How to maintain fearlessness?

[Gesundheit]

3 hours ago, Moksha said:

This question goes to the heart of identity. I have been working through a lot of this myself. When you toss a stone into the sea of Consciousness, your realizations ripple outward. It can be disorienting. Everything you based your identity on begins to dissolve.

1. My person is an illusion.

2. The persons I love are also an illusion.

3. The entire world is an illusion.

4. What does morality mean?

5. Why does anything matter?

For me, the solace has been returning to the core realization. I am Consciousness. When I realize Consciousness, what is it? Does Consciousness feel like an alien scientist that is spinning out energy forms in a sterile cosmic laboratory? Partly yes, but it is much more than that. Consciousness also feels infinitely abundant, and eternally brims with light and love. There is no hatred, evil, or suffering in it. These things only exist in the world of form, not because they are Conscious, but because they are Unconscious. The realization of Consciousness is the banishing of these things, and the battle between Consciousness and Unconsciousness goes forever. One cannot exist without the other, and both are inevitable, as long as Consciousness dreams.

This morning, I was wondering why the Buddha, after his enlightenment, felt compassion for the world. He knew that the world is an illusion, including the people in it. Why feel compassion for a dream, with such ferocity that you are willing to leave Nirvana, and spend another 40 years loving characters in the dream?

The Buddha knew that Consciousness created the world for a reason. People are not only dream characters; we are Consciousness itself, dreaming. Consciousness is divine. The creations it enlivens are its temple. We are not just abstract video characters; we are the divine experiencing its own creation.

Sorry for the long answer, but it boils down to this. Realizing Consciousness frees you from fear, but not from responsibility. Waking up from the dream actually creates responsibility. Consciousness is committed to its creation, and it loves through you.

From my personal perspective, I essentially don't care about myself at all. I don't have much preferences. And although I've made some progress over the years, but still I could never fully transcend the attachment to my family. I know that it all comes down to me, but people have some kind of pressure with their suffering. When I see them suffering because of me, I find it more appropriate to bite the bullet of living in fear instead. I don't know if I will ever transcend this attachment. The fear is not really bothering me per se, but you know, who would like to be limited to it?

[Gesundheit]

3 hours ago, loub said:

From time to time I like to go to this video to slap some sense into me. Its a masterpiece.

 

Really? A masterpiece? He sounds like a condescending madman. And the disclaimer at first didn't help. It's as though he's talking to desperate seekers (which may be true). Regardless, the video was not exactly what I'm looking for. He said realization is different from life. Okay, I don't want the realization. I want life. How do I achieve fearlessness in life? I was able to do it back when I was Muslim. It was easy back then. Just do your prayers and be a good Muslim, and you will live in God's protection for good. This is probably the only thing I regret about growing beyond stage Blue/Orange. Beyond rules and logic, how do you get that fearlessness?

3 hours ago, loub said:

Under this premise, i would say you confused a state without fear for fearlessness, but to really live without it would mean to grasp what it is truly, and eradicate the need for it. Fear has a function, it serves a purpose.

What is the difference between the state without fear and fearlessness?

[Moksha]

23 minutes ago, Gesundheit said:

From my personal perspective, I essentially don't care about myself at all. I don't have much preferences. And although I've made some progress over the years, but still I could never fully transcend the attachment to my family. I know that it all comes down to me, but people have some kind of pressure with their suffering. When I see them suffering because of me, I find it more appropriate to bite the bullet of living in fear instead. I don't know if I will ever transcend this attachment. The fear is not really bothering me per se, but you know, who would like to be limited to it?

If I may ask, what do you see as the difference between attachment to your family and love for your family? What do you see as the difference between attachment to yourself and love for yourself? What do you see as the relationship between love for yourself and love for your family?

[Gesundheit]

3 minutes ago, Moksha said:

If I may ask, what do you see as the difference between attachment to your family and love for your family?

Same thing. Fear/attachment and love/attachment are two sides of the same coin, attachment.

4 minutes ago, Moksha said:

What do you see as the difference between attachment to yourself and love for yourself?

Two polar opposites. Loving myself fully and truly would mean no attachments, at least that's what it seems right now.

6 minutes ago, Moksha said:

What do you see as the relationship between love for yourself and love for your family?

I don't think about this at all. I always put my family first as long as I am feeling well. But when I'm not, priorities change and I start caring more for myself.

[Moksha]

@Gesundheit Is it possible to love someone, whether yourself or others, without attachment to the outcome of that love?

For example, I love my children without feeling attached to whether or not they reciprocate. It's nice when they do, but even if they didn't, I would still love them.

What I've found is that I am able to love others better, the better I love myself. For quite a few years, when I suffered the most, I tended to cause suffering, especially for the people I loved. Things are better for the people I love now, since I suffer less.

If you are not living in fear, but Consciously, do you think that could help you love your family better?  People, especially our families, tend to catalyze unconsciousness, because of patterns that have been in place for a long time. That's why earlier I wondered if you might be able to practice Consciousness in a slightly easier setting, then gradually bring it to your family. You can't force people to be Conscious, but simply by being Conscious yourself, you are giving them the best chance to reciprocate.

[73809]

I don’t know for sure, but imo fearlessness comes from detachment. Be an objective observer of your life, imagine that it is happening to someone else, and you will find wisdom guides you.

 But idk I’m just imagining something I’d try out myself. In fact I’m going to do just that - detach myself from the experience of “my” life.

 

Edited November 24, 2020 by 73809
Spelling error

[Nahm]

Fear is a belief. You’re making it up. Fear doesn’t exist. You can not ‘be fearlessness’, any more than you can experience or be ‘unicorn-less-ness’ - because unicorns already don’t exist. You can however, see that you’re making it up. Notice the audacity of the assumption ‘fear is out there’, or ‘everyone of course experiences this fear’, or, ‘I am not the creator of experience’. 

[Someone here]

@Gesundheit fear is Clearly a function of survival. Your body is programmed to fear getting crashed by a car to protect your survival. So as long as survival is at work.. Fear must exist. It doesn't have to be neurotic fear. But at least to a minimum level of healthy watchfullness. There is no such thing as ultimate fearlessness. I don't know if you understand that and it's not what you asking about. Healthy fearlessness is achieved by detachment. And minimalist living. This is to be developed. Not over Night thing. Because you have decades of attachments programmed into you. 

"fear is here to keep you identifying with whatever you are identified with" - Leo. 

 

[Gesundheit]

@Moksha @73809 @Nahm Thanks for your contributions. I'll contemplate what you said.

[Gesundheit]

7 hours ago, Someone here said:

@Gesundheit There is no such thing as ultimate fearlessness. I don't know if you understand that and it's not what you asking about.

That is exactly what I'm asking about. Why would fear be a prerequisite when you are God?

[Someone here]

@Gesundheit are you fully conscious that you are god or do you just parrot it?  And if you are.. What do you mean exactly by "God"? 

[Gesundheit]

@Someone here God is that which obeys no rules.

[No Self]

3 minutes ago, Gesundheit said:

@Someone here God is that which obeys no rules.

I feel the word God is generally unhelpful. If God is a synonym for 'everything', then why turn 'everything' into a deity? If God is synonymous with 'grandiose great entity', there's a nice duality going on that contrasts the grand and the lame.

Consider that God is an idea in your head that needs to be let go of. So is the personal entity that opposes fear.

[Someone here]

9 minutes ago, Gesundheit said:

@Someone here God is that which obeys no rules.

Unless if he wants to. 

[Gesundheit]

Just now, Someone here said:

Unless if he wants to. 

Well, that's what I'm doing. I'm compromising my true authentic self for preserving some attachments.

[loub]

13 hours ago, Gesundheit said:

What is the difference between the state without fear and fearlessness?

A state without fear would be one where fear is not present but the underlying assumptions that make it necessary are still active. Fearlessness would be the result of grasping those assumptions and eliminating the perceived need for fear.

13 hours ago, Gesundheit said:

He said realization is different from life. Okay, I don't want the realization. I want life. How do I achieve fearlessness in life?

You want to get rid of the effects of the assumptions but leave the assumptions themselves untouched? Try and get that you look at this entire situations through those assumptions, as if they were true. Don't you fear not becoming fearless? Fearlessness won't be found in the same domain as the absence of fear.

13 hours ago, Gesundheit said:

Really? A masterpiece? He sounds like a condescending madman. And the disclaimer at first didn't help. It's as though he's talking to desperate seekers (which may be true). Regardless, the video was not exactly what I'm looking for.

Perhaps Ralston is not the most agreeable teacher, but I'm certain he is neither condescending nor a madman (okay, that one is debatable). I think he is talking to his Apprentices here, who should be pretty serious about this stuff. And I disagree, I think the video fits your situation well, but I might be wrong. All the best to you. Take care!

[Someone here]

@Gesundheit seriously..where does authentic self begins and inauthentic self begins? Is there a clear line? Do you get born with a catalogue? 

Your authentic self is pure being. Anything else is by defintion added on you by your upbringing and social conditioning. if you want to be your authentic self. Be as you are. With all your fears and insecurities and petty concerns. You are God. But don't forget that you are dreaming that you are human. As the dreamer there is nothing to fear. Inside the dream there is a million and one things to watch out for. Unless if you become lucid. Which you aren't. 

Edited November 25, 2020 by Someone here

[Nahm]

God realization being quite underestimated here. 

[Moksha]

6 hours ago, Gesundheit said:

That is exactly what I'm asking about. Why would fear be a prerequisite when you are God?

God is unconditional love, and is completely free from fear. Is God an idea to you or have you directly experienced it? When you feel God in you, and in everyone else, the illusions that you suffered so long begin to dissolve.

Unconditional love frees us from our own attachments, and frees others from the attachments we try to place on them. We realize God in ourselves, and we realize God in others. It is the only way to be free.

Does that mean when you awake that you will hold a gun to your head and pull the trigger, because you are utterly fearless? Of course not. When you are awake, you have no desire to pull the trigger, so why would you? If you are trying to prove how fearless you are, that is just the ego posing as God. God loves you, and loves everyone else, unconditionally. God is fearless, and God is not a fool.

[Nahm]

The bridge to fear is the thought “I”. Reacting, one is over the bridge, pausing, the bridge is seen.