Intersecting
  • Learn
  • Ask
  • About
  • Study

January 02nd, 2020

1/2/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
From Thich Nhat Hanh:

    When someone says or does something that makes us angry, we suffer. We tend to say or do something back to make the other suffer, with the hope that we will suffer less. We think, "I want to punish you, I want to make you suffer because you have made me suffer. And when I see you suffer a lot, I will feel better."
     Many of us are inclined to believe in such a childish practice. The fact is that when you make the other suffer, he will try to find relief by making you suffer more. The result is an escalation of suffering on both sides. Both of you need compassion and help. Neither of you needs punishment.


This is good advice. We can all relate to the feeling of wanting someone else to suffer. But it never ends well. Giving in to anger creates a cycle of violence, igniting a fire that consumes the attacker, if not the victim.

Thich Nhat Hanh goes on to compare anger to a house that is on fire:

    If your house is on fire, the most urgent thing to do is to go back and try to put out the fire, not to run after the person you believe to be the arsonist. If you run after the person you suspect has burned your house, your house will burn down while you are chasing him or her. That is not wise. You must go back and put out the fire. so when you are angry, if you continue to interact with or argue with the other person, if you try to punish her, you are acting exactly like someone who runs after the arsonist while everything goes up in flames.

Globally and domestically, there is a great deal of unrest surrounding political leaders. Sometimes displeasure with an elected official turns into anger. This may feel justified at times, but what we experience as justified anger is often just self-righteousness. We want to be in a position of moral superiority because it feels good when we believe that we are better than others because we are aligned with what is "right." But this does nothing to quench flames. In fact, it may turn us into arsonists!

If there is injustice, if there is bad policy, ask yourself, "What can I do about this with my actions?" There is usually a way that you can make a difference without destroying yourself or someone else. Thich Nhat Hanh was born in Vietnam in 1926 and experienced the Vietnam war firsthand. In 1961, he came to the US to teach comparative religion and befriended Martin Luther King Jr., who would later nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Like King, Hanh was an advocate for nonviolent resistance, and tried to bring an end to the Vietnam war. For this, he was exiled by both North and South Vietnam and he was unable to return to his home for 39 years. His peaceful protests, his writing and speaking engagements, and his marches with King and others like him have made an impact that spans generations. 

When you feel anger, even if it is self-righteousness or the desire to feel superior to someone else, try to cool the flames. Breathe in consciously and notice the air that is nourishing your body. Breathe out consciously and notice the transaction of oxygen and carbon dioxide. The Kingdom of God is here in this moment, already but not yet. Your anger would have you destroy someone. But in this peaceful moment, there is space to create. In anger, we drive people away from ourselves, from each other, from ideas and institutions. When we create from the peaceful center of our being it draws people in, centers them, romances them from their anger and from the destructive ideas that they may have been clinging to.

Do not let the sun go down on your anger, do not let the fire burn down your house. Here in this moment you have access to a refreshing pool of water. Breathe in and out. Create something new.
​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Intersecting is a blog that explores the connections between religion, philosophy, politics, film, psychology, science... and everything else

      Get alerted when a new post is available

    Subscribe

    Innovation is found at the intersection of ideas, concepts and cultures
     
              -The Medici Effect

    If the medicine is good, the disease will be cured. It is not necessary to know who prepared it, or where it came from
    ​           -Walpola Rahula

    When you water the root of the tree, that water naturally extends to every branch and every leaf and every flower on that tree. So when we actually find the origin of true pleasure, in feeling the infinite sweet love that God has for us, and in realizing our potential to love God, that love naturally extends to all living beings.
    -Radhanath Swami

    Archives

    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All
    Anthropology
    Art
    Barack Obama
    Bonhoeffer
    Book Review
    Buddhism
    Business
    Catholicism
    Christian
    Christianity
    Colonialism
    Communication
    Conflict Resolution
    Cycle Of Violence
    Death
    Economics
    End Times
    Epistemology
    Ethics
    God
    Immigration
    ISIS
    Islam
    Just Peacemaking
    Leadership
    Middle East
    Mindfulness
    Movies
    Music
    Muslims
    Netflix
    On Being
    Orthodoxy
    Peacemaking
    Philosophy
    Politics
    Psychology
    Purpose
    Quantum Mechanics
    Refugees
    Religion
    Science
    Spirituality
    Syria
    TEDtalks
    Theology
    Work

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.