One should try to understand the distress of accepting birth, death, old age and disease. There are descriptions in various Vedic literatures of birth. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam the world of the unborn, the child's stay in the womb of the mother, its suffering, etc., are all very graphically described. It should be thoroughly understood that birth is distressful.

Over the past ten years I have given the framework and now we have become more than the British Empire. Even the British Empire was not as expansive as we. They had only a portion of the world, and we have not completed expanding. We must expand more and more unlimitedly.

We were telling Prabhupada about some crazy news stunt that had been pulled off by some demented, popular pop artist named Andy Warhol. He and his people had just captured the news in America by eating dead fetuses that had come from aborted babies.

Wherever there is electric light, there is electricity. It is naturally understood. Similarly, wherever there is Krsna consciousness, it is Vrndavana. We can create Vrndavana by the mercy of Krsna, if we chant Hare Krsna. Perfect this Krsna consciousness; try to understand the philosophy behind it. It is a science, not a bluff.

There are many karmis in the dress of devotees, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead can detect their purpose. The karmis want to use the property of the Lord for their selfish sense gratification, but a devotee endeavors to use the Lord's property for God's service. Therefore a devotee is always distinct from the karmis, although the karmis may dress like devotees.

If you fight amongst yourselves what can I do? This fighting will spoil everything. Regarding the preaching against ISKCON by Tusta Krishna Swami and Siddaswarupa as reported by you, it is another disturbance.

Thank you very much for so carefully studying my books. If you can actually understand the verses and purports of the Bhagavad-gita As It Is then your spiritual understanding is complete, without any other literature.

Regarding the persons who are opposing you in Minneapolis, we have to go on with our duty. This so called Christian says we are not a true religion and is opposing us because we have a different belief than his - but actually God is one. There cannot be two Gods, or a God of the Hindus, God of the Muslim, God of the Christian. Don't remain silent, but answer back in this way. Positively present our philosophy.

Prabhupada: There are many animals, vegetarian. So there is no perfection of life unless we come to the point of Krsna consciousness. Simply by becoming vegetarian, simply by becoming nonviolent, simply by... These are all theories only. It has no value.

We are not concerned with the stories of Srimad Bhagwatam. The book which you have sent is quite nice in abridging the stories of Bhagwatam, but there is no profit simply by knowing these stories. We must know the philosophy of Srimad Bhagwatam, and if one can understand the first verse of the Srimad Bhagwatam janmadyasa he becomes a great learned man in Vedic knowledge.

For spiritual achievement the easiest path is to take shelter of a bona fide spiritual master and to serve him with heart and soul. That is the secret of success.

As for your idea that your preaching will be more appreciated in the west if you are a professional or professor, we are already being appreciated by the professors. We don't want more. That is not our achievement. Real achievement is how we are advanced in Krsna Consciousness.