16 June 2012 - QA 2

How to control the anger?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do you know why you get angry? It is because you want perfection, or you want certain things to be in a certain way.
When you know that not everything can be that way; let’s face it this is life, then suddenly the brain starts relaxing.
By your getting angry, it is not going to help you in any way. It is not going to make the work happen, isn’t it? But if you show anger, and it works, that is good, then use it. There is nothing wrong in it.
There is nothing wrong in using anger as a weapon, but if it is cutting your own peace of mind, then you should use wisdom to safeguard yourself.

Wisdom is to give some room for imperfection as well.
In a house, don’t you keep a dustbin? Yes, you do. So there is a place for the dustbin as well. In the same way, give some room for imperfection, by which at least your mind will be at peace.
What is the point of keeping your mind disturbed? There are all types of people in the world.

I have made a policy in The Art of Living, not to send anybody away. Accept people as they are. With this, now I am stuck! Just wonder, how many different types of people come to The Art of Living, and I make room for everybody.

You know, society is made up of 12 people, not just the apostles of Jesus. What are those? Four good, four mediocre and four hopeless. Hopeless people help you maintain the satva guna in you. In front of hopeless people, your mind should be at peace. Mediocre people bring out the skills in you, and good people always help you.
So these 12 kind of people are always there in the society. We have to accept them as they are and move ahead.

Somebody asked me, ‘Gurudev why are corrupt people coming to your ashram, when you are talking about anti-corruption. You are a symbol of honesty and truth, why these corrupt people are coming to you.’
I said, ‘I want all the corrupt people to come to me. Only if they come to me can they become better.’
So I don’t close my door to anybody. I am telling you the same, imperfect people are there, they push your buttons and make you get angry. Know that they are there to make you strong. How you can keep your equanimity and yet help them from where they are to where they could be, is what you need to see.