Medical doctors say there is not an illness known to man that is not influenced by his emotions. This makes it even more important for us to be able to control what we think and feel. And as we know it is not possible for us to be both peaceful and angry at the same time, we have to control our negative and aggressive emotions better. Anger being a more aggressive emotion throws peace out. As long as we are angry and resentful we cannot be happy.
Little vicious minds abound with anger and revenge, and are incapable of feeling the pleasure of forgiving their enemies.
— CHESTERFIELD
When you harbour anger, hate and resentment within you, your heart and mind get totally enslaved by your emotions. Your perceptions change and you see hostility everywhere, even where it does not exist. Remember, you see in others what you have in you, and when you have hostile feelings within you, you find them everywhere and in everyone, and all your relationships get affected and contaminated. You get further pushed into your bitter thoughts. You get trapped in your own prison of negative emotions and as long as negative emotions dominate your mind no peaceful thought is allowed to enter it. When you perceive others to be hostile towards you, you automatically have the same feelings for them. What you perceive is the only truth for you irrespective of what it really is. When you are filled with anger and resentment and can only think of the wrong that has been done to you then this will make you see wrong even where it does not exist. The quality of your life and health will get eroded and you will find it difficult to see well anywhere. This will reinforce your anger and resentment further.
Buddha has said, ‘Hatred does not cease hatred at any time. Hatred ceases through love. This is an unalterable law.’
Lincoln was one of the most denounced, hated and insulted man in American history, yet he never held a grudge against his critics. He even appointed them to senior positions if he thought they were suitable for them. Lincoln, according to Herndon, his law partner, thought that as we were all products of our circumstances we should not be eulogized or censured for our actions.
Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, and the waste of spirit. — HPSNNA More
Now just pause for a while and think, when you hate someone you lose out so much in mind, body and relationships, while the source of your all-powerful negative emotions sits pretty, totally unaffected by your anger, hate and resentment. Does your enemy care if you are simmering inside? In fact he could be happy to see you miserable. When you suffer, he wins. Do you really want to give him the power to dominate your life as much and spoil it so?
Let us never waste a minute thinking about people we don’t like. — EISENHOWER
