NO FEAR – VEN. THAY THANH

No Fear:

Teaching in NC, Ven. Chuc Thanh was asked how should people deal with fear? He responded by telling the group that “Living in the moment is not living in fear.” The contexts of the question at that time were the fear of death and the fear of failure, not the moment of a “fight or flight” decision to an immediate physical threat. 

Ven. Chuc Thanh suggested that being afraid of something that will happen (death) or may happen (failure, etc.) is a form of clinging or suffering.  He reminded the group that only the present moment exists.  By training yourself to only focus on what you are doing in the present moment, you can reduce or eliminate your concern for what the future holds.  Sitting, breathing meditation is one effective form of this training.   

(Venerable Thich Chuc Thanh is the Dharma Master at Dong Hung Temple. This quotation is part of a continuing collection from his dharma talks given in Virginia Beach, VA and Southern Shores, NC beginning in 2015. The quotation title and commentary are by temple member Mark Palamara.)