Good morning friends
I remember reading somewhere, “Every time you get upset at something, ask yourself if you were to die tomorrow, was it worth wasting your time getting angry”. Unfortunately, we often forget to ask ourselves this question when we are angry. We are so much carried away by the energy of the anger; by the feeling, nay, conviction, that we are right and the other person is wrong, that we totally ignore this truth even if we remember it. I am no exception to this human tendency. Very often, we waste our energy in getting angry about minor issues, which, in the long run, have no importance. But if we forget about this and allow ourselves to be consumed by the anger, we say or do things that can have a long lasting negative impact and it can even harm our relationships with our loved ones.
If we seriously consider the fact which Osho always stresses upon, “ Death is just round the corner! “, then would we waste time in anger? Or would we choose to forgive the mistakes of others ( and also ourselves ) and focus on spending time in love and harmony ?
Of course, this is true only for those situations which will not be of any importance over a period of time. In certain circumstances, which have long term implications, we may consciously choose to show our anger or dissatisfaction, but then, that will be a conscious decision, so we can choose our words and actions carefully and not get hijacked by the anger.
In the early days of my cancer diagnosis, it was very easy for me to follow this advice, because with a diagnosis like cancer, you never know how many days you have left. So you tend to concentrate on the intrinsic values like love and harmony and tend to ignore the differences of opinions with others. As time has passed however, I no more have this feeling of death being round the corner, and I find that I have to remind myself about the truth of this advice. But following a spiritual practice on a regular basis can be really helpful in reminding yourself about this valuable advice. When you practise meditation or any other spiritual practice regularly, even when you get angry, it is easier to let go of the anger, in a shorter time. Spiritual gurus generally advise that you should resolve your differences, especially with your loved ones, before you go to sleep or before you step out of the house; because you never know what can happen during sleep or when you are away from your loved ones.
I hope that we can remember this valuable advice during our disagreements and learn to resolve our differences before going to sleep.
Love,
Anjali Bhatawdekar
