The Daily Enlightenment

From BuddhaNet

There are many things we have to learn. But there are not "too many" things-the number is just right despite it being astronomical. This is because what we ought to learn, we ought to learn. It is crucial then, that we live sharply and mindfully, moving quickly through the school of life, learning lessons properly and promptly, paying attention to the details going through the mind, being honest and undefensive to oneself and the world. Life is short. This makes learning quickly and moving on quickly important. This is where the practice of effort and energy comes in. For example, if you know you have a bad temper, read about it, meditate on it... ask others about it. Do the following:

1. Truly recognise the state of anger.
2. Truly recognise its causes.
3. Truly recognise what angerlessness is-peace and calm.
4. Truly recognise the path that leads to angerlessness and walk it.

Sometimes, the anger returns-but if you are able to recognize it each time, resolving it becomes easier and faster. That, if you had noticed, is the formula according to the structure of the Four Noble Truths-it is the universal problem-solving approach. It is possible for us to train ourselves such that we can quickly run through this formula within our minds within seconds when anger arises. As soon as anger arises, it can diminish into non-existence. Don't believe it? Here's a scenario:

1. Someone blames you for something.
2. You hear it and anger arises. (takes 1/2 second to be recognised if mindful enough)
3. You recognise its cause. (takes 1/2 second)
4. You remember how you should be-angerless and calm (takes 1/2 second)
5. You search for the yourself there and then and realise that there is no one "person" angry-there is just an attachment to an unreal self. (takes 2 seconds)

You see? Took only 3.5 seconds. It can be done. Pretty soon if you mastered this, you can hardly get angry generally. The only difficult part is being mindful-extinguishing the volcano of anger before it erupts.