Fear (bhaya)
Fear (bhaya)
6. “When there is a lot of pain in the body, it is difficult to maintain “right effort,” yet sometimes through patient endurance the pain lessens or dissipates. Could you speak about right effort and the connection between right effort and samadhi?” [Pain] [Right Effort] [Patience] [Concentration] // [Skillful qualities] [Unskillful qualities] [Fear] [Aversion] [Discernment] [Naturalness]
Recollection: Ajahn Pasanno learned from pain and illness in his early monastic life. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Sickness] [Monastic life]
8. “What does 'non-contention' mean?” [Non-contention] // [Aversion] [Fear]
9. “Could you talk more about working with the hindrance of doubt?” [Doubt] // [Fear] [Aversion] [Sensual desire] [Mindfulness of body] [Tranquility] [Mindfulness of feeling] [Right Speech] [Delusion]
Simile: A dish of muddy water placed in a dark cupboard (SN 46.55). [Similes]
6. “Can you speak about working with fear and loss of ego identity, fear, and death?” [Fear] [Self-identity view] [Death] // [Goodwill] [Aggregates] [Impermanence] [Delusion] [Faith] [Eightfold Path] [Perfections] [Recollection]
Reference: Description of dukkha. [Suffering]
Quote: “We respond to teachings on liberation and Nibbāna with a curious sense of fear and trepidation.” — Ajahn Mahā Boowa speaking about Ajahn Mun [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Mun] [Liberation] [Nibbāna] [Fear] [Family] [Clinging]
4. “Would you way a bit about the benefits of practicing loving-kindness during the dying process, both for the one who is dying as well as for the caregiver?” [Goodwill] [Death] [Health care] // [Gladdening the mind] [Fear] [Clear comprehension] [Energy] [Community]
Quote: “These bodies are really high maintenance when they don't work.” [Sickness]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah was unable to look after himself for the last nine years of his life. [Ajahn Chah] [Respect for elders] [Wat Pah Pong] [Gratitude]
6. “Could you tell of your personal experience with a tiger?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Animal] [Tudong]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno hears and smells a tiger while doing walking meditation. [Dtao Dum] [Culture/Natural environment] [Posture/Walking] [Fear] [Death] [Impermanence] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension]
Sutta: MN 4: Fear and Dread [Fear]
9. “I have an internal voice that's concerned whether I'm doing it right; if I'm not doing it right, then I won't get where I want to go. Is this delusion?” [Eightfold Path] [Perfectionism] [Delusion] // [Suffering] [Fear] [Mindfulness of body] [Volitional formations]
9. “Can you speak more about the impermance of goodness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Impermanence] [Virtue] [Gradual Teaching] // [Conditionality] [Happiness] [Compassion] [Fear] [Suffering] [Clinging]
Sutta: AN 8.39: Five great gifts which give freedom from fear. [Generosity] [Five Precepts] [Fear]
Quote: “The basis of Right View is knowing that this cup is a broken glass.” — Ajahn Chah [Ajahn Chah] [Right View]
7. “I have a hard time ending or letting go of relationships after they no longer serve me or prove to be unskillful people...Is this attachment to person or aversion/ fear etc of the unknown?” [Relationships] [Relinquishment] [Clinging] [Fear]
2. “How should we relate to the Buddha's statement that sensual pleasure is to be feared?” [Sensual desire] [Sense bases] [Fear] // [Culture/West] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy]
Sutta: MN 66.19: Sensual pleasure is to be feared.
1. Ajahn Pasanno describes the atmosphere of Cold War fear. [Fear] [Politics and society] [Military] // [Culture/West] [Amaravati] [Ajahn Sumedho]
12. Comment by Ajahn Ñāṇiko: There is a belief that contemplating death can call death to you. [Recollection/Death] [Death] // [Fear]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
3. “Would Luang Por Chah teach or test monks and students in different ways?” [Ajahn Chah] [Mentoring] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Recollection: Joseph Kappel shakes with fear when on the receiving end of Ajahn Chah's admonishments. [Joseph Kappel] [Admonishment/feedback] [Fear]
3. Comment by Ajahn Kaccāna: When working with the mind in a comfortable environment, one can skip past and the fear of death. [Mindfulness of mind] [Pain] [Fear] [Death]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
11. “Is there a meditation practice to use with someone who is dying?” [Meditation] [Death] // [Faith] [Simplicity] [Happiness] [Recollection/Death] [Ageing] [Sickness]
Story about Ram Dass's dying mother: "Richard, shut up!" [Ram Dass] [Fear] [Restlessness and worry]
5. Reflection by Debbie Stamp: Caring for dying and grieving Abhayagiri supporters and family members. [Abhayagiri] [Sickness] [Family] [Grief] [Death] [Health care] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Christianity] [Forgiveness] [Fear] [Impermanence] [Merit] [Doubt]
Reference: Debbie transcribed Ajahn Pasanno's 2008 Metta Retreat, published it as Abundant, Exalted, Immeasurable, and dedicated the merit to her mother. [Meditation retreats] [Dhamma books]
Story: Ajahn Ñāṇiko hikes to the top of Mount Dana to dedicate merit to deceased relatives. [Ajahn Ñāṇiko]
6. “Have you found a difference between being afraid of death and being afraid of dying?” Answered by Debbie Stamp. [Fear] [Death]
12. Comments by Ajahn Pasanno about being aware of awareness itself. [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Knowing itself] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Tranquility] [Becoming] [Cessation] [Fear] [Relinquishment]
2. “I've had the experience on retreat of getting to slow, shallow breathing and panicked because I couldn't find the breath. Could you say more about just going to the knowing?” [Meditation/Unusual experiences] [Tranquility] [Fear] [Knowing itself] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Mindfulness of body] [Investigation of states] [Nimitta] [Faith]
3. “I have a hard time breathing normally due to congestion and athsma. How does one get past the initial fear, 'I just can't breath. How am I going to do this?'” [Health] [Fear] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Mindfulness of body] [Body scanning] [Tranquility]
10. “If unwholesome thoughts arise and it creates fear and a repeating pattern, what is the best method for breaking the patterns? For instance, mettā meditation replacing the fear or attention with something else? Thank for the inspiration.” [Fear] [Goodwill] [Unskillful qualities] [Volitional formations]
10. “Thank you for so many wonderful teachings. I am contemplating cessation and would like to hear more about the cessation of the body-death. I have been with a few beings as they have died, 1 human and a few pets. Is the manner of death important to having a “good” rebirth? Does being afraid or suffering a great deal affect the next life directly or is the experience of death just added to ones overall karma?” [Death] [Rebirth] [Cessation] [Fear] [Suffering] [Kamma] // [Stream entry]
15. “Although in reasonable condition, I am realizing that fear / anxiety of death / non-becoming is pervasive in the background of my daily life. Does the Buddha speak to that which continues after the body dies? Other than the five recollections and contemplating impermanence, does he offer guidance on how to best prepare to greet ones own death? Thank you so much.” [Recollection/Death] [Rebirth] [Impermanence] [Fear]
1. “Do you need to be a non-returner to be free from the fear of death?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Non-return] [Fear] [Death] [Sensual desire] // [Arahant] [Conceit] [Stream entry] [Faith]
1. “Is it easy for a person with attainments to deal with the world?” [Stages of awakening] [Everyday life] // [Discernment] [Conceit] [Culture/West] [Wrong concentration]
Quote: “To push away the world is also to reifying it. One gives it power when one is afraid of it.” [Craving not to become] [Proliferation] [Fear]
Laypeople with highly developed meditation practice function well in the world. Comment by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Lay life] [Meditation/Results] [Energy]
12. “As laypeople, how do we know if it is a good or bad time to go on tudong?” [Lay life] [Tudong] // [Fear] [Doubt] [Learning]
16. “The fear that arises upon the realization that there's nothing there is so strong that it takes away from the awareness being able to stay with it. Any suggestions?” [Fear] [Knowledge and vision] [Not-self] // [Recollection] [Goodwill] [Gladdening the mind] [Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering] [Learning] [Faith]
4. Comment about working with not-self in direct experience in relation to discomfort and awareness of embodied release. [Direct experience] [Feeling] [Suffering] [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Mindfulness of body] [Relinquishment] [Fear]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation]
4. “Are all manifestations of desire and motivation ultimately a desire for happiness or are there motivations for truly negative things?” [Desire] [Craving] [Volition] [Happiness] [Unskillful qualities] [Nature of mind] // [Ill-will] [Fear] [Discernment]
5. “In this sutta (AN 5.48), there's the assumption that everyone has enemies. It's making me a little paranoid.” [Fear] [Sutta] [Human] // [Judgementalism]
7. “At the Friday evening talk, you mentioned the three poisons/kleshas of greed, hatred and delusion. But you also added fear. Fear seems to me more like a result. Please explain.” [Unwholesome Roots] [Fear]
16. “Could you share some teaching about protecting qualities of the Dhamma and how I can feel less fear while keeping the precepts?” [Dhamma] [Virtue] [Fear] [Precepts]
2. “How do I become a more generous person if there is a constant underlying worry about having enough (money for living, retirement, etc.)? How to create a sense of abundance within so I can truly give to others?” [Generosity] [Fear] [Commerce/economics]
15. “Would you please give some advice on how to deal with obsessive compulsive thoughts that cause fear in the mind and tension in the body? I have tried to remember that “mental formations” are not self, but this doesn’t seem to alleviate the problem or help much.” [Habits] [Fear] [Volitional formations] [Not-self]
8. “Do you have any inspiring stories to share of practicing with strong fear (animals,etc)? I’m inspired when I hear such stories from monks of this tradition.” [Fear] [Stories]
3. “I got a little confused about the part [of MN 19] where it says, 'these thoughts are not to be feared.'” [Fear] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Right Intention] [Calming meditation] [Happiness]
Quote: “In trying to stop thinking, there's an incredible tension that is created in the mind.” [Suffering]
Follow-up: “[MN 19] mentioned that these thoughts might make you tired.” [Sloth and torpor]
4. “When you go into your body to feel the underlying emotion behnd a thought, what happens when the bodily feeling is so uncomfortable taht you really don't want to feel it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Mindfulness of body] [Emotion] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Suffering] [Aversion] [Fear] // [Recollection/Buddha] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Recollection/Virtue] [Faith]
Follow-up: “It seems really difficult to think of Dhamma or the refuges while in such a wrapped-up state. I don't know if I could do that.” [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Visualization] [Goodwill] [Compassion]
15. “My friend is having anxiety about her pregnancy issues. These are understandable but not helpful for her well-being. Do you have any recommendations for dealing with legitimate fears?” [Restlessness and worry] [Health] [Birth] [Fear] // [Visualization] [Goodwill] [Compassion]
Follow-up: “Would this go under the category of taking a smaller peg? (MN 20 method one)” [Directed thought and evaluation]
7. Comment: One thing I've gotten from Trump is the equanimity to listen to his supporters on a one-on-one basis. [Equanimity] [Listening] [Respect] [Politics and society]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear] [Human] [Suffering] [Community]
13. “Did Ajahn Chah ever speak about politics?” [Ajahn Chah] [Politics and society] // [Fear] [Proliferation] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Military]
Story: Driving through military checkpoints on the way to Ajahn Fun's funeral. [Ajahn Fun] [Funerals] [Ajahn Pasanno]
8. “If you could give your younger self one piece of information, what would it be?” [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Restlessness and worry] [Fear]
12. “What can you offer dying people who didn't have the opportunity to engage in Buddhist practice?” [Death] [Compassion] // [Listening] [Patience] [Tranquility] [Equanimity] [Fear] [Right Speech] [Chanting]
14. “When you find happiness, there's the hope that you won't lose it and the fear that you will. How do you peel away the hope and the fear and bathe in happiness?” [Happiness] [Desire] [Fear] [Impermanence] // [Suffering] [Learning] [Relinquishment]
12. “The duty in regard to the First Noble Truth is to understand suffering. How do you do this?” [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Suffering] // [Fear] [Pāli] [Characteristics of existence] [Aversion] [Postures] [Direct experience] [Conditionality] [Relinquishment]
9. “How can you use chanting to work with long-term physical pain and other people's healing?” [Pain] [Health] [Chanting] // [Tranquility] [Concentration] [Fear] [Release]
14. “What are your thoughts about maintaining a practice you're at the bedside of someone actively passing away?” [Sickness] [Death] // [Listening] [Fear] [Personal presence] [Intuition]
Story: Ram Dass anxiously tries to guide his stepmother through the dying process. [Ram Dass] [Teaching Dhamma] [Restlessness and worry] [Mindfulness of mind] [Recollection/Death]
17. “The Buddha had the talent of knowing preceisely what to saay to a person at a given moment. The teaching ajahns have developed this as well, but I've never heard of it as part of the training. Can you reflect on that?” [Teaching Dhamma] [Buddha/Biography] [Monastic teachers] // [Personality] [Discernment] [Idealism] [Ajahn Chah] [Suffering] [Humility] [Relinquishment] [Fear] [Self-identity view]
1. “In Canada, medical assistance in death is legal. As an old person who will be sick and dying not too far off, it raises the question: If I got to the point where I felt even with good palliative and hospice care, I couldn't withstand the pain any longer, it's an option. But what about the first precept of not taking life?” [Sickness] [Pain] [Health care] [Euthanasia] [Killing] // [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Idealism]
Quote: “Being present for the falling apart of the body opens doorways to release that don't really happen with, 'I just want to be done with this. This totally sucks.'” [Present moment awareness] [Death] [Mindfulness of body] [Release] [Aversion] [Fear] [Clinging] [Saṃsāra]
2. “For some people, death comes with extreme pain. Part of being able to navigate through the dissolution of self requires clarity of mind. My understanding is that a lot of pain management involves morphine or other mind-numbing drugs. How does one navigate the pain?” [Death] [Pain] [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Clear comprehension] [Health care] [Intoxicants] // [Fear]
11. Comment: I'm improving my skill at seeing the greed or aversion when there are pleasant or unpleasant feelings, but I often don't see the neutral feeling state so clearly. [Mindfulness of feeling] [Feeling] [Unwholesome Roots] [Neutral feeling] [Delusion] // [Mindfulness of body] [Restlessness and worry] [Fear] [Present moment awareness]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
Quote: “That whereby one is a conceiver of the world, a perceiver of the world, that is the world.” — SN 35.116 [Nature of the cosmos] [Proliferation] [Perception]
2. Quote: “Learning how to be comfortable with dukkha...is a willingness to open the heart to the whole realm of experience. That's an act of love.” [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Direct experience] [Goodwill] // [Generosity] [Fear] [Listening] [Clear comprehension]
3. “My natural tendency is to push the world away and to have the attitude that enjoyment is wrong. I'm working on trying to enjoy life. Do you have any ideas about this?” [Craving not to become] [Christianity] [Hinduism] [Ascetic practices] [Happiness] [Skillful qualities] // [Monastic life] [Ajahn Sucitto] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Culture/West]
The Rule of St. Benedict and Ajahn Sucitto's talk "Fellow Worms." [Humility]
Story: A BBC interviewer asks King Rama IX about original sin. [Media] [Culture/Thailand] [Nature of mind]
Causal processes leading to sāmadhi and dispassion have different starting points, but they all go through delight and happiness. [Conditionality] [Concentration] [Dispassion]
Quote: “Monks, do not be afraid of puñña.” — Iti 22 [Merit] [Fear] [Liberation]
Quote: “The happy mind is easily concentrated.”
8. “How is it possible to not eat after noon while remaining active in everyday life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eating after noon] [Renunciant practice] // [Fear] [Food] [Health]
9. “How do we overcome unpleasant mental or physical feelings in the present moment?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Feeling] [Present moment awareness] // [Aversion] [Fear] [Suffering] [Goodwill] [Ajahn Sumedho]
Sutta: DN 22: Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta [Mindfulness of feeling]
2. “How to balance the tension between the warrior energy (taking action), the awareness of the perfection of all that is, and the weariness and humility that leads through this?” [Right Effort] [Present moment awareness] [Disenchantment] // [Suffering] [Discernment] [Fear] [Human] [Gladdening the mind] [Aversion] [Recollection] [Nature of mind] [Tranquility]
Sutta: AN 1.296-305: The Ten Recollections
Quote: “The happy mind is easily settled.” [Happiness] [Concentration]
8. “Any advice to guide me after retirement? How to get rid of the fear of death?” [Ageing] [Fear] [Death] // [Happiness] [Merit] [Generosity] [Virtue] [Meditation] [Mindfulness]