Notes from Thich Nhat Hanh on Anger

Happiness – must come from inside us. It’s most basic condition is freedom from anger, despair, jealousy, and delusion (poisons)

Transforming Anger – Learn the practice of compassionate listening and using loving speech

Deep Listening – Like the example of Avalokiteshvara, Bodhisattva of Great Compassion. Then we can offer concrete guidance to those seeking help

Focus with all your attention, your whole being
1. Practice mindful breathing
2. Stay focused on the desire to help them find relief – this helps you sustain
compassion while listening

Namarupa – The psychesoma, mind-body as one entity. Overcoming the duality brings us closer to the truth

Food – Anger, frustration, and despair has a lot to do with our body and the food we eat Chew 50 times before swallowing, and eat moderately

Reacting to Anger – When someone says or does something that makes us angry suffer, and tend to retaliate

Dealing with Anger – When angry go back to yourself, and take good care of your anger. Embrace it like a baby. Whatever you do and say while angry may cause more damage in your relationship.

Methods – Mindful breathing and walking, embracing your anger, looking deeply into
the nature of our perceptions, and looking deeply into the other person to realize their suffering.

Conscious Breathing – One breath to be back in contact with yourself, Three breaths to maintain contact with yourself.

Mindful walking – With every step you can arrive in the present moment. Be aware of your feet contacting the earth. It may be helpful to know how many steps you take in an inbreath and in an outbreath.

See yourself – Look into a mirror when you are angry

Smile – allow mindful energy to be born within you

Notes from Taking the Leap by Pema Chodron

Now is the time to develop our trust in Basic Goodness. The first step is being honest with ourselves. Natural intelligence is always available to us. Pause periodically and allow a gap into whatever you are doing.

Pause for 3 conscious breaths, or listen to the sounds around for a minute or so.

Shenpa – translates as attachment

1. Our storyline fuels it
2. Comes with an undertow
3. Has consequences which are frequently unpleasant

Transmuting Shenpa

1. Acknowledge you’re hooked
2. Pause, take 3 conscious breaths, & lean into the energy, get curious
3. Then relax, and move on.

Intention Practice (good in the beginning, good in the end)

1. In the morning acknowledge a consciousness building task, keep it simple
2. In the evening some time before you go to bed check-in and review how your contemplation went

Commit to pausing throughout the day. Allow time to experience life’s natural energy.

The Dalai Lama suggests fasting one day a week, or skipping a meal to empathize with those people that are forced to starve.

Compassionate Abiding (an excellent preliminary to Tonglen)

* Breathe In: the feeling of being hooked, open up to it, & relax.
* Breathe Out: Ventilate and give it space


Tonglen – expands as our ability to deal with more and more unwanted feelings increases

City Tonglen

* Stand still, pay attention to anyone who catches your eye
* Contact whatever feeling arises
* Say to yourself: May both of us be able to feel feelings like this without it causing us to shut down.

Advanced Tonglen

* Breathe In: take on the pain of others so they will be free of it
* Breathe Out: give them all your comfort and ease

Pema Leap Links

Review and Synopsis

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