That is the first instruction in the Bhagavad-gita, that “Your position is that you are not this body. Your position is that you are the proprietor of the body; you are spirit soul.” So if people are not educated on this understanding that the soul is different from body, that is… The beginning of education is wrong. Therefore whatever further advancement of so-called education is wrong, because the basic principle is wrong. So the Krsna consciousness movement means they want to educate people, rectifying the basic principle of misconception: “I am body.” “I am American,” “I am Indian,” “I am fat,” “I am thin,” “I am black,” “I am white”—all bodily conception. This has to be removed first of all. So the sastra says that if one is in the bodily concept of life, then he is no more better than an animal. No better than an animal. Yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke [SB 10.84.13], we have discussed many times. This bodily concept of life should be first of all removed. We must be enlightened. Otherwise, if we act on the bodily concept of life, then not bhadrani, not auspicious, everything is inauspicious.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.44 — July 25, 1975, Los Angeles