Can we avoid fear, or choose to work through it?

When facing fear, we may first avoid it, or, under suitable conditions, practice facing it and gradually move beyond it. Some colleagues avoid horror films and ghost stories because they do not want their minds to remain in fear. Sheng Zhen Men’s approach to practice also encourages people to understand what they are actually afraid of.

Facing inner fear differs from deliberately entering danger. While discussing this practice, I also advise against actively disturbing the unseen or assuming your abilities are sufficient. “If you are afraid, you have lost” is encouragement to be courageous, not a demand that everyone take risks or a claim that fear necessarily brings disaster. Still feeling afraid does not make you guilty.

We discussed a news story about a child cleaning gravestones with their mother and gradually becoming less afraid through contact. Miao Yuan shared that under heavy work pressure, she asks what preparations are needed while examining herself and doing daily practice. Miao Yuan and YOYO also encourage themselves in the mirror while washing, or pat their heads to practice self-affirmation. Each story has its circumstances. First consider how to care for yourself now, and then take another step.

I was frightened and panicked when I was young too. Home on leave from military service, I encountered someone close to the family reacting unusually in their sleep. On the earlier occasion, I had strong faith in the Bodhisattva while reciting. The next time, the scene frightened me first, and my recitation felt powerless. I could not even smoothly recite the Great Compassion Mantra, which I had not yet learned well. This was my experience and understanding then, distinct from Dao Xuan’s story.

Later, my mother took the person to a ritual master for help; it was not resolved by my simply forcing myself to endure. Looking back, once the mind becomes chaotic, even familiar actions become hard to perform steadily. Understand your fear and recognize when help is needed. Seeking help need not mean a lack of faith.

If simply hearing these topics makes you a little afraid, you can walk outdoors, get some sunlight, or turn toward a familiar faith. Using Guanyin practice as an example, I said that if visiting a temple is inconvenient, you can recite “Namo Guanshiyin Pusa” or the Six-Syllable Great Bright Mantra to give your heart a steady support. Care for yourself first rather than immediately assuming spiritual interference. If physical discomfort continues, still identify the care you actually need.

Dao Jing shared that pineapple often made their tongue uncomfortable as a child, leading them to reject even foods touched by pineapple juice. To change this aversion, Dao Jing first bought a pineapple-shaped charm, found it cute, and gradually developed a different feeling. Later at Sheng Zhen Men, Dao Jing finally found the courage to eat pineapple cut by my father, discovered it was acceptable, and even began looking forward to it. This was a gradual personal process, not a demand to accomplish everything immediately.

Not every fear is resolved by looking at more of what frightens you. Some people afraid of injections feel less afraid if they do not look at the needle; some close their eyes during horror films. Understand your fear and find a suitable approach. Turning the unknown into the known is not the only method for every situation.

Also consider what you can bear now. When discussing fear of insects or darkness, I advised approaching fear gradually rather than forcing yourself to accept everything at once. Some cannot bear that and become more afraid instead. Miao Yuan shared that after parking at night, she looks to see what in the alley frightens her so she does not keep scaring herself. That is her approach, not advice for everyone to approach danger alone and investigate.