Three steps to freedom from fear
Aussie yogi back in Manila for series of talks
Charlie Hogg with other senior BK teachers at an international peace conference in New Delhi
ENGLISH actor-comedian, author-screenwriter John Cleese was among the featured speakers in a program on spirituality a few years back at the Brahma Kumaris Meditation (BK) Center in London.
Cleese, now 85, is known worldwide as a cofounder of the groundbreaking “Monty Python’s Flying Circus,” a surreal sketch comedy series that debuted on British television in late 1969. At the time of the London program, he had long left the show and dabbled in many unexpected interests. The subject of his talk was “Impermanence,” a core concept in Buddhism.
Charlie Hogg, Australian meditation teacher, remembers the momentary disorientation in then audience: “They were unsure about how to respond to the famous man onstage because, you know, when you see John Cleese, your instinctive reaction is to laugh. But he was being really serious.”
That day, Cleese reprised the popular analogy of life as a train journey: You are on a train and it stops at a station. People hop off, people hop on. Next station, same thing—people hop off, people hop on. Eventually, you hop off.
Hogg breaks it down: “People come into your life and then leave when they’re supposed to. In due course, you realize that you have little say in the matter. The same is true with events, work, responsibilities, acknowledgement. They come and go. You can enjoy this process, even love it, if you allow things to happen at the right time. If you hang on to anything or anyone, you start to build fear within you, specifically the fear of losing.”
The ultimate wisdom in this, he says, is, “Engage with life but don’t get attached. Remind yourself that nothing and no one belongs to you.”
All around us
There is so much fear all around as it is, says Hogg, a frequent Manila visitor. He is back to speak on the subject in a free public program at Gateway Gallery at the Gateway Tower in Araneta Center, Cubao. The program, set at 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, is titled “A Future Without Fear.”
The next day, July 9, he will speak in two more programs: “Forgiveness: Bridging Cultures and Faiths,” 9:30-11:00 a.m., at the BK Head Office in Makati. (RSVP on or before July 6 via WhatsApp or Viber 09178340118); and later at 4:30-6:00 p.m., “Stronger Inside, Happier Outside,” an online program. (Details will be posted on Facebook.com/rajayoga.makati.)
“Brother Charlie,” as he is known to over a million Raja Yoga practitioners in 110 countries, is the current national coordinator of Brahma Kumaris in Australia and a ranking member of the India-based institution’s international coordinating team.
“Everyone carries around his own set of fears,” he says. “Physical fears, psychological fears, even spiritual fears. Did you know there are more than 500 listed fears and counting? All are the result of a limited knowledge of the self. Nearly everything that we think we need to be happy comes from conditioning. We are effectively given an identity at birth. One is either male or female, born to this or that set of parents, in such a country and culture. When we buy completely into this conditioning and never even try to step out of its bounds, then our fears merely increase as we accumulate experiences.”
Regrettably, says Hogg, we see others through the same lenses. “Thus, the audience’s initial reaction to John Cleese in that London program. For a while they couldn’t see him as anything other than a comedian. We could all use some flexibility there, and the world would be a much better place.”
Reconnect with peace
There are three steps to freedom from fear, according to Brother Charlie: “First, understand that the only permanent thing is change. Many of us grew up believing that death is the end of life. It’s a huge transition, but still just a transition. Second, know the real self—I, the immortal soul, the only permanent thing in life; and third, build a loving relationship with that real self and, inevitably, we create the same bond with not just religion, but with God.”
As a resource speaker, Brother Charlie has tackled many subjects that expand human awareness. Among the most frequent requests are talks about the healing power of forgiveness, the value of compassion, loving without losing oneself, overcoming negative emotions, and mastering the senses. By now he has seen enough, he says, to know that these issues are prompted by one or another kind of fear.
For the Gateway program, he delves into the subject propelled by a single intention: “To serve. To help others meet the future with calm and confidence by transforming fear into faith.” Thus, he invites everyone “to reconnect with inner peace and trust in a higher order.”
Call 0999 8267839 for inquiries or register now: https://forms.gle/bVAVn6biqCHT3v6Y7
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