Control Your Anger Using Powerful Karmic Purification

We all get angry once in a while. Someone cut you off in traffic, your co-worker let you
down, your partner cheated on you…whatever the reason, we all have feelings of anger that arise within us. It is how we react and handle our anger that is important.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Sit down in a quiet place and write down all the wrongs that you feel have been done to you. Think about what made you so angry, who said what, how unfair a situation was, what a crazy stupid thing your co-worker did – you get the idea.

2. Replay in your mind all those moments when you lost your temper and responded emotionally, in the heat of the moment.

3. Reflect and watch how your mind grows angry again and again as you recall each incident. Be aware that you are intentionally refueling your anger in this exercise. Understand that doing all this, rethinking and replaying each event is a really a waste of time – why upset yourself all over again? You have better things to do!

4. Now take your “angry list” and tear it up or better still, burn it.

5. As you watch the paper going up in smoke visualize that everything upsetting or angering you has vanished into thin air just like the smoke!

Here’s the thing. Every thought comes from your mind. We all experience anger and suffering at some point in life. This is the nature of samsara! Since happiness and suffering actually come from your own mind (rather than from an external source), begin to eliminate thoughts of anger and frustration that bring suffering. Switch your thinking to moments of happiness and joy! Practice this positive approach and liberate yourself from negative thoughts that make you unhappy. Burn your “angry list” right now!

Another powerful and wonderful purification ritual is to make daily water bowl offerings to holy objects like a statue or painting of the Buddha. Seven medium-sized water bowls are best – they can be made of porcelain, metal or crystal – whatever you have. Clean the bowls daily and fill them with yellow saffron water. Be sure to fill them right to brim without spilling and as you do this say the words OM AH HUM. Arrange them in a straight line – very close to each other but not touching each other. Imagine there is one grain of rice between each bowl. This practice will help you control your anger and if you do this daily, it is a powerful karmic purification process.

Love
Lillian