Four Fears (AN4.121)

K.Wong

Purport

Gotama Buddha  expounds that there are Four Fears, namely

1. Fear of Self-Reproach
2. Fear of Others’ Reproach
3. Fear of  Punishment
4. Fear of the Way of Woe

Although this exposition seems to be a very simple message of the Exalted One , these four fears suffice to morally restrain one from transgressing the Buddhist Ten Good Precepts (Dasasilas). The Ten Precepts are the ten Wholesome Course of Actions. It  is a comprehensive set of ten  moral injunctions of Gotama  Buddha. Fears create heedfulness or vigilance to avert moral downfalls.  The Ten Precepts are :

1. Restraining from Killings
2. Restraining from Thefts
3. Restraining from Improper Sex Relationships
4. Restraining from telling lies
5. Restraining from back bitting
6. Restraining from harsh speech
7. Restrainning from gossipings
8. Restraining from greed
9. Restraining from hatred
10. Restraning from grasping rooted in delusion

The 1-3 precepts are bodily actions ; the 4-7 precepts are verbal actions ; the 8-9 precepts are mental actions. These Ten Good Precepts purify Buddhist morality. In fact, these ten moral restraints are of universal application.

Fear of Self-Reproach

The fear of self-reproach is the fear of blaming oneself of having committed evil conduct through the body , speech and mind aforestated in the Ten Precepts . Owing to the fear of self-reproach rooted in inner conscience, one abandons the evil conduct committed through the body, speech and mind. The innate human conscience mirrors the intrinsic existence of human Buddha-nature of highest good of humanity. Buddhism like any other religious training is to draw out this innate supreme humaneness in Man.

Fear of Others’ Reproach

The fear of others’ reproach is the fear of others blaming oneself of having committed evil conduct through the body, speech and mind listed in the Ten Good precepts . Owing to the fear of others reproach, one abandons the evil conduct committed through the body , speech and mind to avoid social stigma which ruins one’s repute.

Fear of Punishment

The fear of punishment  is the fear of retribution through punishment  because of the commission of the ten evil actions enumerated in the Ten Good Precepts. It is human fear of the retribution of the law of moral accountability. The acts of  punishment  cause severe physical pains and injuries to the offenders or criminals. All human beings desire  happiness and avoid sufferings or pains.

 Broadly put, there are three categories of acts of punishments, namely striking the offenders or criminals with  whips or canes , cutting off the various organs of the human body and various forms of physical and mental tortures . The fear of punishment is justified as punishment stigmatizes the offenders or criminal and makes one disreputable and shameful.

Fear of the Way of Woe

Generally, people are fearful  of being reborn into the realms of hungry ghosts, animals and hell beings after their demises. Offenders who have transgressed the Ten Good Precepts are destined to be reborn into these woeful realms of existence.  These woeful worlds  will afflict the woeful state beings with epic and dire pains, tortures  and sufferings. A woeful rebirth is punishment for an evil doer in addition to the punishment of the state laws.  The fear of the destiny of the woes restrains the people from committing evils.

Conclusion

Generally, people’s moral behaviours are restrained by these four fears of reproach or punishment. In other words, people are scared of moral accountability – the moral law of retribution. Moral fear originates from human conscience. The conscience mirrors that Man is innately and divinely wise and virtuous. Immorality opposes conscience. Conscience is the innate supreme ethical goodness of Man. Conscience disturbs the peace of mind through the feeling of remorse when evil actions have been committed. Furthermore, remorse impedes self-cultivation.

Whoever does not transgress the Ten Good Precept is said to have purified his or her morality. Having purified one’s morality, one is readied to undertake the intermediate Buddhist training of mental development or Buddhist meditation. Moral restraints develop calmness which prepares one to undertake the tranquility-insight meditation (samatha-vipasanā-bhāvanā).

Tranquility meditation is the cornerstone for the insight meditation. Without a fundamental tranquility, the wisdom of insight into the ultimate Reality of Tathāgata can not be developed. In gradual method of self-enlightenment or gnosis, tranquility or concentration  precedes insight or wisdom.  Insight develops supramundane Right Understanding. Right Understanding is the liberative wisdom which distinguishes between the conventional truth of multiplicity of all phenomena and the ultimate Truth of Dependently co-arisen Unity or Non-duality.  Supramundane Right Understanding consummates the entire Noble Eight Fold Path. This numerical discourse of Gotama Buddha   is the cornerstone of the Noble Eight Fold Path. The Noble Eight Fold Path incorporating morality, concentration and wisdom is the central theme of Buddhist training to consummate human wisdom and ethics. Perfection of wisdom and ethics is the knowledge of perfection of morality, perfection of concentration and perfection of wisdom by which the self-centric ego is totally annihilated . Consequently, the grasping upon the five aggregates as this is I ; this is mine ; this does not belong to me is ceased completely. The wisdom of Anattā is fully actualized to put a complete end to suffering.