Kashaaya’, or ‘passion’ in Jain philosophy, refers to the four core feelings of anger, ego, dishonesty, and greed. One may say that, in this case, the spiritual practice of learning how to overcome anger would be an excellent means of achieving the desired result. The outcomes of anger might be positive or negative. It’s not easy to never feel rage again. If one is cool and cheerful under pressure, then success is within reach. In fury, one may retaliate by raising his fist, using nasty words, etc., therefore making anger prevail over the alternative. Defeating rage is one way to feel less of its effects. If one becomes furious, the other one should attempt not to respond, neither answer back nor should he raise his voice or fist. When you don’t get what you give, the fury you feel begins to fade.
Both religious texts and contemporary psychology provide guidance on how to overcome anger. Ignoring an instinctual want causes it to go away. If you give a feeling a boost, it will grow. If you ignore it, it will eventually disappear. Therefore, you may overcome anger by just ignoring the feeling.
In order to maintain composure and avoid being swayed by both internal and external influences, regular practice of the meditation method known as Mudita Dhyan’ is recommended. It also aids in purging negative energies, or karmas. Getting rid of bad karma requires one to be conscious of one’s own based urges coming to the surface. Krodh vedaniya karma, or the karma produced by rage, may be mitigated via focused effort. He must first resolve to calm the situation. At the same time, he must mindfully perform the ancient art of “Kayotsarga,” which entails unwinding the body and mind to their farthest extent. Once you’ve calmed down, the change will take effect in your unconscious mind. Then, there is no need to worry about the resolution.
After giving the decision two or three minutes of deliberation, the next step is to abandon it. Just stop thinking altogether. Resolution and calmness are powerful tools for accomplishing any objective.
The Field of Human Interaction
Man is the basic social building block. A collection of individuals might form a family or a society. The two most prominent aspects of social life are interactions and behaviour. Conflicts, misunderstandings, and communication breakdowns are all more likely to occur in close quarters, and they may undermine the ability of a family or community to function harmoniously. This is relevant not only to social interactions among humans, but also to the austere lifestyle. For the simple reason that they, too, live in communities. This is how humans are by design!
The Social World
Family, friends, coworkers, and other groups are all part of the larger web of relationships. Responsibility is something that individuals become aware of via their interactions with others. The human connection is the most vital and fundamental aspect of this. Human interactions vary from humane interactions. The former only refers to interpersonal connections between people, without giving any thought to the intensity of feelings shared by those connected. However, the Humane relation is a whole distinct kind of scale. The emphasis is where it should be: on the quality of interpersonal connections. It’s conducive to and promotes expansion on both sides. Human connection is strengthened when we accept and value everyone, whether or not we have any personal ties to them. In this way, mankind lays a solid foundation upon which to construct a civilized and healthy society. Proponent of the Jain Terapanth sect Acharya Bhikshu’s last lesson to his monks and nuns was “Sagalaa.” The phrase “Sadha re Sadhvi, raakhijyo beta Visekha” “All of you must try your best to stay in harmony with one another.”
The Terapanth sect was forever changed by this enlightening instruction. The organization as a whole respects and adheres to this doctrine, and as a result, it is thriving.
Ill-feeling against one other produces turmoil in every family, community and organization. One of the primary causes of stress is rude or inconsiderate conduct. As a result, it is crucial to focus on interpersonal connections in all spheres of life. Maintaining positive relationships is highly dependent on one’s behaviour. One person’s attitude or actions may turn a whole group hostile or friendly.
Element, Behaviour There are three facets of behaviour: activity, inaction, and neutrality or obliviousness. There are certain behaviours that require a person to take a stand of neutrality or neglect. The causes that have led to this situation are internal states, such as rage, pride, etc. Interactions are impacted by one’s behaviour. Emotions such as rage, vanity, greed, dishonesty, fear, hate, desire, etc. are the engine that keeps it going. The opposite is true as well: unpleasant behaviour exacerbates bitterness in relationships, whereas friendly behaviour and gentle words build them.
Relationships are built on the solid ground of words and language. These might either arouse negative feelings or boost pleasant ones. Words have the power to inflame passions, leading to arguments, fights, and even wars. “Koham asaccham kuwejjaa” — let your anger go to waste.
It’s not in any of the books not to ever get angry. But being totally free of anger would be fantastic. But it’s not easy. An ascetic is not any more prone to wrath than any other social creature. The level of severity, however, may change.Anger may be greatly reduced via spiritual practice, yet even the most enlightened person will have some capacity for wrath. As a result, it’s important to constantly work on calming down and redirecting one’s destructive rage.
Ignoring and downplaying anger is a certain way to make it go away. On the other hand, if one gives their anger too much time, energy, and focus, it may easily spiral out of control and destroy their lives. You may either give in to rage or let it cool down. You have a choice to make about whether or not you want to let anger control your life. In what way do you hope to use it?
Defeat anger by all means necessary. Anger may be calmed in a variety of ways. Let’s talk about it here. Having a moment of silence may help restore sanity
Meditation includes an approach called “alence” for calming rage. Silence has the capacity to improve logic. It restores sanity and teaches the mind to act in helpful ways. Silence is surely an effective way to release pent-up rage when confronted with a frustrating scenario. Ten minutes of quiet, or Khechari Mudra-style tongue twisting and upper palate turning with deep breathing, is recommended. Reducing our euphoria and nervousness will provide immediate benefits. stillness practice for an hour or more is simple, but maintaining that stillness in the face of adversity is far more difficult. This is an excellent strategy for overcoming hostility.
The Jain scriptures provide a model for overcoming anger from the time of the first Tirthankara, Bhagwan Rishabh. Bhagwan Rishabh Dev had two sons, Bharat Chakravarti and Bahubali. To become Chakravarty (great monarch), Bharat had to conquer six sections of the earth. His solitary rival, Bahubali (his brother), was easily overcome. To take the last city, he had to do battle with him. It was determined that they would battle without their army. They tried everything from staring each other down without blinking in a “eye fight” to boxing. Bahubali often emerged victorious in battle. When Bharat saw what Babubali had done to him, he became furious and humiliated. He then summoned his divine weapon chakra’ (a spinning disc like weapon with serrated edges) and unleashed it on him. Bahubali was infuriated by this. He wanted to punch his brother Bharat in the face because he was so angry. As he lifted his hand to strike out in fury, the Gods up in the heavens convinced him otherwise. A lightbulb moment occurred after hearing those remarks stirred his moral senses to life. His inner life was cleansed. Instead of showing respect by dropping his hand to his sibling, he performed the ritual of Diksha, the renunciation rite, by plucking off his hair, as monks do. This is how he prevented his wrath from having any effect. Babubali felt a mix of rage and pride. Anger, however, does more harm than just that. Anger may be transformed into something positive when one’s conscience is stimulated. The Gods were there then to inspire Bahubali, who in turn will motivate today’s youth. And even if anyone is out there who can talk about the present. Both brainpower and morality are deficient. The guy seems to have lost all sense of good and wrong and is overwhelmed by unpleasant feelings. Tolerance is another skill that seems to be in short supply nowadays. Rarely have I encountered a huge family in which everyone gets along well and is deeply in love with one another. In our community, there was a monk whose name was Champalalji. Our monks paired his given name with the honorific “Meethiya.” Meethiya’ may be translated as “sweet” or “nice.” He had a kind and helpful demeanor. Because he was so kind to everyone, he was granted this honor. His composure and resilience allowed him to weather any storm. Anger and other bad emotions can’t join a partnership where they’ve been calmed. Rather than trying to avoid situations that make you angry, it’s better to train yourself to deal with them effectively. Therefore, “make your anger known” (koham asaccham kuwejjaa) useless – using this sentence as a mantra to control your anger via repetition and reflection. A prominent social reformer named Vinobha Bhave once recommended that individuals put sugar candies in their mouths whenever they felt anger rising. People who have more life experience have advised us to maintain a cool head under pressure. One has to avoid the reasons that spark the fury in us. In this manner we may fight rage.
Meditation as a Whole
Anger, fury, and enmity may all be diminished via introspection.
Focusing our attention on the Jyoti Kendra (the “Center of Enlightenment”) in the center of our forehead helps us achieve a state of mental peace and stability. Anger may be calmed by focusing on a white center and practicing visualizing it for only ten days.
The main reason there is so much tension today is intolerance. A person who is easily angered, irritable, or envious will find themselves caught up in little matters. People with low tolerance levels are more likely to suffer from regular headaches and gastrointestinal issues. The very act of being angry or intolerable causes discomfort. Contemplation of Tolerance is the antidote to this flaw.
The Sense of Taking a Deep Breath
When you don’t have a calm state of mind, the smallest problems might seem insurmountable. An angry person has a fickle mentality. Shallow breathing is a sign of mental restlessness. The greatest way to quiet the mind is to imagine yourself breathing deeply. The more one uses this method, the easier it becomes to keep negative thoughts at bay and replace them with positive ones.
Thinking About Anger and Its Repercussions Thinking things through may help you overcome your anger. Angry people are more likely to make poor decisions and put themselves in harm’s way. As a destructive negative emotion, anger acts similarly to acid. It is a hostile inclination that makes one aggressive, short tempered and pessimistic. In essence, considering the after-effects of rage may help refine one’s attitude. Questions such, “What is anger?,” “Why is it triggered?” and “What will be the consequences for me?” are just a few of the many that need to be considered while contemplating anger. I was worried about how my fury would affect my loved ones. Many issues might occur as a result of rage, and this is something to think about. One more method for controlling rage.
Consider the toll that rage takes on your body, mind, and spirit. It’s linked to a host of negative health outcomes, including insomnia, heart problems, high blood pressure, hair loss, and digestive problems. There isn’t a single organ in the body that doesn’t feel the effects of anger. It produces mental disruption which in turn leads to stress, worry, and sadness. As a result, one becomes emotionally fragile and unbalanced. All of the aforementioned issues contribute to a decline in health, relationships, decision-making, performance at home and in the workplace, and ultimately, financial stability.
One’s attitude may alter if they are aware of the consequences of rage from the aforementioned viewpoints. The individual who becomes furious may decide to stop being angry. Consistently introducing autosuggestions into one’s thoughts. An attitude shift toward “I will not get angry, my anger is fading away” is what’s needed. The mind gradually learns to conform to the recommendations, resulting in an improvement. Therefore, contemplation is an essential tool for the process of metamorphosis.
Resolution as a Means of Change Resolution causes vibrations in the atmosphere. These vibrations may be shaped in whatever way the user desires, making them useful for problem solving. A person’s ideas and determinations may give birth to whatever he desires. Achieving the seemingly impossible is within its reach. Paraphrase from the Vedic scripture “Upanishad”Shiva-sankalpa – “mastu-me manah” — my mind should adopt auspicious resolve — is often employed.
This holy book instructs us on how to make righteous decisions. True, the intellect is free of guilt. It takes whatever we decide on faith and then gets to work. Bad resolutions instantly generate negative energy that causes damage, whereas good resolutions generate positive energy that benefits everyone. So be careful not to let any bad or negative ideas into your head.
From the Jain canonical book ‘Acharanga,’ we learn: “I will not repeat the mistake which I have done in the past, out of invigilance” (Iyaanim-no-jama-ham puvva-makasi-pamaaye nam). This saying encourages introspection and keeps us from acting imprudently. The same goes for coming to a decision. “I should not get angry in any condition, I shall remain calm and composed.”
In only a few days, we can learn to control our anger by telling ourselves this resolve before bed and first thing in the morning.
To appreciate the impact of closure, consider an ancient tale.
A monk’s desire to improve oneself was hampered by his weak recall. For his spiritual development, Hu Guru showed him mercy and gave him the mantra “maa rush maa tush.” Though brief, the mantra’s message—”do not get angry in loss and do not become complacent in profit”—is profound. Maintain equilibrium in good times and bad. While on his travels, the monk quickly forgot the chant.
As he crossed the field, he saw a farmer cleaning up grains. As per his query, farmer replied that this is “maas” and “I am separating “maas” (black gram) from “tuss” (Husk). The moment the monk heard the words “Maas” and “Tuss”, he felt that his guru bas given the same mantra. He started chanting atus instead of “maa rush maa tush”. His memory was poor, but heart was pure. He began to contemplate that like “maas and tus”, which meant the soul is different from body. Constant contemplation made him realize the truth that soul is different city from the body. He purified himself completely, attained the state of emniscience ie complete knowledge and finally attained makaba (liberation).
The incident highlights the importance of resolution. Initially, the words are important and not the meaning. Bur when one masters the art of positive affirmations, the meaning becomes important and the words become trivial.
One of the principles of Gyata Sutra, a canonical text is, “nicchiya-vavassi yassa etth kim dukkaram karanayaaye” meaning – Nothing is difficult for the one who is determined.” So also, one needs to introspect himself by asking- “Am I determined to eliminate my anger or not? If the answer is ‘No. then why would anger leave such a comfortable place that it curtly occupying. Weak suggestions would not help in eradicating anger. To reduce and remove this hostile emotion the mind needs firm affirmation. Victory is certain for those whose determination is steadfast.
There is a context from Gyata Sutra The Pandavas were to fight the mighty king- Padmanabha. But they were skeptical about victory. They said, “Either we will win of Padmanabha will. Because of their weak resolution, they lost and Padmanabha won . Then Sri Krishna made it clear that he, and not Padmanabha, would emerge victorious. The will was so firm that Sri Krishna ultimately triumphed.
One must make a firm decision, “I will definitely increase feelings of pacification and defeat anger.” One may achieve their goals.
The proverb “kaaryam vaa saadhayishyaami paatayishyaami vaa” may be translated as “either I will succeed or I will leave my body (i.e. die).”
These stories show us that we have the power to control our anger if we set our minds to it. We may calm our wrath with the use of the aforementioned Preksha Diyan methods. The criterion for any of these strategies is that the decision and affirmation should be powerful, loyal, and constant.
The topic of ‘rage’ was the subject of a question-and-answer session.
The answer is yes, since my extreme anger drew a lot of karma. One changed his mind much later. I’m now wondering, “will my repentance help me in loosening the bondage of karma, or do I still have to bear the consequence of the karma’s that I initially attracted by getting angry?”
While binding karma, it’s important to take into account how often and how strongly one acts out of anger. The soul may be cleansed and the bonds of karma released if the intensity is modest.
However, only by heightened devotion might the bonds of bad karma be broken. Repentance alone is not enough. There will also be consequences for this. To overcome such karmas would need tremendous work on our part.
It’s unlikely that someone would have a bad day from start to finish. Even though he maintains an optimistic outlook for the most part, his dark impulses keep him up at night.
Like a major battle, is the correct response. The battlefield is where conflict is waged externally, yet everyone is continuously engaged in a struggle inside. Soul states coming from fulfillment of karma (‘audayika ihaava) and kshayopashamika bhaava (‘state of soul resulting from partial annihilation and partly repression) engage in an internal conflict. If one keeps watchful, stays in ‘kshayopashamika bbaava’, he emerges triumphant. Bhagwan Mahavira provides the following formula in the Uttaraadhyaayan text: Do not let your guard down for even a second; the phrase “Samayam goyam maa pamaayaye” means just that.
Every second counts. When good people let their guard down, bad people win. That’s why it’s important to make the most of each day.
Illness or injury as the root cause of rage?
The correct answer is “yes.” When one’s body is weak, it is more important to devote one’s time to the contemplative practice of “Anupreksha.” It has the potential to reduce anger’s dominance. The inner shift is what Anupreksha’ does.
