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  • Kieran Wright May 18, 2023 at 2:22pm

    When an earthworm is divided, each resulting segment is considered a separate individual with its own soul. According to the concept of one soul, one body, each living being possesses an individual soul or consciousness. Each segment of the divided earthworm would be considered to have its own individual soul.

  • Volunteer
    Gadadhar das May 17, 2023 at 10:30pm

    According to Srila Prabhupada, when an earthworm is cut in half, it is not that two souls occupied the original worm's body. Rather, a new soul has come to occupy the other half of the worm's body. This is confirmed in the following conversation between Dr. Singh and Srila Prabhupada:

    Dr. Singh: "Some scientists argue that there are several souls within each body. They use the earthworm as an example. If you cut it in half, both parts will live. They say this proves that two souls occupied the original worm's body."

    Srila Prabhupada: "No. It is simply that a new soul has come to occupy the other half of the worm's body."

    Therefore, we should not take the example of an earthworm as evidence that there is one soul for one body. The Vedic scriptures explain that every living being has an individual soul, or atma, which is distinct from the body. As Lord Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita (2.13), "As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death."

    Furthermore, the Vedic scriptures teach that the soul already has a spiritual body, which is covered by the material body. As Srila Prabhupada explains, "The real body is spiritual. I am accepting various bodies that are unnatural to my constitution. My real, constitutional position is to be the servant of Krsna."

    In conclusion, we should not take the example of an earthworm as evidence that there is one soul for one body. Rather, the Vedic scriptures teach that every living being has an individual soul, which is distinct from the body, and that the soul already has a spiritual body, which is covered by the material body.

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