How to manage anger and fear

I just listened to this Ram Dass talk about anger, fear and how to deal with fear. The entire talk on anger and fear is here. I also highly recommend the documentary “Becoming Nobody” which I’m working hard on.

Ram Dass talked about his Buddhist master who would tell him “love everyone and tell the truth”.

He honestly responded he can’t love everyone. In fact he hated the monks he was with. He was right and they were wrong because they “had so many problems”.

Every time we are angry we push against something. We separate ourselves.

When we want to be right and then get angry we cut ourselves from people.

Anger is the result of fear and fear is the result of ignorance. Ignorance that we are not seeing ourselves as part of the whole universe.

Babies don’t get depressed. Trees don’t have fears of deforestation. They have undifferentiated awareness or no awareness. Baby hasn’t been told to “be someone yet” or “who he is” by others.

Ram Dass’ advice is unsurprisingly to observe and sit with the fears and anger as it happens but not to focus on it. Be aware that you are much more than your anger and your fears. Remember that part of you that is never afraid, like the tree or the baby.

Being free is to let go of your need to be right, your anger and your fears.

You think you are vulnerable but you only think you are. Your happiness embraces your sadness. Your love embraces your hate. Observe them and always take the broad view. Don’t push anything away.

Meditate to learn to observe and see the broad view.

Listening to “Impossible Shamanic voice” as I wrote this, I would love to learn throat singing. I think I will just try it as I have no fears now anymore.