Why is all this Fear stuff Important?

February 2005

Do you wonder why people kill other people? The answer is fear, always fear.

Why do you think people get so angry? Yep, fear.

Why are people greedy? Why do they lie? Why are folks so afraid they won't have enough money, or power, or love? The answer is fear.

Whenever you say "I'm afraid of ..." or "They're afraid of ..." something, that is fear. Being afraid is fear. Fear is not love. Fear is caused by our limited human condition, by our limitations in what we can perceive. We are afraid of not having love, of not being with god, of dying. Fear arises when we don't know what will happen.

It is not fear when we realize we are all one, when we recognize and understand the unity of all things. That is love, that is peace.

It is when people think they are better than others, or separate from them, that there is fear. When humans love one another, they don't fear. When people fear, they become angry, and start wars. Why would someone be angry if they weren't afraid? People think it is strong to make war, to dominate others. But all these things - these fear based actions and emotions - are weak, not strong. Love is strong. Fear is not.

So, if a county is afraid, and thinks another country or a man is a "threat," isn't that fear based? Of course, it is. If you perceive a threat, you are afraid of something. Even the way nations bind together in defense is fear based. The history of the world is premised on the fear people have for one another. They fight against one another, attack and kill one another. All because of fear. It is completely insane.

The human race believes it is advanced, but here we are - perhaps the only denizens of the Universe - on this tiny planet. If we really saw our common humanity, if we perceived our connection, if we understood peace and love, there would be no war.

That's why it's important to understand what fear is, because it can help us understand what love is.