Why We Fear and How to Overcome It

This material world is bhayaloka, a world of fear. The pivotal fear around which all other fears rotate is the fear of death. Therefore, if we can conquer the fear of death, all other fears are automatically vanquished. The fear of death is based on misidentification of the self with the material body. Since our actual identity is an eternal, deathless being, death is something which is totally incompatible with our nature and hence fearful. But if we can revive our original spiritual consciousness, our Krishna consciousness, the fear of death is automatically gone and with it all of our other subordinate fears. In this connection it is very aptly stated as follows in Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.37:

"Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called maya. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul."

How fortunate we are to have such sublime, enlightened guidance. Everyone should follow this Vedic injunction by taking shelter of the bona fide spiritual master accepting his instructions as their very life and soul. In this way fear will be completely defeated.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Krishna Bestows Fearlessness

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version:

Question: How to Recover My Faith?

Dear Guru Maharaja,
Please accept my humble and respectful obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Thank you for answering my letters. Dear Master, what can I do to recover my faith and enthusiasm in Krishna consciousness. I am unmotivated. Sometimes I think that I am not intelligent and strong enough to follow Krishna, but on the other hand I don’t want to leave Him.

Your fallen and lazy servant,
Daniel

Answer: Chant These Sweet Names Every Day.

The fact is that on our own we are too weak and incompetent to absorb ourselves in devotional service to the Lord. Therefore we are fully dependent on the mercy of Krishna in order to be properly engaged in His service. Thus we should always be begging for the Lord’s mercy as much as possible 24 hours daily that we can be always fully absorbed in His service. The best prayer for doing this is:

Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Simply by carefully chanting these sweet names every day a natural relish for Krishna consciousness will awaken within your heart.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari