2026.07.24 Friday Meditation | F.E.A.R.

Dhammapada 3-5: 3) “He abused me, attacked me, defeated me, robbed me”—for someone hostile like this, hatred does not end. 4) “He abused me, attacked me, defeated me, robbed me”—for someone NOT hostile like this, hatred ends. 5) For hatred never ends through hatred. By non-hate alone does it end. This is an ancient truth” (Fronsdal). Our thoughts lead to moods, delusions, resentments. We meditate to calm our mind/tame our heart. We look at our thoughts, examine them, see them for what they are, and let them go. IF WE LET GO a little, we get a little serenity. Let go a lot, we get a lot of serenity. Let go completely (accept life on life’s terms) we FIND complete serenity. We’re as happy as we want to be, our attitude is entirely up to us, and we are NOT the boss. Human condition consists of 5 Khandhas (body, feelings, memories/perceptions, thoughts, consciousness). They are impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not the self. THREE (3) Duties of a meditator: 1. Mindfulness (ball of light and Dhamma talk) 2. Collectedness (concentration) 3. Contentment (NOW, not Thursday) quiet non-attachment over NOISY attachment In a word, COPACETIC Stitch together BITS of CALM and SHAZAM! ANGER’s what fear looks like when it’s trying to hide. Anger mgt=keep an eye on fear. Consider our week, LOOK with cool eyes asking: 1) Minimizing my part/ exaggerating theirs? FEAR? 2) Setting self up as a vicitim? FEAR? 3) Expecting people to be what they are not? FEAR? 4) Expecting perfection? FEAR? (1st half) calm down, FEAR NOT PANNA: Last week we looked at 3 fetters. Today, we review the source of our anger: F.E.A.R. False Evidence Appearing Real: We don’t know our own mind, can’t tell true from false. Can conjure up sights, sounds, smells, tastes, tactile sensations AND our mental formations. They’re all impermanent, unsatisfactory, not self. Books, movies, comments of others, social media, imagination produce the same reactions as real events. Body releases stress hormones: epinephrine (fight/flight) cortisol (anger) serotonin (sleep/neurotransmitter) dopamine (reward) that cause physical and emotional responses as if the stuff in our head were real. The movie, gambling, porn, and social media industries make billions on this. But no one involved gives a rip about the Divine Spark in anyone. It’s all in our head. We meditate to calm the mind/tame the heart. Practice strengthens our discernment, which helps us sort out what’s real. We pause, recall impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not the self. (DD, Sept. 8) Forget Everything and Run. (or stronger F-word). Fight or flight. Rage is a good indication we’re scared out of our minds. When we or someone who’s screaming at us is in the grip of that kind of anger, it’s worth a wee ponder to see if we can discern what the fear is. Could be simple as not wanting to look ridiculous as our temper tantrum. Maybe more complicated than that. Pause and think, “The mind releasing the Kraken.” Then let it go. (DD Sept. 10) Face Everything and Recover. When we get thrown, it doesn’t matter whether we used too much spur, the horse didn’t like us, or a big rattlesnake in the grass. When we fall, whether by our own mistakes, or by circumstances beyond our control, we can run away, or face facts. Facing things may be a tall order, but when life throws us, we need to dust ourselves off and get back on the horse. This is the way life is. We’re going to fall again. Getting back up is a choice. And Frankl taught us we always have a choice. Sometimes we can’t get rid of the fear, so we just have to do things scared (DD Sept. 11) Forgetting Everything is All Right. Dealing with life requires radical acceptance & gratitude. We don’t fight. Dhammapada: 210) Don’t get entangled with what you long for or dislike. Not seeing what you long for is suffering. So also is seeing what you dislike. (Fronsdal). calm down, FEAR NOT Today’s Sources: Ajahn Chah. Food for the Heart. 2002. Daily Dhamma: A letter to our children, by Sower and Tsuda, 2022. Dhammapada. A New Translation by Gil Fronsdal. 2005/2023. “Daily Dhamma: A letter to our children” is now available on Kindle Unlimited. If you enjoyed this video, please Subscribe, Like 👍, Comment 💬, Share ↗️ with others, or consider giving us a Super Thanks! Don’t forget to Subscribe to the channel and turn on the notification bell to never miss new uploads! Follow me on social media for updates: • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daily_dhamm... Thank you for watching. May this Dhamma inspire peace, mindfulness, and clarity in your daily life. If you feel this message was meaningful, please subscribe and click the notification bell 🔔 so you never miss a new Dhamma reflection. Use of quotations asserted under the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright law, U.S. Code Title 17 Section 107.