Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames

It was under the Bodhi tree in India 2,500 years ago that the Buddha achieved the insight that just three states of mind were the source of all our unhappiness: ignorance, obsessive desire, and anger. Each of these are equally difficult, but in one instant of anger, lives can be ruined and our spiritual development can be destroyed.

Twenty-five centuries after the Buddha's insight, medical science tells us that he was right. Anger can also ruin our health. It is one of the most powerful emotions, and one of the most difficult to deal with.

But it can be dealt with, and it can be overcome. anger offers us a fresh perspective on taking care of our anger, suggesting we take care of it as we would a crying baby -- touching it, talking quietly to it, probing for what's making it cry.

Filled with stories, techniques, and practical advice, Anger offers a wise and loving way to transform anger into peace, and bring harmony and healing to all the areas and relationships in our lives that have been affected by it. As the Dalai Lama says, Thich Nhat Hahn "shows us the connection between personal, inner peace and peace on earth."