ANGER

How It Arises

Anger arises in him who thinks of his enemy। Even if you have forgotten the feeling of annoyance, it lurks in the mind in a dormant form। The effect is there for some time. If you renew a number of times the same kind of thought of jealousy, envy or hatred about the same person, the effect lasts longer. Repetition of angry feeling intensifies hatred. Mere ill-feeling develops into intense malice by repetition of anger.

On days when you have many troubles, vexations, worries from the morning to evening, a trifling causes much irritation in the mind। The balance of mind is upset by a paltry affair. A single harsh word throws you out of the balance, whereas when you are peaceful throughout the day, even a strong abuse and severe censure do not produce any effect whatsoever.

Anger resides in the Linga Sarira लिंग शरीर or astral body। But, it percolates into the physical body just as water percolates through the pores into the outer surface of an earthen pot.

ILL-Effects

Just as heat melts lead, just as heat and borax melt gold, even so, Kama काम and Krodha क्रोध , the heating factors of the mind, melt it. When you are angry, the mind becomes disturbed. Similarly, when the mind is disturbed, the body also becomes disturbed. The whole nervous system is agitated. You become enervated.

Anger spoils the brain, nervous system and blood. When a wave of anger arises in the mind, Prana प्राण begins to vibrate rapidly। You are agitated and excited. Blood becomes hot. Many poisonous ingredients are formed in the blood. When the blood is agitated, the semen also is affected.

Once a child sucked the breast of his mother when she was in a fit of violent fury or rage and died immediately on account of poisoning by virulent chemical products that were thrown into the blood of the mother when she was in great excitement. Many such cases have been recorded. Such are the disastrous effects of anger. Even three minutes of violent hot temper may produce such deleterious effects in the nervous system that it will take weeks or months for the repair of injury.
A man who is a slave to anger, may have washed himself well, anointed himself well, dressed his hair and put on white garments; yet he is ugly, being overcome by anger। There are symptoms on the face to indicate the presence of anger in the mind. If you get anger, you will lose the battle of life. If you have an easily irritable mind, you will not be able to do your daily duties and business in an efficient manner.

How To Control

There are three ways of destroying the anger and lust Vrittis वृति :

(1) You can drive them through will-force. This is, no doubt, difficult and taxing. It exhausts your energy much.
(२) Pratipaksha-Bhavana प्रतिपक्ष भावना method: Entertain counter-thoughts- thoughts of purity and love. This is easy.
(3) Live in Truth or Brahman ब्रह्म . There are no Vrittis वृत्ति of any kind in Brahman ब्रह्म . Brahman ब्रह्म is Nirvikara निर्विकार , Nirvikalpa निर्विकल्प and Nitya Suddha नित्य सुधा (ever pure). This method is a perfect and powerful one. Vrittis वृत्ति completely die away.

Conquer passion. It will then be easy to subdue anger, which is only one of its followers.
Control anger by love. Anger is a powerful energy that is uncontrollable by practical Vyavaharic Buddhi व्यवहारिक बुद्धि ), but controllable by pure reason (Sattvic Buddhi सात्विक बुद्धि ) or Viveka-Vichara विवेक विचार ।

When you become angry with your servant when he fails to supply your usual milk on a day, raise a question within yourself: "Why should I be a slave to milk?" Then the wave of anger will at once naturally subside। It will not arise on other occasions also, if you are careful and thoughtful.

Control anger by Kshama क्षमा (forgiveness), Daya दया patience, tolerance, universal love (Visva-Prema विश्व प्रेम ), mildness, Viveka विवेक , Vichara विचार , Atma-Bhava आत्म भाव , Udasinata उदासीनता , Nirabhimanata निरभिमानता and such other virtues. Forgive and pity the man who does you harm. Consider censure as a blessing, ornament and nectar. Bear reproach. Develop universal love by service, charity, Brahma-Bhava ब्रह्म भाव । Recall any calm and pure state, which when once brought to mind, suppresses the hatred and brings composure. When anger is subdued, rudeness, pride and envy will vanish of themselves. Prayer and devotion will root out anger.

Practise Pratipaksha-Bhavana प्रतिपक्ष भावना (entertaining a counter-idea)। When you get angry, fill the mind with the idea of love. If you are depressed, fill the mind with the idea of joy and exhilaration.

When you become intensely angry, leave the place immediately for half an hour. Take a long walk. Repeat the sacred Mantra ea=, "OM SANTIH “ ओम शान्ति ," 108 times. Your anger will subside. I shall tell you another easy way. When you get angry, count from one to thirty. The anger will subside.
When anger tries to exhibit itself, observe silence. Keep quiet. Never utter a harsh word or obscene speech. Try to nip it before it emerges out from the subconscious mind. You will have to be very alert. It tries to come out suddenly. Before anger manifests, there is an agitation (Udvega उद्वेग ) in the mind. You must try to extirpate this very agitation in the mind before it assumes a very gross form in the shape of twitching of muscles of the face, clenching of teeth, red eyes, etc. You will have to punish the mind well. You will have to impose self-restraint and punishment on yourself by way of fasting for a day whenever Udvega उद्वेग (agitation) manifests in the mind।

If you strive and make sincere effort to subdue your anger, the hatred subsides। Even then, a slight movement of impatience lingers although the angry feeling has gone. You must eschew this slight disturbance also. For a man who is leading a divine life, this is a very serious drawback.

Irritability is a weakness of the mind. If you are easily irritable, it is likely that you may do injustice to many. Remove this by the practice of patience, Titiksha तितिक्षा , tolerance, करूणा(mercy), love, Brahma-Bhava ब्रह्म भाव , Narayana-Bhava नारायण भावः , etc।

Calmness of mind is a direct means to the realisation of Brahman ब्रह्म (or the Highest Self).
Verily a certain man in his behaviour is calm. His calmness is noticed by everyone as he discharges his duties, large and small, beautifully well. Another man is calm in his behaviour, in speech, which is noticed by everyone. For, by nature, he is friendly, sweet in speech, congenial, of a frank countenance, ready at greetings. You should be calm in all the three states. Towards such a one, the development of love is not difficult.

You must have the knack to keep the mind always in balance and in tune. Close your eyes. Dive deep into the Divine Source. Feel His Presence. Remember Him always. Practice His Name. Repeat His Name even while at work. You will gain immense spiritual strength. Meditate early in the morning before you mix with people. You must rise above the thousand and one things which would irritate you easily in the course of your daily life. Then only you can turn out wonderful work daily with harmony and concord.