Getting Ready for the Next World Tour

Although nothing compares to the excitement and adventure of being out there circling the globe on a multi-continent lecture tour, it is undoubtedly very beneficial for our good health and longevity to be back from the road for some time getting a more balanced, regulated diet and sleeping/waking pattern. It is something like a mountain climber coming down from the peak to spend some time at the base camp in preparation for his next climb. Of course, it is not that our Krishna conscious outreach program stops when we are back here at Bhaktivedanta Ashram. There are eight lectures given by my wife and I here every week, plus I have still have "Thought for Day" and the weekly lesson to write and a mountain of correspondence to respond to. (Since 2003 I have sent out 60,000 personal responses to emails that I have received.) Our next tour begins after Gaura Purnima on March 16 and will conclude on June 27. There is lot of work to do to get ready for Gaura Purnima and our next world tour. This is Srila Prabhupada's mercy to keep us constantly engaged around the clock in Krishna's service.

Answering Emails-Austin, Texas-19 January 2012

Sankarshan Das Answering Emails-Austin, Texas

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Is it Okay to Abort an Abnormal Baby?

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

I have a question which a friend asked me. If a pregnant mother comes to know that the baby in her womb has some abnormality, will it be still sinful to abort the baby? Isn't it better to abort the child than seeing the child suffer in this material world?

Thank you.

Your humble servant,

Chandra Chaitanya Das

Answer: Does an Abnormal Person Want to Die?

If you were suffering from an abnormality, would you like us to kill you? For example, let's say that you were blind or lame. Would you like us to kill you? Ask any blind man if he would like to be put to death to be relieved of the misery of being a blind man. Will he volunteer, "Yes. Please kill me."?

Abortion does not free the child from suffering. To abort the child is to increase his suffering. If you want to free the child from suffering, let him take birth and raise him in Krishna consciousness. In this way he will become free from all suffering for all of eternity.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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