A Comparative Study of Fear (bhaya) in Buddhism

The treatment of fear in Buddhism has as of yet not been comprehensively explored in its own right. Hence, the aim of this project is to systematically examine the notion and the role of fear across Buddhist traditions.

This research is based on an in-depth study of representative texts, using original sources in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese, and Pāli. To complement the textual approach, a case study with Buddhist practitioners in Vietnam will be included. This is to investigate the practical treatment of fear in contemporary (Vietnamese) Buddhism.