Soul Reflections Anger ….. Part 2

Every spiritual path emphasizes the importance of building virtues like having a peaceful mind. Anger is one emotion that works in the opposite direction. It agitates our mind. An agitated mind is a highly uncomfortable one. To return to its comfortable state, it has to let out the anger. Where, when, how and on whom, it does not think.
The Hindu scriptures tell us of five weaknesses / sins which are a hindrance to our spiritual progress. They are: Kam (desire), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachment), and Ahankar (ego pride). Out of these five, Krodh (anger) is classed as the deadliest. Why? Because when a person gets angry, he loses his Buddhi, his sense of discrimination between right and wrong. In his angered state, he can say and do things which he would never think of saying or doing in his normal, peaceful state.
Last week we saw that anger produces stress hormones and toxins in side us. This elevates our Blood Pressure. The greater the anger and the longer it lasts, the higher the blood pressure. In very extreme cases, a person can even die in a fit of anger!!! And being in an angry state often enough will give us chronic blood pressure problems. Furthermore, each time you get angry, your life span is shortened!
No one in their right mind would want to poison himself or shorten his life span. How do you stop sabotaging your health and your life span? You have to cultivate emotions which are the opposite of the destructive ones.
This requires retraining yourself in steps. To begin with,
• You must accept that anger is a destructive force in you
• You must accept that you do not need anger.
• You must not want anger in your life.

Repeat the following statement every day, twice a day, in the morning when you wake up and before going to sleep:

‘Anger is a destructive force in me, I do not need it and I do not want it.’

After about a week of this practice, this thought will become a part of your consciousness and you will be ready to follow the actual practical steps to rid you of this unhealthy habit.

Next week: four practical steps for healing yourself of anger.

Kamal Tolia

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