The Buddha states that “The whole secret of existence is to have no fear.”[1] He also says that we should not depend on anyone and to reject all help. This idea of self-sufficiency goes against my thinking. But, in a sense, when we reject all help, we are truly free. I can understand not fearing what might become of you, for as we considered in the last newsletter, F.E.A.R. is False Evidence Appearing Real. We shouldn’t worry about what might happen in the future.
      Putting the Buddha’s thought into the context of society, if we live without debt—either monetary debt or debts of favors owed—then we have eliminated a lot of fears from our lives. We are free from the taskmaster of debts owed. The apostle Paul encourages us to “Owe no man anything, but to love one another,…”[2] When we owe something to another, they become a ruler over us—at least until the debt is paid. When we owe on a loan, we might find ourselves fearing what might happen should we discover we can no longer repay the debt. I’m not convinced that the whole secret of existence is in having no fear, but I certainly agree that it makes for a happier life.
[1] Young, Christopher (2012-04-12). Buddha Quotes - 365 Days of Inspirational Quotes and Sayings in Buddhism (Kindle Locations 198-199).  . Kindle Edition.”
[2] Romans 13:8a Century King Jams Version: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+13%3A8-10&version=KJ21

      Fear has a purpose. It is part of our warning system. Sometimes we have a premonition that something bad is about to happen. Fear is a warning device, an alarm that lets us know to be careful. Used in proper measure, fear protects us. It’s only when fear takes over and flavors every area of our lives that the emotion becomes detrimental.
      Perhaps you’re familiar with this acronym for fear. False Evidence Appearing Real. When fear takes over our lives, it is often because we have dwelt on the emotion for too long. We see villains all around us. We listen to reports of crime, and we suspect that we will be the next victim. According to Merriam-Webster the opposite of fear is unconcern.[1] To keep fear in proper balance and only use it when it’s necessary for our protection, we need to find a balancing emotion. Unconcern is similar to contentment, and how do we develop that characteristic or emotion?
      Yoga and meditation are certainly positive exercises, but we also need to add our belief that the world is orderly and controlled by a Force that is greater than ourselves, and that nothing will happen without the Divine Spirit’s consent. This, of course, must also be coupled with our belief in a trustworthy and loving Higher Power. Perhaps you are also familiar with this acronym for fear: Face Everything And Rise. Unconcern or contentment can fill us with peace when there is an absence of fear, but often, in order to reach that state of unconcern we find that we must face everything and rise above it.


[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fear

​      Stone Seven encourages us to feel, and Stone Eight encourages us to release any emotion we deem harmful to our spiritual path. All emotions serve a purpose. Even hatred can be used for good if we can convert its energy into positive directions. To feel our emotions does not mean we have to cling to them. And, overcoming or releasing is not a matter of willpower as much a matter of transformation. When we try to overcome through willpower we often empower the unwanted feelings even more. Even the feelings we deem positive such as joy and happiness cannot be kept by the force of our will.
      Emotions come and go, and their existence adds flavor to our lives. A world without emotions would be bland and meaningless. Feelings are necessary, and they come in opposites. Happiness is known because of sadness. If we were never sad, how would we know happiness? Contentment is desired most when we are anxious. We look for and find the good in every emotion, and learn to release and transform them whenever we need to.