How is it that when our coat, size of the coat, changes because the body grows bigger the size of the coat is bigger?

Expressions researched:
"How is it that when our coat, size of the coat, changes because the body grows bigger the size of the coat is bigger"

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

That is spiritual form. You can take.... It can become bigger, smaller, like that... You may have a big coat or small coat, overcoat, the form is the same. But for convenience (indistinct) or small coat. This has been, body has been, described as the dress so the form of the dress cannot be there unless there is form of the person who puts on the dress. How can I deny it?

Morning Walk -- March 15, 1975, Tehran:

Devotee: When the body changes, Śrīla Prabhupāda, does that mean that also that the real form changes?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: Because the body...

Prabhupāda: No, body changes but the spiritual form is the same.

Devotee: He is always the same. How is it that when our coat, size of the coat, changes because the body grows bigger the size of the coat is bigger?

Prabhupāda: That is spiritual form. You can take.... It can become bigger, smaller, like that.

Devotee: But the form is the same.

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: What is filling the body is consciousness. The consciousness...

Prabhupāda: You may have a big coat or small coat, overcoat, the form is the same. But for convenience (indistinct) or small coat. This has been, body has been, described as the dress so the form of the dress cannot be there unless there is form of the person who puts on the dress. How can I deny it? Because the dress has got form, the person who puts on the dress must have form. How can I deny this argument? You cannot say formless. Maybe you cannot see, that is the way, but the person must be form. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says, "Arjuna, you and Me and all these persons who are here, they are existing like that in the past, they are now existing, and (indistinct), they will always be (indistinct)."

Guest: Is Kṛṣṇa.... Can one say that Kṛṣṇa is the form that presents itself, of Godhead that presents itself to man and Bhagavān is the essential aspect?

Prabhupāda: Bhagavān, yes, the original.

Devotee: The same as Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Just like the sun. The sunshine is very big, but the sun globe is not so big. But which is the form, the sunshine or the sun globe?

Guest: But its the glow which reaches man because...

Prabhupāda: No, these are examples.

Guest: He can't really touch the globe because he would be consumed.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing, qualitative change. But if, there are five elements. It is made of fire, that's all. As your body is made of earth, that sun globe or sun god's body is made of fire. There are other planets also, the body is made of air. Because you do not find more than these five elements—earth, water, air, fire, sky-gross and subtle—mind, intelligence. So, subtle, the same gross, somewhere fire is prominent, somewhere water is prominent, air is prominent, somewhere earth is prominent. So here in this world, in this planet, the earth is prominent.

Guest: So, there is a distinction between permanent and the eternal?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Devotee: Prominent.

Guest: Oh, prominent, ah ha.

Devotee: The earth is prominent.

Guest: Ah ha. It's the prominent form in this material world.

Devotee: On this earth, on this planet...

Guest: On this planet.

Devotee: ...earth is prominent amongst the five elements.

Prabhupāda: Whole world, whole universe, they are made of these five elements.

Devotee: (indistinct) of the five elements.

Guest: What is the fifth besides earth, air, fire and water?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest: What is the fifth element after earth, air, fire and water?

Prabhupāda: Ether.

Guest: Ether. How does ether distinguish...?

Prabhupāda: Sky. Ether is, presence of ether, by sound.

Guest: How is ether distinct from air?

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Guest: How is ether distinct from air?

Prabhupāda: Ether you cannot feel touch, (in) air you can feel touch.

Devotee 2: Different sense perceptions. On this planet the bodies are made of earth. But there are other places on the planets, where the physical body is composed of different combinations. Say one is predominately air, another can be fire, another watery.

Guest: But is ether a gross element as well?

Devotee: Space.

Prabhupāda: Yes, space.

Devotee 2: It is space.

Guest: So, in that sense it's a gross element.

Prabhupāda: Yeah.

Devotee 2: It's perceivable by the senses as sound.

Guest: As sound.

Prabhupāda: Ether is perceived by sound. Air is perceived by touch. Then? Ether, air....

Devotee: Fire and water.

Prabhupāda: Then fire...

Devotee: You can see.

Prabhupāda: You can see by vision. Then next?

Devotee: Water.

Prabhupāda: Water, you can taste and the earth you can smell. Five senses to appreciate these five (indistinct) Alright.

Devotees: All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. (end)