NINE

Deciding for the Future
New York—July 4, 1972

BOB: I received your very kind letter.

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Oh.

BoB: About a week ago.

SRILA PRABHUPADA: Now, you are a very intelligent boy.
You can try to understand this philosophy. It is very impor-
tant. For sense gratification people are wasting so much en-
ergy. They are not aware of what is going to happen in the
next life. There is a next life, but foolish people are ig-
norant. This life is preparation for the next life. That they
do not know. The modern education and its universities are
completely in darkness about this simple knowledge. We
are changing bodies every moment—that is a medical fact.
After leaving this body, we will have to accept another
body. How are we going to accept that body? What kind of
body? This can also be known. For example, if someone is
being educated, one can understand that when he passes his
examination, he is going to be an engineer or medical prac-
titioner. Similarly, in this life, you can prepare yourself to
become something in the next life.

BARBARA [Bob’s wife]: Can we decide what we want to be
next life?

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