108. Transcending Anger

Krishna says, "For those who are free of desire and anger, mind controlled, and self realised, are completely liberated both in this world and in the beyond" (5.26). The question is how to be free from the malady of desire and madness of anger. Every cyclone has a calm eye or centre. Similarly, our cyclone of desire and anger too has a desireless and wrathless centre within us and it's about reaching that centre. This requires courage to drop 'I' which is the basic ingredient of desire. One effective technique offered is to re-live and witness a situation from the past where we were gripped by desire or anger. Repeat the same with the improved awareness that, 'the self is the self in all beings and different people perceive One Reality in different ways.' Indian traditions call life 'Leela' i.e. just a play and there is nothing worth taking seriously. The second technique is to live for 7-10 days as if we are in a drama taking nothing seriously and in a festive mood. Experience desire and anger as an actor borrows them in a play. Once one gets a hang of them, one can slowly learn to drop desire and anger even in the present moment when one is struck with sensory perceptions of pleasure and pain, which is nothing but the liberation and ultimate freedom here and now. The final step is surrender to the paramatma and Krishna coming as paramatma says that having realized Me as the enjoyer of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all the worlds and the selfless friend of all living beings, My devotee attains peace (5.29). This completes the fifth chapter of the Gita known as 'karma sanyasa yoga' or 'Union through renunciation of the fruits of action.'