Sri Ramakrishna Math : The Vedanta Kesari, June 2003

Swami Budhananda (1917-1983) was a monk of the Ramakrishna Order. He wielded a powerful pen and spent several years in spreading Vedanta in the U.S.A. The Saving Challenges of Religion, Mind and Its Control and other books authored by him have been acclaimed as valuable guides for spiritual seekers.¨

Having discussed some definitions of anger, and surveyed its disastrous effects, one might well ask: What type of people really seek to overcome anger?

Only those thoughtful persons, who are convinced that anger is their prime enemy, after having experienced the evil effects of anger in their inner and outer life, seek to overcome anger. Some may be theists, who regard anger as a great enemy and are therefore determined to vanquish this dire foe. We shall seek counsels for overcoming anger from the authentic spiritual teachers in the East and the West.

(a). Anger is destructive of everything they seek to achieve in life, worldly or spiritual.

(b).Anger, which has been called short madness, if not overcome, can become permanent insanity. It can set the house on fire and reduce everything to ashes.

(c). It is possible to overcome anger, though not very easily. This can be done through methodical, sustained self-effort and grace, say of God, or of one's own mind.

(d). Self-effort is needed to overcome one's anger. This cannot be accomplished vicariously.

(e). In order to overcome anger we shall have to change our very personality, by which is meant that we shall have to re-structure or reorganize our given nature.

(f). In the disciplines of Yoga, overcoming anger has to happen as a matter of course. It is done somewhere on the way, without giving special attention to it.

(g). Those who regard the attainment of spiritual illumination as their ultimate goal in life may be more forcefully motivated to overcoming anger. However, it is not that an atheist or agnostic cannot overcome anger. He certainly can, provided he practises the same disciplines. He may not believe in God, but he must believe in spiritual values.

Sri Krishna's teachings remain unexcelled in helping one lead a spiritual life. The most authentic and helpful teachings in regard to overcoming anger are to be found in the Bhagavad Gita. Many great spiritual teachers in India simply paraphrase some precepts of the Gita when dealing with the means by which anger can be controlled. The teachings of the mystics of the Catholic Church, appear to echo the ideas found in the Gita. Some of the teachings of Western mystics give meticulously detailed instructions on ways to track down the almost intractable enemy that anger is. However, it is important to correlate those precepts with the basic structure and philosophy of the Gita.

In sickness, it is not helpful to take drugs prescribed under different systems of medicine simultaneously. Likewise we cannot combine spiritual disciplines from different systems in a haphazard manner. However, a hint or two from any other system which do not go counter to one's basic beliefs may help. Great discrimination has to be exercised in doing so. For example: disciplines from two theistic systems of religious thought may go well together, but not so the disciplines of one theistic religion coupled with those of another non-theistic system.

Sri Krishna refers to 'krodha' or anger in seven verses in the Gita. It will be helpful to place these together and watch what light emerges from such a juxtaposition.

When a man dwells on objects, he feels an attachment for them. Attachments give rise to desire, and desire breeds anger. From anger comes delusion; from delusion, the failure of memory; from the failure of memory, the ruin of discrimination; and from the ruin of discrimination the man perishes. (the Gita, II, 62 & 63)

Arjuna asked: O Sri Krishna! Under what compulsion does a man commit sin in spite of himself and driven, as it were, by force? (Ibid, III.36)

Bhagavan said; It is desire, it is anger, which springs from Rajas. Know that this is our enemy here, all-devouring and the cause of all sin. (Ibid, III.37)

Ostentation, arrogance, and self-conceit, anger as also harshness and ignorance--these belong to him who is born to the heritage of the demons. (Ibid, XVI.4)

Possessed of egotism, power and pride and also of lust and anger, these people, envious by nature, hate Me in the bodies of others and in their own. (Ibid, XVI.18)

Three are the gateways of this hell leading to the ruin of the self--lust, anger and greed. Therefore let man renounce these three. (Ibid, XVI.21)

Forsaking conceit and power, pride and lust, anger and possessions, tranquil in heart, and free from ego--he becomes worthy of being one with Brahman. (Ibid, XVIII.53)

We have here vital knowledge about the origin, nature, and the destructive power of anger, and also by implication, the know-how of overcoming it. We are taught that:

(b). From anger comes delusion, from delusion comes the failure of memory; from the failure of memory, the ruin of discrimination and from the ruin of discrimination, man perishes.

(c). Anger is a quality of the demoniac part of human nature. The others in the rogues gallery of base emotions are ostentation, arrogance, self-conceit, harshness, and ignorance; and these rough-necks always move together and never in isolation. It is indeed a powerful gang. Therefore in facing these brutes we must be more determined, courageous, innovative and skilful than the members of this gang put together. Though the job is not an easy one, the Lord gives us the assurance that anger can be overcome. And he also gives an important hint as to how this is to be done.

(d). The Lord teaches: First mark it out--anger is your prime enemy. Unless you name your enemy as your enemy, you can neither knock it out, nor have the will and enthusiasm for the battle. Our modern tendency is to temporize. He who does not call anger as man's enemy is sabotaging himself. Man is driven to commit many sins propelled by 'kâma' and 'krodha', desire and anger. So anger is not an innocent aberration, but the origin of a host of sins, and hence a foe.

(e). The Lord tells us how we can really measure up to this powerful enemy. He reassures us that anger originates from Rajas and has to be rooted out at that point of origin. By forsaking the evil passions one will become tranquil and thus be endowed with an inner atmosphere for a battle against Rajas in one's constitution.

Before we proceed to study Sri Krishna's teachings for overcoming anger, let us have a look into some wise and homely teachings of philosophers and thinkers, savants and poets.

Sri Vidyaranya Swami, the author of the famous Vedantic manual Panchadasi, gives in his other work, Jivanmukti-Viveka, this practical recipe for controlling anger. He says:

'There are two types of anger; your anger on somebody and somebody's anger on you. When you tend to get angry with others, you should address your mind and say, "My mind, if you must be angry with those who cause you harm, why don't you then get angry with anger itself?" For it does you greatest harm; it prevents you from attaining the cherished values of life, righteousness, wealth, pleasure and salvation. While angry, you live through hell, even before death. So, you have no enemy worse than anger.'

The meaning of this truth should be repeatedly reflected upon. You should get angry with anger itself, and this will be productive of peace and enlightenment.

When anger has its own way, and succeeds in bearing its fruits by way of exciting a man to inflict insult and injury on another, it at once destroys the angry man's virtue, good name and wealth. Even when it does not develop to that extent, it scorches the mind of the man.

Hence, how could anger, which is apt to cause so much harm here and hereafter, find any place in the minds of worthy people? This process of thinking is one of the best ways of overcoming anger.

'In the case of others getting angry with you, you should never think: "I have done no wrong. Then why do these people get angry with me, who am so innocent." You are really not innocent. For is it not a great offence that you have so far failed to get rid of the bondage of life and death, and attain illumination? The attainment of illumination alone makes for true innocence. So until you have attained illumination, how could you consider yourself to be innocent?

'Another way of avoiding being provoked by others' anger towards us is to regard those who get angry with us, as our benefactors and be thankful to them for their services, for by getting angry with us they reveal to us our faults and thus strengthen our non-attachment. For rendering this service to us they even sacrifice their own peace of mind. And for this we should be all the more grateful to them.'

Marcus Aurelius writes in his Meditation: 'When you are angry above measure, think within yourself, how momentary is man's life. Let us think how much more grievous are the consequences of our anger than the acts which arouse it. Let this truth be present to you in the excitement of anger, that to be moved by passion is not manly, but that mildness and gentleness, as they are more human, so also are they more manly.'

Epictetus says: Whenever you are angry, be assured that it is not only a present evil, but you have also augmented a habit, and added fuel to fire... If you desire not to be of an angry temper, then, do not feed the habit. Give it nothing to help its increase. Be quiet at first, and reckon the days in which you have not been angry. 'I used to be angry every day; now every other day; then every third day or fourth day.' And if you miss being angry for as long as thirty days, offer a grateful thanks-giving to God.

Seneca says, 'The greatest remedy for anger is delay.' (Seneca, De Ira, BK.ii, Sec.28).

When angry, count 10 before you speak, if very angry, count 100. This is the substance of their practical precepts. The idea is to put a brake on anger.