Emotions and spirituality

[Bindi]

For me, an end goal appears to be bringing full emotional awareness to the higher chakras. Emotions in this sense can be seen as the sole underlying issue, and clearing the path for emotions to ascend from the lowest to the highest chakras becomes my path, which fundamentally means resolving and clearing layer upon layer of emotional issues (and bringing subtle energies up, but only to continue the work of furthering the journey of emotional awareness).

For me knowledge of the chakras is irrelevant (though they can be interesting) except to the extent that they do or do not allow emotion to pass through freely.

 

I guess that after this goal has been reached other things may happen, things more typically related to the word spirituality, but I would see that as the by-product of complete emotional clarity. 

 

I wonder what is the place of emotions for others in relation to their spirituality?

[Marblehead]

Nice thread.  I am just going to watch for now.

[AussieTrees]

Hi Bindi,thankyou for your emotional awareness.

 

Emotions are our choice to use.

Sometimes overwhelming us no longer a choice.

 

There is need to develope also detachment.

We develope detachment to protect ourselves.

 

Much confusion,irrational thoughts,delusions manifest from emotions.

Rational,logical processes often of limited effect when trying to unravel emotions.

 

There is benefit from insight or in understanding ourselves.

When these pennies start dropping,there is need for caution.

Please be kind to yourself,your own best friend.

[wilfred]

sending subtle energy upward? does it really work like that? my understanding is that you go through things where they are, which is all over the body. connecting to heart energy being the one that ramps up equanimity and lets us dissolve blockages increasingly fast. i posted about this is another thread, but being grounded is the name of the game as far as equanimity goes, building up our energy centres. the initial work is to actively bring the energy down, thereby organizing our energy coherently and bringing awareness to the entire body, where all kinds of things are lurking.

[idiot_stimpy]

I heard emptiness meditation, creates a void which draws the energy upwards. Resting the mind in no thought.

[Bindi]

Emotions can exist in subtle and not so-subtle forms. I'd make a distinction between passions and petite-emotions. My use of "passions" is more in the stoic sense---things that cause suffering. I'd also pair my account of the passions with zang-fu theory; they'll only be an immense issue if you have blockages or bad company that impart abberant energy patterns onto you (in some way). The petite-emotions, though, have less to do with wide-area states of organs and more to do with habituated patternings of emotion. That is, it's not the full-on psycho-somatic, spirit-possession-like state that accompanies the passions. It is more like a sort of shadow of the feeling.

 

In general, I haven't formalized a theory of this sort of thing---I don't think I can until I have a perfect perspective on the matter. However, to generalize it, I'd say that managing emotions requires managing physical/spiritual health in the sense of removing blockages to energy. Once that is done, the body (and its states of ease and disease) will not be a major factor to skew you and you can put more attention into personal issues that exist in various physical, psychological, symbolic, and other habits/behaviorisms. I may be wrong, but the process outlined here will clear the slate as best as possible but only so as to enable you to better deal with core issues a little down the line. The main idea would be getting rid of the major blockages and following-up with habit/behavior adjustments to prevent more blockages from forming.

 

For me, I have followed the stoic path with emotions: cultivate apatheia to understand the state of body and spirit and apply training to fix the problems that are discovered; then, after having spent time with apatheia and removed a number of dysfunctions, cultivate eupathia. For me, this would be the Christian notion of charity, or the buddhist notion of lovingkindness, or the more general notion of unconditional love. The thing that I've discovered is that if you're blocked energetically, it is very difficult to cultivate a pure form of love. So the main goal isn't to get the emotions to be processed through the higher chakras as much as it is to get the state of the body refined so that petite-emotions of proper energy flow are what you experience rather than the coarse emotions of energy blockages.

 

At least, this is what I've found; the transpersonalization of perspective and emotion (by freeing your spirit from blocked flows of the body) is the main thing---not a quick-fix of shifting axes of operation. There are more things to discuss or mention but I recognize that most of the things I'm talking about are rather personal  in nature (and don't have a set vocabulary for presentation) and it might be difficult to understand what I actually mean so I'll cut this off here.

 

Actually, upon re-reading the OP, it sounds like we're on the same page (mostly).

 

Resolve issues and allow energy to flow, which at its highest point allows "the Christian notion of charity, or the buddhist notion of lovingkindness, or the more general notion of unconditional love", where there is no need to try to be kind, but just energy flowing that reverberates at this level. This seems to me to be an end point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Bindi,thankyou for your emotional awareness.

 

Emotions are our choice to use.

Sometimes overwhelming us no longer a choice.

 

There is need to develope also detachment.

We develope detachment to protect ourselves.

 

Much confusion,irrational thoughts,delusions manifest from emotions.

Rational,logical processes often of limited effect when trying to unravel emotions.

 

There is benefit from insight or in understanding ourselves.

When these pennies start dropping,there is need for caution.

Please be kind to yourself,your own best friend.

"Much confusion,irrational thoughts,delusions manifest from emotions," and therefore my need to resolve them. I have long believed that the blocks are just feelings that haven't been expressed, and I have spent decades feeling these unexpressed feelings, one by one, and it's never been fun, but they do get released over time, and energy flows a little more freely each time.

 

For me detachment comes later, after energy is flowing mostly clear, detachment from money, from self, from ego, from egoic love, and after this process, it must clear the way for unconditional/transpersonal/universal love.

[Bindi]

sending subtle energy upward? does it really work like that? my understanding is that you go through things where they are, which is all over the body. connecting to heart energy being the one that ramps up equanimity and lets us dissolve blockages increasingly fast. i posted about this is another thread, but being grounded is the name of the game as far as equanimity goes, building up our energy centres. the initial work is to actively bring the energy down, thereby organizing our energy coherently and bringing awareness to the entire body, where all kinds of things are lurking.

In my mind I was referring to dantian energies being brought up, when appropriate, after a certain level of clearing is done.

Edited September 3, 2015 by Bindi

[manitou]

In my mind I was referring to dantian energies being brought up, when appropriate, after a certain level of clearing is done.

 

Are you sure you're not speaking of kundalini energy going up the chakras in front, and then down in back?  This would be a different thing altogether and not subject to emotions.

 

Emotions happen because there is friction between 'what is' and 'what we think it oughta be'.  Staying in the Now, which is a lifetime's exercise as far as I'm concerned - will give you a degree of control over out of control emotions.  You will be separate from the circumstance, you will be looking at everything as One and therefore not at odds at all.

 

Also, letting go of attachments will go a long way to level the landscape of your heart.  A very tall order.  If we are caught up in emotions too often, we can always focus on something other than the self.

[Bindi]

Are you sure you're not speaking of kundalini energy going up the chakras in front, and then down in back?  This would be a different thing altogether and not subject to emotions.

 

Emotions happen because there is friction between 'what is' and 'what we think it oughta be'.  Staying in the Now, which is a lifetime's exercise as far as I'm concerned - will give you a degree of control over out of control emotions.  You will be separate from the circumstance, you will be looking at everything as One and therefore not at odds at all.

 

Also, letting go of attachments will go a long way to level the landscape of your heart.  A very tall order.  If we are caught up in emotions too often, we can always focus on something other than the self.

I don't personally agree with staying in the now, nor emotional control. I want to resolve my emotions, and most of them (if not all of them) were created in the past. So I am happy to live briefly in the past, feeling the feeling, to resolve the source of an uncomfortable emotion. Then I get back to the present, with less need to control. Caught up in emotions may be just stuck in a block, and when the block is resolved, emotion flows freely, so caught up can't exist at that point.

 

Letting go of attachments is a very tall order I agree, and it's a challenge I certainly haven't yet accomplished, but that won't stop me from trying.

 

Regarding my reference to subtle energy, I really did mean dantian energy, but it brings up the question, what is the difference between dantian energy and kundalini energy - there are similarities, and if they are separate energies how do they work together? I'd have to think about the similarities/differences/how they co-ordinate for a while before I could answer your question.

[manitou]

LOL.  If you don't personally agree with staying in the Now, you will later.  All the other stuff is illusion.  We can drop it any time we want.  I think this is why meditation is so important - it gives us a modicum of control over our thoughts - when to let them in, when to just be in the Now and realize that this is all we've got.  The rest is all just a Story.

 

But stories they are, and those emotions do affect us.  If you are saddened by things in the past, my suggestion would be to take responsibility for those parts you played in the (break-up, etc) and make amends for them, rather than trying to resolve them by justification of some sort.  But sometimes the best we can do is just let the emotion roll through, like a wave of energy.  It always amazes me that it's just an emotion, that's all - and how many years I went expending so much energy trying to stifle them, afraid of feeling them for some strange reason.

 

Kundalini energy often hits with a bang.  There's not much subtle about it, particularly at the beginning.  It's often accompanied by the sound of a loud train (nowhere to be found) or a tornado outside your house.  Sounds too strange to be true, I know - but it did happen to me that way and I've subsequently read that it often enters others the same way.  The kundalini energy (although I've never seen a great explanation for it) will go up through the chakras.  It feels like the energy gets 'stuck' in a chakra, and that's when it's time to figure out why there is a blockage.  If it's in the heart chakra, for example, that's usually easy enough to figure out.  If it's in the chakra at the vocal chords, that's usually a more subtle dynamic and involves how you present to the world, whether you express yourself when necessary or let things build up.  There are plenty of books written on the subject.  I found that the way to get rid of the stuck-ness is to work on those character dynamics that are represented by the chakra.  Personally, I feel that is the point to kundalini rising, but again - I don't think anybody's real sure.  

 

Kundalini energy does stay with you, manifesting in odd points of heat within the body and electrical buzzing or vibrations.  It's actually pretty bothersome, if you ask me.  It doesn't let up.  Does that sound like anything you're experiencing?  If your emotions are going haywire at this particular time, it could be a possibility, if it's accompanied by a bunch of other weirdness.

[Gerard]

I wonder what is the place of emotions for others in relation to their spirituality?

 

 

Emotions (middle, Man) is what makes you human. Block them and you'll run into trouble. Bring them to balance according to the movements of the 5 Elements which give birth to natural laws, and they'll run smoothly.

 

The other two aspects are Heaven (top, Yang) and Earth (bottom, animal, Yin).

 

A successful practice is one that integrates the three aspects or spheres of being.

 

We humans are a totality of all events.

 

Best!

Edited September 3, 2015 by Gerard

[Bindi]

LOL.  If you don't personally agree with staying in the Now, you will later.  All the other stuff is illusion.  We can drop it any time we want.  I think this is why meditation is so important - it gives us a modicum of control over our thoughts - when to let them in, when to just be in the Now and realize that this is all we've got.  The rest is all just a Story.

 

But stories they are, and those emotions do affect us.  If you are saddened by things in the past, my suggestion would be to take responsibility for those parts you played in the (break-up, etc) and make amends for them, rather than trying to resolve them by justification of some sort.  But sometimes the best we can do is just let the emotion roll through, like a wave of energy.  It always amazes me that it's just an emotion, that's all - and how many years I went expending so much energy trying to stifle them, afraid of feeling them for some strange reason.

 

Kundalini energy often hits with a bang.  There's not much subtle about it, particularly at the beginning.  It's often accompanied by the sound of a loud train (nowhere to be found) or a tornado outside your house.  Sounds too strange to be true, I know - but it did happen to me that way and I've subsequently read that it often enters others the same way.  The kundalini energy (although I've never seen a great explanation for it) will go up through the chakras.  It feels like the energy gets 'stuck' in a chakra, and that's when it's time to figure out why there is a blockage.  If it's in the heart chakra, for example, that's usually easy enough to figure out.  If it's in the chakra at the vocal chords, that's usually a more subtle dynamic and involves how you present to the world, whether you express yourself when necessary or let things build up.  There are plenty of books written on the subject.  I found that the way to get rid of the stuck-ness is to work on those character dynamics that are represented by the chakra.  Personally, I feel that is the point to kundalini rising, but again - I don't think anybody's real sure.  

 

Kundalini energy does stay with you, manifesting in odd points of heat within the body and electrical buzzing or vibrations.  It's actually pretty bothersome, if you ask me.  It doesn't let up.  Does that sound like anything you're experiencing?  If your emotions are going haywire at this particular time, it could be a possibility, if it's accompanied by a bunch of other weirdness.

More or less this is also what I am saying, "let the emotion roll through, like a wave of energy." I wouldn't equate resolving emotions with justifications, more with re-feeling, and releasing them. Re-feeling might mean re-experiencing the past in that moment, but really that is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. I agree that in this way no energy needs to be expended on trying to stifle unpleasant emotions, and by not stifling emotions in general, it also makes sense that pleasant emotions flow unrestricted.

 

Regarding energy, I will say with some certainty that I haven't released my kundalini, but i do see 2 levels of kundalini activation, one awakened, the other released, and imo awakened kundalini energy would be part of bringing subtle energies up (after a certain level of emotional clearing) which i would see as clearing the way for kundalini to be released proper later, after work has been done on detachment, instead of kundalini energy being used to do the clearing and detaching.

 

From what i have read and heard in most cases, approaching kundalini in this order is likely to save many potential problems that are experienced by people with 'premature' kundalini release.

Edited September 4, 2015 by Bindi

[manitou]

More or less this is also what I am saying, "let the emotion roll through, like a wave of energy." I wouldn't equate resolving emotions with justifications, more with re-feeling, and releasing them. Re-feeling might mean re-experiencing the past in that moment, but really that is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. I agree that in this way no energy needs to be expended on trying to stifle unpleasant emotions, and by not stifling emotions in general, it also makes sense that pleasant emotions flow unrestricted.

 

Regarding energy, I will say with some certainty that I haven't released my kundalini, but i do see 2 levels of kundalini activation, one awakened, the other released, and imo awakened kundalini energy would be part of bringing subtle energies up (after a certain level of emotional clearing) which i would see as clearing the way for kundalini to be released proper later, after work has been done on detachment, instead of kundalini energy being used to do the clearing and detaching.

 

From what i have read and heard in most cases, approaching kundalini in this order is likely to save many potential problems that are experienced by people with 'premature' kundalini release.

 

 

My experience hasn't been that re-feeling (or re-fueling) the emotion on a periodic basis diminishes the emotion over time.  I think it might just keep it alive.  I've had to go to the amend process, apologizing for my part in the disagreement.  Two sides always. Ego diminishing seems to make life a whole lot better, with fewer and fewer uncomfortable situations in which to participate any more.  But that does take courage.  Lots and lots of opportunity for us to feel the wave of fear of disgust going from one side of the body to the other......that nice visceral, uncomfortable feeling that is almost upsetting to the stomach.  But well worth the momentary discomfort, IMO.  Even the slightly loose bowels.   Just a couple times of having to experience the whole visceral feeling in consciousness in reference to once particular mind pattern (like fear or dominance) the pattern and the consequential visceral feeling start to disappear.  The awareness, the light of day, seems to be all it takes; focusing on the problem  and bodily reactions seems to clear it like the fog lifting.

[Bindi]

My experience hasn't been that re-feeling (or re-fueling) the emotion on a periodic basis diminishes the emotion over time.  I think it might just keep it alive.  I've had to go to the amend process, apologizing for my part in the disagreement.  Two sides always. Ego diminishing seems to make life a whole lot better, with fewer and fewer uncomfortable situations in which to participate any more.  But that does take courage.  Lots and lots of opportunity for us to feel the wave of fear of disgust going from one side of the body to the other......that nice visceral, uncomfortable feeling that is almost upsetting to the stomach.  But well worth the momentary discomfort, IMO.  Even the slightly loose bowels.   Just a couple times of having to experience the whole visceral feeling in consciousness in reference to once particular mind pattern (like fear or dominance) the pattern and the consequential visceral feeling start to disappear.  The awareness, the light of day, seems to be all it takes; focusing on the problem  and bodily reactions seems to clear it like the fog lifting.

 

I guess I'm referring to a very specific process in terms of re-feeling the feeling, I purposely re-enter the feelings brought up in dreams only, and allow myself to fully feel them after analysing the dream itself. In fact with this system, the longer I can re-enter the feeling, the better. After doing a 'session' of this, I don't usually have to revisit it, unless a dream brings it up again. The feelings are always uncomfortable, but to consciously feel that particular feeling seems to effectively release it. My dreams have their own program about what to work on at any point in time, I just go along with them, feeling whatever they want me to feel, sometimes just understanding what they want me to understand. For me dreams are like a personal guru leading the way, and after 30 years of doing this I can honestly say I'm happy with the outcome.

Edited September 5, 2015 by Bindi

[C T]

 

I guess I'm referring to a very specific process in terms of re-feeling the feeling, I purposely re-enter the feelings brought up in dreams only, and allow myself to fully feel them after analysing the dream itself. In fact with this system, the longer I can re-enter the feeling, the better. After doing a 'session' of this, I don't usually have to revisit it, unless a dream brings it up again. The feelings are always uncomfortable, but to consciously feel that particular feeling seems to effectively release it. My dreams have their own program about what to work on at any point in time, I just go along with them, feeling whatever they want me to feel, sometimes just understanding what they want me to understand. For me dreams are like a personal guru leading the way, and after 30 years of doing this I can honestly say I'm happy with the outcome.

Rather than analysing the feelings, which, btw, is such a limitless loop, would it not be better to investigate the 'who' behind the feelings? Like, for example, what is this entity that 'feels' all these things? Is this 'who' a substantial, self-existing 'thing'? Questions like these. I mean, you do know the ephemeral nature of feelings, and yet you seem to invest so much interest and attention to something that is so. Not saying you should not... im just wondering. 

[Bindi]

Rather than analysing the feelings, which, btw, is such a limitless loop, would it not be better to investigate the 'who' behind the feelings? Like, for example, what is this entity that 'feels' all these things? Is this 'who' a substantial, self-existing 'thing'? Questions like these. I mean, you do know the ephemeral nature of feelings, and yet you seem to invest so much interest and attention to something that is so. Not saying you should not... im just wondering. 

 

I have wondered who the entity is that feels all these things, and for now I perceive the entity who is dreaming, feeling, and resolving these things is my awareness/consciousness slowly ascending through the chakras to join with my Higher Self.

 

I analyse the dream itself, but then deliberately stop any intellectual process and feel the feeling. But it's only to release what might be blocked. Say with fear, if I am caught in that level of being, and unpack the reason for fear in my life through dream analysis, and feel and release the fear that was driving me, then I consider that to be cleared, I can feel fear when appropriate, but I don't live fearfully all the time.

 

I was shown my personal hijackers in a dream, fear, shame, negativity, desire, anger, that took control of me, and this dream showed me removing them one by one. I just believed the dream, and went about removing them over time, bit by bit.

 

I once had a dream which explained how dreams work:

 

There was a big screen in a movie theatre, and on the screen was thousands of unrelated random looking pixels. One of these pixels would be taken from the screen, and played in a projector on the wall beside me, distorting the video scene into caricature because it was being played in such close up. After being played the pixel went back into the big screen and resolved itself into a sensible piece of the puzzle, and it was clear to me in the dream that when enough pixels were resolved I would be able to see the ‘big picture’.

 

This dream explained satisfactorily to me why it was important to ‘resolve’ my dreams, and also why dreams themselves looked so mad sometimes, like caricatures.

 

I read this the other day, the author Leon Rhodes is describing the life review of Near death experiencers after going through a black tunnel:

 

“many experiencers are treated to a remarkable show called “The Life Review.” It has been described in full color, three-dimensional, and shown as if on a wide screen. The review is extremely detailed and does not miss a thing. Some describe what looks like a slow-motion review, yet somehow their entire conscious lives are compressed into an astonishing re-enactment of everything they have ever done. Such a review would take a long time in an earthly theatre bound by time and space; yet within the few minutes of a near death experience, the leading character is shown not only all the events of his or her former life, but can also experience the emotions that were involved.”

 

It made me wonder if dreams are a way to access ‘the life review’ while alive, bound by time and space. From Leon again:

 

“Many experiencers report this fascinating feature of being able to see the big picture. They were shown a vast cosmic view of creation and saw a logic, an order to their lives that made sense. One experiencer said, “When I saw the complete picture, I found myself saying, ‘But of course, of course!’” She finally understood how the many pieces of her life fit together.”

 

I very much relate to this idea of seeing the big picture.

 

 

[Bindi]

A site that directly relates emotions to chakras:
 

When the Anāhata [Heart] Chakra unfolds it is like the melting of a glacier – the consciousness is inundated with emotions. But when the Vishuddhi [Throat] Chakra begins to loosen up, it is like a breach in a dyke and leads to an emotional flood of immense force. And through this the opportunity is given to finally lay bare the roots of our problems and remove them.
 
http://www.chakras.net/energy-centers/vishuddhi

 

[Bud Jetsun]

Emotion ultimately is as one believes and perceives it to be, nothing more or less. 

 

A self imposed bias on Now with effects ranging from perception of 'all powerful' to 'imperceptible' depending on choice. 

 

There are no delusions worth accepting in trade for this moment of Now which encompasses all that is real to the limit of your ability to know it.  This includes any delusions of how something once was, or how something may be. 

 

If one is choosing to live in a state of being nagged by ones memory of past events, before even bothering with any further efforts, stop and forgive everything including yourself and all things arisen and yet arisen.   Forgiveness isn't something done for the sake of others, it's the tool to cut through the binding straps of pointlessly clinging to the previous or fearing the potential of what may come.   There is only Now, one is equally able to appreciate that or suffer it through replacing it's awareness with webs of delusions in the mind. 

 

Unlimited Love,

-Bud

[Everything]

 

For me, an end goal appears to be bringing full emotional awareness to the higher chakras. Emotions in this sense can be seen as the sole underlying issue, and clearing the path for emotions to ascend from the lowest to the highest chakras becomes my path, which fundamentally means resolving and clearing layer upon layer of emotional issues (and bringing subtle energies up, but only to continue the work of furthering the journey of emotional awareness).

 

For me knowledge of the chakras is irrelevant (though they can be interesting) except to the extent that they do or do not allow emotion to pass through freely.

 

I guess that after this goal has been reached other things may happen, things more typically related to the word spirituality, but I would see that as the by-product of complete emotional clarity.

 

I wonder what is the place of emotions for others in relation to their spirituality?

Emotions just let you know wether what you are giving your attention to currently in the moment is something you want or not. Ofcourse positive emotion for want. And negative emotion for not want.

 

Boring huh? Just like a computer. While spirituality is just magical. It's everything and so much more. It sparkles with bright pixy dust. That is spiritual my friend. I put the gun on the desk and sit on my chair. Now listen up I need you to get some icecream for me. "On the job?" Yes on the job.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Everything

[Marblehead]

Is eating ice cream on the job really allowed?  Sure, spiritually; but materially?

[TzuJanLi]

It is my understanding that emotions are messages from the 'non-local' aspect of our wholeness.. unfortunately, many people struggle to discern emotions from thoughts 'about' emotions..

[dawei]

I wonder what is the place of emotions for others in relation to their spirituality?

 

So emotions are like the custodians or guide in the spiritual journey for you.  

 

I think for most, this is not their path, but you have a unique path for this.

 

When you say:

"My dreams have their own program about what to work on at any point in time, I just go along with them, feeling whatever they want me to feel, sometimes just understanding what they want me to understand. For me dreams are like a personal guru leading the way, and after 30 years of doing this I can honestly say I'm happy with the outcome."

 

I don't know that anyone can really offer a similar path. 

 

In a way, this is a journal on some level. I know of your journey but it is a never ending fascination to hear it

[Kubba]

The goal you talk about happends through relasing all uncried tears, unexpressed pain, held back sadness and happiness etc. these things lie down in psychic centers that makes you inprissoned there, and keeps you away from freedom. It is relases through the phisiology of your body gradually.

This happends through meditation spontanously, withouth any "doing". If someone tells that he or she is getting rid of emotional-blocks through doing or clening this or that step by step according to this or that path then this person does not know what he or she talks about.

First of all - you simply do not know where these residues lies, and what they are. Yo may think that you know and that there is something to clean, but this is just wrong assumption.

It does not need to go from chakra to chakra, one by one like in the book.

Putting any discrimination on lower chakras does not serve the purpose either. Lower does not mean worse, thats still part of you, doesnt matter if you are merged in beatific feeling ow upoer chakras or you smell your ow shit in order to know if the digestive process went good.

It cleans on its own and on its own pace, you can only culture it through commiting to the practice. Thats the only thing you can do.

Edited October 21, 2015 by Kubba

[doc benway]

 

For me, an end goal appears to be bringing full emotional awareness to the higher chakras. Emotions in this sense can be seen as the sole underlying issue, and clearing the path for emotions to ascend from the lowest to the highest chakras becomes my path, which fundamentally means resolving and clearing layer upon layer of emotional issues (and bringing subtle energies up, but only to continue the work of furthering the journey of emotional awareness).

 

For me knowledge of the chakras is irrelevant (though they can be interesting) except to the extent that they do or do not allow emotion to pass through freely.

 

I guess that after this goal has been reached other things may happen, things more typically related to the word spirituality, but I would see that as the by-product of complete emotional clarity. 

 

I wonder what is the place of emotions for others in relation to their spirituality?

 

Emotions have played a big role in my experience of and practice of spirituality.

I was more or less an emotional cripple, an emotional moron, for most of my life (some might say I still am)...

I was disconnected from emotion largely - more focused on intellect.

Most of my emotional life cycled between anger and relative tranquility.

I wasn't very sensitive to or concerned with the emotions of others, that was more an inconvenience distracting me from "more important" concerns...

 

I had a big, traumatic shake up in my life.

To make a long story short, it opened me up over time and I became more aware, more connected, and more sophisticated with respect to emotion.

That shake up and opening up were and are associated with my spiritual pursuits although who can say whether there is cause and effect there?

 

For me, thoughts were always much more a focus than emotions. Certainly the two are linked but also somewhat independent. Now I am more in touch with both in a more balanced way. What I've come to see is that they share a common characteristic, they are self contained 'systems' to borrow a description from something I'm reading now, which are self-sustaining and reinforcing. In other words, they are endless streams of experience that cannot resolve themselves or each other. They are an endless attribute of human experience. 

 

Like CT, my approach now is not to attempt to clear thought or clear emotion. It is not to analyze or understand, eradicate or choose among the myriad thoughts and emotions which come and go. Trying to deal with the individual thoughts and emotions is an endless, cyclical task like Sisyphus rolling the boulder up a mountain. Like washing blood from your hands with more blood.

 

To get to the root of the matter and put things in their proper perspective, I think one has to look back at the one to whom the emotions and thoughts are occurring. Rather than looking at and examining each of the emotional states, their cause, and so on. look at who is looking. And I don't mean that strictly in a metaphysical sense but a practical sense. 

 

For anyone interested in one particular way to look at it, feel free to read more.

 

 

A primary reason that we are emotionally affected by things is because we are over-identifying with our role in a relationship. And that role has associated with it a set of expectations we have created, or have had created for us. For example, if I feel stress or emotional upheaval related to my daughter (lets say I don't like the way she dresses and it creates fear, anger, sadness), it is a consequence of me identifying with my role as the father and holding on to the expectations associated with that role. Someone else would have totally different expectations and a totally different emotional reaction (they might like the way she dresses). We can extend that to every aspect of our lives and every emotional experience. If we really spend time looking, we can never find a "me" but just the role we are identifying with in a relationship. And that relationship can even be with myself - I am upset that I am spending time writing this rather than meditating. It's because the meditator (a role I identify with) is disappointed (expectations not satisfied) by the one who likes to pontificate on the DaoBums forum (another role that's a little harder to admit, but one that I equally identify with) and the reality is that the pontificator is as much a part of my life at this moment (maybe more) than the meditator. 

 

When we see that these experiences rest on something as completely intangible and transient as sets of ideas and expectations, they suddenly lose some of their power over our lives. It's particularly entertaining when we see where these expectations come from (friends, family, ancestors, social structures, etc...). The experiences are no less real but they are no longer solid or in control of us. We can still feel and think, experience the ups and downs, enjoy our lives and cry when loved ones are hurting, but there is a degree of being OK with all of it because we are less attached, we see the impermanent and empty nature of these things. 

 

Anyway... that's sort of where I started with exploring emotion in my life and where it took me.

It seems to be working reasonably well for me at the moment and that's really what counts.

We can indulge ourselves in theories and ideas but it's important to look at whether or not these things are making our lives, and the lives of those around us, any better.

If not, what's the point? Can we still call what we are doing spirituality?

[Everything]

 

Is eating ice cream on the job really allowed? Sure, spiritually; but materially?

hahaha