My question is a simple one, but in a way, one of the big ones. How do you live life when it has no guarantees? How do you dare to love someone, when they may die, or you may die? How do you dare feel safe walking in the world when maybe nothing will come in the next part, after death? These questions have never concerned me before, but suddenly I find myself thinking about them very much. I’m in my thirties but feel about 5 years old when I think this way, and almost wish I was, as at least I was oblivious to doubt then.
I know there can’t be guarantees of anything, but that thought is haunting me at the moment. Any of your thoughts would be very welcome.
Ask Deepak
Question:
Life Without Guarantees
November 20th, 2009
5deepak's response
I take the view that it is the uncertainty of life that makes love and life worthwhile. The craving for certainty is the ego’s desperate need to feel in control in order to be safe. But as you acknowledged, there are no guarantees, no certainties in the changing world. It is not reality that is making you feel afraid; it is the ego’s story about it.
By honestly accepting that truth, we can flip our response so that we embrace that uncertainty of life as a positive. I call that the wisdom of uncertainty. By accepting that the future cannot be known or controlled, you bypass the fear and turmoil of the ego and open yourself to the joy, creativity and guidance that is present in the moment.
In a world full of death and change, it is not a question of “how can you dare love another?”, I think its “how can you dare not to love?” Every moment of existence is absolutely precious, and to waste even a moment paralyzed by fear because you can’t control the universe is not a good use of this remarkable opportunity we have in life.
Love,
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You in and of yourself, can not control the universe….But you can know that it is benevolent and good and will take care of all your needs….Jesus once said “take no thought for your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, presuming not on the prerogative of his creator, but recognizing God-as the Infinite Good in his life, and able to feed and clothe man as he does the Lilies….
Love,
Gyanama
Very difficult to accept Deepak. But, you can explain the truth so convincing, that someday I will manage to love feely without fear.
You are afraid of death because you are attached to your ego and it is the ego which actually dies and not the Soul.The Soul is eternal,undying,Immortal.If you realised this truth,you would lose your fear of death or others dying and realise that life is full of guarantees !
death is nothing more then a changing of form images.. while the immortal life of the Soul is infinite intelligent awareness projecting all that is in form….
When you dream at night, think of how wonderful it is that your ability to dream is teaching you how you project effortlessly from your consciousness…
you can make images appear and even project meaning into your images..for instance I remember as a child that I had a dream that a wolf was chasing me around my house and I was so scared and just before he caught me I woke up….I projected me running, the wolf chasing me and my house, along with projecting my extreme fear…..
We all do this dreaming on a human unconscious level too…and we can project images and meaning from a truly divine awakened consciousness, which in my understanding is when you make your dreams carry the true substance of Reality…your dreams then become Real….
Love Gyanama
Fears will disappear slowly when Ego desires disappear.
If you desire love as a service to another, then it doesn’t matter you get this particular job or not.
Death always brings pain of separation but even that you can overcome on some level through faith