Four fearlessnesses
four fearlessnesses
[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.
