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Freedom from Anger: Understanding It, Overcoming It, and Finding Joy
Extinguish anger forever and find true happiness with this step-by-step guide.
Anger is a potent poison that ruins health and damages relationships. In today’s world of Twitter feuds, road rage, and internet trolls, it is all too easy for anger to grab hold of us.
This timely book offers practical advice on how to put aside anger and ego and embrace laughter and reason. Like a friendly family physician, Venerable Sumanasara helps you see what triggers your anger, what affect it has on you, and what you can do about it. Maybe you have trouble at work or at home, maybe you had a difficult childhood, or maybe you just get angry in traffic. In short, bite-sized chapters, he offers wisdom, along with a laugh, that you can use.
Drawing on easy-to-follow metaphors and parables from a variety of cultural traditions, in an accessible, conversational style free of dogma, Venerable Sumanasara shows us how to manage our emotions so that we can lead healthier, happier lives finally freed from anger.
Anger is a potent poison that ruins health and damages relationships. In today’s world of Twitter feuds, road rage, and internet trolls, it is all too easy for anger to grab hold of us.
This timely book offers practical advice on how to put aside anger and ego and embrace laughter and reason. Like a friendly family physician, Venerable Sumanasara helps you see what triggers your anger, what affect it has on you, and what you can do about it. Maybe you have trouble at work or at home, maybe you had a difficult childhood, or maybe you just get angry in traffic. In short, bite-sized chapters, he offers wisdom, along with a laugh, that you can use.
Drawing on easy-to-follow metaphors and parables from a variety of cultural traditions, in an accessible, conversational style free of dogma, Venerable Sumanasara shows us how to manage our emotions so that we can lead healthier, happier lives finally freed from anger.
- GenresNonfiction
144 pages, Paperback
First published June 9, 2015
4 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 23, 2025
ego is what sepparates the world in me, and not me. the ultimate stalinism: destroying the ego
March 15, 2015
(I was given a free advance copy of this book in return for an honest review by the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions in this review are mine and mine alone.)
It’s an amusing paradox that a book about anger could create a level of frustration, almost anger, in its readers, yet that was my experience while reading Freedom from Anger: Understanding It, Overcoming It, and Finding Joy by Venerable Alubomulle Sumanasara. I had to quickly come to terms with the fact that Sumanasara and I have very different belief systems around anger. He presents his system with a moral certitude of being right, yet being right is something he addresses within the work as an underlying cause of anger. As I continued reading, I was able to think of countless examples where his belief system did not hold up to real world challenges.
The author seems as though he lives in a world of moral absolutes. He believes that everything is worth being happy about in life, and therefore there is no justification for anger. However, I can very easily think of evidence to the contrary. Despite his graduate studies in Buddhism, Sumanasara seems to be lacking in knowledge of basic psychology regarding anger. The author also contends that we get angry because we believe we are right. While there are times when this is true, I believe that overall, this concept oversimplifies anger far too much.
As I read the book, I began thinking of it as Vulcan Buddhism. Sumanasara seems to function under a belief system where emotions are illogical: He believes that anger can be controlled by logic. However, we are humans, and we are not fully logical. We are also emotional. Our emotions, both positive and negative, are an integral part of our being.
When Sumanasara began discussing using the silent treatment as punishment, he lost my respect completely. At 45% of the way through the text, I quit reading the book. I was not learning anything useful from the book, and I was becoming more and more disheartened with each passing page. If I hadn't been reviewing the book, I would have stopped long beforehand. Freedom from Anger is definitely not a book that is in line with my healing philosophies nor would I recommend it to a client.
(A longer review can be found on my blog.)
It’s an amusing paradox that a book about anger could create a level of frustration, almost anger, in its readers, yet that was my experience while reading Freedom from Anger: Understanding It, Overcoming It, and Finding Joy by Venerable Alubomulle Sumanasara. I had to quickly come to terms with the fact that Sumanasara and I have very different belief systems around anger. He presents his system with a moral certitude of being right, yet being right is something he addresses within the work as an underlying cause of anger. As I continued reading, I was able to think of countless examples where his belief system did not hold up to real world challenges.
The author seems as though he lives in a world of moral absolutes. He believes that everything is worth being happy about in life, and therefore there is no justification for anger. However, I can very easily think of evidence to the contrary. Despite his graduate studies in Buddhism, Sumanasara seems to be lacking in knowledge of basic psychology regarding anger. The author also contends that we get angry because we believe we are right. While there are times when this is true, I believe that overall, this concept oversimplifies anger far too much.
As I read the book, I began thinking of it as Vulcan Buddhism. Sumanasara seems to function under a belief system where emotions are illogical: He believes that anger can be controlled by logic. However, we are humans, and we are not fully logical. We are also emotional. Our emotions, both positive and negative, are an integral part of our being.
When Sumanasara began discussing using the silent treatment as punishment, he lost my respect completely. At 45% of the way through the text, I quit reading the book. I was not learning anything useful from the book, and I was becoming more and more disheartened with each passing page. If I hadn't been reviewing the book, I would have stopped long beforehand. Freedom from Anger is definitely not a book that is in line with my healing philosophies nor would I recommend it to a client.
(A longer review can be found on my blog.)
October 21, 2025
Anger is a choice. When we free ourselves from anger we become stronger.
September 30, 2019
I get most angry when defenseless living beings are abused and can’t stick up for themselves. Think animals, children, adults in situations like the Holocaust or slavery.
And in those cases, anger is conversely related to how much the person who is abusing the other is open to having their way changed.
That wasn’t addressed in this book. If anything, abuse of animals is discussed casually as being something that aids in the beauty of life (I.e. “some eat snakes, others eat pigs, it’s all relaaaaative bro” kind of argument).
Or as one human/animal rights activist said, we often think of anger/raising our voices as being done by someone who is clearly in the wrong and out of control. But most often, people raise their voices when they have something that they need another person to hear but the other person ignores them.” And at certain points, that’s the authors solution for dealing with angry people (along with a couple others). Ignore the person, regardless of any of their points. I don’t know how profound of a teaching that is l, to be honest.
I don’t feel the same way reading Thích Nhat Hanh’s work on anger or Right Speech/communication. I always come out of his works feeling refreshed, less angry, while no excuses for animal or human cruelty is provided.
And in those cases, anger is conversely related to how much the person who is abusing the other is open to having their way changed.
That wasn’t addressed in this book. If anything, abuse of animals is discussed casually as being something that aids in the beauty of life (I.e. “some eat snakes, others eat pigs, it’s all relaaaaative bro” kind of argument).
Or as one human/animal rights activist said, we often think of anger/raising our voices as being done by someone who is clearly in the wrong and out of control. But most often, people raise their voices when they have something that they need another person to hear but the other person ignores them.” And at certain points, that’s the authors solution for dealing with angry people (along with a couple others). Ignore the person, regardless of any of their points. I don’t know how profound of a teaching that is l, to be honest.
I don’t feel the same way reading Thích Nhat Hanh’s work on anger or Right Speech/communication. I always come out of his works feeling refreshed, less angry, while no excuses for animal or human cruelty is provided.
September 6, 2019
This is a helpful book on anger, learning anger and its so many different forms. It's very easy to read and not so in depth but full of wisdom the same time.
September 7, 2015
I like to consider myself a very happy person in general but I, as well as most of us, can admit that many things in life set me off and make me angry. I don’t like being angry and honestly try to keep my emotions in control as best as I can, but when I can’t, I feel a loss of control and a sense of unraveling that bothers me greatly. It’s this loss of control that has brought me to the realization that I need to find ways to keep my anger in check, to not let the little things in life bother me so much. I was hoping that by reading Freedom From Anger I might gain some useful tools and strategies in dealing with my anger and the things that set it off.
The author, Alubomulle Sumanasara is a Buddhist monk who’s been schooled in the Theravada tradition and has written many books regarding the practical application of Buddhist thought and practice. There were some things I really liked about this book; he writes in short chapters offering his wisdom and insight in a very light and sometimes humorous fashion which makes it a fast, easy. I also liked his section titled “Different Forms of Anger” in which he gives clear cut descriptions of the different types of anger and where they stem from. I was able to easily identify which category I fall under and his examples of things that set off this type of anger was pretty accurate. Throughout the book I was able to gain some valuable insight into what long-term anger and resentment does to a person and then different ways to cope with letting that go. What I did not learn though was how to deal with and interpret the initial anger itself. His philosophy is one in which he states “Simply do not become angry”, he goes even farther by saying “The feelings of being insulted, abused, beaten, or stolen from are all nonsense”. At this point I came to a screeching halt and thought to myself, he cannot seriously being saying this! How can he possibly mean that these feelings are nonsense? Does he expect us to walk around in today’s world and let ourselves be abused and taken advantage of by others and then simply decide not to be angry because it’s all nonsense? The more I read, the more I realized that yes; this is in fact what he expects us to do. I was really disappointed by this; I don’t want someone telling me I shouldn’t be angry, that it makes me weak and ignorant. I wanted to find ways in order to process that anger and let it go.
The more I continued reading the more I realized why his beliefs and practices won’t work. He applies all his reasoning to his Buddhist teachings, giving examples of how they deal with aggressors within their community and how they strive to live each day full of joy and actively choosing to be free from anger. His chapter on “Responding to Angry People” was truly mind boggling. The Buddhist way is to ignore the offender completely thus causing total social isolation. This becomes so unbearable for the aggressor that they eventually see the error of their way and make an apology. Sumanasara is asking us to adopt this philosophy in our everyday life but that just isn’t’ realistic. His ideas would only work in a society in which everyone was adhering to this same policy. What if I was walking down the street late at night and someone came up behind me with the intent to cause me serious harm. Am I supposed to ignore them and they will eventually stop and ask for forgiveness? No, of course not! We, as women, have been taught to fight, kick, scream and yes; become extremely angry in a situation like this.
In my opinion, anger is absolutely ok in our lives, without it you’re just a doormat. It’s about finding that balance of not letting the anger eat at you, about being able to forgive and not hold a grudge because if you do your life becomes consumed and therefore there’s no room for happiness. This is where Sumanasara and I do agree. I think there are some pretty powerful points in this book but I also think it will be up to each individual reader to determine how much of what he is saying applies to how they live their lives and what they believe about our basic human nature.
**I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the publisher, Wisdom Publications and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**
The author, Alubomulle Sumanasara is a Buddhist monk who’s been schooled in the Theravada tradition and has written many books regarding the practical application of Buddhist thought and practice. There were some things I really liked about this book; he writes in short chapters offering his wisdom and insight in a very light and sometimes humorous fashion which makes it a fast, easy. I also liked his section titled “Different Forms of Anger” in which he gives clear cut descriptions of the different types of anger and where they stem from. I was able to easily identify which category I fall under and his examples of things that set off this type of anger was pretty accurate. Throughout the book I was able to gain some valuable insight into what long-term anger and resentment does to a person and then different ways to cope with letting that go. What I did not learn though was how to deal with and interpret the initial anger itself. His philosophy is one in which he states “Simply do not become angry”, he goes even farther by saying “The feelings of being insulted, abused, beaten, or stolen from are all nonsense”. At this point I came to a screeching halt and thought to myself, he cannot seriously being saying this! How can he possibly mean that these feelings are nonsense? Does he expect us to walk around in today’s world and let ourselves be abused and taken advantage of by others and then simply decide not to be angry because it’s all nonsense? The more I read, the more I realized that yes; this is in fact what he expects us to do. I was really disappointed by this; I don’t want someone telling me I shouldn’t be angry, that it makes me weak and ignorant. I wanted to find ways in order to process that anger and let it go.
The more I continued reading the more I realized why his beliefs and practices won’t work. He applies all his reasoning to his Buddhist teachings, giving examples of how they deal with aggressors within their community and how they strive to live each day full of joy and actively choosing to be free from anger. His chapter on “Responding to Angry People” was truly mind boggling. The Buddhist way is to ignore the offender completely thus causing total social isolation. This becomes so unbearable for the aggressor that they eventually see the error of their way and make an apology. Sumanasara is asking us to adopt this philosophy in our everyday life but that just isn’t’ realistic. His ideas would only work in a society in which everyone was adhering to this same policy. What if I was walking down the street late at night and someone came up behind me with the intent to cause me serious harm. Am I supposed to ignore them and they will eventually stop and ask for forgiveness? No, of course not! We, as women, have been taught to fight, kick, scream and yes; become extremely angry in a situation like this.
In my opinion, anger is absolutely ok in our lives, without it you’re just a doormat. It’s about finding that balance of not letting the anger eat at you, about being able to forgive and not hold a grudge because if you do your life becomes consumed and therefore there’s no room for happiness. This is where Sumanasara and I do agree. I think there are some pretty powerful points in this book but I also think it will be up to each individual reader to determine how much of what he is saying applies to how they live their lives and what they believe about our basic human nature.
**I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book from the publisher, Wisdom Publications and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review**
February 15, 2015
Very beautiful this collection of thought of the venerable Sumansara, Buddhist Monk. The analysis of the anger in its various forms and the difference that the Buddhists and the West in the mode to manage it, were for me two of the key things that I learned from this book. Clear and full of useful tips to recognize and deal with the anger for what it is i.e. a destructive emotion.
Molto bella questa raccolta del pensiero del venerabile Sumansara, monaco buddista. L'analisi della rabbia nelle sue varie forme e la differenza che i buddisti e l'occidente mettono in luce nella modalitá di gestirla, sono state per me due tra le cose fondamentali che ho imparato da questo libro. Chiaro e pieno di utili suggerimenti per riconoscere e trattare la rabbia per quello che é e cioé un'emozione distruttiva.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND WISDOM PUBLICATIONS FOR THE PREVIEW!
Molto bella questa raccolta del pensiero del venerabile Sumansara, monaco buddista. L'analisi della rabbia nelle sue varie forme e la differenza che i buddisti e l'occidente mettono in luce nella modalitá di gestirla, sono state per me due tra le cose fondamentali che ho imparato da questo libro. Chiaro e pieno di utili suggerimenti per riconoscere e trattare la rabbia per quello che é e cioé un'emozione distruttiva.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND WISDOM PUBLICATIONS FOR THE PREVIEW!
May 6, 2016
I picked up this book, at random and thought that it would help me with my journey of self improvement, I've been told that I only seem to have two emotions "Pissed and Not Pissed"....I admit that I'm not a very open person and have become a little "hardened" due to a very ruff child hood. Acquiring survival skills are great, until you realize that you aren't using them at your discretion or when it isn't necessary. However, one thing that I have come to realize recently is that I do not in anyway want to come off as "Bitter", past hurt and pain can sometimes transfer onto new friendships and relationships; with that being said, this book was very useful and insightful, I actually handed it to a friend of mine who rarely reads and they immediately read the first 40 pages. I would recommend it to anyone that is trying to let go.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews