A teaching of Jesus' during The Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus reminds us that while murder is a crime and will be punished, so is anger against our neighbour. Jesus says that even if we are in church worshipping and we remember that our neighbour has done wrong against us, we should go straight away to them and make peace.

I find this a hard lesson to practise. It's so easy to hate and be angry towards someone. How many of us can walk up to someone we have wronged and say "Hey, Look, I was wrong to say those things. Can we start afresh?"

I wonder what it is about us that makes it so easy to be angry - often towards people we may never meet, or towards people who really don't mean to hurt us.

Since bonesy says lyrics are cool, despite The Everything Copyright Problem, I thought I would make this offering:

Anger

Written by: Marvin Gaye/Delta Ashby/Ed Townsend
Performed by: Marvin Gaye

Up and down my back, my spine, in my brain
It injures me, babe....

Anger, can make you old, yes it can
I said anger, can make you sick, children... oh Jesus
Anger destroys your soul
Rage, there's no room for rage in there
There's no room for rage in here
line up some place to go to be mad
It's a sin to treat your body bad

When anger really gets the best of us
We've really lost our heads
We often say a lot of things, oh darlin'
Wish we'd never said
Oh, reason is beyond control
And the things we do spite
Makes me ashamed
And I mean this, baby, makes me want to the things right

Someday soon I hope and pray like Jesus
I'll reach that wiser age
Hope I will learn I really never never profit
>From things I do in rage

One more time-anger, more anger
When it's flaming hot
Anger burns to the bitter end
Know what i'm talkin' 'bout
When it cools I find out too late
I have lost at love, love, love, dear friend
I said, anger will make you sick,
children, oh Jesus
Anger destroys your soul

I ain't gonna let you get the best of me, babe
I'm gonna go somewhere and cool
This is not the way my head's supposed to be, babe
You've got me feelin' like some silly fool
But I know a real nice place where I can go
And feel the way i'm supposed to feel

I don't want to be mad at nobody
I don't want to be feelin' bad
Up and down my back, my spine, in my brain
It injures me, babe

Anger, can make you old, yes it can
I said anger will make you sick, children, oh Jesus
Anger destroys your soul
Anger
Anger

Back to The Dhammapada

Chapter Seventeen -- Anger

  1. One should give up anger, renounce
    pride, and overcome all fetters. Suffering never
    befalls those who cling not to mind and body and
    are detached.
  2. Those who check rising anger as a charioteer
    checks a rolling chariot, those I call true charioteers;
    others only hold the reins.
  3. Overcome the angry by non-anger;
    overcome the wicked by goodness; overcome the
    miser by generosity; overcome the liar by truth.
  4. Speak the truth; yield not to anger;
    when asked, give even if you only have a little.
    By these three means can one reach the presence
    of the gods.
  5. Those sages who are inoffensive and
    ever restrained in body, go to the Deathless State,
    where they grieve no more.
  6. Those who are ever vigilant, who discipline
    themselves day and night, ever intent upon
    Nibbana--their defilements fade away.
  7. O Atula! Indeed, this is an old pattern,
    not one only of today: they blame those who remain
    silent, they blame those who speak much,
    they blame those who speak in moderation.
    There is none in this world who is not blamed.
  8. There never was, there never will be,
    nor is there now, a person who is wholly
    blamed or wholly praised.
  9. But the person whom the wise praise,
    after observing the person day after day, is one
    of flawless character, wise, and endowed with
    knowledge and virtue.
  10. Who can blame such a one, as worthy
    as a coin of refined gold? Even the gods
    praise the person; by Brahma, too is
    the person praised.
  11. Let a person guard against irritability
    in bodily action; let a person be controlled
    in bodily deed. Abandoning bodily misconduct,
    let a person practice good conduct in deed.
  12. Let a person guard against irritability
    in speech; let a person be controlled in speech.
    Abandoning verbal misconduct, let a person
    practice good conduct in speech.
  13. Let a person guard against irritability
    in thought; let a person be controlled in mind.
    Abandoning mental misconduct, let a person
    practice good conduct in thought.
  14. The wise are controlled in bodily deeds,
    controlled in speech and controlled in thought.
    They are truly well-controlled.

Anger!


Downset
1994

Written by: Downset
Performed by: Downset

Anger! Hostility towards the opposition!
187 L.A. trademark,
don't come to the killing fields if you ain't got no fucking heart,
Cuz WILLIE, IRA and DARYL will get you - got you -
fucked up and dead will be the way you walk.
Damn right, I hate L.A. swine with a passion GEE cuz my pops was killed by the fucking L.A.P.D.
Yes they killed my daddy! Yup they killed my daddy!
And if I don't blast 'em back , you know they gonna fucking kill me, do me like they did NATASHA,
back turned from a gat hollow tip to the dome they got ya.
April 29, L.A. swine not guilty, fools down for the payback on Florence and Normandy
Anger!
Coming straight from the L.A. concrete, true blue motherfucker about for generations deep.
But who's the real motherfucker though, and what does that fake know about motherfucking South Central?
Fool!
What you know about a set or a sign , you fake motherfucker?
Never ever seen a nine.

But if I catch you slippin' punk, I'm gonna fade ya cuzz set ain't down with that getto perpetrator.
Anger!
April 29, Florence to Normandy!
Jack for my human rights and ya catch a PUU PUU!


First couple of times through this song literally sounds like your average Rap-Rock ghetto anger music. And you think, this is the kind of band that has managed to write one song, that just seems to work.
However, having listened to it a few more times I realised that the song actually had meaning. Based on the story (whether true or not I do not know), of his family and friends getting caught up in the L.A Riots on April 29 at "Florence and Normandy", and the subsequent investigations (sic) by the police. The lyric "back turned from a gat hollow tip to the dome they got ya", refers to the first casualty on that day was a boy who was shot in the back of the head by the police
Also a fine point about this little tune, is his little snipe at Rage Against the Machine's "home boy" attitude. Especially paying attention to the lyrics in Settle for Nothing. Amused me no end.

An"ger (#), n. [OE. anger, angre, affliction, anger, fr. Icel. angr affliction, sorrow; akin to Dan. anger regret, Swed. �x86;nger regret, AS. ange oppressed, sad, L. angor a strangling, anguish, angere to strangle, Gr. to strangle, Skr. amhas pain, and to. anguish, anxious, quinsy, and perh. awe, ugly. The word seems to have orig. meant to choke, squeeze. .]

1.

Trouble; vexation; also, physical pain or smart of a sore, etc.

[Obs.]

I made the experiment, setting the moxa where . . . the greatest anger and soreness still continued.
Temple.

2.

A strong passion or emotion of displeasure or antagonism, excited by a real or supposed injury or insult to one's self or others, or by the intent to do such injury.

Anger is like
A full hot horse, who being allowed his way,
Self-mettle tires him.
Shak.

Syn. -- Resentment; wrath; rage; fury; passion; ire gall; choler; indignation; displeasure; vexation; grudge; spleen. -- Anger, Indignation, Resentment, Wrath, Ire, Rage, Fury. Anger is a feeling of keen displeasure (usually with a desire to punish) for what we regard as wrong toward ourselves or others. It may be excessive or misplaced, but is not necessarily criminal. Indignation is a generous outburst of anger in view of things which are indigna, or unworthy to be done, involving what is mean, cruel, flagitious, etc., in character or conduct. Resentment is often a moody feeling, leading one to brood over his supposed personal wrongs with a deep and lasting anger. See Resentment. Wrath and ire (the last poetical) express the feelings of one who is bitterly provoked. Rage is a vehement ebullition of anger; and fury is an excess of rage, amounting almost to madness. Warmth of constitution often gives rise to anger; a high sense of honor creates indignation at crime; a man of quick sensibilities is apt to cherish resentment; the wrath and ire of men are often connected with a haughty and vindictive spirit; rage and fury are distempers of the soul to be regarded only with abhorrence.

 

© Webster 1913.


An"ger (#), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Angered (#); p. pr. & vb. n. Angering.] [Cf. Icel. angra.]

1.

To make painful; to cause to smart; to inflame.

[Obs.]

He . . . angereth malign ulcers.
Bacon.

2.

To excite to anger; to enrage; to provoke.

Taxes and impositions . . . which rather angered than grieved the people.
Clarendon.

 

© Webster 1913.

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