So the monks would come down from the monastery to address the pilgrims and explain what they had to do to gain enlightenment. The head monk would explain:
"Now you've come here to become enlightened and since this only happens every one hundred years it's good that you're here now. Up there in the monastery is a room called The Room of a Thousand Demons. The room has a door you go in that locks behind you and on the other side of the room is a door you go out.
"In this room are a thousand demons that have the power to immediately know your deepest fears when you enter and then create the illusion that it's actually happening in the room. So if you have a fear of spiders they'll create the illusion that the room is full of big hairy spiders swarming all over you. Or if you have a fear of heights, they'll create the illusion that you're falling off a high precipice.
"It's all an illusion but some people become so paralyzed by their fear that they can't get out of the room and perish there. So you need to know this now and if you're not ready to face your fear and become enlightened, that's OK. But you'll have to wait until you reincarnate and come back in another one hundred years.
But if you decide to face your fears and become enlightened, there's two things you need to know when you enter the room and the door locks behind you and the demons begin to do their thing. Number one: It's not real; it's all an illusion that's in your head. And, number two: If you keep moving, you'll get to the other side and out the door."
So, we overcome our fear by facing it. If we avoid it, we feed it and make it stronger. It's not easy but if we keep moving forward we'll get there.
Next Up: THREAT ASSESSMENT