The Story of a Sadhu who had Controlled
Anger
Divine Life
Society Publication: Conquest
of Anger by Swami Sivananda
This is the Kutir of the
famous Santananda. See the colorful board proclaims: THIS IS THE ABODE OF
SANTANANDA WHO HAS ACQUIRED COMPLETE MASTERY OVER ANGER. “Come, let us have the
Darshan of such a Mahatma,” said a pious man to his friend.
“Oh, no, it is not so easy to
control anger. Don’t be deceived. What will you gain by the Darshan of this
proud man who advertises his angerlessness? If you wish, you can go in and have
the Darshan of the great soul! But, please stay there till the evening; and
then tell me if you would still admire the divine soul. I am off.” And he went
away.
When the pious soul entered
the Kutir, little did he know that his friend had set out to collect
Instigators of Irritation.
“Maharaj,” said the pious man
prostrating himself to the Mahatma, “what a great and divine soul you are to
have acquired mastery over this formidable foe of man, Anger. There is no one
in the three worlds equal to you.”
“Even so it is, my friend. The
man who has conquered anger is greater than Brahma, Rudra and Indra; for even
they were often overpowered by anger.”
“Maharaj, will you kindly tell
me the way to control anger?”
“O yes, gladly. Kindly remain
with me and serve me. Even by such service of Mahatmas, you will get over
anger.”
And, the pious man became the
Mahatma’s disciple.
Another young man entered:
“Maharaj, you are the Mahatma who has controlled anger?”
“O yes, did you not see the
board outside?”
“Yes, yes, please tell me how
you managed to do that.”
“By my strong will-power.
There is nothing that a man of strong will-power will not be able to do.
“Wonderful. Thank you.” The
young man leaves the cottage.
Almost instantly another young
man enters. “Maharaj, have you controlled anger?”
“O yes, did you not see the
board outside?”
“Yes, yes, please tell me how
you managed to do that.”
“By meditation on the
all-pervading Immortal Santa Atman that dwells in all beings. When one Self
alone pervades all, how can one be angered against another, how can one abuse
another, and how can one harm or injure another? Through protracted meditation
on this great truth I have got over this anger which destroys the peace of
man.”
“Wonderful. Thank you.” The
young man leaves the cottage.
Instantly another young man
appears.
“Maharaj, have you completely
annihilated anger?”
“O yes, did you not see the
board outside?”
“Yes, yes, Maharaj. But how
did you manage to do that?”
“Come, sit down. I will tell
you. You see passion and anger are the twin children of Rajo Guna. Now if you
persistently and diligently cultivate Sattva in you, you can completely
eradicate these Rajasic qualities! I ate Sattvic food. I always entertained
Sattvic thoughts. I uttered Sattvic words, full of love, truth, solicitude and
kindness. I practised Sattvic Tapas. I performed Sattvic charity. I always
studied scriptural texts which increased the Sattva in the mind. I live and
move constantly in Sattvic atmosphere. Through Pranayama also I have increased
the Sattvic content of my mind. Friend, it is a long and hard struggle. But at
last I have achieved the goal. I have attained success in my Sadhana. I am an
embodiment of Sattva now. I am full of love; anger has vanished.”
“Wonderful, Thank you.” The
young man leaves the cottage.
At once another man enters.
“Maharaj, have you controlled
anger?”
“O yes, did you not see the
board outside?”
“Yes, yes, but I want to know
how you achieved it.”
“I wish to go out to answer
calls of nature. But never mind, my duty towards you, my own Self, is more
important. I will tell you the secret. You see; anger has various forms. You
are fully aware of the grossest form. The blood boils; the eyes are blood shot!
There is great heat in the body; limbs tremble; lips quiver; fists are
clenched; and the man stammers and fumbles for words in great fury.
The subtler form of
irritability you know about. In a milder form all the symptoms I have just
described exist here also. Still subtler is displeasure. It is pride mixed with
anger. With a sharp word or a grunt, you dismiss the ‘nuisance’. These are all
forms of anger. In extremely subtle forms, anger becomes righteous indignation
and pity. The man who thinks that he is always in the right, gives vent to what
he calls righteous indignation in order to protect Dharma. If he does not, he,
in the lordly style pities the person who has offended him. “Now I have got
over and beyond all these forms of anger. Even the Sattvic righteous
indignation and pity do not trouble me now. I first controlled the gross forms
of anger. The anger arose in mind and it subsided there itself. Then by
meditation I controlled these subtle ripples of irritability. By the diligent
cultivation of a feeling of oneness I got over the displeasure—form of anger. I
cultivated indifference towards wicked people and thereby got over the
out-bursts of righteous indignation and pity. Now I shine as Santananda
radiating peace and happiness to all.”
“Thank you, Maharaj,
wonderful.” The young man leaves, crossing the next at the threshold.
Santanandaji rose from his
seat and once more attempted to leave the hall when the next young man accosted
him. “Maharaj, just a minute. Have you controlled anger?”
In a slightly raised voice
Santanandaji said: “Yes, why do you ask that question? Have you not seen the
board outside?”
“Yes, Maharaj. But I want to
know how I can do that.”
“I will tell you. Drink a
glass of cold water when you find your temper rising. Or count from one to
twenty. Or, leave the place at once.”
And Santanandaji tried to
leave the hall along with the young man when the next one rushed in.
“Maharaj, have you controlled
anger, and how?”
Visibly affected by this
annoyance. “Only to avoid this constant repetition of the truth, I have
announced it on the board outside. I have told the methods also to a number of
people.”
“But I want to hear from your
holy lips.”
“All right. Observe Mouna: You
will be able to control anger."
“Thank you, Maharaj.”
“Look here,” said Santanandaji
addressing the pious man who came first and who had been watching all these
proceedings, “see that no one enters the Kutir for some time till I answer
calls of nature, bathe and have my food and rest.”
“Maharaj, if I begin to
prevent them, they will quarrel with me and I will lose my temper. I won’t do
that. I want to be your true disciple.”
At once another young man
rushed inside, “Maharaj, you have completely eradicated anger: And how?”
Santanandaji, addressing the
first disciple; “Please ask him to go away. I have to answer calls of nature
urgently.”
“But won’t you share your
secrets with me, Maharaj?” pleaded the latest arrival.
“I won’t drive him out. Why
should I lose my temper?” said the first disciple.
“I will kick both of you out
of my house,” roared Santananda. “Good-for-nothing young man troubling me the
whole day, without letting me have a few moments respite. What do you think I
am? A gramophone-box or a radio-receiving set? I have told you once and more
than once that I have got over anger. And these people come again and again to
trouble me. Get out all of you and see me no more. If you stay here for a
minute more I will murder you. Here take this and get out if you don’t believe
that I have the strength to handle you.” He slaps the two young men, drives
them out and locks the door.
Outside, the pious man’s
friend was waiting. “Have you had the Darshan of the great Mahatma who has
controlled anger? Are you satisfied?" said he to the pious man who went in
to have the Mahatma’s Darshan.
“It is not so easy to control
anger. It can be controlled only through God’s Grace. Continuous practice of
humility is necessary. Ego must be crushed. Cosmic love must be cultivated.
Selfless service must be ceaselessly and untiringly practiced. Even then the
seed of anger will be there hidden in the bosom. You don’t know where it hides
itself. By Japa, meditation and ceaseless Sadhana with Isvarapranidhana or
self-surrender to the Lord; by constant prayer ”O Lord! I am nothing; Thy Will
be done" and “Lord, grant me freedom from all vice,” you will be able to
invite His Grace. Then, when the all-pervading Self is realized and Jnana is
obtained, then and then alone will this greatest enemy of man, anger, be
totally annihilated.
Well, well; in any case this
Santananda had a little bit of success in his Sadhana. He had also given us
valuable hints on how to control anger. We are all benefited. He had failed
only because while he had controlled anger to a certain extent, he had allowed
vanity to grow in him to the same extent. Anger only had taken the form of
vanity in him. Ego assumes various forms. All these forms are different in name
only. He who finds out the hiding places of this formidable ego and through
ruthless enquiry into the nature of the Ego and the nature of the Self, which
is the Reality behind this false ego, he and he alone can be said to have
controlled anger. He will not only have annihilated anger, but he would have
destroyed all vices. He will be humble, simple, and divine, an embodiment of
love and compassion. Come, we shall continue our search for such a divine
personality. His Darshan will purify us. His service will elevate us to divine
heights."
Excerpts from:
The Story of a Sadhu who had Controlled Anger - Conquest of Anger by
Swami SivanandaArchives - Blog
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