You Will Be Punished By Your Anger?

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger. — Buddha

Anger is real, and there are times that anger is justified, such as anger at injustice.

But I don’t think the latter is the anger Buddha is referencing.

As a parent, and now as a grandparent, I see outbursts of anger and wonder how do I teach control of anger without stymieing the outlet of emotion that is natural and healthy. Going along with that is how do I control my own anger and frustration. I don’t think I’m alone in my struggles, and I’m sure there are many “raising children” books about the subject. Maybe we need a “raising grandfather” book.

Yet, what Buddha says rings true. How many times have I come forth with a burst of anger and regretted what I said or did?

Anger is one of those emotions that does damage the longer it stays with you, where love heals the longer it stays.

Maybe the key is to breathe in love, and exhale anger every chance I get. Sorry, I sound like my Yoga instructor.

I think when it comes to teaching children Buddha’s words are a good place to start. Come to think about it, it’s a good place for me to start, too.

 

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About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.