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Pinch the body

Expressions researched:
"body so that wherever you pinch" |"body, if we pinch" |"body, wherever you pinch" |"pinch an animal's body" |"pinch any part of my body" |"pinch any part of your body" |"pinch my body" |"pinch on my body" |"pinch their bodies" |"pinch your body" |"pinches my body" |"pinching your body" |"pinching, it is cutting your body"

Other Books by Srila Prabhupada

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

If by chance Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma cannot find the hidden butter and yogurt, They go to our (gopī's) little babies and pinch their bodies so that they cry, and then They go away.
Krsna Book 8:

Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma find great pleasure in stealing our stock of yogurt and butter from wherever we keep it. When Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma are caught stealing the yogurt and butter, They say, "Why do you charge Us with stealing? Do you think that butter and yogurt are in scarcity in Our house?" Sometimes They steal butter, yogurt and milk and distribute them to the monkeys. When the monkeys are well fed and do not take any more, then your boys chide, "This milk and butter and yogurt are useless—even the monkeys won"t take it.' And They break the pots and throw them hither and thither. If we keep our stock of yogurt, butter and milk in a solitary dark place, your Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma find it in the darkness by the glaring effulgence of the ornaments and jewels on Their bodies. If by chance They cannot find the hidden butter and yogurt, They go to our little babies and pinch their bodies so that they cry, and then They go away. If out of fear of these naughty boys we keep our stock of butter and yogurt high on the ceiling, hanging on a swing, although it is beyond Their reach They arrange to reach it by piling all kinds of wooden planks over the grinding machine.

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

If I pinch your body, you feel pain. You pinch my body; I feel pain. Similarly, cats and dogs, they also feel pain or pleasure. So that is the proof of existence of the soul even in cats and dogs and human beings.
Lecture on BG 2.9 -- Auckland, February 21, 1973:

Unfortunately, at the present moment, people do not know what is the distinction between cats and dogs and a human being. That is another defect of the modern education. The distinction between cats and dogs... They are also living beings. Of course, in some quarter they say that the cats and dogs and lower animals, they have no soul. No. That is not the fact. Everyone has got soul, but the cats and dogs and animals, they are not advanced in consciousness. As soon as there is soul, there must be consciousness. These things are described in the Bhagavad-gītā, and you can perceive also. I am existing in this body; you are existing in your body—how it is known? By the consciousness. If I pinch your body, you feel pain. You pinch my body; I feel pain. Similarly, cats and dogs, they also feel pain or pleasure. So that is the proof of existence of the soul even in cats and dogs and human beings. The only difference is in the human form of life the consciousness is developed. So developed consciousness means to understand the Absolute Truth. That is the special function of the human being.

If you or I pinch my body, I feel pain because the consciousness is there. But when the consciousness will not be there, if I cut my hand or cut your hand, you'll not protest.
Lecture on BG 2.13 -- Public Lecture With German Translation Throughout -- Hamburg, September 10, 1969:

So go to God, or Kṛṣṇa, means you'll have to acquire your original, spiritual body. The spiritual body is already there, but we are now covered by this material body. So how we are eternal, that is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

avināśi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
vināśam avyayasyāsya
na kaścit kartum arhati

The hint is given: the something which is spread all over the body, that is eternal. And what is that something? That something is our consciousness. Here it is stated, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. In this body there is something. That is consciousness. That is eternal. Just like if you or I pinch my body, I feel pain because the consciousness is there. But when the consciousness will not be there, if I cut my hand or cut your hand, you'll not protest. Even scientists have proved this consciousness is there in the tree also. If you cut the tree, there is sensation, feeling some pain, and this is recorded in the machine. So here it is hinted that this consciousness is spread all over the body, that is eternal. The body is not eternal. As soon as the consciousness is gone, the body is dead. Therefore we should take care of the thing which is cons... That is the soul. On account of presence of the soul, there is consciousness.

Because the spirit soul is within the heart, I can pinch any part of my body, I feel that this is consciousness. This is consciousness. Just like the effect of a poisonous grain of material thing is immediately felt all over the body, similarly by the consciousness which is spreading all over the body, you can understand that there is soul.
Lecture on BG 2.13-17 -- Los Angeles, November 29, 1968:

Madhudviṣa: Seventeen: "That which pervades the body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul."

Prabhupāda: Now, "pervades the body," that is consciousness. The soul is very small, but... Just like you take one grain of, what is called, poison? Snake poison? Arsenic? Poison called? What is called? Yes, venom poison.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Arsenic is poison.

Prabhupāda: Yes. You take only one grain and mix with water and just inject within your body. So immediately the action is there that your heart fails and you die. One small half grain of pota (?)cyanide, you take, just touch on the tongue. According to the chemist there is no taste of pota cyanide. Because what is this... Whether it is sour or sweet, because there was no chance of tasting it. As soon as the taste is, the man is finished. He cannot say what is the sour or sweet. So if a material thing, a small particle, has got so much power that immediately it can stop the function of the body, immediately spreads all over the body, so the soul, the spiritual spark, grain, a small grain, just like atom, it is so powerful that so long that spiritual grain, spirit is in the heart, this body is so nice. As soon as it is passed, immediately body begins to decompose. Immediately. So it is so powerful. If a material thing can spread all over the body, why not the spirit? This is consciousness. Because the spirit soul is within the heart, I can pinch any part of my body, I feel that this is consciousness. This is consciousness. Go on reading. So because... Just like the effect of a poisonous grain of material thing is immediately felt all over the body, similarly by the consciousness which is spreading all over the body, you can understand that there is soul.

The proof of the soul existing is that the consciousness is spread all over my body. As soon as I pinch any part of my body, I feel pain. Therefore I understand a soul is there.
Lecture on BG 2.14 -- London, August 20, 1973:

"That thing which is spreading all over the body, that is avināśi; that is eternal." Antavanta ime dehāḥ: "But this body is antavat; it is perishable. But within the body, the soul, which is spreading its consciousness all over the body, that is eternal." We shall come to that verse later on. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Therefore the proof of the soul existing is that the consciousness is spread all over my body. As soon as I pinch any part of my body, I feel pain. Therefore I understand a soul is there. Just like a man who is going to die. So doctor is examining. He sees the pulse. He sees the heart—"Yes, it is beating." That is the sign that still the man is living. Similarly, the soul is there. The proof is that I can feel pains and pleasure on my body. That is explained in this verse. Mātrā-sparśās tu kaunteya (BG 2.14). Actually the body in touch with the consciousness feeling pains and pleasure. Otherwise body, what is this body? It is a lump of matter. It is a lump of matter, earth, water, fire, air, material combination of matter.

If somebody pinches my body, because the consciousness is all over the body, so I feel: "Somebody's pinching me." But when the conscious, consciousness is not there, if somebody chops up my body I will not protest.
Lecture on BG 2.17 -- Hyderabad, November 22, 1972:

So to give an, a glimpse of idea what is that soul, how it acts, here Kṛṣṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa informs us:

avināśi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
vināśam avyayasyāsya
na kaścit kartum arhati

So the soul, the presence of soul is perceived by the consciousness. That consciousness... Just like the presence of sun, even I was blind, I could understand the sun is there because the sunlight and heat, I am experiencing. Without seeing the sun... When, as soon as I come to the sunshine, I feel light and heat; therefore immediately I can understand there is sun. It is not very difficult. Similarly just like we try to... When a man is dying, we try to feel whether the man is breathing, or he's feeling touch sensation. These are the tests. So the touch sensation is there so long the soul is there. Now I am living body. If somebody pinches my body, because the consciousness is all over the body, so I feel: "Somebody's pinching me." But when the conscious, consciousness is not there, if somebody chops up my body I will not protest. Therefore we should understand what is that living thing. That consciousness, which is spreading all over this body, that is living force. Kṛṣṇa says here: avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Yena, by that consciousness. The consciousness is spread all over the body. So Kṛṣṇa says, "That consciousness is avināśi." After the death of, after the annihilation of this body, which we call dead, the consciousness is not dead. That we do not understand.

So what is spread all over the body? Consciousness. That is spread all over the body. Everyone can understand that if I pinch any part of my body or your any part of the body, you feel pain.
Lecture on BG 2.17 -- London, August 23, 1973:

"Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul." (Prabhupāda recites verse in Sanskrit)

Now it is very clearly enunciated, the nature of the soul. Any sensible man can understand. This is practical. Formerly, all the verses, they were more or less theoretical: dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā (BG 2.13). This is, it may be taken theoretical. Not theoretically, but actually the fact, but still less intelligent cannot understand that there is a soul within this body. But here it is explained very clearly. Avināśi tu tad viddhi. Tat—that thing which is spread all over the body. Avināśi tu tad viddhi, tad—that, avināśi—imperishable. So what is spread all over the body? Consciousness. That is spread all over the body. Everyone can understand that if I pinch any part of my body or your any part of the body, you feel pain. Or similarly, if you get some other facilities, pleasure, so pains and pleasures are felt so long there is consciousness. Any man can understand. And as soon as the consciousness is not there, sometimes we are made unconsciousness by drugs, by chloroform and other anaesthetic medicine, or by nature, unconscious stage.

Because the consciousness is there, therefore any part of the body, if we pinch, we can feel pains and pleasure. And when the consciousness is not there, when the man is dead, the flesh is there, the blood is there and other ingredients are there, but there is no more life because it is useless now.
Lecture on BG 2.17 -- (with Spanish translator) -- Mexico, February 17, 1975:

Now Kṛṣṇa is giving a practical way of understanding the presence of soul. He says, yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "One thing, which is spread all over the body, that is avināśi." That means immortal. So what is that which is spread all over the body? It is not the skin, not the... This is also spread over the body. The skin, the bone, the marrow, the blood—they are also spread over the body, but Kṛṣṇa is not meaning this material things. The actual active principle within this body is the spirit soul. Now, in medical science, bones are being replaced; flesh also being replaced; blood is also being replaced by injection. So everything can be replaced materially by scientific improvement. But when that things which is immortal, that is gone, it cannot be replaced. Even nowadays the heart is being replaced, but no medical science or any science has ever been able to replace the life. So he's giving the example that that presence of the soul is perceived by consciousness. So the flesh is there, the bone is there, the blood is also there, but when the consciousness is not there, that means it is finished. Because the consciousness is there, therefore any part of the body, if we pinch, we can feel pains and pleasure. And when the consciousness is not there, when the man is dead, the flesh is there, the blood is there and other ingredients are there, but there is no more life because it is useless now. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. The tatam means spread. The consciousness is spread. If we pinch in this part, by consciousness you'll feel pain, or this part or any part of the body, because the consciousness is there, you feel pains and pleasure.

You are present all over your body. Wherever you can try by pinching your body, you will feel some pain, this, this part of this body or this part of this body. And this pain feeling will be stopped as soon as the consciousness is taken away from this body.
Lecture on BG 2.46-47 -- New York, March 28, 1966:

So we are discussing for the last few days on the constitutional position of ourself, myself, yourself—the soul, pure soul. Now, we have discussed that this pure soul is distinct from this material body. And we can understand this constitution of the soul by the presence of consciousness. The Lord says, Kṛṣṇa says, that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. You can understand what you are. You are present all over your body. You are present all over your body. Wherever you can try by pinching your body, you will feel some pain, this, this part of this body or this part of this body. And this pain feeling will be stopped as soon as the consciousness is taken away from this body. Dead body, where there is no consciousness, the dead body does not feel even he is chopped up by some chopper, because the consciousness is gone. Therefore, it is not very difficult to understand that "I am the consciousness. I am not this material body."

Just like this electric bulb is here, and the light of the electric bulb is diffused all over the, I mean to say, room. We can see. Similarly, the spirit soul is within your heart. It is situated there. But it is so powerful that its light is spread all over this body so that wherever you pinch, you feel, by consciousness, "Oh, I am feeling some pain."
Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966:

I do not know wherefrom I have come and where I have to go. Then what sort of learned, learned man I am? Although I am posing myself a very learned man, I do not know my past. I do not know my future. I am concerned with this present situation. That's all." So therefore Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "Arjuna, My dear Arjuna, you have, so long you have spoken, you have argued with Me in so many ways, but such argument is not for, not to be entertained in learned circle. Now just try to be a learned man." And what is that? Now, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "You just try to understand. In your body there is some thing which is spread all over body, all over your body. And that is eternal. And what is that thing which is spread all over your body? That is your consciousness. Your consciousness."

Just like this electric bulb is here, and the light of the electric bulb is diffused all over the, I mean to say, room. We can see. Similarly, the spirit soul is within your heart. It is situated there. But it is so powerful that its light is spread all over this body so that wherever you pinch, you feel, by consciousness, "Oh, I am feeling some pain." That consciousness. And as soon as that consciousness is gone from this body, if your head is cut off, or your leg is cut off, by chopped off, you don't feel anything.

You pinch any part of your body; you feel pain because the consciousness is there. "So that thing, consciousness," Kṛṣṇa says, the teacher of Bhagavad-gītā, "that is eternal."
Lecture on BG 4.8 -- Montreal, June 14, 1968:

Prabhupāda: I have several times explained this Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Again I shall explain. It is very nice to explain. You have got your consciousness. Is it right? Every one of us, we have got consciousness. Is that right? Now, this consciousness is eternal. This consciousness is not a result of the combination of matter. You cannot create consciousness by mixing so many chemicals or material things in the laboratory. That is not possible. This consciousness eternal. How do we know it? Because we understand it from Bhagavad-gītā. It is stated that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "That thing which is spread all over your body..." And what is that thing? This consciousness. You pinch any part of your body; you feel pain because the consciousness is there. "So that thing, consciousness," Kṛṣṇa says, the teacher of Bhagavad-gītā, "that is eternal." Eternal. Now, how it is eternal? When you were a child the consciousness was there. Then you grew up to your boyhood—the consciousness was there. Then you are now young—the consciousness is there. And when you become old man like me, the consciousness will be there.

If you pinch any part of your body, you will become conscious that it is painful. But how long it is painful? So long the soul is there. And as soon as the soul is gone, you chop it with a dagger; it will not respond.
Lecture on BG 13.20 -- Bombay, October 14, 1973:

Puruṣa means the living entity. Kṛṣṇa says here that prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī. Anādī, eternal. It is not temporary; it is eternal. There are five things: the living entities, the prakṛti, God, and the work... There are... Prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva viddhy anādī. Anādī means eternal. It is not created. It is there but it becomes manifested. Just like in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

Another example: just like this body, my body, your body. I have got this body; you have got this body. This body will be destroyed. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. But my, that consciousness will not be destroyed. This body will be destroyed, but my consciousness will not be destroyed. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. Avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Idaṁ tatam. Idam, this body, is spread with consciousness. If you pinch any part of your body, you will become conscious that it is painful. But how long it is painful? So long the soul is there. And as soon as the soul is gone, you chop it with a dagger; it will not respond. Therefore avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. That thing, that consciousness, is avināśi.

The presence of soul can be perceived when there is consciousness on the body. This is the proof. When you pinch my body, I feel pain, when I pinch your body, you feel pain, when I pinch an animal's body, he also feels pain. Even I pinch even the tree's body he feels pain. It is scientifically proved.
Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

The part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa or God, the soul, is there everywhere. Don't think that simply human being has got soul. This is not very good philosophy, that the animals have no soul. They have got soul. You can practically examine. What is the symptom of possessing soul? First of all try to understand. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā: avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: The presence of soul can be perceived when there is consciousness on the body. This is the proof. When you pinch my body, I feel pain, when I pinch your body, you feel pain, when I pinch an animal's body, he also feels pain. Even I pinch even the tree's body he feels pain. It is scientifically proved. Sir Jagadish Candra Bose has proved by machine that when you cut a tree, it feels pain and it is recorded in this statistic machine. So everyone has got the soul.

If by pinching your body or giving pain to your body, if you feel pain, you should not give pain to any living entity.
Lecture on BG 18.41 -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

That Cāṇakya Muni, Cāṇakya Paṇḍita, he was a great learned brāhmaṇa and politician. He gave his instruction. So he gives the formula, "Who is a learned scholar?" Who is a learned scholar. He has given three formulas. What is that?

mātṛvat para-dāreṣu
para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat
ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu
yaḥ paśyati sa paṇḍitaḥ

Who is a learned man. He said, "A person who can see all the women of the world, except his wife, as mother." Mātṛvat-para-dāreṣu. Para-dāra means other's wife. If one has learned this art how to see other's wife as mother, and para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat, and other's riches, possessions, as garbage in the street. Just like you don't touch the garbage. Similarly, other's property, other's riches, one does not touch or even see to it. And he thinks all woman as mothers except his own wife. And ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu, and treating everyone equally, as he wants to be treated himself. If by pinching your body or giving pain to your body, if you feel pain, you should not give pain to any living entity. If one has learned these three things: mātṛvat para-dāreṣu para-dravyeṣu loṣṭravat ātmavat sarva-bhūteṣu, then he's is learned scholar. It is not that one has got this degree from this university, then he has got. That degree will not help us. Unless one is God consciousness, he cannot have any good qualification. That is the Vedic injunction.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

You pinch your body. You feel pain. Why? Because there is consciousness. The consciousness is permanent. And as soon as the consciousness is gone, you chopped up your hand, no response.
Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

This body is perishable, asat. But there is another sat, means permanent thing. What is that? Avināśi tu tad viddhi. You try to understand that thing, which is eternal. What is that? Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam, that which is spreading all over your body. You pinch your body. You feel pain. Why? Because there is consciousness. The consciousness is permanent. And as soon as the consciousness is gone, you chopped up your hand, no response. So take... It is a very nice statement. Tat, that consciousness, is avināśi, is eternal. Where is the difficulty?

Consciousness belongs to the soul, that is the symptom of presence of soul. At the present moment because the soul is in the body, if I pinch your body then you will feel, consciousness, feel pains or pleasure. But as soon as the soul is gone out of the body, if I chop off your body with a dagger, you will not protest. The consciousness is gone.
Lecture on SB 3.25.28 -- Bombay, November 28, 1974:

This is universal movement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, because it is concerned with the soul, consciousness. Therefore you have named the word consciousness. Consciousness belongs to the soul, that is the symptom of presence of soul. At the present moment because the soul is in the body, if I pinch your body then you will feel, consciousness, feel pains or pleasure. But as soon as the soul is gone out of the body, if I chop off your body with a dagger, you will not protest. The consciousness is gone. Yena sarvam idaṁ tatam avināśi tu tad viddhi, yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. Sarvam idam, this body. This body, wherever you pinch it you feel pain. Why? Because consciousness is there. So Kṛṣṇa advises that consciousness is eternal. Therefore we have to purify our consciousness, then our life is successful.

Ou pinch any part of your body: you feel. This is your consciousness. That means I am present in this body, and as soon as I am away from this body, you may cut this body into pieces—there will be no consciousness.
Lecture on SB 7.6.3 -- Montreal, June 16, 1968:

The highest auspicity of life is to reconnect his lost relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or Kṛṣṇa. This is called yoga. Real yoga means this, that we are, at the present moment we have lost our consciousness. Not actually we have lost our consciousness; we have lost our memory. Consciousness is there, but consciousness may be differently contaminated. Different person, your consciousness may be different from my consciousness. You are thinking in a different way; I am thinking in different way. Similarly, consciousness is there. That is a symptom of life, symptom of spirit soul. But the difference is due to material contamination. Just like superficially your blood and my blood, the same, red. But if we analyze, oh, there may be so many chemicals present in your blood, and so many chemicals may be present which is not exactly equal. Similarly, as soon as there is life and there is spirit soul, the focus of the spirit soul, consciousness, must be there. I am present in this body—how I can understand? Because this consciousness. You pinch any part of your body: you feel. This is your consciousness. That means I am present in this body, and as soon as I am away from this body, you may cut this body into pieces—there will be no consciousness. There is no feeling. So our consciousness should be purified. Now the consciousness is contaminated by material association in so many ways.

If I pinch your body I do not feel any pain, but if I pinch my body I feel pain. Therefore, "I am all-pervading", means I am all-pervading in this body by consciousness. Anywhere you touch, the consciousness is there feeling touch.
Lecture on SB 7.7.19-20 -- Bombay, March 18, 1971:

Kṛṣṇa says that "I am also kṣetra-jña, knower of the body, but I know everyone's body." That is the difference between Kṛṣṇa, Paramātmā, the Supersoul, and the individual soul. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they make one. That is not possible. Kṣetra-jña, āśraya, avikriya—unchangeable. Sva-dṛk—he can see himself by contemplation, by meditation. Sva-dṛk, hetuḥ—cause. Vyāpaka-all—pervading. I am all-pervading within this body, in my body. I am not all-pervading in your body. If I pinch your body I do not feel any pain, but if I pinch my body I feel pain. Therefore, "I am all-pervading", means I am all-pervading in this body by consciousness. Anywhere you touch, the consciousness is there feeling touch. Vyāpaka, asaṅgī. Asaṅgī means without being mixed up. The same example, that fishing but not touching the water. Oil, you drop some oil on the water it will float, it will not mix. When you emulsify water it changes the color, but it is there. That will be explained in the next verse. Another example is milk. The milk, pure milk, there is butter, but you cannot see the butter in the milk.

That thing which is spread all over your body, that is consciousness. If you pinch any part of your body, you'll be conscious that there is some pain.
Lecture on SB 7.9.19 -- Hamburg, September 7, 1969, (with German Translator):

That thing is immortal which is spread all over your body. That thing which is spread all over your body, that is consciousness. If you pinch any part of your body, you'll be conscious that there is some pain. Therefore the Bhagavad-gītā is aiming at this consciousness. And what is this consciousness? This consciousness is the illumination of the soul. Just like the sunshine is the illumination, light, of the sun globe. The sun globe is situated in one of the corners of this universe, but its illumination is distributed all over the universe. Similarly you, as spark of the Supreme soul... The dimension is also mentioned. It is ten-thousandth portion of the tip of your hair. One ten-thousandth portion. That small particle is your identification. The medical science or the material science cannot find out that small particle of soul by any means. Therefore they decline to accept the existence of the soul. But from authoritative Vedic literature we get this information that the soul is there.

General Lectures

In the Bhagavad-gītā there are description of two consciousness. Just like I am conscious throughout my body. If you pinch any part of my body, then I feel. That is my consciousness. So I am spread, my consciousness is spread, all over my body.
Lecture at a School -- Montreal, June 11, 1968:

In the Bhagavad-gītā there are description of two consciousness. Just like I am conscious throughout my body. If you pinch any part of my body, then I feel. That is my consciousness. So I am spread, my consciousness is spread, all over my body. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, avināśi tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "That consciousness which is spread all over this body, that is eternal." And antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ: (BG 2.18) "But this body is antavat," means imperishable. "This body is perishable, but that consciousness is imperishable, eternal." And that consciousness, or the soul, is transmigrating from one body to another.

"That thing is imperishable which is spread all over your body." That is very easy to understand. What is that? If you pinch your body, any part of your body, you feel pain. That means your consciousness. Your consciousness is imperishable.
Lecture (Day after Lord Rama's Appearance Day) -- Los Angeles, April 16, 1970:

So the meditation means, "What I am?" If you think, meditate, that "Am I this body?" then you'll come to understand that "I am not this body." If you think... Just to see, see your hand, "Am I this hand? Am I this finger? Am I this leg? Am I this body? Am I this head?" Every point you analyze, you'll say, "It is my hand, it is my finger, it is my head, it is my..." Everything "mine." And where is "I"? That you have to find out by meditation, where is "I." That is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. How it is answered? It is said that avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. One thing, avināśi; and another, vināśi. Avināśi means eternal, and vināśi means perishable. So this body is perishable, everyone knows. Either it is young body or old body or child's body or boy's body—anyone's body—today, tomorrow or one hundred years after or fifty years after, it is perishable. There is no doubt about it. But what is that thing imperishable? That imperishable is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, yena sarvam idaṁ tatam: "That thing is imperishable which is spread all over your body." That is very easy to understand. What is that? If you pinch your body, any part of your body, you feel pain. That means your consciousness. Your consciousness is imperishable. The body is changing. When you took your birth from the mother's womb you were a small child. But perhaps you may remember your childhood activities. The consciousness is the same, but the body has changed. The body has changed. If you have got sharp memory you can remember so many things of your past life, and that means the consciousness is the same but body is changing.

Just like if I pinch your body, you feel pain. This is also consciousness, that somebody is pinching me. But if I pinch somebody else, you cannot feel it. Therefore, your consciousness or my consciousness is limited within this body.
Lecture at Caitanya Matha -- Visakhapatnam, February 19, 1972:

The unlimited consciousness is there in God, and limited consciousness is there in you, in me, and of all living entities.

Host: (calls out for silence)

Prabhupāda: Just like if I pinch your body, you feel pain. This is also consciousness, that somebody is pinching me. But if I pinch somebody else, you cannot feel it. Therefore, your consciousness or my consciousness is limited within this body. Similarly there is another consciousness which is Kṛṣṇa's consciousness, or universal consciousness. If I pinch your body, He feels, that I am pinching somebody, as Paramātmā. These things are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, kṣetra-kṣetrajña, chapter (?). Kṣetra means this body, and kṣetra-jña means the knower of the body. Kṣetra-jña, jña means knower. So, Kṛṣṇa says that each and every body, there is a kṣetra-jña. I know about the pains and pleasure of my body, you know the pains and pleasure of your body.

Just like if you or I pinch my body, I feel pain because the consciousness is there. But when the consciousness will not be there, if I cut my hand or cut your hand, you will not protest.
Public Speech -- Bad Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974:

The hint is given: "The something which is spread all over the body, that is eternal." And what is that something? That something is our consciousness. Here it is stated, avināśi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idaṁ tataḥ. In this body there is something. That is consciousness. That is eternal. Just like if you or I pinch my body, I feel pain because the consciousness is there. But when the consciousness will not be there, if I cut my hand or cut your hand, you will not protest. Even scientists have proved this consciousness is there in the tree also. If you cut the tree, there is sensation, feelings of pain, and that is recorded in the machine. So here it is hinted that this consciousness is spread all over the body. That is eternal. The body is not eternal. As soon as the consciousness is gone, the body is dead. Therefore we should take care of the thing which is consciousness. That is the soul. On account of presence of the soul, there is consciousness.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

"Don't commit violence. If I pinch your body, you feel pain. You should not pinch others."
Room Conversation with Maharishi Impersonalists -- April 7, 1972, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So Lord Buddha appeared, just being compassionate to the poor animals. Sadaya-hṛdaya-darśita-paśu-ghātam. Sadaya. He became very compassionate, that "All these poor animals are being killed unnecessarily." So he promulgamated a new type of religion-ahiṁsā paramo dharmaḥ. "Don't commit violence. If I pinch your body, you feel pain. You should not pinch others." That is his religion. So, but, he... Because others, they will argue, "Oh, in the Vedas..." As I told you, that Vedas is the evidence, so "Here is... Animal killing is ordered. How you are stopping it?" Therefore he said, "I don't care for your Vedas." And because he did not care for the Vedas, therefore in India, later on, nobody accepted Buddha philosophy.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Tree's consciousness and my consciousness is different. My consciousness is developed. If you pinch on my body, my consciousness will be immediately protesting. But you cut, it will not protest. So consciousness is different.
Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Everything is conscious. First of all, even gross manifestation we cannot understand, what to speak of consciousness. That is different thing. According to our philosophy, everything has got consciousness. Just like this tree has got consciousness.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: The scientists also say that they have consciousness.

Prabhupāda: But this tree's consciousness and my consciousness is different. My consciousness is developed. If you pinch on my body, my consciousness will be immediately protesting. But you cut, it will not protest. So consciousness is different. So there is nothing which has no consciousness, but it is a question of degree. It is a question of degree. The more the consciousness is covered, it is called material. The more the consciousness is developed, it is called spiritual. That is the difference between matter and spirit.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Consciousness is the symptom of ātmā. Because the ātmā is within your body, therefore your consciousness is there. Now, because the ātmā is within the body, if I pinch or if you pinch my body, I feel pains and pleasures.
Room Conversation with Kim Cornish -- May 8, 1975, Perth:

Prabhupāda: Consciousness is the symptom of ātmā. Because the ātmā is within your body, therefore your consciousness is there. Now, because the ātmā is within the body, if I pinch or if you pinch my body, I feel pains and pleasures. As soon as the ātmā is not there, it will be cut with a chopper, there is no protest. So, that ātmā is present within this body, that is understood by the presence of consciousness. Just like we are here in this room, but this light is the reflection of the sunshine. We understand there is sun in the sky. The light and heat we are feeling, that means the sun is in the sky. Similarly, our consciousness and knowledge, etc., are there, that means that the ātmā is there. The same ātmā, when it will go out of this body, there will be no more consciousness, no more knowledge, no more feelings of pains and pleasures.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

So long the soul is there, you pinch any part of your body—you'll feel pain. That is consciousness. And when the soul is gone out of the body, If you cut the hand, there will be no consciousness.
Interview with Newsday Newspaper -- July 14, 1976, New York:

Interviewer: I'm trying to find out whether the consciousness lies within us, brought out...

Prabhupāda: Yes, consciousness... Consciousness will be... Because... Just like sunshine and the sun. Similarly, the soul means consciousness. It is just like sunshine. The soul is very small particle, but it is shining as consciousness.

Interviewer: So we can allow it to fulfill itself or not.

Bali-mardana: He wants to know, is this consciousness within us.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So long the soul is there, the consciousness is there.

Bali-mardana: Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Not Kṛṣṇa cons..., immediately Kṛṣṇa conscious. Consciousness is there. Just like so long the soul is there, you pinch any part of your body—you'll feel pain. That is consciousness. And when the soul is gone out of the body, If you cut the hand, there will be no consciousness.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

So long as you do not take dip, it is so pinching, it is cutting your body. And as soon as you get a dip, one, two, three-bas. Immediately you are warm.
Roof Conversation -- January 5, 1977, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: And how long are you going to stay there, sir?

Prabhupāda: As long as Muratdev... (?)

Dr. Patel: (Hindi)

Prabhupāda: No, I'm not going to stay...

Dr. Patel: It is very cold, huh? There will be extreme cold this season. And to take bath in confluence in this biting cold of this cold water.

Prabhupāda: Sometimes I was taking.

Dr. Patel: You should take warm water bath.

Prabhupāda: In 1925 I was taking. I was touching the water, and it was cutting.

Dr. Patel: Even my... It was cutting too much.

Prabhupāda: (chuckles) And as soon as I take a dip, everything is warm.

Dr. Patel: No, but for now it is not right.

Prabhupāda: It is very nice.

Trivikrama: Everything is numb.

Prabhupāda: And immediately warm. As you take...

Trivikrama: Warm.

Dr. Patel: That is all the place, yes.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So long as you do not take dip, it is so pinching, it is cutting your body. And as soon as you get a dip, one, two, three-bas. Immediately you are warm.

Dr. Patel: No, but now, at this age of your...

Prabhupāda: No, now...

Dr. Patel: You should warm the water and take water from confluence, bring in the tent, warm it up and take a bath. Or you get a pot of water here and daily put two drops in the bucket and take bath (laughs). My wife was doing this. She used to put two drops of Gaṅgā water...

Prabhupāda: Now, if I take such dip I may be paralyzed.

Page Title:Pinch the body
Compiler:Matea, MadhuGopaldas
Created:08 of Oct, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=22, Con=5, Let=0
No. of Quotes:28