Acharya Prashant explains that we are engrossed in all kinds of small fears, while we have hidden the one fear that we should truly have. We are afraid of our boss, the police, our spouse, in-laws, and neighbors—we are afraid of the whole world. However, we are not afraid of our life being wasted. The purpose of life is to attain its ultimate goal, liberation, yet we are not afraid of remaining unliberated. Trivial matters make us tremble, but the most terrifying event that happens to us daily—the wasting of our life—does not bother us at all. Our well-wishers and saints have repeatedly told us to learn to fear the right thing. Quoting Kabir Saheb, he says, "Fear is the philosopher's stone for the soul." If the real fear enters your life, it will change instantly, turning from iron to gold. When this real fear comes, all the small, petty fears will disappear. You will no longer be afraid of the world or tremble at trivial matters like a phone call, a scolding from the boss, a child's low marks, financial ups and downs, or being caught for a mistake. These things only affect those who do not have the real fear. As human beings, the very meaning of a 'being' (Jeev) is one who is afraid. Therefore, no one can claim to be fearless. You will have to be afraid; the choice is what to be afraid of. You can either fear the trivialities of the world or fear the One, by fearing whom you will attain Him. Being 'God-fearing' does not mean being afraid of God, but rather the fear of missing out on God, the fear of the distance from God. Here, 'God' is meant as Truth, not an imaginary deity.
