Wonder and Anxiety

Raviji, one of the teachings that have helped me quite a bit, and I love this in your guided meditations, is when you speak of not only physical relaxation but the importance of emotional relaxation. And I think so many of us this day and age are anxious with social media and just trying to show up and survive. And so this invitation towards wonder and emotional relaxation is quite calming and soothing. And I'm wondering if you could speak to that. Yes, in fact, I do quite often try to emphasize that because, first of all, relaxation is really almost the fundamental requirement for receiving subtle vibrations or energies. If we even tentatively accept the idea which all the sages in history have said, or even great scientists, great philosophers, that the whole universe is filled with subtle and conscious energies, of course the labels vary. Einstein calls it cosmic intelligence. Christians would call it the Holy Spirit, or Hindus might call it Brahma, or the Buddha mind, you know, varieties of things. If those subtle energies are there, I cannot command them because they are more conscious than I am. But I can become more and more receptive. And almost the largest contribution we can make from our side is to enhance receptivity, is relaxation. And as I often say, emotional relaxation is even more important. And one way to proceed towards that, to use some of the emotional energy that is always dripping out in anxiety, or worry, or what do people think of me, or even what will I get out of this talk, you know, that kind of expectation. So that energy is not as much as getting angry or really resenting. That is, there's a big tap flowing. But this little dripping that goes on all the time is wasting a lot of energy. So to use that intentionally for something which is a slightly subtler feeling. So for example, if I can remind myself that this is a huge universe, and if it is actually true that it is filled with the Holy Spirit or anything, any other label that appeals to me, then I can have gratitude that I have been created, that I can actually reflect on it, and even try to connect with it. So that sense of gratitude takes some of this emotional energy that is otherwise just going to be wasted. Also, these are very intuitively connected, actually. Gratitude, also a sense of wonder. Why, my goodness, it's such a huge universe, trillions of galaxies. Why have these forces created me? I mean, really, each person's existence is a miracle, if we actually think about this or look at it. So that sense of wonder, or gratitude, and gratitude, takes that emotional energy. In fact, I have occasionally said you can even try. Wonder and anxiety cannot coexist. So to try to use the very energy which is just dripping out. And then, as in everything, one needs to remember there are, if you like, levels of gratitude and levels of wonder. So not to be easily satisfied with something, and wonder ultimately, actually, one begins to realize everything is wonderful. There is a remark in one of the Upanishads, unless it is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, it cannot be holy. Remarkable statement. Actually, even if you look at a little leaf or a mosquito, it's absolutely, look at your own nails. I want to really know the foggiest idea, how the hell the nails grew. So everything becomes wonderful. Then one is less anxious about something.