Meditation----- for this Month. Mind's Quality Fear Part 1

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Hari OM!

 

Dear Nara Narayanas,

 

Article is by SWAMI PARAMARTHANADA OF CHENNAI. Those who are residing at Chennai Saturday and Sunday Swamiji takes classes at Astika Samajam, Venus Colony Alwarpet Chennai.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fear Part-1

 

 

Another major mental problem is fear. Fear is universal. Even animals and plants have fear. This fear is expressed in our life in the form of different types of anxieties - about the future, our family, our work or business. Some anxieties are in milder forms and some in severe forms. We all know that this is not all that good for our physical, mental and spiritual health. We know that anxiety is totally useless. We cannot change our future by becoming anxious about it. Therefore our problem is not ignorance. We know it is not good to have fear. But still we continue to find ourselves anxious, tensed up, worried and afraid. From this, it is clear that the problem is not an intellectual one. If the problem is intellectual, knowledge by itself would have removed the problem. But we find that it is not so. So the problem must belong to our mind, to our mental habits.

Most of the mental problems are emotional habits which I have formed by repeatedly entertaining those emotions. Now these emotions are deep in my subconscious mind. They are Samsaras or Vasanas. If I want them to go away, I have to consciously unwind them and practice their opposite. Not for a day or two, but for a very long time. I have to sit quietly, bring out my anxieties, put them outside and discover a strong mind underneath. I should tell myself that I am not anxious. Initially, it would be mechanical or appear mechanical, but in due course it becomes an assimilated positive habit. And in developing this new habit, I take the help of the Lord. I pray for strength.

"Oh Lord! Give me the strength to welcome my future, whatever it may be. I do not know my future or my family's future or my country's future. I know it will be a mixture of good or bad and I will have to go through them because I have come here to exhaust my karma. I cannot dodge them, I cannot avoid them. I want only strength to welcome them calmly without anxiety."

I should believe that prayer strengthens me. I am stronger after every fervent sincere prayer. I own up the strength and tell myself that I am now stronger, ready to welcome any situation in life. My own old age, disease or death, the ups and downs of family members, the success or failure in business. I am no more anxious. I am no more tense. I am no more worried, I am strong enough to face anything.

I am relaxed; I am relaxed; I am relaxed;

SÄNTOHAMSÄNTOHAMSÄNTOHAM

 

With Love & OM!

Krishna Prasad