"The whole secret of existence is to have no fear.
Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one.
Only the moment you reject all help are you freed."
by:
Buddha
[Gautama Siddharta] (563 - 483 BC), Hindu Prince, founder of Buddhism
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I don't believe in looking back to the darkness to avoid or reject it, I believe in perceiving the light and moving towards it. I believe fear to be the antithesis of true love. I believe the whole secret of existence is to be love. That love negates any fear of what will become of you The ancient law of the harvest is what ye sew, so shall ye reap. To reject help is to reject love and service. I have not studied Buddhism as I should so, I'm sure there is more to this than the quote expresses. On its face with out more information, I give it a thumbs down. I hope someone can explain it so I can be enlightened.
 -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Liberty is too great to be captivated alone. We must all depend on each other to uphold each other's rights, to fight for the liberties of those who can't. More importantly, we must depend on God, for all liberty comes from Him. I know the buddists don't believe it but its true. Liberty is absent if it is not the will of the Almighty.
     -- Publius, America     
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    God gave us two hands to remind us that nothing of worth can ever be captured single-handedly. Help is a necessity of liberty, not a hindrance.
     -- Publius, America     
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    Mike I opened a book predicated on the notion that we carry to much baggage. When we travel and in our lives. Jesus said to take his burden, that his burden is light. And the Bible says that "All are fed by His hands". From the birds to us higher forms of existence. After all do you or I know anymore than a bird how the wheat grows or comes to be on our table? Having this faith and trust is what I think Buddha is talking about. My wife is to much of a planner and I (according to her) to happy go lucky, but there is a place somewhere in the middle where you do what you can do to prepare but a place where you just go and trust and relax. Now this all may just be mind games or psychology but it feels good to relax and not worry and feel always dependent on others.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Above is an indication of our total ignorance towards eastern culture - really very sad.As usual they have the wrong end of the stick. Mike, at least you have the intelligence to ask for enlightenment, I'll try; Buddha in this quote, is explaining the importance of SELF. And that if we truly understand SELF and live in the moment all else has no significance. I'm not religious but I thought this appropriate: 'God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into its nest.' J.G. Holland, American poet, 1819-1881
     -- RBESRQ     
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    2 of the greatest problems; the impossibility of seeking the truth when you believe that you have it and the zeal with which deceived people defend their deception.
     -- Dave Wilber, Saint Louis     
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     -- Anonymous      
    thanks all for trying to help me out and Dave, YEP !
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    The message to me is , as long as you depend on money, food , clothing , shelter, etc., you are subserviant to whomever is giving these items to you and you are not free.
     -- jim k, Austin     
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    Jeez, perhaps if the quote was made anonymously it would be better understood. Makes sense to me. Fear is the motivating force to oppress and enslave others. Dependence on others instead of courageously standing up for oneself is servitude. Mankind has been rounded up and corralled by Emperors, Kings, and Priests with the threat not only of torture, imprisonment and death but eternal damnation as well!! The first part of freeing oneself from such a dilemma is to fear not such things. The emperor is wearing no clothes -- those that are not afraid to admit that are on their way to liberating themselves from not only the notion of subservience to church and state but of making real strides towards dissolving their claims upon us. We may partner with like-minded people, but we do not have to become their dependents in the process. What national freedom can ever take hold if the individuals that comprise the nation are easily swayed by fear and unwilling to stand up for themselves? 'Live free or die' is not a collectivist ideal. Freedom requires personal responsibility and a courage to face the devil -- even alone -- especially alone, for that is a rite of passage of the enlightened. For those of you thinking only Jesus saves, you have been duped into bondage. It is the truth that sets us free and courage that makes any progress at all. Beautiful quote -- would be nice if more people took it to heart instead of waiting for someone else to stand up first.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Thanks Archer
     -- Mike, Norwalk     
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    Sounds pretty simple to me, Fear nothing, deal with it and freedom will show you the way.
     -- Anon     
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    I know of at least two contrasting philosophies: John Milton's "No man is an island." and the anonymous: "The Lord helps them that help themselves." Personally, I don't believe that rejecting all help is a wise thing to do. Since the Buddha is considered very wise, I'm going to assume that there is more to this saying than meets the eye. One of Jesus' parables said something like, "Knock and it shall be opened, Ask and you shall receive." I have found that in real life, this is true. Most people are only too willing to help if you ask for it. The problem is thinking that you need help for every decision you have to make. As children, we were encouraged to ask adults for guidance, but as we grew into adults, we had to put away childish ways and rely on ourselves. Regardless of our religious beliefs, I see nothing wrong with asking our God for advice. Usually, after a period of meditation of this sort, the answers do come to us whether by picking up the answers from the ether where the knowledge of all ages is supposed to reside, or from our God. I don't believe that anyone can go through an entire lifetime without the assistance or help of people wiser and more knowlegeble than ourselves. I think to do so would make one mostly ignorant.
     -- GunnyCee, Durham     
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    Archer, you bring up Jesus and being duped into believing he is the only path to saving our soul. I think you have misplaced the meaning of being "saved" besides...what has that got to do with seeking help in our daily lives? Do you think that if God thought we could all help ourselves (including helping ourselves into heaven), that he would have bothered to sacrifice his only son so that we may be "saved"? If you truely believe that you can help to save your own soul, then God us useless to you. If that's the case, have a nice eternity.
     -- GunnyCee, Durham     
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    The more I read this quote, I think that if you replaced the word "fear" with "worry" then it makes a little more sense. But the rest of the quote is still bogus.
     -- GunnyCee, Durham     
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    The reason people think their 'souls' are in need of 'saving' is because they have been taught that by religionists. Jesus is the popular 'savior' today, but the same rhetoric was used in early Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Phoenician, and Sumerian religions as well for thousands of years. And like the Jesus allegory, all were variations of solar, lunar, and stellar cults. That is not to say that 'God' doesn't exist or the wisdom being expressed in the parables is not gold. It just means that in the end the individual will decide for himself -- it must be his decision, his stand, and not propped up by others. The truth needs no support -- it IS. I fear not death nor damnation -- I trust in the process of life and have no reason to fear superstitions which have their roots in hypocrisy and deceit.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Perfect love casteth out all fear. KJB. Considering the time period of Gautama's life being the time of the philosipher kings wisdom was growing out of much pain. Tribe after tribe was being over thrown by oppression and robery. A wise man knowing he must control his own spirit. But just a man. By the way this truth was written down a thousand years before Gautama's birth.
     -- Ron, Salem     
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    in the sense Buddha reveals the nature of suffering. the fear itself. one should not let fear turns them into slaves. since becoming a slave of someone or something is the source of suffering. in one way or the other society has turn us into a slave or some-kind although subtly through the course of your life. and it will be passed down to our children and their children as well until we end the cycle of fear.
     -- eko, Jakarta     
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    The source of all our fear comes from our own uncontrolled minds or “delusions”. There are fears that arise from attachment, such as the fear and anxiety of not finding or being separated from something or someone we feel we need for our security or happiness. There are the fears that arise from anger and hatred. Some fears are directly proportional to our feeling of being threatened by others, which is the reason we get angry and mentally or physically try to push the person away. And in particular, there are fears that arise from the mind of self-grasping ignorance, which is the root of all other delusions, and thus the source of all fears.
     -- Kini, Washington DC     
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     -- Anonymous      
     -- Anup Kumar Gupta, Mathura , India      
    Mike, another clarification about Buddha's teachings: Buddha spoke at great length about 'liberation' from that which binds us. For the most part, these binds are self-imposed and include desires, addictions, indulgences, superstitions, greed, avarice, envy, violence and lack of self-control. Buddha even identified an 'Evil One' called Mara (like the devil) that deludes people and leads them to bondage (spiritually and physically). Jesus said 'the kingdom of God is within you' -- Buddha is saying something similar. The truth shall set you free -- both Buddha and Jesus agree. People the world over pray to Jesus and Buddha, but who did Jesus and Buddha pray to/for? Isn't that what both of them are trying to instill in the individual? Spiritual awakenings take many forms, but inevitably require letting go of false notions and false security, taking the wheel, and choosing your destination. Enlightenment is like searching for yourself for years, then upon discovering what you have really always known and seeing yourself, you go "that's it? well, I know that!" Then laugh. That's waking up! That's being saved from one's own misconceptions and thus being empowered like never before -- doesn't God help those that help themselves, too? 'Liberation' is not the end, it is the way. ;-)
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Buddha was an above average man, who faced his many fears. Self-confidence is one thing, Will worship is another. It is one thing to cultivate leadership, it is another to lead a team. Our founding fathers trusted in the Creator, being entrusted with the positions of leadership. Freedom is the hardest test of all, upon the individual. The "kingdom of God" refers to a very large body of knowledge, accessed only upon approval by the Governor. The race is not to meet oneself, but to govern oneself well, that your metal may be tried in hope of visitation. It is a shallow thing to stand in all confidence yet stand in fear of all eternity.
     -- Ronw13, OR     
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    False. Fear is what makes us plan, invent and invest for the future, without it there is famine, theft and starvation. Fear of your children going hungry is moral.
     -- Don Lee, Reno     
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     -- Samuel, Nantou, Taiwan      
     
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