On Becoming Spiritually Fearless
Our conventional way of thinking about the world remains profoundly dualistic. The physical and the rational in a supposedly eternal and inexorable battle against the unseen and the spiritual. In fact, the barriers between these two dimensions -- built by the narrow rationalism of the Enlightenment -- are now being dismantled by modern science and a growing chorus of personal experiences. What we're seeing -- if we are willing to look -- is that we are not alone in an indifferent universe. As Goethe put it, "This life, gentlemen, is much too short for our souls." If this life were sufficient for our souls, we would not go through it consumed with fear.
Reintegrating the spiritual and the everyday is the key to fearlessness. But ending this division is not easy when we've stopped even acknowledging that we live caught between these two worlds. When we're consumed with climbing the career ladder or just making a living, the spiritual seems unreal and far away. So we keep it conveniently penciled in one day a week, we seek it out only in moments of crisis, or we deny it altogether while trying to convince ourselves that we can overcome all fears and obstacles on our own.
Which is not to say we're not religious. Seventy percent of Americans belong to a religious organization and 40 percent of adults attend services once a week. "The downside to all this," writes Jeffrey Kluger in his 2004 Time article "Is God in Our Genes?" "is that often religious groups gather not into congregations but into camps -- and sometimes they're armed camps. . . .Why then do we so often let the sweetness of religion curdle into combat? The simple answer might be that just because we're given a gift, we don't necessarily always use it wisely."
Here's the bottom line: If you believe in a God who only judges and punishes, or if you believe that there is nothing but an accidental, indifferent universe, it's going to be incredibly hard to move from fear to fearlessness because, after all, the essential characteristic of fearlessness is trust. It's the trust that there is meaning in our lives, even when our limited minds are unable to see it, the trust that's captured in one of my favorite verses in the Bible: "Not a sparrow falls but that God is behind it."
The alternative is a pessimism and an impatience that despair of life and seek hope either in the end of the world or in worldly panaceas.
This excerpt was originally published in On Becoming Fearless by Arianna Huffington.
Follow Arianna Huffington on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ariannahuff
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As another poster has said, no amount of reasoning will bring belief where there is none. We all have to see for ourselves what is True, what satisfies our hearts at the very deepest level. For me, that is knowing my loving Father, whose love changes me from the centre out, but in the process often brings very unpleasant sides to my character to the surface in order to deal with them. As I face them, safe in the heart knowledge of being loved, I grow in my love towards all around me.
The Evolutionist in me is tempted to explain that fear is a natural part of life, a useful tool to let us know when our survival is at stake and a warning that we need to change our behaviors quickly. But how does one change behaviors, how does one know the right path to avoid fear-inducing situations without a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us? And can that understanding be achieved without spirituality?
Ask any scientist, and if they are honest they will confirm that the study of the physical and real can only answer so many questions. This doesn't necessarily lead to acceptance of an anthropomorphic Judeo-Chri
Reason and spirituality shouldn't be viewed as all inclusive or mutually exclusive, simply two tools we use to try and make some small bit of sense out of the world around us. The small camps and cultlike religions to which you refer are the antithesis of this process, as their goal is never to learn about ourselves or the universe, but rather to brainwash followers into lying to themselves and remaining distant from these things.
Well, Ms. Huffington, I have enjoyed immensely your posts and interviews, and expect to continue to do so.
However, while trying to respect whatever world view you choose to embrace, if you choose to embrace one, I cannot accept that you have found "the truth", or "enlightenment", other than how it applies to you in your life.
As to your reference to the percentage of religious adherents in this country, that is not a proof, no more than would a reference that over half of the people on the planet do not believe in a monotheistic god. These references to statistics are greatly interesting, but not proofs of truth.
Still, whatever you in particular believe in, it appears to be working for you, because you have done a lot of good for a lot of people. Please keep up the good works, I for one feel indebted to you.
I don't believe in God, not as a being. But as an energy, the energy that violates causality.
God is not a being, not our father or our mother, or some other projection of ourselves.
Religions, seem to think God's a business man rewarding our good deeds with a heavenly paycheck. Like the boogy man, God keeps us safe but only if we're good.
How frighenting to believe in nothing, no heaven, no good Karma or Bad Karma, no reward for being good. It's like being naked, with no protective blanket of warm ideas.
The heart doesn't need to lie, it already knows, with each breath, with each silent self awareness, there is something more to us.
I am fearless but, I do not trust many these days. I believe in God, my God is loving. I am grateful for life and my family. But you don't have to trust to be fearless. People can't even go Christmas shopping and feel safe buying toys for their children. I don't believe that is trust. I have written many times at this site about our dangerous products but most people don't seem to be concerned unless their health is involved. I can go on knowing that I tried to educate others and did everything I possibly could to make change. I will continue to be fearless. I lost my health, but I have dignity and when my time comes I can feel secure knowing that I and the many that suffer from illnesses from chemicals or indoor mold tried to educate the media, polititians, blog sites, family members, etc. so others wouldn't suffer. There is so much work to be done. And believe me it isn't China you have to worry about, our leaders made the decisions that are affecting our people and our planet right here is the USA. I assure you all the people that gave money to the election are not fighting for their lives with no healthcare. I assure none of the people loosing thier jobs or their homes to foreclosure gave to the election. I would be grateful if we had an honorable government that made desisions that really help people and not themselves. Enough said. Happy Holiday. Linda
Spirituality is not something that can be set aside while consumed with climbing the career ladder or just making a living. Spirituality should be totally intergrated into our daily lives. It is not a garment we can put on in time of crisis or when things don't go as planned.
I feel it is time that we challenge ourselves and our friends to spend their time learning to live without redemption rather than wasting their lives chasing it. The fear and meaninglessness that Ms. Huffington fears would accompany mental maturity ... is the place to start. .." I'm afraid of death and science seems to promise no help for meaningles
A course in the evolution of cooperation reveals that cooperation has great selective advantage, and all the great recommendations of religion all have their positive selection counterparts in evolution.
Humans seem to revel in delusion addiction. No cure I can see, but to start over with the premises of belief.
Humans are deceptive animals -as are most others, and plants too - and science is that set thought processes that protect us from lying to ourselves and one another.
There's the blessing I'm thankful for today ... science.
Arianna,
When I'm fisnish with the book I'm reading, I will purchase one of yours. Trust is a beautiful thing. Once you have gained trust from others, then respect follows.
Take care
Gemma ;o)
People assume that we evolved in a more or less straight line, from amoebas to multi-celled organisms to fish, to mammals, to primates, to MAN. Not true. Picture an enormous tree with five main trunks (the 5 Kingdoms), hundreds of branches, thousands of twigs, hundreds of thousands of leaves, and tens of millions of leaflets (species). We humans are one of those leaflets. No Creator directed evolution from the trunk to our particular leaflet. The evolution of intelligence in humans and cetaceans lets us think about such things. It's reasuring to imagine that a God, made in our image, who watches over us, that when we die, we really don't, that our souls live on forever. Dolphins no doubt picture God as the Great Cetacean swimming in a Heavenly Sea. I believe in "soul" as a metaphor for our hopes and dreams. But a spiritual soul that survives bodily death? A figment of our imagination, without one iota of evidence. Faith can bring great comfort to people. But fundamentalism of every sort inspires absolute certainty, when doubt is appropriate (think Bush and Armadinejad). It justifies our hatred. As Bill Maher once said, "I don't hate gays, God does!" The more I experienced life, the less sense an all-knowing, all-powerful God, seemed. I am a happy atheist. No angels, no devils, no Heaven, no Hell. Hell, now there's an insane idea! A loving God who tortures people forever? Even Bush only tortures to the point of "organ failure". I am an honest and ethical man. But my integrity and ethics don't depend on Bronze Age fables. I believe when I die, I will be dead, period. And that doesn't bother me. I am immensely lucky to be alive, and I am making the most of the life I have. But like every other living organism, when I die, my body will be recycled into the chemicals from which it came, from which other life forms will grow. That's the circle of life. I accept it without complaint. Just the world and the Universe. And that's plenty for me.
At this time of year it is especially important to become conscious of grace, to be thankful for our blessing, life.
This awarness should include that the only space-time we shall ever occupy is the present, what has passed is gone, and what will be has not yet arrived. Tomorrow will never come for some today, their moment in time will forever end, except for our memories of them.
Therefore look well to this day, it is all you shall ever have. Rejoice and be thankful for that time you have been given, because there is no more. Nothing one believes shall change that reality, an emotion that makes one feel good does not make it tangible, no matter the strenght of ones belief. Agape.
One could always read Epicurus. Once done, then fear tends to be a non-issue.
Embracing NO RELIGION of any sort, being "free from any assumed SOUL",requiring no spook show after live for lo, these last sixty-odd years has left me immune to most if not all the "fears" usually associated with "being human".
I can not be "coerced" into endorsing an idea, an ideal, or an action which I judge to be beyond the pale of propriety and/or proper behavior.
I quake before no straw men, (or straw women, either for that matter); I yield to no "bullies" no matter WHO their "daddy" was or is.
I have no devils to fear, no saints to coddle, no priests or priestesses to appease, please or placate with subservience of mind, whoredom of ethics or compromise of morals, or rendering of physical favors of ANY KIND WHATSOEVER.
This being so, you surely must understand that I gladly leave you to the "joys" of your "spirituality and/or the ecstacies of your religion in whatever guise it may suit.
It would seem only fair that you tender me the same respect.
To separate the spiritual from the material is impossible. Spirituality is purpose. A Course in Miracles asks "what is it for" in any decision we make. Is it to extend love or project fear.
Human beings suffer from an identity crisis. They have forgotten their original nature which is love and goodness.
People who feel guilty believe in a punishing God. People who have found forgivness believe in a loving God.
All fears are actually the fear of death. But if there's no death and all there is is love, what is there to fear. As a Course in Miracles says, the message of the crucifixion was the resurrection. Jesus proved the illusory nature of death.
With time, feeling for the true nature of what we are told in the many Holy works, written in all languages or spoken through the ages, becomes an integral part of our spiritual nature if we seek understanding. With understanding often come what Arianna refers to as fearlessness, for there is nothing left to fear, not death or pain. Clear thought becomes an ability lost to us when our minds are clouded with doubt, lack of decision or when we cannot see beyond our "window". "Seek and you shall find", ask and you shall be answered, but first you must know that there is an answer and be ready to recieve it. Allowing ourselves to recognize power beyond our own is sometimes very difficult.
Trust is an important virtue. I wonder how it figures in to the 19 year old Saudi woman who was raped, and now must receive 200 lashes in addition to 6 months in prison. The extra lashes were because she spoke out through the media. Will she go down a saint, taking extra punishment for the sake of using her God-given voice, despite her culture's insistence she choose silence? Can you imagine living where the sexes are not allowed to intermingle, so much for yin naturally balancing yang. I'm thankful to you Arianna, for creating a space where I can return and be part of a dialogue. I praise you for being a leader in the political arena, daring to inject your spiritual views, with the confidence earned through time and toil, that you won't soon be abandoned. You've created something amazing here, all-inclusive and joyful, stable yet expansive. Congratulations, and may your holidays be very blessed!
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