We all experience fear, some frequently, some less frequently. For many, fear rules their lives; they are caught in a web of anxiety. But is fear real, or better put, is what we fear inherently fearful?
Fear certainly seems real. And to our way of thinking, there is a rational reason for us to fear what we fear. Whether its the security of our marriage, our job, our finances or what people think of us or any of a myriad things that we are fearful of, we have a rational reason for our fear.
But is that the answer? First, let's look at what fear is. Everyone's fear is a product of their life experiences, what they have been conditioned to fear, whether it's things that have happened to themselves or things that they've learned from our culture/society,
And these fears often have a very rational basis, For example, someone is struggling financially and is worried what will happen to him if he loses his job. In our society, one's welfare is dependent on the amount of money one makes or has—whether it's your housing, your food, your transportation, etc.—it is truly dependent on your income. Further, if you have become used to living a certain lifestyle, maintaining that lifestyle requires a certain income, and so even if one is not hurting financially, you can still be fearful of losing your job because you don't want to downgrade your lifestyle.
But all this is based on our conditioning. One of the primary tenets of Buddhism is that all five skandhas—form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness—the elements that make up our experience, are all empty of inherent existence.
What does that mean? It means that nothing—and I repeat, nothing—is fearful in and of itself. For a banal example. we may fear extreme heat while others who grew up with it thrive in it. More seriously, we may fear losing our job and not having enough money to live our lifestyle, but there are millions of people in other cultures, as well as many in our culture, who are not just poor but destitute who live rich, happy lives despite their poverty. Another example: most of us in the West fear death, yet there are many in other cultures who have no fear of death.
In every instance it's a question of what you're used to, of what you want, of what your conditioning is. It's a question of your not believing that you'll be ok regardless what life brings you. It's a question of your not accepting your life as being what it is at this moment. It's a question of your not being one with your Buddha nature/the divine essence within you/the child of the Universe within you.
When you are one with the Universe/god/Buddha, you know that you will be at peace and happy regardless what life brings, you will accept your life as being exactly the way it is right now because it's meant to be, it's all ok. (See my post, "It's Just The Way It Is - Take III.") Whether you become poor, are sent to prison, or find yourself in a concentration camp, you will be at peace and happy because your are free of all your conditioning—the skandhas—and are one with the Universe. You know you have everything you need inside yourself to be at peace and happy. All the things that would depress and create anxiety for most people do not impact you because your relationship with the Universe, yourself, and the world around you is different.
If you look at my translation of the Heart Sutra and commentary on this website, you will learn that when you experience things directly without the intervention of thought, all suffering and doubt ceases. And that when you live in this "perfected wisdom" there are no fears or obsessions.
That should be the goal of everyone walking the Buddhist or other spiritual path. It is attainable, even without enlightenment.
Fear certainly seems real. And to our way of thinking, there is a rational reason for us to fear what we fear. Whether its the security of our marriage, our job, our finances or what people think of us or any of a myriad things that we are fearful of, we have a rational reason for our fear.
But is that the answer? First, let's look at what fear is. Everyone's fear is a product of their life experiences, what they have been conditioned to fear, whether it's things that have happened to themselves or things that they've learned from our culture/society,
And these fears often have a very rational basis, For example, someone is struggling financially and is worried what will happen to him if he loses his job. In our society, one's welfare is dependent on the amount of money one makes or has—whether it's your housing, your food, your transportation, etc.—it is truly dependent on your income. Further, if you have become used to living a certain lifestyle, maintaining that lifestyle requires a certain income, and so even if one is not hurting financially, you can still be fearful of losing your job because you don't want to downgrade your lifestyle.
But all this is based on our conditioning. One of the primary tenets of Buddhism is that all five skandhas—form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness—the elements that make up our experience, are all empty of inherent existence.
What does that mean? It means that nothing—and I repeat, nothing—is fearful in and of itself. For a banal example. we may fear extreme heat while others who grew up with it thrive in it. More seriously, we may fear losing our job and not having enough money to live our lifestyle, but there are millions of people in other cultures, as well as many in our culture, who are not just poor but destitute who live rich, happy lives despite their poverty. Another example: most of us in the West fear death, yet there are many in other cultures who have no fear of death.
In every instance it's a question of what you're used to, of what you want, of what your conditioning is. It's a question of your not believing that you'll be ok regardless what life brings you. It's a question of your not accepting your life as being what it is at this moment. It's a question of your not being one with your Buddha nature/the divine essence within you/the child of the Universe within you.
When you are one with the Universe/god/Buddha, you know that you will be at peace and happy regardless what life brings, you will accept your life as being exactly the way it is right now because it's meant to be, it's all ok. (See my post, "It's Just The Way It Is - Take III.") Whether you become poor, are sent to prison, or find yourself in a concentration camp, you will be at peace and happy because your are free of all your conditioning—the skandhas—and are one with the Universe. You know you have everything you need inside yourself to be at peace and happy. All the things that would depress and create anxiety for most people do not impact you because your relationship with the Universe, yourself, and the world around you is different.
If you look at my translation of the Heart Sutra and commentary on this website, you will learn that when you experience things directly without the intervention of thought, all suffering and doubt ceases. And that when you live in this "perfected wisdom" there are no fears or obsessions.
That should be the goal of everyone walking the Buddhist or other spiritual path. It is attainable, even without enlightenment.
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