Bhagavad-gita 16.8 | Hawaii, February 4, 1975

Prabhupada, Hawaii, February 4, 1975: […] Recently there is a book “Chemical Evolution.” He wants to prove it, that by combination of chemicals the life has come in. That is not the fact. The fact is: life has come from life. You cannot manufacture life by combination of chemical. Chemical comes from life. In our book, “Life Comes From Life” I have given this reason, that even though you think that chemical combination brings the living force, but the chemical is coming from life.

Just like citric acid. The citric acid we see practically. There is a tree, lemon tree. This is life. The lemon tree is life. Jalaja nava-laksani sthavarah. They are sthavara life, non-moving life, but it is life. So from an insignificant lemon tree, tons of citric acid is coming. You have got experience. This lemon means citric acid.

This chemical is coming from life. Without the tree, you cannot get this chemical, citric acid. From… Sometimes you have got experience. The perspiration is water, is coming from my body. The body is active so long I am there. So how you can say the chemical is coming from matter? No. Chemical is coming from life. Even if you accept that life is combination of chemicals, then chemical also coming from life.

So, therefore, life is the original source of everything, both matter and life. The body is coming from life, and the soul is coming from life, the supreme life, Krishna. Krishna says, mamaivamso jiva-bhutah: [Bg. 15.7] “This living entity, they are part and parcel of Me.” So Krishna is the supreme life. Therefore He says, aham sarvasya prabhavo mattah sarvam pravartate [Bg. 10.8] So Krishna is the source of both life and matter. There are two energies.

One is superior energy; another, it is inferior energy. The material elements, they are inferior energy, and the superior energy—jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat. So how you can say jagad ahur anisvaram [Bg. 16.8]? How you can say that without the control of the Supreme Lord this material world has come into being? There is no sufficient reasoning.
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