Somehow We Feel Irritated
I think everyone gets irritated from time to time. Sometimes there is a clear reason—someone may say something unpleasant to us. At other times, we feel irritated even though nothing in particular has happened.
I once spent a whole day feeling uneasy and irritated because a certain remark stayed in my mind. That night, as I went to bed, I thought to myself, “I don’t want to spend a whole day feeling upset over something like this.”
I believe everyone wishes to live each day feeling calm and comfortable.
First, Let’s Listen Honestly to the Voice of Your Heart
Is it a bad thing to feel irritated?
I do not think irritation itself is bad. The real problem is when our irritation causes discomfort to others. Irritation is a natural response of the mind. If we continue to ignore it, we will lose our mental well-being. So first, try to listen honestly to your own heart. Ask yourself what is causing your irritation. Even if nothing obvious comes to mind, try writing down whatever you can think of—even small unexpected events, such as breaking a bowl in the morning. Gradually, the cause will become clearer.
What Is the Real Nature of Irritation?
In Buddhism, there are many kinds of mental afflictions. Their roots are said to be greed, anger, and ignorance. Irritation belongs to anger. These afflictions disturb our minds and bring suffering.
Buddhism also teaches the idea of mental coverings—states that cover our naturally wholesome mind, like a lid covering something. When these coverings are present, we cannot see things clearly even if we try.
Let me share a simple example. Imagine that we are trapped inside a large jar. Inside the jar, everything is completely dark. We hear someone knocking on the jar from outside. If we push the lid from inside, we might be able to open it. But because we are afraid, we struggle to keep the lid closed. However, in reality, it was the Buddha knocking the jar from the outside, trying to help us.
If we remove the lid, we can escape from our fear. But we cannot understand this until the lid is opened.
So the first step is to recognize the cause of our irritation and remove the lid covering our hearts. When we understand the cause, we can begin to see things clearly and think about how to respond. As the problem becomes clearer, our minds naturally become calmer. In fact, when the lid is removed, we are able to see things as they really are. Making an effort to live without being covered by these mental obstacles is a shortcut to living a peaceful and steady life.
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