Prabhupāda: This is the basic principle of knowledge that, "I am not this body, I am the active principle within this body." Then further knowledge can be understood. This is the beginning of knowledge that, "I am not this . . ." At the present moment everything . . . that I was explaining to the professor, that we are accepting this body as self, and self-interest means this bodily interest.
(aside) Explain this. (German translation) So the whole trouble is on the platform of this misconception that, "I am this body." Therefore Kṛṣṇa begins from this platform—what is knowledge? First of all one must know that, "I am not this body." When he understands this basic principle of knowledge, then further knowledge can be advanced. That is explained very nicely step by step in this book, Bhagavad-gītā.
Professor Durckheim: May I ask a question? If you give us this wisdom, don't you meet now in the Western world an opposition from the Christian side, where the key word is that this faith becomes a body, this faith becomes flesh?
Prabhupāda: That's all right. We accept it.
Professor Durckheim: The incarnation. How do you understand incarnation? (repeats in German)
Prabhupāda: Now, this question, that spirit develops the skin, you said?
Professor Durckheim: Spirit? You see I have very often . . . I saw the difference.
Haṁsadūta: The spirit becomes the flesh.
Professor Durckheim: The spirit becomes flesh.
Prabhupāda: That's it. So this we can experience, that as soon as the spirit is entered into the womb of the mother, they develops skin, and the child develops body.