Is it possible to become fearless, is the question many have.
A lot of us have a fear of either loss or not gaining what we seek to gain.
This fear arises naturally, but also our natural reaction is that this fear is not something I want, I want security, which is freedom from fearlessness.
So since there is fear, and since fear is not something we welcome, naturally, we all yearn for fearlessness.
Fearlessness via material wealth, health, name and fame
Thus fearlessness becomes a goal to be attained in the form of security.
The attempt to earn wealth is one of those pursuits.
Earning wealth ensures security in many ways. It ensures security of survival.
It ensures we can take care of our health.
It also ensures we can not just enjoy security, we can also enjoy certain pleasures and luxuries over and above the security.
So the state of being fearless is linked to material security.
We dont just seek material security, we also seek to be healthy.
Being healthy keeps us alive and happy.
Illness brings in the fear related to the mortal nature of the body. The fact that the body is mortal and time bound becomes evident, hence we seek good health, atleast till we really grow old.
Hence these are normal goals, and the normal means to achieve fearlessness, which is acquirig material and health wise security.
We also need psychological security. This means our relationships and status in society, so as humans we are quite aware of societal status and seek security psychologically.
So another means to achieve fearlessness is through name and fame, as well as good relationships with family and friends.
All these require efforts as well as lots of grace of the lord.
Yet, as we grow old, and sometimes if we are not fortunate, and at other times, due to factors beyond our control (such as wars, floods etc.) this security is lost.
Therefore , we invoke the lord, in our prayers to protect us from different kinds of threats to our security.
So through effort, and through prayers, we all seek fearlessness in the form of security obtained through material wealth, health, name , fame and relationships.
However, we need to understand the precarious nature of this fearlessness.
While we are acquiring the means to the material, health and name fame etc., there is constant fear of loss of what is acquired. There is also constant fear that our efforts will not lead to the gain of what is to be acquired.
Also actions that we committed in the past may come back to bite us, so we are afraid there also.
So about the future we are afraid, and past also we are afraid, even though we seek the security, and sometimes we get the security, there is a fear that it must be maintained.
So if we had earned security through righteous means the fear of past is not there. Else we are worried when will our bad karmas catch up.
So even if there is fearlesness, there isnt fearlessness to the fullest measure, there is always a little fear in the background for one reason or the other.
While a human lives on this compromise, a really brave human would attempt to find the resolution to his compromise and look at if there is any means to total fearlessness.
Total Fearlessness
Total fearlessness is what we seek. However, we are unable to secure it in material security. This is a fact of life , that is to be understood.
Even the body is subject to mortality, hence we may even imagine, total security does not exist.
Vedantic solution
Vedas offer the only solution to achieve total fearlessness, in the form of knowledge.
The knowledge reveals that while the body is me, I am free from the body. I am a conscious being , free from birth , death, change, and any degree of growth or decline.
I am of the nature of completeness, fullness, pure happiness and total existence.
This being the truth, as undestood from the vedas, one attains to fearlessness, as fearlessness is indeed ones actual nature.
That is why we reject fear as alien to us.
Knowing thus, no matter in whatever acivity or desire one is engaged, one is free now and here and fearless now and here.
This does not mean one does not care. One cares for everyone, yet is fearless in this care. This is called love or bhakti.
A lot of us have a fear of either loss or not gaining what we seek to gain.
This fear arises naturally, but also our natural reaction is that this fear is not something I want, I want security, which is freedom from fearlessness.
So since there is fear, and since fear is not something we welcome, naturally, we all yearn for fearlessness.
Fearlessness via material wealth, health, name and fame
Thus fearlessness becomes a goal to be attained in the form of security.
The attempt to earn wealth is one of those pursuits.
Earning wealth ensures security in many ways. It ensures security of survival.
It ensures we can take care of our health.
It also ensures we can not just enjoy security, we can also enjoy certain pleasures and luxuries over and above the security.
So the state of being fearless is linked to material security.
We dont just seek material security, we also seek to be healthy.
Being healthy keeps us alive and happy.
Illness brings in the fear related to the mortal nature of the body. The fact that the body is mortal and time bound becomes evident, hence we seek good health, atleast till we really grow old.
Hence these are normal goals, and the normal means to achieve fearlessness, which is acquirig material and health wise security.
We also need psychological security. This means our relationships and status in society, so as humans we are quite aware of societal status and seek security psychologically.
So another means to achieve fearlessness is through name and fame, as well as good relationships with family and friends.
All these require efforts as well as lots of grace of the lord.
Yet, as we grow old, and sometimes if we are not fortunate, and at other times, due to factors beyond our control (such as wars, floods etc.) this security is lost.
Therefore , we invoke the lord, in our prayers to protect us from different kinds of threats to our security.
So through effort, and through prayers, we all seek fearlessness in the form of security obtained through material wealth, health, name , fame and relationships.
However, we need to understand the precarious nature of this fearlessness.
While we are acquiring the means to the material, health and name fame etc., there is constant fear of loss of what is acquired. There is also constant fear that our efforts will not lead to the gain of what is to be acquired.
Also actions that we committed in the past may come back to bite us, so we are afraid there also.
So about the future we are afraid, and past also we are afraid, even though we seek the security, and sometimes we get the security, there is a fear that it must be maintained.
So if we had earned security through righteous means the fear of past is not there. Else we are worried when will our bad karmas catch up.
So even if there is fearlesness, there isnt fearlessness to the fullest measure, there is always a little fear in the background for one reason or the other.
While a human lives on this compromise, a really brave human would attempt to find the resolution to his compromise and look at if there is any means to total fearlessness.
Total Fearlessness
Total fearlessness is what we seek. However, we are unable to secure it in material security. This is a fact of life , that is to be understood.
Even the body is subject to mortality, hence we may even imagine, total security does not exist.
Vedantic solution
Vedas offer the only solution to achieve total fearlessness, in the form of knowledge.
The knowledge reveals that while the body is me, I am free from the body. I am a conscious being , free from birth , death, change, and any degree of growth or decline.
I am of the nature of completeness, fullness, pure happiness and total existence.
This being the truth, as undestood from the vedas, one attains to fearlessness, as fearlessness is indeed ones actual nature.
That is why we reject fear as alien to us.
Knowing thus, no matter in whatever acivity or desire one is engaged, one is free now and here and fearless now and here.
This does not mean one does not care. One cares for everyone, yet is fearless in this care. This is called love or bhakti.
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