Fear of god and religious fear is the worst kind of fear. It stems from fear and it spreads from one generation to another. It is an epidemic. The world is being covered by the dark cloud of religious fear and the fear of God. It is converting our world into a battlefield. There is no growth, peace and prosperity due to this fear.
The God who rules by fear is created mainly by cunning and evil people who want to control and rule over people. Power, lust and money are their sole motive.
Another kind of religious fear is propagated by commoners; majority of it can be dismissed as superstition. Fear of future, attachment and desire are the reason behind such religious fear.
In Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) there is no God who controls his devotees through fear of punishments.
We have Krishna who is child, friend, lover, husband, father, philosopher and guide. We have Shiva who is Bholenath. We have Goddess Shakti who is the kind and benign mother. We have Ganesha the cutest God in the universe. We have Hanuman who is the best friend a human being can have.
Going a step ahead into Vedas, Upanishads and Vedanta, there God only exists. All that we see and those that we cannot see are nothing but that Supreme Truth – Brahman. The question of fear does not arise as there is no second.
The fear of God was injected into the mind of Hindus with the arrival of monolithic religions. These religions keep their flock under control through fear. Individual freedom does not exist in such religions.
Hinduism guides a devotee to carve out his path towards self-realization. In monolithic religions, the path is already set. You have to fit into the path. You cannot carve out a path that fits you.
When vast majorities of the followers are independent and freethinking there will be no centralized authority. There will be no power center. There will be no accumulation of wealth. There will be no political power.
Monolithic religions want power. They want to rule the land like barbarian kings. They want to control over every aspect of the society. They want blind followers who will kill and die for religion. This is achieved through instilling fear of God.
Religious fear gives rise to intolerance and hatred. People and all that things that do not fit into your rulebook are slaughtered. All direct and indirect methods are used to propagate one’s religion.
Plurality is the hallmark of Hinduism because it ensures that the path taken by each devotee to wash away ignorance and attain self-realization is respected and encouraged.
We should become god-loving people not god-fearing people. There is prosperity, growth and hope in love.
Krishna did not use fear to get Arjuna battle ready. Bhagavan sat with Krishna discussed his fear and finally gave him the freedom to choose a path that he feels is right.
In Hinduism, God does not convert people. He does not want blind followers. He only wants people to understand Dharma and follow it. Arjuna is given the freedom to decide what is best for him. Had Arjuna decided to leave the battlefield, Krishna would not have stopped him.
If you are a Hindu and if you fear God, then it is time to think. It is time to put on your thinking cap. There are two choices. First is to continue fearing a God sitting somewhere with a stick and remote control. The second is to sit with God just like Arjuna did, then discuss and eliminate fear which is stopping your from venturing into the path of self realization.
Fear is an important barrier to cross before we achieve self-realization. And we have to cross that barrier. Spiritual growth and understanding of God cannot happen if you are fearful.
Do not fear God. Love God. Love all the creations of God.
www.hindu-blog.com
Abhilash
www.hindu-blog.com
Abhilash