{"collection":"Anguttara Nikaya","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/suttacentral_an7.64/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/suttacentral_an7.64","id":"suttacentral_an7.64","license":"CC0","rights_basis":"suttacentral_bilara_data_cc0","source":"suttacentral","source_url":"https://suttacentral.net/an7.64/en/sujato","summary":null,"tags":["Anguttara Nikaya","Early Buddhist Texts"],"text":"\u201cMendicants, these seven things that please and assist an enemy happen to an irritable woman or man. What seven? Firstly, an enemy wishes for an enemy: \u2018If only they\u2019d become ugly!\u2019 Why is that? Because an enemy doesn\u2019t like to have a beautiful enemy. An irritable individual, overcome and overwhelmed by anger, is ugly, even though they\u2019re nicely bathed and anointed, with hair and beard dressed, and wearing white clothes. This is the first thing that pleases and assists an enemy which happens to an irritable woman or man. Furthermore, an enemy wishes for an enemy: \u2018If only they\u2019d sleep badly!\u2019 Why is that? Because an enemy doesn\u2019t like to have an enemy who sleeps at ease. An irritable individual, overcome and overwhelmed by anger, sleeps badly, even though they sleep on a couch spread with woolen covers\u2014shag-piled, pure white, or embroidered with flowers\u2014and spread with a fine deer hide, with a canopy above and red pillows at both ends. This is the second thing \u2026 Furthermore, an enemy wishes for an enemy: \u2018If only their needs are not amply satisfied!\u2019 Why is that? Because an enemy doesn\u2019t like to have an enemy whose needs are amply satisfied. When an irritable individual, overcome and overwhelmed by anger, gets what they don\u2019t need they think, \u2018I\u2019ve got what I need.\u2019 When they get what they need they think, \u2018I\u2019ve got what I don\u2019t need.\u2019 When an angry person gets these things that are the exact opposite of what they need, it\u2019s for their lasting harm and suffering. This is the third thing \u2026 Furthermore, an enemy wishes for an enemy: \u2018If only they weren\u2019t wealthy!\u2019 Why is that? Because an enemy doesn\u2019t like to have an enemy who is wealthy. When an individual is irritable, overcome and overwhelmed by anger, the rulers seize the legitimate wealth they\u2019ve earned by their efforts, built up with their own hands, gathered by the sweat of their brow. This is the fourth thing \u2026 Furthermore, an enemy wishes for an enemy: \u2018If only they weren\u2019t famous!\u2019 Why is that? Because an enemy doesn\u2019t like to have a famous enemy. When an individual is irritable, overcome and overwhelmed by anger, any fame they have acquired by diligence falls to dust. This is the fifth thing \u2026 Furthermore, an enemy wishes for an enemy: \u2018If only they had no friends!\u2019 Why is that? Because an enemy doesn\u2019t like to have an enemy with friends. When an individual is irritable, overcome and overwhelmed by anger, their friends and colleagues, relatives and kin avoid them from afar. This is the sixth thing \u2026 Furthermore, an enemy wishes for an enemy: \u2018If only, when their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell!\u2019 Why is that? Because an enemy doesn\u2019t like to have an enemy who goes to a good place. When an individual is irritable, overcome and overwhelmed by anger, they do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. When their body breaks up, after death, they\u2019re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. This is the seventh thing that pleases and assists an enemy which happens to an irritable woman or man. These are the seven things that please and assist an enemy which happen to an irritable woman or man. An irritable person is ugly and they sleep badly. When they get what they need, they take it to be what they don\u2019t need. An angry person kills with body or speech; overcome with anger, they lose their wealth. Mad with anger, they fall into disgrace. Family, friends, and loved ones avoid an irritable person. Anger creates harm; anger upsets the mind. That person doesn\u2019t recognize the danger that arises within. An angry person doesn\u2019t know the good. An angry person doesn\u2019t see the truth. When a person is beset by anger, only blind darkness is left. An angry person destroys with ease what was hard to build. Afterwards, when the anger is spent, they\u2019re tormented as if burnt by fire. Their look betrays their sulkiness like a fire\u2019s smoky plume. And when their anger flares up, they make others angry. They have no conscience or prudence, nor any respectful speech. One overcome by anger has no island refuge anywhere. The deeds that torment a man are far from those that are good. I\u2019ll explain them now; listen to this, for it is the truth. An angry person slays their father; their mother, too, they slay. An angry person slays a saint; a normal person, too, they slay. A man is raised by his mother, who shows him the world. But an angry ordinary person slays even that good woman who gave him life. Like oneself, those sentient beings hold themselves most dear. But when angered, <j>they kill themselves in different ways, distraught in many respects. Some kill themselves with swords, some, distraught, take poison. Some hang themselves with rope, or fling themselves down a mountain gorge. When they commit deeds of baby-killing, and killing themselves, they don\u2019t realize what they do, for anger leads to their downfall. The snare of death in the form of anger lies hidden in the heart. You should cut it out by self-control, by wisdom, energy, and right ideas. An astute person should cut out this unskillful thing. And they\u2019d train in the teaching in just the same way, not yielding to sulkiness. Free of anger, free of despair, free of greed, with no more longing, tamed, having given up anger, the undefiled are fully extinguished.\u201d","title":"Irritable","tradition":"Anguttara Nikaya","translated_text":null,"word_count":932}