God and "Devil," Love and Fear

*******

It is true that the view of reincarnation, by and in itself, might not trigger "Love" in every heart. But it is a kind of counterbalance to a rather Pollyannic view of life that can arise from "Love" alone. Love can present the hope of a most idealistic world, even one in which fear does not even exist! And one day, we shall live in exactly this kind of world! But that day will not be tomorrow, or within the next few millennia. Love is incredibly practical, in its cosmic application, and Love gives rise to the principles of karma. For the human species has a particularly thick skull, collectively, and is terribly unlikely to learn all its life-lessons through the gentle teacher of Love. So, it must learn some of them through the harsh teacher of fear. Can fear ever serve Love?

Surprisingly, yes. Just as the cosmic Mind uses illusion to highlight and outline many great truths or realities, so "fear," being a part of illusion, must, in the overall view, serve Love. One of the more interesting mystical names for cosmic Mind, in the history of mysticism, is "Love." But another is "Reality." (In most religiospiritual systems, the word "truth" is used synonymously with "reality.")

Since there is only one Mind, and since It has no real opposite, and since fear does exist, then fear must by definition logically be a part of the Mind-- as is the entire cosmos of maya or illusion. In karma, fear is the major tool used to shake awake the mind, like a splash of cold water, and then, to keep it alert (or "mindful"). Fear is by no means the goal, so let us not confuse method with aim. But fear can penetrate the mind, overcoming the dullness of the average human mind, tearing it free from apathy, ignorance, and other mental "cobwebs." Fear is used by Love to energize, awaken, stimulate, and alert!

This truth is probably the source of the notorious "fear of God" and its presentation as a good thing. When we first, in the very beginning, start to straighten out our lives, we often do so from a "healthy" fear of karma and karmic consequences. Like all the many, many other tools of illusion that the Mind uses to educate us, fear is just another instrument for our growth and education in agapology (the gentle art of loving).

It would be nice, even idyllic, if we could all learn everything needed under the much more gentle tutelage of Love. Then, we could all sing and whistle our ways through life, with everyone smiling all the time. Life could be, not an exciting drama, but a kind of musical comedy! But alas, the world, and the mind, are not "built" that way. Like a little kid who straightens out her life due to her "fear" of her parents' reactions, we too must begin the path of Love with and in fear. The path of reality begins in illusion. But, as our Hindu sisters and brothers say, "Every path that leads to God is good-- and all paths lead to God."

An objective analysis shows that our lives are probably, in the beginning, mostly error. But mystics see "error" as constructive, because it is the tool used to educate us. If we learn from error or "sin," then it too drives us to wisdom, peace, and Love.

But this does NOT EVER imply the simplism that "sin is good." This is not a license for licentiousness. Instead, it is a recognition that mistakes can be turned into stepping-stones to bring us closer to wisdom. Remember that this does NOT apply to pre-meditated, deliberate, voluntary activities. For there can never exist such a thing as a "deliberate mistake."

Fear is the enemy of enlightenment, and the conceptual "opposite" of God.

Responding with fear is the greatest mistake, error, or "sin" of our lives. Happily, universal forgiveness is more than adequate to cover it. Again, exactly as Love uses fools to do Its work (for there are no alternatives on earth), it can and must also use fear to accomplish its education. In theological terms, the "devil" (fear) exists by God's (Lovemind's) permission.

The views of the relative unreality of the physical world, and that of reincarnation, are capable of ugly and dangerous abuses. These have actually occurred throughout history, as in the "Christian" Carpocrates or the "Jewish" Frank. These pseudomystical systems made dangerous travesties out of what were helpful mystical truths. So, the entire mystical philosophy can be quite useless without a comprehensive understanding of Love. That is why, at the very top of all mystical teachings is Love. "God is Love," and no concept or behavior could have a higher interpretation.
*******