Consciousness Awareness Through Fearlessness
Fearlessness is the first virtue Krishna commends to Arjuna in Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita. Janeshwar Maharaj, the poet-saint of Maharashtra, commenting on this verse, says: "Of all the divine qualities (daiva sampatti), fearlessness holds the highest place". Isn't it true that a person commits most of his sins out of fear? Out of fear, a person keeps everyone at arm's length. Don't you tell lies out of fear? Fear has many different shades and connotations. It thrives on misgivings. One morning, when I was coming out of meditation, Shirdi Sai Baba's face appeared before me. He looked dazzling. He asked me to sing the Paduka Arati, the morning prayer that is sung in the town of Shirdi. Afraid, I said "Sorry, I don't know it from memory". Again Sai Baba said, "Sing it". So in my meditation, I began looking for the piece of paper on which the prayer should have been written. I asked Sai Baba, "Why do you keep appearing (before me) like this today?" And he answered, "I teach my disciples fearlessness". Spiritual practice helps us attain fearlessness. In the ashram, whenever people say they are going through a hard time, they are advised to go to the temple, to sit before the statue of Bhagwan Nityаnanda and pray. They are told, "Go and chant; allow your heart to sing the name of God. Go and meditate. Don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself some time". Spiritual practice weakens the hold fear exercises on our minds and helps strengthen our love for God. It reduces the agitation of the mind and encourages it to become strong and still. To gather all the fruit, one needs to be persevering. Bhartrihari said in the Niti Shataka: For fear of obstacles, low-spirited people do not begin anything. Ordinary people begin things but stop when the first difficulties arise. But the best of men, though repeatedly felled by adversities, do not abandon a noble undertaking. There are also ordinary fears. For example, if you are teetering on the edge of a cliff, you experience fear of falling. THE SPEAKING TREE Now that is a good, healthy fear. If you are cooking and the fire is burning very high, you fear to get too close. Overcoming fear does not mean getting rid of the reflexes of the body. The fear we are talking about is the veil that falls between the individual soul and the supreme Self, the fear that separates you from God. Poetsaint Krishnasuta wrote a bhajan about fear which says, "What fear could exist for one whose mind is dissolved in the bliss of divine consciousness?" The Vedas declare that all doubts dissolve when you realise the highest Truth, the divine Consciousness. Sages urge us to develop а brave spirit and a courageous heart. Attune your mind, body and heart to the vibrations of the mantra. Mantra repetition is the best antidote to the disease called fear. As you chant the mantra, sustain the awareness: "I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am the Self" Shirdi Sai Baba's message has always been, "Have no fear, am with you". To cultivate fearlessness, begin by trusting the words of the saints. They are with you.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are SWAMI CHIDVILASANANDA kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: SWAMI CHIDVILASANANDA Speaking Tree,Times of India
Consciousness Awareness Through Fearlessness
Fearlessness is the first virtue Krishna commends to Arjuna in Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita. Janeshwar Maharaj, the poet-saint of Maharashtra, commenting on this verse, says: "Of all the divine qualities (daiva sampatti), fearlessness holds the highest place". Isn't it true that a person commits most of his sins out of fear? Out of fear, a person keeps everyone at arm's length. Don't you tell lies out of fear? Fear has many different shades and connotations. It thrives on misgivings. One morning, when I was coming out of meditation, Shirdi Sai Baba's face appeared before me. He looked dazzling. He asked me to sing the Paduka Arati, the morning prayer that is sung in the town of Shirdi. Afraid, I said "Sorry, I don't know it from memory". Again Sai Baba said, "Sing it". So in my meditation, I began looking for the piece of paper on which the prayer should have been written. I asked Sai Baba, "Why do you keep appearing (before me) like this today?" And he answered, "I teach my disciples fearlessness". Spiritual practice helps us attain fearlessness. In the ashram, whenever people say they are going through a hard time, they are advised to go to the temple, to sit before the statue of Bhagwan Nityаnanda and pray. They are told, "Go and chant; allow your heart to sing the name of God. Go and meditate. Don't be so hard on yourself. Give yourself some time". Spiritual practice weakens the hold fear exercises on our minds and helps strengthen our love for God. It reduces the agitation of the mind and encourages it to become strong and still. To gather all the fruit, one needs to be persevering. Bhartrihari said in the Niti Shataka: For fear of obstacles, low-spirited people do not begin anything. Ordinary people begin things but stop when the first difficulties arise. But the best of men, though repeatedly felled by adversities, do not abandon a noble undertaking. There are also ordinary fears. For example, if you are teetering on the edge of a cliff, you experience fear of falling. THE SPEAKING TREE Now that is a good, healthy fear. If you are cooking and the fire is burning very high, you fear to get too close. Overcoming fear does not mean getting rid of the reflexes of the body. The fear we are talking about is the veil that falls between the individual soul and the supreme Self, the fear that separates you from God. Poetsaint Krishnasuta wrote a bhajan about fear which says, "What fear could exist for one whose mind is dissolved in the bliss of divine consciousness?" The Vedas declare that all doubts dissolve when you realise the highest Truth, the divine Consciousness. Sages urge us to develop а brave spirit and a courageous heart. Attune your mind, body and heart to the vibrations of the mantra. Mantra repetition is the best antidote to the disease called fear. As you chant the mantra, sustain the awareness: "I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am the Self" Shirdi Sai Baba's message has always been, "Have no fear, am with you". To cultivate fearlessness, begin by trusting the words of the saints. They are with you.
DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed in the Article above are SWAMI CHIDVILASANANDA kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article. The article belongs to its respective owner or owners and this site does not claim any right over it.
Courtesy: SWAMI CHIDVILASANANDA Speaking Tree,Times of India