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6 EASTERN HORIZON | LEAD ARTICLE

more deeply we practice patience, the less chance there causes. We may curse inanimate things like the weather,
will be for anger to arise. Practicing patience is the best but it is with animate beings that we most often get
way to avoid getting angry. angry. If we further analyze these animate causes that
make us unhappy, we find that they are themselves
Now, let’s talk about love. In my opinion, all beings, influenced by other conditions. They are not making
starting with humans, appreciate love. Valuing love is us angry simply because they want to. In this respect,
a spontaneous feeling. Even animals like the people because they are influenced by other conditions they are
who are kind to them. When someone looks at you in fact powerless; so there is no need to get angry with
with a loving expression, it makes you feel happy, does them.
it not? Love is a quality that is esteemed throughout
all humanity, in all religions. Every religion, including Never thinking: ‘Now I will be angry,’
Buddhism, describes its founder above all in terms of People are impulsively caught up in anger;
his capacity to love. Religions that talk about a Creator Irritation, likewise, comes
refer to his mercy. And the main quality of the Buddhist Though never plans to be experienced!
refuge is love. Every injury whatever,
The whole variety of evil deeds:
When we describe a Pure Land filled with the presence All arise induced by circumstances,
of love, people feel like going there. But were we to None are independent and autonomous
describe those Pure Lands as places of warfare and Yet these causes have no thought
fighting, people would no longer feel any desire to be Of bringing something into being;
reborn in such a place. People naturally value love and And that which is produced thereby,
dislike harmful feelings and actions such as resentment, Being mindless, has no thought of being so.
anger, fighting, stealing, coveting others’ possessions, Those who harm me come against me:
and wishing to harm others. So if love is something that Summoned by my evil karma.
all human beings like, it is certainly something that we They will be the ones who go to hell,
can develop if we make the effort. Am I not therefore the one to injure them?

Many people think that to be patient and to bear loss When others harm us, it is the result of our own past
is a sign of weakness. I think that is wrong. It is anger actions, which in fact have instigated them—for, in
which is a sign of weakness, and patience a sign of future, they will suffer because of the harmful act we
strength. For example, a person arguing a point based ourselves have instigated.
on sound reasoning remains confident and may even
smile while proving his cause. On the other hand, if his When others harm us, that gives us the chance to
reasons are unsound and he is about to lose face, he gets practice patience, and thus to purify numerous negative
angry, loses control, and starts talking nonsense. People actions and accumulate much merit.
rarely get angry if they are confident in what they are Since it is our enemies who give us this great
doing. Anger arises much more easily at moments of opportunity, in reality they are helping us. But because
confusion. we are the cause of the negative actions they commit,
we are actually harming them. So if there is anyone to
I am not angry with my bile and other humors, get angry with, it should be ourselves. We should never
A fertile source of pain and suffering; be angry with our enemies, regardless of their attitude,
Why then be wroth with living beings, since they are so useful to us.

Victims too of such conditions? One might therefore wonder whether, by thus causing

our enemies to accumulate negative actions, we
Suffering can result from both animate and inanimate accumulate negative actions ourselves; and whether