2025.04.09

Overcoming Fear and Failure: Paramahansa Yogananda's Golden Rules and Their Practices

vibration

Paramahansa Yogananda remains an enduring guide for those who pursue the path of self-realization. His book "The Golden Rule of Success" is not just a philosophy of success, but a lighthouse that illuminates the path to inner peace and happiness. In particular, in Chapter 3, "Eliminating the Habit of Failure," Yogananda delves deeply into the common human challenge of fear and suggests specific ways to overcome it. In this article, we will delve into the words of Yogananda and analyze in detail the roots of fear, its negative effects, and practical methods for overcoming it.

Article Contents

Fearlessness is the first virtue
- Recognition of Fear as a Poison for the Mind

Fearlessness is the first virtue

Recognition of Fear as a Poison for the Mind

Yogananda sees fear not just as an emotion, but as a "spiritual poison." This suggests that fear is a powerful negative force that eats away at the human psyche and inhibits its growth and well-being. In some cases, fear can have a calming effect on vigilance, but only in exceptional cases, and in most cases, fear is the biggest barrier to self-realization.

The most frightening thing about fear is its self-propagating nature. Yogananda states that fear creates "a malignant magnetic force that draws the object of fear like a magnet pulls iron filings." In other words, it increases the likelihood that what you fear will become a reality. This is similar to the psychological concept of "self-fulfillment prophecy," which means that fear distorts our thoughts and actions, resulting in the situation we feared.

Negative effects of fear and serious damage to the mind and body

Yogananda analyzes the negative effects of fear from multiple perspectives.

The amplification and fear of suffering increases physical and mental suffering. The pain in one part of the body and the anguish in the mind are magnified many times over, like an amplifier. This is associated with a phenomenon known as the stress response, in which fear activates the sympathetic nervous system, which can lead to hypersensitivity to pain.
Destructive effects and fears on the heart, nervous system, and brain put a strain on the cardiovascular system, including speeding up the heartbeat and increasing blood pressure. It can also strain the nervous system and reduce brain function. Long-term fear can lead to chronic stressful conditions and damage to physical and mental health.
Inhibition and fear destroy the abilities that are essential for success, such as positivity, courage, judgment, common sense, and willpower. When we are caught up in fear, we lose the motivation to try new things and lack the courage to face difficult situations. It also makes it harder for you to make calm decisions, which increases the likelihood of making the wrong choice.
Subconscious contamination and fear can contaminate the subconscious mind and undermine the conscious volitional effort. The subconscious mind is the area that unconsciously controls our thoughts, feelings, and behavior. When fear is ingrained in your subconscious, unconscious resistance can prevent you from achieving your goals, even if you make a conscious effort.
Blocking or fearing intuition puts a veil over intuition and seals it from its omnipotent power and the power of the invincible soul. Intuition is a source of insight and creativity that cannot be reached by logical thinking alone. When your intuition is shut down by fear, it can be difficult to discover new possibilities and miss out on opportunities for personal growth.

A Practical Approach to Eradicating and Overcoming Fear

Yogananda emphasizes that overcoming fear is not easy, but not impossible. He presents specific ways to eradicate fear, including:

Total mobilization of willpower and judgment, If something is coming at you to hurt you, don't sit still. Use all your willpower and judgment to do something calmly, do something in a hurry, do something anyway. The will is the driving force that drives us to act. When you feel feared, it is important to calmly analyze the situation, make a concrete plan of action, and put it into action. By taking action, you can overcome feelings of helplessness and increase self-efficacy.
Distractions, diversions of consciousness, if you are plagued by unhealth or fear of failure and you can't push it away, change your mood by reading an interesting book that keeps you hooked, or even indulging in an innocent pastime. Then the mind will forget that it is plagued with fear. By distracting your consciousness from fear, you can escape the grip of fear, even temporarily. This is similar to the idea of mindfulness meditation, which can help you focus on the present moment and free you from past trauma and anxiety about the future.
If you can incorporate psychological strategies, root cutting, and new energy, you can pick up a shovel of different psychological strategies and scrape the roots of failure and ill-health from the soil of your life. Identify the cause of your fear and develop specific strategies to address it. For example, if you have a fear of failure, you can increase your self-esteem by analyzing your past failures and remembering your successes. You can also build confidence by breaking down your goals and accumulating small successes.
Eradicate fear by arousing courage and shifting your consciousness to inner peace, by summoning courage, and by moving your consciousness to perfect inner peace. Through practices such as meditation and yoga, you can overcome your fears by finding inner peace and connecting with your self. It is also important to develop the courage to face difficult situations. Courage comes from acting in the face of fear.
Associate with healthy, prosperous people who are free of positive companionship, environmental influence, and fear of illness or failure. The environment around us has a great influence on our thoughts and feelings. Interacting with people with a positive mindset can give you hope, courage, and empower you to overcome your fears.

Fear and Karma: Influences from the Past and Responsibility for the Future

Yogananda also mentions the relationship between fear and karma. He believes that past experiences are engraved in the subconscious and affect the future as karma. Successes and failures are carried to the afterlife in the form of seeds of certain dispositions. These past seed tendencies are usually hidden in a single life, but they begin to reveal themselves when the factors favorable for germination are aligned. In other words, past traumas and experiences of failure may be the cause of your current fears.

Yogananda also states that genetic diseases can also be associated with karma in past lives. The pre-incarnate soul, which has a tuberculosis propensity from a previous life, is drawn to a family member who has contracted tuberculosis. This suggests that it is not just a genetic factor, but an experience necessary for the growth of the soul that attracts a particular environment.

However, Yogananda emphasizes that we can change the future through our actions in the present, rather than being trapped in the karma of the past. No matter how healthy and prosperous a person is, his future can never be assured unless no one destroys all the seeds of his past life. Don't be afraid of accidents or illnesses, even if you've experienced them once. Rather, fear the fear itself. This is because fear can lead to repeated accidents and illnesses. Fearlessness can divert them from their path, or at least neutralize their energies. In other words, by overcoming your fears and having positive thoughts, you can change your future karma for the better.

Fearlessness and Importance as the First Virtue

Yogananda positions fearlessness as the "first virtue." This means that overcoming fear is the first step to self-realization. Fearlessness is a state of courage to face difficult situations, an adventurous spirit to venture into the unknown, and a confident belief in one's own potential.

In order to become fear-free, it is important to develop self-awareness and understand the root cause of fear. It can also be helpful to cultivate the ability to find inner peace and control emotions through practices such as meditation and yoga. In addition, by consciously practicing positive thinking and increasing self-esteem, you can overcome your fears.

Summary: Overcoming Fears and Walking the Path to True Success

Paramahansa Yogananda emphasized the importance of overcoming fear and presented specific ways to do so. Fear is not just an emotion, it is a powerful negative force that eats away at our mind and body and hinders self-realization. However, with conscious effort and practice, you can overcome your fears and live a life full of inner peace and happiness. By practicing Yogananda's teachings, we can be fearless and on the path to true success.

I want to read it together