Overcoming Fear of Death

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bazzaman
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Re: Overcoming Fear of Death

Post by bazzaman »

dharmacorps wrote: Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:41 pm Technically, I don't think you can practice to overcome the fear of death. But if you earnestly practice the path, the fear of death will disappear at stream entry, or at least that's the traditional teaching.
I could be wrong but I have heard that fear of death is only abandoned at the final stage of enlightenment.
According to the sutta quoted above:
"And who is the person who, subject to death, is afraid & in terror of death? There is the case of the person who has not abandoned passion, desire, fondness, thirst, fever, & craving for sensuality."
Since sensuality is only abandoned at the penultimate stage, then anagami would be the minimum requirement. But the remaining conceit "I am" (asmi-mana) might involve fear of death.
Atāṇo loko anabhissaro...

Yena yena hi maññanti tato taṃ hoti aññathā,
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