An Inquiry into Fear and Pleasure

Flower Painting by Anita Nowinska

There is a lot of fear in our lives. But when we talk about fear we must also go into the question of pleasure, enjoyment, joy, and a sense of beauty in which there is no demand for expression.

Fear and pleasure seem interrelated.

Most of us pursue and cultivate pleasure. I´m not saying pleasure is right or wrong. I´m just investigating, looking at it. Our religion, social structure, and morality is based on pleasure, and the ultimate pleasure is God.

Now, what is wrong with pleasure, which everybody wants? But if in the pursuit of pleasure there is no fulfillment, then what follows is pain, fear, violence, brutality. So, we must find out both the nature of fear and of pleasure. Fear and pleasure are probably the two dominant factors in our life.

What is pleasure?  Is it related to love? Is it related to enjoyment? Is it related to joy? Then what is joy? And is love pleasure, is love desire?

There cannot be love if there is not the understanding of going beyond sorrow and the understanding of fear and pleasure. And what is joy? Can you invite joy? Or does it happen when you are not seeking it?

The ancient philosophers said that philosophy is to separate the soul from the body. Love can be only when the other is not. Through negation you come to the positive. 

Identification with the body is the root of fear, of security, of sorrow, of the whole pursuit of endless pleasure. When you see the totality of all that, and go beyond it, then you know what love is.

Philosophy is the regrowth of wings.