhupāda: You are doing, and therefore you must suffer.
Indian man: But that is not ātmā. Why ātmā is...
Prabhupāda: ...do not know.
Indian man: (indistinct) ...even (indistinct) ātmā.
Girirāja: You are the ātmā.
Indian man: Not ātmā.
Prabhupāda: You do not understand that you are ātmā. Aham brahmasmi. That you do not understand. You think "I am body." That is nonsense.
Indian man: That point is not clear.
Prabhupāda: Why not clear? That means your intelligence is not clear.
Indian man: (spluttering) ...naturally, but listen what I say.
Prabhupāda: So, the ātmā, that is stated in the Bhāgavata, antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). Nityasyoktāḥ, nityasyoktāḥ, śarīriṇaḥ. Śarīriṇaḥ means the soul who possesses this body, he is nitya. So, you have to enjoy or suffer the reaction of your activities. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). You have got a type of body on account of your activities.
Indian man: But how ātmā... Suppose I am doing some sins? So how ātmā can be controlling. Suffering...
Prabhupāda: You are doing sin, you have to control.
Kīrtanānanda: What does the Lord mean in Bhagavad-gītā when He says that only the modes of material nature act...
Prabhupāda: You are committing sinful life, so you have to rectify yourself.
Indian man: He is the controller of my body, ātmā is the controller of my...
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man: So if I am doing sins, you mean to say, that ātmā is doing because that is his responsibility.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man: If manager does..., if the worker does something wrong, the manager is indirectly responsible.
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. Why do you say manager? You are doing...
Indian man: Yes, but suppose...
Prabhupāda: No "I suppose." That is not suppose. You are doing sinful activities or pious activities. It is you, ātmā, jīvātmā.
Indian man: So that means jīvātmā, he is...
Prabhupāda: Responsible...
Indian man: ...responsible for any good or bad deeds for my life?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Indian man: Because he's controller of the body. So he's responsible.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Bodies only means, suppose you are motorcar, you are driving this way or that way, the motorcar is not driving you. You are driving the motorcar.
Indian man: Huh huh.