Foreward 《How To Live Without Fear & Worry》

by K. Sri Dhammananda

Men are born, they suffer, they die. That, according to Anatole France is how a wise man once summed up the human condition. On the other hand, some free thinkers say: 'Man is a little machine, made possible by an accidental arrangement of atoms and a naturalistic 'evolutionary process. Suffering is man's inescapable lot in his struggle for survival. It has no 'meaning' other than that, no purpose. Death is a dissolution of chemical elements; nothing else remains'. 

While both the above are common observations amongst certain sceptics, materialists and even some great thinkers, other philosophers and religious teachers have tried to discover some meanings and purposes in life, especially with regard to the problem of suffering.

According to the Buddha, the characteristic of every component thing is that it appears, decays and disappears in a never-ending process. All component things are subject to ceaseless change and conflict (Dukkha). It is endured by all suffering beings who believe in a permanent entity or soul. This belief gives rise to selfish desire which can never be satisfied, thus leading to fear and worry.

The Buddha provided a moral base to his teachings when he declared that while there is suffering and uncertainty in existence, nevertheless it is possible for man to experience happiness both in its absolute as well as its temporal sense if he learns to distinguish between skilful and unskilful actions. To do this man must first have Right View which means that he must recognise the unsatisfactory nature of his existence and sensual pleasures and also to direct his life in the proper manner to see the end of uncertainty and unsatisfactoriness.

Why Worry

The first edition of 《Why Worry》 was published in 1967 (10,000 copies) and since then it has been in such great demand that it has been reprinted no less than six times at the rate of 5,000 copies per printing. Letters of appreciation and gratitude have poured in from various parts of the world - the U.S., U.K., Germany, South Africa and almost every Asian country. Those who have expressed their appreciation of the book are not only Buddhists but Hindus, Muslims, Christians and even some 'free thinkers'. The appeal of the book has been partly due to the fact that it has been written simply and without pretension and also because its main purpose was to reveal the facts of life not only from the Buddhist point of view but also by giving reasonable views from other religions and great thinkers. It was written primarily to provide comfort and solace to human beings in need of guidance to face the bewildering complexity of modern civilisation.

Some have even written in to say how they were prevented from committing suicide by reading the book, others to say that they read a few pages of it every night to help them to calm their minds to assure themselves that there are simple and practical solutions to the problems of the world.

Many things have happened since 《Why Worry》 first appeared; many changes have taken place. In the intervening years the author has gained new insights relating to human problems as a result of reading the numerous letters written to him as well as in his fruitful discussions with troubled people from all walks of life. It was decided that the publication of a new edition of the book would be most opportune at this time.

This expanded edition seeks to address itself to age old problems and to those peculiar to our day and age. But its primary focus remains unchanged: that is, to show how one can live without fear and worry provided one has Right Understanding. It attempts to discuss problems from a practical and humanistic viewpoint. To this end, many quotations, anecdotes, witty sayings, fables and so on have been included to show how wise men have viewed the human condition across time and space. Many of these have an oriental flavour and some readers may have difficulty in relating to them and feel they are suitable only for those who belong to a particular culture. But such readers will benefit if they can differentiate between the setting of the stories and the point that is being made. After all, universal problems and truths apply equally well to all human beings. 

It is fervently hoped that this book will give fresh inspiration and hope to whoever reads it without cynicism and doubt.

K. SRI DHAMMANANDA
WESAK DAY 19/05/89
B.E. 2533

Buddhist Vihara
123, Jalan Berhala
50470, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

related post:  （1）Fear And Worry

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.