BURN ANGER BEFORE ANGER BURNS YOU

The very first lesson that was taught to every student in ancient India was:— “Satyam vada, krodham maakuru!” “Always speak the truth and never yield to anger!” This is the teaching that needs to be passed on to every student:— “Always speak the truth; and howsoever strong the provocation, never yield to anger.” Burn anger before anger burns your happiness and peace.

If anger is such an evil thing, why did God create it? Anger was created so that we could be angry at our own selves— for we turn our faces again and again from the Light and become victims to lust, hatred, greed. Anger is a weapon which has been given to us for self-improvement. Instead, we direct our anger at others and degrade ourselves.

A woman complained to Sadhu Vaswani:— “I have prayed to God, again and again, to grant me the gift of the new life, but He does not listen.”

Sadhu Vaswani said:— “Why don’t you use the stick?”

The woman was shocked. “How can I strike God with a stick?” she asked.

Sadhu Vaswani said:— “Strike yourself!”

Anger is a two-edged sword. There is a type of anger which drains energy and produces tension. There is another type of anger that is a positive and a creative life-force.

There is a type of anger which is known as righteous anger. When it is my duty to be angry, and I become angry—that is righteous anger. A parent has sometimes to be angry with a child for the good of the child. A teacher has sometimes to be angry with a student for the good of the student. An employer has sometimes to be angry with an employee for the good of the organisation.

Jesus got angry with the temple priests when he found them selling birds in the temple. In anger, Jesus said:— “What have you done? You have converted my Father’s House into a business centre!” This is an example of righteous anger.

If you find a man molesting a woman or ill-treating an animal on the roadside, you have every right to be angry. Anger becomes righteous when you get angry to defend the rights of another, without any selfish motive.