Iceberg verse Anger Seeds

 

Imagine a gigantic iceberg floating on uncalm waters.  On the average, you will see 10% of the iceberg above water and hence you thought that's all the iceberg there is.  You start chipping away at the iceberg.  But as you chip away, more of the iceberg floats up maintaining the 10% afloat ratio.  Hence you become frustrated.  You thought, "Why isn't the iceberg getting smaller as I chip it away?  Is all my hard work wasted?"  Even worse, there would be some days due to the uncalmness of the waters, more of the iceberg would be afloat.  And you become amazed at how "big" the iceberg is.  You thought your work at chipping the ice berg is completely unfruitful and became frustrated.  Some days also due to the uncalmness of the waters, less of the iceberg would be afloat.  And you also become amazed at how "small" the iceberg is.  You thought your work at chipping the iceberg has finally bore fruits.  You thought you would soon finish chipping the iceberg.

Through our countless rebirth and our ignorance, we have accumulated an amazing amount of anger seeds. Even more than the sands of a great mountain. Suppose on the average, we see only "10%" of our anger.  We thus thought that's all our anger is.  We start working on our anger through various means, such as mindfulness, samadhi, precepts, sutra studies, chanting, making vows, invoking emptiness paradigm, etc.  If we do it correctly, it would work and some of our anger seeds would be reduced.  But as we chip away, more of the anger seeds floats up maintaining the "10%" afloat ratio.  Hence you become frustrated.  You thought, "Why isn't my anger seeds reducing as I chip them away?  Is all my hard work wasted?"  Even worse, there would be some days due to conditions around us, more of the anger seeds would be afloat.  And you become amazed at how "big" the anger seeds are.  You thought your work at chipping the anger seeds is completely unfruitful and became frustrated.  Some days also due to the conditions around us, less of the anger seeds would be afloat.  And you also become amazed at how "small" the anger seeds are.  You thought your work at chipping the anger seeds has finally bore fruits.  You thought you would soon finish chipping the anger seeds, i.e. finally end all of your anger.

I like the way master Yoda of the Star Wars movie talk about size.  He said, "Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. ..."  Similarly we too have a powerful ally which is our Dharma.  With Dharma, size does not matter.  What matters is whether we continue to chip away at our anger.  There is no point trying to measure how much we have chipped off, or how much is left.  It only brings frustration or egoism.  What matters is whether we are more and more liberated from suffering.

For example I am always amazed at the strength of my anger.  It seems infinitely immovable (and hence probably is astronomically "large" in size).  When it comes, it conquers, overrides, takes control and reigns.  Mindfulness is diminished like a strong wind blowing off a weak candle flame.  Anger is not a force that can be toyed with or trivialize.  I cannot find another word to describe it -- it is simply immovable.  However Dharma in the form of mindfulness is an even more powerful ally.  It does not matter how immovable the anger is, as long as mindfulness is rekindled, anger misses and simply passes by.  Mindfulness does not fight anger, and hence it cares not the size of the anger.  And once anger misses (though retrying a few more times), it goes back into obscurity.  Hence we know how much more powerful an ally the Dharma is.

The same goes for craving.  Craving is like an iceberg...

Dharma is the most powerful ally indeed.  "For my ally is the Dharma, and a powerful ally it is. ..." :)

May you be well and happy.

With Metta,
Lee Hon Sing
December 9, 2008