A Few Words About “Fear”

Sme bad thoughts have often unconsciously flashed into my mind. I knew that was not right. However, these bad thoughts came with the mentality of “worry” and “fear” at the same time. They were even enlarged sometimes and then created troubles for myself. In the meanwhile, the mentality of “worry” and “fear” appeared in my daily life and cultivation from time to time and interfered with my disposition, and I was not able to face my problems with perfect calmness and would be even irrational sometimes.

One time I realized in meditation that the mentality of “fear” originated from one’s selfishness. Owing to “selfishness”, we unconsciously have misgivings and worries because we have learned to protect our own interests. It comes from the narrow-mindedness and insignificancy of selfishness. We are naturally nervous and cautious when the mentality of fear emerges because this selfishness does not come with the broadness and open-mindedness of selflessness, let alone perfect calmness.

I therefore understood why we had to discard first the mentality of “selfishness “ in cultivation and then we could attain righteous enlightenment. This had to start from every word, every behaviour, every moment and every place. We can not be careless at all. To get rid of the mentality of fear could not be achieved just by thinking. It needed a solid foundation of cultivation and to be accumulated and cultivated step by step.

The above is enlightened at my current level. Please point out anything inappropriate.

Translated from http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200302/17252.html