Rishi Valmiki writes in the epic Ramayana that anger is the enemy of life and the road to destruction. Anger is a terrible poison. Not everything in life goes according to our wishes, and unwanted business loss, humiliation, or slightest rejection makes us angry.
In anger, we lose our integrity and commit a terrible crime. A person can commitmurder, suicide, and even bloodshed in a fit of excitement. Anger for a moment becomes a curse for a lifetime. There is no mercy in anger; there is no compassion. Anger does not create but destroys. Anger is an imbalance; anger is a cruel thought; anger is madness; anger is the door to hell.
In the Gita, the cause of anger is said to be the non-fulfillment of desires. When a person desires that everything should work according to his wishes, and there is an obstacle in fulfilling it, it gives rise to anger. Everyone likes a smiling face; it impresses all. No matter how rich, scholarly, and higher a person’s position, if his behavior is not sweet and humble, he is not considered civilized. If he gets furious in trivial matters, gets irritated, and due to arrogance, reprimands, and tortures his subordinates on minor issues,then people are not happy with him, and he becomes an object of condemnation. His business is affected, and people wish him bad luck.
Anger leads to a loss in every sphere of life. Ayurveda considers anger to be the father of many diseases. In a state of anger, a person’s rationality is reduced. At that time,bile becomes more profuse, the mouth and eyes become red, lips start trembling, fists close, the throat becomes dry, and blood pressure rises.
When the passion of anger rises, a person reaches a semi-neurotic state. His decision-making ability and his behavior become bizarre. If you look carefully at the person’s movements in whom the impulse of anger is rising, you will know that he is very close to the state of madness. Due to excessive anger, the brain starts heating, and if it is not calmed, then a situation of committing cruel acts arises.
The face becomes distorted in anger. Angry expressions are visible on eyes, nose, etc. Indecent and inappropriate words are uttered from the mouth. The body starts burning due to the rapid flow of blood. Hands and legs start shaking, and the skin’s hair stands on end. The toxicity caused by anger is the most dangerous for the digestive system. It gives rise to toxicity in the blood and produces yellowness in the body, produces sciatica, and tension in the nerves. According to Ayurveda, a baby drinking milk from a mother who is in a state of anger causes stomach aches and drinking the milk of a mother who is always angry, then that child gets chronic stomach disease.
Renowned Doctor J. Ester says that 15 minutes of anger destroys a person’s energy equal to 9 hours of labor. A moment’s anger burns 1600 RBCs, whereas only 1400 RBCs are produced in a peaceful calm emotional state. There is no sin like anger, and there is no enemy like anger. Anger is the root of all misfortune. That is why anger is forbidden. In the Mahabharata, it has been said that the sage who gets angry is a diabolical creature and a despicable person. An angry person becomes devoid of conscience to discriminate right from wrong actions. A western scholar has also said that anger extinguishes the lamp of the mind.Shouting at someone is not the way to help. If you’ve already shouted, then realize that this is one of your unskillful behaviors. Go back to your in-breath and out-breath and say, I have to repair this. Then go to the other person and apologize, and tell yourself that next time you’ll try your best to remember beforehand and act differently.
Though anger is normal, usually healthy, human emotion, it can lead to problems when it gets out of control and turns destructive. Therefore, there is a need to learn techniques to calm oneself when the situation leads to anger. In the following lines, we summarize the advice of Pujya Gurudev regarding how to deal with such emotions.When you get disturbed by some event or person, take a few moments to think before you speak. This will also allow others involved in the situation to do the same. Once your thoughts are clear, express your frustration in an assertive but non-aggressive way. You should state your concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others.Take a few deep breaths; if possible, do pranayama. This can help reduce the stress that may upset you. Physical activity (like brisk walking or running) may also help rejuvenate your mind-body system. In a calm state, identify the possible solution to the problem. Instead of criticizing or blaming others for the situation, start searching the soul. Learn to be respectful to others.Darkness cannot expel darkness; only light can do it. So, learn to remain positive and forgive yourself and others involved in the situation that made you angry. This act will appease both sides as well as strengthen the relationship.Finally, restructure yourself cognitively, that is, change the way you think. For example, your thinking may get very aggressive when you are angry. Try replacing irrational and dramatic thoughts with more rational ones. Practice this every day, even if there is no frustrating situation. This technique will train your mind to remain positive all the time.
Akhand Jyoti Magazine 2022 Jan-Feb