During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would quickly sweep into a town and take control. In one particular village, everyone fled just before the army arrived - everyone except the Zen master.
Curious about this old fellow, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was.
When he wasn't treated with the deference and submissiveness to which he was accustomed, the general burst into anger.
"You fool," he shouted as he reached for his sword, "don't you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!"
But despite the threat, the master seemed unmoved."And do you realize," the master replied calmly, "that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?"
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If you are afraid of something going wrong then I guess you are afraid to live....When you are afraid of something think on following lines -
What are you afraid of?
Why are you afraid?
Who are you afraid of?
Did you do something wrong that you are afraid of?
If you can't find any relative answer to the first three and the answer to the last is negative, then you need to live in peace and be calm enough to wade away the feeling of fear.
Always remember fear is a state of mind and those who fear are frightened.....
The point highlighted in this Zen story is that no person is powerful in isolation. The General could show his power because there was some one less powerful than him.
Thats why the Master said "And do you realize that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?"
Means in absense of Master, the General can't be powerful. For power and ego to exist, there is need for more than 1 person.
Be a Hero. Always say, "I have no fear". - Vivekanad
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