Is fear caused by ignorance?

Question

Based on a previous question, this seems to be a common belief.
If so, how much knowledge is needed before falling off a cliff won't hurt anymore? What's the possibility that fear is not a problem and doesn't need to be ended, but just accepted for what it is? Is the end of fear what brings peace or is it acceptance? When's the last time you went to a scary movie and why would you do that if you want to end fear?

Answer 1

yes. fear is also a form of suffering which is caused due to the ignorance of our true nature.we must realise it for ourselves. do nothing :) just let 'it' go. look deep into the fear-i am- question yourself deeply,to whom the fear is?,it will disapear into nothingness. when you know that you are no this body-mind organisam and fear is only a thought(just like other thoughts)and suffering is due to the identification of that thought with yourself and when you realise that you are not this or that, you simply accept the present moment as it,knowing that all preciption are only appearances happining through this body-mind organisam.
when acceptance of 'what is' is complete there is no suffering.

:)intresting qtn. just for fun:), its all happening in this great play of illusion.enjoy the paly.
lots of love,
Joson

Answer 2

No, fear is not always caused by ignorance. Often it's caused by knowledge. I would be afraid to step in front of a truck, for obvious reasons.

The trick is to find balance. Fear lets us know what might be dangerous. Experience and wisdom let us refine that more accurately.

Answer 3

Irrational fear is caused by ignorance. If its a 3' cliff and you are ignorant of the fact that it's only 3' then that fear is caused by it.

Answer 4

I would say Yes.
Humans do sway toward ignorance. It is all to easy to ignore and falsely behave rather than become enlightened.

What a World we would live in if we all spent the energies becoming Enlightened instead of vegging out for a night in front of the tube.

I have never waisted my precious little time here on scary movies or sitcoms.

Answer 5

Fear takes two forms, inner fear and outer fear.
Fear is bred by uncontrolled thought, much to much thinking.
This inner fear is caused by the ego of man, sensing rejection. The hunger of mans ego fears that it might not get what it asks for. This breeds fear on the inside of man. This in turn manifest itself on the periphery, and cast a shadow of doubt in many aspects of mans life. This causes such pain and sorrow in mans life.

If man is ignorant of this process, then we could say fear is caused by ignorance.
This is the very reason that Buddha focused his teaching, on helping man to still the mind and bring the mind to a state of peaceful rest.

"May we all have peace in our lives."

Answer 6

Fear, like everything else, arises out of the mysterious "nothingness" and we "the puppets"
dance to it's tune. This is just part of the 'mix' that keeps this living "scary movie" playing.

It will always hurt, guaranteed, if you fall of a cliff...at least momentarily! I think there must be some cosmic rule that says "Falling of cliff equals pain!" =D

The end of fear probably ends at the death of the body/mind.

My husband likes scary movies...even the "Zombie" ones. I see the silent version since he wears a headset to spare me! Thank the lord!

There are so many opportunities for fear to arise (just driving on the expressway with the 'crazies'). I don't invite too much into my life unnecessarily.

Answer 7

Some steps toward overcoming fear and pain from a Buddhist Perspective.

The Buddha said to learn how to live a life fully at the present moment is the best way to keep fear under practical control.
When less understood these phenomena can create more fear. For instance, we dislike discussing death and as a result we remain ignorant of it. "Ignorance feeds our mind with fear." This is why the Buddha said we should meditate upon death so that we can understand it more and expel the fear of death. When death becomes less fearful other types of fear can then be more easily dealt with. Let us be mindful of fear and try to understand it. Recognition of it is the most imperative principle in dealing with fear. The same is true in encountering pain. Just to recognize that fear exists at that particular moment in our mind. Give it immediately the attention it deserves.
When we have recognized the fear, it is necessary that we have at least one other object to contemplate. This may be as simple as counting breathing or reflecting on some other positive objects like family members, friends or holy people like the Buddha that do really exist, but not on something imaginary. This reduces the chance of your mind becoming overwhelmed by fear. On the contrary, it creates a chance of regaining hope.
When there is more than one object to contemplate, the mind can have the opportunity to remain more objective when looking at fear and pain. Otherwise one may habitually identify oneself with the fear and the pain. "It is always helpful to try to view fear and pain objectively by saying: it is painful or there is pain rather than I am in pain or I feel the pain. Personalizing such objective objects only tends to increase the volume of them. In Buddhist meditation both fear and pain are objects to be noticed or observed. Once fear or pain is recognized, to share it with some one else is another step in dealing with it. When one receives sympathy, understanding, love, compassion and reassurance from someone else, fear or pain is already being assuaged and is about to be weakened.
Constituents of mental power like faith, expressed by Buddhists as confidence, and a concentrated state of mind and determination are some other factors that can defeat fear and pain. They have to be cultivated through meditation and mindfulness in life. Creating a civil society where the rule of law prevails and creating a caring and compassionate society where the less fortunate are not forgotten is also conducive to overcoming fear.

Answer 8

Some people live closely guarded lives, fearful of encountering someone or something that might shatter their insecure spiritual foundation. This attitude, however, is not the fault of religion but of their own limited understanding. True Dharma leads in exactly the opposite direction. It enables one to integrate all the many diverse experiences of life into a meaningful and coherent whole, thereby banishing fear and insecurity completely.

-Lama Thubten Yeshe, "Wisdom Energy"

There is nothing to fear except fear itself. Acceptance of the good, the bad, the ugly. Acceptance of All is the Answer.

All is One

Namaste

Peace and Love

Answer 9

Exactly!

I am not afraid of falling off a cliff I know it could happen but only if I pay no attention to my environment.

I always pay attention to my position in space and time and so I have never been afraid of falling off a cliff.

I stopped watching scary movies long ago, recently I came upon one and watched it. As I realised it could help further my understanding and Improve the help I offer the people around me.

Answer 10

yup
fear is caused by the brain when there is an unknown entity in its path
it doesnt know how to deal with it so it imagines all the horros that it can bring and that is pure genious
and subjective