The Divine Souls!
Today we'll be taking up, a topic, a very common question about anger: Why do we get angry, and how do we control it? Every question, no matter how small, if we are to answer it correctly, requires an understanding of the whole philosophy, because every question is like a thread. You pull on it, and it leads back to the core of the philosophy. So to answer this simple question, I will have to give you a very brief insight into the philosophy that is taught by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj. Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj has explained this topic many times according to Vedas and Gita and Puran. and as he always quotes from all these main scriptures to make any spiritual point. So let us see.
Anger. Why do we have it and how to control it? Why? We can look at a couple of different layers of why. Gita says, if we want to go right to the origin of anger, Gita gives us a very straightforward answer.
ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंस: सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते | सङ्गात्सञ्जायते काम: कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते || 62||
Dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate. Saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate.- Bhagavad Gita: 2/ 62
“Krodh” is anger. Where does ‘krodh’ come from? When you have a desire that is unfulfilled, you get angry. Very simple. If we always got our way, would we ever get angry? If everybody always did whatever we wanted, when would we ever get angry? If everything we thought automatically happened, we would never get angry. So, anger is the result of unfulfilled desire. So if somebody wants to eliminate anger, guess what you have to eliminate? Desire.
Okay. So then we come to desire. Why do we have desire? Gita says, “You repeatedly think about someone or something. And through this thinking, when you think of them that ‘I will get happiness from this person or this thing’”. Gita uses the word dhyan. You keep thinking about them. It's like a meditation on that person. You get attached.
Dhyāyato viṣhayān puṁsaḥ saṅgas teṣhūpajāyate.
Sangha or attachment arises through this repeated chintan. And why were we doing the chintan of that person? Because we believe them to be a source of happiness. So, now we have a link. Why do we get angry? Because we have a desire. And if by chance that desire is unfulfilled, then we get angry. Okay. Why do we have desires? Because we're attached to a particular person or thing. Whoever or whatever we're attached to, naturally, the desire for that thing will arise in the mind over and over again. It happens automatically. How big is the attachment? That big, that intense is the desire, and that intense will be the anger if the desire is unfulfilled. So attachment leads to desire which can, if unfulfilled, lead to anger. And where does attachment come from? Repeatedly thinking this person is mine. They will give me happiness. This thing is mine. I will get happiness from it.
So chintan causes asakti (attachment). That leads to kamana (desire). That leads to krodh (anger). And what is the origin of our thought process? This thing, this person will give me happiness. Why do we think that? Because we have a need for happiness. So if somebody could eliminate their need for happiness, then there would be no question of ever getting angry. However, our Vedas and other dharmic scriptures say that this is impossible. No one can eliminate their need for happiness because we are all ansh of Bhagwan; we're all a part of God, and God Himself is perfect happiness. And it is the nature of every anshi (part) to desire their ansh (whole). It is the nature of every part to desire the whole. Therefore, the soul, each one of us, is an individual soul, we all desire God. And God is perfect happiness, therefore, we all desire perfect happiness. So can we stop desiring perfect happiness? No. Impossible. Even if we try for millions of years or millions of lifetimes, no one can change their nature of desiring perfect happiness. That's why every living being naturally wants to avoid pain and discomfort and wants to find comfort and happiness. Even an ant knows that much to avoid a painful situation. So this nature of the soul, the Divine soul, cannot be changed. We innately desire Divine happiness. And because of that, because we desire Divine happiness, we naturally seek it every second of every day. And since we're living in the physical world, and for us God is invisible until we become qualified to meet God, we can't see God, but we see the world, so we naturally start desiring the world. Then once you desire the world, then you create attachments, and then the repeated desire for those specific people and things arise in the mind. And then if you don't get what you want, then anger comes naturally.
So that leaves us at an impasse. It's impossible to remove anger. If you follow the logical links, every soul automatically and naturally desires happiness. Because of that original desire for happiness, we seek it in the people and things of this world, so we get attached to them by doing repeated contemplation on them - chintan. That leads to further and repeated desire for that object or person. That leads to anger if our desire is unfulfilled.
So there's no way to save ourselves from anger? There's no way to remedy this problem? No. There is a way. If we go back to the original desire, what is it for? Our original desire is for perfect Divine happiness. In other words, the soul wants God. We are mistakenly seeking perfect Divine happiness from the imperfect material world and the imperfect people of this world, ourselves included, and the temporary objects of this world. No one can find the perfect Divine happiness of their soul from the material world.
So if we correct that one thing and we seek happiness in God, then we'll actually start to get happiness. And through this process, our mind becomes purified and more and more attached to God. The mind has that nature whatever and whomever we deeply contemplate upon, that if we think Krishna is mine. He is happiness. I'll get happiness from Him, then of course you'll get attached to Him. Instead of being attached in the world, you'll get attached to Him. But in His case, there's no question of us being disappointed. In the world, you have a fifty fifty chance. You'll be disappointed or rewarded. So you're angry half the time.
With Krishna, we'll never be angry because He is perfect happiness. It's a correct expectation. In the world it's an incorrect expectation to think this person is going to make me happy all the time. We're bound to get angry if that's our expectation. It's not even fair to them. But it's fair to expect that from Shri Krishna because He is the very form of perfect happiness and love. Therefore, if we use our mind and our heart to lovingly remember him,
विषयान् ध्यायतश्चित्तं विषयेषु विषज्जते । मामनुस्मरतश्चित्तं मय्येव प्रविलीयते ॥ २७ ॥
Viṣhayān dhyāyataśh chittaṁ viṣhayeṣhu viṣhajjate. Mām anusmarataśh cittaṁ mayyev pravilīyate.- Śhrimad Bhagwatam: 11/14/27
The Bhāgwat Mahapuran also says, “If we repeatedly, lovingly remember the objects of worldly enjoyment, we get more attached to them. And if we do the same loving remembrance of Shri Krishna, we become more attached to Him.”
It's a simple process. Our mind is doing it all the time. We just have to divert the mind towards Shri Krishna. And to the extent we become attached to Him, to that same extent we'll receive internally a feeling of spiritual well-being, wholeness, happiness. And there's a state we can achieve if we 100% purify our heart by this remembrance of Shri Krishna, then with His grace, we can experience perfect Divine bliss. That is the ultimate goal of a soul. And then all the mayic defilements of the mind, including anger, are finished forever. Shvetashvatara Upanishad says, “When you fully purify your heart by remembering God, then all of your past sins are washed away. All of your past karma is deleted, and you meet God face to face.
God is always with us. He is giving life to our soul, but we have to remember Him. By constant remembrance, always keeping our mind joined with Him through loving remembrance, one day, we'll reach the point that our mind becomes one with Him. We achieve a state of unity with Him. Then we will be freed from all the troubles of maya.
The main troubles of maya are the internal troubles, the mental problems, anger, etc We can name so many - anger, jealousy, hatred. Today, we're discussing anger. This means that the ultimate final solution to anger is to become God-realized. Then all the mayic defilements of the mind will be finished. All the negativities of the mind are finished forever and you get a Divine mind completely infused with God's Divine grace and bliss. And along the way, it's also a solution. Incrementally, you reduce your anger the more you attach your mind to Shri Krishna because of the happiness you're getting. Anger is the result of not getting happiness. The more happiness we're getting by becoming attached to Shri Krishna, the less anger we'll have. And as our heart is being purified, the impurities of our past sins are also being washed away.
So, this is a very brief summary of the philosophy of the mind, how to solve the issue of anger, both from where we are incrementally improving our mental situation and ultimately through the state of God realization. This is a brief glimpse into the philosophy of God realization, the path of bhakti that requires us to do constant loving remembrance of Radha Krishna as taught by the Vedas, Gita, Bhagavatam, as you heard me explain today, and as promoted in the world by Jagadguru Shree Maharaj. So, let us spend a few minutes now practicing wholehearted remembrance of Radha Krishna, which we do more effectively with kirtan. Therefore, we'll chant Radhe Govind. Along with this chanting, we are to visualize the beautiful form of Radha Krishna, feeling that they are perfect Divine happiness, and they are our eternal Divine companions. So, let us feel this loving connection with them as we chant Their Divine names and meditate on Their Divine form.
