24
Anger
WHERE THE ANGER IS CONTROLLED, THE
PRIDE INCREASES.
A sadhu told me that he had completely eradicated his
anger through his spiritual effort. The anger was in fact
suppressed. I told him that he had instead created a monster by
the name of pride (maan). This monster thrives because he is
the offspring of ignorance of the Self (maya). The sons of
ignorance cannot be killed. One can get rid of them if he has
a solution. This solution is Self-realization.
ANGER AND DECEIT ARE FALSE PROTECTORS
Anger and deceit give protection to pride and greed. The
protector of greed is deceit and the protector of pride is anger.
Sometimes deceit also plays a role in protecting pride. Sometimes
anger also plays a role in protecting greed.
Through anger they practice greed. A greedy person
rarely gets angry, and when he does, we should understand
that he is probably experiencing some difficulty related to his
greed. Moreover, greedy people do not care what others say
or think as long as they make money. They do not care even
if they are insulted. They are like this because deceit will
protect them. Deceit is their ignorance and is part of their
nature. Thus deceit and anger are protectors of internal
weaknesses.
One gets angry when his pride is wounded. Anger is
easily detected and therefore, is easy to remove as compared
to deceit, which deceives even the owner. Anger is the first of
the kashayas to go. Anger is like ammunition, and wherever
there is ammunition, there is an army ready to fight. Once the
ammunition is depleted, why would the army still fight? Everyone
would simply run away. No one will stick around.
THE NATURE OF ANGER
Anger represents volatile atoms. If a barrel containing