The Yoga of the Nine Emotions by Peter Marchand

Author:Peter Marchand
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inner Traditions / Bear & Company
Published: 2011-10-02T16:00:00+00:00

14

Mastering Emotions

True emotional freedom requires control over the Rasas.

The Great Taboo

Many people in modern society believe that emotions should be largely ignored and suppressed, while others think that everybody should be able to freely express their emotions. Both sides in this debate in fact uphold a taboo on mastering emotions, either by ignoring them or by identifying with them too much.

When we ignore unhappy feelings we miss an opportunity to change them. Ignoring or suppressing happy feelings is a waste of vitality. Ignoring emotions simply does not work, because they come and go anyway. A baby may not know which side is up or down, but it is born with Love and Sadness, Joy and Anger. Any parent can confirm that. Living life without emotions is empty. The attitude that ignores emotions in fact originates within an emotion itself: the Fear of letting go of mental defenses, the Fear of being absorbed by an unpleasant mood, the Fear of losing a pleasant mood. Those fears can be controlled.

Emotional “freedom fighters” are reacting against the real problems caused by too much suppression of emotions. However, we should be grateful that people do not always freely express their emotions. Anger usually generates more Anger and that kind of interaction often leads to violence. And if we have the courage to look deeply inside, we must come to the conclusion that it is hard to even think about some very personal emotions. To communicate them to others in a valuable way requires a specific audience at a specific time and place.

But some peace in society is not the only reason why mastering emotions is important. In most cases, Anger, Fear, Sadness, and Disgust make no sense and Love, Joy, Wonder, Courage, or Calmness make a lot of sense. Identification with less agreeable emotions will only make them stronger. If something is displeasing, getting upset about it only makes it a lot worse. Too much identification with agreeable emotions will only make it more difficult to accept that they are time-bound and may undermine their strength. True freedom only comes when we are fully in control.

Identifying with our emotions leads to delusion because they really are not ours. In order to understand this we only need to close our eyes and try not to think any thoughts or feel any emotions. Unless we have mastered meditation, thoughts and feelings will come, even if we are trying hard to avoid them. How can they be ours if they come without our asking them to? Why do they stay even when we do not want them? Who is the one that experiences them and likes them or not? Who or what is creating them if we are not? Emotions and thoughts are only as real as we make them.

Rasa Sadhana or the “Yoga of Emotion” is not about rationalizing our emotions all the time. Rather, it is important to think and rationalize about them when reading this book, and now and then afterward as well. It is also important to practice exercising control over our emotions.

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