| We will never succeed at changing ourselves by | | | | okay. We are all fearful at times; we just react |
| trying to change ourselves directly. We must do it | | | | differently. |
| indirectly. By indirectly means merely watching our | | | | When we begin to understand our anger, when |
| anger instead of trying to rid ourselves of it, | | | | we embrace our anger, we begin to embrace |
| because attempts to aggressively change | | | | ourselves. Until we accept anger for what it is, we |
| ourselves into something we wish ourselves to be | | | | will never love ourselves; and until we can love |
| results in faking ourselves out. | | | | ourselves, we will never truly love another. |
| It works like this; we say that we will no longer | | | | Humility is the result of seeing anger not as a part |
| be controlled by our anger. "There, that's settled, I | | | | of you, but as you. Only then can you surrender |
| don't have to worry about my anger any longer." | | | | to the undeniable fact of what you are. There is |
| Until, of course, someone disrespects us in some | | | | no "you" standing apart from the anger. There is |
| way. We had conveniently "solved" our problem | | | | no "you' standing apart from anything. |
| by trying to kill it rather than understand it, and | | | | We are now talking about changing deep-seated |
| this doesn't work; it doesn't work with | | | | tendencies. This is not the same as changing |
| relationships, and it certainly doesn't work with | | | | yourself from a student to a skilled physician by |
| personal problems. | | | | studying in school. You will be studying your "self," |
| Maybe you have been trying to control your | | | | and will be able to see clearly the difference |
| anger for some time, realizing how anger can | | | | between ambition, on one hand, and doing only |
| have long-term consequences; not only for | | | | what needs to be done, on the other. Ambition |
| yourself but also for everyone you love. And | | | | and aggressiveness must eventually surrender to |
| perhaps you have become quite familiar with your | | | | peace if anger is to be overcome, and all |
| anger and how it works, aware of the physical | | | | acceptance is the doorway to peace. You must |
| sensations - the rising blood pressure, the flurry | | | | realize and accept what you are before you can |
| of thoughts, the extreme desire to react - but | | | | change what you are, otherwise, you will be in a |
| have you been quick enough to see how anger | | | | constant state of denial, and no progress will ever |
| cannot arise without the process of thought; | | | | be made. |
| without thinking? | | | | The root cause of anger, and all of our problems, |
| It seems as though the anger arises | | | | is fear. Until fear is understood, anger will be |
| spontaneously, but it doesn't. Fear arises | | | | difficult to control. We are fearful about our image |
| spontaneously. Then fear, accompanied by | | | | of ourselves. We have built up our image and |
| thought, changes into anger. For anger to arise, | | | | when someone disrespects it, we become very |
| we must think about the situating, even if only | | | | fearful, insecure, and afraid that our supposed |
| for a moment. Then the anger, now fed with | | | | power is diminished. This is all illusion; this is a |
| thoughts, moves into action. Anger is what you | | | | psychological construction of the mind. We trick |
| are in that moment; you are not angry, anger is | | | | ourselves. |
| all of you. This is a fact, and cannot be denied. Do | | | | If you are serious about these things, if you want |
| not deceive yourself by thinking that it is | | | | to understand the tricks, you must work on your |
| otherwise, that you are better than that, or that | | | | mind to strengthen its powers of observation. To |
| becoming angry was only a slip-up. | | | | see into yourself, into your very soul, to know all |
| Anger is the crux of it, and by an objective | | | | the things that cause so many problems, you |
| observation of the raw fear that precedes anger, | | | | must train your mind to observe without yourself |
| you leave yourself no choice but to surrender to | | | | in the way. This takes a real combatant to pull off |
| what you are about to become. No excuses. An | | | | - the cool awareness of seasoned warrior. A calm |
| angry person is a very fearful person, and that's | | | | mind is never fearful. |