A strong
burst of anger seems irresistible, very compelling. We feel almost powerless not
to feel angry; it is as if one has no choice but to experience it. This is
because we don’t really look at the nature of anger itself. What is anger? When
you look from a distance at a summer cloud, it seems so massive that one could
sit on it. Yet if one goes into it, there is nothing to grasp, nothing but steam
and wind. At the same time it obscures the sun, so it has an effect.
(Matthieu Ricard)
Anger
Anger is the emotional aspect of
aggression.
Actions resulting from anger often have negative consequences because the
anger intensifies impulsive action and clouds rational thought processes.
Forms of anger:
displeasure
distaste
irritation
rage
The root cause of anger is a loss of
control and the need to regain it.
Anger occurs when you feel blocked or impotent, incapable of proceeding in
the manner you desire.
Negative emotions
Negative
emotions are biologically harmful
and can make you ill.
When
you become angry, your body is flooded with hormones and adrenaline; you enter a
'fight or flight' mode which is only intended for
extreme situations in which your life is
endangered.
'Fight or flight' puts your body under duress.
Tai chi encourages a person to change the way they think in order to reduce the
likelihood of becoming angry.
Tension
It is sometimes necessary to perform aggressive physical actions in
order to defend yourself from injury.
These actions must stem from a
calm, balanced mind, not an angry one.
If you feel angry, you are confused and irrational, vulnerable and careless, and
a focussed attacker will exploit this and finish you.
Anger causes tension in the body and this limits movement.
Yielding
Do not try to control negative emotions.
Simply
watch them as they occur and
examine their meaning, cause and
purpose.
Allow them to subside without
acting upon them.
The more you look at anger, the more it disappears beneath one’s very eyes, like the frost melting under the morning sun. When one genuinely looks at it, it suddenly loses its strength.
(Matthieu Ricard)
A
tai chi person must
yield within and without.
When faced with your own
aggression, let it pass without action.
If faced with the aggression of another, stay calm and yield to whatever comes,
without
fear, without emotion.
This may take many years to accomplish and will require tremendous courage and
commitment.
Page created 26 May 2001