Buddhism and Anger: Three Types of People

The Buddha said:

"There are three types of people in the world. What three?

One who is like carving on a rock, one who is like scratching on the ground and one who is like writing on the water.

What sort of person is like carving on the rock?

Imagine a certain person who is always getting angry and his anger lasts long, jut as carving on a rock is not soon worn off by wind, water or lapse of time.

What sort of person is like scratching on the ground?

Imagine a certain person who is always getting angry but his anger does not last long, just as scratching on the ground is soon worn off by wind, water and lapse of time.

And what sort of person is like writing on the water?

Imagine a certain person who, even though spoken to harshly, sharply, roughly, is easily reconciled and becomes agreeable and friendly, just as writing on the water soon disappears".

--Anguttara Nikaya I/283

Reflection on these three types of people forms the basis for the Buddhist approach to anger management.

This is helpful in putting anger in context of the situation in which it arises.

This part of Anguttara Nikaya is known to be part of the Book of Threes (Tika Nipata), called in Pali, Lekha Sutta. However, this translation is also popular in Singapore and Sri Lanka.

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Reference:

Anger Management Buddhist style: http://www.4ui.com/eart/178eart1.htm
Anger in context: http://www.burnfield.net/id14.htm


Anguttara Nikaya:
Tika Nipata: http://www.suttacentral.net/disp_sutta.php?subdivision_id=61&subdivision_name=Tika%20Nip%C4%81ta&collection_name=Pali&division=AN&acronym=3&type=Subdivision

Singapore:
There are three types of people: http://sdhammika.blogspot.ca/2010/03/there-are-three-types-of-people-in.html
Essential teachings of the Buddha: http://www.alexkhun.com/drupal79/node/68

Sri Lanka
Syndrome of hate: http://www.lankika.com/?p=7451