​MN 4 Bhayabherava Sutta (Fear and Dread)

Thus have i heard. 

On one occasion the Blessed One was living at Savatthi in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Park. Then the brahmin Janussoni went to the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. He sat down at one side and said: "Master Gotama, when clansmen have gone forth from the home life into homelessness out of faith in Master Gotama, do they have Master Gotama for their leader, their helper and their guide? And do these people follow the example of Master Gotama?"

Buddha replied: "That is so, brahmin. When clansmen have gone forth from the home life into homelessness out of faith in me, they have me for their leader, their helper, and their guide. And these people follow my example."
Brahmin Janussoni: "But, Master Gotama, remote jungle-thicket resting places in the forest are hard to endure, seclusion is hard to practice and it is hard to enjoy solitude. The forests, as it were, plunder the mind of a monk who has not attained concentration." 

Buddha: "That is so, brahmin. Remote places in the forest are hard to endure, seclusion is hard to practice and it is hard to enjoy solitude. One would think the jungles must rob a bhikkhu of his mind, if he has no concentration.  Before my enlightenment, while I was still only an unenlightened Bodhisatta, i also think that places in the forest are hard to endure and that the jungles must rob a bhikkhu of his mind, if he has no concentration. I considered thus: 'Whenever recluses or brahmins un-purified in bodily conduct resort to remote jungle-thicket resting places in the forest, then owing to the defect of their un-purified bodily conduct these good recluses and brahmins evoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to remote jun​gle-thicket resting places in the forest unpurified in bodily conduct. I am purified in bodily conduct. I resort to remote resting places in the forest as one of the noble ones with bodily conduct purified/ Seeing in myself this purity of bodily conduct, I found great solace in dwelling in the forest. I considered thus: 'Whenever recluses or brahmins un-purified in verbal conduct,un-purified in mental conduct and un-purified in livelihood resort to remote jungle-thicket resting places in the forest,they evoke unwholesome fear and dread.

But I am purified in livelihood. I resort to remote resting places in the forest as one of the noble ones with livelihood purified. Seeing in myself this purity of livelihood, I found great solace in dwelling in the forest. I considered thus: 'Whenever recluses or brahmins who are covetous and full of lust.. .I am uncovetous...' ..."whenever recluses or brahmins who have a mind of ill will and intentions of hate...I have a mind of loving-kindness...' ..."whenever recluses or brahmins who are overcome by sloth and torpor...I am without sloth and torpor...' ...."'whenever recluses or brahmins who are overcome with restless and un-peaceful mind.. i have a peaceful mind...' ..."whenever recluses or brahmins who are filled with uncertainty and doubting.. .I have gone beyond doubt...' ....'' whenever recluses or brahmins who are given to self-praise and disparagement of others...I am not given to self-praise and disparagement of others...' .....''whenever recluses or brahmins who are subjected to alarm and terror.. .i am free from trepidation...' ....."whenever recluses or brahmins who are desirous of gain, honor, and renown...I have few wishes...' ...''whenever recluses or brahmins who are lazy and wanting in energy.. .i am energetic...'....''whenever recluses or brahmins who are unmindful and not fully aware...I am established in mindfulness...' ...".whenever recluses or brahmins who are un-concentrated and with straying minds...I am possessed of concentration...' 

Buddha: "I considered thus: 'Whenever recluses or brahmins devoid of wisdom, drivelers, resort to remote jungle-thicket resting places in the forest, then owing to the their lack of wisdom and drivelers these good recluses and brahmins evoke unwholesome fear and dread. But I do not resort to these resting places in the forest devoid of wisdom, a driveler. I am possessed of wisdom. I resort to remote resting places in the forest as one of the noble ones possessed of wisdom.' Seeing in myself this possession of wisdom, I found great solace in dwelling in the forest.' 

"I considered thus: 'There are the specially auspicious nights of the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the eighth of the fortnight. Now what if, on such night, I were to dwell in such awe-inspiring, horrifying abodes as orchard shrines, woodland shrines, and tree shrines? Perhaps I might encounter that fear and dread.' And later, on such specially auspicious nights as the fourteenth, the fifteenth, and the eighth of the fortnight, I dwelt in such awe-inspiring, horrifying abodes as orchard shrines, woodland shrines, and tree shrines. And while I dwelt there, a wild animal would come up to me and knock off a branch, or the wind would rustle the leaves. I thought: 'What now if this is the fear and dread coming?' I thought: 'Why do I dwell always expecting fear and dread? What if I subdue that fear and dread while keeping the same posture that I am in when it comes upon me?' While I walked, the fear and dread came upon me; I neither stood nor sat nor lay down till I had subdued that fear and dread.

Buddha: "There are some recluses and brahmins who perceive day when it is night and night when it is day. I say that they are in delusion. But I perceive night when it is night and day when it is day. If anyone, when speaking rightly, were to say, 'A being not subject to delusion has appeared in the world for the benefit & happiness of many, out of sympathy for the world, for the welfare, benefit, & happiness of human & divine beings,' he would rightly be speaking of me. 

Buddha: "Tireless energy was aroused in me and unremitting mindfulness was established, my body was tranquil and untroubled, my mind concentrated and unified. Quite secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, I entered upon and abide in the first jhana, which is accompanied by applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of seclusion. With the stilling of applied and sustained thought, I entered upon and abide in the second jhana, which has self confidence and singleness of mind without applied and sustained thought, with rapture and pleasure born of concentration.  With the fading away as well of rapture, I abide in equanimity, and mindful and fully aware, still feeling pleasure with the body, I entered upon and abide in the third jhana, on account of which noble ones announce: 'He has a pleasant abiding who has equanimity and is mindful.' With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, I entered upon and abide in the fourth jhana, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity.

When my concentrated mind was thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability, I directed it to knowledge of the recollection of past lives. I recollected my manifold past lives, many eons of world-contraction, many eons of world-expansion, many eons of world-contraction and expansion: 'There I was so named, of such a clan, with such an appearance, such were my experience of pleasure and pain, such my life-term; and passing away from there, I reappeared elsewhere and I reappeared here.' Thus with their aspects and particulars I recollected my manifold past lives. This was the first true knowledge attained by me in the first watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and true knowledge arose, darkness was banished and light arose, as happens in one who abides diligent, ardent, and resolute. When my concentrated mind was thus purified, rid of imperfection, malleable and attained to imperturbability, I directed it to knowledge of the passing away and reappearance of beings. With the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, I saw beings passing away and reappearing, inferior and superior, fair and ugly, fortunate and unfortunate. I understood how beings pass on according to their actions (kamma) thus: "These worthy beings who were ill-conducted in body, speech, and mind, revilers of noble ones, wrong in their views, giving effect to wrong view in their actions, after death, they reappeared in a state of deprivation, in a bad destination, in perdition, even in hell; but these worthy beings who were well-conducted in body, speech and mind, not revilers of noble ones, having right views, giving effect to right view in their actions, after death, they reappeared in a good destination, even in the heavenly world. Thus with the divine eye, which is purified and surpasses the human, I saw beings passing away and reappearing and I understood how beings pass on according to their actions. This was the second true knowledge attained by me in the second watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and true knowledge arose, darkness was banished and light arose, as happens in one who abides diligent, ardent, and resolute.

When my concentrated mind was thus purified, rid of imperfection, malleable and attained to imperturbability, I directed it to knowledge of the destruction of the taints. I directly knew the four noble truths as it actually is: "This is suffering'; 'This is the origin of suffering'; 'This is the cessation of suffering'; "This is the way leading to the cessation of suffering.' I directly knew as it actually is: 'These are the taints'; 'This is the origin of the taints'; 'This is the cessation of the taints'; "This is the way leading to the cessation of the taints.' When I knew and saw thus, my mind was liberated from the taint of sensual desire, from the taint of being, and from the taint of ignorance. When it was liberated, there came the knowledge: 'It is liberated.' I directly knew: 'Birth is destroyed, the holy life has been lived, what had to be done has been done, there is no more coming to any state of being.'​ This was the third true knowledge attained by me in the third watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and true knowledge arose, darkness was banished and light arose, as happens in one who abides diligent, ardent, and resolute.

Buddha: "Now brahmin, it might be that you think: 'Perhaps the recluse Gotama is not free from lust, hate, and delusion even today, which is why he still resorts to remote jungle-thicket resting places in the forest.' But you should not think thus. It is because I see two benefits to stay in remote resting places in the forest: I see a pleasant abiding for myself here and now and I have compassion for future generations."

Brahmin: "Indeed, it is because Master Gotama is an Accomplished One, a Fully Enlightened One, that he has compassion for future generations. Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama! Master Gotama has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the dark for those with eyesight to see forms. I go to Master Gotama for refuge and to the Dhamma and to the Sangha of bhikkhus. From today let Master Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone to him for refuge for life." 

In this sutta, a brahmin named Janussonin asked Buddha:" What would it take to live in solitude in remote places in the forest, completely free from fear and dread? The Buddha explained the difficulties of living in the wild and how they are overcome by purity of conduct, insight and meditation. He recounts some of the fears and obstacles he faced during his own practice. The second part of the sutta, Buddha described going through the four jhanas (absorptions). The last part of the sutta, Buddha described the attaining of the Three Knowledges.

References: 
1. www.accesstoinsight.org
2. https://suttacentral.net/
3. The middle length discourses of the Buddha (Bhikkhu Bodhi)