Is fear the most difficult emotion?

Response from Tulku Lobsang:

Yes, fear is fundamentally a difficult emotion. We have fear that something will happen that we don't like, or fear that we will receive what we don't want, or hear what we don't want to hear. We have fear of losing things that we already have, losing the things that we like. So there is fear of receiving and fear of losing. This means that fear is the enemy of love, because love can only be experienced through giving and receiving. Fear never allows you to receive anything and fear doesn't allow you to give anything either. Therefore, this is the most dangerous emotion. In Buddhist teachings, we call fear a demon. We say that when fear is inside you, there is a demon inside you. When you have fear, you see everything differently. You become like a ghost. You start to see everything that you do not want. Fear makes you see things exactly like you don't want to see them. It is the most dangerous emotion. And someone that has a lot of fear is the most dangerous person. Because of fear, it is possible for them to see everything in the wrong way, understand everything in the wrong way. Because of fear they fight, kill, talk badly about others. Therefore, yes. Fear is a very dangerous emotion. Especially in this 21st century, we are in the century of fear. Everyone is playing with our fear. The medicine of fear is faith and love.

~Tulku Lobsang

Answered on March 15th, 2011
Amersfoort, The Netherlands