No More Anger

Maharaj-ji Baba Neem Karoli said, “Give me just a little bit of anger, once a day, and I’ll do the rest.” I did this for years until Baba completely removed my anger— just like He promised.

It is challenging for folks who can still be overtaken by their emotions to believe this is possible. They assume that because they lose control to an emotion that it must be the same case for everyone else. A basic study of the sub-ek saints will show this is typical for the advanced yogi. However, any person can do it as well without performing harsh austerities or being sequestered in the Himalayas.

Ram Dass often said, “The only reason you get angry is because you’re holding on to how you think something is supposed to be.” Anger, in all its forms, is a fearful response. It’s the intense intention and desire for things to be different from what they are.

Once an event has moved from the present into the past, it’s undoubtedly the dharma or God’s will. If a Soul has an emotional reaction to something in the past, karma is created. However, if there’s no reaction, only acceptance, the karma “runs off” like rainfall down a flood channel instead of forming more attachment and a future balancing event.

The only anger you ever experience is the anger you created. You exist in the waves of your past intentions.
The less anger you react to, the fewer angry situations you’ll deal with in this life and the thousands to come. Eventually, if you stop using anger, it will not exist in your reality.

Some folks get so angry that they find themselves overtaken by anger. In this case, they must do some spiritual practice, i.e., meditation, japa with a mala like Ram Dass, mantra, karma yoga, etc., to deal with the intense fear they are harbouring. If a Soul is experiencing no moments of being present, if they are always in the past or future, then fear rules their existence.

Some quotes from the Buddha about anger –

“You will not be punished for your anger; your anger will punish you.”

“To be angry is to let others’ mistakes punish yourself.”

“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.”

From the Bible –

“Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly (foolishness).” Proverbs 14:29

“Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools.” Ecclesiastes 7:9

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Ephesians 4:31

From Maharaj-ji –

“Feed others with love; if you feed someone in anger, it’s like giving them poison.”

“Forgiveness is the greatest weapon, because a saint so armed is unperturbable…he can give up anger immediately.”

“Give up anger and tell the truth.”

If you want your anger to be gone for good, you must make an internal vow that any forms of anger (rage, hate, irritation, frustration, etc.) aren’t an acceptable response for any situation. You must make a personal rule that you will never say that anger is OK or come into agreement when another person uses it. Maharaj-ji said clearly, “Give it up.” That doesn’t mean partially— all of it.

I am not saying to refrain from taking action in situations that would have previously made you angry. Of course, you must honour your incarnation and act accordingly but without desiring to alter the past, without fear. You have in your toolbox love, compassion, patience, understanding, empathy, peace, and a plethora of other resources to deal with situations. However, anger is like using a hammer to fix your new iPhone.

If you believe that anger is alright on occasion, you can never finish with it. Once you make the internal resolution that it’s always non-beneficial, you can start practicing giving the anger to Maharaj-ji.

The next step is trying to catch yourself in the process of getting angry. If you pay attention, emotions rise and fall like waves. If you can see the anger wave as it begins, you have a chance of surfing it without wiping out. Meditation has helped me see angry energy moving in slow motion as it approaches my mind. My spiritual practice clarifies that it’s my karma returning and that I must receive it without an adverse reaction so the karma can dissipate.

Maharaj-ji often said, “Remember God.” That’s because when a person is considering the Divine, it’s very challenging to be wallowing in fear. If someone meditates on every Soul being One, on unconditional (agape) love, will they be angry? If we are, as Ram Dass said, “treating everyone like God in drag,” like the Souls that they are, then what irritation can possibly arise?

As soon as I recognize a negative thought wave materializing, it’s time to call Maharaj-ji! We must bring Him into our anger as quickly as we can manage and tell Him to take it as He promised! A person who feels their anger is justified is, in reality, justifying fear. Say to Baba, “I know anger is always unbeneficial – take this from me.” He always honors sincere requests cultivated in the soil spiritual practice.

At the behest of Jesus, I had been attempting to give up anger for several years before I recognized Maharaj-ji as my Guru. During the Ayahuasca ceremony where I met Him, He did something to my mind and brought my spiritual practice to fruition. It felt like He took an ice-cream scooper and removed a block inside my forehead. My physical brain felt permanently lighter afterward. From that time forward, my anger never went outward again.

If someone betrays me, I will feel emotional hurt, but it doesn’t transform into anger. The pain I experience will only linger as long as I play the ‘John’ fantasy. The moment I move back to the truth, that I’m a Soul encountering only my unique karma, reincarnating hundreds of times with the person who supposedly injured me, the hurting lessens. Truth invites love that casts out fear. I call Maharaj-ji into the situation and acknowledge my karmic predicament by praying, “Forgive me for when I’ve betrayed others!”

Baba said, “Forgiveness is the greatest weapon, because a saint so armed is unperturbable…he can give up anger immediately.” This is the standard to which Maharaj-ji’s followers have been called— instant forgiveness. It goes hand-in-hand with giving up the anger. You’ve decided to become like the monk who said, “He who was beating me is now giving me aid!” (https://bit.ly/BeatingAid). We must pardon those who do us harm as quickly as possible. Unforgiveness is emotional cancer.

Make a personal vow to believe Maharaj-ji that anger is always beneficial and must be given up completely. Do spiritual practice to increase your awareness of your thought waves. Practice catching yourself and giving the anger to Him in humility and gratitude.

It won’t happen in an afternoon— it probably will take you years. However, your vow to give up anger and practicing awareness about it will dramatically improve all your relationships immediately. When you begin to see yourself as a never angry person, you instantly become less angry.

Eventually, when it’s gone, and you aren’t dealing with it any longer, you’ll wonder why you ever allowed it in your life in the first place!

Blessings for your journey!

Sat Nam!

JC