Guest guest Posted January 7, 2002 Report Share Posted January 7, 2002 Dear Raj: Great discussion topic! I agree with jay, but will add further comment. Fear is a wonderful spiritual tool or motivator. The Old Testament of the Holy Bible speaks alot about " . . .fear of the Lord. " At first, I was turned off by this concept. As the New Testament teaches us that God is Love - why should we fear love? But, as jay points out, fear may be necessary in the early stages of our spiritual growth, in order to allow us to see the futility or the downside of serving Maya. King Solomon in Proverbs 1:7 tells us: " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. . . " Then we are taught in John 4:18: " But perfect love drives out fear. " For me, without fear, I would still be chasing Maya (which I am, but to a lesser degree). I do not yet know the love of God (except for occasional glimpses) - which could be viewed as the " carrot, " but I certainly know fear - the " stick. " So, fear mixed with knowledge (i.e., book learning), has initiated me onto the spiritual path. I have coined a new term for the type of fear that has prompted my spiritual journey: Samsaraphobia! God Bless, Brad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.