|| Shri Hari ||

Way to Eradicate Anger

Swami Ramsukhdas

|| Shri Hari ||

Way to Eradicate Anger

tvameva mata cha pita tvameva

tvameva bandhuscha sakha tvameva |

tvameva vidyaa dravinam tvameva

tvameva sarvam mama devadeva ||

Swami Ramsukhdas

|| Shri Hari ||

Way to Eradicate Anger

A question came up that, we cannot leave sins and we cannot accept that everything is Paramatma's (God's). We want to leave sins, but cannot. We see faults in ourselves, and further more we continue to incur sins, what should we do?

I am telling you a point. Grab hold of this point, become established (fixed) in it, experience it, and see for yourself. This is useful talk for everyone, listen carefully. What is faults/vices/sins ? Gitaji says -

‘त्रिविधं नरकस्येदं द्वारं नाशनमात्मनः’ (गीता १६ । २१)

"trividham narkasya dvaaram naakashnamaatmanah |

kaamh krodhastathaa lobhastsmaadetattrayam tyajet ||

(Gita 16/21).

There are three types of sins that will lead to one's downfall - lust, anger and greed. These three are the gates to hell. Therefore they must be given up.

So we think that we get angry, let us think about how to give up this anger. How to gain victory over it? Even though we do not want, then too it comes, it comes on suddenly. It troubles us a lot. How to give that up? We are unable to bare it.

It is my sincere prayer to all of you that first inquire on whether you really want to give up this anger. Let us inquire on this particular bad habit. When one flaw is entirely given up, then other flaws will also diminish significantly, and eventually go away. Therefore let us think about anger. We see anger in ourselves and in others and others also get angry. Now how to get rid of this anger? Become firm on this point. There is no anger in you, and there is no anger in others. Accept this with a firm conviction. If I ask you all, whether you are angry right now, you will say not right now. Therefore anger is not in you, it has come. This is the truth, isn't it? Is there any doubt about it, if so ask? This is a very beneficial topic. When one believes that there is anger in them, then that itself will be the cause of him getting angry. Then why are you accepting such things? You say that I have become angry many times. Therefore you are taking the anger from the past, and accumulating it within yourself. This is a mistake ! You say, for years I have been seeing myself, there is anger within me. This sentiment, that there is anger in you, that sentiment itself is preventing you from eradicating the anger.

Time and again anger comes, and other times, you remain free of anger. Are you most of the times staying angry or are you free of anger most of the times? It is my belief that most of you will agree that most of the time you are free of anger. Only for a short time you become one with anger. In your entire life has the anger remained continuously for 24 hours? It is our experience that most of the times we are free of anger. Therefore there is no anger in us. Anger comes and goes. By saying that there is anger in us, we are inviting anger. This is the main inertness of anger. Be very attentive to this point. Therefore there is no anger in us - hold on to this with a firm conviction.

"I have anger in me," Please give up this idea. Considering yourself to be angry based on past event is pointless. Anger is against one's spiritual discipline. It is an obstacle to one's spiritual progress. When anger comes, at that moment man's power of discrimination is destroyed. As soon as anger comes -

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ

smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati

(Gita 2/63)

Your memory is destroyed ! Everything is forgotten, such as - I am God's; I worship Him and am devoted to Him; I associate with holy company / Truth; I am a spiritual aspirant, – all this is forgotten. When we forget the main purpose of this birth which is to engage in worship and remembrance of God and realize Him, what a major loss one suffers !

sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ

What is written in the Gitaji is very true. There are two points

(1) There is no anger in us and

(2) Anger destroys man

Therefore in fact, we must not get angry.

Desire, anger, greed, attachment, lust, envy, conflict and all the other flaws that appear; they do not stay. Understand them to be temporary, the kind that come and go. Inquire on their nature. They do not have an independent existence. Understand this third point. How is there no anger in us? Then see – do you get angry with everyone? Do you get angry at all times? Does the anger remain at all times? Is there nothing else in me besides anger? See! these points that are being shared, I have acquired them from great saints and souls. You will definitely be benefited by them. That is the truth. You do it and see for yourself.

It is said that -

"Ishvar ansh jeev avinashi chetan amal sahaj sukh raashi"

We are a part of God, we are divinity, immortal, conscious, untainted and blissful by nature. We are indestructible, therefore we have to detach from the flaws. "Amal," - there are no flaws in us. Have faith in Goswamiji's words.

Lord Krishna’s words say -

"Mamaivaansho jeevaloke",

(Gita 15:7)

If it is in the father, than it will be in the son! There is no flaw in God.

“Krodhopi shatru prathamah

naraanaam dehasthito dehvinaashnaai."

There is great loss, destruction from anger, for you as well as the other.

"Namostute krodhdevaay swaashraya jwaaline visham,"

O' God of anger, I bow to you. Wherever you go, first you burn off that place. How ungrateful! Others you burn later on, first it burns you.

"Jis haandi mein khaave usi ko phode."

You break the plate that you eat in. So vicious! That wood in which there is fire, that itself you burn. Therefore Brother, you must leave this anger! First it burns us and then the other, like fire. Anger even burn blood, it destroys it.

See, there is a very good point. When anger comes understand that it is not in you, then where did it come from? Then there was some tendencies from the past therefore it has come, but now it is gone. It has not come, just some impressions of the past were there on the mind-intellect, but it is gone now. Do not consider it to have come, know it as it is on its way out. Just like a dirty pipe when cleaned smells awful. As such it is not the bad smell that is coming, with cleaning the odor is going away. Gentlemen you will observe that you get angry less frequently, doe not remain for long period, if far less forceful than before. This is the experience that all should experience. From this it is proven that anger is not coming, rather it is on its way out. In the present everyone is flawless.