“Anger” is frequently used to describe related negative emotions from same family i.e annoyance, rage, hostility, contempt,envy, fury, frustration, and jealousy. Here is something about anger’s right side.
Anyone can get angry–that is easy;–but to do this to the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way, that is not for everyone nor is it easy.
~ Aristotle (From one of his finest work on ethics Nichomachean Ethics)
What Aristotle described above is similar to what Valmiki described in first 4 verses of first chapter of Ramayan inquiring about such person who exists with below qualities to Maharishi Narad :
आत्मवान्को जितक्रोधो मतिमान्कोऽनसूयकः |
कस्य बिभ्यति देवाश्च जातरोषस्य संयुगे || ४||
क: who is he having these qualities? आत्मवान् one who has mastered his aatma, जितक्रोध: one who has conquered anger, द्युतिमान् one who is endowed with splendour, अनसूयक: one who is free from envy (envy – depicting one’s merits as weak points), बिभ्यति देवाश्च जातरोषस्य संयुगे even gods will tremble when he gets angry.
Go to nearest Psychotherapist or psychiatrist or religious saint and discuss your short temperedness and he/she will prescribe you an array of neurological, behavioral, and social therapies like meditation, yog or homeopathy medicines which can help to control anger. That’s where we need to note difference between controlling and mastering. Mastering anger is different from controlling anger. We can control anger in certain situations but can lose its control sometimes. But once you master you something, its always in your control. Mastering anger means understanding the trigger for anger and why it erupts. Thus one gets to a situation where he does not get angry or where he utilize anger.
Raam does not get angry, he has mastered it, and he uses anger as a weapon as and when required for the right person, to the right extent, at the right time, with the right motive, and in the right way.
Advance!Win over anger and dedicate this quality of being जितक्रोध: to Raam on next Raam Navami! One full year to become master of Anger!! (There are 15 other qualities mentioned by Valmiki about Raam in same narrative. Just fyi)
Reference:
1) http://valmiki.iitk.ac.in/index.php?id=translation (Good resource to read Ramayan up to Sundar Kand, rest is in progress)
2) http://orgvalmikiramayana.blogspot.com/2010/03/ok-guys-i-am-starting-story.html
