I was so inspired by a blog post I found on fear and suffering. The post itself had many Buddhist references in it and I decided that I wanted to convey the message without the emphasis as it just wasn't necessary. The truth of reality is what it is. It is our free-will to decide reality is something other...however, it is what it is. We can run from reality, but in the end it always finds us.
I hope you find the inspiration I did in examining this great scene from Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, a fantastic reference to the spiritual journey.
YODA: Careful you must be when sensing the future, Anakin. The fear of loss is a path to the dark side.
ANAKIN: I won’t let my visions come true, Master Yoda.
YODA: Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force. Mourn them, do not. Miss them, do not. Attachment leads to jealousy. The shadow of greed, that is.
ANAKIN: What must I do, Master?
YODA: Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.
Take another look at the first line quoted above. Think of the “dark side” as our own Fear/Suffering, Fear is the path to suffering. The only way to free yourself from the fear of loss is to detach yourself from whatever it is you fear to lose.
How do we let go? Yoda was correct when he said that Anakin must train himself to let go. Letting go requires a great deal of practice, discipline, and courage. But who wants to do that when it is easier to continue on the path of Immediate Gratification? Our concept that we have control is an illusion that we keep up, only to find that we are still unhappy. It is only when we commit to the practice, discipline, and courage and letting-go of our fear responses that we understand we are, we have and always will be all we need.
There is nothing to believe, no gods to embrace, and no dogma to adhere to. Instead, we must all look deeply within ourselves and find that the truths we seek are much closer than we realize. After all, you can’t change reality to fit your preferred vision of it. The only thing you can do is change your perspective to fit reality. It’s the only path to achieve freedom from suffering.