Anger is always likely to arise when our desires are frustrated ... - Dhamma by Ajahn Jayasāro


Anger is always likely to arise when our desires are frustrated. Anger easily overcomes our mind when we want people to be a certain way or act a certain way, and they show that they are not who we would like them to be, or they don't act in the ways that we want them to act. Anger is especially likely to arise if the people involved are important to us, or have the power to affect our lives. Anger becomes especially strong when we are afraid, or when we think we are right. ‘I am right. They are wrong.’ is a dangerous thought because it makes anger seem sensible and correct. The Buddha taught us to learn to observe the way things change according to causes and conditions. When we do this we see that we cannot control the world we live in. Our desires are just one small element of the flow of events. We don't have to passively accept everything as kamma or fate, but we do need to stop forming unrealistic expectations of ourselves and others. With a calm mind we can steadily work towards solving problems by dealing with their supporting conditions

Anger is always likely to arise when our desires are frustrated

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