Fear for death

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We all fear death, yet in a way, we experience it every day—through sleep. Each night, as we fall asleep, it’s as if a part of us dies, and each morning, we are reborn. If we were to wake up without any memory of our past, we’d be like a newborn, needing to relearn everything—even how to drink milk. So, don’t be afraid of death. In many ways, we die and are reborn every single day. Every day is a resurrection from death, so be cool;

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If we have desire or attachment to anything — to life, to people, to the future — we inevitably have fear. To desire life is to fear losing it. Even belief in existence beyond death — in heaven, rebirth, or any afterlife — carries with it a subtle form of fear.

Many people fear certain individuals or threats because they are attached to living. They wish to protect their bodies and the things they love. They fear harm because pain endures, and they must live with it. But if one is free from attachment — if one no longer clings to body, mind, or possessions — then such fear loses its ground.

Some fear injury or punishment because they desire to preserve their physical form, to continue their lives in comfort and safety. This desire for continuity, for a future, is what gives birth to fear. Without craving, without attachment, without hope, fear cannot arise.

Others fear death itself, imagining what may follow — a painful existence, a place of suffering, or helplessness after death. Yet, those who believe that goodness leads to a better state — to heaven or peace — lessen that fear. Still, as long as one clings to existence, whether here or beyond, fear remains. To be free of the fear of existence and death, one must cultivate virtue and, more deeply, uproot attachment to being itself.Disire and attachment for the mind also bring fear.

Pain and danger also bring fear because they threaten what we value most: our comfort, our bodies, and the things we hold dear. But if we release the desire to preserve these — if we abandon hope and attachment, and understand that there is no enduring self or existence to protect — then fear loses its power.

Of course, life continues until death. Pain may still arise, but if we have uprooted attachment and craving, that pain will not become suffering or depression. It will simply be what it is — a passing experience, not something to fear.

In the end, fear itself is not an evil. It serves a purpose: it protects us from harm and keeps us aware of danger. Yet true freedom comes not from avoiding fear, but from understanding its root — and gently letting go of what causes it.