For this posting, I am mostly going to quote some of my most favorite words and lessons on anger from great Masters whom I regard as my teachers along my path to hopefully and eventually awaken. I have a long long way to go so I need to repeat often. I hope that eventually all of this really sinks in and become part of my wisdom.

Patrul Rinpoche ( 1808-1887) in “The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones - The Practice of View, Meditation, and Action – A Discourse Virtuous in the Beginning, Middle, and End” (no. 35) writes (Padmakara Translation Group):

Overcome your enemy, hatred, with the weapon of love;
Protect your family, the beings of the six realms, with the skillful means of compassion;
Harvest from the field of devotion the crop of experience and realization.
Consumating your life’s work, recite the six-syllable mantra (Om Mani Padme Hung).

Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) composed a commentary on this great work, writing:

It is said that there is no greater evil than hatred and no greater virtue than patience. While a single moment of anger destroys countless aeons of merit and leads to unmitigated suffering in the hell realms, patience toward those who harm you and the sincere wish to bring them happiness will bring you swiftly onto the path taken by all the Buddhas.

There is no better way to deal with enemies than to feel great love for them, realizing that in former lives they have been your loving parents….

The great Indian Master Shantideva (8th century) wrote an entire chapter in the Bodhicharyavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva) on Patience (Chapter 6). The entire chapter is really about eliminating anger through the application of patience. However, I won’t type out the entire Chapter here. You can go buy a great copy of this text from numerous sources. I have taken the following verses from the translation of the Padmakara Translation Group:

[6:3] Those tormented by the pain of anger
will never know tranquility of mind –
Strangers they will be to every pleasure;
Sleep departs them, they can never rest.

Here as elsewhere in the chapter, we are reminded that it is the person who is angry who shall surely suffer.

[6:39] If those who are like wanton children
Are by nature prone to injure others,
What point is there in being angry –
[For this is] like resenting fire for its heat?

[6:40] And if their faults are fleeting and contingent,
If living beings are by nature wholesome,
It’s likewise senseless to resent them –
[Might] as well be angry at the sky for having clouds?

I love these lines. Verse 39 says to me that if the person is evil at their core, then how can we be angry for them being who they are. Verse 40 says to me that if a person is good but had a fault that is only temporary, it would be senseless to resent them, as well.

And my all-time favorite verse of the entire Bodhicharyavatara:

[6:41] Although indeed it is the stick that hurts me,
I am angry at the one [who is holding it], striking me,
But he is driven and impelled by anger –
So it is his wrath I should resent [and not the person].

For me this always reminds me that I should not get angry at the person for whatever they have done to harm me. Rather I should resent the negative emotion that has engulfed their thinking. In this case the verse refers to his wrath (anger) but it could just as easily been his greed, envy, pride, or ignorance. Being angry at the person is just not getting to the source of the problem.

This whole chapter is worth memorizing. In fact the whole text by Shantideva is worthy to put to memory, contemplation, and reflection. My wonderful and gracious teacher Khenpo Choga Rinpoche has begun preparing a comprehensive commentary. You can obtain the introduction and first five chapters here.

Next, I offer Verse 20 from the equally powerful and great writing from the magnificent Gyalse Togme (1295-1369) know in English as “37-Practices of a Bodhisattva. The translation I am using here is that of Dr. C.T. Dorji from Bhutan. I like this translation because it seems to be the most authentic direct translation of the Tibetan:

If anger that dwells in our hearts lies neglected
And, turning instead to our external foes,
We try to destroy them and even kill thousands,
Then thousands of others will plague us still more.
So seeing this action is not the solution,
Let us muster the forces of mercy and love.
Turn inwards and tame the wild flow of our thinking –
The Sons of the Buddhas all practice this way.

Destroying our external foes – even killing them – will never solve the anger within. Rather it is the negative emotion within us that is the true enemy to be eliminated.

I pray that I and all beings can someday turn our focus on these internal enemies and stop looking to the external foes as if they were the cause of our pain and suffering.

Finally, I would like to recount one of my favorite teachings on anger from my teacher, Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche:

[Khenpo-la] If you were standing on a balcony and someone told you to jump, would you do it? Why not? What would you do if they tried to ‘help’ you off the balcony?

[Response] I wouldn’t jump. I would not jump because I would surely be hurt. Even if someone tried to help me off the balcony, I would resist, in order to avoiding harming myself.

[Khenpo-la] Anger will surely harm you just like falling from the balcony. This, I promise you! So likewise, if someone tries to make you angry, no matter what, you should do everything you can to avoid the anger. Exactly like you would to use all of your mite to avoid going over the balcony.

May you avoid falling off the balconies whether by choice or with the assistance of others.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Tonight I just went over to a good friend’s house. This friend is feeling upset about an unfortunate breakup. This friend is Buddhist. However, despite being Buddhist, my friend told me that it was actually beneficial to feel angry. It was GOOD for them to feel upset.

What?

Where had this come from and where did they learn this? My friend told me that they are quite certain that the Dali Lama gets angry - like, at the Chinese!

What?

I still contend that the Dali Lama does not feel anger towards the Chinese.

So I came home thinking about this support of Anger…again! At least for me, our Western thinking continues to think that there is some benefit and value to anger. I am confident in saying that there is no good from anger. None. Nada!

However, people just look at me like I am crazy. This thinking is contagious. It is so entrenched in our society and education system that I realize I do not have the ability to even persuade a single person that they just might be mistaken.

I would like sign out of this angry society. I will be happy to retreat into my isolated meditation cave and let everyone, at least for the time being, get angry and hate each other. I am not interested in joining in.

After I have hopefully come to some level of stability to not be affect by such anger, I promise to come out and try to help. But right now, I see lots of people that are thinking that it is good to get angry.

My next writing, which I am separating in order to avoid having a paper too long will talk on the Masters words on Anger. For those that might doubt that the “Anger is Good” Club is correct and might be looking for some support against anger, you might enjoy reading it.

However, if you are part of the Anger is Good Club (the AGC), I might suggest that you don’t bother to read the writing entitled Masters Consider Anger. I do not want to try to convince that you might be mistaken.

I am not sure that joining AGC is a good idea. I know that I am trying to get me off their recruitment list.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

Everyday seems to go by so quickly. It is very easy to have the whole day pass by without taking the time to sit and reflect. However, my teachers and all great masters repeatedly remind us that there are not results without meditation.

There are lots of good reasons to make meditation part of each day. Do you want to have peace and happiness for yourself? Do you want to be of aid to others? Do you want a calm and content thinking? Then sit every day!

How about downsides? Can you think of any? So far I have only heard of one. It takes some time. Any more? Look deeply. I bet you cannot find another.

There are some items of advice that I have adopted to assist me. First, I regard meditation/sitting the most important thing that I do every day. I have placed it number 1 priority. Second, I follow the advice to set the time of day to sit. I have a set time. Further, I have a set place. This is when I take my seat and meditate. If for some reason, I cannot sit at this place and at that time, I will think of it often until I am able to sit.

Hearing teachings plants the seeds of our awakening.

Contemplating these teachings (a form of meditation of its own) provides the nourishment for the seeds of enlightenment to sprout.

Sitting in calm meditation provides the nourishment for the awakened mind to blossom.

I find the greatest obstacle to continuing my sitting practice are those times when repeated sitting seems to be having no effect. Sometimes I go for weeks without any noticeable results. It is easy to start wondering if I am just wasting my time. At these times, it is only my discipline to keep sitting that keeps me showing up. Then in one instant, in one sitting, I can gain a glimpse of the other side. I like to think that I am experiencing a bit of what it would be like to be total free of the delusions of samsara ( the world that has been fabricated by my grasping and confused thinking). Maybe this too is just deluded thinking. However, these small glimpses and the small breakthroughs provide the inspiration to keep returning to my seat and to my practice.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

I just read a wonderful statement on Buddhism that I think all us western practicitioners should consider. The comments were written in the article entitled “Forum: Diversity and Divisions in American Buddhism,” in the winter 2006 Issue of “Buddhadharma,” (page 55-56).

Writing on behalf of the magazine, the moderator writes:

“Traditionally, churches have provided a much broader array of services and methods of observance for people than many American Buddhist groups, which see themselves as meditation centers aimed at personal practice. Traditional churches, including many in the Buddhist world, offer rituals and rites of passage such as weddings and funerals; religious practices that range from silent reflection to singing, chanting, and movements; social events; and pastoral care, such as caring for the sick, elderly, and those in crisis. Have some Buddhists rejected religiosity and cultural practices to such an extent that they have cut themselves off from the fuller role that spirituality can play in people’s lives?”

I think this is a very important matter. It has caused me to consider what we do here in Salt Lake City at Dzogchen Samye Ling. After a long discussion with one of the other members of our Sangha, we have decided to start building a community that is found within more ‘traditional’ church organizations.

I think that there are many benefits to such activities including building a sense of belonging, helping members and others out in the community, and providing the ‘refuge of sangha’ as is part of the formal taking refuge.

I think it is time to starting building the community of sangha members and get out of the 100% ‘on my own program.’

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff

In “The Monk and the Philosopher” by Matthieu Ricard and Jean-François Revel, Matthieu Ricard states in the last chapter:

"It is no good expecting that Buddhism in the West will be practiced as it was in the East, and the lifestyle of monks and hermits in particular is unlikely to become as widespread here as it is in many Buddhist countries. Nevertheless, Buddhism seems to be able to provide the means necessary to instill in all of us a degree of inner peace. It is not a question of creating a Western form of Buddhism, reduced to an insipid ‘lite’ version by numerous concessions to everyone’s wants, but of using Buddhism’s fundamental truths in such a way that the potential for perfection we all have within us can be actualized."

I definitely cannot say it better myself.

I want to add to this a list of daily items that are necessary to make any progress along the path as a Buddhist practicitioners (courtesy of Lama Marut):

- Have a Daily meditation practice
- Check your ethics regularly each day
- Help someone at least once a day
- Study some spiritual text daily
- Get some kind of exercise to keep ones juices flowing

Sounds like a good start for Western Buddhism.

Many Dharma Blessings,

Geoff