During the civil wars in feudal Japan, an invading army would sweep into a town and take control. In one village, everyone fled just before the army arrived – except a Zen master.
Curious about this man, the general went to the temple to see for himself what kind of man this master was. When he wasn’t treated with the deference to which he was accustomed, the general angrily said: “You fool,” as he reached for his sword, “don’t you realize you are standing before a man who could run you through without blinking an eye!”
But despite the threat, the master was unmoved. “And do you realize,” the master replied calmly, “that you are standing before a man who can be run through without blinking an eye?”
The Zen Master had no fear because he understood: there was no need to get attached to his body. And when we learn to let go, fear dissipates into nothingness.