March 19th

Fear

Trust the gods within,
Accept given boons.
Illusion is reality's border :
Pierce fear to go beyond.

In your meditations, you will meet gods. These gods are nothing more than the holiest aspects of your own mind; they are not other beings. Your inner gods will grant gifts of knowledge and power. Accept what comes your way without doubt and without fear. You can trust your gods. They will never betray you, for you cannot betray yourself.Such trust dissolves fear and regret. You will find a resolution to your inner conflicts. The gods will direct you forward to the very border of reality itself. On the other side is vast profundity, the ultimate nature of existence. But the border can be crossed only if you have resolved all fear and regret.
All fear comes from our sense of self. When we stand at the border of reality, we are afraid that we will lose our identities by plunging in. We are afraid of being destroyed. but we came from Tao in the first place. We are Tao. To return to Tao is not to be negated, but to become one with the entire universe. True, we will no longer be who we are now, but we will be one with Tao. In that state, there is no need for fear.

Personal Interpretation


The gods we meet and who impact us more profoundly are aspects of our own minds. This is not a reason to deny their existence or lose faith in their ability to help us dissolve fear and regret, which bind us to this world. Rather, we should allow ourselves to receive the gifts they offer. Regret stems from a lack of resolution. It is spoken of in relation to the past. Fear is best defined as anxiety about the future. When we live in the present, neither regret nor fear can exercise any control over us. It is more difficult than initially supposed, but necessary to transcend the pain of this existence. We may feel ambivalent about giving ourselves over to Tao, for to deny the power of the past and the future is to step onto a path that can ultimately dissolve our sense of self and bring us in harmony with the Universe.  We are so used to thinking of ourselves as individuals. The very idea of giving what we are up is fear-inspiring. Perhaps we can best reassure ourselves by reminding ourselves that our identities were forged from the energy we will ultimately return to. We are Tao given form, plain and simple. Our lives should be about seeking out the source of our birth, returning to it. Who knows? We may yet be cast in a new form. There is no birth or death, only constant transformation.