We all know that anger is a negative emotion, yet it is one that we cannot always avoid. The most advanced spiritual people may be able too, but most of us, even if we are spiritual, can't help but get angry sometimes. It is because we have a duel nature, divide and animal, that we cannot completely avoid anger and other negative emotions. Since we can't avoid it entirely, how we use anger, how we channel it into something positive, becomes important.

    A materialistic person tends to use negative emotions to stimulate negative actions. Anger is likely to result in violence. A punch in the nose to the person who has angered you. Declaring war against the people who have angered you. Or perhaps destroying the persons property, setting his house on fire, poisoning his crops, etc. Basically, the “eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth” response. The result of this type of response is, naturally, to make the other person or group angry with you thereby spreading anger like a plague. This is neither desirable or sensible. In addition to the harm you are doing to others, you also harm yourself with such behavior.

    There are times when this materialistic, animalistic approach seems justified. When you see an adult abusing a small child. When you see terrorists indiscriminately killing. When you see soldiers killing civilians who were unfortunate enough to be in the way. When a company continues to market products that are killing people by the thousands, but it's just too profitable to stop selling. But there is a better approach.

    The more spiritual person will channel his anger into positive rather than negative action. She will boycott the company selling deadly products and encourage others to do the same. He will educate others on ways to deal with people you disagree with other than violence. She will organize peaceful demonstrations. He will try to make peace with those who anger him and, if peace is not possible, at least let the other person know that he objects to his behavior. You would be surprised how many people respond and improve after being told by several other people that there behavior is unacceptable. And most of all, the spiritual person will pray for others and send them thoughts of peace, love, tolerance and understanding. When enough of us do that, we can have a peaceful, loving world.