Post-dated Cheque

Founder-Acharya of the world-wide Hare Krishna Movement, Brahma Sampradaya Acharya

Prabhupada: Life is already there.

Svarup Damodar: No, what they are saying is this, that the..., when they examine this body in the minute details—they call the molecular levels—they find only molecules. They don't see anything. For example, when they analyze the hand, they saw it—this is proteins, protein molecules, some fats, some carbohydrates, and they don't see anything else except molecules. And at the same time, when they study—they are called the biochemical pathways in the living cells—they find only these DNA molecules and the different molecules that carry out different activities. That is why they say that there is..., what we call life is just nothing but arrangement of these molecules in different ways. So that's why they say that "Yes, life started actually from these molecules."

Prabhupada: So why they cannot produce life from the molecules?

Svarup Damodar: They'd say that when science started or knowledge started, it takes some time. It cannot come all in a sudden.

Prabhupada: So what is this knowledge? The molecules are already there.

Svarup Damodar: But they'll say in about, say, about two hundred, three hundred years ago, they didn't know these molecules.

Rupanuga: They say, "Rome wasn't built in a day."

Prabhupada: No, no. It was not known to you, but what was the harm? And what is the benefit when you have known it?

Svarup Damodar: Because, they say, without knowing, it's not advancement of knowledge.

Prabhupada: But you have not known it. You have not known it. You cannot claim that you are advanced. You are still foolish. Why you are claiming advancement? You have not known it.

Svarup Damodar: Yeah, but they are saying that "In due course of time we are going to know it."

Prabhupada: Ah, that is another foolishness. That we do not accept. You have not known it till now. You are foolish still. That you have to admit. "In future you will be a rich man, and therefore you give me a post-dated cheque"—who will accept it? The foolish person will accept it, [laughter] that "I am giving you the cheque, ten million dollars. You can take it after three million years [laughter] when I shall become rich." It is a proposal like that. No intelligent person will accept that cheque.