Orange Orange is the image of the setting sun
The luminous orange of the setting sun commands our attention with its brilliance before falling below the horizon and leaving us in darkness. The beauty of the setting sun has the power to interrupt our actions and thoughts, causing us to pause and give honor with our full attention. It is a spirited fire of calm intensity that uplifts, relaxes, and opens our sight to the horizon. The image of the setting sun appeals to us to release our attachment to anger. Anger is a fierce and passionate fire that instantly connects us to our values, our sense of justice, and to that which we love and hold true. It is a vibrant burst of energy that spurs us to action, just as some seeds can only be cracked open by fire. But anger can be an unwieldy flame if we do not cautiously hold it in balance with care and mercy. When anger is not appropriately felt, acknowledged, and finally released through redemptive forgiveness, it turns inward and takes the form of self-righteous judgment. From judgment comes resentment and contempt, and when we permit contempt, cruelty is not far behind. If we let wrathful judgment be the leader of justice, we ultimately create a harsh, unforgiving world that propagates conflict, war, and harm. Evil manifests when we only seek the wrong in this world. Anger is caused by pain. The root of this pain is often combinations of hurt, guilt, shame, disgust, or grief, along with a sense of injustice for ourselves or that which we care deeply about. While reacting to our felt pain, we cannot make clear and fair judgments. Be vigilant to not overly identify with the role of the victim. Seeking revenge and wishing suffering upon those who have angered us will only result in a doubling of pain in the world. It does not relieve us of our own suffering and puts us in the role of perpetrator. Before we can release anger, we must give attention to healing the wound itself, allowing our feelings of hurt, guilt, shame, disgust, or grief to be felt without attaching judgment. To move through anger, calmly bring awareness to the source of this emotion. Feel your chest radiate with the compassionate glow of the setting sun. The sun will set for each of us, and the brightness of our ending will depend upon many things, including how honorably we lived our lives, how mercifully we met our suffering and the suffering of others, and how expansively we applied our notion of justice. It is with this long view of our short life that the image of the sunset entreats us to release wrathful anger. With a merciful and generous heart, allow yourself to become available to divine love in the form of forgiveness.
Release: Anger Attitude: Mercy
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