The Big Setback
Have you ever seen a forest fire, either in real life, video or images?
Frightening to say the least.
In Australia where I am writing this, bushfires can be relentless and can decimate entire communities, devastating the lives of those in its wake.
They are a force to be reckoned with, not messed with. They need to be managed strategically and forcefully to be extinguished, or at the every least, contained.
Our fears are just like raging forest fires. They arise from our conditioning as human beings and are designed to wipe us out, leaving only ashes and burnt remnants of our true selves.
Debilitating, they can be a significant handicap to leading a happy, fulfilling life.
Some fears are more rational than others and can be protective in some ways - such as a natural fear of heights, venomous creatures and loud noises.
The fears I speak of however, are those you always carry around with you, that are constantly whispering (or shouting) in your ear, that hinder your progress towards spiritual wholeness by menacing you with their threats.
“You are so incompetent, of course you will be rejected”, “Don’t even bother trying because you are certain to fail as you always do”, “You can’t be alone for a while because you might discover something terrible about yourself”, and so on.…
They can also originate from past traumatic experiences that can deeply affect the impressionable mind.
It’s definitely a thing of great power, but what really is fear anyway?
Dissecting Fear
When you dissect a fear, what do you find?
The commonest finding at a fear autopsy is: Disconnection of the self.
Severance from yourself and your origins as a spirit soul is what typically characterises fear.
Let’s take for example a hand. A hand has everything to fear if it is cut off from the body to which it belongs. It’s very survival depends on it being nicely attached to the body.
You could forgive a hand for not doing so well when detached from the body.
We are no different.
When we are detached from our spiritual origins - the source of our very existence, we don’t do very well and that usually manifests as being fearful to different degrees amongst a myriad of other potential troubles that may plague our lives.
This kind of disconnection is why we struggle so much to keep it together, especially now, in this age of discord.
Distracted by the material energy we are increasingly being led away from understanding our true natures.
Often in the name of scientific progress and advancement, we are constantly redirected to the latest ‘thing’ we need to have, do, think about, or fight for, but we can see that at a personal level, we are often going in the opposite direction (of progress).
This is an expected phenomenon in these circumstances, because we are the metaphorical fish out of water.
We belong elsewhere, to a better place.
But, here, where we live, so much of the behaviour of humanity is driven by fear.
The reason for this is the fundamental disconnection of humanity from what truly matters - our identities as spirit souls.
In a way, fear is the antithesis of love. It is disconnection, whereas love is connection.
Imagine if you always felt loved, supported, connected and secure - fear would of course be nowhere in sight!
So what does all this mean for you, in terms of solutions to the fear festival within your heart?
The Forces that Be
When fear is the dominating force of your mind, this translates into your emotions and therefore your actions.
The often problematic results of such actions, then embed that sense of disconnection into your consciousness.
This breeds more fear and the disconnection becomes more stark and entrenched.
The formidable fire of fear need not however greedily engulf you.
We always have a choice.
If you choose love and connection over the habits and wounding of disconnection, there is definitely hope.
Yes, there is always a choice, but to be able to choose we need to have options.
Sadly in mainstream society the options are usually limited and repetitive, leaving little scope for choosing a life of spiritual balance.
The typical western school education system is increasingly steering away from the teachings of spiritual thought and belief.
So the average person is pushed, with the prevailing forces of materialism, into choices that don’t always serve their highest good.
So the fire of fear is stoked instead of being extinguished and then we see the kinds of self medication that are so prevalent in the countless excesses of modern society.
You may have yourself experienced the push to self medicate. You may even have a favourite poison.
So, if fear looks like the dysfunctional vices and perils of our modern, materialistic society, then what does love look like?
The tragic thing is that many of us do not even know.
The Beautiful Face of Redemption
According to the sacred Bhakti Yoga teachings, the face of love is magnetic, powerful and beautiful.
It looks upon the object of its love - the divine (Krishna/God), and sees its own faultless reflection.
This exchange gives meaning to its love.
It is the natural expression of the soul when the coverings of human conditioning are stripped away.
Connecting with the original source of love is the souls purpose. This can take lifetimes to realise.
But when realised - there is no going back.
The Supreme Soul is waiting for you to reach out and connect.
No longer the sorrowful shell dominated by fear, you become a vital, potent and dynamic force, dominated by the love of connection with the divine - the supreme power grid.
Plugged in at last!
A spiritual practice and lifestyle that serves to gently discipline the mind and senses, and remind you of who you are, where you come from and where you belong, is the face of love.
There is no need to renounce the world and retreat to the Himalayas to find or practice this love!
You just need to take the new, connected you, back to your life and release yourself onto unsuspecting others who will wonder how they can get what you’ve got.
Bhakti Yoga offers this priceless gem.
Bhakti Yoga and its crest jewel, Sacred Mantra Meditation is the ultimate fire extinguisher.
Showering you with its cooling waters, it smothers the fire of fear leaving behind only the love that you possess in your own heart.
When accessed, this love is unstoppable!
It can reach its full potential when it is directed back to its source (The Divine/God/Krishna), to be continually expanded and revitalised.
This can be achieved through a regular spiritual practice that can be started at any level of intensity.
The previously unchecked mind, now powerless to create fear, under the reign of Bhakti Yoga, starts becoming your best friend.
No fear here, just love.
Love is your drug and you will want more and more.
Medicate yourself with Bhakti Yoga and soon you will meditate yourself towards the loving bliss that is rightfully yours.
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Feel free to check out my other blogs for more information.
You can find a lot more concise information by checking out my videos containing secrets of the ancient, timeless knowledge of Bhakti Yoga - literally at your fingertips.
The Bookshelf is also a good place to start the Bhakti Yoga magic.
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A fabulous way to connect to similar minds and hearts is to find an international Bhakti Yoga Centre near you (Branches of ISKCON - The International Society of Krishna Consciousness), where you can speak to an experienced yoga practitioner and receive personal guidance.
If you would like to explore how you can incorporate Bhakti Yoga into your life in a balanced and harmonious way, and feel you would benefit from one on one support, you are welcome to book a Discovery Session with me, Rasika Manjari.
See you at the New World.
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