Four fearlessnesses
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(四無所畏・四無畏) (Jpn shi-mushoi or shi-mui )
Four types of confidence possessed by Buddhas and bodhisattvas. The four fearlessnesses of a Buddha are distinct from those of bodhisattvas.
The four fearlessnesses of a Buddha are
- (1) fearlessness in declaring oneself to be enlightened to the truth of all phenomena,
- (2) fearlessness in proclaiming oneself to have extinguished all desires and illusions,
- (3) fearlessness in proclaiming oneself to have elucidated the obstacles to Buddhist practice and enlightenment, and
- (4) fearlessness in declaring oneself to have clarified the way of liberation from the world of suffering, and thus the way of attaining emancipation.
The four fearlessnesses of the bodhisattva are
- (1) fearlessness in continually memorizing the Buddhist teachings, and in expounding the meaning of these teachings,
- (2) fearlessness in perceiving the people's inherent capacities, and in expounding the teachings according to those capacities,
- (3) fearlessness in resolving the people's doubts, and
- (4) fearlessness in answering any question.
The term fearlessness derives from the Sanskrit word vaisharadya, and here implies dauntless courage and unwavering confidence; it is regarded as one of the virtues of Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Source
Four fearlessnesses (Tib. མི་འཇིགས་པ་བཞི) — qualities of a buddha, which are included among the twenty-one sets of immaculate qualities of the buddha's dharmakaya.
- fearlessness in asserting their own perfect realization
- fearlessness in asserting their own perfect abandonment
- fearlessness for the sake of others in revealing the path to liberation
- fearlessness for the sake of others in revealing potential hindrances on the path
Source
Special qualities of a Buddha. A fearlessness is an utterly firm, ultimate realization that is entirely free from fear in expounding Dharma.
There are four types:
- (1) fearlessness in revealing the Dharma of definite emergence,
- (2) fearlessness in revealing the Dharma of overcoming obstructions,
- (3) fearlessness in revealing the Dharma of excellent abandonments, and
- (4) fearlessness in revealing the Dharma of excellent realizations