Do bacteria have souls?

Question: My question involves the number of souls that appear in lower life forms compared with the number of souls in human and animal bodies. This doubt first appeared when I heard from a devotee that even cells have souls. I'm not sure whether this is true, but then I began to consider the number of other small living entities such as bacteria, which do have souls. With so many cells and bacteria present in a human or animal body, it appears that many more souls are occupying these lower forms. Do cells have souls? Why do so many more souls apparently appear in lower life forms than in animal or human forms? Please shine some spiritual light on this doubt which my material intelligence is unable to defeat.

Answer: One of the most important books about selfrealization, the Bhagavad Gita explains that humble sages see the various living beings with equal vision. This is because wise men know and see that all living beings have got the same universal father, who is also present in all of them as the Supersoul. From this statement we can see that there is no difference in the spiritual quality between the living beings. So there is the same kind of soul in a human being as in a bacteria or any other animal. Life is the active part, the soul or jiva, and exists independent from the body. The body is of material nature whereas the soul is of spiritual nature. Both, humans and bacteria, had to accept a material body.

The number of spiritual souls is unlimited. And there is one supreme being: the Lord himself. The number of human beings may be far smaller than the number of bacteria or other lifeforms. Therefore it is said that a good birth, a birth in a human body, is something very precious, and we should make all efforts to use this body for the right purpose: asking questions about transcendental topics. What is giving life to this material body? Where does the soul come from and where will it go? Is there somebody who created all of us? How can we get to know Him? Many answers to such questions are offered by the Bhagavad Gita. The Bhagavad Gita is like the manual that explains how to use the human form of life. It shows us how to reestablish a relationship with God. That is essential to develop spiritual consciousness and to become free from confusion. And in this way everybody will become happy.