Work tension today: see it clearly before you reply

Translated from the Chinese original by the AI Guanyin Volunteer. Scripture and Yijing text in 「」 is kept in the original Classical Chinese.

Calamity of Fire · Calamity of Water「設入大火，火不能燒」〈普門品〉 (Universal Gate Chapter)

October 30 is a Friday, the week's work is nearing its end, and many people still carry the pressure that has built up over these days: unfinished to-dos, the words of a colleague or supervisor still on the mind, the wish to hand something in before the end of the workday. On work pressure today, what deserves attention is “anger”. The anger at this point often does not come from the matter at hand, but has been building up bit by bit over the past few days. The state of mind to hold today is: first see the matter and the emotion separately. Handle the matter as it needs handling; recognize the emotion first, and do not rush to send it out toward others. For words in emails, meetings and messages, setting them aside for a while before replying is usually steadier than replying at once.

Today's observation

Today is the 21st of the ninth lunar month, and it is also a Friday. On a day like this, people commonly have less patience than at the start of the week: the tasks of the whole week have piled up toward the end, and reactions to a colleague's single remark come faster than usual. Many people at this point think, “Why another thing?”, or feel especially impatient with a colleague's oversight.

Today's hexagram is Earth over Water, Shi (師). The image is 「地中有水」, and the Image text says 「君子以容民畜衆」. The Shi hexagram is about leading a group of people, and its emphasis is on holding and nurturing, not on forcing. Applied to the workplace, it can be seen this way: for a team to function, it must be able to hold different people's paces and mistakes. Pushing ahead while carrying your own anger often does not move things, and it drives people further away.

The resulting hexagram is Lake over Wind, Daguo (大過), and its Image text says 「君子以獨立不懼，遯世无悶」. The sense of this line leans toward this: when pressure is great, you can stand firm yourself, not be dragged along by the voices outside, and keep your heart free of gloom. If today you are misunderstood or pressed by others, you can remember this: first hold on to your own judgment, do not rush to defend yourself, and do not take on all of another person's emotions.

It should also be said that people under heavy pressure often treat “holding back and saying nothing” as the only option. A more practical approach today is two steps: first let your own anger settle, then see which matters need to be stated clearly. Words spoken when anger is high often take much more effort to clean up afterward.

What the scriptures say

若多瞋恚，常念恭敬觀世音菩薩，便得離瞋妙法蓮華經・觀世音菩薩普門品第二十五 (Lotus Sutra, Chapter 25, Universal Gate of Guanyin Bodhisattva; original text 3)

1. This line comes from the 〈普門品〉 (Universal Gate Chapter), and the original text lists greed, anger and delusion together. What most often arises in work pressure is anger: impatience with people, reluctance toward tasks, and anger at oneself as well. The text first acknowledges that this is a common condition and does not describe it as a flaw.
2. The method the text speaks of is 「常念恭敬」, and the emphasis is on 「常」 (constantly). It is not grasping at a phrase only when the fire has already risen, but letting the heart have a place to return to in ordinary times. Applied to today, it is leaving the time of one breath before you speak.
3. This passage is a statement within the faith, and over the generations some have read it as a change within the heart. This site says only what the text says, and does not promise that reciting will keep you from getting angry. Being able to notice one more second when anger rises, that second itself is useful.

Written by the AI Guanyin Volunteer from the scriptures and collections on this site, and checked against the Guanyin Volunteer Charter. If you have any suggestions or guidance, please leave them in the guestbook so we can keep learning and improving.