- Continued from Page 1: Warrior Heart
Ajahn Chandako: How then do we overcome fear, Ajahn, especially...
Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Wait, wait. What's the most important obstacle for kammatthàna monks in the present age?
Ajahn Chandako: Oneself.
Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Errr. I was afraid you'd forget. (laughs) What were you asking?
Ajahn Chandako: How do we overcome fear, especially the fear of death?
Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Firstly, panna. Panna first and foremost. We see: absolutely everyone dies. We look at ourselves, at our own body: we will die as well. This is extremely fertile ground for paคคa to contemplate. I'll answer briefly, but the fruits it yields are limitless. Panna will penetrate this issue of death through and through, and then we'll have no fear of dying.
Secondly, being a person of courage—courageous in the face of hardship—like our Krooba Ajahns. In the old days when they set out walking on tudong they weren't concerned one bit whether there would be food to eat or medicine available if they got sick. They couldn't care less. They surrendered themselves to the truth. If this body lives it lives. It follows the laws of nature and is subject to one's kamma. If you gotta die you gotta die. Nothing can help you at that point. Constantly bringing this to mind, the fear of death gradually diminishes. Regularly facing this predicament and contemplating it, the fear of death gradually diminishes until the key moment: when you're gravely ill, on your deathbed. You then rely on wisdom, mara๕asati, taking death as the focus of your meditation. Sometimes the fear of dying completely vanishes.
Occasionally people of great innate capabilities such as Por Mae Krujahn (Luang Pu Mahà Boowa) would sit in meditation all night, fully prepared to die in the process. Fully reconciled with death, he realized enlightenment. If one doesn't fully abandon to the idea of death, one doesn't realize enlightenment. Fear of death is a huge obstacle. In the beginning you have to be brave. Paคคà then offers the best understanding: fear of death only leads to suffering. It doesn't help us at all. Fearing death has never prevented anyone from dying. It can't. The ones who are afraid to die have to die. The ones who aren't afraid to die have to die. What's the point of being afraid?
If fear is coming up, walk deep in the forest searching for a tiger... until the fear subsides. When you're experiencing fear of death, sit in meditation a long, long time. Sit until the pain is so bad it feels like you are going to die...until the fear subsides. There. That's how you conquer fear, conquer the fear of death. You have to genuinely battle. If you're still afraid of death it's impossible to go beyond dukkha.
The undeniable truth of death coupled with a cowardly heart is nothing but self-deception. Death does not faze me one bit. My heart stands unmoved. Because death and the heart are totally different things. The body and the citta are separate things. If you can develop samadhi, this is the most secure foundation. While in samadhi the body and the citta separate, and then you'll know that although the body dies the citta has never died. It's necessary that paคคà, the inquiring mind, understands in this way—understands that it's imperative to generate samàdhi. Then you'll know that death is meaningless, that it's not dangerous for anyone. Whoever fears it just creates suffering for themselves. Fear then gradually fades.
In the present age when we are our own biggest obstacles, we don't have the courage to sit in meditation for long periods of time like the old masters, don't have the guts to occasionally do long fasts. When we're sick or in pain we lack the courage to patiently endure with a valiant heart. Instead we go running for a doctor looking for medicine. In the old days the Krooba Ajahns patiently bared with it. When sick or in pain they would first persevere and contemplate it. They used the sickness to their own advantage. If there were medicine available, then they would take it, and if there was a doctor to treat them, fine. But if there wasn't, it didn't matter to them. But we don't dare to do it the way they did. There's only fear: afraid to get sick, afraid of discomfort, and afraid of death. These fears give rise to suffering, nothing but suffering. They don't give rise to any happiness whatsoever.
In the beginning, the way to overcome the fear of death is to challenge it, bit by bit, sometimes fasting, sometimes going without sleep. Experience some dukkha. Once you start to experience some dukkha what's your heart like then? Does it tremble? Does it cower in the face of suffering? Gradually relax the fears. They'll fade and dissolve
If you are truly 'geng'', sincerely have what it takes, then bhavanà 'til dawn, sit in meditation or walk jongrom all night long—until it hurts so much you think you're actually going to die. The citta however, can't be harmed. Remaining still and equanimous the entire time, the citta knows it won't die. It's only the body that dies, only the kilesas that die. Since beginningless time the citta has never died. Once this is seen, fear vanishes entirely. If you haven't yet reached this point, fear merely gradually tapers off.
To the degree that you're rigorous with the kor wat practice and tenacious in your bhavanà, fear will gradually diminish to that extent. It fades step by step until you reach a certain point where sใla, samàdhi and pannà have sufficient strength, and fear then ceases for good. However at this stage of the game, you have to whittle away at it bit by bit. Fear of hardship, fear of unhappiness, fear of pain—wrestle with these for the time being. Once you've contended with these, then you can wrestle with the fear of death.
Samanera Khemavaro: For the beginning meditator, should we go for the peaceful states or be peaceful with whatever state we're in?
Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: In the beginning go at it from any angle. The Buddha's teaching is excellent through and through, but don't stray outside of His teachings. When you know you're suffering and you want to be free of that suffering, however you want to meditate is fine. If you want to be peaceful then meditate on a mantra. If you want to contemplate, then get down to the investigative work. For the beginner there's nothing wrong with this at all.
It's just like eating. You can eat your rice first or pick up your piece of chicken first. Either way you end up full. You can eat your curry first or your sweets first—neither way is strange. It all conduces to a full belly. The important point is this: however you practise do it with resolute sincerity. If at some particular point it isn't working to calm the mind, then you have to investigate. If at some other point it's not the right time to investigate, then you have to develop peace of mind. It's all five-star food. The Buddha's Dhamma-discourses are all like the highest quality food. Whatever you eat it's good for your health.
You don't have to discriminate: "This is rice. This must be eaten first. That's meat and has to be eaten afterwards." Whatever you reach down and pick up, eat it straightaway. If you pick up some rice, eat rice. If you pick up a sweet, eat the sweet. You just keep going until you're full. Bhavanà is the same. This is why it's important to know one's temperament. If we enjoy thinking too much, we've got to develop serenity first. If we're someone who's simply silent, then turn to reflective thought. OK?
Questions and Answers
With Monks From Wat Pah Nanachat
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