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Emotions—What They Really Are - Seeing Them - Working with Them - Transforming Them by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

From Tibetan Buddhist Encyclopedia
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 Whatever our condition in life—whether we are young or old, wealthy or impoverished, educated or illiterate, from here or from there—we all are touched by the same emotions that bring happiness one moment and suffering the next. Though we all wish to be happy and pursue that state daily, we may feel that our efforts in that direction are often ineffectual. At the end of the day, instead of feeling content, we may feel that we have missed the boat once again; in fact, we can practically see it sailing off without us.

We might ask ourselves why, when we aim only for happiness, we often end up so far from our target. What is it that interferes with our aspirations and intentions? From the perspective of the Buddhist teachings, four profound truths are taught about suffering. First, suffering in this life is inevitable. Second, that suffering has specific causes; it is not random. Third, there can genuinely be an end to that suffering; we can go beyond it. Fourth, the transcendence of suffering also has specific causes. Generating those causes is what we call “the path.” It is known as the path that leads beyond suffering, the path to liberation, the way to enlightenment, and so forth. In other words, just as suffering has causes, just so transcendence has causes; it is not random.

In the context of the Buddhist spiritual path, the transcendence of suffering does not just mean that our relative suffering ceases and we achieve a continual state of relative happiness. It means we transcend the causes and conditions that obscure mind’s true nature and achieve the state of full awakening. Our goal on this path is the realization of our inherent potential for wisdom and compassion, which is unconditioned, ultimate happiness. Being on this path means that we are willing to work with our minds, and we are willing to be uncomfortable at times in the process. It also means that we have a great curiosity about how things work, and we have a certain degree of passion—for truth and authentic experience.

Since our suffering and pain have causes, if we discover those causes, then we can remedy them. When we are looking for the causes of our suffering, the teachings of the Buddha direct us to look first at the mind as the source of our experience and the means for understanding it. When we look inward, we can see that one of the primary sources of distress in our lives comes from our experience of the emotions: they seem to arise suddenly; they color our world and send us off in different directions; they spawn all kinds of hopes and fears and do not respond well to reason. Under their influence, we may fume with anger, light up with pleasure, or become unresponsive and dull. Therefore, it is essential to see what the emotions are more precisely and completely. We need to get to know our emotions, recognize their various forms, and understand how they work. We also need to uncover any preconceptions we have about them. Do we celebrate them for the richness they bring to our lives or fear their provocative energy? Do we suppress or indulge them? Are we even aware of their presence as we go through the day?

Source

www.bodhionline.org