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THE ART OF POSITIVE THINKING
possible that an individual here and there makes such a leap. There may be one in a million who can jump down straight from the roof. But if everyone were able to do so, there would be no need for a staircase. As it is, if all start leaping directly from the roof, hospitals would soon become filled to capacity; it would cause an upheaval. The phenomenon of the leap is not universal. It is not valid for all. It could only be an exception to the rule. To reach the ground of Veetaragta straight, to enter nirvana directly without any intermediary stage, is to make a leap which an individual does rarely on his own. Others must employ whatever support they can; to go to the roof they must use the stairs. One staircase serves to take one up as well as down. It is not that there is one staircase for going up, and another for going down. The same staircase serves both purposes. Likewise, there is only one current of feeling. One can use that current of feeling to rise high or to go down. When the current is attuned to truth, we rise high; when it is allied with untruth, we go down. The development of japa or the mantra was based upon the feeling that there should be something which calls for exclusive attention so that noxious feelings have the least opportunity to enter the mind.
Another means of attaining the state of non-fear is preksha. With the gradual development of the power of seeing, our perception becomes truth-oriented. Whatever fear there is, it is because of untruth. False belief, false doctrine, false conception, false determination -- whatever be the aspect of untruth, it only creates fear. As our vision develops, we perceive the truth more clearly. We bid goodbye to fictions. We grow stronger, and fear decreases of itself. There is no fear in facing the fact, but fear is inherent in illusion, in a state of unconsciousness, and in untruth. Preksha becomes the means of breaking the cycle of ignorance, and when this cycle breaks, fear dissolves of itself.
Preksha, anupreksha, the repetition of a mantra—these techniques were developed primarily for the evolution of non-fear. In every tradition - Jain, Vedic or Buddhist -- there exist mantras for the prevention of fear. Some people get frightened in sleep; they have terrifying dreams at night. Others take fright for no cause. In order to elude such predicaments, hundreds of mantras have been evolved and these have been used to good effect. They help divert attention from fear. The very condition of the mind stands altered. Also a great many remedies have been evolved. There are many medicines, roots and herbs, which if placed beside the pillow, stop fear altogether. All dreams cease. The roots and herbs and the mantras have been useful, and research in this direction has yielded good results.
There is another path leading to non-fear. This relates to our character and conduct. Fear springs from violence, from untruth,
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