For many Americans, the current political climate generates degrees of fear, ranging from a background level of worried concern to a constant state of dread. And once they get a purchase on the psyche, these states can be self-perpetuating, like a chronic disease.
The Buddha often represented himself as a physician—for example, diagnosing the nearly universal symptom of suffering, as caused by the underlying malady of clinging, for which he prescribed letting go as the cure, to be administered by engaging the eight steps of the noble path. He took the sickness to be quite real, and capable of being addressed by a skillful cure.
Similarly he developed lists of antidotes for specific types of suffering, including fear. Utilizing excerpts from a talk by James Baraz, Jackie guided our exploration of how we might most specifically and effectively seek to treat and cure the fear with which so many are struggling these days, and to return to health, with the capacity to act effectively, and to fight the spread of the disease, by rooting out its cause.
You can listen to the talk here: https://dharmaseed.org/talks/player/88422.html
