Is it possible to live fearlessly? Buddha taught that because all of our fears, even the big existential ones such as fear of aging, sickness and death, have their root in the mind, if we learn to protect our mind, we can protect ourself from all fear. But to do this we first need to have the courage to acknowledge our fears arising from our existential vulnerability, as well as the dangers that surround us. Only through this acknowledgment will we open ourselves up to the special methods taught by Buddha that provide real existential protection.

In the previous series, we looked squarely at our fear of death. In this one, we will explore Buddha’s teachings on what happens after we die. As we’ve seen, at any moment, we can die and all the things that we currently rely on for security will disappear. And then what? Because our future experiences, happy or unhappy, good or bad, depend on our mind, we come to see that how we live our life now has powerful consequences. We learn to transform our fear into a real determination to apply the wonderful and skillful methods taught by Buddha to bring about authentic inner protection. Through learning to acknowledge and transform these ‘big picture’ existential fears, we naturally become fully present to the meaning and power of this life. We begin to live fully and fearlessly, taking advantage of every moment, good or bad, to create the wonderful future that is open to all of us.

Dec 6: What Happens After We Die
Dec 13: Recognizing our Existential Vulnerability
Dec 20: Acknowledging and Transforming Fear
Dec 27: NO CLASS
Jan 3: Becoming Fearless