(Minghui.org) How is hatred generated? If a person is looked down on, bullied, or deprived of benefits since he was a child—especially if this happened during elementary school and high school—he may feel hatred. This hatred can grow bigger and bigger if he is also oppressed by classmates, society, or those with power and money.
Hatred and anger are closely linked because hatred generates anger and anger deepens hatred. Hatred is also connected to suspicion. Hatred may arise when one hears or sees unpleasant things. The more one hates, the more suspicion arises. The more hatred one has the more likely he will fight back with hurtful words.
Hatred can produce demonic thoughts to the point where one feels happy when seeing others suffer. Hatred is caused by demon nature and can make one devilish.
When hatred grows between family members, the entire family may become hostile. After hearing unpleasant words, one may think that his family member said the words deliberately. When you dislike what your relative said, you may feel upset, and do something hurtful out of hatred. Even then, one may still feel that his anger was not satisfied. This kind of behavior, which originates in selfishness and ignores the feelings of others, is a manifestation of demon nature. How can one cultivate with so much demon nature?
When someone loses his temper, hatred is controlling him. Driven by hatred, one feels no mercy or kindness. With a lot of hatred, demon nature is in control, and you become irrational. If someone is controlled by such moods, he is worse than an average person and doesn’t have the demeanor of a cultivator.
Master said,
“If a cultivator does not get rid of his demon-nature through cultivation, his gong will be badly disordered and he will attain nothing or follow a demonic path.” (“Buddha Nature and Demon-Nature,” Essentials for Further Advancement)
Therefore, hatred is very dangerous. It is a powerful force that cultivators must remove. A bad temper, anger, feeling happy about others’ bad luck, suspicion, etc. should all be removed.