Vajradhara
One of Many
namaste friends 
it's been a while since i've had a chance to make a post so thank you for taking the time to read it.
one of the things which is advocated in a Buddhist praxis is a daily mediation and reflection period, usually more than one if it can be managed. my own situation has lent itself to a more sustained meditation praxis than i have been able to have in quite some time...years maybe. i'm very happy about that!
one of the things, of course, is that this will allow ones character flaws and traits to come into focus... sometimes uncomfortably so. perhaps you know what i'm speaking about? sometimes people can turn away from that if they are not ready to deal with the changes and the consequences of those changes and, i fear, that i've turned away from those things far too often.
the past few weeks i've had a chance to have a particular issue brought to my attention and the pattern which it follows. it can be hard to see the pattern when you are immersed in it, yes? the perspective of someone else can be just the tool needed to effect change. that change still requires a great deal of courage and will power to make happen and we all come to those things in our own time (if you're struggling with these things in your own practice please be patient with yourself).
i've been working on my anger and though i'm loathe to go into the details of how this aspect of my anger gets invoked suffice it to say that it's more common than i would like and it often embarrasses me when i realize that i've been reacting with so much anger. that embarrassment can make working on the anger bit of it more difficult than it needs be and i'd like to feel that i'm making progress in being able to acknowledge the anger response and deal with the emotions involved.
it's hard to say that i've turned a corner on this difficult issue... though i feel i have that may not be an accurate view. it is, i think, also the sort of thing that requires a bit of a third party perspective to see the fullness of. in any event, there have been two incidents in the past week that would normally have provoked my anger response and though it was very difficult i managed to change my response pattern and, i hope, that change will continue.
i dislike being angry. anger is, as the Buddha talked about, one of the three poisons which destroys our mental well-being. we can do so many things which we would normally find unethical and immoral when we are angry. it really is like they say an angry human is a being drunk on demonic delusion.
as i confront my anger i often feel quite vulnerable and unable to really grasp it all and come to terms with it. when i'm feeling particularly vulnerable i find comfort in reading the stories of other Buddhists whom have overcome anger issues in their own lives and see if i can find some nuggets of wisdom i can mine and incorporate into my own practice.
what do you all do when you're confronting your anger and what ideas, techniques or strategies do you employ to deal with it?
metta,
~v
it's been a while since i've had a chance to make a post so thank you for taking the time to read it.
one of the things which is advocated in a Buddhist praxis is a daily mediation and reflection period, usually more than one if it can be managed. my own situation has lent itself to a more sustained meditation praxis than i have been able to have in quite some time...years maybe. i'm very happy about that!
one of the things, of course, is that this will allow ones character flaws and traits to come into focus... sometimes uncomfortably so. perhaps you know what i'm speaking about? sometimes people can turn away from that if they are not ready to deal with the changes and the consequences of those changes and, i fear, that i've turned away from those things far too often.
the past few weeks i've had a chance to have a particular issue brought to my attention and the pattern which it follows. it can be hard to see the pattern when you are immersed in it, yes? the perspective of someone else can be just the tool needed to effect change. that change still requires a great deal of courage and will power to make happen and we all come to those things in our own time (if you're struggling with these things in your own practice please be patient with yourself).
i've been working on my anger and though i'm loathe to go into the details of how this aspect of my anger gets invoked suffice it to say that it's more common than i would like and it often embarrasses me when i realize that i've been reacting with so much anger. that embarrassment can make working on the anger bit of it more difficult than it needs be and i'd like to feel that i'm making progress in being able to acknowledge the anger response and deal with the emotions involved.
it's hard to say that i've turned a corner on this difficult issue... though i feel i have that may not be an accurate view. it is, i think, also the sort of thing that requires a bit of a third party perspective to see the fullness of. in any event, there have been two incidents in the past week that would normally have provoked my anger response and though it was very difficult i managed to change my response pattern and, i hope, that change will continue.
i dislike being angry. anger is, as the Buddha talked about, one of the three poisons which destroys our mental well-being. we can do so many things which we would normally find unethical and immoral when we are angry. it really is like they say an angry human is a being drunk on demonic delusion.
as i confront my anger i often feel quite vulnerable and unable to really grasp it all and come to terms with it. when i'm feeling particularly vulnerable i find comfort in reading the stories of other Buddhists whom have overcome anger issues in their own lives and see if i can find some nuggets of wisdom i can mine and incorporate into my own practice.
what do you all do when you're confronting your anger and what ideas, techniques or strategies do you employ to deal with it?
metta,
~v
