Hope and fear are both phantoms that arise from thinking of the self. When we don't see the self as self, what do we have to fear?
LaoziLoving, hating, having expectations: all these are attachments. Attachment prevents the growth of one's true being.
LaoziIn harmony with the Tao, the sky is clear and spacious, the earth is solid and full, all creature flourish together, content with the way they are, endlessly repeating themselves, endlessly renewed. When man interferes with the Tao, the sky becomes filthy, the earth becomes depleted, the equilibrium crumbles, creatures become extinct. The Master views the parts with compassion, because he understands the whole. His constant practice is humility. He doesn't glitter like a jewel but lets himself be shaped by the Tao, as rugged and common as stone.
Laozi