Hope and Fear

“It is infinitely better to hope for the best than to fear the worst. Time is composed equally of night and day. In its inevitable course of ups and downs, the world is fast approaching once again a glorious dawn.” [1]

I often find refuge in this beautiful message from Meher Baba. At times, it seems the mind is more easily drawn to imagining the worst possible aspects of the world than to perceiving the beauty inherent in all things. This tendency becomes especially evident in how we perceive and relate to one another.

When we reflect on those around us—both near and far—what aspects of their being speak the loudest? Is it the way their thinking diverges from ours, or is it the resonance of our shared divine source?

Krishna said to Arjuna: “For one who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, I am never lost, nor is he ever lost to Me.” [2]

I’ve always loved this verse because it is a practical exercise to perceive the One hidden in plain sight, yet I’ve noticed in many recent conversations—whether with acquaintances, friends, or companions—that internal distress often arises from differences in thought. Politics amplifies this discord, but some of the most painful divisions I’ve witnessed occur even among those who love Meher Baba.

Our conscious and unconscious desire for self-affirmation can be a significant barrier to embracing His path of self-effacement. The desire for our personal philosophies and beliefs to be understood and validated can easily magnify our perceived differences. One might object here by pointing out that Baba said, “Learn the art of taking your stand on the Truth within.”[3] I would respond that this ‘art’ is the way of self-effacement—it leads to the dissolution of fear and pride, and does not turn into a need to highlight the differing truths of others. In other words, the “truth within” is not something to broadcast, but to embody silently.

I had the privilege of being with Don Stevens at the end of his life, and I recall him mentioning, almost casually, that he regretted “always having to be right.” He was passionate about deeply important matters—like the accuracy and preservation of Baba’s words—but he also acknowledged that this passion had, at times, caused rifts with beloved companions. In hindsight, he recognized the profound value of nurturing relationships, even when meaningful differences of thought remained.

The Upanisads say that “It is from the other that fear comes.”[4] In other words, fear arises from the separation we perceive in others. It’s often more gratifying to argue the superiority of our own point of view over another’s, to convince ourselves that we hold knowledge that few others have. But this need for self-affirmation is a poison circulating throughout our world—just take a look at social media.

Baba provides a powerful antidote: hope for the best and let go of fear. He exemplifies this perfectly in His own life, particularly during the hopelessness and helplessness of the New Life. Hopelessness being the deeper realization of “hope for the best” in that when one reaches a stage of directly perceiving the best in all beings and all things, there is no need for hope.

Baba also provides a practical guide on how to love God and dissolve the fears that arise from the “other.”

To love God in the most practical way is to love our fellow beings. If we feel for others in the same way as we feel for our own dear ones, we love God.

If, instead of seeing faults in others, we look within ourselves, we are loving God.

If, instead of robbing others to help ourselves, we rob ourselves to help others, we are loving God.

If we suffer in the sufferings of others and feel happy in the happiness of others, we are loving God.

If, instead of worrying over our own misfortunes, we think ourselves more fortunate than many many others, we are loving God.

If we endure our lot with patience and contentment, accepting it as His Will, we are loving God.

If we understand and feel that the greatest act of devotion and worship to God is not to hurt or harm any of His beings, we are loving God.

To love God as He ought to be loved, we must live for God and die for God, knowing that the goal of life is to Love God, and find Him as our own self. [5] [1] Listen Humanity, Meher Baba (ed Don Stevens), pp. 180–181
[2] Bhagavad-Gītā As It Is by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Chapter 6, Verse 30
[3] Life At Its Best, Meher Baba (ed Ivy Duce) p 34
Full Quote: “Learn the art of taking your stand on the Truth within. When you live in this Truth, the result is the fusion of the mind and the heart and the end of all fears and sorrow. It is not a dry attainment of mere power or intellectual knowledge. A love which is illumined by the intuitive wisdom of the spirit will bless your life with ever-renewing fulfillment and never-ending sweetness.
[4] The Brhadaranyaka Upanishad – Translated By Swami Madhavananda, 1.4.2
[5] Message from September 12, 1954