::Ajahn Jayasāro | Fear of Ghosts::

::Ajahn Jayasāro | Fear of Ghosts:: 

“I quite often speak with people afraid of ghosts. Usually, I ask them how many times they have been threatened or mistreated by ghosts. In almost every case, after some hesitation, these people (usually, but not always, children) reply ‘Never’. I then ask, “In your life so far, which has caused you more suffering: ghosts or fear of ghosts?’ 

The reply is - as you may guest - fear of ghosts. ‘So,’ I say, ‘let’s follow the Buddhas’ teachings and look at the two most important things: suffering and the end of suffering. Surely, your real problem is not malevolent spirits but the fear of them. Let’s look at how to free ourselves of fear.’

Fear is triggered by sensory impingements. It is sustained by a torrent of thoughts, memories and perceptions. We cannot usually counter that torrent purely on the mental level. To abandon fear we must turn our attention to its physical manifestations. Scanning the body in order to observe in fine detail exactly how fear feels, removes attention from the mental states that feed it. By considering fear as an object rather than identifying with it, fear subsides.”

~ Ajahn Jayasāro

13/12/22

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5 February 2023