Anxiety – can you explain it to me, please?

Let’s break it down first.

Anxiety – What is it?
Anxiety is a mental state arising out of uncertainty about the outcome of a current situation.
E.g,

• Taking an exam and not sure whether you will pass or not.
• Having a relationship with someone you love, and not sure whether the opposite person also feels the same way about you or not.
• You bought a stock and you are not sure whether it will perform well or not.

You got the point.

The cause of anxiety is uncertainty about the FUTURE leading to the restlessness of the mind in the PRESENT state.

Why does uncertainty cause anxiety and restlessness?

Because the future is not in your hands.

It is in the hands of another object, person, or situation.

And, despite that,  you insist only on certain results, and this leads to uncertainty about the future causing anxiety and restlessness.
So, the fault is not with the world.

The fault is with YOUR EXPECTATIONS.

The insistence on expecting certain results by your mind gives birth to uncertainty.

If results were fixed and guaranteed, then there won’t be any anxiety.

If you are told that you are gonna pass the exams, no matter what, you won’t have anxiety.

Similarly, if you were told that you definitely are gonna fail, no matter what, then also, you will not have anxiety.

Because, if results are fixed, it relieves your mind free to do something about the results – pass or fail.

Why is the future unpredictable?

That’s a beautiful question.

ThePRESENT state is in YOUR hands, you can do something with it, but the FUTURE is still being created.

And created by whom?

By the Consciousness.

Every single event of life is designed by interactions of so many various objects, people, and situations, each one with its own inner energy operating from within, and all being brought together by the unknowable formless consciousness.

We are finite. But the consciousness is infinite.

So, we can only think of only a few possible results of a situation – e.g – Pass or fail – in the case of an exam.

But the consciousness is capable of conjuring up an infinite number of possibilities – e.g – you may not even wake up in the morning, the examiner may not wake up in the morning, or a big earthquake may happen and wipe off everyone in 50 miles radius including your examination hall, you and the examiner, everything.

The point of discussion is not to talk about unusual and crazy situations like these, but it is just to highlight the infinite power hidden in the formless consciousness, which can create myriads of possible results. And that’s why the future is unpredictable.

So, this should make you realize that – you are FINITE, and when you are insisting on only certain results in the future- you are trying to rise above a powerful, unpredictable, INFINITE entity – the consciousness.

It is no surprise, that we fall a lot shorter than this entity – the Godliness itself.

So, what can we do about it?

Change the behavioral pattern of your mind.

STOP EXPECTING certain results.

I know you say ” DON’T EXPECT”, but, isn’t expecting a natural thing to do? Everyone does that. 

If you look at the world around you, yes, that’s what everyone will do, and of course, that’s why everyone suffers also.

Why can’t we come out of the anxiety and think about all these things that you just talked about? 

Another beautiful question.

The answer is –  anxiety has two components.

1. The fault of the mind that causes anxiety ( Expecting certain results.)
2. End result of this fault – ( Suffering )

Almost everyone who is suffering from anxiety gets caught up in the suffering portion of the anxiety – the end result.

They are trying to fight the suffering of anxiety itself. They keep trying and trying meanwhile losing so much mental energy, but nothing really happens.
It’s like you are trapped in a home in a fire.

You keep fighting the fire, keep suffering with the fire, keep shouting that you are burning, you cannot breathe, etc – and thinking that someone will come and help you.
But, you never think of finding the exit door and getting out of the house.

Same way, people with anxiety, keep suffering but never try to find out why they are suffering.

And this vicious circle never ends.

And that’s why this discussion is important.

OK, so, now I have realized that cause of my suffering is my own expectations. How can correct it? 

For that, you have to answer my next question – “WHO IS EXPECTING? and WHO IS SUFFERING?”

I know, what your answer will be – “I AM EXPECTING AND I AM SUFFERING.” – and it is a wrong answer.

My answer will be – “YOUR EGO IS EXPECTING AND YOUR EGO IS SUFFERING. “

So, what’s the difference between ME and MY EGO?

For that, you will have to refer to the next question – What is Ego? and Who am I?