The theme of the month in my online Open Heart Project community, or “sangha,” is “Generosity,” and so, lately I’ve been working with the idea of generosity and how it relates to practicing meditation.  In reading up on the subject, I fully discovered for the first time the concept of “non-fear” and how the gift of it to others is one of the most generous we can give.

When I first saw the word “non-fear”, synonyms like “courage” and “bravery” came to mind.  But after discussing it with some fellow meditation instructors recently, most of us came to see it in a more open and all-compassing way as simply the “absence of fear.” One dictionary gives the words meaning the opposite of “fear” as “calmness” and “confidence,” both of which I think provide a more spacious and flexible way to meet life’s challenges than would simple courage or bravery.

So, how does non-fear relate to practicing meditation?  When you practice meditation, and specifically the form I teach known as “Shamatha” or “calm abiding,” you are over time developing the ability to be calmly present with whatever thoughts might arise.  And when we begin to cease reacting to our thoughts and are able to experience them for what they are, simply thoughts and no more, we are cultivating the ability to be calm and confident, both while meditating and in our daily lives as well.

And when we bring this sort of energy and attitude into our lives, especially with those we love most, we can think of it as giving the precious gift of non-fear in a world that at times can seem more fearful all the time.

(For further reading, please see an excerpt here from a dharma talk on Generosity by Roshi Joan Halifax.)

Photo from February 20, 2019: 
Me and my dog Scruffles, both in a state of non-fear and generously giving the gift to each other!