abhayaĺ mitrăt abhayaĺ amitrăt sarveäăĺ avirodhena brahma karma samărabhe
Let there be no fear to the friends or to the foes. Start the spiritual practice with no enmity to any one.
I was born in an Indian village that had no electricity and as a schoolboy I read in the light of a lamp at night. In the village most of the houses had straw roofs and every summer in the month of April and May the roofs were redone using new straw ropes. Also in summertime many snakes come out because of the strong heat. One evening as I was coming home I saw a snake on the way. Out of fear I shouted, “Snake!” Hearing this our family servant came out to me with a lamp and it was discovered that what I thought was a snake was in fact a piece of straw rope lying on the street. So when there was light the fear of the snake disappeared. Before the light the heartbeat was high and the body was trembling. When the light was brought that fear of the snake disappeared. From where did this fear come and what is the cause of this fear? The cause of fear in this example is ignorance due to darkness. If it were daytime I would not have been afraid, I would have seen the rope for what it was. The ignorance was there because there was no light. Confusion comes, fear comes and doubt comes when there is no light. In light there is no fear as you can clearly see what’s in front of you, likewise if it were pitch dark there would have been no fear, as you cannot see anything. This confusion came because of the twilight of the evening, in which you could see something but not clearly.
The Cause of Fear
If we analyze the above example two mistakes happened that caused fear. Not to see the rope as the rope. To see the snake in the rope.
In our life, fear comes when we do not understand things as they are. If I had clearly seen the rope my mind would not have superimposed a snake for it.
When we do not understand things as they are is usually the first mistake and the second is we project our own imagination and apprehension through which we come to a wrong conclusion. The mistaking of the rope for a snake was corrected with the light. The double mistake of not seeing the rope as rope and seeing a snake in the rope that caused fear can be corrected through light. Light means knowledge, light means love, light means understanding. With knowledge, love and understanding we can rectify our mistakes to be free from illusion and we can live fearlessly and freely.
On September 11, 2001 a few of us were on a flight from Vienna to Miami. We were over the Atlantic Ocean approaching New York. Usually people don’t have much to do on a flight, they spend time eating, watch television and talking to others. For me a flight is the time of complete seclusion, one of the few times I can be alone without the telephone and other interruptions. I do not eat on the plane. I usually work on a book, meditate or sleep. As I was reading a scripture I was surprised looked up to see the flight monitor indicating the aircraft was making a u-turn and going back. I asked the stewardess why the plane was going back. She said there was nothing to fear, there was no problem with the plane and that the captain will be announcing the reason in ten minutes. The captain only announced that there was some problem in the US, the airports were all closed and we had been directed to return to Europe. No other information was given until we arrived in Europe. We were surprised to see disciples waiting at the airport though we did not inform them of our coming back. Then we found out what happened in the US. I could not go back for a program, as the airports remained closed. I had several calls and e-mails from the US disciples not to come to USA, as the air travel was not safe. They were afraid that I might be mistaken for a Middle Eastern man because of my beard.
When the air travel resumed I did visit the US traveling alone, as I wanted to see for my self what was happening. At JFK New York the security man asked if he could touch my body to check me. I very nicely said, no problem and at the end of his checking the security officer said you seem to be a happy person.
What is the cause of fear? How many types of fear are there? How to be free from fear? The purpose of spiritual life is to be fearless.
Knowledge Removes Fear
I will tell you the story of a young man. He was not a monk or a holy man. He was a revolutionary during the British rule in India. Like many other young men at that time he acted against the British Government and was to be hanged. He was kept in a solitary cell awaiting the death punishment. No one could talk to him. The guards always kept an eye on him. This young man got up each day at four in the morning, did his regular exercises, read the Gita and followed his routine in a cheerful mood, without any fear or anxiety. The final day arrived and he was to be hanged in a few more hours. He still got up at the same time did his routine exercise without worrying. The guard, who was watching him every day, was very curious as to how this young man went about his routine in this happy manner. So he went near the cell and asked him, “Dear young man, I have a question. You are going to die in a few hours. Don’t you have fear? Are you not sad? What is the purpose of doing this exercise when the body will die in a few hours?” The young man looked at him and smiled. He said, “This body will die in a few hours, but I will not die. This body is a gift of God. I will make the best use of it until the last moment. I have no fear.” This is not a story. It really happened. This young man was not afraid of death as he knew it is only the body that will die but he is immortal as a soul.
7000 years ago the great incarnation Sri Rama, in his message to mankind said, I have taken the vow of giving abhaya – fearlessness, to make every one free from fear.
In the Bhagavad Gita it is said, Abhayam satva samçuddhi jnăna yogo vyavasthita Fearlessness, purity of mind and to be established in knowledge and Truth are the qualities of a spiritual person. To live with peace, with love and with happiness and joy without any type of fear is the right living.