Leadership Lessons from The Bhagavad Gita #39 – Anger

Translation : Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of the memory. When the memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.

The link to the page is – https://www.holy-bhagavad-gita.org/chapter/2/verse/63

My thoughts – While writing this blog, my mother was watching TV and constantly commenting on the ongoing match. I got angry because I was unable to concentrate. For a few minutes I was unable to write at all and it took me more than a few minutes to get back into the right state of mind. Interruptions are disruptive. Many times I have forgotten my train of thought and some idea that was slowly taking shape is lost forever.

My short fuse is famous amongst friends and family… but its not something I am proud of and I would like a way to beat it back. Anger makes you a different person. Its like an alcoholic who doesn’t remember what he/she did under the influence of alcohol. Things that one says or does when angry can be very different to what one does when sober/not angry.

In this verse Bhagwan Krishna is talking of the same anger and how it clouds one’s judgement and destroys one’s intellect leading to total ruin.

Osho has a beautiful suggestion for anger … this is excerpted from his e-book series titled “Next time you feel angry”

“.. Anger is just mental vomit. Something is wrong that you have taken in. Your whole psychic being wants to throw it out, but there is no need to throw it out on somebody. Because people throw it on somebody, society tells them to control.

There is no need to throw it on anybody. You can go to your bathroom, you can go on a long walk – it means that something is inside that needs fast activity so that is is released. Just do a little jogging and you will feel it is released, or take a pillow and bet it; fight and bite the pillow until your hands and teeth are relaxed. Within a five-minute catharsis you will feel unburdened, and once you know this you will never throw it on anybody, because that is absolutely foolish.”

In the same book, he says something truly amazing – “Anger transformed becomes compassion – because the energy is the same. A Buddha is compassionate, from where does this compassion come? This is the same energy that was moving in anger; now is not moving in anger, the same energy is transformed into compassion.”

So transform your anger into compassion !! Easier said than done though …. but maybe meditation is the key. Till meditation comes to the rescue, use Osho’s suggestion of beating up on a pillow or taking a walk or jogging 🙂