I would like to talk about facing tomorrow. In some cases, this could be looking directly into the face of danger – or many dangers. If we’re honest, we just don’t know. And, it’s natural to be frightened when we are unsure of an outcome. But are we ever really sure of a future outcome? Or is surety based on safely believing what we are compelled to believe? “Everything happens for a reason.” “God will protect us.” “Karma means the good guys win in the end.” We grasp for easy answers to assuage our fear. And frequently none of these answers are true.
Fear is a natural response to not knowing. Grasping for something seemingly tangible just to feel secure ironically leaves us vulnerable and unprotected. It is no value to pretend we know what we just don’t know. But, what we do know is that awareness is the best defence. To arm ourselves with awareness, it is essential that we are willing to see what’s happening. Fear happens, not knowing happens. If this is the case, it’s important to acknowledge that. We don’t know what will happen, and we are frightened. But fear does not need to limit us. Fear can either be a doorway or a wall. With courage and belief in ourselves we can accept our fear, admit we don’t know, and face what happens. We can do this if we develop confidence in our own goodness, and the goodness of our awake nature.
Confidence and fear are not mutually exclusive. Fear is an experience humans have had throughout existence. Fear has kept us alive, awake and present. If we don’t recoil from the experience of fear, fear will create an edge that keeps us awake. In fact, it is a mistake to believe that fear signifies a problem. Fear might signify the possibility of a problem, but if we pay attention, we can move forward and see what actually lies before us. And knowing the truth is always 0ur best defense. To have our life, our joy, our spirits subsumed in worry over things we cannot control is is not protecting us, although it is robbing us of our life. The life force within us is more powerful than we understand. Maybe one of the most powerful forces in the universe. The stream of life is a powerful experience that we can tap into whenever we are present and aware.
Buddhist teachings suggest that our life force stems from our life source. Our humanity is an expression of that source. We can learn to rest in source. It is at once universal and personal. It is our Buddha nature. When we rest in that awake nature we are doing all we need to maintain our humanity. We don’t have to be bigger, stronger, funnier or louder than how we are feeling. Circumstances outside of our control often force us to deny our humanity by reacting in ignorance and becoming something we are not. This is quite dishonest. We follow paths because other people lead us and sometimes these paths are not to our benefit or the benefit of our world. We believe that mindlessly following the status quo, or our elite subset of the status quo, will provide us what we need for security and happiness. And we need any number of things to supply the basic requirements for life. However, to the broken parts of us, none of this is ever enough so we want what we don’t have. We mistake things we want for what we need. Often we are searching for what we want so relentlessly we ignore the things we need. This keeps us agitated and unhappily trying to find happiness as we become more and more depleted of our vital spirit. Wanting is, by definition, not accepting. Wanting is desiring different circumstances than what we have.
If, for instance, we really want love in our life, there is evidence that finding that love within ourselves is a necessary requisite. If we love ourselves, we are less inclined to be led by circumstances that are not to our benefit. If we love ourselves, we have a gift that no one can take from us. We can find strength in that love. And we can build confidence in that love. However, this “essential love” is not indulgence. It is not self-cherishing or self-defending which are the province of ego. Our ego proclaims itself so loudly it does not need encouragement. Ego proclamation is a reaction to fear. We get frightened, so we puff up like a blowfish porcupine. But, it is hollow and never enough.
Also, most reactions we have to fear only make us more vulnerable and less able to actually protect ourselves. The single most important thing we need for protection from danger is awareness. But, awareness comes from a stable and open mind. In other words, a stable and open mind rests on acceptance of what is happening here and now. When we are lost in a state of fearful confusion we are giving up on ourselves. We are allowing ourselves to be led by the nose. We are likely to become victims. Aggressive forces throughout societal evolution have instilled fear in the populace to gain control. Fear of immigrants across the border. Fear of witches in the village. Fear of our own urges under our bed sheets. All of those fears make us vulnerable to be led by anybody wishing to control us. It’s ironic that people who believe so much in the strength in their own individualism as we Americans do, can be led into situations where others can steer them quite effectively. The more aggressive we are, the more easily we are led.
Facing the possibility of change with an open heart, a strong back and a clear mind is nonviolent warriorship which is the seat of the bodhisattva. Connecting to our inner life force, we find a strength that can lead us forward. Sit down, rise up and meet the change. There is great strength in this. Finding false strength in what everybody else is doing or in reacting to what everyone else is doing, which is the same, are just expressions of being controlled by fear. On the other hand, bravery is sitting in the maelstrom, open and aware, feeling our fear and remaining open and clear. Doing this as a training practice every morning is how we remain spiritually fit and connected to our life.
But we don’t have to perform or be supersized to show up for life. We can just do it. We can step past the fear. We can meet the day with humility and grace and trust in our basic goodness. Standing at the door we might be afraid that if we walk through we won’t be up to the task. But all we have to do is simply be present. Let your mind be busy, let the world be crazy, let other people pull and tug but remain in your seat like a spiritual warrior. That is your birthright.
Love yourself so that you can love your world.
Whatever happens tomorrow is what happens tomorrow. Take this opportunity to connect to your awake nature finding strength in that, remain steadfast and present in promoting love and goodness in your world.