Blissful New Gokula

On 16 May 2007 our sweet, humble driver, Gediminas, drove us from Vilnius to the northern side of Lithuania just south of the Latvian border. We were on our way to visit the rural devotee community, New Gokula. It is amazing to see how there are so many different pockets of devotees scattered throughout Lithuania. It's very easy to feel very much at home in this country.

The harsh Lithuanian winter had disappeared and given way to Krishna in the form of His always most welcome manifestation, the flower-bearing spring.

rtunam kusumakarah

"Of seasons I am flower-bearing spring."
Bhagavad-gita 10.35

Beautiful flower-bearing spring, Lithuania

We left the main highway for a remote road and then after some time took an even a more remote road. I noticed a beautiful home off in the distance and thought that must the devotees' home. Sure enough. Gediminas turned off and we approached a series of beautiful buildings custom built under the direction of the devotees. They were all expertly put together from squared off logs. Below is the temple building as seen in the early morning just before sunrise. In the background is the water and furnace building. Not shown are guest houses, one already completed and another one under construction.

Temple Building, New Gokula, Lithuania

There is a wonderful natural feel to the buildings with the real wood everywhere inside and outside. New Gokula is so nicely situated in the countryside with a forest one side and beautiful flowers everywhere on the other side. This sublime atmosphere makes it very easy to peacefully absorb the mind in the supreme meditation, the Hare Krishna mahamatra.

I gave an evening lecture on the Bhagavad-gita and a morning lecture on the Srimad Bhagavatam. Both were well attended and many, many questions were asked about this ultimate self-realization process, Krishna consciousness.

Sankarshan Das Lecture on Bhagavad Gita, New Gokula, Lithuania

There is truly nothing sweeter than to be in the association of saintly persons who are sincerely trying to revive their dormant loving relationship with the Supreme Person.

Sankarshan Das with Devotees at New Gokula, Lithuania

As we carry on with our worldwide preaching activities we will always carry in our hearts the sweetest memories of these few hours we spent in New Gokula, Lithuania. Whether we remember Krishna or we remember His devotees, either way we remain fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness and qualify ourselves for entering into the supreme abode at the time of death.

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: Free Will or Karma?...

Is whatever we do because of our previous actions, is it due to our free will, or is it a mixture of both?

For example: One person, Kamal, goes to a temple to donate some money as charity, and other person, Madan, goes to some place and robs a bank. So was Kamal's decision to give charity due to his activities in his past life or did he use his free will? And was Madan's decision to rob a bank due to his activities in his past life or his free will?

Please explain this.

Hare Krishna

Sandeep Gera

Answer: Devotees Utilize Their Free Will...

As long as we act for material sense gratification we are under the stringent grip of karma chakra. But when we are engaged in any one of the nine types of devotional service we are acting on the platform of free will.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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