Miscellaneous - Religion   

Conquer anger

CHENNAI : Desire and anger are said to be twin deterrents to spiritual progress and hence the importance given in spiritual tradition to overcoming them. But, it is easier said than done as can be seen even in the case of sages of great penance falling prey to lust and anger.

It becomes imperative then for a spiritual seeker to consciously exercise control over lust and anger from young age as it is only over a period of time that mastery can be achieved. The Bhagavad Gita says, "He alone who is able to withstand in this very life before casting off this body, the urges of lust and anger is the self-controlled one (Yogi); and he alone is a happy man."

In his discourse, Sri B.Sundar Kumar said the Mahabharata highlighted the importance of surmounting anger through an incident in the life of Kausika. This occurs in the narration of Sage Markandeya to the Pandavas during their exile in the forest when he discoursed on Dharma to alleviate their mental agony.

Kausika was a pious man who did penance in the forest. One day when he sat reciting the Vedas under a tree a crane sitting on its branch defiled him. Greatly angered, Kausika looked up and the crane fell dead by his mere look. He felt sad that he had committed a misdeed but was also astounded by his spiritual power.

As was his daily routine he went into the village nearby to seek alms (Bhiksha, the traditional practice of pious men living only on the food obtained as alms). The lady of the house before which he stood requested him to wait while she first attended to her husband who had just returned home. After a considerable amount of time when she had fulfilled all her duties to her spouse, she came out with a bowl of food for Kausika. By this time he had lost his patience and her act of serving her husband first disregarding her holy guest added insult to injury.

When he took umbrage, she retorted without remorse, "I am not a crane," and advised him to give up anger. She explained to astounded Kausika, who could not fathom how she could have known about the incident that transpired in the forest that morning that her duty lay in serving her husband first and hence his anger would not affect her. His duty as a pious man who was given to scriptural study was to first attain mastery of his senses and mind, and give up anger and desires.

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