Some people ask me how they can get rid of their anger. They tell me that they keep trying to suppress it. I ask them whether or not they have an understanding of anger, before they attempt to do so. Surely one has to first understand what anger is? Anger and peace coexist, side by side. If one does not understand what anger is, one may suppress peace instead, consequently destroying it. Therefore it is not something that one can suppress. One has to understand that anger is because of ego. Analyze the ego that causes the anger.

If this child breaks something valuable and we get angry, what kind of ego is it? It is the kind of ego that tells us that we have incurred a loss from the breakage. Here the ego is of profit and loss. We have to think about how we will go about destroying this kind of ego. Otherwise by harboring the ego, the anger will continue. Anger and greed at their very core, are really only ego.

Questioner: The excitement stirred up through atikraman (aggression involving anger, pride, attachment or greed) is calmed with pratikraman (The formula for Ultimate Liberation) .

Dadashri: Yes it does indeed calm down. With 'sticky files' (dadashri's term for those with whom you have great attachment or abhorrence because of your past life karma), you have to do more than five thousand pratikraman (divine prayer)s or so, before everything is cleared. Although you may not vent your anger when you become frustrated, if you do not do pratikraman (The formula for Ultimate Liberation), the 'stain' will not be erased. With pratikraman (The formula for Ultimate Liberation), everything is cleared up. If you do atikraman then you must do pratikraman (The formula for Ultimate Liberation).

Questioner: What if you get angry with someone and you immediately ask for forgiveness on the spot?

Dadashri: After acquiring gnan, when you get angry, there is no problem, as long as you ask for forgiveness, because doing pratikraman (The formula for Ultimate Liberation) will set you free. And if you cannot directly ask for forgiveness from that person, you should do it internally and this too will set you free.

Questioner: You mean in front of everyone?

Dadashri: It is fine if you cannot directly ask for forgiveness but do it from within. These faults of yours are lifeless and are a 'discharge' (dadashri's term for the dissipation of effects of previous causes. The term discharge applies only for those who have been graced with his separation from cause and effects of karma, in the gnan vidhi). A 'discharge' fault means that it is non-living, which means that the consequences will be minimal.