comments:
I've looked and I can't find much advice regarding this from a buddism perspective does anyone know where I can find some (a book) or have any advice themselves? I would suggest Life is a Near Death Experience: Skills for Illness, Aging, Dying, and Loss by Ajahn Sona. One has to come to terms with their lack of control and inevitable death. All we can control are our volitional responses of body, speech, and mind. Reflect every day that you have not gone beyond ageing, illness, death, and loss. That "I am the owner of my intentional actions (kamma), heir to my intentional actions, born of my intentional actions, related through my intentional actions, and have my intentional actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir." Ageing, illness, death, and loss are mountains taller than the clouds, always rolling in on us and crushing everything in their path. “I tell you, great king, I announce to you: old age and death are advancing upon you. Since old age and death are advancing upon you, what would you do?” “Sir, what can I do but practice the teachings, practice morality, doing skillful and good actions? - SN 3.25 MN 4 also provides a few methods in dealing with fear and anxiety. In brief, the Buddha recommends reflecting on one's sila, ethical conduct. Knowing one has not caused harm, one does not cultivate regret or fear in regard to the future results (vipaka) of one's intentional actions (kamma). The Buddha also said that when fear or anxiety arise, don't change posture. If you're sitting, continue to sit. In modern terms, this is like exposure therapy. It normalizes the experience. We see that fear and anxiety are conditioned and therefore not ours, not-self. The simply arise and cease based on causes and conditions. Pushing and resisting only conditions further fears and anxiety. They will be experienced until full enlightenment when the last remnants of the conceits "I", "me,", and "mine" are completely abandoned.