1022_free
1
Published by VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education) Page 1 of 1 ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Pune, India The Spiritual Scientist An ezine for those who think! Free Yourself From Fear Question: How can spirituality help one to become free from anxiety and fear? Answer: Imagine if you are walking on a lonely street late one night. Suddenly you see a hefty, suspicious‐looking person rushing toward you. You will start feeling a little fearful. But if nearby you notice an armed and trained policeman standing on guard ready to assist wherever needed, immediately your fear will go away. Similarly, all of us, during our life's journey, are subject to fears, be they financial, familial, social, academic or physical. But if we are able to see the Lord always by our side, ready to protect us whenever required, then naturally our fears will subside. The Bhagavad‐gita (5.29) describes that the Lord is always present in our hearts, but we need to refine our devotional vision to perceive his presence there. A couple of quick and effective ways to feel God's protective presence are praying to him and chanting his holy names. Another way to overcome fear is by illumining ourselves with spiritual wisdom. When we enter a dark room, we feel fearful, due to imagining various dangers in it. But when we turn on the light, we see that there is nothing to fear. Similarly, most of our fears are imagined, being about negative possibilities that never materialize. When we turn on the light of divine wisdom in our own hearts, we understand our own spiritual identity as indestructible souls, and we recognize most of our fears to be the baseless imaginations of our paranoid minds. Courage comes not by the absence of fear, but by the awareness of something greater than fear. When we are inspired by a great cause, a cause far greater than ourselves, our fears about protecting our own petty concerns evaporate. Hanuman was completely absorbed in the best of all causes: the cause of devotional service to God. As the Lord is the greatest well wisher of all living beings, by serving his will, we can do the greatest good to all including ourselves. A shining example of this is the founder of ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada, who went fearlessly to America, alone and penniless, at the advanced age of 69, due to his absorption in the selfless cause of sharing God's love with the world. Within eleven short years, he built 108 temples, wrote over 70 books, and circumnavigated the globe 14 times on tours that inspired millions of life toward a spiritual‐based life of fearlessness. No wonder CNN rated Srila Prabhupada as one of the top achievers among those who achieved remarkable things after the age of fifty. Z
-
Upload
krishnaram -
Category
Documents
-
view
225 -
download
1
description
free yourself from fear
Transcript of 1022_free
-
Published by VOICE (Vedic Oasis for Inspiration, Culture and Education) Page 1 of 1 ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Pune, India
The Spiritual Scientist An ezine for those who think!
Free Yourself From Fear Question:Howcanspiritualityhelponetobecomefreefromanxietyandfear?
Answer: Imagine if you are walking on a lonely street late one night.Suddenlyyouseeahefty,suspiciouslookingpersonrushing towardyou.Youwillstartfeelingalittlefearful.Butifnearbyyounoticeanarmedandtrained policeman standing on guard ready to assistwherever needed,immediatelyyourfearwillgoaway.
Similarly,allofus,duringourlife'sjourney,aresubjecttofears,betheyfinancial,familial,social,academicorphysical.But ifwe areabletoseetheLordalwaysbyourside,readytoprotectus whenever required, thennaturallyour fearswillsubside. The Bhagavadgita (5.29)describes that the Lord is always present in our hearts,butweneedtorefineourdevotionalvisiontoperceivehispresencethere.AcoupleofquickandeffectivewaystofeelGod'sprotectivepresenceareprayingtohimandchantinghisholynames.
Another way to overcome fear is by illumining ourselves withspiritualwisdom.Whenweenteradarkroom,wefeelfearful,dueto imaginingvariousdangers in it.Butwhenwe turnon the light,weseethatthereisnothingtofear.Similarly,mostofourfearsareimagined,beingaboutnegativepossibilitiesthatnevermaterialize.Whenweturnonthelightofdivinewisdominourownhearts,weunderstandourownspiritualidentityasindestructiblesouls,andwerecognizemostofourfearstobethebaselessimaginationsofourparanoidminds.
Courage comes not by the absence of fear, but by the awareness ofsomethinggreater than fear.Whenweare inspiredbyagreatcause,acause far greater than ourselves, our fears about protecting our ownpetty concerns evaporate. Hanuman was completely absorbed in thebestofallcauses:thecauseofdevotionalservicetoGod.AstheLordisthegreatestwellwisherofalllivingbeings,byservinghiswill,wecandothegreatestgoodtoall includingourselves.Ashiningexampleofthis isthe founder of ISKCON, Srila Prabhupada, who went fearlessly toAmerica, alone and penniless, at the advanced age of 69, due to hisabsorption in the selfless cause of sharingGod's lovewith theworld.Withineleven short years,hebuilt108 temples,wroteover70books,andcircumnavigatedtheglobe14timesontoursthatinspiredmillionsoflife towarda spiritualbased lifeof fearlessness.NowonderCNN ratedSrilaPrabhupadaasoneofthetopachieversamongthosewhoachievedremarkablethingsaftertheageoffifty.
