Today I got angry.  Yes!  Just 13 days from 10 day retreat in silence.  And I had to use meditation to get to bottom of the anger.  (If you haven't read my previous article, I recently attended a Vipassana Meditation retreat, where I spent 10 days in silence meditating for 10 hrs a day, read the article here.)  When the anger crept up, the first thing I did was to stop it, but I really wanted to experience and ride the wave with it and I have to admit, I did for about 30 seconds.  But what I learned from 10 days in silence, and guys let me tell this was no party so I didn't want all that work to be in vain, that when the mind is quiet and not chattering, I am able to see what is really going on.  Thinking I was all Buddah-like and had already achieved my enlightenment,  I learned today that I'm only at the beginning of this Path of Enlightenment, but this is work.  Until today, I've never been tested. My environment is  controlled: I work from home so I'm not out with people in the world on a daily basis.

So what's the big deal about being angry?  When on the Path to Enlightenment having anger means I have not yet learned to approach any situation balanced and equanimously, seeing things how they are and being in control of my faculties.

What mad me angry? I was angry because someone didn't share some information with me.  After meditating, or approaching the situation without personal emotions, I understood the anger came from the realization that to the other person,  I wasn't someone with whom to share.  And in the not sharing, it didn't allow me to be apart of that person's joy, which means to me, I don't bring them joy. Well that hurts!  I live my life by spreading  Joy, Love, Peace and Harmony to the world.  And here was someone I'm not bringing joy to.

Humbling.
Just a little bump on my Path to Enlightenment
Pamela

Joy, Love, Peace & Harmony