- Ashutosh Maharaj
A matchstick has a head made from powdered chemical. Just strike it against the side of the box and the stick bursts into flame. Aren't we, at times, behaving in a similar fashion? Let a small thing go against our wishes and see what happens!
Anger is a brief madness, said someone. Or slow poison. According to experts, anger could adversely affect intellect, veins and intestines, work efficiency, digestive system, cholesterol levels, and cause or compound hypertension, sinus, heart and liver problems, to name a few. In other words, anger has a toxic effect on the mind and body.
Some effective ways to curb anger are:
1. Handle situations maturely: Many a time, we allow things of little importance to over-power us. We very easily lose our temper over insignificant matters. No matter if you overslept, the food tastes awful, the newspaper vendor is late... don't lose your cool. Patience and prudence will help you deal with the situation in a constructive manner.
Socrates was always surrounded by his disciples, and this would be a source of continuous irritation to his wife. One day she called Socrates. She called him twice, thrice but Socrates was completely engrossed in discus-sing a metaphysical subject with his disciples. On this, she ran out of patience. What next? The anger, bottled up for long, just burst. She took a bucket full of water and turned it upside down on Socrates’s head. The disciples became highly agitated.
But do you know what Socrates's reaction was? He smiled and calmly said: "I have come to know only today that thundering clouds sometimes rain as well". With these words, he not only toned down the anger but also made his wife realise her mistake.
2. Self-analysis (introspection): Whenever something angers you, sit by yourself and contemplate. Introspect, find out what made you lose your temper. Recall those circumstances and turn them over in your mind. You would definitely realise your irrational conduct and regret your behaviour. Pythagoras commented, "Anger starts from stupidity and ends at repentance".
3. Delayed response/reaction: Try to stretch, to the extent possible, the time gap before you react. Whenever you get a feeling that the other person's behaviour could ignite anger in you, immediately move out of that place. If that is not possible, then try changing the topic of discussion. Never commit the blunder of reacting immediately.
After some time, when your anger subsides, then respond to the situation. You would then be able to pick apt words to express yourself thereby behaving in a wise manner. Aristotle says: "It is very easy for anybody to get angry. But getting angry at the right time, in right degree, at the right person, for the right reason, and in the right manner is neither easy nor is it in everyone’s scope or frame of capabilities".
To fully control anger, a perfect and unfailing remedy is Know-ledge of Self. When a Satguru bestows upon an individual the Atman Gyan, He reveals to him the technique to contemplate upon the eternal Name (the Primordial Vibration) present within him. This contemplation not only helps in controlling anger, but also serves as the best means to attaining victory over all the vices dwelling inside a human being.
(The writer is founder-head, Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan.)
The Times of India [The Speaking Tree]
A matchstick has a head made from powdered chemical. Just strike it against the side of the box and the stick bursts into flame. Aren't we, at times, behaving in a similar fashion? Let a small thing go against our wishes and see what happens!
Anger is a brief madness, said someone. Or slow poison. According to experts, anger could adversely affect intellect, veins and intestines, work efficiency, digestive system, cholesterol levels, and cause or compound hypertension, sinus, heart and liver problems, to name a few. In other words, anger has a toxic effect on the mind and body.
Some effective ways to curb anger are:
1. Handle situations maturely: Many a time, we allow things of little importance to over-power us. We very easily lose our temper over insignificant matters. No matter if you overslept, the food tastes awful, the newspaper vendor is late... don't lose your cool. Patience and prudence will help you deal with the situation in a constructive manner.
Socrates was always surrounded by his disciples, and this would be a source of continuous irritation to his wife. One day she called Socrates. She called him twice, thrice but Socrates was completely engrossed in discus-sing a metaphysical subject with his disciples. On this, she ran out of patience. What next? The anger, bottled up for long, just burst. She took a bucket full of water and turned it upside down on Socrates’s head. The disciples became highly agitated.
But do you know what Socrates's reaction was? He smiled and calmly said: "I have come to know only today that thundering clouds sometimes rain as well". With these words, he not only toned down the anger but also made his wife realise her mistake.
2. Self-analysis (introspection): Whenever something angers you, sit by yourself and contemplate. Introspect, find out what made you lose your temper. Recall those circumstances and turn them over in your mind. You would definitely realise your irrational conduct and regret your behaviour. Pythagoras commented, "Anger starts from stupidity and ends at repentance".
3. Delayed response/reaction: Try to stretch, to the extent possible, the time gap before you react. Whenever you get a feeling that the other person's behaviour could ignite anger in you, immediately move out of that place. If that is not possible, then try changing the topic of discussion. Never commit the blunder of reacting immediately.
After some time, when your anger subsides, then respond to the situation. You would then be able to pick apt words to express yourself thereby behaving in a wise manner. Aristotle says: "It is very easy for anybody to get angry. But getting angry at the right time, in right degree, at the right person, for the right reason, and in the right manner is neither easy nor is it in everyone’s scope or frame of capabilities".
To fully control anger, a perfect and unfailing remedy is Know-ledge of Self. When a Satguru bestows upon an individual the Atman Gyan, He reveals to him the technique to contemplate upon the eternal Name (the Primordial Vibration) present within him. This contemplation not only helps in controlling anger, but also serves as the best means to attaining victory over all the vices dwelling inside a human being.
(The writer is founder-head, Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan.)
The Times of India [The Speaking Tree]
