Chapter 74: Living with No Fear of Death
“If you realise that all things change, there is nothing you will try to hold on to.
If you are not afraid of dying, there is nothing you cannot achieve.
Trying to control the future is like trying to take the master carpenter’s place.
When you handle the master carpenter’s tools, chances are you’ll cut your hand.”
— Tao Te Ching, Verse 74
This verse invites us into one of the deepest truths of Taoist philosophy: freedom from the fear of death is the beginning of true life. Lao Tzu reminds us that attachment to life, and fear of death, are major sources of suffering, control, and illusion.
When we accept death as a natural part of life—not something to resist or control—we can live with freedom, creativity, and grace. As Wayne Dyer puts it, fear of death causes us to micromanage, grasp, and interfere with the natural flow. Trusting the Tao means letting go and ceasing the struggle to be the “master carpenter.”
You are not in charge of life or death. You are here to live fully, love deeply, and surrender gently.
Key Teachings
- Fear of death limits your potential and causes control-based living.
- Surrendering to change brings inner peace.
- Letting go of control allows you to live in alignment with the Tao.
- The Tao is the true master carpenter—trust it to guide the cycles of life.
- The ego fears death; the soul sees it as transformation.
Actionable Steps: Living with No Fear of Death
- Contemplate Mortality Without Panic
- Spend a few quiet minutes each week reflecting on the impermanence of life.
- Ask: “If today were my last day, what would I focus on?”
- Let Go of Attachment to Outcomes
- Practice releasing expectations around career, health, or relationships.
- Say: “I trust in what comes and what goes.”
- Meditate on the Cycle of Life
- Use breath as a metaphor: inhale (birth), pause (life), exhale (death), pause (rebirth).
- Feel the natural rhythm and surrender into it.
- Allow Others to Live Freely
- Stop trying to control or “save” people from their own life journeys.
- Remember: death is part of their path too, not a mistake.
- Trust the Tao Over the Ego
- When you’re tempted to force or fix life, pause.
- Whisper to yourself: “This is not mine to manage. I rest in the mystery.”
Mantra for Living with No Fear of Death
“I release my fear of endings. I live now, in trust and peace.”
