6
Anger
IRRITABLE PEOPLE ALWAYS LOSE
Questioner : Reasonable annoyance or reasonable anger,
is it not good?
Dadashri : What do people call that? Even children will
say, “He is always cranky!” It is foolish to become irritated.
Irritation is considered a weakness. If we ask the children what
their father is like, they would say that he is a very cranky
person. Does this not discredit the father’s reputation?
If you ask a child who in his family he likes best, he would
say that he likes his mother the most because she does not get
angry. The father undoubtedly comes last on his list because the
father always gets angry. I would remind the child that it is his
father who provides everything for him, so is not the father his
favorite? And the child would shake his head. Now tell me, we
work hard, we feed them, we bring home the money and give it
to them, and yet even then we come last.
ANGER IS BLINDNESS
Questioner : What is the main reason behind a man’s
anger ?
Dadashri : He loses sight. When one does not see the
wall, he bumps into it. In the same way, he cannot see from
within, which is why anger occurs. When he cannot see what
lies ahead of him, anger overcomes him.
ANGER OCCURS WHERE THERE IS LACK OF
INSIGHT
When does anger take place? It is when one’s vision
(darshan) becomes obscured, and his knowledge (gnan) is
obstructed, that his anger arises. The same happens when a
person is overcome with pride.
Questioner : Please illustrate this point with an example.
Dadashri : Do people not ask you why you get angry?