Dr. Vijai S Shankar MD.PhD.
Published on www.academy-advaita.com
The Netherlands
2 January 2019
Fear
“Trust”
Every individual is in fear some time in his or her life. An individual does not like to be in fear, but nevertheless is in fear. He or she cannot remove fear when it is present.
Man and woman do not like fear and nobody loves fear. Everybody loves to lead a fearless life and try every possible knowledge and method available to lead a fearless life, but with no success. Some also believe that knowledge of spirituality and its methods will lead to a fearless life, but they are again without any success.
This implies that the knowledge of fear keeps man in fear. So what is the wise understanding that could lead man or woman to live a fearless life, is the question?
The wise understanding is regarding the moment in which fear is present. This is because fear is in the present moment and also for the future moment and the future moment is the next moment in the present as well.
Wisdom reveals that every moment in life renews itself and in between a moment in the mind and in life is moment as well. This signifies that a moment in life and in the mind is eternal.
Brain scans reveal that decisions happen seven seconds before man decides. The scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences reveal that human decisions are made seconds before humans become aware of them.
In the study, participants could freely decide if they wanted to press a button with their right hand or left hand. The only condition was that they had to remember when they made the decision to use either their right hand or left hand.
Using FMRI, researchers scanned the brains of the participants to find out if they could predict which hand the participants would use before participants were consciously aware of the decision.
The results, by monitoring the micro patterns of activity in the front-polar cortex, were that the researchers could predict which hand the participant would choose seven seconds before the participant was aware of the decision.
Wisdom reveals that this is proof that man neither decides nor reasons nor predicts nor predetermines. Wisdom reveals that even the movement of the hand to press the button happens and the brain does not make the movement happen in the moment.
Wisdom further reveals that fear happens for understanding to happen that only movement is present in every moment. Also, for wise understanding to happen that the movement is instinct and instinct cannot be controlled by man or his brain.
Sri Ramana Maharishi has declared that what is meant to happen, albeit illusory, will happen. Sri Adi Shankaracharya has declared that man is not the doer in Nirvanashadakam. Kenopanishad verse (1.3) declares that word and mind cannot access the Absolute One. Bhagwat Gita chapter 3 verse 27 declares that man is not the doer.
Wisdom further reveals that what is in any moment cannot be other that what is or is expected to be present in any particular moment. When this wisdom cements in man and woman trust in life cements in the mind, and man and woman begin to lead a fearless life.
Wisdom reveals that fear is present in the moment, when trust in life is absent in the moment. The trust that what is meant to be present in the moment will be present.
The enlightened trust life every moment and also understand that what happens in the moment, albeit illusory, will happen, but is not real.
Author: Dr. Vijai S. Shankar
© Copyright V. S. Shankar 2018
Editor’s Note:
The understanding of the wise is enlightening the human mind, as it is meant to. Thus, it is being realised that neither man nor his brain has control of whatever has happened, is happening or will happen. It is being realised that whatever has happened, is happening or will happen in the present moment is meant to happen, although it is illusory. That is to say that it is not real. Any belief or conviction, therefore, that man is a doer does not stand up. Any belief or conviction that man can control or dispel fear with any techniques does not stand up. While these beliefs or convictions are being dissolved gradually, trust in life becomes firmer until, as Dr Shankar reveals here, it cements. There is no fear in the moment that is eternity itself.
Julian Capper, UK
German Translator’s Note:
Since, as Dr. Shankar notes, every human being feels more or less fear in his life, be it everyday or on certain occasions, such as illness, this article is the key to a life marked by the quality of fearlessness. Fearlessness has nothing to do with courage. Courage is to think that fear is real. The focus of all spiritual, psychological and philosophical approaches to fear is on fear as reality. The focus of the enlightened is on trust in life. Man gains trust in life when the understanding happens that only what is destined to happen happens, and not what the mind thinks will happen.
Marcus Stegmaier, Germany.