<p>Here is what Buddhism says about how fear and anger are related.
<a href="http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/anger.htm" rel="nofollow">http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/anger.htm</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Buddhism teaches us that anger is created by mind. However, when you
  are dealing with your own anger, you should be more specific. Anger
  challenges us to look deeply into ourselves. Most of the time, anger
  is self-defensive. It arises from unresolved fears or when our
  ego-buttons are pushed.</p>
  
  <p>As Buddhists we recognize that ego, fear and anger are insubstantial
  and ephemeral, not “real.” They’re ghosts, in a sense. Allowing anger
  to control our actions amounts to being bossed around by ghosts.</p>
  
  <p>Anger Is Self-Indulgent</p>
  
  <p>Anger is unpleasant but seductive. In this interview with Bill Moyer,
  Pema Chodron says that anger has a hook. “There's something delicious
  about finding fault with something,” she said. Especially when our
  egos are involved (which is nearly always the case), we may protect
  our anger. We justify it and even feed it.</p>
  
  <p>Buddhism teaches that anger is never justified, however. Our practice
  is to cultivate metta, a loving kindness toward all beings that is
  free of selfish attachment. “All beings” includes the guy who just cut
  you off at the exit ramp, the co-worker who takes credit for your
  ideas, and even someone close and trusted who betrays you.</p>
  
  <p>For this reason, when we become angry we must take great care not to
  act on our anger to hurt others. We must also take care not to hang on
  to our anger and give it a place to live and grow.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Fear can lead to anger and can also lead to lashing out at others in order to "protect" our self, as though it is vulnerable to another.</p>

<p>And here are some of the precepts to deal with and overcome anger
<a href="http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/anger.htm" rel="nofollow">http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/anger.htm</a></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>How to Let It Go</p>
  
  <p>You have acknowledged your anger, and you have examined yourself to
  understand what caused the anger to arise. Yet you are still angry.
  What’s next?</p>
  
  <p>Pema Chodron counsels patience. Patience means waiting to act or speak
  until you can do so without causing harm. “Patience has a quality of
  enormous honesty in it,” she said. “It also has a quality of not
  escalating things, allowing a lot of space for the other person to
  speak, for the other person to express themselves, while you don’t
  react, even though inside you are reacting.”</p>
  
  <p>If you have a meditation practice, this is the time to put it to work.
  Sit still with the heat and tension of anger. Quiet the internal
  chatter of other-blame and self-blame. Acknowledge the anger and enter
  into it entirely. Embrace your anger with patience and compassion for
  all beings, including yourself.</p>
  
  <p>Don’t Feed Anger</p>
  
  <p>It’s hard not to act, to remain still and silent while our emotions
  are screaming at us. Anger fills us with edgy energy and makes us want
  to do something. Pop psychology tells us to pound our fists into
  pillows or to scream at the walls to “work out” our anger. Thich Nhat
  Hanh disagrees.</p>
  
  <p>“When you express your anger you think that you are getting anger out
  of your system, but that's not true,” he said. “When you express your
  anger, either verbally or with physical violence, you are feeding the
  seed of anger, and it becomes stronger in you.” Only understanding and
  compassion can neutralize anger.</p>
  
  <p>Compassion Takes Courage</p>
  
  <p>Sometimes we confuse aggression with strength and non-action with
  weakness. Buddhism teaches that just the opposite is true.</p>
  
  <p>Giving in to the impulses of anger, allowing anger to hook us and jerk
  us around, is weakness. On the other hand, it takes strength to
  acknowledge the fear and selfishness in which our anger usually is
  rooted. It also takes discipline to meditate in the flames of anger.</p>
  
  <p>The Buddha said, “Conquer anger by non-anger. Conquer evil by good.
  Conquer miserliness by liberality. Conquer a liar by truthfulness.”
  (Dhammapada, v. 233)</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-03T00:34:00.667Z
2014-10-03T00:34:00.667Z
soulsings
<p>Anger, Fear, Jealousy are all instances of the 2nd root of evil, 'Dosa', which translates to English as 'aversion'. They basically represent a disliking towards someone or something. Usually if it's someone more powerful than you, the disliking turns into fear. If not, it becomes anger. </p>

<p>Anger is mostly caused when you expect things to behave according to your liking. Fear is caused when you cling to things, taking them as I, me or mine. To overcome fear, you can <a href="http://www.maithri.com/Buddhist_Paritta_Chanting/homage.htm" rel="nofollow">recollect the virtues of the Triple gem</a> and feel confident that you have taken refuge under them. But the permanent solution is to do Vipassana meditation and get rid of your clinging and the notion of self. </p>

<p>When one attains the state of Anagami, neither anger nor fear can ever enter one's mind again.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-03T19:45:58.220Z
2014-10-03T19:54:30.700Z
2014-10-03T19:54:30.700Z
Sankha Kulathantille
<p>I need to know if "Dwesha" anger and fear are connected according to the Buddhist teachings?
Also how to overcome fear or phobias with the practices of Buddhism? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-03T02:43:59.540Z
See http://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/1989/18 for the connection in Theravada Buddhism
yuttadhammo
<sutras><terminology>
connection between fear and anger(dwesha)
# connection between fear and anger(dwesha)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-02)

I need to know if "Dwesha" anger and fear are connected according to the Buddhist teachings?
Also how to overcome fear or phobias with the practices of Buddhism?

**Tags:** sutras, terminology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: See http://buddhism.stackexchange.com/a/1989/18 for the connection in Theravada Buddhism  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-10-03. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Anger, Fear, Jealousy are all instances of the 2nd root of evil, 'Dosa', which translates to English as 'aversion'. They basically represent a disliking towards someone or something. Usually if it's someone more powerful than you, the disliking turns into fear. If not, it becomes anger.

Anger is mostly caused when you expect things to behave according to your liking. Fear is caused when you cling to things, taking them as I, me or mine. To overcome fear, you can [recollect the virtues of the Triple gem](http://www.maithri.com/Buddhist_Paritta_Chanting/homage.htm) and feel confident that you have taken refuge under them. But the permanent solution is to do Vipassana meditation and get rid of your clinging and the notion of self.

When one attains the state of Anagami, neither anger nor fear can ever enter one's mind again.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-10-03. Score: 0

Here is what Buddhism says about how fear and anger are related.
<http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/anger.htm>

> Buddhism teaches us that anger is created by mind. However, when you
> are dealing with your own anger, you should be more specific. Anger
> challenges us to look deeply into ourselves. Most of the time, anger
> is self-defensive. It arises from unresolved fears or when our
> ego-buttons are pushed.
>
> As Buddhists we recognize that ego, fear and anger are insubstantial
> and ephemeral, not “real.” They’re ghosts, in a sense. Allowing anger
> to control our actions amounts to being bossed around by ghosts.
>
> Anger Is Self-Indulgent
>
> Anger is unpleasant but seductive. In this interview with Bill Moyer,
> Pema Chodron says that anger has a hook. “There's something delicious
> about finding fault with something,” she said. Especially when our
> egos are involved (which is nearly always the case), we may protect
> our anger. We justify it and even feed it.
>
> Buddhism teaches that anger is never justified, however. Our practice
> is to cultivate metta, a loving kindness toward all beings that is
> free of selfish attachment. “All beings” includes the guy who just cut
> you off at the exit ramp, the co-worker who takes credit for your
> ideas, and even someone close and trusted who betrays you.
>
> For this reason, when we become angry we must take great care not to
> act on our anger to hurt others. We must also take care not to hang on
> to our anger and give it a place to live and grow.

Fear can lead to anger and can also lead to lashing out at others in order to "protect" our self, as though it is vulnerable to another.

And here are some of the precepts to deal with and overcome anger
<http://buddhism.about.com/od/basicbuddhistteachings/a/anger.htm>

> How to Let It Go
>
> You have acknowledged your anger, and you have examined yourself to
> understand what caused the anger to arise. Yet you are still angry.
> What’s next?
>
> Pema Chodron counsels patience. Patience means waiting to act or speak
> until you can do so without causing harm. “Patience has a quality of
> enormous honesty in it,” she said. “It also has a quality of not
> escalating things, allowing a lot of space for the other person to
> speak, for the other person to express themselves, while you don’t
> react, even though inside you are reacting.”
>
> If you have a meditation practice, this is the time to put it to work.
> Sit still with the heat and tension of anger. Quiet the internal
> chatter of other-blame and self-blame. Acknowledge the anger and enter
> into it entirely. Embrace your anger with patience and compassion for
> all beings, including yourself.
>
> Don’t Feed Anger
>
> It’s hard not to act, to remain still and silent while our emotions
> are screaming at us. Anger fills us with edgy energy and makes us want
> to do something. Pop psychology tells us to pound our fists into
> pillows or to scream at the walls to “work out” our anger. Thich Nhat
> Hanh disagrees.
>
> “When you express your anger you think that you are getting anger out
> of your system, but that's not true,” he said. “When you express your
> anger, either verbally or with physical violence, you are feeding the
> seed of anger, and it becomes stronger in you.” Only understanding and
> compassion can neutralize anger.
>
> Compassion Takes Courage
>
> Sometimes we confuse aggression with strength and non-action with
> weakness. Buddhism teaches that just the opposite is true.
>
> Giving in to the impulses of anger, allowing anger to hook us and jerk
> us around, is weakness. On the other hand, it takes strength to
> acknowledge the fear and selfishness in which our anger usually is
> rooted. It also takes discipline to meditate in the flames of anger.
>
> The Buddha said, “Conquer anger by non-anger. Conquer evil by good.
> Conquer miserliness by liberality. Conquer a liar by truthfulness.”
> (Dhammapada, v. 233)


---

