Viveka talks – exercise 19.
Read the 19th Chapter of the book “Viveka – the Voice of Inner Guru” entitled “Dealing with fear”.
Remember: this article/chapter is tokenized, and you may buy it as a “writer’s NFT!”
Points to consider
Since you want reality, not a story about it, you have no other choice than to do something and check it for yourself. That is, if your mumukshuta, a desire for liberation, is strong enough.
But what if it isn’t? What if you have doubts, maybe even fears of losing the life you have?
Maya promises many wonders and delivers them, at least temporarily. The problem is that she dies out with time, and when that happens, everything that she gave you disappears with her. That will happen to you, too. That is happening to you, over and over again. But, every time it happens, you crawl back to Maya and do everything you can to gather yourself together and start serving her again.
So, it is quite natural to ask yourself what will happen to your life when (or if) Maya leaves.
Fear is not a problem. There is nobody out there, in the past, present, or future, who tried to sever the connection with Maya and bring her realm down without being afraid. So, it is entirely understandable and reasonable if you feel that way. I would not take you seriously if you claim you are not afraid to part with the illusion in your life.
However, I recommend that you face the fear BEFORE it consumes you entirely.
Spontaneous deconstruction of an illusion is a beach. It can ruin your life so profoundly that you would need another body to recover and start again. Hopelessness, depression, mental disorders, and all kinds of weaknesses of the body and the mind are quite possible. But, those experiences are not consequences of the deconstruction of the illusion; they are consequences of fighting against it due to fear.
That’s why you’ll do well if you follow your mumukshuta, even if it is not so overwhelming to make you give up everything in your life. Despite possible fear, deliberate and voluntary facing the illusion is the prevention of future hardships that are surely waiting for you around the corner.
However, you should be aware of one special feature of the fear ignited by the mumukshuta. Basically, all our previous fears were created by the threat of forces that hold the center of power. If we were fighting, the goal of the fight was to come nearer to the center or take it by ourselves. The whole drama of life is based on such a centralized structure of reality. It’s all about who is up (in the center) and who is down (far from it). If you are down, the solution is obvious – you have to climb up; you have to take control. Don’t be pussy; fight for yourself, claim your power, do your thing, make yourself strong, and rule over our universe.
But now, everything has changed. The fear and the fight you’ll experience are entirely different from anything you did before.
The insight of a decentralized reality changes everything you know about yourself. Until now, you have been the center of everything. All experiences are orbiting around you; they were yours. Now, you suddenly understand that „yours“ is an illusion, and there is nothing to cling on anymore.
The loss of control and identity is the root of existential fear during the deconstruction of an illusion.
Bear in mind that fear is not a problem. The problem is what we do to avoid it. So, don’t even try to do that. Face it. Go through it. You are not the first, nor the last, who is going through the same process of disillusionment. Fear will do you no harm, but avoiding it, running away, and all the things you do while trying to make it disappear might.
Think more about the fact that it is an illusion you are losing. The control you thought you had – it was not there. The identity you thought you had – well, just a mirage. The true reality is not changing just because your false reality is now crumbling into ashes. You never had that what you think you are losing now. So, what’s there to worry about?
***
The last part of the chapter, “Dealing with fear” speaks about what you’ll lose and gain with the deconstruction of the illusion.
You’ll not lose a capability for ordinary happiness (it will come and go as always), but you’ll gain access to ananda – inner bliss independent of outer circumstances.
You’ll not lose a capability for being successful (as until now, success will sometimes come), but you’ll gain access to punja – fulfillment in activity and perception of indicated activities.
You’ll not lose a capability for emotional relationships (they will stay more or less the same), but you’ll gain access to prema – individualized but unconditional love.
Ananda, punya, and prema – not so bad, isn’t it?
And now, if you still remember the fear, don’t be a fool and a pussy. Fear will pass.
The bliss is forever.
Questions for thinking
You have read most of the Viveka book now. You should understand clearly that your life is probably 99% an illusion. Also, you must feel some level of mumukšuta; otherwise, you would not read until this point.
What about fear? Do you feel it? What is it that you fear the most?
When you think about severing the connection with Maya in your life, what are your doubts? Can you think about why not do it; why wait a little and give yourself some more time?
It is your turn now. Write your thoughts, comments, or questions.
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