1. Fear and sadness have different levels.
– For example, fear experienced in the apayas (4 realms below the human realm), is at a higher intensity than experienced in the human realm.
– It is probably correct to say that fear is very minimal in the realms above the human realm, except when getting close to the end of a lifetime there.
2. Fear and sadness can be there in the human realm, even at higher levels if one is regularly engaged in highly-immoral activities that would lead to births in the apayas. We sometimes say, “this person is like an animal” when we see that one has committed crimes like killing or rape of children.
– Obviously, when one attains the Sotapanna stage, one would not be able to do such actions, and thus one’s mind would not get to that level of fear and sadness.
3. Fear and sadness will completely go away only when one attains the Arahanthood. That is when one attains total equanimity. One’s mind will not be perturbed by anything (akuppā in Pali, as in akuppā cetovimutti).