Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita says, just as the fire loses its luster in smoke and the mirror gets covered in dust, the same way the charming personality of a person gets covered with dust if the fire of anger rages within him. The goodness of the person is not visible then. One must extinguish this destructive fire of anger even before it arises but how?

Fire Annihilates the Originator

A fire may look beautiful initially when it is ignited, but as it grows bigger it is surrounded by smoke, it causes suffocation, and can be hazardous for anyone or anything nearby. In the same way, a person looks charming and pleasant when he is in his usual calm state but when the fire of anger rises within it consumes his natural luster. In anger a person does not look pretty and appears devilish in nature. He loses his ability to think and act rationally. Thus, one must understand the science and psychology of anger and remain watchful.

When a fire is lit it burns its origin. To understand this, think of how does a matchstick burn. When you strike the matchstick against the matchbox a fire arises. With this fire one may light a candle or a stove or a campfire but within a few seconds the matchstick itself is consumed by the fire and turns into ash. Similarly, whenever, and however anger emerges in a person, it destroys the originator too. It is an obvious reality and therefore it is too dangerous to keep this fire of anger burning. Anger must be managed as soon as it arises else it is going to cause irreparable damage to both the source of anger and those around the angry person.

Stay Away from this Fire

Whatever you do while under the influence of anger, remember it will take the form of a devil. It may harm anyone else or not but will certainly destroy you. That is why beware of this fire and stay away from anger. We have within us innumerable abilities to curb the fire of anger and keep it under control. Maharajshri in His lecture on anger management mentioned that the first step is to step away from the cause of anger. Anger emerges sometimes due to desires, sometime due to other people’s behavior and sometimes due to frustration. It is very necessary to take care of such situations by using your own conscience. Secondly, learn to submit sometimes and adjust, think wisely. This will give rise to affection and empathy in you. You may win over anger with politeness to give way to peace and harmony in your own life.

Protect Yourself from This Fire

Being happy and being angry do not go together. The best way to keep anger at bay is to stay calm, relaxed, meditate every day and eat a healthy balanced diet. If a person remains happy and keeps on smiling, chances are that he will be protected from anger. A fire can be extinguished by pouring water on it. Likewise, the fire of anger remains under control if one drinks plenty of water. A person can ward off anger by being organized and following a healthy balanced diet. Wake up early in the morning and go out to enjoy a nature walk. Do your work on time and do not postpone today’s work until the next day. Avoid getting entangled in unnecessary talk or situations. Do not enhance bitterness by talking bitter with anyone. Try to remain peaceful, even if someone tries to gaslight you. Adopt forgiveness and move on.

Fearlessness extinguishes the Fire of Anger

Anger is the natural response to fear and there could be endless causes of fear in each human being. Fear could trigger a fire of anger, but there are some steps that can help a person overcome fear and prevent the fire of anger from igniting. Courage and confidence are antagonists of fear. Maharajshri says, one must consciously train his mind to think positive, improve self-talk and build his courage and self-confidence. Daily meditations, deep breathing exercises and positive affirmations will all make one fearless. This fearlessness works like an extinguishing agent and does not let any fire of anger burn. Controlling anger is very important because it can have long-term damaging effects and no matter how hard one tries; he will face anger once in his lifetime. So better to be prepared than be sorry later. Let not the fire of anger ignite at all and if ignited then be ready to extinguish it at the earliest.

Hence, be positive, be calm, be adjusting, be forgiving, be fearless and you will be able to extinguish the fire of anger.