In a recent bridge collapse in Mumbai, my beloved father met with an accident and left us. My family is going through unbearable pain. Government auditor had inspected bridge some time back & reported it safe to commute. During his last time, except for my younger brother, nobody was around. This has shaken everyone so badly that we’ve lost faith in God. Please let me know why this happened to our family? Is there a way to connect him? Why God didn’t protect my dad, when my family is dedicated to God?
—Milind, India
Dear Milind, We are so very sorry to hear of the loss of your beloved father in that tragic accident. We will be sending prayers for your father and for the healing of you and your family.
It sounds as though you are looking for someone, such as a government auditor or even God, to blame for his death. There is no point in doing that. It was his time to die. It was his karma. Right now, your divine duty is to work on accepting this as the truth, through sincere prayers (talking to God calmly, in the language of your heart) and meditation (receiving God’s answers and sweet comfort, also in your heart).
This is no time to lose faith in God! For God eternally loves you and protects you, your family and most of all, your father! Nurturing this attitude within yourself is what will help your father, yourself, and your whole family the most at this time and in the future, also.
Death comes to everyone, as I am sure you understand, eventually, whether they and their family are dedicated to God or not. However, your father’s soul (as is true with all souls) is absolutely immortal! His spirit or soul cannot die! He has just moved to a different location in the cosmos.
He would not want you to grieve so much in the strong way it seems you are doing now. In fact, this kind of selfish grief might even be harmful to him, and I am sure you would never wish to cause him such sadness in the afterlife!
Therefore, instead of excessive grieving, you must strive to send him your unconditional love. At all times, send your prayers, and your joyful, inner assurance to him that you know he is in a better place—a place of great Light and freedom from all pain and suffering. He is exactly where he needs to be at this time, for the good of his essential being and for his continuing spiritual progress.
His death did not HAPPEN to you and your family, in the way you are thinking—as some sort of terrible punishment. It simply happened, as it happens to everyone! Death is always a part of life, as too, life is always a part of death.
Yes, you may connect with him now, primarily, as I have said, through your prayers and meditations. However, you should only try to do this if you can do it without selfish grief or wanting to pull him back into the life he has now finished.
Paramhansa Yogananda says that you can pray for a special dream to come to you to give you the peaceful reassurance from your father that he is very happy and in a much better place in the astral worlds.
Finally, please understand that the passing of time will eventually heal all the pain you are feeling now. But God’s grace and love for you can help that process to go faster if you choose to let it be so.
