Fearless in the face of Death (sutra)

Amber Larson, Bhante, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly translation, Abhaya Sutra

"The smaller the coffin the harder it is to carry" - Minister Asif. So use British wheels. Mara (Death) spreads fear of poison gas in England from Nazi blitzkriegs and particulate raids.

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Nazis won WW II, working in US

Thus have I heard. At one time Janussoni the Brahmin went to the Blessed One [the Buddha], exchanged courteous greetings, and sat respectfully to one side.

 

Sitting there he said to the Blessed One: "I hold the view and am of the opinion that there is no one who, being subject to death, is unafraid or free of terror about death."

The Blessed One replied: "Brahmin, there are those who, being subject to death, are afraid and terrified of death. But there are others who, although being subject to death, are unafraid and free of terror about death.

The Fearful

I worry, and in the grip of fear and a racing mind, I have insomnia. I'm American.

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The U.S. of Fear (tomdispatch.com)

"And who is the person who, being subject to death, is afraid and terrified of death? It is the person who has not yet abandoned passion, desire, clinging, thirst, fever, and craving for sensuality. When that person comes down with a serious disease, the thought occurs, 'O, those beloved sensual pleasures will be taken from me! And I will be separated from them!'

 

One grieves and is tormented, weeps, pounds one's own breast, and grows mad. This is a person who, being subject to death, is afraid and terrified of death.

 

FEAR: "false evidence appearing real"

"Furthermore, there is a person who has not abandoned passion, desire, clinging, thirst, fever, and craving for the body. When that person comes down with a serious disease, the thought occurs, 'O, my beloved body will be taken from me! And I will be separated from my body!' One grieves and is tormented, weeps, pounds one's own breast, and grows mad. This, too, is a person who, being subject to death, is afraid and terrified of death.

 

Hey, scaredy cats, surprise!

"Furthermore, there is a person who has left undone what is good, has left undone what is skillful, has not given protection to those in fear but, instead, has done what is harmful, wrathful, and cruel. When that person comes down with a serious disease, the thought occurs, 'I have left undone what is good, have left undone what is skillful, have not given protection to those in fear but, instead, have done what is harmful, wrathful, and cruel.

• [NOTE (Wisdom Quatterly) One of the best ways to give others "protection from fear" is to adhere to the Five Precepts, right livelihood, and in engaging in such restraint one liberates countless beings from fear and trembling one would otherwise endanger them with, and on some level other beings sense this.] 

"To the extent that there is a destination for those who have left undone what is good, have left undone what is skillful, have not given protection to those in fear but, instead, have done what is harmful, wrathful, and cruel, and that is where I am headed after death.'

"One grieves and is tormented, weeps, beats one's own breast, and grows mad. This, too, is a person who, being subject to death, is afraid and terrified of death.

Just look at the size of that thing. Attack it!

"Furthermore, there is a person in doubt and perplexed, who has not arrived at certainty with regard to the true Dharma. When one comes down with a serious disease, the thought occurs, 'How full of doubt and perplexity I am! I have not arrived at any certainty with regard to the true Dharma!' One grieves and is tormented, weeps, beats one's own breast, and grows mad. This, too, is a person who, being subject to death, is afraid and in terrified of death.

 

"These, Brahmin, are four people who, being subject to death, are afraid and terrified of death.

  

The Fearless

The Buddha's fearless gesture, abhaya mudra, Wat Plai Laem, Koh Samui (sumuizoom.com)

Fearless mudra (samuizoom.com)

"And who is the person who, being subject to death, is unafraid and not terrified of death?

 

"There is a person who has abandoned passion, desire, clinging, thirst, fever, and craving for sensuality. When one comes down with a serious disease, the thought does not occur, 'O, those beloved sensual pleasures will be taken from me! And I will be separated from them!' One does not grieve, is not tormented, does not weep, or beat one's own breast, or grow mad.

This is a person who, being subject to death, is unafraid and not terrified of death.

"Furthermore, there is a person who has abandoned passion, desire, clinging, thirst, fever, and craving for the body. When that person comes down with a serious disease, the thought does not occur, 'O, my beloved body will be taken from me! And I will be separated from my body!' One does not  grieve, is not tormented, does not weep, does not beat one's own breast, or grow mad. This, too, is a person who, being subject to death, is unafraid and not terrified of death.

 

"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." So feel the fear and do it anyway.

 

"Furthermore, there is a person who has done what is good, has done what is skillful, has given protection to those in fear, and has not done what is harmful, wrathful, or cruel. When that person comes down with a serious disease, the thought occurs, 'I have done what is good, have done what is skillful, have given protection to those in fear, and I have not done what is harmful, wrathful, or cruel.

"'To the extent that there is a destination for those who have done what is good, what is skillful, have given protection to those in fear, and have not done what is harmful, wrathful, or cruel, that is where I am headed after death.' One does not grieve, is not tormented, does not weep, does not beat one's own breast, or grow mad. This, too, is a person who, being subject to death, is unafraid and not terrified of death.

 

"Furthermore, there is a person who is free doubt and unperplexed, who has arrived at certainty with  regard to the true Dharma. When one comes down with a serious disease, the thought occurs, 'I am free of doubt or perplexity. I have arrived at certainty with regard to the true Dharma.' One does not grieve, is not tormented, does not weep, does not beat one's own breast, or grow mad.

 

This, too, is a person who, being subject to death, is unafraid and not terrified of death.

 

"These, Brahmin, are four people who, being subject to death, are unafraid and not terrified of death."

  

The Brahmin responds

Fear is optional. (baconbabble.com)

When this was said, Janussoni the Brahmin said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, Master Gautama, magnificent! It is just as if one were to set upright what was overturned, to reveal what was hidden, to show the way to one who was lost, or to carry a lamp into the dark so that those with eyes could see forms!

"In the same way has Master Gautama -- using many lines of reasoning -- made the Dharma clear. I go to Master Gautama for guidance (sarana), go to the Dharma, and go to the [noble] Sangha. May Master Gautama remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for guidance from this day forward as long as life lasts."