Zen fear

A friend wrote to me and mentioned his fear. I wrote back and perhaps it's worth noting ... maybe because it's dead wrong:

Zen bullshit aside, I think there is something to be said for easing up on the fear of fear. Zen practice really is pretty courageous stuff, but that doesn't mean anyone has to be fearless and wander around like some puffed-up samurai. The vestigial notion that Zen practice will somehow send greed, anger, ignorance, fear and other similar downers packing is just that -- a vestigial notion left over from your comic-book days and mine. Treat it gently as you might a lame calf, with attention and kindness. After a while, perhaps, it will dissolve like acne. Then you can be afraid without a second thought.