Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames
Comparison between Thich Nhat Hanh and Rev. Sun Myung Moon
Fundamentally, to be angry is to suffer. Anger is a handbook not only for transforming anger but for living each moment beautifully. And truly Rev. Moon is the master of that, being the most persecuted religious leader in our recent history, yet being able to transform anger into love, even in the hearts of his enemies. Anger. It can not only ruin our health and our spirits, it destroys our relationships. New book of the great spiritual teacher and author of Living Buddha, Living Christ provides real help for transforming the negative force of anger into a positive and useful energy, bringing harmony and healing to all aspects of our lives.
Anger can be one of the most frustrating emotions, carrying us headlong into separation and dismay. Vietnamese monk and world teacher Thich Nhat Hanh tackles this most difficult of emotions in his book, "Anger". Here I would like to make a simple comparison with the Principle way of dealing with that problem.
Fundamentally, to be angry is to suffer. Anger is a handbook not only for transforming anger but for living each moment beautifully. And truly Rev. Moon is the master of that, being the most persecuted religious leader in our recent history, yet being able to transform anger into love, even in the hearts of his enemies.
All human problems, explains Divine Principle, emanate from ignorance. Ignorance about our internal world and purpose of life, as well as the external universe and it's laws.
How ignorance lead us to anger
So how ignorance will lead us to anger? When we don't know someone we are afraid, have prejudices and jadge others wrongly. Rev. Moon gives a simple example. If something is part of us we don't feel it strange, even if that's a bad smell. Anger and hatred among different religions, races and cultures was based on not knowing and understanding the other side.
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Rev. Moon became the "Champion of Inter-religious reconciliation" by one simple method, that no one used in the past. He simply brought representatives from all faith to work heart to heart for a common cause. For most simply the experience of getting to know the other as a human being, observing their sincerely in loving God, brought to fundamental change in attitude.
This experience was for many stronger then a revelation. From life of anger and resentment against others, they now determined to support Rev. Moon and work for peace and reconciliation together with their brothers and sisters of other faith and religion.
Why past efforts failed
In the past attempts were made to settle these resentments through theological dialogues and tolerance. Such efforts could not bring the culture of love. Instead, more walls and barriers were build between the different parties; be it religions, or different struggling nations.
Also, each falsely presumed, that they have to first love themselves, rather then, as Rev. Moon teaches, "forget yourself and live for the sake of others".
Rev. Moon revealed with his life and teachings one more secret to peace. Never count how much you have invested for others, just "give, forget that you have given and give again." This principle is the key to unconditional love and happiness.
If you count how much you have given, your heart is never free to experience happines even if others return to you, since you already presume they are obligated. But when we "give and forget", our heart is free to experience the utmost happines even from the small return.
This principle is obvious if we observe the relationship of a mother and a small baby. The mother can toil day and night tirelessly, yet the simple smile of her child will make her feel enormous joy.
Rev. Moon's teachings really bring a revolution in understanding (overcoming ignorance) and a "Revolution of Heart and Conscience". It's only a matter of time for the world to hear, understand and be transformed.
Why Buddhism and no other religion could bring that revolution of heart for thousands of years. Even if we read Thich Nhat Hanh we can distinguish some fundamental gaps in understanding. Most religious teachings told us to be concerned about ourselves, love ourselves first; yet, this is absolute reversal of the universal principles. We exist for others and our value and happiness depend on how much we can live for others, as Rev. Moon teaches.
Religions were concerned mostly with the individual problem and even often renounced married life. Yet, Divine Principle explains that personal growth end development of heart and conscience comes in the family. Family is the school of love and the foundation for healthy society.
Because of their inability to solve from the root human and social problems, religions tended to excuse the existence of evil as immanent part of our life, or simple expect that one day God will solve this problem instead of us. Yet, Divine Principle explains clearly that this is our responsibility and all human and social problems can be solved once we established true, loving and blessed families. These ideals are expressed in the International and Interreligious marriages Rev. Moon had held for millions of couples.
Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames - Thich Nhat Hanh and Rev. Moon
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