Anger Management

From Conquest of Anger, Swami Sivananda Saraswati

If an aspirant has controlled anger, half of his sadhana is over. Control of anger means control of passion also. Control of anger is really control of mind. He who has controlled anger cannot do any wrong or negative action. He is always just.

It is very difficultto say when a man will be thrown into a ft of fury. All of a sudden he gets an irresistible ft of anger over trifling matters. When anger assumes a grave form, it

becomes difficultto control. It should therefore, be controlled when it is in the form of a small ripple in the subconscious mind. One should watch one’s mind very, very cautiously. Whenever there is the least symptom or indication of light irritability, then and there it must be nipped. Then it becomes very easy to control anger. Be careful and vigilant and watch the ripple, then only you are a sage.

Whenever there is a little irritability, stop all conversation and observe mouna, silence. Practise mouna daily for one or two hours to help in controlling anger. Always try to speak sweet soft words. The words must be soft and the arguments hard; but if the reverse is the case it will lead to discord and disharmony. There is a sharp sword in every tongue.

If you findit difficultto control anger, leave the place at once and take a brisk walk. Drink some cold water immediately. This cools down the body and mind. Chant Om loudly like a lion for ten minutes and then chant Om Shanti mentally or verbally for five minutes. Think of the picture of your Ishta, your chosen deity. Pray. Repeat your mantra for ten minutes. Gradually the anger will vanish.

Find out the real cause of your anger and try to eradicate it. If a man abuses you and calls you names, you become furious at once. Your blood becomes hot. Why do you feel offended when he calls you ‘a dog’ or ‘a donkey’? Have you grown four legs and a tail like a dog? Why do you get excited over little things? Enquire: What is this abuse? Is it not mere vibration in the ether? Am I body or atman? No one can injure atman. The atman of the abuser and the abused is one. Do I really gain anything by retaliating? I waste my energy. I hurt the feeling of another man. I disturb and pollute the thought world. I do real harm to the world by sending a current of hatred. This world is unreal. I will live here for a short time only. Let me bear this insult. Let me excuse him. I will develop inner mental strength and power of the endurance.

You can thus very effectively eradicate the feelings of anger. A time will come when you will not be irritated even a bit by harsh words, abuse and insults of this kind. You will not pay the least heed if a man says that such and such a man has said bad words against you. You will simply laugh the whole matter away. An irritable man is very weak and has no mental strength. You must try to remain cool even in the most provocative conditions.

Boomerang

Anger acts as a boomerang
Because it injures the man
Who becomes angry.
It comes back to the angry man
And does harm to him.
Therefore control anger
By kshama, love, enquiry and service.