What is fear?
According to Buddhism, there is unhealthy fear and healthy fear.
For example, when we are afraid of something that cannot actually
harm us - such as spiders - or something we can do nothing to avoid
- such as old age or being struck down with smallpox or being run
over by a truck - then our fear is unhealthy, for it serves only to
make us unhappy and paralyse our will. On the other hand, when
someone gives up smoking because they are afraid of developing lung
cancer, this is a healthy fear because the danger is real and there
are constructive steps they can take to avoid it.
We have many fears-fear of terrorism, fear of death, fear of being
separated from people we love, fear of losing control, fear of
commitment, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of losing our
job, the list is never-ending! Many of our present fears are rooted
in what Buddha identified as "delusions" - distorted ways of
looking at ourself and the world around us. If we learn to control
our mind, and reduce and eventually eliminate these delusions, the
source of all our fear-healthy and unhealthy-is eradicated.
However, right now we need the healthy fear that arises from taking
stock of our present situation so that we can resolve to do
something about it. For example, there is no point in a smoker
being scared of dying of lung cancer unless there is something that
he or she can or will do about it, i.e. stop smoking. If a smoker
has a sufficient fear of dying of lung cancer, he or she will take
steps to kick the habit. If he prefers to ignore the danger of lung
cancer, he will continue to create the causes of future suffering,
living in denial and effectively giving up control.
Just a smoker is vulnerable to lung cancer due to cigarettes, it is
true that at the moment we are vulnerable to danger and harm, we
are vulnerable to ageing, sickness, and eventually death, all due
to our being trapped in samsara-the state of uncontrolled existence
that is a reflection of our own uncontrolled minds. We are
vulnerable to all the mental and physical pain that arises from an
uncontrolled mind-such as the pains that come from the delusions of
attachment, anger, and ignorance. We can choose to live in denial
of this and thereby give up what control we have, or we can choose
to recognize this vulnerability, recognize that we are in danger,
and then find a way to avert the danger by removing the actual
causes of all fear (the equivalent of the cigarettes)-the delusions
and negative, unskilful actions motivated by those delusions. In
this way we gain control, and if we are in control we have no cause
for fear.
A balanced fear of our delusions and the suffering to which they
inevitably give rise is therefore healthy because it serves to
motivate constructive action to avoid a real danger. We only need
fear as an impetus until we have removed the causes of our
vulnerability through finding spiritual, inner refuge and gradually
training the mind. Once we have done this, we are fearless because
we no longer have anything that can harm us, like a Foe Destroyer
(someone who has attained liberation, defeated the foe of the
delusions) or a Buddha (a fully enlightened being).
All Buddha's teachings are methods to overcome the delusions, the
source of all fears.
