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I heard a discourse this morning. It happened unintentionally. A so-called saint was speaking and I was passing that way when I heard him say, “The way to be religious is to be God-fearing. Only one who fears God is religious. It is fear that brings one to love God. There is no loving without fear. Love is impossible in the absence of fear.”

Usually, those who are called religious are religious because of fear. Those who are called moral are also bound to be in fear.

Kant has said, “Even if there is no God, still it is necessary to accept him.” Perhaps that is because the fear of God makes people be good.

When I hear such statements, I cannot help laughing. Perhaps nothing else is so mistaken and untrue. Religion has nothing to do with fear. Religion is born out of fearlessness.

It is impossible for love to coexist with fear. How can fear give birth to love? Out of fear, only the pretense of love can be born. And what else but non-love can exist behind a counterfeit love? Love born out of fear is an impossibility.

Hence, religiousness and morality based on fear are false, not true. They weigh down rather than elevate the energy of the soul. Religion and love cannot be imposed on oneself, they have to be kindled and aroused within.

Truth is not founded on fear. Fear does not support the truth, it is opposed to it. The foundation-stone of truth is fearlessness.

The true flowers of religion and love can be grown only in the soil of fearlessness. Those planted in the soil of fear can only be artificial. The realization of God happens only in fearlessness. Or to put it more correctly, the realization of fearless consciousness is the realization of God.

The moment all fear disappears from the mind, what happens in that moment is the encounter with truth.