Audio recorded at Buddha House Adelaide. Transcript auto-generated and AI-corrected; may contain errors.
About this talk. In this 85-minute session, Geshe Kyab introduces Buddhist beginners to the nature and categories of fear, distinguishing between imaginary and legitimate fears. He opens with examples from his own life — hesitance to walk alone at night in America due to gun violence, and resistance to unnecessary doctor visits — to illustrate fears that protect us versus fears that waste energy. He then presents a Buddhist taxonomy: the fear of livelihood, dying, lower rebirth, social gatherings, illness, aging, criticism, rejection, failure, and loss of possessions or loved ones. For each, he explains whether it arises from superstition or genuine danger, and how perspective transforms it. A central theme is that most fears stem from mind-projection and imagination rather than reality; fear itself has no inherent existence and can be undermined through meditation, proper diet, exercise, and positive thinking. He emphasizes that human rebirth is rare and precious, making this life an opportunity to accumulate good karma and avoid lower rebirths through ethical conduct. The talk concludes with a guided breathing meditation and aspirational verses for all beings. Aimed at complete newcomers to Buddhism; no prior knowledge assumed.
File metadata (for organising)
File: 2017 01 22.mp3
UUID: 560d370f-76d6-47fd-9851-431af1fc6d4c
Teacher: Geshe Kyab
Collection: Geshe Kyab Beginners Buddhism Sundays (Geshe Kyab)
Date: 2017-01-22
Recorded at: Buddha House Adelaide
Duration: 85.4 minutes
Words: ~7,701
Good morning everybody. Check mantra. Thank you. Today, I will teach you about the fear. Okay?
Fear is we all feel fear sometimes in our life. Sometimes we feel greatly fear. Sometimes we feel moderate fear, or this small fear. But fear is all the time there for us. It’s very important to understand different categories, you know, of the fear.
So, then how can be able to eliminate the fear? Are the things I would like to discuss with you this morning. Tibetan we call it, that’s called fear. It’s a very nasty emotion that we all feel. But, fear can be negative, fear can be positive. Everything depends on what fear you are into.
There are many fears, nonsense fears, I think. Everything is you feel fear, maybe mostly not real. It’s just your own imagination, you know? Imagination. Many times, the fear I think, because of your imagination.
There are some real fear. Sometimes, some people threaten you, try to harm you. Fear to death. Although I have some categories here, I will let you know later. Fear to, you know, losing things.
So these are the real, real fears. It’s okay to feel fear. Those kinds of fears. Understandable. And some fear helps you not to get hurt.
You know, everything depends on what fear you are into. As I mentioned, fear can be negative, and fear can be positive. So, now the English dictionary, I thought maybe it’s good to know how Westerners perspective the meaning of the fear, how you perceive. So this is also good to know, and so is the in Tibetans, we have some categories of fear. A distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, and etcetera.
So that’s a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, or pain, etcetera. So these are the some of the definitions in the dictionary give you. Also, here is another thing is whether the threat is real or imagined. The feeling or condition of being afraid. So, whether the threat is real or imagined.
So see, there are sometimes real threats. Some many times, just imaginations. Then feeling or condition of being afraid. So, that’s afraid. So, you kind of, you know, afraid.
So but okay. I will talk to you maybe later, actually. But also, they give you some synonyms. Foreboding, apprehension, consternation, lack of foreboding, apprehension. I think foreboding is strong inner feeling or notion of future misfortune or evil.
So that’s a very strong insight, inner feeling or notion of future misfortune, or maybe what will happen in my future. So, foreboding and apprehension is the kind of apprehension anticipating of the adversity or misfortune. Same thing. Suspicion or fear of future trouble, or evil. Or maybe if I don’t do some of these are the more some of these are the religion.
If I don’t follow that protector, or maybe in the future, he will going to harm me, or you know, or so kind of a fear. And some other fears are the, oh, okay, now kind of, you know, I lost my job. I have no job now. So now, what will be my future life? So, you know, kind of a fear also.
Another fear is adversity. Anticipating of adversity or misfortune, suspicion, or fear of future trouble or evil. So that’s called apprehension. Kind of, you know, apprehension, kind of part of the fear. Not really apprehension is the fear, but you are apprehending something like this because of the fear.
So, there are many, many different synonyms of the fear, but the point is that many times, I think, if you really check very carefully, many times our fear is nonsense, really. Because of the superstitious mind. We have this superstitious mind, so because of that mind, really tells us, oh, you must feel fear because of this and that. Because of this superstitious mind, you know? From Buddhist perspective, yes, there are some, you know, legitimate fear.
Yes, which I mentioned the when I was in the United States, I didn’t walk around my apartment once it was dark. I had little fear to walk around my area because of many people that carry guns. Especially in the night, bad people go around the street and shoot you. So I had little fear not to go, you know, walk around the apartment. Although my apartment was a beautiful area, even though, you know, it get it.
Nobody can come in. Nobody can go out. They have also the CCTV camera, everything, but still, you know, once you get hurt, what is the worth of having a CCTV camera? You already got hurt. And maybe they may arrest the person.
Why are you? You already hurt. So that’s why you are the one who needs to protect yourself, not the CCTV camera, isn’t it? CCTV camera is okay to catch the bad people, but something happens to you, that CCTV camera will not cure you, isn’t it? You are the one who needs to protect yourself.
So that’s why I don’t go outside and walk once it is dark. At least if I have some people with me, otherwise I don’t go by myself, especially wearing a monk dress, you know, it’s difficult. Why don’t I do? I had some fear. That fear is good, because that fear helps protects me, not to get hurt.
Isn’t it? So I’m just giving you this example. But then now, sometimes we are very much fearful, which is also not so good. You need to balance also, see? Sometimes you are very much on one side of thinking like that, only when was that?
A few years back, many people felt fear to the world is going to end. The world is going to destroy, world is going to be disintegrated. So many people feel great fear past few years back. Some people, even though they sold their belongings, things because they are now ready to die, or go to heaven. Sometimes some religion, they talk about it like that because of the one of this prophecy says that that year, December twenty one or something, what is going to end or something like that.
So many people had this kind of fear, but for me was the, I said absolutely not. I didn’t have any fear for that. I wasn’t believing those things. I was right, you know. Even though many people asked me, Geshe la, what would be I said, don’t worry.
This is just the business. Because the United States does many, many business things to, you know, from the people to, you know, instead of helping people, giving so much fear, and hurting people, and they do many, many business. Actually, around the world it’s like that. Even though here in Australia, I’m experiencing now, you know, they try to hurt people and get money from the people.
Same thing that’s happened in the past few years back and because of all this nonsense, they talk about it, but they make so much business, and many people became rich, poor people became more poor. Point is many people had such a fear. I’m not kidding. Even though my own students, they are Buddhist, but they came to me asking me all these questions. But those are the absolutely nonsense fears, actually, you know. Somebody said something on the television or whatever, and people believed into it.
Television is just a business. They do all these business things. Why are believing whatever the television was saying to those people. The point is that we must be very balanced, this fear, even though, as I said, some fear can be positive, which protects you, which I just mentioned myself, going out and walking in the night. At least to be a little safer, but who knows?
Even though here also, you know, have to be careful yourself. You see, if you look at that point, some fears are good, actually. But other than that, mostly fears are really just a nonsense fear. Or there is something in my house, some kind of spirit, or this and that. What is the problem?
As long as those spirit don’t harm you, then what is the problem? They are, you know, different beings, not human beings. They are non-human beings, but there may be some reason those spirit, at some point, they couldn’t get the right path to leave from that situation. Maybe they stopped there, you know, so we need to live with it. We need to live with it, you know.
You shouldn’t be harming them. As long as they don’t harm you, then just, you know, like a real roommate. I mean, you know. So if they harm you, so then maybe you may need to do something, whatever you need to do, to invite the monks and the priests, or whatever it is you need to do. As long as if they don’t harm you, then what?
Just let them live. You know, they think those that place belongs to them. This kind of fear is the, I think, nonsense fear. But some cases, some spirit, you know, they scare you, they harm you. That point is maybe it’s good to feel fear.
You may need to do something to really get them out from your house or your place. Other than that, it’s just a nonsense fear. Everything is the human superstitious mind. It comes from your own. You are imagining before you get the results, you’re already there.
Oh, this is going to happen to me now. Oh, oh, my future will be this and that. Not yet the future exists, but you’re already thinking and imagining, you know, one of the worst things. See? But after all, everything is from your own here.
Not really out there. Here. This monkey mind, mind projection, your mind has already projected the worst fear. See? So this point is that you must be smart.
You must be vigilant. Think about Today I will say one very important word. Fearlessness. You need to say that. Fear is fearlessness.
Fear is not anymore. It is fearlessness. Every fear, even though the real one or the artificial fear, everything is from your own mind projection, actually. Even though some fears are real, real in terms in terms of real means mundane perspective. I’m talking about it.
Okay? But spiritual perspective is the fear is the whether it is a good one or a bad one, fearlessness. So that’s what you need to say. Fear is fearlessness. Not anymore fear.
Everything is the mind on mind projection. But it doesn’t mean that every fear will go away. Of course, there will be still you may feel some fear, but this can help you with some of the nonsense fears, I think. Okay? Here in the book, there are a few categories of fear.
The fear of livelihood, the fear of dying, the fear of lower rebirth, the fear of participating in the assemblies, the fear of illness, the fear of ageing. That’s very much, isn’t it? Everybody fears, oh, I’m getting old now. Some wrinkles. The fear of the death, the fear of criticism, the fear of rejection, the fear of failure, the fear of not getting what you want, the fear of losing what you have.
Some of these fears are more a religion perspective. For instance, the fear of lower rebirth. So, for instance, Buddhism perspective, if you do accumulate many negative karma, then they are saying you will be reborn. Lower rebirth is the there are six realms. Three realms are generally considered as lower realms or lower rebirth.
These are the animal realm, preta, or hungry ghost realm, so is the hell realm. So these are considered as a lower realm. Okay. The fear of lower rebirth. So that’s three lower rebirths.
Rebirths. Like a human realm, demigod, and god realm, these are the upper realm, which is the upper realm or the rebirth, much better one. Now we are in a better place. Because we are born as a human being, our realm is the upper realm, which is the much, much, much higher rebirth. We are very, very fortunate to be being born as a human being, also the human realm.
And not only just we are born lucky, or fortunate to be a human being, also we have all these Dharma teachings. We are having so many beautiful teachings from the lamas, masters. And now, look at here Buddha House students, we have such a beautiful Buddha House centre here now, just opened recently. Although today, what happened, not many people came. Maybe there’s no lunch.
I think people are coming to Sunday class for lunch, not for the teaching. Seems to be that way for me now. Now, you will see next week when we have lunch, more people come. I’m just kidding. I know nowadays sometimes, you know, sometimes Sunday is different.
Many people like to come to churches and temples. Sunday, my classes in the TKC is going to be packed. But here, this is new, I think. Sunday classes are new. Since I came, I tried to you know, many people do go to the churches and the temples on Sundays.
So I thought maybe the Buddha house would start Sunday to do these teachings. But anyway, it will get better. Once we have lunch, then, you know, I think. The point is the Sunday classes, do beginner Buddhism classes, I thought on Sunday, anybody is welcome. Of course, generally speaking, you can come to any classes, no problem.
But especially this class, I teach more very basic Buddhist teachings, like this kind of Not really following any books, or any specific topic, like advanced teachings. So, I thought maybe Sunday is for people to come here, even though Buddhist people or non-Buddhist people, anyone just comes and have these very basic Buddhist teachings. If someone wants to know about Buddhism, someone really wants to know, even though they have never been Buddhist centre before, but if they really want to know about curiosity, perspective, this class is good to come and try to listen to the teachings, and you can also ask questions. Anything that you want to know about Buddhism. So that’s why this class is the create it for the beginner.
Okay? Anyway, so human, human realm, demigod realm, and god realm, these are called upper realm, upper rebirth. Which is what I was saying, we are now in human realm. We born as a human being, and we are rebirth as human rebirth. It’s very, very precious.
This is the one thing the Buddhist perspective, you know, being born in the human realm is very, very rare. Obtaining human life is very, very rare. No one just takes human being coincidentally, or just like born like this. No. Each of us, each of us obtains this human body, space and mind, such a wonderful human life because each of us accumulated such a great karma in the past.
So that’s the Buddhist belief. Each of us accumulated great karma in the past to be born as a human being. So that’s why we are now born as a human being. Without causes, there wouldn’t be any results. Buddhism means everything is the causes and conditions.
Causes and results, like the karmic law of cause and effect. You need some causes to get the results. Good causes, good results. Bad causes, bad results. Like that.
So that means we cause human rebirth. So that’s why we obtain this human life. But unfortunately, creatures, animals, cats and dogs, they are caused to, you know, reborn as an animal because of their past lifetime. They accumulated negative karma. So unfortunately, they are born as animals, although they are beautiful.
But if you look at our status between animals and human beings, we are very much advanced. Our brain, our mind, our wisdom is very much advanced than the animals. Because we can do so many good things. We can talk, we can understand, we can develop, we can improve, there will be so much good progress we can do. Unfortunately, those animals, if you teach them, they can understand they can say back whatever you are telling them, but they have very much their wisdom.
Cannot develop, they cannot progress that much by themselves from the by themselves. Only they need human to teach them what to do. After all, they are they are like a little like a computer, you know, just once you put it there, they just that. Then after that, there’s nothing they can do by thinking. Nothing.
But we are not like that. Human beings can be unbelievable. I mean, our wisdom in our brain is, you know, we went to the moon. We developed all these technologies. Unbelievable.
Look at it nowadays. Small, This phone can research everything. That much faster, that much development, that much progress. Who did it? The human brain.
That’s one thing. Another thing is the spiritual side is the human brain. Human beings can be able to meditate and study, and eventually to achieve enlightenment. Only human beings can do that. Animals cannot do that.
Animals must be reborn human being in order to achieve enlightenment. See? So, that means looking at all this human life is unbelievable. But credit goes to each of us. Not like I help you, or I created you to be born as a human being.
No. Or God created you to be born as a human being. No. Or Buddha created you to be born as a human being. No.
You are you are your own creation. If you do believe creation, you are the one who accumulated positive karma, then you’re born as a human being. So we actually help each other like teachings. We maybe give some advice to each other. Yes, which is true.
But the main thing needed to go to each of us. Each of us really did such a great job. But now this is opportunity, as now we are human beings, so then if you do good things within this human life, then the next life is going to be much, much better human, you know, than this human now. It’s going to be more progress, more development like that. So that’s why the human demigod and god realm, these are the upper realms, mean that.
Now, this fear is particularly the religion fear. Some people do have such a fear, Maybe now I’m dying. I do believe Buddhist karma, and I am a religious being. Now I am dying. Or maybe I may be reborn.
My rebirth would be lower rebirth because during my lifetime, I cheat, I lie, steal, You know? And I did so many negativities. I couldn’t do purification. I couldn’t confess my past negative karma. Now, I’m dying.
See? Now fear. Fear to rebirth, fear of lower rebirth. Now you fear like that. So, before you get there, better now to understand, this lower fear of lower rebirth can be very nasty, especially the moment of death.
Very nasty. But now, we have the opportunity that we can be able to root out that lower rebirth now. Because we can able to do many good things. If you did some wrong things, or if you commit some sins in the past, so now some confess. Do some practice of confession and purification.
Do it. Just clean out, which is a good thing to do. Then not accumulate negative karma again. It is very easy to commit sins. It is very difficult to practise.
See? Body, speech, mind. Bodily, we do many negative things, killing stealing, things like that. Bodily. Then mentally, we think so many negativities, covetousness, bad motivation, wrong views, like that.
Verbally, we speak with lying things. We lie sometimes. Speak, everything is untruthfulness. Then slandering things. Divisive speech, which is another translation.
They call it divisive speech. Then gossip. Harsh things. Now, this is the opportunity to control your body, speech, and mind as a human being, then you wouldn’t be fear to lower your birth. See, there is opportunity.
Then other things are like the fear of livelihood. Very natural. You know, how to live now? So if you do have fear of livelihood, so then now you need to protect yourself. You need to get the job.
Work. I’m talking about this mundane perspective. Get the job. Work. Make money.
Save the money for your future. You don’t need to be fear of livelihood. Or maybe your fear of livelihood is maybe your problem not for the money. Mostly the livelihood is for your living resources. Lack of living facilities.
That’s mostly the livelihood is something like this. Or maybe your fear of livelihood is even though you are rich, maybe you have some fear, oh, because of all this money and wealth I received from cheating people, stealing from the people, if this is your fear, I think it’s a good one. This one is good, I think. Because you received so much wealth and money, maybe in the past lifetime, maybe you cheat, maybe you lie. Because of that, you receive so money, which is many business people do that.
Isn’t it? Maybe now you have a little fear. Oh, my livelihood is not good. You know, it’s nasty. So many people’s blood.
So then now, that’s a good one. Then now we can do the practice of generosity. Give back to the society. That’s it. Give back to a Buddhist centre like this.
Donations. Help poor people who need help. Give life to animals and children. See? If you are rich, that’s what I’m talking about it.
So then, it’s very nice that this fear of livelihood, because you have this fear of thinking all these nasty things you did, that’s why you found so much fund. So then now give back. Certain amount of your fund to do this practice of generosity, which is wonderful. You don’t need to fear because you give back to the society. Isn’t it?
But this one is fear of crowding. It’s not really the great fear actually. The fear of participating in the assemblies, which is not really the bad fear. The fear of participating in the assemblies, like a group of people. Sometimes they are gathering many people.
Sometimes some people do have a very fear, like socialising things. I think they are called social phobia, isn’t it? Yeah. Social phobia. Could be bad, could be not that much bad.
Everything is how big social phobia you are. Some people do have this social am I saying right? Social phobia? Yes. Some people do have this kind of, you know, when there are many people, like for instance, many people in here, sometimes they are very difficult to come and so many have a fear like that.
It can be could be bad, could be not that much bad. Everything depends on how big social phobia you are, I think. It depends on that. But this is not really the I shouldn’t say it’s a great fear. No.
The fear of illness is very we all do, you know. Or if I do this and that, I may get sick. And when you are already sick, sometimes I may die, or maybe this illness may get worse. You know, these are very natural. However, this can be nasty if you don’t balance.
This can be nasty because this can be sometimes mixed with your imagining something else. You’re imagining something greater which does not exist. Sometimes doctors are some doctors are very strange. They make you feel fear to come to them because they need business. I will tell you.
But my doctor didn’t know how smart I am. The United States, my resident doctor, I go to him every six months, or every eight months, or a year, only one time. In United States, they will tell you every three months to come to them. This is what they will tell you. But I’m saying, no, I don’t need to come every three months to pay.
Of course insurance will be paid, but I need to pay, they call copay. Besides insurance, you to pay a little bit, twenty five or thirty dollars every time you go to the doctor. I don’t want to waste twenty five dollars thirty dollars for him. That’s why I go to him once a year, say, no, you need to come every three months. I told the doctor, you are trying to catch me, isn’t it?
I told him, You want to do business with me. Remember, I am a Buddhist monk, I am a monk. I will not give you money. Like this. He was laughing.
You are the only one comes once a year. All my patients come every three months. Yes. I am not United States people, you know. They don’t think, but I think.
If I have a problem, I will come to you. I don’t have any problem. Why should we going every three months? For what? Taking all these bloods again and again.
I told, I don’t want to give you my bloods all day. They take so much blood, something half of this glass to check around. I said, what do you want to do? I eat, I eat, I eat, I spend money to eat, everything is here, now you are cooling out, you know. Anyway, point is they are very smart.
So they will make you, Oh, if you don’t come, your blood has some cholesterol. This may be a problem for your heart. See, they try to make you fear to go to them to make business. But I’m saying, okay, okay, you know, the beginning I was a little fear. Oh, maybe he was what am I all these blood, cholesterol, whatever they call it, LDL.
Everything is balanced. I don’t need to go to him. I do exercise. I do yoga. I try to eat right food as much as I can.
Even though here, also, I walk very nice to Victoria Park, one round, come back to my flat one and a half hour every day. How nice walking. Try to jogging, but the monk dress where the jogging is not good and people mad man, who is this? You know? It’s very strange, isn’t it?
Better to walk slowly. It’s not so good. I was thinking maybe buy some sweats. Actually, I found one, and my teacher my sister put it inside my bag. But then it’s hurting my knee also.
I’m getting old also. Better walk, you know, like this. It’s perfect. If you take care of yourself, you don’t need to go to a doctor. Even though they try to fear you, you will be okay.
The point I’m making here is sometimes doctors do that. You must be smart, you know. Otherwise, it’s just doctors are, you know, this is their business, the fear of illness. But some fear of illness is very much legitimate. We must feel fear.
It will help you to go to the doctor, take medicines, take care of your health. But if you have no fear of illness, then you don’t care about your health. Then one day, you’re really going to have a big problem. So see, everything is depending on how you feel fear. Now fear of ageing is nonsense.
It’s just nonsense. But we all do once you get older. We all do. Some people may feel this fear greatly, so that’s why the many people try to cut out their cheeks and make things all these wrinkles, you know, plastic surgery, and I think you may have the same thing. What is called?
Botox? Botox. In Fort Lauderdale. Yeah. Some of my students, I asked her, what happened to your eyes?
It looked like swelling. I did Botox or something. Some kind of injection, you know? You know this, her name, I forgot. Her lips.
So nasty. Like this. Look like swollen, swelling like this. This woman, I forgot her name. She comes sometimes with special teaching.
I ask her what? Her lips. Very much like this. They put injection. Doesn’t it look good for me?
You all look beautiful. Botox? No botox, yes? Look at the nature. But we have some of this.
They put injection and it looks like swelling, all these things are, you know. I’m not criticizing, but it’s true. I don’t see them beautiful. No. From my side.
Maybe I’m missing something, I don’t know. As a monk, men like a monk, and this kind of man may see beautiful, those kind of swelling things. I don’t know. But for me, as I’m looking, doesn’t it seem beautiful? Swelling like this.
All these kind of things. Anyway, because of the fear of aging here, try to make them But in Buddhist perspective, as much as you live a long life, you are very fortunate. Otherwise, you will die at very young age. See? That’s what we see.
Of course, we need to take care of our body, showering things, putting some lotions, sunscreen lotions. Of course, it’s very normal. Some make ups, of course, why not look? You try to look nice. Of course, if you’re woman, absolutely.
Not against anything, which is okay. But the point I’m making here is sometimes a little bit too much cutting your precious body wrinkles and trying to make these things bigger like this, you know. Oh, these things and people cut out the thigh. I don’t understand. It’s a very strange world sometimes in there, you know.
Because of the aging, fear of aging. And it’s just, how do you say, very much I think in United States they call it capitalism, isn’t it? It’s very much free. So much freedom to do if you have money. Strange for me.
Really strange. Otherwise, fear of ageing is just fear of ageing is Okay. But if you have that much fear, then you could hurt yourself. Someone with plastic surgery went wrong. Oh, unbelievable.
Look at Michael Jackson. We don’t need to go through how handsome and nice looking he was. After he changed all his skin, his nose looked not so good, remember? But when he was, before the surgery, he was very nice, he was young. Cute looking, black, you know, boy.
Very nice. You know, very different, and very smart dancing. After he grew, he changed all his skin. He looked very strange, all this colour. I don’t know if it’s a white colour or something strange kind of a colour.
But he did that. I don’t know what reason he did it. The point is sometimes it is too much. You know? All this because of this fear of ageing, or fear of looking his or her looks bad.
So that’s why people do all these kinds of things. Little, little things make nicer. Of course, it’s Okay. Then now fear of death. This is another worst thing.
Fear of death. We all do. But then now, generally speaking, the fear of death is really we know there needs be fear. Once you are born in this world, one day we need to leave from this world, which is very understandable. Nobody can stay forever in this world.
Nobody can do that. But then many people do feel such great fear. However, the fear of death can be positive. You know? See, it can be positive, which I mentioned before.
All of these fears can be positive, can be negative. Everything depends on how you feel. Especially the fear of death. Mostly the fear of death is nonsense. But some fear of death is positive.
Maybe, if you understand the death, then you may do many practices. You may do some meditations. You may do some you know, cherish towards others. You may develop some love and compassion towards the needy sentient beings. You may do some practice of generosity for people who need your help, which is wonderful.
Because you are going to accumulate so many good karma, then the moment of death, or life after death, you will be such a wonderful life. Isn’t it? So that means that fear of death helps you. Otherwise, everything else is nonsense, I think. But fear of death is very natural.
The fear of criticism, again, just a nonsense fear. But we do feel fear, oh, maybe if I do this, if I do that, people may criticize. Again, this one can be positive, can be negative. But if you feel fear of criticism, sometimes the positive side of this fear is that maybe sometimes you may behave well. You may improve your attitude.
You may do good things. Or if I do this, if I do that, if I do some kind of bad things, people may criticize me. Which is good fear now. Otherwise, generally speaking, the fear of criticism is just not a big deal. Sometimes it doesn’t matter what you do, good or bad, still people criticize you.
So that’s the world nowadays. Even though you do good things, look at them. Dalai Lama is the I mean, he is the leader of the world. By the way, today I read one new newspaper, just new, new, new. Dalai Lama mentioned one news in New Delhi.
He said, in the future, it is very important to have many, many women leaders. Women leaders. Dalai Lama mentioned, naturally, women have more sensitivity and more compassion than men. Because after all, she is the mother, you know. She has a great compassion.
So he was saying, in the future, we need many women leaders. Now, we have some young women here, so you guys need to go to school, become a leader in Australia. But remember, not that Petty. Petty? What is that?
Bad leader in one woman here in Australia. Pauline, yeah. Not that kind of a leader. No, not that one. I’m talking good one.
Good one. Okay? Don’t follow Pauline. Pauline, yeah. Don’t follow her.
I think she went to Donald Trump’s opening ceremony, because she likes Donald Trump. They match. They all match, you know. The point is the Dalai Lama mentioned to become many women leaders in the future. So that’s why the which is to keep in your mind, young women to go to school to become leaders, which is good.
The point is that’s one thing that is a very good thing, especially someone going to school, you can be able to improve yourself to become a leader. Fear of criticism, fear of rejection. This is another thing. You know, people reject you, you know. Fear of rejection.
So I think fear of rejection can be positive. Sometimes, fear of rejection, you will take care of yourself. Or if I don’t do things properly, I may be rejected. Also, you think about this in the positive side, fear of rejection is sometimes good. If somebody rejects you, especially when you get some new jobs, maybe you need to think about, Maybe you are lacking something, so maybe you may go back to the school to improve that, whatever you needed.
Why did they reject you? Why did they say you can’t be there, you know, to work? So at this point, you can be able to improve, which is a good one if you think about it that way. But generally speaking, fear of rejection is negative, but can be positive. It’s possible.
Some fear you can really, you know, have more responsibility than irresponsibility. The fear of failure, same thing. You know, sometimes we fail. You know, schools, or jobs, or whatever you do, fear of failure. Yes.
Which is the same thing, rejection. Can be negative, can be positive. The fear of not getting what you want, which is the more ego, I think. The fear of not getting what you want, and fear of losing what you have. These are the more I think not understanding the impermanence, I think.
Because impermanence is everything subject to change. Good things change into the bad, bad things change into the good. Because of that, we get this kind of fear. Fear of not getting what you want, you know. And fear of losing what you have.
Sometimes we get this fear. Oh, you know, I’m losing my somebody is stealing my credit card. Somebody is stealing my money from a bank account. Or maybe sometimes you fear losing your children, your husband, wife, and friends, and family. So, this can be sometimes great fear, sometimes just fear.
I mean, everything is dependent. If you lose someone, let’s say people, if you lose someone, of course, it’s such a great fear, such a great loss. But you know, also the fear of losing what you have, if I put this in people’s perspective, so this point is, I think it can be positive in some cases, but not in the wealth perspective, people’s perspective. If you have some fear to lose someone you love, know, Losing is the English word. Losing can be death.
Losing can be away from you. It depends on that. Okay? Losing, mostly losing is almost like for me, it’s like death. But I’m going to say losing can be death, losing can be someone losing, someone not living from you, somewhere else.
Like you are separating. Like sometimes men and women divorce, things like that. Sometimes children and family separate. Sometimes friends separate. You are losing, I think.
So kind of fear. So if that fear in positive perspective, if you feel something fear like this, losing someone is your friend, someone is your wife or husband, then now, positive perspective, maybe there would be something you can do to not lose that person. Maybe you need to check your own faults before you check his or her faults. Maybe you may have some faults, that is why now you try to lose that person. But then now you need to take care of your own faults.
Maybe you can acknowledge your faults. Okay, I’m so sorry. I don’t mean to be this and that, but if I hurt you so and so, I apologise. Maybe that can be, you know, brings back together. So that means the fear that you had was positive.
Your relationship becomes very nice. So something like this. So this can be anything, positive or negative. Fear of losing what you have. Fear of not getting what you want is Fear of not getting what you want is, I think, probably more negative.
It’s just more ego, I think. More self-cherishing, or suffering of dissatisfaction, because of too much covetousness, too much coveting, too much craving. I think part of the strong attachment is craving. Too much craving, I think. So mostly, I think, negative.
My perspective. Okay? The second one is, I think, can be positive, can be negative. But the point is, fear is fearlessness. So that’s why we need to meditate daily.
Fear is fearlessness. What does mean fearlessness? Fear is just the title. Fear is just the name. Somebody labels it or names it as fear, this kind of emotion, they call fear.
So that’s why now I believe it, so then now my superstitious mind is growing towards the fear. So that’s why I am feeling so much fear. After all, fear is fearlessness. Fear does not exist inherently. Fear does not exist naturally.
Fear does not exist intrinsically. Fear does not exist from its own side. It’s just man made fear. Man made title. After all So if you meditate fearlessness, you are also meditating.
One of the Buddhists and Buddhists, a very important meditation, it is called emptiness. Fearlessness. No more fear. So, if you think about it this way, this will help you to cut out some nonsense fear. Those nonsense fears will be cut out, but those natural fears will be there for you, not a big problem.
We all do. Certain fear, which is, as I mentioned, some of those fears are also positive, which is Okay. Point is the fear is the fearlessness. Thank you. Now I can take some questions.
Go. Anyone? It depends on what fear, you know. As I said, fearlessness. Meditation of fearlessness will help you to cut out all kinds of fear.
You need to check your own fear, what kind of fear you are feeling into it. Many times, fears are negative. It’s nonsense fear, which I explained to you today. Which are the nonsense fear, which are the legitimate fear. Legitimate fears are the not great fear.
It’s just a natural fear. But many of these nonsense fear are the such great fear because we are imagining something like this. We are assuming this is going to happen, but we are not Buddha or God. How can you assume something and just happen? See?
Many times, we are assuming, and we feel fear, most of the time, it does not happen. Those things are not going to happen. Just everything is in your own mind here, this monkey mind. In order to take care of this monkey mind, we need to meditate properly. We need to eat food properly.
We need to exercise properly. We need to do some yoga things. Think positive than negative. If you eat junky food, if you don’t exercise, if you don’t meditate, if you don’t think positive, then this monkey mind is totally messy. Tibetan people call it kopto means mess up.
So then now all these fears and anxieties, all this kind of apprehension appears. All this apprehension. See? Things like that happen. Even though in order to take care of our mind, I don’t know if many Buddhist teachers will teach you or not.
I would like to say, right eating food is important. Food is what I consider as a medicine. Really. You Right food, right exercise. And the most important thing is thinking positive here, than negative.
It’s not easy to clean this monkey mind. Why? Because since the beginning of the time until now, our mind has a bad habit already. Almost like think about the bad cook, someone cooks, every time he or she cooks, burns, you know, that container, a pan. Now so many, how do say it?
Dirtiness. It’s very difficult to clean. Our mind is like that now. See? Because since the beginning is now, all this bad tendency, bad habit Why all these bad tendencies and bad habits have Lack of mindfulness, lack of meditation.
But why not now? We should start. Even though it is small, start something to do some new things. From today, I am a new person. I will start.
Today, I am a new person. I am a newborn. Spiritual perspective. I will eat right food. I will do some exercise.
I will do these meditations. I will think more positive than negative. See, if you start this way, this is going to be a habit. But then if you are expecting something from external to come and help you, it does not exist in Buddhism. Everything is here.
External cannot help you. Everything is your way of thinking and mind projection. Okay? So then, fear will be something that disappears, like that, gradually. Okay?
Anyone? Now, this side. I have twenty minutes. Yeah, it’s a good time. Okay.
No questions. Now we are all going to meditate. Today, I am going to ask you to meditate. Maybe an easier one is breathing meditation. Okay?
In and out, in and out breathe. Very normal way. From your nose, not from your mouth. Close your mouth, and breathe from your nostril. Long way, even way.
In and out, in and out, and focus on the breath. Okay? Go. Page two forty six, Gold Book. May all beings everywhere, plagued with suffering in body and mind, be endowed with happiness and joy by my virtue, my merits.
Page two forty six. May no living creatures suffer, commit evil or even fall ill. May no one be afraid or be burdened, depressed by depression. When the blind see forms and hear different sounds, when those with bodies worn be restored and find release. When the naked find clothing, the hungry find food, may the thirsty find water and delicious drinks.
May the poor find wealth, those who sorrow find joy. May the forlorn find hope, constant happiness, and prosperity. May every year they reap plentiful harvests. May all medicine be effective in wholesome prayers bear fruit. May the world be freed from illness and quickly heal the pain.
Whatever disease there is in the world, and even beyond that. May the frightened cease to be afraid, and those bound be freed. May the powerless find power and people think of benefiting each other. For as long as space remains, and as long as sentient beings remain, until then may I too remain to dispel the misery of the world. Page one hundred twenty, same book.
Where there is discord, unity. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is error, truth. Where there is dispute, harmony. Where there is sadness, joy.
Where there is darkness, light. O divine Master. Grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand. To be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying having practiced that we are born to eternal life from the happiness to happiness of the fully enlightened. May all beings effortlessly attain the peaceful state of omniscient Buddhahood. Thank you very much.