Righteous Wrath
by Master Lee Feng San Shifu
Translated by Sophia Lui
Edited by Ric Meyers
Now we are going to talk about “anger” – in other words, losing one’s cool or going off the deep end. Anger is one of the three poisons mentioned in Buddhist teachings, with the other two being greed and attachment. The principle of whether one should lose one’s temper is the same as the one for greed. It is not that we should not be greedy, it’s that we should be greedy for the right things. Therefore, we are also allowed to lose our temper depending on our reason for it.
One day my students asked: “Why do the deities in the temple often have that look of wrath on their face? For example, gods like Furious King Kong,Lord Zhong Chou Demon, and Generals Heng and Ha all have a frightful demeanor. In contrast, Buddha and Bodhisattva look more kindly and compassionate.”
In fact, the motif of wrath of the gods is to tell us that evil cannot overcome good. Since there is evil in this world, we must practice righteousness to resist evil, but we also need the charged energy of wrath in order to drive evil away.
For instance, prior to the learning of martial arts and boxing, many kids were weak and sickly all year round — often having to rely on medications and injections. However, after taking up practice, their health issues disappeared without the aid of medications — and they remained drug free thereafter. Why? Because through practicing Qi Gong the kids cultivated a positive energy so that negative energy cannot easily enter them.
The ancients said: “Moral integrity creates positive energy.” This refers to a powerful energy that can be sensed emanating from a person’s speech and behavior. In contrast, some people’s eyes are constantly darting around and unfocused. They avoid eye contact and drawl when they speak. This is an indication that they lack positive energy. Positive energy gives a person a dignified bearing. If a person exhibits anger or indignation for positive reasons, such as in reaction to injustice or meanness — without being biased or prejudiced — then this is an anger justified.
“If one shows anger to uphold righteousness and justice, without bias or prejudice, then it is an anger justified.” — Lee Feng San Shifu