The Cure for Anger

Anger is distinguished from greed in that anger is a form of revulsion created by something we do not like while greed is a form of attraction brought on by something we do like. In this limited sense, and in this sense only, greed can be said to be “better than” anger. Greed at least has some positive components while anger generally has none at all.

Anger is one of the greatest obstructions to the successful study of Buddhism. Anger is a form of passionate ignorance. It is hard enough to learn when we are simply ignorant, but how can we ever learn if we are passionate in our ignorance? Only a quiet and receptive mind can learn. A mind raging with fire only burns its own fuel. For this reason, the Buddha often counseled his followers to beware of anger. All of us must learn to control and overcome anger.

Anger is a form of energy. 

The most basic way to cure anger is to see it that way. Remove all labels from it and disentangle it from all stories or excuses about why it is there. Seen purely as energy, anger is more easily put in perspective and controlled. Another way to control anger is to consider times in the past when you were angry. What do they matter now? Did they really matter then? After enough time has passed, recalling anger is like recalling the heat of a fire. There is a memory but no feeling.

The Mahaprajnaparamita Sastra says:

Overcoming anger brings peace to the mind. Overcoming anger leads to a mind without regrets. Anger is the source of the poisons that destroy goodness. All the Buddhas praise one who has overcome anger. When anger has been overcome, there no longer will be any anxiety.

The Saddharma Smrty Upasthana Sutra says that one who overcomes anger is loved by all and is delightful to see. His mind is calm, his face is pure and he is trusted by everyone. Once anger has been overcome, the sutra says, it follows naturally that one will be successful in upholding the precepts and in controlling fear, passion, criticism, harsh speech, and a tendency to complain or be bitter about one’s life. Overcoming anger is the source of much goodness. The merits that accrue to anyone who has overcome this vice lead to good circumstances in this life and a good rebirth after this life is over.

The Mahayana Samparigraha Sastra mentions five ways to overcome anger:

  1. Contemplate that since beginningless time you have been connected with all sentient beings in the universe.

  2. Contemplate the transience of life. Who is there to be harmed and who is doing the harming?

  3. Contemplate that only the Dharma is real and that there is no such thing as sentient beings. In this light, how can there be any such thing as harm?

  4. Contemplate that all sentient beings must suffer. In this light, why would anyone want to increase the suffering of another?

  5. Contemplate that all sentient beings are your children. Why would you want to harm any of them?

When all is said and done, compassion is the single best method for overcoming anger. The bodhisattva must learn to “be compassionate for no reason and to see all beings as being of one body.” 

If anger rises and you desire to harm another being, already you have harmed yourself far more than him. And that is why you must often think on compassion; for compassion keeps from rising all thought of anger, evil and pain.

Meditation on the Three Contemplations Sutra

From Being Good, written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Image from Pixabay.

More Featured Articles

Most of us have an idea of what constitutes the space outside us; it is the environment in which we live. This includes the house we live in, the city we live in, or even the world we live in. Just as we need to skillfully manage our relationship to others, to the environment, and to wealth, we also need to properly manage our relationship Read more
"Walk like the wind, stand like a pine, sit like a bell, and rest like a bow."This basic etiquette not only applies to Buddhists; everyone should practice it as well in daily living.When we first meet a person, we can tell the level of his/her education and cultivation by his/her manners. We know how refined a person is by the way he/she speaks and conducts Read more
The Forty-Eight Vows of Amitabha Buddha as recorded in the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life.  [1] If I should attain Buddhahood, yet there would be hell beings, hungry ghosts, or animals in my land, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.[2] If I should attain Buddhahood, yet humans and heavenly beings in my land would again be in the three lower realms after the end of Read more
Greed is a basic disease of all sentient beings. In our realm, the desire realm (kamadhatu), the force and effects of greed can be felt especially strongly. Greed is based on ignorance and cannot function without it. The fundamental ignorance that enables greed to function is the belief in a self that exists separately and independently from other sentient beings. This belief leads to nothing Read more
As we live, we must strive for a life of value. Buddhism is different from philosophy, for it does not only deal with knowledge and theory. Rather, Buddhism calls for devout faith, developed morality, and most importantly: spiritual practice.All we need is the right intention to begin any form of spiritual practice, whether it is bowing to the Buddha, chanting sutras, repentance, meditation, or other Read more
On the path of life, sometimes we need to go straight ahead, other times we have to make turns in order to reach our goals. If we do not turn around when we need to, we will not “see the other shore.” But when we need to move ahead and we do not, we will miss a prime opportunity. When we have to make a Read more
True stature is not created by form or ornament; words spoken out of jealousy and greed oppose it. Only when evil has been stopped at its roots, and when there is wisdom without anger is there true stature.— Dharmapadavadana Sutra The False Stature of This WorldEveryone wants to be well regarded by others. However, in seeking true stature, people too often waste their time in Read more
If we want to understand what the Dharma teaches us about building affinity and living in harmony with others, we must first understand the four great all-embracing virtues. The Buddha teaches that for us to realize our true capacity of connecting with and serving our fellow citizens, we have to first build a good rapport, and the four virtues are tools to that end. The four Read more
Meditation is not about sitting quietly with your eyes closed—this is just one method for developing meditative concentration. What matters in meditation is being able to contemplate and focus the mind.  Read more
Though the worlds that we see are fundamentally a product of our own minds, they usually do not appear this way to us. Like images in an intense dream, our perceptions appear to be wholly real to us, and not to have been generated by our own mental activity. For this reason, the Buddha taught many ways to help us comprehend the true nature of Read more
In this modern world, people are constantly saying, "Life is too stressful!" Why are people so stressed out? How can we rid ourselves of stress? Students feel stressed because of heavy schoolwork; parents feel stressed because they have too many chores and family obligations; policemen feel stressed because they have too much work; and workers feel stressed and are unhappy because their work hours are Read more
"To bear disgrace and insult" is the most important virtue a person can possibly cultivate, because the ability to forbear is enormously powerful, since a moment of anger can destroy an entire lifetime of merits. By restraining our emotions, we have a better chance of avoiding confrontation and gaining control of the situation at hand. Otherwise, our minds will be clouded and our judgment impaired. Read more