A constantly recurring feature of all the revelations which filled my
soul with wonder as I diligently observed it, was that our Lord God,
as far as he himself is concerned, does not have to forgive, because
it is impossible for him to be angry! It was shown that the whole of
life is grounded and rooted in love, and that without love we cannot
live. So to the soul, privileged by grace to see deeply into the
marvellous goodness of God, and to see that we are eternally united
to him in love, it is absolutely impossible that God should be
angry. Anger and friendship are mutually opposed. And he who
mitigates and eliminates our anger and makes us humble and gentle,
must surely need himself to be loving, humble, and gentle. And that
is the opposite of anger.
(Julian of Norwich, `Revelations of Divine Love')
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I have extended my pacifism to include non-use of psychological
violence as well as non-use of physical violence. Therefore I no
longer become angry. I not only do not say angry words, I do not
even think angry thoughts! If someone does an unkind thing to me, I
feel only compassion instead of resentment. Even upon those who
cause suffering I look with deep compassion, knowing the harvest of
sorrow that lies in store for them.
(Peace Pilgrim `Peace Pilgrim)
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I have learnt through bitter experience the one supreme lesson to
conserve my anger, and as heat conserved is transmuted into energy,
even so our anger controlled can be transmuted into a power which can
move the world.
(Gandhi quoted in The Dhammapada')
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