Fearlessness
“Living
in fearlessness means that we are expressing the heroic nature of our
soul and all of its other virtues. The soul, being the spark of God
within us, begins to express its true nature, that being Goodness
itself...As Sri Yogananda says in his Gita commentary, 'Fearlessness
means faith in God...'”
Brother
Priyananda (Divine Love is the Magnet; Parabola, Winter, 2014-15)
Everyone
I see is discussing the film, Selma. It shows the incredible
tenacity of the African American people who faced violence and
intimidation in their struggle for equal rights under the law—the
right to vote, for instance. They were certain of the rightness of
their cause; they could wait no longer for the powers-that-be to give
them those rights. I don't believe, however, that they did what they
did without fear. They were afraid when police dogs and fire hoses
were turned on them, when mounted officers beat them with billy
sticks. Who wouldn't be afraid in such circumstances. But, they had
the faith and the fortitude to act in spite of their fear. In my
world view, that is the definition of fearlessness.
It
is the very nature of fearlessness to act in spite of danger for the
good of all. We see it in the faces of soldiers awarded the Medal of
Honor, in our peace officers and fire fighters, who risk their very
lives to protect others. We see it in the parent who reaches for her
child's hand when crossing a busy street. Inherent in all of us is
this spark of soul that allows us to face danger with courage.
Inherent, simply because it's instinctual—any hero will tell you
they weren't thinking about it, they simply did what anyone would do
under the circumstances. When we're acting from our souls, we do so
in spite of fear.
No
human being lives without fear, which is not to say that we can never
be fearless. When we have faith in right action, in Goodness itself,
we are able to face most any obstacle head on. Allowing our souls to
take the lead is the key.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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