The Book of Joy

flashlights, and we tried to minimize the sound of the horses’ hoofs. But
still there was danger. If they saw us and opened fire, we were finished.
“Yet as a Buddhist practitioner, I thought of Shantideva’s somewhat
stern advice: If there is a way to overcome the situation, then instead of
feeling too much sadness, too much fear, or too much anger, make an
effort to change the situation. If there’s nothing you can do to overcome
the situation, then there is no need for fear or sadness or anger. So I told
myself, at that moment, that even if something were to happen to me, it
would still be okay.
“You face the facts, the reality. And making an attempt to escape was
the best response in the face of that reality. Actually, fear is part of
human nature; it’s a natural response that arises in the face of a danger.
But with courage, when in fact real dangers come, you can be more
fearless, more realistic. On the other hand, if you let your imagination run
wild, then you exacerbate the situation further and then bring more fear.
“Many people on this planet worry about going to hell, but this is not
much use. There is no need to be afraid. While we remain on the earth
worrying about hell, about death, about all the things that could go wrong,
we will have lots of anxiety, and we will never find joy and happiness. If
you are truly afraid of hell, you need to live your life with some purpose,
especially through helping others.
“So,” the Dalai Lama finally said, slapping the Archbishop on the
wrist playfully. “I prefer to go to hell than to heaven. I can solve more
problems in hell. I can help more people there.”