On Fear and Desire From Shree Vasant's Teachings
Fear is like a cancer. If it takes hold of the heart, there is no room for faith. Then never would the person truly believe what he experiences. Fear breeds doubt and ultimately if left unchecked it destroys one’s spiritual growth. One has to learn to be fearless.
One cannot rid oneself of fear by focusing on the fear or trying to reason with fear or find its origin. Certainly it is helpful to understand oneself but this mental exercise is not enough to uproot deep-seated fears. Fear can truly be extinguished by strengthening one’s faith in the Almighty Power. Practice of Swadhyaya (Self Study) will be helpful. Practice what we teach:
- Agnihotra-for purification of the atmosphere
- Daan-to bring about non-attachment through the sharing of assets in a spirit of humility and without expectation
- Tapa-for fruition of thy affirmations, one gets rid of lust, anger, greed, envy, pride and attachment
- Karma-the performance of right action
- Swadhyaya-Self Study, Who am I? Why am I here?
If you are truly consciously practicing these FIVE CONCEPTS your fear will loosen its hold.
When the fears come, they are only thoughts. Allow them to come and go. Do not support them. Understand that you have these fears. Allow for them to come up and then release them. Absolutely do not hang onto them. Do not focus on the fears. Just as in meditation, breathe in, breathe out. Thoughts come in, thoughts go out. Return to the Name of the Lord, the Mantra, Name of the Master or His Holy Feet. Then fear will go.
The same exercise can be done with desire. Do not suppress it. Let it come to mind, then release. If you pay no attention, it will not take root. It will be released until at last it is gone and you are free of it.
We have to be patient. It is a process of development which usually takes even many lifetimes. However, because the SUN HAS RISEN ON A NEW ERA we are given the greatest opportunity for getting rid of anger, fear and desire quickly, thus enabling us to reach the state:
Not my will, but Thy will be done.
I and my Father are One.