Freedom from Fear

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Introduction In this world there is one thing we all agree upon: everyone wants to be happy; no one wants to be unhappy. Ordinarily, people think we become happy when our wishes are fulfilled and unhappy when wishes are unfulfilled. Human wishes can be correlated with the lower five chakras: in the muladhara chakra, fulfillment of material desire; in the madhishthana chakra, fulfillment of physical pleasure; in the manipura chakra, satisfaction of hunger and thirst and enjoyment through food and drink; in the anabata chakra, emotional fulfillment, and in the wishuddha chakra, logical thinking, understanding, and intellectual pursuit. However, if we analyze how we attain happiness, it is not through the fulfillment of these wishes or possessing material things. True happiness only exists when our thoughts stop and our mind is at rest. For example, when one is hungry, the mind is restless and needs some food. Once one has eaten, the restlessness from hunger disappears and for a time one may feel satisfied and happy. But soon the desire for food is followed by a desire for something else, such as sleep, entertainment, or contact with other people and things.

True happiness cannot be found in the outer world, it is within us. It is the nature of the soul. The soul has three characteristics: sat, existence or immortality; dhit, consciousness or knowledge; amanda, bliss or happiness. Happiness is our nature. To be unhappy is unnatural. Although the property of water is coolness, it can be heated. However, once the heat source is removed, the water will again become cool. Similarly, peace and happiness are the natural state of the soul, but we often lose that state due to some incident or news. At that time, we may become excited or emotional. Excitement is not really happiness, just as being depressed is not really sadness Excitement and depression are two extreme states. The state of happiness is the state of peace.

Whatever happiness you experience is not because of external things. Do not think you are happy because the food was tasty or your friend was nice to you. The happiness you are feeling was neither in the food nor in the friend. Moreover, if your friend treats you badly and you become sad, know that your friend's behavior is not the source of your unhappiness; rather, the unhappiness comes from within you. Thus, understand this carefully: Happiness is not dependent upon things, situations, or people. Suppose you say you are happy because you got a piece of chocolate. If chocolate has happiness in it and thereby creates happiness within us, then it stands to reason that the more we eat, the happier we should be. However, it does not work that way. Suppose a piece of chocolate gives you ten units of happiness, then two chocolates should give twenty units; three chocolates, thirty units; four chocolates, forty units; ten chocolates, one hundred units. However, when it comes to chocolate, most of us just eat a few pieces and then stop. Why is that so? If chocolate increases our happiness, shouldn't we eat more? Eating too much food makes us feel uncomfortable; hence, we cannot enjoy it anymore; in other words, the law of diminishing utility comes into effect. Eating something delicious only makes you happy because your mind is momentarily free from other thoughts; it is not because of the food. You feel a sense of completeness, a sense of satisfaction for a moment, and that is why you are happy.

**Contents and Sample Pages**