if we dive right in, we discover only water
Anguish maintains its power only as long as we allow it to intimidate us. By habitually regarding anguish as fearful and threatening, we empower it, and we fail to see the words etched on it by the Buddha, "Understand me."
If we try to avoid a powerful wave looming above us on the beach, it will send us crashing into the sand and surf. But if we face it head-on and dive right in, we discover only water.
From Buddhism without Beliefs by Stephen Batchelor.