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Robert Thurman
Anger, One of the Seven Deadly Sins
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PROGRAM (1:25) (Audio program begins about 5 minutes
into Dr. Thurman's talk.)
Heated
words, cool malice, bitter feuds—all fueled
by the rush of adrenaline—anger has the
power to ruin families, wreck one’s health,
and destroy peace of mind. At its worst, it can
lead to murder, genocide, and war.
In a thought-provoking evening, Robert A.F. Thurman, the Jey Tsong Khapa chair in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University and one of America’s leading authorities on Buddhism and Eastern philosophy, offers an illuminating look at this deadly sin. He posits that in the West, anger is viewed as an inevitable part of life, an evil to be borne, not overcome, and cites the tradition of the wrathful God, of Jesus driving the money-changers from the temple.
The question then becomes, if even God can be angry, how can people rid themselves of this destructive emotion?
Dr. Thurman discusses how differently Eastern philosophy views anger. He describes how Buddhism teaches that anger can be overcome, and that defeating anger is the only thing worth doing in one’s lifetime. Citing examples of the individual’s struggle with anger, as well as global crises spurred by this destructive emotion, he tells how to recognize anger’s destructiveness and understand its workings. He describes how one can go from being a slave to anger to becoming a “knight of patience,” and offers a path of calm understanding in a time of great turmoil and unrest in the world.
This program was recorded live at the Smithsonian Institution in October 2004.
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