Why we yell in anger … ( 08 / 10 / 2012 )
Why we yell in anger … ( 08 / 10 / 2012 )
There was once a gentle Saint who was visiting the river Ganges to bathe . He waded out a ways and then joyfully submerged himself , feeling deep gratitude and completely at Peace …
And as he then rose from the cool waters , he noticed a group of family members on the banks nearby , shouting at each other . He was initially saddened by their plight , and yet his frown soon turned to a calm smile , and he turned to his friends who had come with him that day and asked , “ I wonder , why is it that people shout at each other in anger ?”
His friends pondered this for a while in silence , until one of them said , “ It is when we lose our inner calm that we shout .’” The Saint smiled again and responded , “ But then why do they shout when the other is right there next to them ?” The friends thought about this earnestly , and several looked as though they wanted to respond — yet and none of them offered an answer .
After a time , the Saint spoke softly and said , “ When two people are angry at each other , their hearts become greatly distanced , and to bridge that separation they must shout to make themselves heard . The angrier they are , the greater the gulf between them grows , and the louder they must shout for their hearts to hear each other .” The friends listened to this intently and then sat awhile in silence , and considered it .
And then after a time , the Saint continued : “ What happens when two people Love one another ? They don ’ t shout at each other at all , but rather speak softly . They do so because their hearts are very close . The distance between them is very small … And when they Love each other even more , they do not need to speak at all , the distance between their hearts is almost nonexistent , and they only need to whisper as their Souls get closer & closer in Love … Finally , they move so close to each other that they don ’ t even need to whisper — they simply look at each other with appreciation , and then into each other with Love … In these moments , they have become One . They hear each other perfectly , and they feel that they are respected and heard — so there is no more need to shout .”
He looked from his friends to the angry family , and back again , and then he said , “ So , my dear ones , when you disagree with another , avoid letting your hearts grow distant . Remain calm and utter words that are soft and Kind . Only this will keep the distance between you close enough that the other can one day find the Way back Home .” (~ inspired by anonymous )
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