Fear plays an important role in my life. I have very much trouble to trust. Trust computers, cars, trust people, trust my own mind, trust the body, trust the world, trust life. I live most of the time with the perception of teror, that everything goes wrong. Up till now i am not able to let go. But i just keep on practising.
I have examined this theme of fear in the Sutta-pitaka. Now i have been given the oppertunity to share some information:
fear which is conducive to the goal of Nibbana
there is a kind of fear which is good, this is the fear of wrong doing, otappa. In the texts it is often mentioned together with moral shame, hiri.
They are seen as protectors. They protect from going immoral ways. They protect from downfall.
Hiri is seen a manifestation of self-respect. Respecting oneself one stays away from immoral unworthy deeds.
Otappa is seen as a manifestation of respecting others, wanting to do no harm to them, because there is respect for others welbeing.
Seeing fear in the slightest moral faults is a quality which is often mentioned in the sutta’s.
Fear as something positive is also mentioned in MN49. Here it is said the Buddha saw fear in any form of existence. This is seen as conducive to the goal of Nibbana.
fear which is not conducive to the goal of Nibbana
there are mentioned four ways of going wrong; chandagati, dosagati, mohagati and bhayagati. It are ways to express how we, or mind, takes a wrong way/route under the influence of greed, hate, delusion and fear.
Bhayagati is going wrong due to fear, due to shiness, due to lack of selfconfidence, due to nerves, being timid etc. What needs to be done in a certain situation is not done because of that bhayagati, the influence of fear on the mind and behaviour. I feel this is happening a lot.
The causes for fear are treated differently but in fact it all comes down to attachment. How can there be fear without attachment?
a cause for fear is:
-immoral behaviour/the fool (MN115)
– sakkaya ditthi (SN22.7). Identified with the the khandha’s, one fears change. If one thinks thoughts like “this youthful body that is me”, or” this health and strenght is me” then one will ofcourse fear the changes which will certainly occur. This kind of fear i have, with regard to external and internal matters. I did no used to have this so extreme but this has devoloped during time.
-Dhammapada 212-216 mentions loved ones, affection, attachment, craving, sensual desire as causes for fear. Ofcourse one will fear change or disappearance of what one loves and feels affection for.
-SN2.17 makes clear that without letting go of everything there will Always be some fear of loosing something. How accurate, right?
-Udana 3.10 mentions Delight as cause. I think because one fears the end of what one takes delights in.
-fear of death is treated in AN.4.116 and AN4.184 there is no fear of death when immorality is abandoned and morality is developed
This is a short summery of what i once examined.
kind regards,
Siebe