Sometimes, we may feel fear without knowing exactly why. If we practice looking deeply, we see that this fear is the result of that original fear from the time we were newborns, helpless and unable to do anything for ourselves.

you’re not only this body, but also your environment—you’re all of this.

With good practice, you will no longer be afraid of obstacles and difficulties. You will know how to cope with the difficulties that arise. With practice that is solid, there is no reason to be fearful anymore, because you have seen the path.

“Come with me, dear one. We have grown up. We no longer need to be afraid. We are no longer vulnerable. We are no longer fragile. We don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

you’re afraid of what other people might think of you, it comes from that same place. You’re afraid that if others think negatively about you, they won’t accept you and you’ll be left all alone, in danger. So if you need others to always think well of you, that is a continuation of that same original fear.

Modeling calm in the face of fear,

“Hello, my fear. Hello, my anger. Hello, my sadness. I know you are there. I’m going to take good care of you.”

Concentration means you keep the insight alive for a long time. It’s not just a flash; that’s not enough to liberate you. So in your daily life, you keep that insight of nonself, of emptiness, of impermanence alive. When you see a person, a bird, a tree, or a rock, you see its nature of emptiness. Then it becomes an insight that will liberate you.

Meditation has two aspects: stopping and calming is the first, and looking deeply to transform is the second.