Fear The New Vaccine!

There seems to be a constant manipulation by priests and politicians and the media to create fear. Why are we so receptive to these attempts to make us afraid?

“Yesterday someone was asking me the same. And whether one asks it or not, the same question lurks in the eyes of everyone. Perhaps this is the only eternal question, and perhaps this is the only question worth asking.

“Everyone is afraid. Of the known, of the unknown, fear is creeping in us. Sitting or standing, sleeping or waking, the fear continues. There is fear in all our behavior, in every thought and deed. There is fear in love, in hate, in virtue, in sin – in everything. It is as if our whole consciousness is created of fear. What else are our beliefs, concepts, religions and gods other than fear?

“What is this fear? There are many forms of fear, but the fear is only one – the fear of death. That is the basic fear. At the root of all fear is the possibility of being destroyed, annihilated. Fear means the apprehension of not being, of disappearing. Effort goes on for the whole life to escape from this anxiety. All efforts are to avoid this basic insecurity.”

Is this fear a natural quality?

“Fear is not natural, it has been created. It has been imposed on you by the parents, the priests, the teachers. Everybody you have come in contact with has been imposing fear on you, because fear is the antithesis of freedom. The more fear you have in you, the less is the possibility of freedom. The more fear is there, the less is the possibility of rebellion.

“The society, the church, the state, all want everybody to be in a state of constant fear: fear of the known, fear of the unknown, fear of death, fear of hell, fear of missing heaven, fear of not making your name in the world, fear of just being a nobody. Everybody around you from the very birth is creating fear. No child is born with fear. Every child is born with freedom, doubt, rebellion, individuality, innocence – all great qualities. But he is helpless, dependent.

“But when you are grown up, you can see – you can try to peel the onion layer by layer – how fears have been created in you, how gullible you have been, how people have exploited your innocence. The priest had no knowledge of God, yet he deceived you and pretended that he knows God. He had no idea of heaven and hell, yet he forced you to be afraid of hell, to be ambitious for heaven. He created greed, he created fear. He himself was a victim of other people. Now you can look back: your father was not aware what he was teaching, what he was telling to you.”

With all the threats to our survival around the world right now, isn’t fear of death an understandable reaction?

“Fear is not going to help. Fear always means the fear of the unknown. Fear always means the fear of death. Fear always means the fear of being lost, but if you really want to be alive, you have to accept the possibility of being lost. You have to accept the insecurity of the unknown, the discomfort and the inconvenience of the unfamiliar, the strange. That is the price one has to pay for the blessing that follows it and nothing can be achieved without paying for it. You have to pay for it, otherwise you will remain fear-paralyzed. Your whole life will be lost.”

Nobody wants to die. That means life wants to persist for ever and ever. That means life is in love with eternity. In fact life is eternal. Death only changes the form, it does not destroy – but it creates fear because it is the most unknown phenomenon.

“Fear disappears only when, in deep meditation, you become acquainted with death; when in deep meditation you know: ‘I am not the body, not the mind. Then how can there be death?’ The body will go into the earth – dust unto dust – but your consciousness will persist forever. Then fear disappears.”

What to do when feeling afraid?

“You can make use of fear in two ways. The one you use now is to run away when there is fear. You believe in the logic of the ostrich and bury your head in the sand. How will you progress if you run from fear? Fear is an opportunity….

“The other possibility with fear is to surrender. Accept the existence of death; do not turn your eyes away from it. The day you encounter death with open eyes, you will see death disappear into oblivion. You had never come face to face with death, and therefore it existed for you. All fears of life flee in this manner if you face them in full awareness.”

Does that mean I can make friends with my fear?

“Move within, but don’t move the way fear makes you move, because fear cannot enter inwards. Why can fear not enter inwards? Fear cannot be alone, and inwards you have to be alone. Fear needs a crowd, fear needs companionship, friends, even foes may do.

“But to be alone, to go inwards, you cannot take anybody with you; you have to be more and more alone. Not only can you not take anyone, you cannot take anything either. Your wealth, your power, your prestige – you cannot take anything. Inside you cannot take even your clothes! You will have to go nude and alone; hence fear cannot move inwards, fear moves outwards.

“Fear moves towards money, fear moves towards power, fear moves towards God; fear moves in all directions except inwards. To go inwards the first requirement is fearlessness.

“You are wondering how to make friends with the fear. One has not to make friends with darkness, death or fear. One has to get rid of them. One has to simply say good-bye forever. It is your attachment; friendship will make it even more deep.

“Don’t think that by becoming friendly with fear you will become ready to go inwards. Even the friendly fear will prevent it; in fact, it will prevent it more so. It will prevent you in a friendly way, it will advise you, ‘Don’t do such a thing. There is nothing inwards. You will fall into a nothingness and returning from that nothingness is impossible. Beware of falling into your inwardness. Cling to things.’

“Fear has to be understood.”

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Have a blissful day.

Om Sai Ram!