Question & Answer with Dadi Janki, Chief of Brahma Kumaris
There is a lot of anger and resentment between teachers and young people, which is unproductive – it doesn’t help things. How can I deal with this anger better?
I can learn to stay peaceful inside and share that feeling with young people, so that they can free themselves from their own anger. If someone throws something at me, like an insult or an angry comment, I can just let it drop and leave it lying there. By not picking up another person’s anger, I protect myself and at the same time give them the chance to take it back.
To be angry is to be out of control and so someone who is angry deserves our love and compassion more than ever. By staying in my own peace and patience and keeping my self-respect, I help others to do the same. By seeing people’s good qualities, I empower both myself and them. This is true generosity.
When I create sweetness inside, I can share it with others. For this I need to spend time in silence and really get to know and love my true, spiritual self and connect with the Divine. At the Brahma Kumaris, we use the words, ‘Om shanti’, which mean ‘I am a peaceful soul’, to remind us of who we really are – no matter what is happening around us. To be peaceful is to be powerful. It is also our natural way of being.