How to Be Angry … in Krsna Consciousness
In times when the whole world, including the ISKCON world, is under attack from the “nonviolent, all-loving and all-embracing Mayavada doctrine,” anger is viewed as absolutely detrimental and something to be rejected. Even such all-loving Mayavadis can be very angry at those they deem unloving. What a paradox! Still, we hear all the time that we should not get angry, that we should listen empathetically to any mental product delivered to us by the “not so intelligent ones,” and that we should “be peaceful.”
It has become a policy to withdraw in the name of “retreat” and allow the worst kinds of abusers and criminals, who have their own version of love and empathy, to become prominent.
Without addressing the darkest chapters of the ISKCON movement, when child abuse and attempts to stop sincere devotees from serving Srila Prabhupada in the name of institutionalized dogmatism were tolerated and facilitated, it is true that the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam warns us firmly:
“A person who desires liberation from this material world should not fall under the control of anger because when bewildered by anger one becomes a source of dread for all others.”
But already in the purport, Srila Prabhupada admits that even those free of anger may be “angrily crucified,” as Jesus was, since the demoniac class of men is always present.
Obviously, we cannot escape the anger of others, and obviously, UNCONTROLLED anger is a source of destruction, as pointed out in the Bhagavad-gītā, where Krsna clearly defines the path to hell:
“While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.”
“From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.”
But nowhere is anger per se denied. Only “uncontrolled anger” is described as absolutely detrimental to spiritual development. Once, one of my godbrothers approached Srila Prabhupada with a grievous problem: “Srila Prabhupada, I am always getting angry, and so I am falling down.”
Srila Prabhupada’s response was surely surprising:
“What is wrong with anger? Krsna spoke the whole Bhagavad-gītā to make Arjuna finally angry. (Because one cannot fight without anger.)”
He also gave Hanuman as an example of how anger could be used to serve Lord Ramachandra. Hanuman directed his anger toward Ravana.
Related teachings by Srila Prabhupada: Lecture in Allahabad on Arjuna and anger and Conversation in Bombay on Hanuman’s anger.
So obviously, anger is useful, provided it is used properly. If it is not, one had better retreat and try to control anger by chanting the Holy Name. The total absence of anger is, as described at the beginning, absolute Mayavada, propagating the illusory peace and oneness of mankind. Such voices have been heard repeatedly throughout the history of mankind, and those advocating such indiscriminate love mostly got killed along the way.
When asked when such peace would finally arrive on this planet, Srila Prabhupada’s answer was instant: “Never.” Obviously, we are in the wrong place, and so Srila Prabhupada advocated departure from this material world and tolerance when we face anger directed at us personally. Yes, personal insults and attacks against us may be tolerated, but a sense of self-preservation is natural and justified as long as we use our bodies in the service of Krsna. But anger and violence directed at devotees of the Lord should never be tolerated, as passively tolerating an offense against a devotee is just as offensive as actively committing it. Even Lord Caitanya, the most merciful incarnation of the Lord, manifested extreme anger when His preachers were offended.
We see that preachers of the Mayavadi type have trouble quoting and glorifying Srila Prabhupada, as his preaching was firm, uncompromising and occasionally “angry.” Those who were close to him experienced his anger themselves. To be his personal servant was ecstatic but demanding service, as one never knew when Srila Prabhupada might express his dissatisfaction and correct his disciple’s behavior.
Those who experienced Srila Prabhupada’s anger told me personally that they had never experienced anything so devastating. His anger left one bereft of oxygen. But it was precise and to the point, and as soon as the foolish disciple corrected his mistake, the anger vanished as fast as it had arrived.
Just as ksatriyas are never allowed to use violence if they cannot control it, brahminical persons, too, can exhibit anger, but only for teaching purposes. A brahmana can show the stick, but he will never use it. The brahmana is depicted as the only nonviolent person in Vedic society, always in need of protection by the ksatriya class. Sometimes Krsna Himself appears in order to protect brahmanas, as in the case of Lord Ramachandra.
Of course, even Srila Prabhupada was criticized for not being “sama-darshina,” a saint of equal vision. The fools who criticized him could not see that even his anger was a manifestation of his mercy. It never reflected his personal feelings, but the statements of sastra and of his guru, who was called the “Simha Guru” because of his lion-like, uncompromising preaching.
Total faith in one’s guru and sastra often makes one appear arrogant and violent in the eyes of Mayavadis. Failing to understand that their views on democratic oneness always ultimately result in violence, as we see today, such dreamers keep on going, fooling their stupefied followers into thinking that spiritual life is based on the total absence of anger.
Just as a hungry man will instinctively talk only about food, such people, violent at heart, will always speak about peace and love without living by either. Discrimination is required in order to control one’s anger. As Mayavada destroys any sort of discrimination, eliminating all intelligence, it results only in the global stupefaction of naive and ignorant masses, who again and again advocate “peace by any means,” sometimes in very violent ways.
As we see today, democracy is always established at gunpoint, and those who fight for such democracy are capable of committing horrific violence. This is the nature of this world.
So it is what motivates one’s anger that makes it offensive or compassionate. We need supervision in all respects, especially when it comes to anger. And so a brahmana’s anger is governed by sastra, and a ksatriya’s anger is supervised by the brahmana (not by a sudra or vaisya, as is the case today). As for the rest of human society, their anger is supposed to be very local in nature, concerning only their daily domestic affairs, still under the supervision of their superiors, within the framework of family traditions and with absolute respect for brahmana and ksatriya leadership.
Only in this way does anger become regulated and controlled.
For those who still remember what Srila Prabhupada’s mission truly was—publication and distribution of transcendental literature and the consequent creation of Krsna conscious communities, farms, etc.—it is easy to test how well one controls one’s anger.
Anger cannot be controlled in a merely academic sense. After the Bhagavad-gītā was spoken, a fierce battle began, in which the anger of everyone involved was severely tested.
Most of us are not of a ksatriya nature, but we are nevertheless eager to spread Krsna conscious knowledge. Those of us who go out and try to distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books get an instant crash course in anger management. When we try to give someone a book and face the arrogance and opposition of the public, the insults and rejection of stubborn conditioned souls, a sankirtan devotee instantly feels his anger rising. That’s natural, and it is an immediate challenge to control that anger. Otherwise, book distribution becomes impossible. To control one’s mind, senses and finally one’s anger is an absolute necessity for anyone who actively preaches Krsna consciousness. Those who do not preach and discuss Krsna consciousness in a merely academic way will never achieve the same control over their senses, mind and anger as an experienced sankirtan devotee. All the good qualities of a vaisnava must manifest in the devotee’s heart, or this service becomes unsustainable. So wonderful is book distribution! And as a bonus, it is also the highest welfare activity for others.
It is for this reason that Srila Prabhupada was never angry with sankirtan devotees, as he knew how much anger they had to face while reaching out to the conditioned souls. Even Krsna declares that no one will ever be more dear to Him, and so those blessed souls who distribute Srila Prabhupada’s books automatically receive all the benefits of any yoga practitioner.
Those who may consider these the words of a fanatic can try going out and distributing even one of Srila Prabhupada’s books to the ignorant and obstinate conditioned souls.
Anger can be controlled only through action, not merely by some mental adjustment. Arjuna demonstrated this on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. Such control is evident in a peaceful mind. “Peaceful anger” is a bizarre idea to a materialist. But for a preaching devotee, it is reality.
Recently, one of my wonderful friends described how, while giving a lecture to a full temple room, he noticed a man who was completely possessed by a ghost and was constantly disturbing the devotees. The man was becoming violent, so my friend interrupted the lecture, got down from the Vyasasana and violently removed the madman from the temple, only to return peacefully to the Vyasasana and finish the lecture in the most peaceful manner.
I applauded my friend for such control of his anger, and I wished some “violent peace preachers” would learn this lesson in how to keep Srila Prabhupada’s temples and his movement free from deviants, offenders of devotees and other criminal elements, who for years have been firmly entrenched in the institution in the “most peaceful and anger-rejecting” manner.
Demons interpret the absence of anger in a devotee as weakness and take advantage of it. We should not allow them to do so. We should use all legitimate means to protect the legacy of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings. Sometimes we may become “angry” along the way. This anger is part of devotional service.
Note on the illustration: The wording on the image is a modern paraphrase of an argument discussed by Thomas Aquinas in Summa Theologiae, II–II, q. 158, a. 8.