Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through The Storm

by Thich Nhat Hanh

But everything is changing in every moment, like a river.

Manas contains a lot of delusion and therefore has the tendency to grasp; it is the part of our mind that is always seeking pleasure and ignoring the dangers of pleasure seeking.

The object of our craving may be something or someone who has the capacity to destroy our body and our mind.

“Breathing in, I observe letting go. Breathing out, I observe letting go.”

“Darling, I know you are still there in your new form. It’s impossible for you to die.”

When animals in the forest get wounded, they find a place to lie down, and they rest completely for many days. They don’t think about food or anything else. They just rest, and they are able to heal themselves quite naturally.

Metta means loving kindness.

When offering this aspiration, try it first on someone you like, then on someone neutral to you, then on someone you love, and finally on someone the mere thought of whom makes you suffer.

“The person who suffers most in this world is the person who has many wrong perceptions, and most of our perceptions are erroneous.”

Metta meditation can bring the seeds of peace, joy, and love up into your conscious mind as zones of energy, and transform the seeds of fear.

“If you can dwell in one moment, you will discover eternity.”