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Twelve Facets of Reality
When a rainstorm is coming, and you hear on the radio that it is going to be a severe one, what do you do? Do you not become careful and take precautions? Don't you get up and close the windows, gather up any equipment lying outside on the lawn, bring it in, and stay inside? If you don't close the windows, what will happen? The house will be filled with dust and dirt and rainwater.
Samvara means to close the windows when the storm is about to come. In life the storm is kashaya--anger, greed, pride, and deceit. Anger is a storm. When it comes, first it upsets our own peace. Then it destroys what is around it. Anger distorts, blinds, and prevents clear vision. The person whose heart and eyes are burning with anger does not like anything beautiful. Smile at the person, and you will see that your smile is not tolerated. “Why are you smiling?” he will roar at you.
When you are angry, your child may come rushing over to you. “Mummy!” he cries, but you say, “Go away,” and you push him aside. Your friend comes and you destroy ten years of friendship in ten minutes. “I hate you”-those words can create a big impact on the consciousness. How to erase them? You can say, “I am sorry," but that does not take away the sting of the words. They pierce like an arrow, and someone's heart is bleeding. The pain and the wound remain. Why do you use such harsh words? I do not say that you should suppress anger, but watch from where it has come. Feel the words you are throwing out. They are going to have repercussions, both in you and in someone else. Every word has a vibration which has an impact on your consciousness.
Once a woodcutter went into the forest and saw a lion. He became frightened. The lion took pity on him and told him where to find some ornaments which were buried in the forest. The woodcutter was very happy, be
