Hṛdayānanda: (translating) Why would we take birth as an animal?
Prabhupāda: Because you act like animal.
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He says that in school in the material world, if one behaves badly, he has to stay where he is; he cannot progress. But he does not go back. So why...?
Prabhupāda: No, sometimes he is given the down class. Sometimes he is degraded: "Go to the down class." Yes. That is quite natural. (laughter) Eh? Down? So any question?
Hṛdayānanda: (translating) He says he doesn't believe that one can go back.
Prabhupāda: He may not believe in the law, but law is law. If somebody says "I can commit some criminal act, but I don't believe in the court's judgement," will it be accepted? You believe or not believe; the law will act. Just like if you infect some disease, infectious disease, if you contaminate, then you must develop that disease. That is the law. So we are contaminating ourself with different laws of material nature, and according to that law, we have to accept the body. The material laws are not under your control; you are under the control of material laws.