To Deal With Fear Focus On What Is Not On What If Gita 18.35 

Transcript

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to deal with fear, focus on what is, not on what if whenever we face unpredictable situation we may be afflicted by fear while some fear can be protective often most fear is speculative and destructive fear catches hold of our consciousness and paralyzes us by asking us the question what if can bring before us innumerable specters deadly ghost like beings which threaten us what if this goes wrong, what if that goes wrong what if that goes wrong what if the stock market crashes, what if I get cancer, what if my spouse leaves me what if I am caught in a terrorist attack what if my car brakes fail when I am driving so to prevent ourselves from being paralyzed by fear we need to change our question from what if to what is what is here right now I am driving a car and I suddenly remembered somebody whose brakes failed but what is right now, right now I am driving my car and if I test my car its brake is working fine maybe I need to service my car soon so as soon as we ground ourselves in reality then we find that the mind’s grip on us decreases substantially and that’s how we can protect ourselves from much fearful fantasizing Bhagavad Gita states in 1835 that chronic fearfulness is a characteristic of a perverse determination in the mode of ignorance Yaya Swapnam Bhayam Shokam Vishadham Madhamevacha Navimunchati Durmedha Dhrutisaparthatamasi that Tamasi Swapnam and Bhayam fantasizing about how wonderful things will be and Bhayam fantasizing about how dreadful things will be both of these characterize a mind which is wildly out of control being in the mode of ignorance and the way to deal with it is by asking what if not what if but what is and of course what is can ground us physically as well as spiritually physically if we ground our consciousness and the perceptions of the things around us specifically I am sitting in my car and I am driving it and I am safe right now and I can see the steering wheel is working so when we look at the physical situation usually it is never as bad as our mind dreads and additionally at a spiritual level if we have spiritual knowledge then what is can be answered in an even more solacing and strengthening way that I am a soul who is indestructible I am a part of the divine who is infallible whose love for me is inexhaustible whose plan for me is inexorable and thus we can solace ourselves so by focusing on what is we can break free from the paralyzing grip of fear thank you