So much is transpiring in the political arena that it is hard not to be swept up into the emotionally charged chaos. Personally I am finding it challenging to stay balanced with an open heart and open mind, to release anger and upset, and to stay centered. This is why I was so grateful to receive this email from my spiritual mentor, Terry Attwood. I felt her message was so helpful to me personally that I wanted to share it with all of you …
Terry’s Message: It is very important to realize when we are so upset about the current events going on in the country that we are in the ego. It’s a signal to move to higher ground and use that energy to stay centered and take action from a base of non-attachment to our personal beliefs, but to come from the place of what is right. So, what I have been doing is to keep in my mind that my protests are coming from a place that supports the truth of what this country is about… from the basic values that define America. I am attaching a great writing (Buddhist) about this. – Terry
The Wisdom of Anger
“The buddhas are not just the love-and-light people we like to think they are. Of course, their enlightened mind is grounded in total peace, but in that open space compassion spontaneously arises. It has many manifestations. One is the pure energy of anger.
Anger is the power to say ‘no’. This is our natural reaction whenever we see someone suffer – we want to stop it. The buddhas say ‘no’ to the three poisons (greed, hatred and delusion) that drive injustice. They are angry about our suffering and they will happily destroy its causes. They aren’t angry at us. They’re angry for us.
… There are times when the compassionate thing is to destroy. To say “Stop!” to suffering. To say “Wake up!” to the ways people deceive themselves. To use the energy of anger to say “No!” to all that is selfish, exploitative, and unjust.
In its pure, awakened form, when it is not driven by ego, anger brings good to the world. In our personal lives, it helps us be honest about our own foibles and have the courage to help others see how they are damaging themselves. On a bigger scale, anger is the energy that inspires great movements for freedom and social justice, which we need so badly now. It is a vital part of every spiritual path, for before we can say yes to enlightenment, we must say no to the three poisons (greed, hatred and delusion).
The energy of anger is an inherent part of our nature-we can no more have ‘yes’ without ‘no’ than light without dark. So we need a way to work with the energy of anger so it doesn’t manifest as aggression, as well as methods to tap its inherent wisdom. We need a profound understanding of where aggression comes from, how it differs from anger, and a practical path to work with it. That path begins where all healing begins.”
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