Those who have power over their hearts...

[Everything]

Those who have power over their hearts will hold the power to conquer the world, and perhaps beyond...

There is the question rising from your mind. Our hearts...

 

We feel it everyday, sometimes less then other days. We feel it in all its wonder, glory and sadness. Its mystery, undescribable. The power it has over our mind is... Beyond words. The emotions are immortal like the most powerful dragons of myth.

 

The science of emotions still holds many mysteries to be solved.

 

How about the rest of the world? Is there any way to win control over your emotions. Surely there is drugs, but those don't do much good. What are the alternatives to succeed at this spiritual journey. I come here, to ask it to all of you who have travelled so far in your spiritual journeys.

Trying to have my echo reach so far beyond that I may reach one who has found his essence. The hero who's gone in exile and returned with this treasure that cannot be perceived by the regular eye. The essence of your being, always with you, so that you may conquer the entire world in its company. Will you share it with us? I beg of you.

[Sloppy Zhang]

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." - Princess Leia to Governor Tarkin, Star Wars Episode IV

 

Don't try to "control" emotions, per se. That, in my experience, will lead you to "block" them, to suppress them, to make yourself numb to feeling. You think you have controlled them and surpassed them because you no longer feel anything. But that doesn't do anything but make you ignorant of what's going on "under your hood", but will make you ignorant of what goes on with other people as well.

 

Knowing is half the battle. Know your own emotions, how you react, etc etc. When you get angry, observe yourself getting angry. Know that you are getting angry. Observe how you respond mentally and physically. Observe what you say. Know your habits.

 

After that, well, let go. When you notice yourself acting your own actions, just stop yourself, and let go.

 

Eventually, you'll be able to cut yourself off earlier in the process. Instead of realizing you just said something in your anger, for instance, you can realize when you're ABOUT to say something in anger, and stop, and let go of the anger or desire to do something. Then you notice when you're already angry, and try to let that go. Then you realize when you start to get angry. Then you realize when you are facing something that will make you angry, and can remain detached.

 

You can observe yourself and others, and know how other people respond. Many people have similar mechanisms of thought and habits. So when you figure out how you operate (not necessarily with the same emotions, but the same progression), you can see how people are likely to respond, and act accordingly.

 

Have fun.

[9th]

Is it already time for a re-visitation?

 

[Spectrum]

releasing movement of emotions liberates emotional attachments bind

 

"Spontaneity is being present in the present.

Spontaneity by-passes the processes of the conceptual (aspect of) mind.

Reintegration with Nature, which we are, is the recovery of spontaneity."-w.w.w.

Edited January 17, 2011 by Spectrum

[Everything]

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers." - Princess Leia to Governor Tarkin, Star Wars Episode IV

 

Don't try to "control" emotions, per se. That, in my experience, will lead you to "block" them, to suppress them, to make yourself numb to feeling. You think you have controlled them and surpassed them because you no longer feel anything. But that doesn't do anything but make you ignorant of what's going on "under your hood", but will make you ignorant of what goes on with other people as well.

 

Knowing is half the battle. Know your own emotions, how you react, etc etc. When you get angry, observe yourself getting angry. Know that you are getting angry. Observe how you respond mentally and physically. Observe what you say. Know your habits.

 

After that, well, let go. When you notice yourself acting your own actions, just stop yourself, and let go.

 

Eventually, you'll be able to cut yourself off earlier in the process. Instead of realizing you just said something in your anger, for instance, you can realize when you're ABOUT to say something in anger, and stop, and let go of the anger or desire to do something. Then you notice when you're already angry, and try to let that go. Then you realize when you start to get angry. Then you realize when you are facing something that will make you angry, and can remain detached.

 

You can observe yourself and others, and know how other people respond. Many people have similar mechanisms of thought and habits. So when you figure out how you operate (not necessarily with the same emotions, but the same progression), you can see how people are likely to respond, and act accordingly.

 

Have fun.

 

Hehe, thanks for the respond, I am already beyond these experiences. When I was a child, identifying emotions was a dificult task, because I learned to surpress them.

 

On my current moment of life, my artistic endeavors require of me an emotional control. I mean feeling an emotion on your "will" alone. I'm not talking about feeling a diffrent emotion then is appropriate for the situation. Perhaps some meditation that will allow me to seek an emotion and stick with it? I've heared about meditation of inner smile, but I doubt that will work. Feeling happiness, the emotions of mystery, the emotion of sorrow, etc. How can I make music, or write compelling stories without these? How can I write fun stories without the emotion of joy? The emotions steer my ship of art, without it my art becomes dull, passionless, meaningless.

Edited January 17, 2011 by Everything

[Sloppy Zhang]

Method acting?

[9th]

9 out of 10 people said "Hatred makes the best art!"

[phore]

pools of sorrow

waves of joy

are drifting through my opened mind

- John Lennon

[Everything]

Yeah, poetry and music are powerful tools, I've come to known.

 

Hatred towards those who denie love is also great art. I understand. This is extremely paradoxical, like the elusive obvious.

Haha! Especially on the end he's like :"I'll love you forever!!!! REALY!!! FOREVER!!! "

Well, the thought of love alone inspires great joy in your art. Always.

 

...How about mystery, guys?

 

Reveal the last secret to meee! I'm on my knees, my jaw touching the floor

 

Just one more to go, come on guys. We can do it!

Edited January 17, 2011 by Everything

[Everything]

Mystery... What is the key to feel mystery in your heart, so you may express it trough art.

 

That question itself is mysterious... Why?

 

"Why?" That is what Einstein allways asks... Hmm. What say does he have in this?

...Checking google Einstein mystery...

...Came up with quote!

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

That didn't make me more wise then I already was

How arrogant of me

 

Lets not dwell off here... We're on a clue... Silence that follow these 3 dots after the question "why?"... Asking "why?" leads to solving the mystery by following the children to her mother...

 

Curiosity! Curiosity is the key to Mystery! We cracked 'm! YAY!!! Hooray!

 

Right, guys? We got 'm, right? ...RIGHT?!

[Marblehead]

Just wanted to say that I love my emotions. Yeah, about as much as I love my ego.

 

Emotions are the experiences of living. Yeah, sometimes we experience negative emotions. This is natural as long as we have prejudices.

 

It is my opinion that we should feel each and every emotion we have to its fullest. Then, after letting it go, try to identify why the event caused that particular emotion. This is a means toward understanding ourself.

 

Just as with the ego, I think that we should not try to eliminate then but rather be thankful that we have had them. They are such wonderful learning tools.

[suninmyeyes]

Mystery... What is the key to feel mystery in your heart, so you may express it trough art.

 

That question itself is mysterious... Why?

 

"Why?" That is what Einstein allways asks... Hmm. What say does he have in this?

...Checking google Einstein mystery...

...Came up with quote!

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed."

That didn't make me more wise then I already was

How arrogant of me

 

Lets not dwell off here... We're on a clue... Silence that follow these 3 dots after the question "why?"... Asking "why?" leads to solving the mystery by following the children to her mother...

 

Curiosity! Curiosity is the key to Mystery! We cracked 'm! YAY!!! Hooray!

 

Right, guys? We got 'm, right? ...RIGHT?!

Hey Everything what happend?Is there springtime where you live?

Mystery is like rotten fruits for me.Not into mystery at all.

There is light in my heart that sheds understanding of life better and solves so called mysteryes.

I also believe that it is possible to make beutiful art without constantly acting upon emotions as if scratching the wound.A lot of Asian art is based on natures cycles and different angle life observations.For example Indian ragas or some Chinese music,some Japonese art or shamanic music etc..

[Spectrum]

I'll tell you about it, come over here and sit on my lap.

[phore]

The mystery was what attracted me in the first place....

Edited January 17, 2011 by phore

[Otis]

Is there any way to win control over your emotions.

Like Sloppy Zhang says, it's not about control of my emotions, per se. It's about surrendering their importance. The emotion still arises, but I no longer give it all my energies. Over time, most disappointment, anger, etc., has softened and lessened its effect in my life.

 

The core, as I've experienced it, is my relationship to panic. Without panic, fear is just a warning, anger just a voice. When I am subject to panic, then I get swept away by my emotions. The more I de-program that panic, the more the emotions are just part of my feedback system, senses and voices cluing me in to potential threats, etc. And as such, those emotions become my allies, instead of the things which take over me.

[Maddie]

This thread comes at an interesting time for me in regards of the heart, as this is what I happend to be working on extensively lately. For the past couple years I have been working on various aspects of myself, the various Zang Fu organs, meridians, chakras, ect.. but I now feel that in a way all of that was preliminary to working on my heart which seems to be core to so many of my other issues I have dealt with.

[Everything]

Hey Everything what happend?Is there springtime where you live?

Mystery is like rotten fruits for me.Not into mystery at all.

There is light in my heart that sheds understanding of life better and solves so called mysteryes.

I also believe that it is possible to make beutiful art without constantly acting upon emotions as if scratching the wound.A lot of Asian art is based on natures cycles and different angle life observations.For example Indian ragas or some Chinese music,some Japonese art or shamanic music etc..

First of, to all you guys, I'm not saying that emotions control your decisions or that you should act upon them, no. I'm talking about how the emotions inspires to mind to great ideas. How mystery inspired einstein to create a nuclear bomb n stuff. I think you understand what I mean. Not the impulsive acting upon emotions, just using it for inspiration. Or is that also wrong according to the Tao?

 

@suninmyeyes Wow, I never looked at it that way. To have art give you clues to that which is beyond experience...

 

Well, in the western world, art is suppose to provoke emotions. Most of the popular art, wether music or movies comes from those who provoke joyful, happy, love emotions. There's also sad music, like "mad world" from gary jules, which strangely got over 30 milion views on youtube. Most sad stuff sells bad, because people prefer the joy, ofcourse. I'm not saying we should prefer one over the other, though. I am intrigued by how artists provoke emotions trough stories, films and music. I find this extremely fun to do myself aswell, to make music, write stories.

 

Sometimes, yes. I see art that opens you to a new awareness instead of provoking emotions, but these are rare. I've never understood this kind of art. It is mysterious to me.

 

How about actors or voice actors. Then it becomes appearant how emotions allow for better performances. You cannot pretend to be in love, without feeling the emotion itself, that would be a very dificult task. Or do you find actors something thats not good in the first place? I'm not sure what art would be without emotions.

 

I have always dreamt about being a composer like jeremy soule, so that I can translate every single emotion to other people... Trough the use of instruments, sound, music, silence.

 

Perhaps I'm very childish and your understanding of art is more elegant. Share it with me, please.

Edited January 18, 2011 by Everything

[Birch]

9 out of 10 people said "Hatred makes the best art!"

 

Whatcha up to Mr "9th"?

 

Poetry?

 

If you're doing what I think you might be doing, please stop. It's not very kind.

But if you're not, no worries

 

Poetry?

[Gauss]

[King Kabalabhati]

[suninmyeyes]

First of, to all you guys, I'm not saying that emotions control your decisions or that you should act upon them, no. I'm talking about how the emotions inspires to mind to great ideas. How mystery inspired einstein to create a nuclear bomb n stuff. I think you understand what I mean. Not the impulsive acting upon emotions, just using it for inspiration. Or is that also wrong according to the Tao?

 

@suninmyeyes Wow, I never looked at it that way. To have art give you clues to that which is beyond experience...

 

Well, in the western world, art is suppose to provoke emotions. Most of the popular art, wether music or movies comes from those who provoke joyful, happy, love emotions. There's also sad music, like "mad world" from gary jules, which strangely got over 30 milion views on youtube. Most sad stuff sells bad, because people prefer the joy, ofcourse. I'm not saying we should prefer one over the other, though. I am intrigued by how artists provoke emotions trough stories, films and music. I find this extremely fun to do myself aswell, to make music, write stories.

 

Sometimes, yes. I see art that opens you to a new awareness instead of provoking emotions, but these are rare. I've never understood this kind of art. It is mysterious to me.

 

How about actors or voice actors. Then it becomes appearant how emotions allow for better performances. You cannot pretend to be in love, without feeling the emotion itself, that would be a very dificult task. Or do you find actors something thats not good in the first place? I'm not sure what art would be without emotions.

 

I have always dreamt about being a composer like jeremy soule, so that I can translate every single emotion to other people... Trough the use of instruments, sound, music, silence.

 

Perhaps I'm very childish and your understanding of art is more elegant. Share it with me, please.

An artist can draw from emotions,feelings,nature,inspiration..And portray those or tryto use it for magical or healing purposes or whatever other reason.It depends on personality of an artist and nature of the artwork.

If "you"need to sweat off some emotions and use art as a vecihle -it is great,but one can be more constructive or get inspiration directly from wisdom for example and translate that etc.It depends where inspiration comes from.Also to take in consideration subtle differences between emotion and feeling and inspiration.

Being in love is not emotion per se.Love IMO is a force that brings out emotions becouse it like mix betwwen spiritual glue and bleach.That didnt sound very poetic ,but eh.

Its force is so powerful and connecting that it brings everything that rejects that connection(emotions,ideas,beliefs..)to the surfice.Love is not something new that suddenly comes ,it could suddenly be remeberd more forcefully for example becouse of beuty of the way he moves and the way his silence speaks to me.We are not sharing emotion here ,we are loving and becoming it at the same time.edit:sorry my spelling is terrible sometimes

Edited January 18, 2011 by suninmyeyes

[Spectrum]

"the way he moves... the way his silence speaks to me..."

[Aaron]

One who strives to control their heart, will find that their heart cannot be controlled. One who knows himself will find that their heart is free. It is only by understanding that the ordinary is extraordinary that one will cease to wish to rule the world and instead allow the world to rule them.

 

Aaron

Edited January 18, 2011 by Twinner

[Spectrum]

The alcove underneath your beard shades me from the bright lights.

 

"Thoughts on water grow all bearded."

[Samuel]

First of, to all you guys, I'm not saying that emotions control your decisions or that you should act upon them, no. I'm talking about how the emotions inspires to mind to great ideas. How mystery inspired einstein to create a nuclear bomb n stuff. I think you understand what I mean. Not the impulsive acting upon emotions, just using it for inspiration. Or is that also wrong according to the Tao?

 

@suninmyeyes Wow, I never looked at it that way. To have art give you clues to that which is beyond experience...

 

Well, in the western world, art is suppose to provoke emotions. Most of the popular art, wether music or movies comes from those who provoke joyful, happy, love emotions. There's also sad music, like "mad world" from gary jules, which strangely got over 30 milion views on youtube. Most sad stuff sells bad, because people prefer the joy, ofcourse. I'm not saying we should prefer one over the other, though. I am intrigued by how artists provoke emotions trough stories, films and music. I find this extremely fun to do myself aswell, to make music, write stories.

 

Sometimes, yes. I see art that opens you to a new awareness instead of provoking emotions, but these are rare. I've never understood this kind of art. It is mysterious to me.

 

How about actors or voice actors. Then it becomes appearant how emotions allow for better performances. You cannot pretend to be in love, without feeling the emotion itself, that would be a very dificult task. Or do you find actors something thats not good in the first place? I'm not sure what art would be without emotions.

 

I have always dreamt about being a composer like jeremy soule, so that I can translate every single emotion to other people... Trough the use of instruments, sound, music, silence.

 

Perhaps I'm very childish and your understanding of art is more elegant. Share it with me, please.

 

I think I understand what you're asking. Using art as an example, if someone in love produces love songs, someone melancholic produces solemn songs and someone who is jovial produces songs that are joyful, what songs would someone who has returned to the tao produce? What kind of writing or paintings or poems would them make? Is that what you're asking, but also with respect to wider inspiration as well, not just art. If it is, then I don't know, amusingly.

 

As for my understanding of art, I think what you're saying about it evoking emotions sums it up for me. Something that attracts me, that tugs on something inside is art to me. I could stare for hours at butterfly's wings, some kungfu forms, photographs of some people, or places, some paintings entrance me and I have a monolithic library of music that is full of bits of this and bits of that, because I only take the bits I like and leave the bits I don't. But then that makes what "art" is, highly relative to each person. Since everyone will be attracted by something different, it's as relative as beauty.

 

That's my two pennies anyway, I don't know what the Tao thinks of art. Probably doesn't.