anger, revenge

[Guest guest]

namaste.

 

The recent happenings in the U.S. and the immediate general

thinking of the populace suggest a dominating feeling of

anger and revenge. In vyavahArika day-to-day life, these feelings

are understandable. I am posting this to enquire the origin of

this particular feeling of revenge.

 

What I understand of revenge is as follows: revenge is a

bye-product of anger. Anger itself is a feeling that comes

about when a desire is not satisfied. shri shankara's bhAShya

(BhagavadgItA, 2nd chapter) says: if a desire is not satisfied

and if the ego thinks that it is capable of satisfying it,

then the unsatisfied desire manifests itself as anger. pratIkAram

(I think that is the proper translation of the word revenge) is

a feeling that comes out when that anger propels an action.

 

This is true not only here but in many actions and reactions

in many volatile regions of the world. We hear of a suicide-

bomber setting up a bomb in a busy town square. We hear of

immediate retaliation in another region. Revenge is the emotion

that drives both the original action and the reaction.

 

We are not here to give any advice to any Governments. The

Governments in democracies are elected to act according to the

wishes of the people and they do. Ishwara takes appropriate

actions through the various Governments and nothing can be done

without Ishwara's approval.

 

When the anger subsides, the feeling of revenge also subsides.

Anger and revenge are two very transient and fleeting emotions.

If they propel human to action which cause a more long-lasating

damage to relations, to happiness, to propsperity, then, isn't

there a necessity of a more calm approach or reason to act after

the anger subsides?

 

Regards

Gummuluru Murthy

------