Meditation 201: Anger Management

[sshenry]

It is a fact that anger has negative effects on our health. Anger and stress can lead to heart and circulation problems (which can lead – if left unchecked and untreated – to heart attacks and strokes). Anger is palpable – you can feel it in the air around an angry person. Those particularly sensitive can be affected severely, getting sick to the stomach, even throwing up when exposed directly to those who are angry.

It is also a fact that meditation has been proven to have a positive effect one’s health, leading to a reduction of stress and anger.

I had worked on several meditation techniques for anger, but until I found this – nothing ever seemed to work very well. Even if the anger could be “controlled” through the techniques I used, it was still there, simmering under the surface.

But then I found this technique, and everything has changed – I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in getting to the source of their anger, or love, or any other strong emotion.

In his article, entitled “The Source is Within”, Swami Chaitanhya Keerti says:

One of the most ancient texts and meditation manuals is Shiva’s 5,000 year old Vigyan Bhairav Tantra, which is concerned with how to go beyond the mind, to attain glimpses of consciousness that exists apart from the mind. It is taught there that one should not be identified with the mind, and this is our fallacy that we are our minds. For us not to be identified with our minds, to know that the mind is only a moving process, like walking, but not the same as our consciousness – this is the message of the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra and its 112 methods of meditation.

Don’t worry, I’m not going to list all 112. However, Osho gave over 80 talks on the Vigyan Bhairav Tantra. One particularly good talk relating to anger goes as follows:

When a mood against someone or for someone arises, do not place it on the person in question, but remain centered…If hate arises for someone or against someone, or love arises for someone, what do we do? We project it onto the person. If you feel hate towards me, you forget yourself completely in your hate; only I become your object. If you feel love towards me, you forget yourself completely; only I become your object. You project your love or hate or whatsoever upon me. You forget completely the inner center of your being; the other becomes the center. This sutra says, when hate arises or love arises, or any mood for or against anyone, do not project it onto the person in question. Remember you are the source of it.

I love you – the ordinary feeling is that you are the source of my love. That is not really so. I am the source; you are just a screen on which I project my love….I draw my love energy and project it onto you. In that love energy projected onto you, you become lovely. You may not be lovely to someone else; you may be absolutely repulsive to someone else. Why? If you are the source of love then everyone will feel love towards you, but you are not the source. I project love, then you become lovely; someone projects hate, then you become repulsive. And someone else doesn’t project anything, he is indifferent; he may not even have looked at you. What is happening? We are projecting our own moods upon others….

….When a mood against someone or for someone arises, do not place it on the person in question. Remain centered. Remember that you are the source, so do not move to the other, move to the source. When you feel hate do not go to the object. Go to the point from where the hate is coming. Go not to the person to whom it is going, but to the center from where it is coming. Move to the center, go within. Use your hate, or love, or anger or anything as a journey towards your inner center, to the source. Move to the source and remain centered there….

….Someone has insulted you – anger suddenly erupts, you are feverish. Anger is flowing towards the person who has insulted you. Now you will project this whole anger onto him. He has not done anything. If he has insulted you, what has he done? He has just pricked you, he has helped your anger to rarise, but the anger is yours. …

The other is not the source; the source is always within you. The other is hitting the source, but if there is no anger within you, it cannot come out. If you hit the Buddha, only compassion will come out because only compassion is there. Anger will not come out because anger is not there. …For this technique, remembger that you are the source of everything that you go on projecting onto others. And whenever there is a mood against or for, immediately move within and go to the source from where this hate is coming. Remain centered there; do not move to the object. Someone has given you a chance to be aware of your own anger – thank him immediately and forget him. Close your eyes, move within, and now look at the source from where this love or anger is coming. From where? Go within, move within. You will find the source there because the anger is coming from your source….

It is easy to go to the source at the moment you are angry or in love or in hate, because then you are hot. It is easy to move in then. The wire is hot and you can take it in, you can move inward with that hotness. And when you reach a cool point within, you will suddenly realize a different dimension, a different world opening before you. Use anger, use hate, use love to go within

[Sephish]

I'll definitely keep this in mind, seems like something I really need lately, thank you.

[sshenry]

I'll definitely keep this in mind, seems like something I really need lately, thank you.

I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of us are going to need this in the next few weeks

[Sephish]

I have a sneaking suspicion that a lot of us are going to need this in the next few weeks

Indeed. The real challenge now is seeing if anyone will remember to do this when moments like that arise. Things like this come to me after I'm somewhat past it and then I feel like an idiot because it seems so obvious to my rational mind.

[sshenry]

Indeed. The real challenge now is seeing if anyone will remember to do this when moments like that arise. Things like this come to me after I'm somewhat past it and then I feel like an idiot because it seems so obvious to my rational mind.

exactly....which is why I'm applying this to ALL emotions, even the good ones. I figure its easier to "practice" on the good emotions (not as stirred up if you will) and even using it on annoyance and frustration (in my job I get plenty of both )

I figure that way when the really heavy duty ones crop up, maybe I'll have conditioned myself to a point that I do it automatically

[Patryc]

nice one Steph -always an important one to stay centered. Cosmic cuddles.

[sshenry]

Heh - thanks Pat

And here is something I'd like to add to the above; a short story from the Zen Master Lin Chi:

When I was young I was very fascinated by boating. I had one small boat, and I would go on the lake alone. For hours together I would remain there.

Once it happened that with closed eyes I was in my boat meditating on the beautiful night. One empty boat came floating downstream and struck my boat. My eyes were closed, so I thought, ‘someone is here with his boat, and has struck my boat.’ Anger arose. I opened my eyes and I was just going to say something to that man in anger, then I realized that the boat was empty. Then there was no way to move. To whom could I express the anger? The boat was empty. It was just floating downstream, and it had come and struck my boat. So there was nothing to do. There was no possibility to project the anger on an empty boat.

I closed my eyes. The anger was there, but finding no way out, I closed my eyes and just floated backward with the anger. And that empty boat became my realization. I came to a point within myself in that silent night. That empty boat was my master. And now if someone comes and insults me, I laugh and I say, “This boat is also empty.” I close my eyes and I go within.

[buck]

I think using anger in meditation is a great tool. It's to bad nobody seems to talk about it. Thank you very much for bringing it up. Think I'll use it in my next meditation. Been quite a while. I think we all have a lot of stored anger just waiting to come out. We can sweep it under the rug. Or use it to heal ourselves. I don't think anything cleans the chakras like heat! And it just feels so good! turns to laugher.

[sshenry]

I think using anger in meditation is a great tool. It's to bad nobody seems to talk about it. Thank you very much for bringing it up. Think I'll use it in my next meditation. Been quite a while. I think we all have a lot of stored anger just waiting to come out. We can sweep it under the rug. Or use it to heal ourselves. I don't think anything cleans the chakras like heat! And it just feels so good! turns to laugher.

very true - and the negativity it burns leaves a powdery residue that is easily swept away...

[h0bby1]

keeping neutral is the best way to remain able to do anything =)

[Astara]

I definitely needed to see this. I have been working through my anger lately and my very worst habit is projecting anger. So this meditation rings very clear to me. I've had some neat moments lately that I consider breakthroughs with my anger. I HAVE noticed how it's my responsibility how I see things either in a positive/negative light and I've thought about how the feelings probably come from a place inside me that ruffles my feathers, not the other way around.

I also greatly enjoyed the Lin Chi story, sshenry. Great post!

[sshenry]

I definitely needed to see this. I have been working through my anger lately and my very worst habit is projecting anger. So this meditation rings very clear to me. I've had some neat moments lately that I consider breakthroughs with my anger. I HAVE noticed how it's my responsibility how I see things either in a positive/negative light and I've thought about how the feelings probably come from a place inside me that ruffles my feathers, not the other way around.

I also greatly enjoyed the Lin Chi story, sshenry. Great post!

Thank you
And I hear what you say about projecting anger....I think most of us are 'guilty' of this.

[Satisfiction]

Great post thanks sshenry. It's like a step further than being present, in moment... and actually using that moment to do deeper, following the wire, to find out where that source is coming from.

I also like the quote "The other is not the source; the source is always within you. The other is hitting the source, but if there is no anger within you, it cannot come out"

[sshenry]

Great post thanks sshenry. It's like a step further than being present, in moment... and actually using that moment to do deeper, following the wire, to find out where that source is coming from.

I also like the quote "The other is not the source; the source is always within you. The other is hitting the source, but if there is no anger within you, it cannot come out"

Just that quote tells you where humanity's focus is. "we" want so badly to be able to blame someone outside of ourselves for how we feel instead of taking responsibility for how we feel

[inferno_dragon377]

That was a really good message. I think that it is a pretty accurate summation of it as well. We are the source of our feelings, even though others can influence them. If someone insults you, it is how you react to the insult that causes your feelings. Great post.

[sshenry]

We are the source of our feelings, even though others can influence them. If someone insults you, it is how you react to the insult that causes your feelings.

So here is something to consider. Why do we choose to react in such predictable ways to anger? The emotion is generated from inside of us - projected onto a source. Then we leap on it, venting our frustrations on the "object" we have chosen.

Does it make us feel better? Or justified?

One more question...or rather, one more observation. What about those who direct the anger from inside of themselves AT THEMSELVES?

That is almost (if not more) disturbing than directing the anger at someone else.

[inferno_dragon377]

My initial reaction is to say conditioning and programming. We are taught at a very young age that anger is more powerful than kindness. How many kids have you seen in a store throwing a fit to get a certain toy. How many adults punish thier kids for that kind of behavior? I do not tolerate that, but children see that it works more often then just asking. So we learn that through expressing anger towards others, we can get our way. That is later reinforced with school, where anger can be used as a weapon, defensive or assaultive.

This is all programming from a young age, that increases as the mind increases. I think it is only in later years, teen years where we have the first looks of self that we start directing anger at self. This is a very damaging perspective, on a lot of levels. It can lead to mental pains, bodily pains, spiritual pains. It can lead to social pains, and stigmas. Of course, if we have rage towards ourselves, it is hard to not look at the world through hate stained eyes.


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As far as conditioning. We as a society have endorsed violence and anger since we could walk. The body can throw a spear harder and faster if it is angry. A body can swing a sword harder and faster if enraged. Our species has learned to use the chemicals produced by anger to fuel physical attributes in the form of adrenaline. It is the same basic fight or flight response that has fueled through the ages. As society "evolved" the need for such bodily responses has become less necessary. Now, anger has to be vented in other ways to be effective. Hate speech, malicious acts, domestic violence, rape. These are all activities that can be fueled by anger, and have a higher success rate when anger is involved.

It is easier to kill a man, if you are angry. It is also being used as a protective stance today. Why did you kill this man? Well judge it was a temporary moment of insanity, I was so angry I blanked out, when I came to he was dead. We are conditioned to use anger in such ways, and then further programmed to use the emotion in any way possible to get what we want. Anger can be a good thing, in fact parts of it are completely necessary. However, coupled with greed and lust and a myriad of other responses, anger is a dangerous thing.

[Peregrina]

[/COLOR]Thank you SSHenry, I will definitely try this out.


Are we as indigos more prone towards anger than the average Joe? Maybe yes, maybe no. Stupidity/simply not thinking, authorities, ''THIS is how we do it, not like you have done it'', feeling alienated...
I'm gonna lay myself bare here, it's a bit scary to put yourself in this vulnerable position, go easy on me...

I was a very angry child. My (non indigo) brother on the other hand was a very happy child.

Again comparing the indigos I have known with more ''basic'' (I don't mean to insult, but sometimes language really falls short of what you want to express) human beings, ''Joe'' who rates to watch or play footie (substitute for any aggressive sport of your choice) and drinking as his two favourite things in life, who likes ''a good fight'' on a saturday and often an instigator of road-rage... then I'd say no.


These days I'm not that angry an individual... ok, stupidity P*sses me off, but I deal with it.
I do suffer from migraines, bad migraines. After recognizing my indigoness they have however diminished by 75% (which I find interesting, and would welcome others views on). They come in a few complex flavours (food allergies, back-related, muscle tension/ sharp fear and no idea at all) and hit either side of the head.

Here comes the interesting bit: They come in 2 expressed moods: sadness (oh NO, here we go again, must we (me & my body) go through this again? 20%) and RAGE; out of the blue, blindly, and I can't seem to find a core or origin (the remaining 80%)

This scares me, b/c I have to try really hard to restrain myself not to injure myself. I'm not a self harmer, never cut myself or anything like it, but with this, I'll just pound myself black and blue, or on the temples of the head... until someone else restrains me or I start throwing up (sorry bout the details)... I fear that one day I will simply stab at my head with something sharp to make the pain stop... by releasing me from my body?

A few weeks ago I burnt my leg on the exhaust of the bike, not badly, just felt a complete idiot, and instantly wanted to rip it off the bike and pulverize it... (now don't tell me that is normal). I can hear my father telling me off for ''don't take you anger out on inanimate things'' ie that thing has not done anything, you did it. When I got older I used to answer back ''would you rather I took it out on something living???" But that I sense is frustration based.

I meditated on this migraine related rage, on wanting to destroy and worrying about hurting others, but not me, b/c I know that's who I will harm in the end, b/c I'm the only one left I can harm without being punished. And that is just unbearably sad.


I came across this tapping video today, I've gotten rid of most of my past anger by tapping (I'm training to be an MTT practitioner, so I practice on myself) so I'm posting it here if anyone is interested:


YouTube - EFT E-BITES ANGER RELEASE

[ThetaAbundance]

My sound is off right now and I went to watch it, it's hysterical without sound!

Thanks for posting, I'll hook my speakers up next time! I use the EFT for stress release and it works immediately.

[Cusp_Child]

Oh my god thank u SO MUCH for this post. My mood often strongly impacts my physical body, i.e. Migraines and splitting headaches at the temples when angry, etc.

At first I thought that i need to learn how to release my anger, ...and i was right about that lol. The problem eas that all of my emotions seemed to want the same treatment as well. I've found the problems in my life that created these blockages and emotional ...uh ...goings on. But now i don't know wat to do because my emotions are much stronger than i've ever thought. It's seems as though i was trying to suppress my very nature for those around me, and i did that so well that i forgot how powerful i naturally am. And now i have no outlet for this newfound power. What do i do now?