First of all, "fear" is an abbreviation for: False Evidence Appears Real... (well, I made that up...:-)

And see how Anthony Sr. de Mello sees it:

" What is love?"
" The total absence of fear," said the Master.
" What is it we fear?"
" Love," said the Master.

Or David Viscot:

When you say you fear death you are really saying that you fear you have not lived your true life. This fear cloaks the world in silent suffering. Let your fear of death motivate you to examine your true worth and to have a dream for your own life. Let it help you value the moment, act on it, and live in it.

The sooner we penetrate the idea of death, the sooner we will be able to release fear, which is merely a terrifying illusion. No one else can do this work for you. No words, spoken or written, can do the job for you, you got to sit down and think and feel about death yourself. And do it with love, because no struggle, no anger, and no fear can change the fact that death is going to happen, you may like it or not -- so, you might as well accept this fact, release the fear and look with loving eyes at the transitions of life.

When we understand the entire act:

as a creation of love, then there will be nothing left that could fear us. There is either love or fear (and all the shades in-between) but it can't be both at the same time. Where is love there can't be fear.

---

Something to smile

Spirit's jokes with me.

Sometimes I try to fool myself by thinking "I must be a walk-in", looking at myself now and 25 years ago. The difference is so huge, that it is almost impossible to believe that I really grew up to this point. But indeed I did walk along this long path, step by step, experience after experience. I am not a walk-in but a walking-on...:-)

And in another 25 years later I will think the same, but I sure have to give credit to what I have achieved while I am in the Now.

When I was 12 years old, I started a little booklet with the title "death". With nail polish I painted a skull on the cover and decorated it with tons of glittering little stars. The content of the book was written within 3 days: it was a list of all the different kinds how one can die. It was accurately sorted by natural deaths, accidental deaths, and suicidal deaths. I remember I worked very hard and concentrated not to forget any possible cause of death, and I also believe I have made up some strange techniques, which have no proof of existing.

I was so curious, somewhat "homesick for dying", and couldn't find of course any people, especially those in my own age, who would find interest in this theme. The girls and boys in my age appeared to me as strange, bizarre and unreal, and I bet they thought of me the very same.

So I did my enthusiastic research on death all by myself. One day the story went around, that a friend of a friend's friend has killed himself by staring at a red dot on dark background forcing his heart to stop beating. Wow! I couldn't wait to come home. Unpatiently I had to wait until my parents and sister would sit down in the living room, following the daily routine of watching the last picture off the tv.

After my sister left our mutual room, guess what I did? Right. I took a huge piece of paper, painted it all black with a base ball sized red spot in the middle. Many hours I was staring at this spot. Hoping to die, wishing to die, commanding to die - hoping, wishing and commanding to stop the heart beat - not moving - full concentrated. Nothing. Absolutely nothing, besides the fact that my body felt tortured after sitting for so long in one position.

Well then, this night I couldn't kill myself, but there would be other opportunities.

One day, my mom found the death booklet under my bed, and two days later I had to face a psychologist. A very nice woman - she explained to my mother that it is ok to think about death and that I would need more freedom -- that turned out very well for me, and ever since I believed that psychologists are great people...:-)

The fact that I was so incredible curious about dying has made me wishing to die. The fact of wishing to die has made me fearless. The fact of being fearless has allowed me to discover and live fully myself - and so far, not matter how hard I have tried, consciously and unsconsiously, I was not able to die - I am afraid I will become very old...:-)

If you don't fear death -- WHAT can happen to you?

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A Poem

The Land of Roses


I long for a land of roses, a land of pure delight.
There is a land of everlasting happiness and a wonderful land of light.
There is a land where the streets are paved with precious emeralds and gold.
This is a land of exquisite beauty where daily miracles unfold.
I long for a land of everlasting sunshine,
Where peace and tranquility were always mine.
I long to walk in this mystical place.
Where everyone respects each other and their space.

© 2004, 05/15, Andrew Pell, apell@tpg.com.au