Being Angry

 A person whom I know quite well emailed me yesterday about a family matter that had her depressed and angry at the same time. Her anger was focused on another person's behavior and her depression rested in her feelings of being neglected and treated unfairly.  She was having a great deal of difficulty letting go of her feelings.  I tried to get her to realize that the anger and depression, at least in these circumstances, where choices she was making.  We talked about how much energy she was expending on something she had no control over.  And there is the lesson for all of us---when we bring our energy to those things beyond our control, to those things that bring us to a place of anger or ill-will, we are losing touch with our true nature, our true mind.  When we choose to move away from these feelings and towards our true nature, our Buddha nature, we move closer to compassion and loving kindness.  It's a hard thing to do.  For my friend, it is very difficult for her to find compassion and loving kindness for those whom she feels such anger. But, if she could make that choice instead of the ones she now makes, all that wasted energy will move in a different direction---the direction of her true nature.  And for the rest of us, the lesson is to always work on making the choice that is our true nature---one of compassion and loving kindness.