[Pheboasmabs]

Hello again!

Thank you for all of your kind replies! I just watched both of those videos, and Noah Levine was who I was talking about when I mentioned the speaker at USC. I had not seen that video, and I think it is excellent. If a bit off the mark. He talks about social change and his dissatisfaction with the status quo (sp?). My problem with anger stems from various influences. The first being defensive. Like most, I've been picked on a fair-share, and I react rather poorly, with lashing out, and putting others down as they do the same to me. I'm not sure how to apply Buddhist teachings in this regard. There will always be nasty people in the world. How to deal with them by 'turning the other cheek' (Sorry for the term, but I can't think of another way to put it. Mindfulness perhaps?) just doesn't work.

My second thing with anger goes back to self-defense. When we perceive that we are wronged, we act in such a way as to either correct this, or buckle. I back-talk. Alot. So the idea that I need to control my anger sounds a heck of a lot like bowing down to an outside influence. (So, as an example, lets say a mean boss who constantly belittles or what have you. One kind of man will talk back, and another will look away and mumble apologies.) The second man is seen as weak in modern society (at least where I live.) and weakness doesn't breed respect.

While I continue to study, actual practice is very hard.

Thanks again for the replies! I think that the question 'How am I getting on' can best be answered with one word.

Slowly.