DBC 2.36: Social and Communal Harmony: Dealing with Anger

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Social and Communal Harmony III

Chapter 3: Dealing with Anger

A nice poem to begin:
Sakka, ruler of the devas, approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, stood to one side,  and addressed the Blessed One thus:

Having slain what does one sleep soundly?
Having slain what does one not sorrow?
What is the one thing, O Gotama
whose killing you approve?

[The Blessed One]

Having slain anger, one sleeps soundly;
having slain anger, one does not sorrow.
The killing of anger, O Sakka,
with its poisoned root and honeyed tip:
This is the killing the noble ones praise,
For having slain that, one does not sorrow.

Talk about the “honey tip”

Much is said elucidating different types of angry people, etc.

Then we speak of Being Spurned by Others, which holds a political/interpersonal mandate:

“What kind of person is to be looked upon with equanimity, not to be associated with, followed and served?  Here, some person is prone to anger and easily exasperated.  Even if he is criticized slightly he loses his temper and becomes irritated, hostile and stubborn; he displays irritation, hatred and bitterness. Just a s festering sore, if struck by a stick or shard, will discharge even more matter, so too…Just a a firebrand of the tinduka tree, if struck by a stick or shard, will sizzle and crackle even more, so too…Just as a pit of feces, if struck by a stick or a shard, becomes even more foul-smelling, so too some person here is prone to anger and…displays irritation, hatred and bitterness.  Such a person is to be looked upon with equanimity, not to be associated with, followed and served. 
For what reason? 
With the thought, ‘He might insult me, revile me and do me harm’ 
Therefore such a person is to be looked upon with equanimity, not to be associated with, followed and served”

Removing Resentment: Once from the Buddha and Once from Sariputta

The Buddha mentions 5 ways: One should develop loving-kindness for the person one resents…develop compassion for the person one resents…one should develop equanimity toward the person one resents…disregard the person one resents and pay no attention to them…apply the idea of the ownership of kamma to the person one resents…these are the five ways of removing resentment by which a monk should entirely remove resentment when it has arisen toward anyone.
Sariputta addresses monks differently: When a person’s bodily behavior is impure but his verbal behavior is pure, on that occasion one should not attend to the impurity of his bodily behavior but should instead attend to the purity of his verbal behavior. In this way resentment toward that person should be removed…when a person’s verbal behavior is impure but his bodily behavior is pure…attend to the purity of his bodily behavior.  In this way resentment toward that person should be removed.

Patience Under Provocation: Here the Buddha mentions 5 courses/types of speech

When others address you, their speech may be timely or untimely, their speech may be true or untrue…their speech may be gentle or harsh…their speech may be connected with good or harm…their speech may be spoken with a mind of loving-kindness or with inner hate.  Herein, monks, you should train thus: ‘Our minds will remain unaffected, and we shall utter no evil words; we shall abide compassionate for their welfare, with a mind of loving-kindness, without inner hate.  We shall abide pervading that person with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, and starting with him, we shall abide pervading the all-encompassing world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, abundant, exalted, immeasurable and without hostility and without ill will.’

A reminder regarding Loving-kindness:

May you be free from danger
May you have mental happiness
May you have physical happiness
May you have ease of well-being
On Non-Retaliation

And Sariputta gives similar advice on physical attacks, mentioning the Buddha’s simile of the saw:

“Monks, even if bandits were to sever you savagely limb by limb with a two-handed saw, he who gave rise to a mind of hate toward them would not be carrying out my teaching”

Tell the story of Vepacitti, lord of the titans and Sakka, lord of the devas.
Then read the dialogue between the victorious Sakka and Matali, his charioteer:  p 61

Read the Buddha’s words to Akkosaka Bharadvaja:

After being abused and reviled by Akkosaka with rude, harsh words b/c one of Akkosaka’s family had left the family to become “homeless under the ascetic Gotama”:

“When hd had finished speaking, the Blessed One said to him… p 63

YouTube url:	https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gst4-qMfz2Y&ab_channel=DevelopmentBookClub
Created:	14. 3. 2021 07:49:03

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DBC 2.36: Social and Communal Harmony: Dealing with Anger