Dhr. Seven (trans.), Wisdom Quarterly, "Discourse on Fearlessness" (Abhaya Sutra, AN 4.184)
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| Buddha gilded and crowned like a deva, Thailand (Hereward J Bunch'Hezbunch/flickr.com) |
One day the Brahmin Janussoni came to the Buddha. He exchanged courtesies, respectfully sat to one side, and said:
"I hold the view and doctrine that there is no one who, being subject to death, is not afraid, who does not falter trembling when faced with death!"
The Buddha replied: "Brahmin, there are those who, being subject to death, are afraid and falter trembling when faced with death. But there are those who do not.
"Now who, being subject to death, is afraid and falters trembling when faced with death?
1. "There is a person who has neither abandoned craving, passion, desire, attachment, fever, nor hankering for sense pleasures. Then that person comes down with a serious disease, and the thought occurs:"'O, the sense pleasures I crave will leave me behind, and I will have to leave them behind!' ['O, these cravable sense pleasures will be taken from me, and I will be separated from them!']
"This person grieves and is tormented, weeps, beats one's breast, and grows delirious. This person, being subject to death, is afraid and falters trembling when faced with death.
2. "There is also a person who has not yet abandoned craving, passion, desire, attachment, fever, or hankering for the body. Then this person comes down with a serious disease, and the thought occurs:
"'O, the body I crave will leave me behind, and I will have to leave this body behind!' ['O, this cravable body will be taken from me, and I will be separated from this body!']
"One grieves and is tormented, weeps, beats one's breast, and grows delirious. This is also a person who, being subject to death, is afraid and falters trembling when faced with death.
"One grieves and is tormented, weeps, beats one's breast, and grows delirious. This is also a person who, being subject to death, is afraid and falters trembling when faced with death.
3. "There is also a person who has not done what is wholesome, has not done what is skillful, has not given protection [principally from oneself] to those in fear but instead has done what is unwholesome, brutal, and cruel. This person comes down with a serious disease, and the thought occurs:
"'I have not done what is wholesome, have not done what is skillful, have not given protection to those in fear but instead have done what is unwholesome, brutal, and cruel.
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| The magic of altars is that they might focus one (Karmajigme/flickr.com) |
"'I have not done what is wholesome, have not done what is skillful, have not given protection to those in fear but instead have done what is unwholesome, brutal, and cruel.
"'So to the extent that there is a destination for those who have acted in this way, that is where I am headed after death.'
"That person grieves and is tormented, weeps, beats one's breast, and grows delirious. This is also a person who, being subject to death, is afraid and falters trembling when faced with death.
4. "There is also a person who -- full of doubt and perplexity, not having developed confidence and certainty regarding the true Dharma -- comes down with a serious disease, and the thought occurs:
"'How full of doubt, how perplexed I am! I have not developed any confidence or certainty regarding the true Dharma!'
"'How full of doubt, how perplexed I am! I have not developed any confidence or certainty regarding the true Dharma!'
"This person grieves and is tormented, weeps, beats one's breast, and grows delirious. This is also a person who, being subject to death, is afraid and falters trembling when faced with death.
"Brahmin, these four, being subject to death, are afraid and falter trembling when faced with death.
Fearlessness
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| Fearless mudra, Malaysia (Lauriernature/flickr) |
"Now who, being subject to death, is NOT afraid and does not falter trembling when faced with death?
5. "There is a person who has abandoned craving, passion, desire, attachment, fever, and hankering for sensuality. Then this person comes down with a serious disease, and the thought occurs:
"'O, sense pleasures I crave will leave me behind, and I will have to leave them behind!'
"Yet one does NOT grieve, is not tormented, does not weep, beat one's breast, or grow delirious. This person, although subject to death, is not afraid nor does this person falter trembling when faced with death.
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| The Buddha's loving hands (DJJenny/flickr.com) |
6. "There is a person who has abandoned craving, passion, desire, attachment, fever, and hankering for the body. This person comes down with a serious disease, yet the thought does not occur:
"'O, the body I crave will leave me behind, and I will have to leave this body behind!'
"'O, the body I crave will leave me behind, and I will have to leave this body behind!'
"One does not grieve, is not tormented, does not weep, beat one's breast, or grow delirious.
"This is also a person who, although subject to death, is not afraid nor does this person falter trembling when faced with death.
"This is also a person who, although subject to death, is not afraid nor does this person falter trembling when faced with death.
7. "There is a person who has done what is wholesome, has done what is skillful, has given protection to those in fear and refrained from doing what is unwholesome, brutal, and cruel. Then this person comes down with a serious disease, and the thought occurs:
"'I have done what is wholesome, have done what is skillful, have given protection to those in fear and refrained from doing what is unwholesome, brutal, and cruel.
"'So to the extent that there is a destination for those who have done what is wholesome, what is skillful, have given protection to those in fear, and refrained from doing what is unwholesome, brutal, and cruel, that is where I am headed after death.'
"'So to the extent that there is a destination for those who have done what is wholesome, what is skillful, have given protection to those in fear, and refrained from doing what is unwholesome, brutal, and cruel, that is where I am headed after death.'
"One does not grieve, is not tormented, does not weep, beat one's breast, or grow delirious. This person is also someone who, although subject to death, is not afraid nor does this person falter trembling when faced with death.
8. "There is also a person who has gone beyond doubt and perplexity, who has developed confidence and certainty regarding the true Dharma. This person comes down with a serious disease, and the thought occurs:
"'I have gone beyond doubt and perplexity. I have developed confidence and certainty regarding the true Dharma.'
"'I have gone beyond doubt and perplexity. I have developed confidence and certainty regarding the true Dharma.'
"This person does not grieve, is not tormented, does not weep, beat one's breast, or grow delirious. This is also someone who, although subject to death, is not afraid nor does this person falter when faced with death.
"Brahmin, these four, being subject to death, are nevertheless not afraid and do not falter in the face of death."
Reaction
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| Dispelling fear (lionsroar.name) |
"In just the same way has the Blessed Gautama -- through many lines of reasoning -- clarified the Dharma.
"I go to [the Buddha] for guidance, to the Dharma, and to the [enlightened] Sangha. May Master Gautama remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for guidance from this day forward!"
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