When anger comes

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Three days ago, I returned to Jakarta due to family matters. From Bali, I used a motorbike which took quite a long time. When he arrived in Jakarta, the situation was still the same as before. Congestion in the capital is like an incurable disease. This is because of the increasing urbanization every year. People in Jakarta also do not have a good awareness so the atmosphere of the city is even more cloudy.

While driving on the road, suddenly a motorcycle overtook me from my left. I was so shocked and almost cursed. The motorcyclist was a young man around 25 years old with a woman riding on the back of the motorcycle. Not long after, I met another motorcyclist who had overtaken me but was in front of me. At that time the road was jammed. He did it again at high speed.

Someone he overtook was also shocked, but with emotion chased the young man and kicked him to the ground. There was a fight between them. The young man and woman he was riding with were seriously injured by another driver's kick. I tried to separate their fight, and they stopped.

After things calmed down, they agreed to make peace. They also agreed to compensate each other. I think the highways in the city of Jakarta are still the same. Too many demons here. A person's anger can become a conflict that may threaten a person's life. When I got home, I remembered what I had seen. I also remembered that I too had been overcome by anger.

When anger came over me, it felt torturous in my chest. In theory, anger is an emotional reaction that arises in us because of a situation that we cannot accept. Anger can result in harsh words, destructive actions, or even hurting others. When anger comes to us, we are like people who are possessed by the devil. Personality, tone of voice, and body feature change. After the anger goes away, we sometimes become confused about what happened before.

From the research, I have found that anger arises from both external and internal resistance. External and internal rejection will create tension that leads to anger. Both of these rejections usually come together with a desire to change. The desire to change is so strong, that everything is done to change. No wonder there are acts of violence and even murder when anger comes.

Anger can also arise because of the values we believe in being despised by others. For example, if something very personal and important is violated by others, this will trigger anger inside. And the most painful thing is, anger wrapped with regret and a sense of one's helplessness. That is people who hate themselves. This can result in suicide.

Know, my friend. When you are angry, you are poisoning your body. If you realize it, your blood pressure will increase when anger takes over you. Your heart will beat very fast when anger overwhelms you. I am reminded of the adage that says "anger is a poison that we have swallowed, but we expect others to feel it". In other words, anger is stupidity.

Here I conclude that people who suffer from anger are caused by wrong ways of thinking. If you know or practice ZEN, then you know how to relieve suffering from anger, because ZEN practitioners understand the world as it is with full awareness. Therefore, the role of awareness is so important. When anger arises, we just need to observe it gently. Wisdom and awareness we can get by this gentle observation.

Don't judge people by their anger. Because angry people are becoming different people. It's useless if you judge someone from that kind of situation. Angry people are people who are suffering. Angry people don't need to be judged. All they need is our love, understanding, and wisdom.