Anger

[Guest guest]

A young man once came to Sri Ramanasramam and entered the hall. After

prostrating to Sri Bhagavan he told him what he had come

for: "Bhagavan, my senses are turbulent and fickle. Whatever I try to

do, I cannot keep them under control. Please bestow your grace on me

and show me the way to control them."

 

"Fickleness is due to the mind," replied Sri Bhagavan. "Once the mind

is controlled, the senses will automatically be controlled."

 

"True, Bhagavan," said the young man, agreeing to the principle, "but

I get excited even at trifles. The more I try to control my anger,

the tighter becomes its grip on me."

 

"Is that so? But why on earth should you be angry at all? And if you

want to be angry, why not get angry with your own anger." Explaining

further, Sri Bhagavan said, "Whenever a fit of anger comes to you,

direct it against your own self instead of wasting it on others. Be

angry with your own anger. If you do this, your anger against other

people will subside. This is the way to conquer it." Sri Bhagavan

concluded by laughing, suggesting thereby that he was not being

entirely serious.

 

Most of the devotees sitting in the hall joined him in his laughter,

thinking that he had uttered the words as a joke. Only a few of those

present seriously pondered over these valuable words and grasped the

wisdom of this novel but useful way of controlling anger. We can

remove a thorn in the foot by the means of another thorn. Then, when

the first thorn is out, we can throw them both away. In the same way,

Sri Bhagavan advises us to remove our anger against others by using

it on ourselves. Then, afterwards, we can dispense with both angers.

 

-- Ramana Maharshi

 

Hari Aum !!!