Even though man fears suffering and knows that all others detest it too, yet he is not able to put to an end to his wrong actions because of wrong views arising from pride, jealousy, greed and hatred. The energy of anger is easily felt by all and so this has become the most explosive period of time in the history of the earth.
Anger kills the potential growth of all virtues, is the destroyer of all happiness, and is the cause of all forms of suffering for those who cultivate it. How easy it is for a person to become angry and how much harm has been generated in every home and every country because of it.
The first non-virtue to overcome in life is therefore “anger”. It is the most violent of passions and it is the end result of all other passions. That is why it is the most dangerous to life for it not only causes an angry person to destroy other people’s lives, but it also generates the feelings of hatred to the hearts of many, and then it causes them to do violent and foolish acts which propel them to the hells after death! This month should be spent in cultivating “thoughts of loving-kindness”. Be it prayers, contemplative exercises or actions, always have “metta” foremost in mind. Use this calm and warm feelings to quench the fires of hatred, to cool down the angry mind. When someone does anything to cause you to be angry, do not be agitated easily, and bring to mind at once that this is the month for the cultivating of “awareness of the angry mind,” then, instead of being angry and fall victim to it, cut off all the angry reactions and know that it has always been “an angry thought” that started it all! Then treat the one who is trying or is the cause of your generating the “angry mind” your teacher who is putting you to a test. After that, say a prayer of thanks for the quick realisation and the success in subduing the anger. In reality, the person who goes around causing others to be angry is not a ‘beneficial being’ to the world because only a scarce few will be practising ‘metta’ with Dharma wisdom. He is like poison and anyone who innocently takes it will suffer from great pains, even death. So he must be avoided and he is to be pitied upon.
There is no use being “angry” with him otherwise you will become no different from him. Although he is causing others to be angry, it does not mean that he is having a happy time doing it; he may derive some “satisfaction” out of seeing and making others angry, but he is actually not fulfilled and a dissatisfied person is a miserable being! He suffers from an over-excited mind which is uncontrollable - he is going through great sufferings and he will most certainly suffer immensely both in this life and in the hereafter. Therefore, he is to be pitied because he has absorbed the negative energy of anger into his life, he should therefore be prayed for and one should constantly pray for his recovery from this grave mental poison. Praying alone is not enough, one should meditate on his happiness and direct energies of love and calmness to him, better still, one should look for opportunities to help him with the view of “opening his eyes” to the danger of being an angry person.
If you have anger in your heart, remove it straight away and do your very best never to give way to it. An angry thought can easily be dissolved through realising the harm that it can cause to oneself and others. If, having realised the existence of feelings of anger and hatred, even a mild aversion towards anyone, and one does not act quickly to quell it, then through cultivating it with wrong views and actions, a terrible habit will be formed. Then one begins to develop oneself as a servant to the angry mind, bringing oneself and an entourage to the realms of hell!
Pray then, with love, for those who are having such an angry nature; pray that their angry mind be quelled soon, for them to experience Peace!
Tuesday, 27th October 1987 (9th Moon 5th Day)