Talk 27a: Getting Free from Negative Thinking - Easwaran – commenting on the Dhammapada of the Buddha – presents the skills that come from training the mind. First and foremost is the ability to leave behind negative thinking. Or rather, to be able simply to tell our negative thought patterns to leave. In Sanskrit, those negative habits of thought are called samskaras, which Easwaran defines as selfish impulses and negative emotions.
Talk 27b: Transforming Anger into Kindness - Easwaran speaks about reject thoughts, the ones we’d rather live without. He focuses on one sort of reject thought in particular – anger. He traces the roots of anger to what he calls inflated self-will – the thought that we must have our way no matter how it affects others. When self-will is inflated, it can’t help but be violated, bringing anger. So reducing self-will is a key to being free from anger, which is very important for health and happiness.