Beyond Anger: How to Hold On to Your Heart and Your Humanity in the Midst of Injustice

by Shambhala Publications, Ogyen Trinley Dorje (Contributor), Diane Eshin Rizzetto (Contributor)

In July 2013, multiple bombs exploded in Bodh Gaya, India, in and around the holiest Buddhist pilgrimage site, the Mahabodhi temple that marks the spot where the Buddha attained enlightenment. In response, Shambhala Publications offers this free eBook consisting of excerpts from some of our books from a variety of Buddhist traditions that encapsulate values of love and nonviolence, which we can all practice ourselves. A chapter from the Karmapa points out the toxicity and uselessness of anger, from a basic, interpersonal level to the wider society at large. In "I Take Up the Way of Letting Go of Anger," Zen teacher Diane Eshin Rizzetto helps us look at how we relate to an emotion like anger and, rather than suppress it, she marks a clear pathway we can follow to awaken in its presence and not let it incite us to negative thoughts and actions. Jack Kornfield talks about how to succeed in bringing mindfulness and loving-kindness into arenas like politics and war zones. And a short selection from the chapter on patience in the Mahayana classic The Way of the Bodhisattva highlights that the real enemy is anger itself, not something or someone external.

Genres: Buddhism, Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Spirituality

42 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 29, 2013

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4th grade was good for me. At 9, I felt my talents coming alive. I also felt my temper to be very much at the ready. My parents, God bless them, both had quick tempers. In the ensuing 61 years, I learned to quell my anger by counting, breathing the irate out, breathing calm in. But the anger is still there at the quick. I know myself, in certain circumstances and if I were armed, to be a person who could kill. This is not the best situation. Reading Beyond Anger was helpful to me. It says not to supress anger or merely drain it off over a 10-second count, but face up to it, try to know it better, and make something more positive and real of it. I am going to read the book again and practice its recommendations.

[Anchit · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book. The only thing that I learnt was that if I keep only my own interest then it's going to lead to conflicts sooner or later. So it is wise to keep the interest of my own and whomever I'm dealing with.

However, that said, I felt that the whole book was too "general" and high level to absorb.

Here is a quote from the book:

When faced with people who are inflexible in their views, that is the time for you to be at your most flexible and accomodating, and to bring all your wisdom and compassion to bear.

If I love someone then I'm going to sacrifice my own need if it clashes with that person's. In this case, if I truly feel love and compassion for the person whom I'm dealing with then I'm going to either give up my goal and try to understand his POV and use that to give up my own need.

If someone else is not being flexible and I'm constantly being flexible then it's going to burn me out in the process. Other people around will also lose respect for me. You can't let someone else keep pushing you around on their needs.

There are other passages are also similar to the quote above. I found it too theoretical and goody-goody kinds. You cannot live a life this way, at least if you're participating in modern life/living in cities/working for corporate.

[Thangeswari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible Presidents with no conscience

I read a few pages and understood the evil present in the President who causes the ptoblems.A woman is angry with government and government is deaf ear.The problem is absence of anger over evil and the mind control by Presidents in offices,ashrams, government who are blood thirsty plan the bomb blast and act as if helping.One example is Ramakrishna Mutt in India which steals the donations from many innocent and murders innocent volunteers who geuinely wanted God.But, remember God exists and Justice always wins.I found the truth that all such evil rulers are apologising in hell forever.example,Hitler,prophet Mohammed etc.Anger is not problem.Evil rule is the problem where masses are used or abused or killed for the luxury of one stupid President.Humans wanting other humans to bow or worship them are power freaks,devils.Solution: Do not support evil President or ashrams or corrupted government.Action on evil will give peace to many innocent.Follow your conscience.

[Joseph Takenouchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of wise words

Great i sight to help understand anger. It is not a how to guide to make anger vanish as I initially thought, but rather a way to understand it. It also makes you realize anger isn't "bad" it simply is, the actions that one takes with it determine whether it is healthy or unhealthy.

[Jessica Camacho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good

It's short and it gives you pause. It is definitely a book to reread though, after this initial read I know I need to go back in order to absorb some of the messages and insights.

[E Escorce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting book. Nice and short so can be read a number of times, to maximise it's positive effects.

Recommended.

Anger is a tricky thing to talk about constructively with others.
This book deserves a number of re reads as it contains many great insights.

[Ed Barton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughtful Reflections

A book with a number of excerpts from the Buddhist tradition on anger and anger management. A short book that will make you think, and deeply reflect, on your own perspectives on anger and frustration. A very deep, wise read.

[Tyler Gianluca Laos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really sure why I didn't like it that much. Maybe I'm not beyond anger lol I just felt it was too general and had too many "you should, you must, etc." without showing much of the ways to do it. I don't know, I just saw it as something incomplete…

[Nicholas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent Runthrough

The book goes through a lot of conversational type items regarding anger, many of it quite fundamental. It's a good read. They have a good voice to the text. I wish there were ideations with reality and less superficial.

I've read this book a few times now.

[Felix Sax · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beyond explaining angers structure

It's a philosophy book, it does not actually talk about anger, nor guide through it. Simply put, it will lecture you on how you could be less angry.

[Nikos · Rating 2 out of 5]

Five different writers .
The first one's text is worth reading. But I can't say the same for the rest of the book.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

There are better books on Buddhist practice and thought (in my opinion.) A pdf would allow saving only desired pages.

[Vicki G]

I can see that so many "stubborn" people have been swayed by kindness, open-mindedness and understanding; like the people in Congress and the Senate?
I don't think so.
I've never seen ANYone that bad who responds to milk and honey. In fact for the last 4 years I've seen some people try open-mindedness, compromise and everything else under the sun, and they still hate him now as much as they did then.
Some people are so far beyond any hope of acting like a human being that they become depressing to even contemplate. It feels like they're a gargantuan weight of no hope hanging around your neck and trying to drag you into their pit of despair.
It makes that saying 'Hate never ends through hatred, by love alone will it end,' pretty hard to keep believing.
If it weren't for the fact that I knew someone who believed 'As long as there's life there's hope,' I would have lost all my hope last week.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not, at least for me, a book to, rush through. Anger is a tricky subject, it's cunning and has lots of variations. This collection gives a taste of compassion for many of those variations. I would certainly benefit from re-reading it and following the paths (to larger works referenced herein) which I find that I am resisting.

[Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure if the selection is uneven or if I simply lack the grounding in Buddhism to grasp some of the concepts. Even so, a few pearls of wisdom were found within the texts. The first selection is the most interesting and also the longest. The selections became increasingly less accessible to non-Buddhists as the book progressed, ending with translated passages from age-old texts.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short work on the affects that anger has on the mind and the heart. It gives me food for thought on how to deal with my anger in many of life's everday situations. It also helps when you try to come to grips with the many apparent injustices that happen all the time around the world and are seen in the nightly news broadcasts. 4*

[Hyacinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I am not a Buddhist, I really enjoyed this short power packed book on anger and the spirit of anger. It caused me to think about anger, how I deal with it and the effects of it. I don't think I will ever see anger in the same light again. The wisdom is simple and yet profound.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

These essays and excerpts are of varying quality. I think there are better readings on anger out there. Kornfield's selection is the most useful and inspirational about dealing with issues related to violence in the world.

[Sean Crawford sr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK. For me personally it is has been a great help in understanding when I am angry and how to channel the energy into the positive. I recommend it to all.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise I production to several other texts offering guidance on productively channeling anger. I plan on following up with some of the source material.

[Walter Wartenweiler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about the positive and negative powers of anger and how to make the difference by gently shining the light of your presence on it.

[Alonzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short reads on anger and releasing it

There are various writers' work here, but they all have one common objective: help people get out of anger and into peace.