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Fear & Fearlessness

3/12/2021

Fear & Fearlessness

Fear creates delusive vision, which pulls every one of us down and binds us under its control. It is life, whereas, fear is death. Fear throws us into hypnotism, whereas fearlessness de-hypnotizes us. Fear disturbs the mental equipoise and physical health; fearlessness makes man at home with Nature enjoying the solace of life. It is because of fear that everything is marred in this world. In beauty, there is fear of ugliness. In birth, there is fear of death. In learning, there is the fear of ignorance. In victory, the fear of defeat. In pleasure there is the fear of pain and praise the fear of blame. But man is consciously fearless realizing his self. Fearlessness is the one goal of every individual.

Fear is natural, emotional and instinctive response to a perceived or imaginary threat. It is in-built protective mechanism to safeguard against the perils of life. The emotion of fear helps the people to stay safe. But extreme fears may cause even panic attacks.

Fear arises from weakness. Inhumanity and selfishness are born of weakness. One lie, steals, kill and commit other crimes because of weaknesses. Fear led to making various social institutions which were for physical security and mental security. Real security comes from spiritual security of realizing one’s own undying nature.

Never let take control of you and take risk to do that thing. Be positive and believe that you will have best result. Nothing is larger than life. Always think events and moments are smaller. Situations change. Celebrity, influential or powerful, everybody is human being.

Fears, the types & causes:
Fear can be simple or intense which are caused by extreme conditions and situations. Phobia is an intense fear reaction to a particular thing or a situation.

Anxiety is unpleasant vague sense of apprehension, which is not as intense as fear.
Fear is experienced in the day to day life which may be caused by extreme climatic conditions, unfamiliar things, insufficient information, uncertainties of situation, fear of failure, fear of financial loss, fear of loss of reputation, fear of rejection, fear of being judged, fear of loss of loved ones, fear of guilt etc.
Phobias are deep rooted, persistent, irrational and unrealistic fears of particular objects and situations, grounded in our past and usually independent of our current reality. The person with the phobia feels the danger real, intense, out of proportion and very strong. The phobias are mental disorders and the list is long and unending. Most common phobias are fear of heights, fear of flying, fear of spiders, fear of thunder and lightning, fear of being alone, fear of confined or crowded spaces, fear of darkness, fear of blood, fear of crowds and fear of water.

We experience different fears during different phases of our lives. As time goes by, we may leave behind some old fears and acquire new ones.
Physiological reactions of Fear:
Fear induces negative responses such as aversion to people and places, shyness, inferiority complex, withdrawal, neurosis, low self-esteem, inadequacy, timidity, conformity, aggression etc.

Several natural physiological changes take place that help us prepare to be more efficient in a dangerous situation: our pupils dilate, our breathing accelerates and our heart rate and blood pressure rise.

Fearlessness & Hinduism:
A. Conquering Fear:

Fear can be alleviated by analyzing its root cause, understanding them and trusting on one’s capabilities.
Mindfulness i.e. maintaining awareness of the thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, can help people feel calmer, more serene, and more motivated in their day-to-day life.
Visualization is another technique to deal fear. By visualization of our worst fears and imagine ourselves facing them courageously and emerging as winners. We can dissolve our fears by the power of our own thoughts and images. By overcoming attachment to the memories, likes and dislikes prejudices, opinions, judgments, relationships, anxieties, fears, love, name, identity, family, wealth, habits, talents, skills, beliefs, knowledge, etc., one become free from fears.

B. Hinduism for developing Fearlessness:
In Hinduism, the ancient sages have deeply researched the causes of fear and to achieve fearlessness.

Shri Krishna in chapter 16 shloka 1 of Shree Bhagavad Gita advised the attributes of Satvika person. One of the 26 virtues is fearlessness. Fear creates worry and renders happiness and peace of mind practically impossible. Clinging to life and body or love of earthly life are the main causes of all fear.
Fear is the price of our egoism and lack of trust in God. Shri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita advised the dedicated and detached actions and surrender of all deeds to him with complete trust. Taking God as one’s personal Protector is the best way to overcome the fears.
The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that fear is born when we see second. The idea that ultimately there is only one spirit indwelling everything can cut at the root of all fear.
Yoga Darshan founded by Rishi Patanjali (4th century BC - 2th century AD) has explained causes of sufferings including fear.
The reservoir of karmas (actions, deeds) is called Karmashya. This is the root cause of sufferings.
These sufferings are due to five afflictions viz. ignorance (of not differentiating between Brahman & Buddhi), egoism, attachment or desires, hatred & clinging to life (abhinivesh). Strong desire of life and fear of death is abhinivesh.
Self-awareness is achieved in seven stages. One of the stages is dissolution of the three attributes of Prakiriti (sattva, rajas & tamas gunas). This leads to fearlessness.
1. Patanjali’s sutra has postulated that steadiness of mind is achieved by Dharna, Dhyana & Samadhi. This reduces stress, anxiety, depression, and pain, and increasing peace, perception and well-being.
2. A natural outcome of being fearless is that one gains confidence in one’s knowledge, strength, skills and experiences. In the Ramayana, there is a beautiful example of Hanuman ji, who was scared of jumping across the ocean to search for Ma Sita, till the rishis reminded him of his strength and swiftness. Once Hanuman ji gained his self-confidence, he was able to do what others could never do.

Reference:
1. Vedanta & Vivekananda by Swami Swahananda
2. https://www.hinduwebsite.com/

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