Anger blinded our vision...

[Gypsy]

There is no doubt that anger can blind us from seeing the truth. Anger that turns to hatred do cause not only delusions but phobias, addictions, manic behavior, and obsessive behavior. All this can lead to mental illness.

We should always look at why we are angry about something in the first place? Anger is very natural and should not be suppressed but to be dealt with healthily. Finding the causes of anger is a good way to deal with anger. Here's one of the cause of anger whether we realise it or not and it is FEAR. Fear of losing someone, fear of being hurt, fear of not being accepted.

An advice from the old wisdom one, Yoda. Hehe.
"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate.. to suffering"

Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads? to suffering.

I couldn't agree more! Anger is the root of many negative actions such as abusive speech/actions, phobias, addictions, hatred, manic/obsessive behavior. Anger comes so easily but the damage it brought will stay for a very long time. All the delusions cause by ones ignorance will produce something negative that sometimes we even couldn't handle.

I agree that practicing the 8 verses of mind transformation can really help us in dealing negative emotions such as anger. The more we understand that everyone we meet in this life there must have some karmic connections. Our parents this life might be our previous life's enemies, who knows? Practice the 8 verses of mind transformation can help to train us not to be too indulged in negative emotions like anger that will bring lots of damage to both parties.  I particularly find the #4 verse is useful.

#4 When I see beings of unpleasant character
Oppressed by strong negativity and suffering,
May I hold them dear-for they are rare to find-
As if I have discovered a jewel treasure!

[Reena Searl]

TOTALLY AGREE...Anger not only blinded our vision, it also destroy many things is we are not willing to deal with it.

We all know what anger is, and we've all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or as full-fledged rage.

When anger gets out of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—problems at work, in your personal relationships, and in the overall quality of your life. And it can make you feel as though you're at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion.

If matters can be settled or solved in a peaceful manner, why choose to be angry and let anger control us?

[rossoneri]

Very true!!! Anger arises normally due to our negative behavior such as ego, desire and when we are out of control. It is very dangerous because with anger we might harm ourselves or others, physically and emotionally. In many cases we read in the news someone lost his or her life due to anger. We must not think by using such a manner that we could solves a problem. Unless we have a right motivation, pure mind and be very focus on what are we trying to achieve. Not using anger to put, harm or hurt someone. I believed not many can do that.

As a Dharma practitioner we should always check if we are constantly transforming ourselves to be better. I think 8 verses of mind transformation is a very good guide. On top of that if we do our daily sadhana and meditation properly, we should find ourselves calmer and find bliss. With these qualities we should be able to create harmony within us.

[RedLantern]

Avoiding situations that cause anger is easier said than done.Anger is one of the three poisons and created by the mind.It arises from unresolved fears or when our ego buttons are pushed.For this reason,when we become angry we must take great care not to act on our anger to hurt others.Only understanding and compassion can neutraliise anger.If we deeply realises the emptiness of inherent existence or interdependence of the other person,the situation and oneself,there is nothing to be angry about.The realisation of emptiness is therefore the ultimate means of ridding oneself of unrealistic negative emotions like anger.

[hope rainbow]

I agree that anger do somewhat blind our vision. Anger arises because of ones jealousy, ego, selfishness and etc…

For instance when the anger arises shoot up to the head we scold or shout, scream and etc… thinking that throwing anger get things done. Sometimes it works but it may not be the result we want. I don’t know about others but for me I always regret and get angry at my self after throwing one hence I try my very best not to throw one or walk of when thing are shooting up, so that I don’t hurt others with my speech and when cool of talk again.

Throwing anger does not help situation to become better instead it become worse if is not handle properly.

Dharma practices have helped me a lot in reducing my anger.

I do not think that anger is "raising one's voice to get a result", I really don't think so.
In fact raising one's voice and being stern may have great benefits, and it does not equate with anger.
No, I am quite sure, that this is not anger.

Anger may be raising one's voice, but with the intention of:
- putting someone down and be on top,
- hurting someone,
- retaliate to a hurt we have felt, thinking that hurting the other person will be a balm to our damaged feelings,
- thinking that great pleasure will arise from hurting another being, and taking pleasure in hurting another being,
- etc...
(we can all figure out so many more examples).

Anger can manifest by a hurtful silence, by a hurtful calm, by a hurtful smile, by a hurtful gift...
Anger is WANTING TO HURT, or WANTING FOR SOMEONE (or something) TO BE HURT and suffer. that is anger

And anger blinds us in this:

1. with a sane state of mind we would NEVER even wish to hurt another being, this action simply does not align with our true nature.

2. We only hurt others after we have JUSTIFIED that the hurt is:

a) deserved, because our deluded mind is convinced that another being has deserved to be hurt, and then we take satisfaction in hurting that being (try to imagine how most of us could hurt the man who has raped our daughter to get a good idea!)

b) irrelevant, because this is just how it is; and we develop this easily to other beings that are neutral to us (it is fine to kill chicken, beef, etc... for the pleasure of our taste buds)

So we are blinded, not so much by our anger, but by our deluded way of thinking that leads our mind to a justification of anger.

[pgdharma]

Anger is caused by our inability to control our emotions.  It is a feeling that makes our mouth and actions faster than our mind.  It not only blinded our vision but creates a lot of disharmony which can be destructive. So we should watch our mind, keep it under control and be patient. Eight verses of thought transformation is a good guide which we can follow and when anger arises we can contemplate on one of the verses before acting irrationally.

[dondrup]

Anger is one of the three poisons of our mind and it is a very destructive emotion.  If we don’t purify the karma that causes our anger, it will get stronger and stronger in the future. Eventually anger becomes very difficult to overcome.

Anger is such an ugly and terrible experience which we would prefer not get caught up in it.  After anger has manifested, it is already too late to do anything about it.  Much damage is done, someone will be hurt and that includes us.  We will have very unpleasant feeling that lingers on. Anger had destroyed our inner peace!  If the anger is minor, we recover fast.  But when the anger is major, it could take days or even years to recover!

When we are angry, we are totally lost in its grip.  We lose the control of our thoughts.  We lose the clarity of our mind to analyse the situations on hand objectively.  We are focused single-pointedly on wanting to protect our ego, to harm, to fight back, to win, to not lose face, to outdo the other(s), to raise our voice, to defend, to say we are right … the list goes on. 

We will always regret our anger once we regained our composure.  No matter how many times we apologise to others for our anger, the anger will always come back.  We should refrain from anger or at least try to be more patient.

The practice of continuous mindfulness and awareness of our every thought is hence very important to help control anger from arising.  We will notice it is at the moment when we are least attentive, when our awareness and mindfulness slack, that anger has the opportunity to arise.

One of the reasons why anger arises is because we hold grudges against others.  It doesn’t matter how small the grudge is.  As long as we don’t let go of the grudge, it could trigger our anger when we are dealing with someone or situations we dislike.  The truth is we like to find faults with others!  When we see the faults in others or situations, we get angry easily.  Hence it is advisable not to find faults but to perceive everything as pure beings and pure environment as practised in the Buddhist Tantras.

[Positive Change]

Anger blinds us in this:

1. with a sane state of mind we would NEVER even wish to hurt another being, this action simply does not align with our true nature.

2. We only hurt others after we have JUSTIFIED that the hurt is:

a) deserved, because our deluded mind is convinced that another being has deserved to be hurt, and then we take satisfaction in hurting that being (try to imagine how most of us could hurt the man who has raped our daughter to get a good idea!)

b) irrelevant, because this is just how it is; and we develop this easily to other beings that are neutral to us (it is fine to kill chicken, beef, etc... for the pleasure of our taste buds)

So we are blinded, not so much by our anger, but by our deluded way of thinking that leads our mind to a justification of anger.

We can conceptualize the beings in 3 categories:
1. the beings we feel love for (love with attachment),
2. the beings we feel neutral with,
3. the beings we feel aversion or hatred for.

The first category is relevant to the poison of DESIRE.
The third category is relevant to the poison of ANGER.

HR gave the example of the person who "raped my daughter", in this instant, emotions very easily take over my mind the feeling of hatred and anger arises towards that person. It is again very easy to fuel this anger too, to a point of where I could imagine hurting that person, or even kill...

Then I imagine my mother, the most loving being to me in this world (after my Guru), and I cannot even start to put a state of mind like that against my mother. It is impossible. Love disables all feelings of anger towards my mother to arise.

And then the neutral beings, like the ducks, the beef, the mosquitos, the flies...

I could not care less if they are killed or not, it is just convenience... At least that is how I used to feel.

Now, as I type this, I can see more clearly how powerful is the meditation of recognizing that every sentient being has been my mother in a past life countless times!

That meditation disables ANGER.

And it does not mean that I treat my daughter's rapist like I treat my mother, it means that I deal with that person with a mind free from anger, thus with MORE OPTIONS as how to deal with him and with a wish to help him out of his dangerous and hurtful state of mind.

[rossoneri]

The real hero is the person who defeats the delusions and accumulates virtue in daily life. The real bravery is living in the precepts, because this means we have faced the delusions, the inner enemy. Living in the precepts is making war with the delusions, and a person who lives in the precepts is the real army, the inner army. That is a worthwhile army—an army that will accomplish nirvana and the omniscient mind.

[bambi]

Anger.. Something I dislike a lot. I do have it still after a few years of practice and yes, it is bad for someone like me who knows karma and still doing it. When I dislike something, I just get irritated and I tend to sulk, keeping it inside and blow up when I am disturbed. If inside, we do not control our mind, then it will lead something we will regret. Eg scolding someone only to hurt them and it cannot be undone.

The real bravery, the real hero is the person who can fight anger, and can overwhelm and climb over anger. The real hero is the person who can face the most difficult and dangerous enemy—the inner enemy.

One person’s anger can kill sixty million people. That is how dangerous anger is—it is much more dangerous than an atomic bomb. There is no comparison between one person’s anger and an atomic bomb. Anger is much more harmful than an atomic bomb.

The danger of an atomic bomb is that it harms others and it can destroy the whole earth—more than half of the world—millions and millions of human beings and creatures. There are so many creatures—uncountable numbers in the water, under the ground, in the bushes and in the sky. There are so many, it is unbelievable. All this gets destroyed—not only human beings, but also creatures and so many buildings, bridges and cities. All these things that thousands and thousands of people for many years planned and spent so much money on, and worked so hard in order to collect the money to give to the workers—all these enjoyments, all the rich and comfortable apartments and the huge buildings, took so much time and effort. People put so much effort into building all this and in just one minute or one hour, it all gets destroyed. In so many of these cities, it is unbelievable how much effort people put into these things. They suffered so much to construct all this, then in one day or in one hour, it is all completely destroyed.

The danger of the atomic bomb comes from anger. If there is patience and no anger, this destruction would not happen. Even without talking about the narak realms, anger produces negative karma. Even without talking about karma, we can easily see how anger is so harmful and so dangerous. So then, if we talk about karma, it is unbelievable—when we think about the suffering result of that, there is no need to talk much. Today’s anger arises towards another sentient being, and this anger causes harm and suffering from life to life. The suffering result is experienced from life to life for a long time. Particularly if we think about karma creating a result that is similar to the cause, we understand. Because of the habit of getting angry in this life, we see that if we do not cease it in this life, again the habit comes out in the next life and anger arises, and so it goes on and on like this.

[Jessie Fong]

Anger arises because you feel offended, wronged or denied and most people react by retaliation.
It is said that Buddhist monks, such as Dalai Lama, sometimes get angry.

Thus, in response to the question: "Is any anger acceptable in Buddhism?' the Dalai Lama answered:
"Buddhism in general teaches that anger is a destructive emotion and although anger might have some positive effects in terms of survival or moral outrage, I do not accept that anger of any kind as a virtuous emotion nor aggression as constructive behavior. The Gautama Buddha has taught that there are three basic kleshas at the root of samsara (bondage, illusion) and the vicious cycle of rebirth. These are greed, hatred, and delusion — also translatable as attachment, anger, and ignorance. They bring us confusion and misery rather than peace, happiness, and fulfillment. It is in our own self-interest to purify and transform them."

[biggyboy]

When anger arises and without much control it will destroy our peace and happiness in life. It affects our reasoning at most times too.  Usually it impels us to do negative actions that will cause further sufferings and destruction to families and friends.  Likewise, spiritual progress will be hindered to improving our mind.  To counter anger is to practise patience and tolerance.  Hence, practising the 8 Mind Transformation will be one of the ways to counter one’s anger.

http://www.anger-management-techniques.org/index.htm/

[icy]

When we are angry we are blind to reality. Anger may bring us a temporary burst of energy, but that energy is blind and it blocks the part of our brain that distinguishes right from wrong. To deal with our problems, we need to be practical and realistic. If we are to be realistic, we need to use our human intelligence properly, which means we need a calm mind.

Out-bursts or actions from anger most often bring damage or harm to oneself and others.  A calm mind avert harm and damage and have the wisdom to solutions to end our problems.

[buddhalovely]

When we are angry we are blind to reality.

Anger may bring us a temporary burst of energy, but that energy is blind and it blocks the part of our brain that distinguishes right from wrong.

To deal with our problems, we need to be practical and realistic.

If we are to be realistic, we need to use our human intelligence properly, which means we need a calm mind.
  ~ HH The 14th Dalai Lama

[icy]

Reflect upon the negative consequences of our strong attachment to friends and hostility toward enemies. Our feelings for a friend or a loved one sometimes blind us to certain of his or her aspects. We project a quality of absolute desirability, absolute infallibility, upon that person. Then, when we see something contrary to our projections, we are stunned. We swing from the extreme of love and desire to disappointment, repulsion, and sometimes even anger. Even that sense of inner contentment and satisfaction in a relationship with someone we love can lead to disappointment, frustration, and hatred. Though strong emotions, like those of romantic love or righteous hatred, may feel profoundly compelling, their pleasure is fleeting. From a Buddhist point of view, it is far better not to be in the grip of such emotions in the first place.

What are the repercussions of becoming overpowered by intense dislike? The Tibetan word for hatred, shedang, suggests hostility from the depth of one's heart. There is a certain irrationality in responding to injustice or harm with hostility. Our hatred has no physical effect on our enemies; it does not harm them. Rather, it is we who suffer the ill consequences of such overwhelming bitterness. It eats us from within. With anger we slowly begin to lose our appetite. We cannot sleep at night and often end up just rolling back and forth, back and forth, all night long. It affects us profoundly, while our enemies continue along, blissfully unaware of the state we have been reduced to.

Free of hatred or anger, we can respond to actions committed against us far more effectively. If we approach things with a cool head, we see the problem more clearly and judge the best way to address it. For example, if a child is doing something that could be dangerous to himself or others, such as playing with matches, we can discipline him. When we behave in such a forthright manner, there is a far greater chance that our actions will hit the mark. The child will respond not to our anger but to our sense of urgency and concern.

This is how we come to see that our true enemy is actually within us. It is our selfishness, our attachment, and our anger that harm us. Our perceived enemy's ability to inflict harm on us is really quite limited. If someone challenges us and we can muster the inner discipline to resist retaliating, it is possible that no matter what the person has done, those actions do not disturb us.