Relishing the Eternal Spring

Our Saturday 28 April 2012 was very well spent. We took a two hour drive from Kaunas to a remote small town on named Telsiai nicely situated on the bank of a big lake. It was a beautiful drive through forests and small villages just as spring with it's newly blossomed flowers was just starting to appear. Along the way there were storks sitting high in their huge nests. There were many lakes both big and small. One small village had a creek of crystal clear water profusely flowing through the center of town. In one remote forest pond I spotted a swan majestically gliding through the water. So the countryside journey was quite pleasant. But what was even more pleasant was arriving in Telsiai to find a meeting room packed full of people interested to learn about Krishna consciousness. We started off with a magic carpet Hare Krishna kirtan ride and then came in for landing with a mantra yoga lecture followed by questions and answers. As usual many people purchased our hard bound books at the end of the lecture to go deeper into Krishna consciousness through their own reading. In Krishna consciousness it's always a fresh, beautiful spring day with the beautiful flower of Krishna consciousness blooming within our hearts.

Telsiai, Lithuania

Revealing the Eternal Spring in Telsiai-28 April 2012

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: How to Overcome Fear of God?

When I was a child and used to pray, I prayed to the Lord without any particular reason - just like that out of love. But as I grew up and especially since the last few years when things have been going wrong in my life, I have started to look up to God as some kind of rule enforcing authority. I am afraid of Him and have developed this fear of some sorts. I pray now not out of love, but because I am afraid that if I don t do so, I will be punished, and my life will get worse. I see God as a punishing authority rather than loving Him like I used to as a child. Can you help me see Him as someone who cares for me and protects me instead of seeing Him as someone to be just afraid of? I know that He loves me and cares, but there have been times when I have been victimized and heartfully called to Him for help but was still battered. Logic has no place in worship I know but sometimes the resentment does come in that He did not help and saw me getting bashed even when I called Him with desperation.

I love Him and do not want to go astray and hence am writing this to you. I hope to hear something that reaffirms my faith that He does care and that He is not simply waiting there to punish me at a drop of a hat.

Your student

Answer: God Only Bestows Mercy

There is no question of God being cruel or vindictive because He is simply our loving father. Sometimes when the parent gives the child medicine to cure him of an illness the foolish child thinks that he is being cruelly punished. But actually that medicine is a manifestation of the parent's love for the child. When the child becomes more mature he realizes that the medicine, although bitter, is a manifestation of his parent's love for him. In the same way the devotee realizes that whatever difficulties he undergoes are the Lord's special mercy upon him to purify his consciousness and bring him closer to God.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari