As long as there is a sense of self there is fear of the unknown. When there is no self (only unbounded awareness) then the unknown becomes just a mystery with an accompanying sense of wonderment.
Todd

When we identify with the level of life which is always changing, we are bound to live in fear of loss of all kinds. Of course, this identification cannot be shifted overnight just by telling ourselves that it should.

As I see it, it helps to become aware of the small and big inconsistencies in a fearful view of the world. It helps to start to notice in what way fear creates reasons for fear.

Slowly, we realize that this world is created from the inside, from the story we keep telling ourselves, which leads to the realization that the change needs to happen inside too. And that's where the process of making oneself safe can start.

How? By gradually noticing that, which is always safe, always here, beyond any story we tell ourselves, the source of all this dreaming.

India Won the Cricket World Cup Ya hoooo!

Congratulations :)

"Life is always unsafe and unstable, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf..." - Swami Shankaracharya.

Thank you Sherry
I just deleted a very long post that you summed up with the Swami's simple and eloquent quote. Beautiful.

peace

derek

yo...no one takes u seriously...so...what's the point, pooky?

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

It's true ..... personally, I have found that I can create fear in my life or eliminate it, even though the situation remains the same, as it takes a mind shift. And once the mind changes, the situation appears to change as well. Our minds are very powerful tools that connect us to Source, as we co-create with one another.

Love, Char

Love, Char

BTW: I enjoy Derek's posts, and appreciate his insights as I ponder .....

Love, Char

While I don't believe we should live in fear, we should be prepared for situations that may occur in the future. What ever it is, the truth is we have to be prepared to be fearless. To be able to take action. To be able to embrace lifes challenges in what ever form they present themselves.

Each situation has a lesson to teach us a human citizen of the world. After all this is just an experience, letting go and being fearless is something to think about...

Here is a brief quote from a book I just started reading that I found very enlightening and I think it is fitting to share,
What is no bondage to emotion?
"When you cry just cry.When you feel, just feel with body and mind. Don't separate yourself. Separation causes bondage, and separation inhibits and restricts our freedom."
Excerpt from "Teachings of The Earth - Zen and the Enviroment"

Well connecting it to the above question, lets have no bondage and just live, be fearless and understand yourself, regardless of what happens in this world knowing yourself, living and being in the now will allow you to face anything. After all this world is about experiences and each experience brings us closer to our individual personal goal. It's important to remember that we can't control others but we can control ourselves.

"If there was no fear, there would be nothing to fear"

“The only thing to fear is the truth, if you subscribe to the world’s fictions.”

~Infinite Play

Observation: In the wild kingdom the dangerous animals are the ones filled with fear.

In a world of love there is no fear, just a healthy respect for things like lions, the edge of a cliff, and oncoming traffic. Love and fear can not coexist in the mind at the same moment.

In the Infinite Players Guide and handbook the section on dealing with enemies suggests this approach:

To eliminate your enemies the most effective action to take is to eliminate the fear in their minds. Quite often this involves eliminating the fear in your mind as well. In fact the fear in your mind can induce others to fear you. This is why animals will attack an animal filled with fear, since fear is a sign of weakness and intentions that may present a threat. This approach usually involves at most honest communication and sometimes assistance with anything lacking or causing insecurity in the other party.

Fear is based on an illusion, resulting from a lack of understanding about the true nature of your universe. One of the hardest concepts to embrace is that all you are experiencing including your enemy is a manifestation our own consciousness.

Many seek to find security in outside things, but no security can be found out there because every thing is subject to change. The only thing we can find security in is our own self and one other thing that is a component of self, that benevolent all pervading intelligence operating behind the scenes. Which we find evidence of and a basis for having faith in, for although not seen, it’s effects can be known.

If we look at the correlations, parallels and synchronicities we start to see evidence supporting the idea that everything happens perfectly and there is a mysterious force, a consciousness, infinite mind beyond the scope of understanding for the finite mind, taking care of things, in regards to your evolution orchestrating and connecting in the unfolding of a great plan.

I really don't want to get psychological "healing" support from my government, that seems so Orwllian and a bit creepy.

I understand many want the Government to rule our lives completely, I think it's going down a very dangerous path.

How about the idea of family, friends, and community support?

Steve

I like this Helen Keller quote:

'Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing'

Let go!
Let go, let go, let go!

ahhh...no...your holding...let it go..come on now...that's holding.....tisk..tisk...still holding...

Hey Deepak, did you see this news bit?

"Fake or Not, Acupuncture Helps Back Pain
Even Sham Version of Technique Beats Conventional Therapies" some sort of placebo effect.

Scientists are claiming the mind is more effective than conventional therapies, who would have imagined.

There was also this 'Magnetic Trilobite' Sunspot that appeared on the Sun while these 200 scientists were watching. They were all surprised by the form it took, that of a Trilobite. There is a good chance you have seen the fossils they are common.

So what are the odds of that?

If you look to the right of the Trilobite there appears to be a man oddly enough.

Not bad for a random pattern.

Click my name for story and picture.

And the Einstein quote of the day:
The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.
~Uncle Al

George Bush could use that quote. If he starts quoting Einstein who knows what wisdom he might gain and impart?

If I was George I would read and study all the Einstein quotes, understand them and be able to wip one out, revlevant to the topic at hand; the welfare of the people everywhere.

Truth is wisdom tends to keep one from unsafe situations. So another way to "FEAR NOT", is to seek wisdom and apply it.

We could press the terminate dependancy on oil button, then oil and oil producing regions become a mute subject.

"the road to security lies in personally feeling safe, not in paying for thicker shields and walls."

- Well said Deepak.Looking forward to your next post on this topic.

Thanks Char
I enjoy your ponderings which are an important part of the discusions here. I read them all.

And thank you Diablo for your part.

derek

Interesting post Dr Chopra. I agree with most of it but I’m not so sure about this part:

“We face external threats today, yet few leaders have had the courage and insight to heal our fears first. One dark reason is that authority craves power, and the easiest road to power is by increasing public anxiety rather than quelling it.”

It may be true that governments may, in certain circumstances, increase public anxiety in order to rally more support and power in its favor (and I’m sure we’re all thinking about how Bush managed to get almost overwhelming support for the Iraq war…). But in the long-term, I don’t think that the Dept of Homeland security’s constant warnings of a terrorist threat actually helps to rally support for the government since it actually acts as a constant reminder to people about how relatively powerless the US government is in stopping terrorist attacks.

Anyway, thank you for writing about this topic, and stressing the importance for our health and well-being of rationalizing this fear and to putting it into perspective. It’s also reminded me to keep taking a closer look at all manifestations of fear and to question them.

Regards,

Lars

Hello Deepak and Everyone,

nice try norm...

the problem with Dr. Bollinger's introduction to the President of Iran was that it was inappropriate, unnecessary, and, yes, bad taste...just because the President of Iran is who he is doesn't make it okay to invite him to your Univeristy to speak and then under the pretext of freeedom of speech and open dialogue or whatever pounce your attack before the man even takes the podium...it was embarrassing for a man of his edcuational background and position to stoop to this level of bad taste and really childish behaviour.

And, you are right, he did sound and act exactly like a Republican..clueless.

have a great day....ruth

Hello Deepak and Everyone,

just wanted to add...that Dr. Bollinger's introduction had about as much impact as a feather duster...it was so out of place in that moment...yep, he sounded soooo republican...

sorry...to rub salt in the open sores of the republican supporters but they just keep asking for it...

i guess we are off subject....go ahead hit me with a Dr. Bollinger bullet! I deserve it..hahaha

have a good one ruth

hey flabs that iranian guy comes across more presidential that the nutcake u call prez... aren't u embarrassed to support such a bumbler?
damn!

"Life is always unsafe and unstable, like a drop of water on a lotus leaf..." - Swami Shankaracharya comment from Sherry

Yet the drop of water serves a purpose and serves it's purpose without having to put forth any effort. It serves the Lotus Leaf.

In 2002, a German scientist showed how tiny bumps on the lotus leaf cause rain water to ball up and clean dirt from its surface. This microstructure has been an inspiration for paint and easy-clean furniture fibres.

Dr Deepak asks: How to Feel Safe and Secure?

Dr Deepak answers:

--Ask the government to make you safe.
--Make yourself safe.

Brilliant, beautiful, simply put, logical.

Any doubts, any qualms?

I agree with some of the critical comments about the professor who spoke first at Columbia. He was unabashedly rude and blatantly offensive. The second man, I think he was the President of the college, gave a one sentence introduction. I would have preferred to hear where Ahmadinejad was born, how he grew up, where he went to school, etc. I got the sense that the college was fearful of going against the sway of public opinion; albeit , that no one wanted Mahmoud to speak there.
The Ugly American has been roaming our foreign policy since we have had foreign policy. And now, I heard on the tv news that we are arming the Sunnis, against the Shiites. So much for freedom of religion. It's almost like arming the Christian Fundamentalist with the popular vote, and telling the other sects to go fend for themselves. ....Well,... did I say almost like?

I guess I'm on a kick about foreign policy because it is so necessary. The Piutes, the Cheyeene, the Sioux, the Arapaho, the Apache, the Navaho, the Pueblo, they never wanted their hair cut, they never wanted to live in square houses, and they liked their native dress. Yet the diplomats representing Washington didn't care, nor did they respect them. The Indians embraced spiritual qualities, not religious tenets. The Christian diplomats embraced religious tenets and did not aspire to spiritual qualities.
It has been written that India has remained sovereign for antiquity due to her spiritual backbone. I think it is about time we discerned the difference and started to find ours - to make the good earth as good as it can be.

I think we find peace and contentment in living a well balanced life. To much of anything is not good for us. If we over eat, sleep, drink, worry, or many other things it gets our life out of balance. If we don't get enough of many things like sleep, nutrients, sun, food, water, and exercise then we become unbalanced.
We also tend to worry less when we know that someone much bigger then we are, is in control of our lives. That this world is not our home but we are just passing through and that our treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.