Question: Is the way to get rid of anxiety to ignore it?

Sri Chinmoy: You can get rid of anxiety for a short time by ignoring it, but if you want to get rid of it permanently, then you have to bring light into it. In the beginning, if you are weak, then ignore it. If you can convince your mind that anxiety does not exist, then you get temporary relief. If even for one day you are freed from anxiety, then you have accomplished something. By ignoring it you can keep it away for a few days, a few weeks or a few months, but you cannot indefinitely ignore it. The anxiety still exists and it will come back.

But in the meantime, while it is away, you may create or develop or acquire or achieve light. Then, if you have brought light into your system, when anxiety comes you can put light into it. At that time, anxiety is transformed and then it no longer exists. In this way it will not bother you again.

If you do not have enough light or illumining power inside you, then the next best thing is to ignore anxiety. But unless and until you have illumined anxiety, there can be no abiding satisfaction. In the beginning you ignore it and wait for God’s capacity to develop in you, which is Light. Then, when the hour comes, you must enter into anxiety itself with your soul’s light. But if you have this capacity right from the beginning, why do you have to ignore your anxiety? Everything in God’s creation needs God’s attention for its perfection. Anxiety is not a good quality; it has to be perfected. Since you have the capacity, pay attention to it and perfect it.