I don’t remember exactly when I first read Frank Herbert’s epic science fiction novel Dune — mid 70’s or early 80’s? For a couple of weeks it was my constant companion on the New York City subway system.
I clearly remember thinking that it would be impossible to make a convincing movie out of it, given the limited special effects capabilities of the time. Early attempts to do so proved me right (IMNSHO).
It’s possible now, of course, but If you haven’t seen either of the current Dune films in the series — and even if you have — do yourself a favor and read the book. It’s awesome.
For me, Dune’s take-away phrase has always been “fear is the mind-killer,” the second line of the “Litany Against Fear.”
There have been times in my life when I meditated on this phrase more often that I would have liked, but it was for purely personal reasons.
Now is another one of those times for entirely different reasons.
This, too, shall pass, but, unfortunately, we can’t just jump straight to birthing whatever will eventually but inevitably rise from the ashes of the now without facing the fear that the now inspires. You cannot back into the future.
You can’t back out of it, either, as Arjuna tries to do in the Bhagavad Gita.
As the Gita begins, Arjuna, a warrior by natural aptitude and rigorous training, looks out across the vast field upon which two opposing armies comprised of millions of soldiers in battle formations are ready to charge.
Just as the battle is about to begin, Arjuna is struck by a vision of what’s to come: everyone on the battlefield will die.
He sees the future and refuses to go there.
Leaving the battlefield looks like the only path that doesn’t lead to darkness, but the truth is that all of his reasons for not wanting to fight are based on fear:
- fear of offending his teacher and grandfather by opposing them in battle
- fear of being the cause of death for all the warriors assembled on the battlefield
- fear of the karmic reaction he’ll experience for being the cause of those deaths
- fear that women will be exploited by unscrupulous men in a destabilized world
- fear that world as he knows it will come to an end,
The dialogue of the Gita is triggered by Arjuna’s fear and Krishna’s teachings in the Gita are a response to that fear.
One of the things I find especially interesting about the Gita is that Krishna doesn’t deny the existence of fear or invalidate Arjuna’s experience of fear; he makes fearlessness possible by showing Arjuna how to reposition himself in relationship to his fear.
Arjuna is our role model: if we want to become fearless, we can follow in his footsteps.
Wishing you all good fortune,
– Hari-k