Anger: The Seven Deadly Sins

Unlike what the Western world is taught about anger, that it is part of our emotional landscape therefore out of our control, Thurman makes sense when suggesting to us that anger is actually a concept, an acceptance that our anger is within our control because it's a behavior we choose rather than an emotion we cannot avoid. Great read, it's another branch of the mind/body connection. Would highly recommend this book for anyone, to read with your adolescents too.

The jewel in the crown of the New York Public Library's uneven 7 Deadly Sins series, Robert Thurman's book on anger is both erudite (although the erudition is worn easily) and wise (a rare commodity these days). Thurman's erudition comes through in his masterful survey of western and eastern philosophical and religious reflections on anger. His wisdom is evident in his prescriptions for transmuting anger into patience and then compassion. Thurman leans heavily on the 8th century Buddhist sage Shantideva. Since most of his western readers will probably be unfamiliar with Shantideva (I certainly was), the book offers a refreshing alternative to conventional western thinking about anger. The west has frequently distinguished between "good" and "bad" anger, with the former being what's commonly called "righteous" or "justified" anger. Righteous anger is displayed (and thereby legitimized) by the Hebraic Jehovah and by Jesus (in the Temple, for example), and non-Christian philosophers such as Aristotle have praised it. (The Roman Stoic Seneca stands almost alone in refusing to defend anger as occasionally righteous.) Given this assumption that anger at times is morally legitimate and even obligatory, the question for the west then becomes one of determining under what conditions it's morally appropriate to display anger. The tragedy, however, is that overt displays of anger have a tendency to degenerate into violence and destruction. Thurman takes a different approach to anger. His starting point is the Buddha's claim that humans tend to suffer from "self-addiction," the obsessive delusion that we possess a self which is absolute and independent. This delusion gives rise to desire-addiction, in which one tries to acquire and control as much of reality as one can: objects, power, reputation, etc. But the sheer impossibility of ever acquiring as much stuff as our desire-addiction craves leads to a chronic state of anger: "anger at the universe for resisting being incorporated into oneself" (p. 53). We may at times disguise this anger as "righteous indignation," but it in fact is always a negative emotion born of fear and unsatisfied craving. Anger is a symptom of what Thurman's fellow Buddhist Thich Nhat Hanh would call "ill-being." The opposite of anger, writes Thurman, is love and compassion. But for most of us, the leap from the resentful anger caused by unsatisfied craving to love and compassion is too great. So Thurman, following Shantideva, recommends the intermediate cultivation of patience, which in turn encourages tolerance, forbearance, and forgiveness. The hope is that eventually the fiery energy that all-too-often fuels anger will eventually fuel a compassionate desire to alleviate the suffering of all sentient beings. One can address the injustices of the world with the energy of anger but not its violence, fearfulness, or destructiveness. But how to cultivate patience? This is where the wisdom of Thurman's book shi

Anger can indeed be deadly, to those who experience this strong emotion as well as to those on the receiving end of its expression. It can be very diffcult to know how to cope with the feelings of anger one may have, and to control the vocal or physical expression of emotions that in themselves are difficult to control. Often we justify our anger; sometimes we let it go unbridled to its extreme. Robert Thurman's book on Anger is giving me tools for understanding this strong emotion, from which I have suffered greatly over the years, and have caused others to suffer, as well. He is also giving me ways to become more aware of the nature of anger and its alternative expressions, so I might be more able to keep myself from uncontrolled and insensitive expression of that anger. Dr. Thurman communicates his belief that it is in fact possible to completely extinguish negative emotons such as anger, and their expression, permanently, replacing them with compassionate thoughts and behavior. Dr. Thurman utilizes extensively the Indian master Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life to this end. I have been studying and practicing ways to be more caring and compassionate, generally, and Robert Thurman's book is an enlightening and inspiring addition to my endeavors.

This book wasn't as hard to read as I thought it to be (I don't usually read books on philosophy and psychology, though my interest in the seven sins urged me to read this book). The author opens this book by saying he's angry at anger, but by being angry, it has already defeated him. So appearantly anger (or wrath, as most people, including myself, refer to it as) can only be defeated by ceasing to be angry. The author lays out a plan to the reader to defeat anger: The Buddhist Plan. He personifies anger as being a force that turns its victims into zombies and pits them against each other; it is the `real enemy'. According to Buddhism, he says, the best way to defeat anger is to not destroy it, but instead build a tolerance to its supposed causes, and then take the energy that would be angry energy and use it in for more positive forms. The first couple of chapters are relatively easy to read; they examine both Western and Buddhist views of anger, and how one views it as a vital part of human nature, while the other considers it more a delusion. Then as the author moves on in explaining Buddhist methods, the text delves deeper into the psychological mechanics of anger, providing a bit more challenging read, though probably fascinating for people into psychology, religion, and self-help.

This book was a recommendation, and I have enoyed reading the book and am looking forward to completing the entire series. Thank you!!!