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Feelings
lobster
Crusty Veteran
As we know, feelings are powerful emotive arisings. Here are some we did earlier ...
http://newbuddhist.com/discussion/3123/buddhism-emotions
What about powerfully 'directed emotion' if I can put it like that? Does intense passion for the three jewels, our teacher (if available) empower or muddy for you?
'Increase in metta' as the dervish say ...
Iz plan? ... well is my plan ... 
https://tinybuddha.com/blog/why-we-should-never-force-our-spiritual-beliefs-on-other-people/
5
Comments
funny...i was thinking of compashion and pashion.
i say our compassion,
govern our passion.
what is our passion,
in our every moment session?
talk the walk,
walk the talk.
in time the passion is refined.
the compassion may become define.
let me finish my misspell words:
oh cushion
let me sit on
compashion
and pashion.
give it time
i might find a simple rhyme.
How about both? Certain feelings can empower our practice and give us energy, strong feelings can also blind us. Anger can be an obvious example, it also gives us energy to accomplish a goal but narrows our vision and blinds us to factors outside of the focus of our anger. I guess it seems to me like other passionate emotions act in a similar manner. Perhaps it is like the two wings analogy, that we need both compassion and wisdom to truly take flight in our practice. Compassion (or other passions) motivates us and wisdom keeps us pointed in the right direction?
It says it all.....A goal to strive for.....
Good advice so far. Many thanks.
Who hates ignorance? Maybe we have an aversion to it? Who has emotional attachments? Not so easy as mind/wisdom directed to just ‘let go’ ...
Some of need stronger dharma medicine than raindrops ...
http://buddhismguide.org/working-with-intense-emotions/
We may need sword play/martial arts/sport to deal with anger ...
Is your cushion wet with tears of compassion? Is your heart shrivelled or bigger?
http://arobuddhism.org/community/an-uncommon-perspective.html
Be careful with the aro group, they have a tendency towards indulgence. Luckily discernment and wisdom will provide the right attitude ...
This is from The Heart Treasure of the enlightened Ones by Dilgo Khyentse, I was surprised by it, but feel it rings true!
'if your actions conform with Dharma you' ll antagonise everyone.
If your words are true most people will get angry.
If your mind is truly good and pure they will judge it a defect.'
I thought it was only Zen masters who ran around acting weird and hitting everyone but I was wrong! Feelings are very difficult to deal with. especially for the passionate and intense!
Well quoted @kando.
Most of us, mentioning no names except my own, do not want the truth ...
We may want:
etc. etc.
You want the truth? You will find it.
Hi @Lobster,
I prefer the use of expressions 'feeling' and 'emotions' aligned with the Pali kanon here. Therefore for me 'feeling' has the meaning of 'vedana' and thus feelings are equivalent to unease/dukkha.
Emotions on the other hand are an effect of feelings if other conditions are present and are equivalent to 'passions' meaning 'kilesas' or 'defilements'.
Having said that I do not mean that feelings and emotions should be suppressed or fighted against. They should just be seen as what they are. If seen as what they are feelings and emotions may still arise or they may cease to arise but it doesn't make a difference.
Can you clarify what you have said. My experience is that emotive states arise in us and they most certainly do make a difference. Just knowing, describing or noting as is done in some practices makes a difference for a while perhaps ... Such pacifying practices or spirtual tranquilisers are fine but perhaps not as skilful as using the emotions ...
What have I mis-experienced?
Hi @lobster,
as you said we are talking about our experiences. So it is impossible to 'mis-experience' for you as it is impossibe to 'mis-experience' for me.
When I say 'They should just be seen as what they are. If seen as what they are feelings and emotions may still arise or they may cease to arise but it doesn't make a difference.' then that is talking from within the sphere of my experience and depends on my view and the practice which depends on that view. Since your view and practice may be different your expression of experience may be different.
Got it.
Being aware of the nature of arisings does not in itself transform sufficiently to negate further arisings? They still arise. Increased awareness of our experience is part of everyones meditative process. What is a gal to do to improve? Personally I need every trick inside and outside the book ...
In these kind of cases friend @lobster I have found it useful to inquire into the roots of emotions, ie what chain of thoughts and reactions to thoughts caused this emotion to arise in me? Sometimes in the blink of an eye we can observe desire, greed, mine-making, rejection by reality, and ultimately jealousy, and by seeing them be released from them.
they is some fantastic work done by the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (now becoming as popular for treating troubling emotion as CBT, etc) people about what to do with troubling emotions.
Their general idea is accept mindfully the emotion that is troubling you, as you would in meditation, and then ACT in accordance with your values but not in response to the emption. This could be anything other than trying to fight, suppress, change, argue with, etc the emotion. So it could be staring out the window at the beuaty of nature, or running a relaxing bath, or getting stuck into a project, or redirecting your attention to the game of football on television. Just gradually moving life in the direction you want it after excepting the emotion (i.e. in accordance with your values).
This simple strategy helps me massively from moving on from troubling states. and before "acting in accordance with values" i can really sit and feel and observe so there is no unhealthy element of suppression.
Thanks @SE25Wall that sounds skilfull strategy.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acceptance_and_commitment_therapy
In alchemy this is sublimation, in dharma it would be skilful means ...
remember with all troubling thoughts and emotion..."try not thinking of a white bear". it's impossible. so might as well sit and allow. you guys know the drill, anyhow
we all have feeling, emotions. it is a part of our inate being. we can control them but not cage them. We will have anger, joy, sorrow, glee... But will we, you and I, be controlled by our emotions or or will we control - direct them into a positive direction. By giving direction, anger and sorrow give way to purpose and mission, joy to sharing and so on. In giving positive direction to put emotions, we become less selfish, more selfless and our self-love grows that we may love others selflessly. There will always be a "Me". But in redirecting our emotions, the Me becomes more interactive with the We until we perceive there is no boundary. (Of course, there is no boundary but that which we place ourselves.) There will always be a perceived I. But it becomes the small i as each of us discovers and embraces the We.
Easy to say, naturally. but the I is a stubborn thing.
Peace to all