The Definition of "Life"

Dr.Singh: I have noticed a disagreement within the scientific community over the definition of living and nonliving.

Some say that if a being can reproduce, it is alive.

Therefore, they claim to have created life because certain large DNA molecules[14] produced in the laboratory can replicate themselves; that is, they can reproduce other chains of molecules by their own power.

Some scientists say these DNA molecules are living, and others say they are not.

Srila Prabhupada: Because somebody is saying one thing and somebody is saying another, their knowledge must be imperfect.

Dr.Singh: Can we define living as "containing consciousness" and nonliving as "without consciousness"? Srila Prabhupada: Yes, that is the difference.

As Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita (2.17), avinasi tu tad viddhi yena sarvam idam tatam: "That which is spread all over the body is indestructible." Anyone can understand what is spread all over a living body; it is consciousness.

According to our consciousness at the time of death, we are awarded a particular bodily shape.

If you have a dog's consciousness, you will get a dog's body, and if you have a godly consciousness, you get a demigod's body.[15] Krsna gives everyone the freedom to take whatever body he wants: yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah bhutani yanti bhutejya yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam "Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me." (Bg.9.25)