Explaining how "Fear leads to Anger to Hatred to Suffering"
Question: What words did Obi-Wan Kenobi precede and conclude with, when he was explaining to young Sky-walker the danger of fear, in EPISODE 1. Though I didn't get it exactly it impressed me being the best I've ever heard. Can you help me with this quote?
Answer: It was Yoda, not Obi-Wan, who mentioned this principle to Anakin Skywalker. He said, "Fear leads to Anger. Anger leads to Hate. Hate leads to Suffering."
One is fearful of losing something or someone. When that someone or something is finally lost, we become angry. That is why fear leads to anger. If anger focuses on person we hold responsible for our loss, the anger turns into hatred for that person. Hatred, in turn causes suffering, for it impels people work for the harm of others.
Yoda is paraphrasing a very old tennent, which in the ancient Jedi scrolls and holocubes runs like this in the original language:
dhyaiatoe vishuyahn pungsuha sunguhs teshoopuhjayuhte sungauhs suhnjahyate kahmuha kahmaht krowdho bhijahyuhte
Here the source of anger is noted as attachment (sunguha-kahmah). Yoda called this "fear," because the attachment makes one fearful of losing or not obtaining something, and thus leads to anger and hate (krowdho).
The old tenant continues:
krowdhahd bhuhvuhti summohuha sammohaht smriti-vibhruhmuha smriti-bhruhmshahd buddhi-nahsho buddhi-nahshaht pruhnuhshyuhti
The end result of anger, as Yoda said, is destruction and suffering (pruhuhshyuhti).
The complete cycle given in the ancient tenant, which Yoda paraphrased to young Anakin Skywalker is: contemplation leads to attachment, attachment leads to desire, desire leads to anger, anger leads to confusion, confusion leads to disregard for codes of morality, such disregard destroys the intellect, and when the intellect is destroyed, all is destroyed.