16.01 – Fearlessness comes not by the absence of fear, but by the awareness of a presence that dwarfs fear
Heart attack. Recession. Earthquake. All of us have our fears. Fears that check even choke our energy, making things far more difficult than they need to be.
How do we deal with fear?
Some people increase their wealth or power, hoping that one day they will become so big that no fear will intimidate them. Sadly however, that day never comes. No matter how big they become, their bigness is derived from, even dependent upon, external possessions and positions that they can never fully control. So in a tragic paradox, the bigger they become, the bigger their anxieties become.
To become fear-free, Gita wisdom urges us to become aware of a presence that dwarfs fear – the supreme presence of Krishna.
The Bhagavad-gita (16.01) states that fearlessness is the first characteristic of the godly. This fearlessness is a direct result of their godliness or God consciousness. Krishna presides as the supreme reality in a blissful arena beyond the fear-filled arena of matter. He is bigger than everything – even the biggest problem that life presents. And he makes available his supreme intelligence and grace to all those who seek it by becoming conscious of their eternal loving relationship with him.
By prayerful daily meditation and regular scriptural study, we too can tune our consciousness to become aware of the divine presence of Krishna within and without. This doesn’t cause problems to disappear, but it takes away the power of problems send us on flights of nightmarish fantasy. Our emotions instead of being agitated by the problem’s presence become reassured by awareness of Krishna’s presence. Thus we become free to tackle the situation intelligently and productively.
Thus, even while living in a fearful world with a fear-prone, we can live fearlessly.
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The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Fearlessness; purification of one’s existence; cultivation of spiritual knowledge; charity; self-control; performance of sacrifice; study of the Vedas; austerity – these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.