If there is anything besides the Self there is reason to fear?

“If there is anything besides the Self there is reason to fear? Who sees the second? First, the ego arises and sees objects as external. If the ego does not rise, the Self alone exists and there is no second.” — Ramana Maharshi

In these profound words, Ramana Maharshi, the sage of Arunachala, speaks not merely of philosophy but of the very root of human existence. His teaching pierces through illusion like a sword through mist. He declares that fear arises only when we imagine that something exists apart from our true Self — the eternal, boundless consciousness that knows no division. When we see a “second,” when the ego is born and begins to say, “I am this body, and that is another,” we have already stepped into the realm of separation, where shadows of fear and desire dwell. But before this “I” rises — before the ego whispers its false identity — there is only the Self, vast and still, like the sky before dawn.

In the ancient lands, seers knew this truth and spoke of it in many tongues. The Upanishads proclaimed, “Where there is duality, there one sees another; but where everything has become the Self, then who can see whom?” Ramana’s words echo that timeless revelation. He calls us to awaken from the dream of “mine” and “thine,” to dissolve the veil of duality that binds the soul in restless seeking. For when there is no second, there is no other, and where there is no other, there is no fear.

Consider the story of Prahlada, the boy-saint from the Puranas, who saw the Divine in all things. His father, blinded by arrogance, tried to destroy him — with fire, with beasts, with poison. Yet Prahlada did not tremble. When asked why he did not fear death, he said, “Because my Lord is in all — in the fire that burns, in the beasts that attack, in my own heart.” His vision knew no second; therefore, he was fearless. His life stands as living testimony to Ramana’s truth: Fear is born only when we see a world apart from the Self.

When the ego rises, it says, “I am separate,” and thus begins the endless dance of attachment and aversion, love tainted with need, and courage poisoned by doubt. The mind, seeing objects as “other,” tries to control them, to cling to what it desires and flee from what it hates. But the more it clings, the more it suffers. The Self, on the other hand, desires nothing, for it lacks nothing. It is like a flame that burns without fuel, self-sustained and eternal. To abide in that awareness is to dwell beyond fear, beyond death, beyond all shadow.

In the modern world, where men and women chase reflections on screens and call them life, the words of the sage shine with renewed power. The rise of ego can be seen everywhere — in the race for recognition, in the hunger for possessions, in the trembling fear of loss. Yet if one pauses, even for a moment, and asks, “Who am I that sees all this?” — the ego begins to fade, and a silent strength arises. For that which watches, without judgment or desire, is not the frail ego but the infinite Self itself.

The lesson, then, is not to flee from the world but to see through it — to know that all appearances are but waves on the same ocean of being. When we perceive the world as separate, fear is natural; but when we awaken to unity, even suffering becomes a teacher and death a doorway. Seek the Self first, Ramana says, and all else will dissolve into peace. The practice is simple but profound: in every moment of fear, ask, “To whom does this fear arise?” Trace it back to its source, and the source will reveal itself as silence, radiant and still.

Therefore, O seeker, remember this teaching as a lamp in the dark night of your mind: the world is not your enemy, but your mirror. When you see only the Self, there is no second — no foe, no fear, no loss, no death. In that vision lies the freedom of the sages, the courage of heroes, and the peace of those who have returned home. Let this be your path: Know the Self, and you shall know fear no more.