Take Anger as Wholesome

revised on 2019-05-26

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Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw; 28th February 1959

[Take anger as wholesome – these words by Sayadaw was remarkable. Like a prediction by him for modern man civilization. Even it’s become like a human education. You can see this very clear. A lot of violence and harmfulness are going on in nearly every part of human civilization; economics, politics, cultures, religion etc. Actually we are not only take anger as wholesome, also the others 2 unwholesome roots, greed and delusion. For modern man whatever their religions back ground, actually they are worshiping the Trinity-Gods without their knowing – i.e., ignorance (avijjā). ]

Some people use harsh language to teach people (parents, teachers and religious leaders, etc.) and take it as wholesome mental state. One who always knows it when any wholesome or unwholesome mental state is arising truly overcomes his mind. It’s also need to analyze the nature of the mind state. Therefore, contemplation on mind (cittānupassanā) is important. The voice comes from the mind is significant. Even animals can differentiate it. The Buddha said that angry person easy to get old. (Sayadaw gave an example.) Throwing a stone with anger and by frightening to someone are not the same factors. With anger is more painful. It’s harmful to both. Therefore, it’s harmful to the body. With sorrow, tears run down. With fright, hairs and gooseflesh raise up. Because of anger, some people even commit suicide. Go and look at a person’s face died with anger. The face looked ugly. With anger, someone even vomits blood (the story of Sāriputta’s former teacher Sañjaya). Don’t take a small anger as insignificant. It can make you sleepless. If you know how to correct the mind, the face also has a good look. Only people have mindfulness can correct oneself. As soon as anger arises, he can contemplate it and will not continue to take action (kamma).

Must know when one’s mind is not good. Also have to accept the correction of parents and teachers. But not every parents and teachers have the qualities. Where do these states of mind (character) come from? From birth. Most of them come from hells. (Sayadaw said we can know the recent past life of any baby from the outwards behavior. For example, if a baby cries a lot, comes from hell and has dosa nature. A baby smiles and happy nature, comes from pleasant existence. A baby sleeps a lot from animal existence. Here the important point is not the past life which had already gone. But very important to reconditioning our bad nature to good nature by training our speech, body and mind.) From hells with anger, so they cry a lot and are easier to become angry. Baby with moha whatever happen, they keep quiet. From heaven they speak with smile and happiness. Without correction it becomes worse (for bad characters). If you pickle something for a long time become more and more sour. Originally people’s minds are not good. Nothing is good without correction. Have to make correction or reconditioning (Sayadaw gave a fish meat dish for example.) If you let fish in natural state, it’s smelly. By using ginger, onion and spices, the smell is nice and tasty.

Even the Buddha came out from the bad to goodness. If someone can’t distinguish from good and bad, he can’t correct himself. We still have time and make the corrections. With many bad things in near death is not easy to correct it. There are 2 forms of extraction. Extract from the bad and the good. The first one is correcting the bad things and becomes good. The second one is yogi wasting his times by worldly affairs without proper practice. There are 3 ways of using our times. Good, not good (i.e., bad) and between good and bad. Between good and bad is sleeping. Mostly people are living their lives with bad and between. Therefore, the most important is first to know one’s mind. There are 2 types of crazy people, people with mental instability and crazy ignoramus. (People are under the influence of ignorance. Most people are falling into this type.) The first one is mental illness. Majority are in the second type. Avijjā paccaya saṅkhāra –> ignorance conditions action –> conditioned crazy ignoramus. Mental illness still has medicine. But crazy ignoramus doesn’t know the medicine, because everyone is like us (i.e., crazy ignoramus or ignorant people).

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revised on 2019-05-26; cited from https://oba.org.tw/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=4028&p=35567#p35567 (posted on 2018-12-14)

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• Content of Part 2 on "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

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• Content of "Dhamma Talks by Mogok Sayadaw"

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• Content of Publications of Ven. Uttamo

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