Anger
is more destructive than fire or earthquakes. When you get angry,
certain glands in your body get activated. This leads to an outpouring
of adrenaline and other stress hormones, with noticeable physical
consequences. Your face reddens, blood pressure increases, voice rises
to a higher pitch, and breathing becomes faster and deeper, your heart
beats harder and your arm and leg muscles tighten. Your body becomes
tense. The cumulative effect is that anger increases risk of coronary
and other life-threatening diseases, like strokes, ulcers and high blood
pressure. Better, then, to overcome anger. Burn anger, before anger burns you!
When
you are calm, peaceful, happy, digestive processes in your body work
normally. When angry, they go for a toss. Doctors recommend remaining
cheerful when you eat, for instance. Avoid eating when angry or resentful. Anger affects the entire body; it is poison.
There are three ways to handle anger. Firstly, your expression. Psychiatrists say it is good to express anger
for it brings relief, as you have spoken your mind. The relief,
however, is temporary. Resentments build up again, and you are ready for
another spill out. Gradually, anger becomes a habit and you could
become its slave. Anger controls you; it is a terrible master. Secondly,
the way of suppression but that’s not the right way. as it drives anger
into the subconscious and continues to create havoc.
However,
neither expression nor suppression is recommended for these do not help
you overcome anger. So the third way, that of forgiveness, patience and
forbearance, works better. Forgive, and be free! Every night, before you
retire, replay the day’s happenings. Were you
cheated by someone? Did someone offended you, hurt you or treated you
badly? Call out that person’s name and say, ‘‘X, i forgive you!’’ You
will sleep peacefully. I recall an incident in the life of the great
Prussian king, Frederick the Second. One day, he found one of his
servants taking a little snuff from his silver snuffbox. ‘‘Do you like
this snuff-box?’’ asked the king in utter simplicity. The boy, caught in
the act of stealing, felt embarrassed; he did not answer. Once again,
the king repeated the question: ‘‘Do you like the snuff-box?’’ The boy
looked up and said: ‘‘Yes sire, it is indeed a beautiful snuff-box!’’ ‘‘Then’’, said the king, ‘‘take it. For it is too small for the two of us!’’
There
was a monk who was badtempered. He lived in an ashram but found it
difficult to get along with the ashramites. He decided to leave and live
a secluded life in the
forest. He thought he could thus overcome anger. In the beginning, he
found peace and tranquillity within. He was happy.
One day, he went to the river to fill a jug of water. As he placed the jug on the
ground, it toppled over. He picked it up and filled it again. Again,
the jug toppled down. He repeated the process a number of times, until
finally he lost his temper and smashed the jug to pieces. Then it was
that he realised his mistake. ‘‘I left the ashram”, he confessed to
himself, ‘‘only to control my anger, but anger has followed me even here
into the forest.’’
It is not individuals or situations that
cause anger. It is your own reaction or response to individuals and
situations that determines whether you will be angry or otherwise.
Therefore, develop the will to control anger.
