（1）Fear And Worry 《How To Live Without Fear & Worry》

We pay the price of fear and worry to live the life of a human being. Our susceptibility to anxiety is the root cause of our problems.

Fear and worry seem to be part and parcel of human life. One who is immersed in the mundane world is not free from these unpleasant mental states.

Why and what do people worry about? Their worries are due to various commitments and responsibilities they have. Their worries come in many various guises. They feel inadequate when they compare themselves with others. 'Maybe I'm not good enough to do that job' or 'I don't think I'm clever enough to make an impact.' They may be afraid to be themselves as they really are in the presence of others, so they end up saying to themselves: 'I can't let people get to know me as I really am. If I do so, they may lose confidence in me or belittle me.' So they act and pretend to be someone else when in fact they are not. 

People worry a lot about their physical appearances. Men worry when they become bald headed, while women worry when wrinkles start to appear on their faces, or when they are too thin or too fat, too dark or too fair, too tall or too short and so on.

They are afraid of being criticised, attacked by others or censured by their superiors. They are afraid to present their ideas or opinions before a crowd for fear of being ridiculed, but feel angry with themselves whenever someone else presents the same idea and gets credit for it. They feel they are being hampered by criticisms, even when they know that such criticisms are undeserved and unjustified. 

They are worried about their families. 'Maybe I'm not such a good father/mother/son/daughter after all.' Some husbands worry that their pretty young wives may go out with other men. At the same time some wives may worry that their handsome young husbands may leave them or spend their time with other girls. Unmarried people worry about how to get married while some married couples may worry about how lonely they are without children. On the other hand, those who have many children constantly worry about how best to bring them up; 'Maybe my wife/ husband no longer loves me and may desert me' or 'I wonder whether my children will take care of me in my old age.' Some parents worry unnecessarily over the safety of their children, having enough money for their daily household expenses, the security in their home, and the health of their loved ones.

In their workplace, they may have to face problems in carrying out assignments and have difficulties in making decisions. 'What if my decision proves to be wrong?' 'Should I sell my stocks and shares now or later?' 'Can my workers be trusted with money or will they cheat the company during my absence?' Some are worried about possible losses, of not getting a promotion or being entrusted with too many responsibilities. Some others worry thinking that their office mates are jealous of them. 

In fact, the list of worries people face daily would be endless. Human existence is full of worries and fear which lurk within the dark inner corners of the mind. Man has so many fears - fear arising from insecurity, fear of enemies, fear of hunger, fear of sickness, fear of loss of wealth and possessions, fear of old age, fear of death and even fear of the next existence. 

Not only does he worry and fear whenever things go wrong, he becomes worried even when things go on smoothly! He conjures a vague sense of fear in his mind that suddenly something may go wrong and that the happiness he now enjoys might turn to sorrow. Although some people say, no news means good news, people worry when there is no news. Such unfounded worries fill their life with undue fear. Such form of wretchedness befalls all mankind. And none are free from this except those who are perfect or pure in their minds.


The Cause of Worry

Of all adverse mental states, one of the most unhealthy and dangerous is prolonged worry. Why do people worry? In the ultimate analysis, there is only one answer. People worry because of the concept 'me' and 'mine', or what is known in Buddhism as the 'Delusion of Self.
 
Nearly all animals lower than human beings are motivated by instinct. This is not so with man, who has superior thinking power as well as intuition. With his rational intellect, he creates the idea of a permanent ego for self preservation. Buddhism, is unique in the history of human thought in that it points out the Self-or-Soul idea is merely a concept, with no correspondence to reality. From this belief of self, a person develops wrong ideas of 'me' and 'mine', together with all cravings, selfish desires, conceit, pride and other unwholesome thoughts. This concept of 'self, is the main source of all problems, ranging from personal conflicts to wars amongst nations. 

From this idea of 'self, man believes in the false notion of a permanent body which must be satisfied and at times goes to extremes in satisfying the craving body. The fear of not having his needs and desires met to his full satisfaction brings him worry and anxiety.

Hence, worry is nothing more than a negative state of mind arising out of attachment to worldly pleasures. The stronger the attachment is to a thing, the greater is the fear of losing it. The moment one's particular need is satisfied a person starts longing for another.

In a similar way, one becomes afraid of getting or coming into contact with something considered undesirable. This attachment to pleasant feelings and dislike for the unpleasant ones gives rise to worry. Sometimes when taken to extremes, fear may arise because of attachment or association with specific objects or situations which are harmless in themselves. Such cases are known as phobias like fear of darkness, fear of enclosed spaces, fear of open spaces, fear of heights, fear of animals, fear of devils and ghosts, fear of thieves, fear of enemies, fear of charms, illusory fears of being attacked or killed by someone lurking in the background.

The worries and suffering which a person experiences are nothing more than the interaction of his selfish desire with changing worldly conditions. The failure to understand this fact is the cause of much suffering. But for a person who has trained his mind to realise the real nature of life and its characteristics, he has indeed made progress in overcoming his suffering. He realises that departure or separation from pleasant experiences and those whom he loves are unavoidable. This can happen at any time, whether at the start of a career, at the middle or even at the end. The only certainty in this uncertain world is things must come to an end. So a person who thinks he is indispensable or that he must be around to see what is to be done, should consider what will happen when he is no longer around. He will be missed and his absence will be felt perhaps for a short period of time. Since no one is indispensable in this world, the world will still go on as usual without him. If that be so, then why should he worry himself so much, harbouring imaginary fears that only harm his health and eventually shorten the period towards the end of life's journey - Death!

The separation of togetherness also brings suffering. A person feels lost, dejected, hopeless and frustrated when someone beloved leaves him or her. This is a natural process. People experience suffering whenever they are rejected by those whom they love. But sometimes instead of learning to cope with the situation by allowing time to heal the wounds, they become paralysed with dejection, pondering about it over and over in their minds, looking for ways and means to mend their broken hearts. Some even express their anger and frustration through violent methods. 


Fear and Superstition

There is yet another kind of fear that stalks the human mind. It is the fear of the uncontrollable forces of nature and of the unknown. This fear has dogged man through the ages as he learned to deal with wild beasts and protect himself from the attacks of other tribes. In that long night of savagery, in that constant effort to deal with the forces of nature, the seeds of superstition
were sown in the human mind. And this superstition has persisted and been passed down from generation to generation up to the present day.

Fear in its primitive sense is described as an intense emotional reaction characterised by attempts to flee from the situation which elicits it and by physiological changes such as blanching, tremors, rapid heart beat, dryness of mouth, etc. According to a well known psychologist John Broadus Watson, fear is one of the three unlearned emotional reactions, the others being love and anger. Watson's view is that fear is induced in the newborn by a sudden loss of support or by loud noises. Even the infant, he believes, must receive affection and re-assurance, ' mothering ' may ease the tensions arising from basal anxiety. It is believed that certain fears in a new born infant could be those associated with its previous existence which have been brought forward and still remain fresh and vivid in its mind and that visions relating to such previous fears do sometimes manifest themselves from time to time during early infancy.

When faced with forces beyond his comprehension, the difference between the savage and the beast becomes apparent. The beast adapts itself instinctively and succumbs to this force. The savage, on the other hand, when surrounded by wild beasts stronger than himself, or when confronted by the forces of nature like rain, wind, thunder and lightning or natural calamities like earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or epidemic diseases, will prostrate himself in all terror on the ground, pleading protection from unknown powers. From his early perception of a power outside himself, which he thought could be appeased through prayer, just as he himself could be pleased, the savage developed ritual and worship and made the forces of nature as his gods. Good forces became good ' gods ' while evil forces became evil 'gods'. 

Fear comes to those who are unable to comprehend the basic laws of nature. Either as a principle or motive, fear is the beginning of superstitious beliefs. The notion of incurring the displeasure of a Creator is instilled into the minds of the followers of many religions who depend on the concept of God for the fulfilment of everything. The foundation of some religious systems and worship is based on the instinctive fear of the unknown. The fear created by religions is the worst form of fear since it imprisons and ensnares the mind. Fear fertilizes the growth of superstition that flourishes in the fog of ignorance. 

Man yearns for security for himself and for those whom he loves in this world of constant flux which could offer no permanent solution to his problems. The moment he thinks he has solved a particular problem, the conditions surrounding the original circumstances will change and yet another set of problems will then emerge, leaving him confused and lost as ever before. He is anxious, like a child who builds sand-castles on the beach and is afraid of every wave that comes in.

In this craving for security and fear of death, man falls prey to superstition. Surrounded by the mystery of the universe, he develops faith in things that he fears. It is ignorance and fear of the unknown that gave rise to early religious beliefs, and the workings of the universe are explained in terms of infallible supernatural gods who are supposed to control everything that happens. Even though science has done much to dispel such myths and improve the knowledge of modern man, much of the superstitions inherited from the past still continue to remain with him and he has yet to break himself free from this self imposed bondage. Superstitions weaken and enslave the mind. Superstitious ideas, beliefs and practices are ingrained not only amongst uneducated people but strangely also the well-educated as well.

Society should recall the words of the Buddha who said: 'Wheresoever fear arises, it arises in the fool, and not in the wise man.'


What does Worry Do to Us? 

'When envy, hate, and fear are habitual,' says Dr. Alexis Carrel, 'they are capable of starting genuine diseases'. Medical science is of the view that diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, gastric ulcers, skin diseases and asthma are aggravated, if not actually brought about from anxiety and worry. Thought can generate organic disorders as we tend to attract what we expect in life. Doctors find that their patients tend to heal in accordance with their own expectations, rather than healing as the prognosis would suggest.
Mental suffering profoundly disrupts good health. Businessmen who do not know how to cope with worry and stressful situations often die young. Those who remain calm and maintain their inner peace in spite of the external turmoil of worldly life are insulated from nervous and organic disorders. 

Experience has shown that a good deal of physical and mental ill-health can be traced to worry. Worry dries up blood sooner than age. Some degree of fear, worry and anxiety is natural and may even be necessary for self-preservation, but when it is not under control, constant fear and prolonged worry will only wreak havoc on the human organism. These factors all contribute to the weakening of our normal bodily functions.

According to medical opinion, in the treatment of most functional disorders, close attention has to be paid to the mental condition of the patient. They have also realised that worries do not solve problems but instead only aggravate them which in turn will cause one's physical and mental ruin. In addition, a person who is perpetually worried creates an unhealthy atmosphere at home, in the office and in society in general. Through rash actions arising from his personal worry and anxiety, he upsets the peace and happiness of others around him.

Just as worry is capable of causing so much harm to oneself and others, so also is fear. Persistent fear keeps a person in a state of perpetual mental tension and anguish. Fear progressively erodes life and debases the mind. Fear is a potent pessimistic force which darkens the future. If a man harbours any kind of fear, his way of thinking will be affected. This unwholesome mental state is capable of eroding his personality and making him landlord to a ghost. 

So great a hold has fear upon us that it has rightly been described as humanity's arch-enemy. Fear has become a fixed mental state amongst millions of people. To live in continued dread, cringing, and haunted by the fear of devils, spooks, gods and goddesses is the common lot of humanity wallowing in ignorance.

Fear can however turn to panic in cases of unexpected crises when there are no preparations for meeting the threat.

Source Of Information: 
 《How To Live Without Fear & Worry》，by K. Sri Dhammananda, published in October 2018 by The Corporation Republic of Hwa Dzan Society, distributed by Amitabha Buddhist Society Malaysia (92, Jalan Pahang, 53300 Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.