In short: the Buddha met fear directly. Before his awakening he sat in frightening forest shrines and, when fear came, asked himself: "Why don't I get rid of that fear and dread just as it comes, while remaining just as I am?" (MN 4). He didn't run or change posture until the fear had passed. Later he taught that recollecting the Buddha, the teaching and the Saṅgha takes fear away (SN 11.3).
How the Buddha faced fear
As a seeker, the Buddha-to-be spent nights in eerie shrines. A deer passed, a peacock snapped a twig, the wind rustled the leaves, and he wondered, "Is this that fear and dread coming?" Then:
"Why don't I get rid of that fear and dread just as it comes, while remaining just as I am?" "Then that fear and dread came upon me as I was walking. I didn't stand still or sit down or lie down until I had got rid of that fear and dread while walking."
MN 4
He did the same standing, sitting and lying down. The lesson: don't wait for fear, and don't flee it. Meet it in whatever posture you're in, and stay until it passes.
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When you are afraid
"If you get scared or terrified, just recollect me… Then your fear and terror will go away. If you can't recollect me, then recollect the teaching."
SN 11.3 · More: Buddhist prayer for protection.
A good life removes fear
In MN 4 the Buddha also says his pure conduct made him "even more unruffled". People who have done no harm have less to fear. And in AN 4.184 he names four kinds of people who are not afraid to die. (Fear of death)
A practice for meeting fear
- Stay where you are. Don't change posture. Feel your feet or your seat.
- Name it: "This is fear." Notice where it sits in the body: chest, belly, throat.
- Breathe out slowly. Let each out-breath be longer than the in-breath.
- Recollect something steady: the Buddha, a teacher, a person who makes you feel safe.
- Stay until it softens. Fear rises and passes like every feeling.
If fear or anxiety is overwhelming or constant, please talk to a doctor or counsellor. (See also Buddhist teachings for anxiety.)
Try it
For a calm 1-minute reset, open Practice and choose Breathe.
Questions people ask
What did the Buddha teach about fear?
Before his awakening he deliberately faced fear in frightening places and resolved to 'get rid of that fear and dread just as it comes, while remaining just as I am' (MN 4). Later he taught that recollecting the Buddha, the teaching and the Saṅgha removes fear (SN 11.3).