Fearlessness in life
ANJUVADHU ANJAMAI PEDAMAI IS TIRUKKURAL. What is to be feared must be
avoided. But fear is not the way of life. Safe driving in life and on road
depends on your fearlessness. There is no point in driving safely at 40 MPH
where the road is empty 50 miles ahead; there is also no point is pressing
the pedal where traffic is overflowing; safe driving is driving both at
100MPH as well as 40 MPH; requirement is driving focus and control of the
machine and the mind.
In the second chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, in the 56th verse,
Krishna says that:
*One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or
elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and
anger, is called a sage of steady mind.” Bhagavad-gita 2.56*
So we’re talking here about a person that has come to this position of being
undisturbed, undisturbed and having an even mind. A mind is undisturbed
even in the midst of threefold miseries where you are not elated in
happiness. It’s okay to be a little happy, but let’s not lose the plot like
someone in a gameshow .They’re just completely losing the plot like now
their life is going to change. No, your life is not going to change. The
suffering and happiness that will come of its own accord will be there.
It’s not going to increase or decrease. TIRUKKURAL SAYS “IDUKKAN VARUNGAL
NAGUHA”. When a person is equipoised even in happiness and distress, who is
free from attachments, free from fear, and free from anger
<https://www.scienceofidentityfoundation.net/articles-by-jagad-guru/anger-separates-us-from-god>,
such a person is called a sage of steady mind. Their mind is in a very
stable and steady condition. So, the reason that somebody is in that state
is due to knowledge, spiritual knowledge. This knowledge or real knowledge
is actually the panacea. It actually destroys darkness in the same way that
light destroys darkness. When everything is dark and you turn on the light,
instantly the darkness is destroyed. In the same way knowledge instantly
evaporates the darkness of ignorance.
So, the process of spiritual cultivation is both a process of hearing
and reading spiritual subject matter. Hearing from spiritual authorities,
the great spiritual teachers, hearing by reading the instruction of
Krishna, of other spiritual personalities within yogic scripture. And then
adopting personal practice. I mean if you want to win a gold medal in the
Olympics, is that easy? Can you just say, “Oh I want to be a gold
medalist.” And then just go and enter some competition and expect to win?
What’s required is that a person actually undergo a regimen of practice, of
activity - proper eating, proper training and exercise, a proper honing or
sharpening of a particular skill set - where you come to a point of
capability that when you compete against others you have a very high
possibility of winning such a gold medal.
This spiritual path requires the same type of focus and dedication. It
is not that it is so difficult. It’s not like, “Oh my God, I’m going to
make so much sacrifice. How am I going to be able to do this?” No. It’s not
like that at all. If you are able to engage under the guidance of a proper
spiritual teacher, this path of spiritual cultivation, as you gradually
progress, you begin to taste a form of sweetness and happiness that
continues to increase and grow. And it results in this—it’s very
transformative. It’s not like when we talk about knowledge we are talking
about book learning - where you learn an idea and you can sort of repeat
it. This knowledge is an awakening and seeing things from a completely
different perspective.
So in this verse from the Bhagavad-gita, the 18th Chapter, the
final chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. The 30th verse it states--Krishna is
speaking to Arjuna;
*Oh son of Prtha, that understanding by which one knows what ought to be
done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to
be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, this is in the mode of
goodness. Bhagavad-gita 18.30*
So, Krishna explains that there are different types of
so-called knowledge. Real, factual knowledge which is being described here
as knowledge in the mode of goodness is completely enlightening. Whereas
the so-called knowledge that people cultivate, if its foundation is
ignorant, you may go on studying a subject and becoming very knowledgeable
in that subject but if it’s heading in the wrong direction and taking you
in the wrong direction, it is ultimately considered ignorant.
In this next verse also from the Bhagavad-gita, 2nd Chapter, the 40th
verse it says;
*In this endeavor (meaning the spiritual endeavor) there is no loss or
diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the
most dangerous types of fear. Bhagavad-gita 2.40*
So as we’ve pointed out, everybody is existing with all kinds of fears that
are buried often deep inside us and surface from time to time. But because
we live in this state and condition, we are not always aware of it. From
the point of view of an actual spiritual personality they look at other
living beings as being—their condition as very lamentable. So, this is the
proposition. So, we must understand that by virtue of the fact that we
exist, embodied within this body, living in the material world, we will be
confronted in different points in our life with calamities. They will occur
because it is the nature of material world. But even in the face of the
greatest calamity when one has taken shelter of the Supreme Soul, when one
has taken shelter of the knowledge that is being offered, when one is
acting on that knowledge, then one can be free from fear even in the midst
stated of the greatest calamity. So, this is the key to fearlessness.
Thus, fearlessness paves the way for the concentration of
the mind and its right applications. So safe driving does not only mean the
speed but driving is also done to save time, which should also be
considered. K RAJARAM IRS 10925
On Wed, 10 Sept 2025 at 04:42, Jambunathan Iyer <[email protected]>
wrote:
> *Life is a road-drive with care, because not everyone gives a signal
> before changing lanes. **Take care of your life, it's the most precious
> journey you'll ever travel.*
>
>
> *N Jambunathan , Chennai " What you get by achieving your goals is not as
> important as what you become by achieving your goals. If you want to live a
> happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things "*
>
>
>
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