Answering a question on how to avoid anger, Sadhguru clarifies that anger is not an entity somewhere that we have to avoid. The fundamental reason why anger is a problem is because our minds are not in our control, which is what needs to be addressed.

Participant: Swamiji, can you explain what is life? How can we avoid angry?

Sadhguru: I am sorry, what is?

Participant: Explain what is life?

Sadhguru: What is life?

Participant: Yeah!

Sadhguru: Oh! (Laughs) And what is the second part of it?

Participant: How can you avoid angry?

Sadhguru: How can you avoid anger? See, if you are driving on the Coimbatore streets, if you’re driving on the Coimbatore street, you have to avoid the medians which are placed in odd places, you have to avoid bad drivers, you have to avoid drunken men crossing the street, children crossing the street, all kinds of things. But when you’re driving on Coimbatore street, do you have to avoid the moon? I am asking you? Do you have to avoid the moon? No! Because the moon is not on the street. Isn't it? So, similarly, right now, are you angry? No? Then why should you avoid it? There is no need to avoid it. It is just that, you think anger is an entity. Anger is not an entity - you become angry. You become angry, anger is not sitting somewhere and you go hit it. There is no such thing. You become angry. When you become angry, is it pleasant for you, or unpleasant for you? Unpleasant for you… Unpleasant for others for sure, unpleasant for yourself also.

Today, medical science proves to you, when you are angry, you are actually poisoning your system. You know? We’ve always known this, but today chemical tests clearly show you, that you are actually poisoning your system, generating poison in the system by being angry. So, why would you want to poison yourself? It is not a conscious act. You’re poisoning yourself, you are causing unpleasantness to yourself, only because your mind is not taking instructions from you. Isn’t it? It is not taking instructions from you. If it was taking instructions from you, you would have said blissfulness. Isn't it? You wouldn’t say anger. But now when you want to be peaceful, it is getting angry because it is not taking instructions from you. So if your mind is not taking instructions from you, you have to pay a little more attention to it.

Why is it not taking instructions from you? If you understand this, you don’t have to avoid anger, because anger is not sitting there and getting at you, you are becoming angry, you are becoming unhappy, you are becoming miserable. These things are happening to you essentially because you have not done anything to take your faculties under your control. It is happening accidentally. Just by chance. If outside situations are good, you are also good. If outside situations are bad, you are also bad. That is not how human life should be.

Human life should be like this. If I am good, everything around me becomes good. This should be the reality. Isn't it? Right now, if things around me are whichever way, I will become that way. No, no! Human consciousness should create situations. Right now situations are creating human consciousness. That is not the right way to shape human life.