I have always said, written, observed and felt that the most courageous
individuals are devoted to God. Such men are rare. You all understand the
meaning of "Fearlessness" in its fullest sense. It means absolute
independence--in two words, he is the FEARLESS man who "fears-nothing,"
and "faces-everything." That everything includes everyone. That nothing
excludes no one. Viewed from this standpoint is not the fearless man
rarely to be met with? You may come across degrees of fearlessness. Now
the man who possesses this quality in the "highest degree" has faith in
this God. Everyone has his conception of God. Everyone sees the absolute
from his individual plane of vision. That conception which you have of
God will do for you. I say, it will do for you and you alone. Don't force
it upon others. Keep it for yourself. If you want to improve this
conception of God pray in the Silence thus: "O, THOU, I UNDERSTAND NOT
THY NATURE. I KNOW NOT--YET I YEARN TO KNOW. DO THOU REVEAL THYSELF
UNTO MY SOUL. DO THOU OPEN MY SPIRITUAL EYES AND LEAD ME ON." Student,
don't treat this lightly. Listen not to that conceited or blinded brother
of yours who says he does not care for God--who says he can go on without
the aid of God. Listen not. Listen not. The strongest and greatest pray
often. Only they do not talk of this to others. They never make a show of
their devotion. But they have all prayed and do all pray. They believe in
personal effort--they also believe in Divine leading and guidance. Learn
to be "lead by the Spirit." Everything shall come to you in this way. You
will also notice that the Fearless Man is not a mere God-fearing man. He
is a God-loving Individual. He loves God for God's sake largely. That man
who is fearful in spite of his devotion to God is a sham devotee. But the
grace of the LORD'S name is such that it shall purify the most impure of
heart. It shall build up even a sham devotee into a real devotee who in
time shall transcend all limitation. Therefore have faith in God. "Be
regular" in your devotions. Also remember that each trial is a pain
accompanying spiritual regeneration--each pain a process of strengthening
the herald of a mere glorious dawn of wisdom. Hence give up all grumbling.
The great God whose Infinite power regulates the motions of planets
and yet takes note of the sparrow's fall has your soul's best interest at
heart. All you do, all you say, all you feel, all you hope, all your
experiences--all, all is His will. Man's Will is God's Will. God's Will
is Man's Will. And who can define God? God alone has the power to define
Himself. He has defined Himself as the Universe--Bramhanda. Nothing is
impossible for the devotee of God. Let him but be willing to work and God
shall give him everything. Regular devotion to God will surely develop
extreme Fearlessness. "God is Love."
(2). KNOWLEDGE _(Gnayanam)_.
Fear is due to ignorance. When in the dark of night you mistook the rope
for a snake, you shrieked out in terror. Cause? IGNORANCE. But when you
saw the rope as a rope, you laughed out in amusement. Cause? KNOWLEDGE.
All your fear is due to your ignorance of your real nature. All the fear
at the last is fear of death. You have to realise through knowledge of
the Vedanta that you are birthless, deathless. You have to unfold by
meditation a consciousness of your Real Self. I give you hereunder a
meditation exercise that will help you in this direction.