on anger

[This is being cross-posted at Andi's place.]

I'm giving in to my scripture-quoting Protestant tendencies to bring you this morsel from the Dhammapada:

Give up anger, give up pride, and free yourself from worldly bondage. No sorrow can befall those who never try to possess people and things as their own.

Those who hold back rising anger like a rolling chariot are real charioteers. Others merely hold the reins.

Conquer anger through gentleness, unkindness through kindness, greed through generosity, and falsehood by truth. Be truthful; do not yield to anger. Give freely even if you have but little. The gods will bless you.

Injuring no-one, self-controlled, the wise enter the state of peace beyond all sorrow. Those who are vigilant, who train their minds day and night and strive continually for nirvana, enter the state of peace beyond all selfish passions.

There is an old saying: "People will blame you if you say too much; they will blame you if you say too little; they will blame you if you say just enough." No one in this world escapes blame.

There never was and never will be anyone who receives all praise or all blame. But who can blame those who are pure, wise, good, and meditative? They shine like a coin of pure gold. Even gods praise them, even Brahma the Creator.

Use your body for doing good, not for harm. Train it to follow the dharma. Use your tongue for doing good, not for harm. Train it to speak kindly. Use your mind for doing good, not for harm. Train your mind in love. The wise are disciplined in body, speech, and mind. They are well controlled indeed.

Advice I'm not likely to follow, advice I routinely fail, but good advice all the same.

[Easwaran, Eknath, trans. The Dhammapada. Berkeley: Nilgiri Press, 1985. Citation is from Chapter 17, pp. 148-149.]


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