Tigers of Wrath: Anger as a Spiritual Tool
by Paul Hourihan

    "The Tigers of Wrath are Wiser than the Horses of Instruction."
             – William Blake, “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell” 

Anger will destroy us, but by the power of anger we can generate such repugnance at our own egoistic nature that by a wonderful and mysterious operation of the psyche we can break the hold of this power of self-centeredness on our minds. With this breakthrough we can then taste the cool beauty of another self, another mind—waiting there just behind the curtain of our ordinary selves—full of peace, acceptance, serenity.

We need to direct our fury at ourselves, or at God—not at others. We should be furious that we are furious, be vexed with God that we have been fashioned in this unsatisfactory mould!

If we believe in a personal God, then we should quarrel with our God—as did the prophets of old—for our ego-burdened personalities, our proneness to anger, for our tendency to proud self-justification at all times. Ask: Why am I like this? Why am I made thus?

If we do not believe in such a God, then direct the same protest and cry to your own higher nature, inquiring: Where art Thou? Where were you when I needed you most? Why am I stranded here on this barren island of my own miserable ego-self? Can you not free me from this spectre, this scourge?

This is truly to use the ego in the service of selflessness; anger in the service of peace; lust in the service of spirituality. Opposites meet, extremes merge. The rage of ego may will its own demise if we can direct it properly; but please note: not at others, but at ourselves, or at the Creator, or at the universe itself.

Lust, anger, egoism, gluttony, and other obstacles to our progress can be transmuted in the alchemy of spiritual aspiration into their very opposites. A healthy cow makes use of all kinds of things to produce pure milk. Everything she eats turns to a useful purpose. Likewise, our higher will can turn every part of our personalities—even the scourge of our egoism—to a spiritual end, transforming them all into the likeness of our sacred ideal, just so long as the fire of our resolution to advance burns steadily and ardently, consuming all obstacles.
 

See also: NO PROGRESSION WITHOUT CONTRARIES: DEATH, LIFE'S GLORIFIER
See also Words of Wisdom: Spiritual Life

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