chapter 6 - How to become fearless

Everyone has certain type of fear, it doesn’t matter whether they are the fear towards pain, or responsibility, or relationships, or the fear of not being loved/wanted, or losing the beloved people and objects, or not having anything, or the fear towards darkness, failure, loneliness, weakness, disability, injury, sickness, old age, death, or bad things that might happen to us.

 

Above all is the fear towards the unknown.

If we have fear, we won’t have peace in our heart.

People living in the forest have their own fears. People living in the city or rural villages also have their own kind of fear. Rich people, poor people, everyone has fear. There are different fears everywhere.

What is fear?

Generally it is just a feeling of insecurity that arises in our mind due to the imagination or anticipation in the mind projecting towards the future or the unknown. We are actually afraid of something that has not yet happened. It is a bunch of fearful thoughts and imagination of ‘what if this happens?’ and ‘what if that happens?’

If someone goes into the jungle, he is afraid that he might see a tiger. Maybe he will, maybe he won’t. If he does see a big tiger in front of him, he will be afraid that the tiger might attack him, hurt him and kill him (imagination), but at this stage it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe the tiger will attack him, maybe not. And if the tiger really attacks him, at this stage, with his body full of adrenaline, he will forget his feeling of fear and try to save himself by running away or fighting the tiger. Maybe he will die of a heart attack caused by extreme fear even before the tiger actually attacks him or anyone.

Fear is neither good nor bad. It exists for us to keep away from trouble and act as a life minder. Fear exists so that we will be cautious in our actions and speech. Fear is not a negative thing until it goes beyond being an alarm to save our lives from a real dangerous situation. Fear consumes so much of our vital energy (Prana).

Fear of doing bad is not something negative at all. Fear of telling lies and harming others is not something negative as well.

We don’t want to do bad is because we have self control. We avoid hurting others is due to compassion and loving kindness - not because we are afraid of being punished, nor afraid of being condemned and having bad reputation.

If the mind can be unattached towards all the names and forms in the world, if the mind can be detached from the ego and the modification of the mind that is still functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, this mind will become fearless.

If we developed wisdom and courage, they will chase away the fear in us.

So, why not we relax, let go the imagination or anticipation, be free from fear and worries when there is nothing actually happening? Unless something is really happening now, then we can think of how we should deal with the situation under a calm and peaceful mind.