CONTROL YOUR ANGER

CONTROL YOUR ANGER

Have we ever paused to think as to why all the statues of Gautama Buddha are so calm and collected, serene and forever smiling? We have learnt from history that Siddhartha the prince first went on to become Gautama the monk after rigorous penance and upon grasping the eternal truth he became Buddha the compassionate and the enlightened one.

Buddha discovered the secrets of life by annihilating and sublimating his ego and understood the quintessential truth to live in the present moment. The present moment is inevitable. Masters of the past and present have all deliberated on this simple yet profound concept. Similarly, the Masters of the future would expatiate on this ultimate reality.  A seeker can have the glimpse of truth and eventually experience bliss once he expatiates anger and amour propre from his being.

Buddha went on to state, “You will not be punished for your anger; you will be punished by your anger.”

Anger is a lethal weapon. Apart from slaying the enemy, it also destroys the individual. An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind. When an individual is full of resentment and vexed, his actions and words both deceive. It incapacitates the person and also wounds those around him.

Therefore, it is prudent to remain silent and not utter anything when something is bothering us. We should never resort to knee-jerk reactions. It is advisable to mull and contemplate before responding to any situation, lest it becomes a misadventure. Humans should calmly respond rather than angrily react to any situation.Learned and exalted souls also get affected through undesirable bouts of anger.  Once upon a time, a Zen Master served a monastery for a considerable period of time and imparted Zen training to several tutees.

He contemplated retiring from the prelate chair which he occupied for a considerable period of time and thereafter spend quality time on only observing his breath and meditating. The Master looked around and zeroed upon a disciple who he thought would be the most qualified to take up the onerous responsibility of running the Monastery and impart training to the streams of seekers. 

‘You are now adept to administer the monastery in every possible manner and impart training to the teeming disciples’, said the Master to whom he considered as his brightest jewel.

The young tutee obtained magnum cum laude from this venerable Master and was now burnished to be a thorough bred teacher. However, the disciple was quite contented to practice his Sadhana and maintain peace and tranquillity for he did not wish to be burdened by any bondage and responsibility.

The Master shouted and exclaimed, ‘Why are you not accepting the challenge? Such a wonderful opportunity would be lost?”  The young tutee maintained his calm and mused in all reverence and humility, ‘Sire, why are you caterwauling? ”