Story Section: What Is Truly Worthy of Fear

Vipers are not as frightening as the four great vipers within the body.
Even when the Sea God manifested as a yaksha, the people on the ship remained unafraid.
The Buddha taught the monks how to overcome their fear of ghosts.
These Buddhist stories invite us to reflect on what is truly worthy of fear.

■ Editorial Office

A Monk Afraid of Ghosts

There is a story about fear in the Dhammapada: One day, the Buddha was expounding the Dharma at Vulture Peak in Rajagriha to devas, kings, ministers, and a large assembly of disciples. Among those present was a monk renowned for his physical strength and fearless demeanor. Observing him, the Buddha instructed him to travel alone to a remote mountain inhabited by ghosts and undertake spiritual practice there. The Buddha taught him to sit beneath a tree and practice mindfulness of breathing—to be fully aware of each inhalation and exhalation, cultivate concentration, eliminate desires and afflictions, and ultimately attain Nirvana.


Following the Buddha’s instruction, the monk made his way to the remote mountain. While preparing to meditate, he suddenly heard a voice, yet no one was there. He was truly terrified and immediately wanted to abandon his practice. Thoughts raced through his mind: “I came from a wealthy and respected family of high social status. Now I’ve become a monk dwelling on a deserted mountain. There is no one to accompany me, no passersby, only ghosts to frighten those who stay here.” Just as he was about to give up and leave, the Buddha came and sat down beneath a tree. He asked the monk: “Are you afraid of staying here alone?” The monk bowed to the Buddha and replied: “I have never stayed alone in such a remote mountain before. I feel anxious and frightened practicing here.”

At that moment, a magnificent king of wild elephants emerged from the forest and lay down beneath a tree. The great elephant was thinking, “How wonderful it is to be away from the herd!”

The Buddha perceived the great elephant’s thought and asked the monk: “Do you know why this elephant has come here?” The monk answered: “I don’t know.”

The Buddha said, “This great elephant is a leader of a herd of more than five hundred elephants. Tired and disturbed by being constantly surrounded by his companions, he left the herd to take a break. He is thinking how refreshing and joyful it is to be alone and free, even temporarily, from the bonds and demands of the herd. Even an animal like the elephant instinctively seeks peace and solitude. On the other hand, you have left your family behind to seek the truth and work for the welfare of all beings. Why, at the very beginning of your practice, do you look for companionship? A foolish companion often becomes a source of trouble and distraction. When one lives alone with diligence and mindfulness, it is easier to contemplate the Dharma, overcome afflictions, deepen concentration, and realize the fruits of the Noble Path.” Then the Buddha recited a verse:

If one studies without peers and finds no virtuous friends, it is better to uphold one’s own integrity alone than to associate with the foolish.

If one delights in the precepts and in practice, what need is there for companions? Abiding in solitary goodness, free from worry, one is like an elephant roaming in the wild.

After listening to the Buddha’s verse, the monk’s fear gradually subsided, and his mind became clear and focused. Reflecting deeply on the Buddha's teaching, he gained profound insight into the Dharma and attained Arahantship. The mountain ghosts who had also heard the Buddha's teachings were likewise inspired. They not only took refuge in the Buddha but also followed his instructions and ceased harassing people.

The Sea God’s Test

A chapter entitled “Sea-God Asks Questions” in the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish records the following story: Five hundred merchants wished to sail across the vast ocean in search of treasure. They carefully discussed the matter among themselves, saying, “We must find someone who truly understands the ways of the ocean, whose mind is pure and clear, and who possesses wisdom and virtue, to serve as our guide.” Eventually, they invited a sage who upheld the Five Precepts to accompany them on their treasure-hunting voyage. Their great ship, sturdy and majestic, sailed confidently across the vast ocean, cutting through the rolling waves as they set out on their treasure-hunting expedition. Its impressive size and the determination of those on board soon caught the attention of the Sea God. Before they could continue their journey, however, they had to undergo a test set by the Sea God.

The Sea God manifested as a fearsome yaksha. His appearance was terrifying: his face was green, his fangs protruded menacingly, and fierce flames blazed from the crown of his head. Standing directly in the ship’s path, he coldly asked those on board, “Is there anyone in this world more terrifying than I am?” The sage calmly replied, “Yes, there are people far more terrifying than you.” Surprised, the yaksha asked, “Who could be more terrifying than me?”

The sage replied firmly, “There are foolish people in this world who commit all sorts of evil deeds: killing, stealing, engaging in sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, harsh speech, and meaningless chatter that incites unwholesome thoughts in others, greed, anger, violence, and so on. They stubbornly believe in all sorts of biased, evil, and erroneous views, without repentance or change. When such people die, the weight of their karma leads them to the miserable realm of hell, where they experience immeasurable suffering—being cut and pierced by blades, forced to climb mountains of knives and forests of swords, and subjected to the torment of boiling cauldrons and freezing ice. Such suffering continues for an inconceivably long time. These people are far more terrifying than you!” Upon hearing this, the yaksha silently disappeared into the waves.

The caravan’s ship escaped the danger and continued its journey. After traveling a few more miles, it came to a halt again. This time, the Sea God manifested as a gaunt and emaciated person. His skin clung tightly to his bones, and his veins stood out prominently beneath his flesh. Lying alongside the ship, he spoke in a weak voice: "Is there anyone in this world more emaciated than I am?" The sage looked at him and calmly said, “Yes, there are people far more emaciated than you. There are foolish people in this world who are wicked, stingy, greedy, and jealous, unwilling to give alms or share with others. After death, such people will fall into the realm of hungry ghosts, with bodies as large as mountains, throats as thin as needles, their hair disheveled and their skin dark. They will endure this torment for thousands of years, never hearing or seeing food or grains. These hungry ghosts are far more emaciated than you!” Upon hearing these words, the emaciated person silently released the ship and vanished.

Hence, the most terrifying thing is the karmic consequences of evil deeds committed by those blinded by ignorance—concerned only with their own interests and willing to commit any wrongdoing.

The Four Great Vipers Within the Body Are the Most Poisonous


As recounted in the Sutra of Miscellaneous Avadāna Stories, there was once a practitioner who lived in seclusion in the mountains, dedicating himself to the cultivation of the path to liberation. The mountains were filled with countless vipers, which became his greatest fear. To avoid them, he raised his bed under a tree, hoping to remain safe and undisturbed. However, he was prone to drowsiness and would often fall asleep during meditation, which bothered him greatly. Whenever he sat down to practice, he would lose control and fall asleep again.

At that time, a deva, wishing to help him advance in his spiritual practice, laughed loudly in order to wake him. Startled by the sound, the practitioner briefly opened his eyes for only a few seconds before drifting back into sleep. Seeing this, the deva had no other choice. One night, he called out, “Practitioner! Practitioner! The vipers are coming! The vipers are coming!” Fearful of the vipers, the practitioner immediately woke up, lit a lamp, and searched for them in order to eliminate them. However, he found no vipers, so he resumed meditation and soon fell asleep again. Not long after, the deva shouted again: “The vipers are coming! The vipers are coming!” This happened repeatedly until the practitioner could endure it no longer. Frustrated and angry, he said: “Deva, why are you lying? There are no vipers here. Why do you keep frightening me like this?”

The deva replied: “Why don’t you observe the four great vipers within your own body? Instead of trying to eliminate the vipers within, you are desperately trying to eliminate those outside." The four vipers are a metaphor for the four great elements that constitute the physical body—earth, water, fire, and wind.

After hearing the deva's teaching, the practitioner began to reflect deeply. Contemplating his body, he realized that it was merely a temporary combination of the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. He thought to himself: “All this time, I have been carefully nourishing and protecting these four vipers. I feed them with food, clothe them in fine garments, and devote great efforts to caring for this body. In the end, I have been harmed by these four vipers. Indulging in the five aggregates of form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness, and chasing the pleasures of the six sense objects—form, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mental objects—I have been trapped in the cycle of samsara since beginningless time, unable to attain liberation.

The practitioner recognized the profound wisdom in the deva’s words. Compared with the outside vipers, the most fearful were the four vipers within. Through understanding the Four Noble Truths, he came to realize impermanence, suffering, and non-self. Before dawn broke, while the sky was still dark, he completely eradicated all afflictions and attained liberation.

In conclusion, external vipers may injure our physical body, but the vipers within are far more poisonous, as they can damage our wisdom-life. These are what we have to eradicate!


Related articles: 

Understanding Fear: What Are You Afraid of?

Cultivating the Four Powers to Transcend the Five Fears

A Terrifying Event That Could Cause the Disappearance of the True Dharma

Story Section: What Is Truly Worthy of Fear

[Practice Section] Practices for Letting Go of Fear

Resource: Issue 430 of Humanity Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation 
Translation: Brenda
Editing: Venerable Yan Hsiang (演香法師), Keith Brown