TODD ANSWERS: Both and neither. These feelings of fear are merely evolutionary traits we have developed to stay far away from tigers and the edges of cliffs.

Suffering is what tells us not to put our hands in the fire. But today, it is the news that stokes our fears. It is social media that tells us to suffer because we are not on a yacht right now. There can even be traumatic experiences that we must heal from in order to recenter ourselves and find peace.

But while all these external situations may cause fear and suffering, they still only exist in the mind. So freedom from suffering and fear lies ultimately in freedom from our ego. By becoming perpetually aware of this fact we can rise above the grips of our ego.