Brian’s Reflection: Thursday, March 12, 2009

Anger is the real destroyer of our good human qualities;
an enemy with a weapon cannot destroy these qualities,
but anger can. Anger is our real enemy.

- The Dalai Lama

Anger is not the real destroyer. Anger is a feeling we all experience – along with every other feeling, “good” or “bad” (the definition of which is relative). All feelings are neutral. And all feelings are useful.

The real destroyer is how we deal with Anger, what power we give it in our lives. The Dalai Lama is correct if he means that Anger given power over our behaviour is one of the Great Destroyers.

I am only beginning to work on this properly. I have begun to realize how much power I have given Anger in my Life – and certain other feelings too. I have talked about it with wise friends. I am beginning to understand that when I feel Anger taking over my inner Life, I must stop, and meditate. Anger not only has power; Anger also gives power when “embraced”. It doesn’t take too long for Anger, held in a welcoming embrace, to relinquish its destructiveness. It wants to be used for Good.

The skill is to see beyond the mask of Anger, to see the Good it can be redirected to accomplish. Until we have asked it to reveal its ultimate goal, we must refrain from giving it power.

Brian+