To
develop love and compassion, we first need to understand our current
situation. In order to develop authentic love and compassion,
it is necessary to look at our emotional processes, and at the
disturbances that arise in our mind. We should take our time in
becoming aware of that which occupies the mind. In Tibetan, the
word for "disturbing emotions" points to a mind
that is continuously disturbed. It is not a question of having
only one emotion in one moment, but of all the emotions with all
their effects and consequences.
The
disturbing emotions
The
disturbing emotions are : jealousy, attachment, anger and all
the different states in which we find ourselves. We have these
emotions, but we would like to get rid of them. When they come
up, we fight against them. We do not want to be disturbed. However,
we need to understand that emotions are not completely negative.
If they disturb us, it is because we do not know how they function
or what to make of them. Nevertheless, the emotions are an integral
part of the dynamic processes of life.
Mind
has two aspects : yeshe and namshe, in Tibetan.
Yeshe is a dimension of wisdom, of clear thinking which
recognizes itself and which recognizes the emotions as being a
part of itself.
Namshe/Yeshe
Namshé
is a consciousness that is limited, separated or disconnected.
We are now in this consciousness which is full of confusion and
disturbances. But yeshe and namshe,
wisdom and confusion, are two aspects of the mind. Therefore,
even if we wanted to, we could not get rid of the emotions, we
can neither stop them, nor give them up.
What
is relevant, however, is to understand how the emotions function,
how they come up and from where they come. For example, when jealousy
arises, we need to see it, to be aware of it. Try to see its cause
and its effect. Not only do we need to see the aspect of emotions
that affects us internally, (that is to say, how it is in our
mind/consciousness, how it makes us feel) but also, we need to
be aware of what it makes us do, the actions that are motivated
and initiated by jealousy, for example.
If
we look carefully in the moment when jealousy arises, we will
see that we choose a side, and obviously our side is always the
best. It is the others that are on the wrong side. It is a little
like the football matches in France : before the match starts,
we have already chosen "our" team. We know it is the
team we will root for while watching the game on television. But
if we are travelling and find ourselves for instance in Asia or
Latin America watching a football match on television, we cannot
grasp very much at the beginning. There are the two teams, their
shirts are different in color. But very quickly, without even
realizing it, we will choose a color and a team. We will then
cheer on our chosen team and criticize the other.
This
holds true not just for football ; this same process applies in
very many situations, taking sides, encouraging one and criticizing
the other. Most of the time we carry this posture of judgement
: "He is wrong, his attitude is erroneous. It is obvious
that he cannot be right, I am right." We are constantly talking
to ourselves like this and we are absorbed in duality. We always
choose the best aspect and the best side; and the best team is
obviously our team. We have to be right. We are like judges ever
presiding over who is wrong and who is right. We act like the
high magistrate of our existence.
>>>
