From: Thyagi@HouseOfKaos.Abyss.com
Newsgroups: soc.religion.eastern
Subject: Re: Fear and anxiety
Date: 11 Jan 93 19:14:26 GMT
Article-I.D.: qiclab.1993Jan12.212329.10021
Organization: ----


93!01.11 e.v.


Abhay writes:

I mentioned earlier that happiness is a state of mind in absence of
desires, which also means that there should be no fear or anxiety.
To get rid of fear and anxiety, we need to study what fear and anxiety are.


Response:

'Getting rid' of these feelings is, for many people, the exact opposite
of what they need.  There is entirely too much focus on the intellect as
the Mighty God of Release.  While such intellectual feats will bring
release eventually, for many this is the longer and more painful road.

In any case, I agree that studying fear and anxiety is a useful thing,
especially since as one studies a thing it becomes a part of oneself.


Abhay:

What is the source of anxiety ? Attachment ? Desire ?

Is anxiety = fear = uncertainty ? 


Response:

These do seem to be your assumptions.


Abhay:

Anxiety is a feeling that something bad is likely to happen.
(How do we know what is bad ?)
I guess fear is more or less the same thing.
Anxiety and fear arise out of uncertainty.


Response:

Do they?  Or is it certainty which inspires our disharmony?  Many
Western Existentialists seemed to think so. :>


Abhay:

If one believes that whatever happens happens for good, so that
nothing bad happens, there could be no anxiety. 


Response:

When does belief become wishing and wishing become desire?  If I
believe that the statue of liberty is day-glow yellow, will this
be true?  Or will I be coving maya with maya and calling Her wisdom?


Abhay:

How does one conquer anxiety, knowing very well that uncertainty
could always be there ? By accepting that the choice is not yours,
and by panicking, you are not likely to achieve anything. Whatever
happens, happens for good.


Response:

Picture anxiety as a Great Black Serpent.  She is attacked and
beaten back out of sight time after time, remaining always just over the
horizon, ready to break in upon us again when our guard is down.

How do we slay such a creature as this?  How can we tame Her,
conquer Her will, shackle Her so that She will never again send us
fleeing or coerce us to evil? 

As I see it we have two options...

1) We can oppose Her.

We can gather our weapons together and practice with them, honing
our skills until we can be certain that we shall be victorious.
Then we can set out to defeat Her, piercing Her to Her core with
our lances until She lies dead and dismembered, never to bother
us again.

[This is the way of strict zazen. ;D  The path of Marduk.]

or...


2) We can submit to Her.

We can throw away our weapons and present ourselves before Her,
humbly and expecting our immediate dispatch.  

[This is the way of the Laze. ;>  The path of the thyagi.]


My own experience tells me that both paths lead to the same goal.
It isn't so much that we must defeat our fears as face them.  Either
as opponent or as ally, when we face them we can then become one with
them and see them for what they are.

My own path is dedicated to worshipping the Great Black Dragon (some
call Her Tiamat, some Kali).  This works well for me.  Each must find
their path or continue to suffer.  Good luck.


Thyagi