Anger

-Anger makes us become self-righteous and blind to our own shortcomings. It makes us lose perspective. All we want to do is to strike at the source that made us angry. Anger energizes us into action, but usually a wrong kind of action. It's far better not to get angry in the first place, Roberto.
-But Silvio, sometimes I couldn't help myself. I got provoked. The guy attacked me first. He drew the first blood.
-Roberto, you must have done something to piss him off. Nobody would come out of nowhere and attacked you. There must be a reason.
-I don't know. I didn't ask him.
-You didn't ask him?
-He was busy attacking me and I was busy defending myself.
-Sweet,isn' it? You never once asked why he attacked you and he himself never explained why he brought upon himself to bring you down. I don't believe you.
-It was true because the fucking bastard was a deaf-mute and half-blind, but he was a mean son of a bitch. He hurt me quite bad. He almost killed me, if not for the dog that came out of no where and bit him in the ass.
-I see, what you want me to do?
-You're my friend, right? And I want you to help me.
-To do what?
-To kill the bastard!
-Roberto, sorry, amigo. I'm your friend, but I can't help you in that department. If you had come to me last week, I would have said, no problem, who is this motherfucker and where does he live, but not now. You are late.
-Why? What happened to you? What are you talking about? I don't understand.
-Because I am a Buddhist now. I gave up killing. It is against my religion.
-What? You're shitting me!
-Nope, I am not. I don't believe in violence anymore. It does not solve problems. It creates problems. If you don't believe me, go ahead and kill him yourself. It's not that difficult to kill a man. All you need to do is to get a gun and pull a trigger. What is difficult is to deal with the aftermath, the law, the conscience, and the concern that his family and his friends may come after you. Besides, it's bad form to ask somebody, even your closest friend, to do a dirty job for you. If you believe strongly in something, such as killing, you must do it yourself. It's called taking responsibility. It's called fighting your own fucking battle. No man can fight the battle for you. You have to go out there and test yourself, amigo.
-Let me think about it.
-Yeah, think hard and long before doing it. But once you decide you must kill, do it with the Bushido spirit.
-What is this Bushido shit? Something to do with that former president asshole from Texas?
-No, the fighting spirit of the Jap samurai, ironically infused with Buddhist philosophy of detachment.

(cont.)