anger

[Cameron]

How do you all deal with the energy of anger? I like what Eckart Tolle says about how you can even let anger be as it is and create a space and stillness around it. It is really some pretty powerful qi when it comes up!

 

Also, I have been thinking about what Bill Bodri has written that when you cultivate and the qi in the body builds up it's easier to get angry(atleast at the beginning stages?) since the qi is right below the surface.

 

I have a feeling once the beginning stages of cultivation are moved through, ones qi channels are opened up and the mind has attained some peace and quiet during all activities not just meditation that would solve the problem but would be interested to here how people manage or deal with these strong emotions these days.

 

Cam

[Cameron]

Short clip of Tolle which sort of answers my question .Basically points to the ridiculousness of being angry at anyone or even yourself to begin with. Tolle is so awesome I need to make a point to read some of his stuff or get one of his retreats on CD.

 

The fight against violence(LOL).

[sean]

Interesting timing. I've been rather stressed lately and have lost my temper a few times over the last couple weeks. I found myself googling "anger management" today. I'll let you know what I find YOU FUCKING BASTARD!

 

Sean

[Cameron]

Hehe. I am going to prescribe watching more Tolle for you..and myself.

 

Untying the knot

[Taomeow]

And how do you "deal" with joy? Sadness? Grief? Fear?

 

How is anger different?

 

It's different in that it's more forbidden to a child by a parent, and later to a servant by an overlord. Although sadness is usually also forbidden.

 

Most adults grow up extraordinarily angry, only the majority don't know it. Instead of feeling the feeling they have repressed on demand, they start getting "angry" headaches and "angry" rashes and tense, rigid bodies. That's because they never released any of the anger where it rightfully belongs, because they weren't allowed to. If they do release it later, they dump what they've stored up on the innocent party who has nothing to do with what and who has originally generated it, and invariably either on those who are smaller and weaker and somehow dependent (their own children, typically, not their boss, god forbid), or on any innocent bystander in whom they sense or imagine any kind of weakness that they trust will allow their anger to be vented with impunity. In other words, those who never express it somatize it (and get sick from the cumulative toxicity of stress hormones never metabolized properly); those who do express it but too late and out of context don't get any relief either because this allows for no integration, merely regurgitates it instead of processing it, and hands it down to the next generation of angry people.

 

There is no good way to deal with anger other than to stop creating situations and environments that generate it in small children. If there was, people might have stopped murdering each other in unstoppable wars a few thousand years ago. The USA has started 42 armed conflicts in the twentieth century, a record so far. Think mister Tolle can prevent us from breaking the record in the 21st?..

[Taomeow]

However, for palliative treatment, try TCM's methods of pacifying the Liver (the storehouse of anger) and tonifying whatever organs are too weak to control Liver Fire (usually the Kidneys). TCM is interesting in that it somatizes everything, including the spirit (or, rather, all five Shens). It is not a modality that has invented any talking therapies, support groups, anger-processing meditations, or Angry Taoists Anonymous, for lack of efficiency thereof I suspect (why else the most socially interdependent culture of them all would "miss out" on these?..) Instead it will look at the imbalances from the point of view of spirit-emotion-physicality and correct the problems with spirit and emotions via a physical route... well, they really are one package all of them, anger is quite tangibly physical, while an inflamed Liver is quite emotional, and a good herbal formula, quite spiritual...

[Cameron]

The USA has started 42 armed conflicts in the twentieth century, a record so far. Think mister Tolle can prevent us from breaking the record in the 21st?..

 

 

It's always amusing to hear people speak of dealing with anger management on a mass scale. Actually I do it myself. What Tolle and teachers of his style do that I appreciate is bring all these so called problems back to the now. When you are living life in the present moment, free from what you think should be or is supposed to be or how you want it to be, it is a very different experience.

 

I can only deal with my own realm. I feel that if I can begin to create some peace and harmony in this so called person called "Cameron" that is doing my part to serve the whole. The world is what it is and people will fight whatever wars as they always have. Whether Alexander The Great or Hitler or George Bush or whoever.

 

I think Tolles teachings or Buddhas teachings or Lao Tsus teachings are helpful to anyone but they need to be interested in it and study it themselves. No one is going to force the teachings of Lao Tse down anyones throat.

[三江源]

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Edited April 23, 2015 by 三江源

[Cameron]

Yes, Tolle is such an excellent pointer. Because when you look at the anger it's not identifying with a 'little me' that is angry. It just shifts the whole perspective. Rather than focus on the little me and 'the story' to bring awareness back to the now and what is actually happening. Which is basically free from the anger. Of course anger might still be there but it is given this tremendous space of allowance to move and express itself without needing to act out in violence instead of being held down and obsessed over by the little me or the egoic confusion.

 

Healing Dao? Glad you got some benefit. Seems to be alot of mixed feelings about those practices. I do have Michael Winn's Fusion course will listen when I have some time.

[Taomeow]

It's always amusing to hear people speak of dealing with anger management on a mass scale.

 

Why do you find it amusing, Cameron?

 

As for Tolle's "now," it is so very un-taoist in that it is in denial of both ontogenic and philogenic (i.e. both personal and universal) developmental history having anything to do with this purported "now." And it is precisely the developmental history of processes and their outcomes that is the main concern of all of taoism, and "change" and "timeliness" and the origin of things (wuji to taiji to ten thousand things) are its living breath... so I don't see how one can possibly combine the two, they are so very opposite in their approach. I mean, if you want to go Tolle, you can't go Lao Tzu, who remembers his infancy... and if you want, like Lao Tzu, to "be like an infant," then you have to use a "back then" as your frame of reference rather than a "now." You aren't an infant today after all...

[Cameron]

I don't know. Do you want me to intellectually analyze why a find something amusing? I don't live life that way.

 

Edit-upon re reading this thread that sounds a little curt .It is an anger thread though! I guess I look at it as people are basically going to do what they are going to do. If people want freedom or peace hopefully they will get it. If they want war and confusion, well, that sucks but life goes on. Unfotunatly, or not, that ugliness is also part of our make up, or conditioning.

 

Tolle is contrary to Lao Tsu? I see them as complementary.

[sean]

What is meant by the pointer "there is only now" is not the repression of memory or thought ("future" falling into the latter). "Now" is big enough for these too.

[Cameron]

Cool explanation. The way I currently view it is what is is big enough to include all these perspectives. It is the mind that makes these distinctions of something being contrary to something else, one teaching opposing another. Basically, it all dissolves in the present moment, or the now, or whatever.

 

It's all just different ways of communicating different teachers use. When Adya says waking up out of the egoic trance might be the same as what Tolle says becoming aware of the vast field of presence.

 

And...prepares for long online philisophical battles to ensue..might I dare say the same as what Buddha called Enlightenment or Lao Tsu called the Tao?

 

Shit, I guess I still do enjoy people clarifying their views on these matters.

[Cameron]

I agree the HT methods like inner smile are good for creating positive emotions or energy though.

[Trunk]

Seems to me that some anger is natural and healthy. Something bad is going on that impinges upon me in some way, and that's irritating, makes me angry. So, take some constructive action and make the situation better - or, if it's a genuine attack, fight it off.

 

just thought I'd offer some practical non-meditative

[Ian]

Short clip of Tolle which sort of answers my question .Basically points to the ridiculousness of being angry at anyone or even yourself to begin with. Tolle is so awesome I need to make a point to read some of his stuff or get one of his retreats on CD.

 

The fight against war(LOL).

 

I have his findhorn retreat on CD. (or at least i did have - seem to have lent it) 4 discs. It's nice.

 

BTW it's been bugging me that I never got around to reciprocating a "Happy birthday" last October. So here it is. Hope you had a good one.

[thelerner]

My 4 gig Ipod is full, but I can't get myself to delete Tolle's 2 hour audio book. His voice and demeanor are so relaxing, his words resonate so well that it stays on, while other things are gone.

 

On the other hand he is a bit alien. He's so divorced from life as I know it that its harder to bridge the space between him and myself. McAllister on the Infinite Smile.org podcast site is similar (& free) and has a lifestyle closer then mine and mind closer to Tolle's .

 

Dealing with anger and difficult people is essential. We're not in a monastery, its simply going to happen. We'd better learn how to deal with it skillfully. So in 'do what I say, not what I do' corner, I repeat, Consciously decide to confront, Consciously walk away or Consciously surrender to the situation.

 

But you can't fool yourself. Anger denied is anger retained, in the back of the mind and physically.

 

 

 

Michael

[Yoda]

I got too angry when I did too much retention/sungazing/standing/caffeine. The healing sounds and not owning a gun are five star anger management tips that'll buy you time to get to the ipod! Now that I'm on a more meditation and vegan based practice, anger is where I'd like it to be. When I fast too long I actually don't have enough anger and that sucks too.

 

I haven't verified this, but the word aggression is said to derive from the word meaning "to move forward" and it does get things done in the right proportions.

[Ian]

One thing I've really started to notice lately is the, well, for want of a better word, possession aspect to anger.

 

I find that when I give in to anger there is always an extra force to it, as if something has been just waiting and waiting to join in. I used to poo-poo the idea of all these entities floating about seeking to resonate with the energy of the embodied, but now I'm kinda finding it to be unmistakeably so.

 

I don't know if it's very useful generally, but I'm hoping to be able to use this knowledge to assist the "I don't have to go with this because it isn't me" angle.

[Cameron]

Thanks for the responses. Ian thanks for the post Happy B Day. Will explore this thread more when I have time.

[Wayfarer64]

This is pretty interesting stuff!

 

Here are some random thoughts relating to the issue...

 

Caffine was only mentioned once. It has been a catalist of angry energy for me over the years. I still have my morning cup, but try to stay aware of the resulting energy. It has become manageable.

 

I think of anger somewhat like pain. It is there to alert me to a problem that I should be conscious of. If the coffee is a catalist , then I need to look at what the inner cause of anger is, not what manafests it in my energy levels.

 

Sometimes it can save your life , putting one into a fierce state of being that is needed to stave off attack. Like most emotions it can be a useful tool towards self-awareness.

 

This is a very irksome world much of the time. There are sure enough reasons to get PO'd...

 

Both Tolle and LaoTzu have been very good sources of calm for me. Even tho the techniques are different, they are - yet for me, compatible. With Lao Tzu I use memory and projection of the security of gathered qi. With Tolle I use imagination and humor. All are useful tools to reach a calm center.

 

A run/walk always helps as well. But I am sure everyone needs something oddly their-own to deal with these situations.

 

Is it counter-productive to be angry over stuff that I find stupid, like the USA's present administration's direction and activity?

I think not. Some anger motivates me to take action and "right the wrongs", I see done in the world... My advocacy and political activity stems in no small part from anger.

 

My anger here has stemmed mostly from what I see as salesmanship as education- a real teacher is not trying to put one over on nor be one-up on others...(which belongs on another thread)...

[Yoda]

Ian,

 

I don't think of it as entities, but I do think that there are very powerful currents out there that once you tap into it sort of sweeps you away. For us in the USA, the beginning of the Iraq War was like that to the point that practically nobody opposed it, questioned it, debated it, voted against it, etc. I even heard on our National Public Radio a normally politically progressive interviewer sort of acted/seemed genuinely taken aback when he interviewed an expert suggesting that weapons of mass destruction wasn't the primary motivation for the war. It was spooky.

 

Jmo, and I hope my views don't offend anyone (but f**k you if it does Just kidding...), but I don't think that anyone can rationally explain why we took such a course of action--the net, net bottom line of removing Hussein and installing a 'democracy' just wasn't worth the energy. But when you back up and consider the strong currents of karma/law of attraction/emotional energies swirling through everyone and when I tap into the flow of aggression in my own life I can understand why these things happen. On that level, it's perfectly in accord with the tao. And on that level, it's perfectly appropriate to have a military and to lash out here and there. Even when it doesn't make sense rationally, killer whales will play with their food before they kill it, cats play with wounded mice, etc. If you got aggression, you are going to use it and that's fine. I'll just not own a gun... that's my compassion in action.

 

If you do think of it in terms of entities, I'd recommend that you think of them as helpers attracted by the emotions that one transmits and they offer to add their power to your intent. The belief in possession where an entity can control somebody when they have an entirely different vibration going on is both dis-empowering, inaccurate, and will drive you nuts. Been there done that.

 

And finally, I think that everyone including dictators, presidents, citizens, killer whales and entities are all fundamentally good. So much so that it's fine to play rough. Life can be like a rugby match for those who care to play in the field of aggression. It's all here for us to have fun with.

 

-Yoda

[thelerner]

I think we have to acknowledge we're multi dimensional. At the tick tock workaday level things often suck; pain, death, stupidity and finally loss of hair. But there is the deeper level, where right NOW its fine, this breath tastes good, the sky is beautiful and the ground is beneath my feet. Where death is a home coming and Stuff is just stuff. That truth is also there even at the worst times, maybe because of the worst times, it is accessible to us.

[Cameron]

Yodsterz,

 

I think the post 9-11 months left Americans in a sort of zombie like trance where they felt uncomfortable in strongly opposing anything our government was doing. Pretty unhealthy mentality for any so called democracy.

 

But it's coming around hopefully this will result in a more aware mass public that doesn't just go with the flow of whatever president has to say is going on.

[Taomeow]

What is meant by the pointer "there is only now" is not the repression of memory or thought ("future" falling into the latter). "Now" is big enough for these too.

 

 

Absolutely. Provided there's consciousnes of the past included in it. (Some people have glimpses of consciousness of the future too, but it's rare these days. I for one have to rely on Chinese astrology to know the future, I don't have immediate sensory access to it except on rare insightful occasions). But including the past into the "now" is essential for emotional health. No emotion in and of itself is unhealthy, including anger, what makes it unhealthy is unconscious transfering of it from the "back then" into the "now." So consciousness, also known as memory, is essential for emotional health. The opposite of "remember" is not really "forget," it's "dismember." Dismembered (fragmented) consciousness, an outcome of repressed memory, can't generate any healthy emotions at all, whether angry or peaceful, they are invariably "not whole."