“Whatever decreaseth fear increaseth courage.”
– Bahá’u’lláh, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, p. 32
In this time of global anxiety and disruption, fear has been increasing. Google “Fear since Covid-19” and you will find a multitude of studies from around the world showing an increase of fear and anxiety, mental health issues, and physical symptoms related to stress, fear and anxiety. If we go through our daily lives without thinking about the effects of this increased fear, even small incidents can trigger an exaggerated emotional response that is surprising. Yet fear is not new to the human experience and there are already timeless ways to reduce fear and anxiety from the teachings and experience of the past. In this post however, I would like to explore what the Baha’i teachings have to say about decreasing fear. First a definition.
What is fear?
Very Well Mind defines fear as:
“…a natural, powerful, and primitive human emotion. It involves a universal biochemical response as well as a high individual emotional response. Fear alerts us to the presence of danger or the threat of harm, whether that danger is physical or psychological.”
The authors go on to say:
“Sometimes fear stems from real threats, but it can also originate from imagined dangers. Fear can also be a symptom of some mental health conditions including panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”
So, from this definition we see that fear serves a necessary function in keeping us alerted to danger. But when fear is illusion, a projection to a future state that does not exist, fear does not help us to respond to any of the real dangers we may face in life. Rather it can paralyze us and within an imagined prison of what “might” happen.
What the Baha’i teachings say about reducing fear
The Teachings of Bahá’u’lláh can provide some useful insights into fear from a spiritual perspective. He wrote that the main reason for fear is that humanity turns away from the Divine Teachings, ignores them, or does not learn the necessary skills to apply them to our lives.
“We directed everyone in this Most Great Revelation to see with his own eyes and hear with his own ears. However when the horizon of the world was illumined with the resplendent light of this Revelation, many people forgot this divine commandment, lost sight of this heavenly exhortation and immersed themselves in the vain imaginings which their minds had devised. Indeed the face of the sun of justice and fairness is hidden behind the clouds of idle fancy which the foolish ones have conceived.”
Because of this tendency of humanity to ignore and even resist what is best for us, God needs to send us new teachers, or, as Baha’is call them, Manifestations of God, about every 1000 years to lead us back to safety. Their teachings are intended to help us focus on our original purpose; create an environment of love, joy and safety where everyone can live well and achieve their latent potential, while respecting the planet we were given to live on. This ideal state has been described at various times throughout history and with a variety of terminologies as the Kingdom of God on earth or paradise. Bahá’u’lláh wrote in this regard that:
“…as they turned away from the Light of God and corrupted the principle of His Divine unity… their power was turned into weakness, their glory into shame, their courage into fear.”
and in contrast:
“Observe the written commandments of thy Lord with joy and peace, with earnestness and sincerity; and be thou the well-wisher of thy country and thy government. His grace shall assist thee at all times, His blessings shall be bestowed upon thee, and thy heart’s desire shall be realized.”
– Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 69
Following this train of thought, to eliminate the root cause of fear, it would help to focus on what the Divine Teachings have been saying since the beginning of time, and pay attention to the needs of the current age to apply the most recent ones. The eternal teachers have all reinforced the Golden Rule, prayer, meditation, service to humanity and the development of virtues. In the Baha’i Faith, the additional Teachings for the current world center on justice and peace. They promote principles such as the equality of women and men, religion and science working together, universal education that is material, human and spiritual, and the elimination of prejudice, among others. It is not difficult to imagine that both real and imagined fears would be drastically decreased if the whole world implemented these principles.
Specifics about reducing fear
Specifically, advice from Bahá’u’lláh about how to decrease fear can be found in all His Writings. One I am particularly fond of is:
“Whatever decreaseth fear increaseth courage[i].”
A little reflection shows that this could have wide reaching implications. Encouragement and helpfulness come immediately to mind as a couple of good ways to help decrease fear. He also wrote:
“Love is a light that never dwelleth in a heart possessed by fear[ii].”
As we focus on showing love, we are less likely to be afraid. Love does not produce fear, rather a sense of safety and security. In situations where people feel overcome by fear, even small gestures of love can be transformative. I am reminded about a woman whose story about a near death experience included that her most significant act had been to offer a cup of water to a disabled boy who was sitting alone and feeling discouraged. Acts of love are so important as an antidote to fear that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advised us to regularly and actively focus on creating ties of friendship for the purpose of helping others decrease their fears:
“In fact, every one of the believers should choose one person every year and try to establish ties of friendship with him, so that all his fear would disappear[iii].”
The other antidote to fear recommended by Bahá’u’lláh is the practice of courage by focusing on the power of God. As we do that our capacity to find solace, be illumined by trust, and then feel more detached from overwhelming emotions such as fear, increases.
“Say to them that are of a fearful heart: be strong, fear not, behold your God . . . Well is it with him who hath been illumined with the light of trust and detachment[iv].”
“Armed with the power of Thy name, nothing can ever hurt me. And with Thy love in my heart, all the world’s afflictions can in no wise alarm me.”
We do not have to succumb to fear if we put our trust in God and offer our affairs to the powers of the Divine to remedy. When we say “Greater is God than every great one[v]” in the daily Obligatory Prayer of Baha’i spiritual practices, we are reminded that putting our trust in God also helps reduce fear about the impact of poor governance and oppression:
“Say: Beware, O people of Bahá lest the strong ones of the earth rob you of your strength, or they who rule the world fill you with fear. Put your trust in God, and commit your affairs to His keeping. He, verily, will, through the power of truth, render you victorious, and He, verily, is powerful to do what He willeth, and in His grasp are the reins of omnipotent might[vi].”
From the Baha’i Writings, two key themes emerge to assist with our response to decreasing fear. The first is to put our trust in God and in the power of the Divine Teachings to remedy our difficulties. The second is to actively help others in ways that will increase love, hope, encouragement, and as a result decrease fear. First is faith, and second is action to sustain and build towards the goal of increasing courage and reducing fear; and this in the service of building a world we would all equally benefit from.
“It is indeed time for audacious action undeterred by a fear of mistakes, fired by the urgency of ministering to the pressing needs of humanity[vii].”
How Edmonton Baha’is are applying these principles to their lives
I will end with three beautiful thoughts from members of the Edmonton Baha’i community about how they are using the Baha’i Writings and prayer to have hope, practice gratitude, and be confident in their daily lives as they release fear and trust in God.
Jean Renner
“There are a few things that that keep me calm during this chaotic time. First of all, Baháʼu’lláh told us there would be trials and tests as we watch the old systems of the world crumble. He also told us that humanity will get through it. The most important piece to me is that we have the guidance and a plan to get out of this situation. There is an overall positive outcome.”
Ara Ngembu
“The Bahai teachings help me eliminate fear in my life by increasing my faith in God. Whenever I’m faced with uncertainty or insecurity, one quote comes to mind that helps clear away the fear: Armed with the power of Thy Name, no one can ever hurt me, and with Thy Love in my heart, all the world’s afflictions can in no wise alarm me.”
Michelle Stadnicki
“There are many things to fear in this world and as human beings we all feel fear at different times in our lives.
I was recently diagnosed with cancer which brings up many fears about my mortality and mostly I fear leaving my children while they are still young. Prayer and turning to the Baha’i writings has offered me so much solace and hope at this difficult time. Bahá’u’lláh tells us that God will not burden any soul beyond its power. We are told that tests help shape us in order to harvest more spiritual virtues and draw closer to God. It’s sometimes difficult to see the blessings while in the tempest of a difficult test. If I take a moment to step back and look at this test I am filled with awe of my many blessings. My family who has rallied around me. The many friends and neighbours who have dropped off food, called to offer support and even given money to relieve the financial burden of being off work.
God has given me all the tools I need to succeed in this test. By constantly turning to prayer and the Writings I am able to cling to the hope and Divine Power I need to make it through.”