Discover more from Christopher Titmuss - The Buddha Wallah
Two Global Pandemics. The State of the Earth. Fear around Big Issues and Fear around Personal Issues. Can We live without Fear?
DELTA/OMICRON, STATE OF THE EARTH AND TRANSFORMING FEAR
We live in challenging times with two global pandemics, Delta and Omicron, and global uncertainty for the Earth.
Fear may arise in our mind owing to countless circumstances.
The Buddha referred regularly of the intimacy of consciousness with the four primary elements and the importance of a wise relationship with them.
We witness the global pandemic and the impact of the elements –
earth (destruction/exploitation/earthquakes)
air (pollution/virus/tornadoes/hurricanes)
heat (climate change/high temperatures/forest fires/volcanoes)
water (melting icecaps/rainstorms/intense monsoons/floods).
The current impact and the potential for greater impact can contribute to increasing our level of fear about the days, weeks, months, and years ahead.
The painful experience of exposure to an upheaval of the elements can leave countless numbers of people traumatised and more.
Teachings and practices point the way to transformation of fear – all of it.
Three Ways for Fear to Express
There are only three areas for fear to express – heart-mind, communication (spoken/written) and body. We find ourselves vulnerable to fear due to global/social events and the influence of powerful institutions instilling more fear into us.
Fear may grow at the personal level, social, political, and global level. Fear reveals a contraction around an issue. We think we cannot live without fear. The opposite is true. We cannot live with fear. If fear is indispensable to human life, then the logic says we cannot dissolve any of our fears.
If we need fear to protect us, then we should cultivate as much fear as possible on the irrational logic it will offer a strong protection.
Do we have choice with fear? We might think “I have experienced enough fear on this issue, so I am choosing to stop fear inside me from this moment onwards from continuing.” Is your mind going to take any notice of your choice?
Anybody who lives in fear wants the fear to end. It can. We can dispense with it. Fearlessness enables us to live with peace of mind, speak up, to act, to protest and make healthy changes.
We explore ways daily to dissolve fear and respond in fearless ways. That is a humble choice with the potential for deep change.
The company of the like-minded practising to act without fear support our initiatives.
Wisdom dissolves fear and replaces it with a skilful response to situations.
If we can dissolve a single experience of fear, then we know we have the capacity to dissolve any fear.
LET US EXPLORE WAYS TO ACT WITHOUT FEAR
Sensations in pit of stomach do not confirm fear. Identification with and reacting to such a sensation confirms fear.
2. Fear can show itself in thought, word, and deed without experiencing a sensation in the body.
3. Sharing of experiences
4. Exploring together or alone alternatives to dissolve fear
5. Taking small, bold steps
6. Remembering our capacity to act without fear in the past
7. To find inspiration from others to act fearlessly
8. To meditate on the fearless and found fresh ways to look at a situation
9. To stay receptive to this big field of co-existence
10. To develop dignity and integrity through not caving into fears.
May all beings live in a fearless way
May all beings live with wisdom
May all beings enjoy a liberated life.