Anger is one of the most difficult conditions to overcome. Only the non-returner, a person who has achieved the last stage before enlightenment, is free from anger. Therefore, we must all face anger during our meditation practice and our daily lives.
Some people argue that anger is a good emotion because it compels us to act and correct injustice. However, it is not the case that anger is necessary to encourage positive action or to point out when something is wrong. Take the example of a child who is doing his math homework and asks you whether two plus two equals five. Do you need to become angry with him in order to correct him? Of course not. You can correct him with love and understanding. Not only is anger unnecessary, but it would be counter productive because it would discourage him from trying again.
In fact, the Buddha warned us strenuously against giving into anger. He said that it would bring about an enemy’s aim in seven ways: by making the angry person ugly, by causing him to sleep badly, by preventing him from profit, by causing him to forgo wealth, by causing a decline in reputation, by causing him to lose friends, and by causing an undesirable rebirth in the lower realms.
For example, in regard to profit, the Buddha said this:
“An enemy is not pleased with an enemy’s profits. Now, when a person is angry — overcome with anger, oppressed with anger — then even when he suffers a loss, he thinks, ‘I’ve gained a profit’; and even when he gains a profit, he thinks, ‘I’ve suffered a loss.’ When he has grabbed hold of these ideas that work in mutual opposition [to the truth], they lead to his long-term suffering & loss, all because he is overcome with anger.”
I will write a bit more about anger and how to overcome it in our next newsletter.