Everyone wants an instant trick to extinguish anger — a mantra, a breathing technique, something immediate. This question was raised with Master Minh Tue in Nepal on February 28, 2026. His answer offers no shortcut, but it is the truth that the Buddha taught.
Buddhist disciple asks: Is there any fastest Dharma method for laypeople to keep a patient mind when facing frustrating situations, Master? (February 28, 2026 – Nepal)
Master Minh Tue answers:
That is a long-term issue, it must be accumulated as the Buddha taught.
Wisdom must be able to see: if someone comes to curse you and you angrily reply or chase them away, that belongs to delusion, hatred, and anger.
We know everything is impermanent and brings suffering, so we contemplate to avoid it, neither hating nor loving them. That must be learned and practiced.
Only if we can be equanimous can wisdom open up. Without equanimity, wisdom will never open.
Fairness and equanimity bring better harmony.
* Master Minh Tue always gives brief and concise answers suitable for the listener in each circumstance. Below is a deeper explanation and analysis so that those who wish to learn can thoroughly grasp the Master’s teachings.
There are no shortcuts in cultivating the mind
The disciple’s question is very honest: “is there a fastest method?”. Human nature in the modern era always prefers “speed” and “instant gratification”. We want to find a mantra to chant to immediately stop being angry, a sutra to read to find instant peace. But the Master clearly pointed out the truth: “That is a long-term issue, it must be accumulated as the Buddha taught.”
Reacting with anger when insulted is a natural instinct of a Mind full of attachments (Mind of Anger). Changing that instinct requires a process of continuous refinement and practice. Desiring the “fastest” result is actually a subtle form of the Mind of Greed (greed for spiritual results).
Using wisdom to extinguish Anger
Patience is not gritting one’s teeth to endure or suppressing anger inside. If suppressed, it will explode at some point. The Master teaches us to use Wisdom to contemplate the situation:
- Identify the nature: When reacting to insults with anger or chasing them away, we fall into the trap of “delusion, hatred, and anger”. We turn ourselves into someone exactly like them.
- Contemplate impermanence: Insulting words are just sound waves fading into the air. The person cursing will change, the scenery will change. Holding onto that sound in our head only brings suffering to ourselves.
The Mind of Equanimity (Upekkha) – The key to unlock Wisdom
The most core point in the Master’s answer is: “Only if we can be equanimous can wisdom open up.”
The mind of equanimity (Upekkha) is one of the Four Immeasurables (Loving-kindness, Compassion, Joy, Equanimity). It is a state of mind without bias, not attached to love or hate. When praised, we do not overly love; when criticized, we do not hate. When standing between praise and criticism and our mind is like a calm mirror, unrippled by emotions, that is when Wisdom (Panna) appears most clearly.
If today we just react one beat slower to our anger than yesterday, if tomorrow we can endure a little longer than today, that is already a great progress on the path of patience.
When you feel provoked or insulted, what is hardest: not talking back, or not letting anger arise at all?
Leave a comment below to share your perspective and learn from one another.
