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Buddhism and fear?
Personally, I was full of fear and anxiety until I tried buddhism and I notice that the meditaton has helped me a lot because it clears my mind but there are times like right now when I can't meditate and I really, really need it. But what can u do, the house is full, really hard to do anything.
I've read some of Buddha's quotes and they're nice and useful but never have I found anything about fear. Does he mention fear and how to defeat fear?
Yes, I think long term meditation does the trick but is there anything else?
I've read some of Buddha's quotes and they're nice and useful but never have I found anything about fear. Does he mention fear and how to defeat fear?
Yes, I think long term meditation does the trick but is there anything else?
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Comments
"When one has the feeling of dislike for evil, when one feels tranquil, one finds pleasure in listening to good teachings; when one has these feelings and appreciates them, one is free of fear."
"The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed."
The bravest person isn't the one without fear, it's the one who accepts their fear and goes forward anyway.
Ah ... that is basically what Pema Chodron says. As I understand it, you can't eliminate fear anyway ... like you said.
I don't know...I've always heard this as well, about bravery, but then there is the notion of being fearless in Buddhism, that the goal is to really have no fear. I think that perhaps feeling even more fear is a stepping stone, that to get to know the fear and accept it and even invite is integral to the process, but ultimately the fear will disappear. (At least I hope so, because then I'm well on my way! Haha. I've said for a long time now that things always have to get worse before they can get better.)
Actually, maybe the fear disappears with wisdom... Yes I think that is the case. But while we are as we are, unwise, the thing to do with fear is to look at it, just as we would look at anything in meditation. Easier said than done.
I looked around a bit and really found that buddhism does not really address fear as suffering. Please correct me if I am wrong.
My own thought is that Buddhism is based on the fact that practitioners fear suffering and that is the prime motivator for cultivation.
I have recently had a pretty distressing encounter with fear that irritates me a lot.
I am building a single appartment and I have a knee problem that makes one of my knees jump (I have no control or knowleadge over when or during which movement).
When building the roof I walked up there without any harness to provoke my fear of my knee jumping and me falling down to see if I could defeat it. (Yes I know that is stupid.)
The distressing part is that however I tried the fear would not subside totally.
But I did find out the following.
1. My fear was primarily grounded in the feeling that if I had an accident I would lose my loved ones.
2. Contemplation on the body and the four elements totally removed the fear for a time. The same thing happened if I contemplated Anatta.Of course it was difficult building a roof while contemplating anatta or the body so...
3. Also after the roof was set my fear of high places below roof height was radically reduced. (Not surprisingly).
Anybody else had encounters with fear?
/Victor
I've read otherwise. Just this morning, I was reading a book called Joyful Wisdom by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a section about the kinds of suffering. And fear would be classified under the "suffering of suffering." Basically just unpleasent physical/emotional/mental circumstances that we currently experience in a given moment.
Thanks. I meant the suttas really. But what does suffering of suffering mean? Do you have an example?
I feel fear envelopes everything we do in life. Many actions are based on fear of something. I guess that is what buddhism says and, looking at it that way, addresses.
But that is more fear as in aversion. But real terror?
/Victor
"The first is known as "The Suffering of Suffering," which can be described very briefly as the immediate and direct experience of any sort of pain or discomfort. A very simple example might be the pain you experience if you accidentally cut your finger." ... "...the Suffering of Suffering extends, as well, to the psychological and emotional dimensions of self-created suffering. The terror and anxiety that welled up in my throughout my childhood, though they didn't necessarily have an organic cause, were certainly immediate and direct."
I see what you're saying about fear being more than just an uncomfortable emotion. It does seem to be more than that..a powerful underlying cause of many things. I don't know what to say about that really. It just is what it is?
I started getting panic/anxiety attacks when I started to view life as absurd after a few years of pondering life, taking drugs, almost failing out of school, just suffering a lot in general. I feared taking every step, I didn't know what was going on - I didn't know where I was. I was thrown into a void.
However, despite the suicidal thoughts and fear attacks. After listening to a few spiritual teachers and buddhist monks I started to practice mindfulness whenever these attacks came. The process usually went like this:
1. Thought: "Ahh, what is life is this a dream? Who am I? What's going on? What is this? I'm going to die, I have to kill myself."
2. Emotion: Full panic attacks, heart beat races etc.
However, instead of succumbing to these thoughts and emotions.. I observed them; mindfully. I started having these last year in November, then when I first came across Buddhist teachings and started to realize that 'I' had no control over thoughts and emotions so whenever the attacks used to come I used to drink some water and observe. Sometimes I would have to stop whatever I was doing; go outside during work, during school initially when I began my practice. Just relax - follow the breath, drink some water and the emotions and thoughts would dissolve back into the nothingness that they came from.
I have made considerable progress as it has now been close to 9 months since I started mindfulness therapy. Whatever I do, wherever I go I stay mindful. I really don't know anything about life and don't attach to delusional thoughts. Of course the mind still has thoughts, and thoughts about thoughts and emotions still come however the practice has stilled the life experience for me. Now when there is a delusional thought or emotion it isn't followed but it's accepted, loved and let go. It's easier now, the practice is almost effortless now that I don't cling to suffering or struggle as much. It's not even really a practice, one's entire life turns into mindfulness.
It's funny when you realize that you've been mindful all along.. haha..
Hopefully this helps my friend, all I can say is practice practice practice. And if you have fear/suffering it's a wonderful gift to urge you along your path if you're a lazy fool like me
Have fun and take your time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj2H1sDwG-o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7rFsrdtMM8
The link doesn't work, Shanyin. It just says "Google - not found"
.
This is just my own opinion formulated by doing risky stuff as a hobby, and has nothing to do with the actual teachings of Buddhism. I could see it tying into Buddhist teachings though; others who've replied to this thread say that fear is a negative thing that we should try to get rid of, but I'm sure this is only the irrational fears in life like the "what ifs" and the "I'm afraid of the dark" type of fears. Fears that could stop you from having a life-changing injury are there for a reason, and I personally don't feel you should try to repress them
I have watched these and I like that guy too! They are wonderful talks.
ravkes: I can totally relate to that! I've been having anxiety/panic as well, and I'm really getting better at being mindful through it. I still do have to kind of stop as well, take a step back, take some deep breaths or go outside, have some water or get some fresh air, but instead of feeling like I NEED to do these things OR ELSE, it's more like slowing down and really taking time to be with the panic, because something inside of me is scared and uncomfortable, and I love that part of me enough to pay attention to it. I ask myself, "what's wrong?" and do my best to listen for the answer. Just that one simple act of love often brings me to tears. I'm starting to get the feeling that anxiety tells me I've straying from what's important in life...getting too involved in "society" for lack of a better word. So in a way, it's helping me remember to keep practising, to keep loving. And even though it's uncomfortable, I'm starting to relate to it as a friend, even a friend that loves and wants the best for me.
We are clinging to a rock spinning at thousands of kilometers per hour, orbiting a giant fire ball only protected by the thin atmosphere so, it's only natural to have a little anxiety but when you realize the humor in it all everything falls into place nicely.
There's always so much to learn from every experience in life; ESPECIALLY the frightening ones. I'm so happy to hear that you've made progress just like I have, it's refreshing to see others approach these situations with compassion : most importantly compassion to yourself. Thank you for this post, it made me smile.
Have fun and keep in touch if you have any tips that might help me too.
Good point! Fear has is purpose. Is useful to keeps us (physically) alive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5bpe6fXuPk
I have found it helpful to contemplate how fear fits into our lives and to see that we would not be part of this world if we did not have fear. Fear is in everything and it is there for a reason.
I like to compare fear, as part of our being, to another part of our being such as our fingernails.
We must alway's deal with our fingernails. If we saw them as something awful should we try to make them cease to exist as we alway's try to do with our fear? If we were to act aggressivly towards the growth and existance of our fingernails as we do fear wouldn't the acts against our fingernails be the problem and not the fingernails themselves? Or fear is like any other body part that we coexist with. Seeing fear as a problem is what "is the problem". Accept that our fear will ebb and flow, the same as the growth as our fingernails. Wouldn't trying to stop the growth of our fingernails cause the same amount of senseless aggression against ourselves as trying to stop the ebb and flow of our fears?
Fear made you fall...
Fear kills you...
Very good preacher.
That is very much what I wanted to feel and overcome.
/Victor
If you were Awake (as the Buddha) to the fact that body and mind are merely dreams, (much like lucid dreaming), wouldn’t the dream body still continue to fear genuine harm out of a necessary requirement, or a tool of survival? However wouldn’t you see this ‘fear tool’ also as a dream fear only and stand back attitudinally from it on some level, (AKA Wu Wei or non-interference)?
In other words, you allow fear to inform you, but at the same time do not indulge it into being simply a bad habit.
Peace and love,
S9
http://www.amazon.com/Fear-Friend-Exceptional-Techniques-Controlling/dp/1840241934/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285591034&sr=8-1
Also.
CBT techniques. Thought Stopping > Thought Swapping.
Exposure Therapy.