Do Not Give Arise to Anger

Buddhism says we should see friends and enemies as equal. This means we should learn to tolerate unfriendly people, unideal environments, and language that is hard on the ears. There is a saying, “When working, you wish to do what is hard. When living with others, you should wish to live with those who are difficult.” If a task is difficult, do it without hesitation. Doing so shows what we are capable of undertaking. We should conduct ourselves to maintain harmony and resolve conflict with difficult people. If we face others with an accepting spirit, our lives will become much easier.

When we meet people in this world who are of poor character, we should be more lenient with them. That way, we can change their ways. Magnanimity to others is the most beautiful action in the world. All it takes for us to help ourselves and other people is to give a little space, understanding, and tolerance. Look upon all things with a heart of tolerance. Learn to accept all things into the mind.

The world is the world of the mind, and sentient beings are the sentient beings of the mind. If we can’t accept all things, the mind will give rise to anger and we will find ourselves constantly in disputes.

Of all the angry people you have seen, which among them was beautiful? Their faces are ferociously flushed and wicked speech pours from their lips. They have a ghastly appearance, and cause people displeasure. One could hardly call their appearance elegant or proper.

The Great Perfection of Wisdom Treatise says,

“Anger deserves the greatest blame. Of all mental ailments, it is the hardest to cure.”

Anger is a mental ailment, and the most difficult to treat. There is a Buddhist saying, “When one thought of anger arises, hundreds of thousands of obstacles are created.” In the natural world, earthquakes are the frightening force. Typhoons are also terrible. However, the fires of rage within the mind put the former two to shame. Once anger arises in people, they frequently lose their sense of reason. They put aside their morals and can loose their sense of humanity.

The Teachings Bequeathed by the Buddha Sutra says,

“Anger is like a fierce fire. We must constantly guard against it, so that it does not enter. Among all things that steal our merit, there is none greater
than anger.”

Anger is a power greater than a surging fire. Not only does it keep people from having an elegant, proper form, but it cuts off their wisdom, burns their wholesome roots, and gives rise to obstructions. Everyone should be careful to protect themselves from anger.

Once, Sariputra, one of the Buddha’s great disciples, ran into an old friend of his and exclaimed in surprise, “Oh my, is something wrong? Why do you have such a fierce expression on your face?” His friend replied, “Lately, I have been carving statues of demons.”

There is a saying, “What we sincerely feel inside will manifest outside.” Since Sariputra’s friend carved so many fierce, fanged faces of demons, his own face gradually take on their angry features. Later, on Sariputra’s advice, the sculptor began carving dignified Buddha statues instead. Slowly, Sariputra’s friend became more pleasing to the eye. From then on, each time Sariputra saw him he would happily comment, “You have taken on such a dignified appearance now.”

All phenomena arise from the mind. The mind can change a person’s appearance. Someone who is frequently angry will develop a ferocious appearance. Someone with a mind that is always gentle will have an appearance that emanates kindness.

The Flower Adornment Sutra says,

“The mind is like an artist, it can paint all things.” We can paint an image of ourselves that is a saint or an ordinary person. The life we have depends on how we choose to create ourselves in the mind.

If we have less anger, our lives will transform and become more peaceful. If we find ourselves resenting or blaming others, we should avoid looking for faults in those who do not treat us well. Instead, we should change our perspective and think: “My own compassion, capacity, and respectfulness are insufficient. It is me who is being too selfish…” When we begin to think in this manner, our attitude will change and our hearts will grow.

From Ten Paths to Happiness, written by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

Image from Pixabay.

More Featured Articles

The Forty-Eight Vows of Amitabha Buddha as recorded in the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life.  [1] If I should attain Buddhahood, yet there would be hell beings, hungry ghosts, or animals in my land, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.[2] If I should attain Buddhahood, yet humans and heavenly beings Read more
If someone who holds firmly to the name of Avalokit­esvara were to find themselves in a fire, no matter how big, they need not fear being burned by it because of the Bodhi­sattva’s awe-inspiring spiritual powers. Specifically the passage describes one who “upholds the name.” The Chinese character chi (持), Read more
People often ask me, “What ad­versity have you experienced in your life?” And for a moment, I can­not come up with an answer. I have always maintained the attitude of taking things as they come, as in the sayings “When the soldiers come, de­ploy the generals to fight back; when Read more
To "commit" is to give assurance to others and to make a conscientious effort to deliver a promise. To instill credibility and trustworthiness, we must honor our words. Confucius once said, "One without credibility is like a large vehicle without a brake pedal, or a small carriage without axles. How Read more
People suffer from a variety of diseases of the mind, such as being greedy, judgmental, or quick to anger. The Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra says, “There are four kinds of diseases of the body, which are due to excessive wind, heat, phlegm, or other causes. There are also four Read more
Most of us have an idea of what constitutes the space outside us; it is the environment in which we live. This includes the house we live in, the city we live in, or even the world we live in. Just as we need to skillfully manage our relationship to Read more
Observing the precepts is the concrete manifestation of compassion and the bodhisattva path. Read more
Some people may think it is strange that in this scientifically enlightened century anyone would want to talk about ghosts. In the past, even sages avoided the subject of the supernatural if they could. Confucius never spoke about ghosts. At the mere mention of ghosts, frightful images instantly arise in Read more
At the many places I engaged in practice and study—at places such as Qixia in Nanjing, Jinshan and Jiaoshan in Zhenjiang, and Tianning in Changzhou, where I was brought up experiencing spring breezes, summer rains, autumn frosts, and winter snows—I studied silently and grew up quietly. I was always thinking as to how Read more
Everyone in this world wants to have wealth and live a carefree life. They also want a good rebirth. Richness in this life and pleasure in the next are the hallmarks of a successful life.In the Sumati Sutra, the Buddha defined a "successful life" to be wealth in this life and happiness Read more
The Sumati Sutra discusses fulfilling both worldly and supramundane needs. Sumati’s first three questions are regarding obtaining an elegant appearance, obtaining wealth, and keeping a harmonious family life—all of these are concerned with success in this life. Being satisfied in this way ensures that a bodhisattva will not be hindered, Read more
Trustworthy WordsIf you lie, you will not be trusted. If you cannot be trusted, you will be ineffective in your own life and useless to other people. Lies hurt others because they damage their trust and their sense of what is right and wrong. This is a very serious kind Read more