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Anger Can no Longer Control Me
by Meimei Lu (5th Grade)
Something I learned from going to Avatamsaka Vihara every Sunday in the past year was that I learned to control anger. That is a big success for me.
Sometimes, things can anger me. At school, teachers told us, the ways to calm down are to take 3 big breaths, count to 10. At the temple, the Dharma Master said: you can meditate!
Let me tell my story. Once I was at Avatamsaka Vihara and I was quite mad, maybe I had a fight with my brother. I didn’t know what to do! Then I saw everyone sitting down and pulling their feet up on their laps. You do that only if you’re meditating because that’s the meditating position. Or else you would be doing that to show someone the meditating position. Anyway, so I saw them in a meditation position, and the Dharma Master announced we were going to start meditation. I might as well join.
So I sat down on a mattress and pulled my feet up on my lap. This position hurt a little in the beginning, but once you keep the position for long, it doesn’t hurt anymore but when you get up, your feet and legs will become numb. Once everyone get on a mattress and performed the meditation position, the Dharma Master told everyone not to be distracted or disturbed while we were meditating. So when it started everyone closed their eyes and became quiet. I did the same. Don’t ask me why, but it really calmed me down. I didn’t let myself be distracted by anything. We did this exercise for some 20 or 30 minutes.
Then when it was over, everyone quietly got up. My legs and feet were numb. I stretched and walked around. What happened to my anger? It vanished! For no reason! I was so happy.
Now, when there is a meditating exercise, I would like to join. It gets me calmed and organized. So guess what? Next time there is a meditation exercise, maybe YOU should go and try it out if you haven’t already. See what it feels like. I can guarantee, you will feel happy and refreshed after!
So， how do I know that the Venerable Master has helped me? Because of him and the Dharma masters trained by him, I now know how to handle my emotions. I now know that anger does not have to control me, and I can control it. Do you agree this is a significant achievement for a 11-year-old?
Finally, I would like to say to the Venerable Master Hua: I am eternally grateful to you!