Most things in the world have prescribed limits but the fire of desire and
anger is limitless in its hunger. Whatever fuel you give to fire, whether it
be wood, oil, or anything else, it will never have enough. But even the most
destructive fire eventually burns itself out and becomes extinguished when it
uses up its fuel, whereas this fire of desire and anger knows no such
limitation. It has a voracious appetite that is endless. It will not exhaust
itself. It cannot be appeased. It will never be satisfied. This fire of desire
and anger has no contentment at all.
That being its nature, is there any way to control it? The Lord declared in
the Gita, "You can conquer anger through love and you can conquer
desire through renunciation and sacrifice." Where there is love there can be
no anger. If you develop your love, then there will be no room left in your
heart for hatred and anger to take root. The heart is like a chair, there is
room for only one occupant at a time. Therefore, only one quality can
establish itself there. It leaves no place for another to enter and occupy it
at the same time. You must make every effort to establish love and only love
in your heart. You must never allow your heart to become like a 'musical
chair', giving room for love at one time and for anger and hatred at other
times.
If you want to conquer anger through your love then you must develop your
love in a most magnificent way. Love is always prepared to shower itself
freely and to overlook the defects and weaknesses in others. Love has this
extraordinary quality, it lives by giving and forgiving, whereas the little
ego-self lives by getting and forgetting. Where there is love there can be no
room for selfishness, and where there is selfishness there will be no
love