When fear comes likes a forceful river what to do?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
If the fear comes like a forceful river and it sweeps away whatever we have learned, whatever we have practiced, what to do at that time? There are times when we can be overwhelmed. If we have been fearful for a long time, then that repeated fearful thinking has become like a so if the floor over here, if the floor is inclined like this, then as soon as water falls on the floor, the water will immediately flow in this direction. Even if I don’t want it to flow, my intention will not change the flow.
So similarly, sometimes as soon as some problem comes up or even a shadow of a problem comes up, our mind goes down the track of fear. Our consciousness gets inclined and flows towards fearful scenarios. So in such situations, if I don’t want the water to flow this way, I have to do three things.
First is we could say redirection. Forcibly push the water in that direction. Second is restriction.
Create a wall by which the water doesn’t flow in that direction. And third is reconstruction. I change the floor’s orientation so that it is inclined this way.
So what we need to do with respect to fear is that when the mind starts getting paranoid in this particular way, we have to find something which will push our thoughts in another direction. So for some of us, we may be more emotional. Some of us may be more rational.
Especially those of us who become more fearful, they often tend to be more emotional. If you can find some emotional channel by which we can direct our thoughts towards Krishna. For some of us, it may just be hearing some kirtan.
It may just be hearing some sweet kirtan and not just hear, repeat it. Even if nothing makes sense, just repeat it. Or we may look at a beautiful picture of Krishna and pray to Krishna.
If you are not able to pray, just have a picture of Krishna and have some prayer written below that and just repeat that. Initially, it will not have an effect. But it will slowly but surely.
We need to create the water’s flow in this direction. Somehow push the water in the other direction. So this redirection, how to apply it? We have to ourselves find out what is it that connects our consciousness towards something constructive.
When we find that and when we use that, then our consciousness starts moving upwards. The second is restriction. Restriction means, in the case of fear, we can have someone with whom we can talk who brings us back to reality.
When the mind goes off in negative fantasy, we have to distract it by bringing it back to reality. So if we have even one person with whom we can talk, when we appear to them, and they know, they understand something like, why are you so afraid? No, not like that. They understand our nature but then they help us to understand our nature.
There are two different things about it. They understand that our mind is corrupted by the fearfulness. So if somebody is very fearful, if you just tell them, don’t worry.
How can I not worry? I’m worried. It doesn’t work. They understand.
At the same time, when the mind is worried, it’s like, I give the example, if a baby is crying, mother gets exasperated. Mother calls somebody, some friend, you just silence the baby. That is the problem, I can’t silence.
You understand the baby is crying. So then somebody who understands our mind and helps us to understand our mind. So that association with one friend like that can ground us back to reality.
So our emotion, we normally think of it in two terms. Either we express our emotion or we repress our emotion. If I have fear, I start crying, let’s express it.
Or I just hide it, it can appear as if nothing has happened. That’s repressing. But we can go beyond expressing and repressing our emotions to processing our emotions.
What exactly is causing us fear? What are the possible scenarios? How can I deal with them? If we can have someone with whom we talk, then they can act as a restriction. They bring us back to reality. And if we keep practicing bhakti diligently, by that practice of bhakti, by chanting the holy names, by worshipping the deities, by doing our puja, by doing our seva, all this gradually makes our mind attached to Krishna.
That means, the inclination of our consciousness then becomes towards Krishna. Instead of being towards danger and panic. Thereafter, whenever there is any danger, instead of the mind going on a panic attack, the mind will immediately go towards Krishna.
We’ll take shelter of Krishna and therein we’ll get security. So, by redirection, restriction and reconstruction, we can combat fear.