Courage from Within

We explore how to cultivate courage and inner strength for daily life, examining the difference between rajasic energy and the pure sattvic energy demonstrated by figures like Krishna and Swami Vivekananda.

• The courage displayed by spiritual leaders comes from Sattvic energy rather than just Rajasic energy
• True courage flows from remembering our essential nature as boundless consciousness
• When God gives authority to speak, nothing can stop you and everyone will listen
• Surrender to God allows divine attributes to flow through us
• The Vishnu Sahasranama (thousand names of Vishnu) can remind us of divine qualities within us
• We don't need to cultivate courage; we need to discover the boundless courage already within
• Simply saying "I'm not the body" is incomplete – we must also recognize what we truly are

Please like, comment, and subscribe to continue this discussion. If you have questions, feel free to ask in the comments or join my Discord server.

Support this channel by joining this channel to get access to perks:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEQmXLNdTDOa_7b7J0zO0ew/join

Support me via Paypal: https://www.paypal.biz/beardedmystic
Join our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/hnRf7wESwX
Visit my website: https://www.thebeardedmysticpodcast.com/
Buy The Bearded Mystic Podcast Merch: https://thebeardedmysticpodcast.myshopify.com/

Want a one-on-one spiritual discussion with The Bearded Mystic - book here: https://www.thebeardedmysticpodcast.com/p/spiritual-discussion/

You can follow me and contact me on social media:
TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdk3HPJh/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeardedmysticpodcast/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBeardedMysticPodcast/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Bearded-Mystic-Podcast
Bluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/beardedmystic.bsky.social

Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/thebeardedmysticpodcast

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction and Previous Conversation
• 1:10 Dylan's Question on Courage
• 4:22 Rajasic vs. Sattvic Energy
• 7:02 Divine Authority to Speak
• 10:08 Cultivating Courage Through Surrender
• 11:08 Remembering Your True Nature
• 13:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello and welcome to the Bearded Mystic Podcast, and I'm your host, rahul N Singh. Thank you for taking out the time today to either watch or listen to this podcast episode Today before we start. If you didn't catch the conversation I had with Noe Rauta on One of these Conversations, please take a look at that. Um, that was a great conversation. I really enjoyed it. There was a lot that, um, I learned and a lot that was shared, and it's always good to learn from different sources, uh, who express the truth, the same truth that you know one expresses as well. So, and he has a very unique way of sharing that. So I have a question today, um, from Dylan G, who is, um, uh, you know, a long time listener and, uh, and, if you do have questions, you can always either WhatsApp me, email me or get in contact with me somehow, and I will always um reply, will always reply back or record a response, and so Dilanji asks.

Speaker 1: 1:10

In some of the Indian texts, like the Bhagavad Gita, when Krishna speaks to Arjuna, there are moments where his words carry such strength and power, for example, when he says things like do not worry about the body or fix your mind on me, without attachment to results. It feels like he's not offering philosophical wisdom, but speaking from a place of courage and conviction. It sounds like he's also trying to instill courage into Arjun, who is understandably overwhelmed at the idea of fighting people he loves you know, the teachers, friends and relatives. Similarly, when Swami Sravapriyanandaji speaks about Swami Vivekanandaji, it sounds like Swami Vivekanandaji also speaks with this energy of courage, strength and spiritual authority. And it made me reflect. It seems that in certain situations in life, having the right intent alone isn't enough. One also needs to bring forth the right energy, a purposeful, directed force. From what I understand, this feels like a Rajasic type of energy, active, dynamic, full of resolve, as opposed to a more Damsic or even purely Sattvic state. It has a fire to it.

Speaker 1: 2:25

I've noticed that it's better to go into something with the attitude of looking forward to something rather than dreading something. For example, if you have a meeting coming up, instead going in with the attitude of fear and worry, if you go in with the attitude of I'm going to smash this presentation, you'll perform better and even if the outcome is a loss, you deal with the loss better and then you have more peace because the loss doesn't dwell. And I find the same is true with exams and sports. This made me wonder how can one cultivate that kind of energy for day-to-day living. I know you've recommended meditating in the morning and I've heard that focus and determination are emphasized in many teachings. But is there a particular approach, practice or mindset that helps you tap into that courageous energy right at the start of the day, almost like anchoring yourself in strength before stepping out into the world? From my own thinking, I thought perhaps reminding oneself that I am not the body perhaps can help, but I don't feel the same energy when I do this. It feels like such an important quality, not just for achieving goals but for walking the path with clarity and in the power. I haven't really focused on developing this consciously, but any advice you would have would be deeply appreciated. That is a very wonderful question, um, and and there's a reason why I gave the background to that because dylan g, when I first uh interacted with him, uh, there was, uh, he was very different to what you're hearing now. Um, you know, even in this, even though he's asking for courage, but I can tell you that he's really gained a lot of courage since the first time that I spoke to him, uh, and you know, when he reached out initially this was maybe a couple of years ago um, he really took on board what I said and, um, and it came to fruition.

Speaker 1: 4:27

Now there's a few things that I wanted to kind of address in there, and one thing is like the strength and the courage and that it looks like it's Rajasic. That's true to a certain degree. Yes, there is Rajasic, but with Sri Krishna and even Arjuna and even Swami Vivekananda Ji, although, yes, there is elements of Rajasic, but it's actually grounded in Sattvic energy because it's pure. Now, the reason why it's pure is because there's no other intention, so they're not looking for something in return With something that's rajasic. There may be some element of wanting something in return, an expectation of results, an eagerness to see the results, but when you do it with sattvic energy, you will have the same kind of energy, the free-flowing energy, the boundless energy that comes from existence, from Satchitananda. You will have that same energy that is sattvic and that will be moving you. So with that you will not be expecting results. You just do things because that's important, that action is important, going down that path is important.

Speaker 1: 5:39

So, yes, initially Sri Krishna is installing courage into Arjuna because he was fearful, he was scared, he was terrified, he was stressed out, he was having a panic attack. So, you know, sri Krishna definitely did install courage into him and hence he was able to fight in the war later, to fight in the war later, and even when it comes to Swami Vivekananda Ji, you know, going up there to speak in Chicago you know that 100 years ago and to be so confident about one's religion, about one's dharma, and to do that with such ease again, there is something of the divine at play here. You see, the reason why Arjuna could perform, the reason why Swami Vivekananda ji can perform or could perform, is because of, funny enough, I was reading the gospel of Sri Ramakrishna ji. I just picked it up and I just read a few pages of Sri Ramakrishna. I just picked it up and I just read a few pages, and in there Sri Ramakrishna says that when God gives you the authority to speak, nothing can stop you and everyone will listen to you. Because that, then, is God speaking to you and that is God performing through you or acting through you. And that's true whenever we see any spiritual teacher that we really admire and we just feel drawn to them, that's because they've had that authority from God to speak, from Ishwar, to share this wisdom. And obviously this depends if you believe in God or not. I'm more on the side of you, know there is a God and you can utilize that energy and utilize those attributes. And so, yes, when God ordains, then you can speak, nothing will stop you. And that's the courage where they got it from, from the attributes of Suguna Brahman from Ishvara, that courage where they got it from from the attributes of saguna brahman from ishara. That's where they got the strength from. So, although, yes, sri krishna in his real state is nirgun, absolutely, but for the war, for fighting, then arjun had to utilize this saguna aspect of sri krishna, so that, but that doesn't mean that he forgot about the nirguna aspect, yeah, one can still act by balancing both perfectly well. So that's one thing.

Speaker 1: 8:22

And so how can you have this energy for day-to-day living? There's two ways of looking at this, two answers that I would give. One is surrender to God. When you surrender yourself to something higher, then all the attributes of the higher enter into you and you then react, respond differently. With that in mind, you will think like God, you will speak like God, you will hear, like God or the Guru, or whoever you consider to be the highest, whoever your Ish this, for the sake of this I say God then the whole of existence, the whole energy of existence is behind you. So how can you cultivate that energy? One is to surrender. If you surrender to Saguna, brahman, to Ishvara, to the Sagun or Sarkar aspect of the formless, then of consciousness, then that will help you. For sure, that will be a cultivation, because you will find strength from that.

Speaker 1: 9:32

There's a reason why, in the Vedic times, they utilize the elements. You know Surya, dev, agni, dev, vayu, and you know all these were there because, and they were worshipped they're not worshipped because they were more mightier, so to speak, but there was energies that you could get from them. And likewise, you know there's so many attributes of of god that you can look at one of the books that I would recommend, um, if you want to look at the attributes of god, is the vishnu sahasranama, so the thousand names of vishnu. That's a great way to just remind yourself of the qualities that are within you. Yes, they're, they're dormant in you. And and if you remind yourself of your true nature, which is this, this formless itself, this consciousness, then in that consciousness, remember, is the nirguna and saguna aspect.

Speaker 1: 10:28

So if you are that and I would say this is now leading to the second suggestion that remember who you truly are, which is this nirguna brahman, which is this formless awareness. And within this formless awareness is all forms. All forms get their energy from the formless. Without the formless, the forms will have no energy at all, no way to function, no way to even exist. They exist because of the formless. So, in that play of existence, if you can see yourself as your true nature, which you are, you have all the courage in the world.

Speaker 1: 11:06

See, you don't have to cultivate the courage, you just have to discover the courage and that's all we have to do. That courage is boundless within you. It's so vast that you can take anything on in the world. Because once you remember your true nature, or if you remember who you have with you as the formless, as Ishvara, as Sagunaless, as Ishvara, as Saguna, brahman, as Shukrishna, you will go through life with a lot more conviction and courage to face any ordeal. So, whatever it is, maybe there's a fear that you have, you'll be able to address the fear that now, for example, I have a fear of heights. So there's a certain level I can go to, but after that I'm like, okay, I can't, I can't do more than that. I know my limits of the body.

Speaker 1: 11:58

Now, yes, that also requires that certain courage is given. When it comes to that, I have to be courageous. If I have to go a bit higher than I would normally like, I'll have to find that courage within. Then one remembers one's true nature and it becomes very easy. So, although, yes, you said that just reminding yourself that I am not the body definitely is not enough, that's not complete. If you're not the body, then what are you? That's what, something you're going to have to remember. So when you say I'm not the body, or I'm not the body, then what are you? That's what, something you're going to have to remember. So when you say I'm not the body, uh, and. Or I'm not the mind, you're kind of just taking one half of the teaching. The other half would be but what is your true nature? Is this atman, is this brimman? So, uh, yes, so to walk with that inner power that you talk about, one has to remember one's true nature. And if that's a bit more challenging, then I would suggest the easier way would be to surrender to god and remember that god is a giver of all bounties, of all strength, of all courage, and with that you will also find there is courage for you. Um, okay, so that's my answer.

Speaker 1: 13:07

If you have any follow ups, please do ask. More than happy to answer those. And if anyone else has a question, you know you can always ask in the comments and I will definitely address them in a podcast episode. Thank you very much for listening. Remember to do do like, comment and subscribe. If you want to join my discourse server, please do so and we can continue the discussion. And yes, do look after yourselves and just remember your true nature. Is this Nirgun Brahman, is this Nirakar, is this vast, boundless consciousness? And the more you remember that, the more you'll be at peace. Take care, everyone. Namaste.