fear - part 2 of 2

[Guest guest]

namaste. As stated in the first part, fear is unpleasant and

undesirable. It is a negative value of life. The upanishads stress

the positive aspect of life and hence not much of discussion is

available in the upanishads about fear. In BrihadAraNyaka upanishad,

prajApati, the creator of all creatures felt afraid at first.

As he is the father of all creatures, there is no creation

before he created them. PrajApati was alone, felt lonely and

was afraid. The upanishad says that when man is alone, he is

afraid. But immediately, the upanishad raises the important

point that there is fear only if there is duality. So, when

one is alone, where is the cause for fear? PrajApati thought

that way and he was no longer afraid.

 

Now, how does lonliness cause fear? Obviously, it is by

ignorance, because, in actuality, it is the duality which is

the cause for fear. If we analyze this lonliness, we will notice

this lonliness is not a factual lonliness but a relational

lonliness. It is not that much physical solitude but a

spiritual isolation. Physical lonliness is an empirical fact.

Real lonliness is an inner experience of isolation. So the

secret for the cause of fear lies in the inner feeling of

lonliness. PrajApati was lonely both physically and spiritually.

He got over this inner experience of isolation with Knowledge.

 

Fear is a negative experience of lack of spiritual bliss.

According to upanishads, spiritual advaitic bliss is the

essence of man. So, fear, then, is primarily the lack of

this (knowledge of) advaitic bliss. This fear (lack of advaitic

bliss) appears, secondarily, as an apprehension of danger from

another person or danger to the security. But, the appearances

of fear are secondary only and the primary cause of fear is the

separation away from (the knowledge) of the non-dualistic bliss,

Ananda.

 

In shrilalitAsahasranAmA, shrilalitA is called bhayApaH, the

one who removes fear. The bhAShya refers to the shruti statement

"Anandam brahmano vidvAn na bibheti kutashcaneti" (Taitt. u.)-

the one who knows the non-dualistic bliss of brahman is not

afraid of anything.

 

In conclusion, it may be stated the reason for fear is the

ignorance of non-dualistic bliss. It is also quite apparent

that knowledge of materialistic sciences (aparavidya) is not

a solution to the fear [please see Bhartr^ihari's vairAgya

shatakam statement]. It is only paravidya (the knowledge of

non-dualistic bliss) that eradicates fear.

 

 

(concluded)

regards

gummuluru murthy

-