If the Buddha Got Stuck_ A Handbook for Change on a Spiritual Path - Charlotte Sophia Kasl [21]
Fear can also relate to repressing our biological animal self. We have been taught to fear that which is wild, hungry, passionate, sexy, raucous, and cover it with a polite exterior. We try to contain it, squash it, get rid of it as if somehow it is unholy or dangerous. This leads to getting stuck at a very basic level because we are afraid of that which is human/animal within us. When we delve into the wholeness of our being, and truly make friends with creation as expressed through our bodies, we live in the flow of life rather than in fear.
Krishnamurti makes the crucial connections between absence of fear, moving beyond obedience, and realizing our mind is part of the total mind: “When the human mind is free of all fear, then in demanding to know what the original is, it is not seeking its own pleasure, or means of escape, and therefore in that inquiry all authority ceases. . . . The authority of the speaker, the authority of the church, the authority of opinion, of knowledge, of experience, of what people say—all that completely comes to an end, and there is no obedience. It is only such a mind that can find out for itself what the original is—find out, not as an individual mind, but as a total human being—the total mind.”
In relation to getting unstuck, we need to explore how fear often stops forward motion or taking the next step. “Oh, I can’t do that, I’m afraid.” That’s where we need to bring our concerns into current reality—is there really any serious danger of starving, dying, or be-ing injured?—if not we need to take the next step, fear and all. To move with life is to penetrate these fears, observe them, and step through them. Usually nothing terrible happens no matter what the outcome.
When exploring your fears, it’s important to realize there is a natural uneasiness or apprehension most people feel when faced with a challenge or trying something new. That is different from being controlled by childhood fears that are not valid in current time and block us from taking steps to get unstuck in life.
EXERCISE:
Moving Through Fear
Think of a time you were afraid but you took action anyhow, and the outcome was positive or nothing terrible happened. How did you get yourself to move beyond your fear? What did you say to yourself? Take time to plant this in your memory bank so you can call on this memory when you feel afraid.
Take something you are afraid of doing and ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” For example, in deciding to have a heart-to-heart talk with a special friend, you may meet the fear that she won’t be your friend anymore. So ask, Then what? I’ll feel sad. Then what? I’ll try to talk with her. Then what? If it doesn’t work out, I’ll at least feel that I tried. Then what? I’ll go to other friends, but I’ll still miss her. Then what? I’ll be sad, but I’ll be okay.
Make a clear agreement with some friends that you can call them in time of need. Marcie was going through a very hard time after her daughter moved away and her job was in jeopardy. “Sometimes I’d start pacing around the house like an animal going crazy. I finally mustered the strength to ask a friend at work if I could call her when I was freaking out at home. When she said she’d be honored if I called her, I was moved to tears. Just knowing she was there gave me great comfort.”
STEP TWO
Show Up
9. The Buddha Is Everywhere, Waiting to Guide You
Who is wise? He who learns from all men.
—TALMUD
Everything is Buddha energy—all people, all life, all feelings, all things. There is no separate Buddha, there is simply a process of waking up.
We now take a second step and move from reflection on our stuck places to motion. Without necessarily knowing what we want to change (other than we want something different) or where we’ll end up, we open ourselves to life’s experiences