The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony. III. Dealing with Anger.

Where we gather to focus on a single discourse or thematic collection from the Sutta Piṭaka (new selection every two weeks)
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Mr Man
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Re: The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony. III. Dealing with Anger.

Post by Mr Man »

Hi Mike

"Where is anger for one freed from anger,
Who is subdued and lives perfectly equanimous,
Who truly knowing is wholly freed,
Supremely tranquil and equipoised?
He who repays an angry man in kind
Is worse than the angry man;
Who does not repay anger in kind,
He alone wins the battle hard to win.
He promotes the weal of both,
His own, as well as of the other.
Knowing that the other man is angry,
He mindfully maintains his peace
And endures the anger of both,
His own, as well as of the other,
Even if the people ignorant of true wisdom
Consider him a fool thereby."

From the Akkosa Sutta (worth a read) - http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .budd.html


From the Vinaya - http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... l#communal
Not sure where to find the origin stories for these rules

Hopefully I am not duplicating what has already been posted.
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mikenz66
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Re: The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony. III. Dealing with Anger.

Post by mikenz66 »

Thanks Mr Man!

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Mike
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Re: The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony. III. Dealing with Anger.

Post by mikenz66 »

Let's go back to the Dhammapada verse. This is from the Pairs chapter, so it might be useful to examine both verses of the pair:
Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world. By non-hatred alone is hatred appeased. This is a law eternal.

There are those who do not realize that one day we all must die. But those who do realize this settle their quarrels.
https://suttacentral.net/en/dhp/6-
Here are the Commentary stories for the two verses:
The Story of Kalayakkhini

While residing at the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha uttered Verse (5) of this book, with reference to a certain woman who was barren, and her rival.

Once there lived a householder, whose wife was barren; later he took another wife. The feud started when the elder wife caused abortion of the other one, who eventually died in child birth. In later existences the two were reborn as a hen and a cat; a doe and a leopardess; and finally as the daughter of a nobleman in Savatthi and an ogress named Kali. The ogress (Kalayakkhini) was in hot pursuit of the lady with the baby, when the latter learned that the Buddha was nearby, giving a religious discourse at the Jetavana monastery. She fled to him and placed her son at his feet for protection. The ogress was stopped at the door by the guardian spirit of the monastery and was refused admission. She was later called in and both the lady and the ogress were reprimanded by the Buddha. The Buddha told them about their past feuds as rival wives of a common husband, as a cat and a hen, and as a doe and a leopardess. They were made to see that hatred could only cause more hatred, and that it could only cease through friendship, understanding and goodwill.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 5: Hatred is, indeed, never appeased by hatred in this world. It is appeased only by loving-kindness. This is an ancient law.

At the end of the discourse, the ogress was established in Sotapatti Fruition and the long-standing feud came to an end.

http://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/ve ... ?verse=005
The Story of Kosambi Bhikkhus

While residing at the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi, the Buddha uttered Verse (6) of this book, with reference to the bhikkhus of Kosambi.

The bhikkhus of Kosambi had formed into two groups. One group followed the master of Vinaya and the other followed the teacher of the Dhamma and they were often quarrelling among themselves. Even the Buddha could not stop them from quarrelling; so he left them and spent the vassa, residence period of the rains, all alone in Rakkhita Grove near Palileyyaka forest. There, the elephant Palileyya waited upon the Buddha.

The lay disciples of Kosambi, on learning the reason for the departure of the Buddha, refused to make offerings to the remaining bhikkhus. This made them realize their mistake and reconciliation took place among themselves. Still, the lay disciples would not treat them as respectfully as before, until they owned up their fault to the Buddha. But the Buddha was away and it was in the middle of the vassa; so the bhikkhus of Kosambi spent the vassa in misery and hardship.

At the end of the vassa, the Venerable Ananda and five hundred bhikkhus approached the Buddha and gave the message from Annathapindika and other lay disciples imploring him to return. In due course the Buddha returned to the Jetavana monastery in Savatthi. The bhikkhus followed him there, fell down at his feet, and owned up their fault. The Buddha rebuked them for disobeying him. He told them to remember that they must all die some day and therefore, they must stop their quarrels and must not act as if they would never die.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Verse 6: People, other than the wise, do not realize, "We in this world must all die," (and, not realizing it, continue their quarrels). The wise realize it and thereby their quarrels cease.

At the end of the discourse, all the assembled bhikkhus were established in Sotapatti Fruition.

http://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/ve ... ?verse=006
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mikenz66
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Re: The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony. III. Dealing with Anger.

Post by mikenz66 »

And some advice about looking after oneself and others. In the context of this thread, the subduing of aversion:
“And who is the individual who practices for his/her own benefit and for that of others? There is the case where a certain individual practices for the subduing of passion within him/herself and encourages others in the subduing of passion; practices for the subduing of aversion within him/herself and encourages others in the subduing of aversion; practices for the subduing of delusion within him/herself and encourages others in the subduing of delusion. Such is the individual who practices for his/her own benefit and for that of others.
https://suttacentral.net/en/an4.96
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Re: The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony. III. Dealing with Anger.

Post by befriend »

Tibetan Buddhists like the Dalai Lama do analytical meditation which is contemplating the repercussions affects, causes of anger. This is another method to control anger. It's good to contemplate this way before you get angry so you can cultivate a new view point towards anger.
Take care of mindfulness and mindfulness will take care of you.
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phil
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Re: The Buddha's Teachings on Social and Communal Harmony. III. Dealing with Anger.

Post by phil »

I keep coming back to this discourse

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html

It describes the person ( modes of practice) who is tolerant and doesn't respond in an unwholesome way when insulted/scolded etc, and she/he who isn't tolerant.

But it doesn't stop there like the teaching on letters written in water, or the mind like a diamond. It also describes the two modes of practice that condition tolerance or intolerance. ( this causal link is implied pretty clearly rather than laid out. ) One wholesome practice is akin to the first right effort (like guarding the sense doors) and the other is like the second right effort, obliterating etc the unwholesome states that have arisen.

I think a busy householder like myself could have a full practice aspiring to live in line with what is laid out in this discourse. But one wants to go deeper and neglects the diligent practice of guarding and taming the mind.

Edit - no it's not that one wants to go deeper, it's that the deliements are so deeply rooted and powerful and the mind soon gets swept away.
Kammalakkhano , bhikkhave, bālo, kammalakkhano pandito, apadānasobhanī paññāti
(The fool is characterized by his/her actions/the wise one is characterized by his/her actions/Wisdom shines forth in behaviour.)
(AN 3.2 Lakkhana Sutta)
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