One of the primordial human emotions is fear.

Fear is necessary to keep us safe. However, humans are born with only two natural fears, a fear of falling down and loud noises. All the other types of fear are socially learnt as one grows up.

As we grow and become part of the society and communities (and this includes our jobs and social circles), learnt fears tend to keep us trapped in safe routines, comfort zones and convenience and prevent us from taking risks. And yet, if growth is to occur professionally or spiritually, one must overcome that fear and take a fair amount of risk.

If you look at yourself, at all the things you have not done, or things you have not said, they can all point to one thing only – fear. The fear of losing your face; the fear of losing your privileges; or the fear of making someone uncomfortable or even an enemy.

If you look at all the journeys you have not undertaken, it is because of the fear of the unknown: the fear of getting robbed, the fear of getting scammed, and the fear of people who don’t look like you, eat the same food, or believe in the same god.

And if you look at the clutter that has accumulated in your home, it is the fear of not having enough or the fear of finding yourself needing it some time in the future.

Now, with social media, we fear being shamed or cancelled.

And this is why a pilgrimage to places like Machiphu in Paro makes greater sense – to recharge one’s fearlessness. And learn and be inspired by the life and teachings of Machig Labdron – the eleventh-century yogini.

LIFE OF MACHIG

Machig Labdron was born in Labchi in southern Tibet into many auspicious signs, including a third-eye mark on her forehead.

She was a gifted child who could memorise and recite the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Perfection of Wisdom) – especially the 8,000 Lines Heart Sutra at a very young age, which made her famous in her area because every house would invite her to read the sutras every year.

After she lost her mother when Machig turned 13, she dedicated herself entirely to studying Buddhist texts and sutras under a teacher by the name of Sonam Lama. When she was 23, she fell in love with an Indian yogi, Topa Sangye, with whom she bore several children, which got people to ostracise her. However, feeling called back by spirituality, she left her children in their father’s care and went to meditate in isolated places across more than 108 charnel grounds and desolate landscapes.

She later returned to her children and guided them, and they became her devoted disciples, who carried her legacy and practices.

Machig’s life, like that of Milarepa (they were contemporaries) is inspiring because of the ordinariness. Meaning they endured all the trials and tribulations of life before finding liberation.

MACHIG’S TEACHINGS.

Although Machig Labdron is most famous for developing the Chod practices, it is the philosophical teachings that I am inspired by, which are encapsulated in the Five Slogans of Machig.

• Confess your hidden faults.
• Approach what you find repulsive.
• Help those you think you cannot help.
• Anything you are attached to, give it.
• Go to the places that scare you.

GO TO PLACES THAT SCARE YOU.

If you want career or spiritual growth, if you want to develop depth and strength, you must venture into places that scare you. You must develop a level of fearlessness, because, to quote Tagore, that’s where you will find freedom.

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