We live in times when violence and anger explode all around us in family rooms, offices, and public streets. Is there an antidote to this constant stream of discord? In Healing Anger the Dalai Lama discusses a practice that grows out of compassion. The Tibetan word patience is best understood as "tolerance." This inner calm, according to the Dalai Lama, is what enables us (1) to consciously accept pain and hardships, (2) to reflect sensitively upon the nature of reality, and (3) to deal with injuries from others.
The Dalai Lama uses Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, an 11th-century Tibetan classic, as a tool for his commentary on ways to cultivate patience. The theme of healing anger has great relevance to our private and public lives.
