Swami ji’s Sandesh… “’स्वयं’ को पहचानकर ही ‘भय’ से मुक्ति मिल सकती है…” “’Self-realisation’ is the key to free oneself from ‘fear’.”

Swami ji said …

“ Fear is perhaps the oldest emotion known to mankind. Before the development of intellect, reasoning and culture- fear was probably the greatest driving force behind a person’s actions. And, despite the great advance of civilisation in safety, technology and other areas- ‘fear’ continues to be one of the greatest forces that makes us act.
But, isn’t it also true that we act so that we can escape this fear? Don’t we crave peace in our hearts? Don’t we pray to be free of fear— the fear of failure, the fear of lacking something, the fear of change?

In fact, whenever we feel any sort of peace, we begin reminding ourselves of our fears. Or rather, our fears return to haunt us, telling us not to relax, but, to remain alert to the numerous untoward things that could happen to us. Feeling relaxed and living in the moment- almost seems too reckless to the mind. It tells us to immediately return to worrying, analysing and thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong. But living this way is nothing short of living in hell.

Today, too, we have numerous reasons to worry. The news tells us about everything that could go wrong. Our co-workers and friends tell us how difficult things are.
In such a state, the mind is in overdrive. Worry and the fear of uncertainty begin to define us. If we see someone who appears to be free of worry, or, speaks little of their worries- we assume that person to be better, and also better off, than us.
So what is the solution?

Are we supposed to live carefree and careless lives?
No.
Are we supposed to disregard the consequences of our actions?
Definitely not.
The real solution is very simple, yet , also extremely difficult to practise.

The best way to begin is to recognise yourself as distinct from the ‘person’ experiencing this fear. This, of course, is much easier said than done. Those who meditate, who take the time and make the effort to observe themselves and reflect on their thoughts and emotions, begin to become aware that ‘they’ are distinct from the body and the mind. They realise that even their emotions arise in the body and mind, while ‘they’ are the ones aware of these experiences.
Acknowledging and internalising this distinction is key to breaking away from thought and action driven by fear.

The body’s experiences, the mind’s perceptions and emotions— whether we are awake or asleep and dreaming—are not the ultimate reality. This is a truth we must strive to realise. The more we do so, the more we recognise that ‘we’— the ‘soul’— are not defined by the conditions of the illusory world we live in. Rather, these experiences are temporary expressions of the ‘soul’s’ journey through this world, shaped by past ‘karma’.

The more we reflect on this and remind ourselves of it- the more clearly we recognise ourselves as the ‘soul’, and the more we begin to observe our actions and reactions.
And thus, when we ‘see’ ourselves experiencing fear- we begin to loosen its hold over us. We learn to acknowledge it, examine its cause and distinguish an actual difficulty- from the many possibilities- that the mind imagines. We can then apply our intellect to decide what needs to be done. Our morals and principles have greater room to guide our actions.

But ‘fear’ may still arise. Its presence need not mean that we have failed in our spiritual practice. Each time we become aware of it, we have another opportunity to understand it and respond thoughtfully.
It is in this way that we can begin to give the present our fullest attention- while living more peacefully with the uncertainty of tomorrow. We prepare where preparation is needed. We act where action is possible. And we gradually learn to live with what we cannot yet know, or, control.

The ‘self-realised- are truly fearless- because they are no longer bound by the wants and anxieties of this physical world. They may continue to act, care for others and fulfil their responsibilities, but, their sense of completeness no longer depends upon securing a particular worldly outcome. Success adds nothing to the fullness of the ‘self’, and failure takes nothing away from it. With that realisation, the uncertainty of tomorrow loses its power to govern the peace of today… “और जब तुम्हारे गुरु हर पल तुम्हारे साथ हैं, तो फिर डर किस बात का?”