A Climate of Fear:
Don't Worry be Happy
by M. Govindan
The climate of fear which now fills the lives of so many parts of the world
is a reminder to all of us that Yoga is not simply an individual practice,
but a social movement. As Yogi's are you part of the solution or part of
this problem? Are you contributing to this climate of fear, in the wake of
September 11, the Tech-stock crash, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the specter
of nuclear war between Pakistan and India, and the dire warnings of new terrorist
attacks by President Bush and other American government officials?
Your thoughts, feelings and words have as much power as your actions. As Yogi's
you should be aware of that. I invite all of our readers to remember that
you have the power to change things, by focused thoughts, feelings, words
and yes, action. Throughout the day you have the opportunity to let go of
thoughts and feelings of fear, anger, frustration, judgment, depression and
complaint, and to replace them with thoughts and feelings of confidence,
acceptance, goodwill, enthusiasm, and patience. You have the power to visualize
a better world for yourself and others. You have the power to manifest that
vision, by determined, focused action, one step at a time. Allow yourself
to be an instrument for That which is the Most High within you, that which
is True.
I am reminded of the wall poster that hung on the wall of an office colleague's
cubicle when I worked for the Cook County Department of Public Service in
1971. It was a smiling picture of the Indian holy man, Meher Baba, looking
like Groucho Marx. Underneath was Meher Baba's motto "Don't worry, be
happy." It was a fit greeting for the steady stream of welfare clients
who were escorted by an armed guard to our desks in search of a meal allowance,
food stamps, or their welfare check. Sometimes they came in barefoot in the
middle of winter, half frozen, having sold their shoes to buy a pint of whiskey.
Our office was situated in a former bank, with ornate marble columns, at
Kedzie and Madison Streets, in the heart of the skid-row section of downtown
Chicago. The average life of a caseworker was six months, so depressing were
the tales of woe, and so little the resources to correct the problems of
500 families in our average caseload. The job was a step up for me however,
from the previous one, where for six months, I loaded by hand cartons of
closeout household merchandise onto huge trucks, an average of 45 tons per
day, for $2.10 per hour. Working there during the day, and driving a taxicab
in the means streets of Chicago during the night enabled me to save the $5,000
I needed to take on my first assignment to India. Chicago was the first place
my teacher sent me. India was the second. Since then, I have never looked
back. But what I learned about fear in Chicago, remains.
In February of 2001 I was invited to meet the home of an Indian businessman
in New Jersey. He is the disciple of a Siddha Yogi, who is reported to be
over 200 years old, and who had lived on Mt. Kailash for over 30 years. I
was impressed by what I heard and saw about his master. His master had recently
made some disturbing predictions about the world and in particular, war between
Pakistan and India. This war would affect the whole world, including the
Mt. Kailash area. On September 11, when we were camped at Gangotri, in the
Himalayas, I remembered his predictions. In February of this year, this Siddha
Yogi invited this disciple as well as myself to accompany him to Mt. Kailash
to meet a group of Siddhas whom he left behind there. It was a call I could
not refuse, even though it meant canceling nearly all of the events I had
scheduled for the months of June and July, and much financial strain. I will
be away June 22 to August 4, 2002 on this pilgrimage, which will take us
overland from Katmandu, Nepal. I will hold all of you in my heart and prayers
during this time of urgency and peril. Do pray for peace in the world. Do
pray for the brotherhood of all men! Do pray for love and understanding between
us all! Do put peace, love, understanding and brotherhood into place in all
of your thoughts, words and actions.
Copyright June 2002 by Marshall Govindan. All rights reserved.
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