Today, there is chaos all over the world, not because there are no intelligent people, no emotional human beings or no healthy persons. What is the problem with our human society? Despite many experiments conducted on three levels—mind, body, and matter—we have not been able to create an integrated human being. We have not understood the importance of an integral way of life. The power of thought and the power of emotion are both great powers. For total integration, we need to know how to use the power of emotion and how to prevent the mind from being disturbed by our emotions.
You may have heard this analogy. Once there was a lame man. He couldn’t walk. He had no crutches, he had nothing at his disposal. And there was a blind man. Both wanted to go to the same village. They started talking to each other, “Is there a way? We both have the same destination.” And after discussion they found a way. The lame man climbed onto the shoulders of the blind man and guided him to their common destination. So too should the power of thought and the power of emotion combine forces to achieve an integrated way of life.
It also means that after introspection and proper understanding of the various aspects of your internal states, you can all find solutions in life. Learn to think, not to brood or to worry. Have clarity of mind. Don’t become a worrier, become a warrior. All problems can be solved because all these problems are self-created. As you are responsible for creating your problems, you have the power to be freed from these very same problems.
Now, virtually all our actions are controlled by our thoughts. And all our thoughts are controlled by our emotions. You may be a cultured and highly educated person in society, but suddenly a single emotion upsets you and you start doing things that should not be done. One emotion can disturb your whole being. You spend so much time and energy in culturing, in cultivating, in educating yourself. Yet, one single emotion can disturb you and make you a monster.
Therefore, let us find out why emotions disturb our entire being. Let me explain. There are six main emotional streams arising from the four primitive fountains of food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation. The first, the primary emotion is desire, also called kama. Kama is the prime desire from which arise all other desires. If this desire is fulfilled, you become proud and this is a serious problem. If it is not fulfilled, then you get angry (krodha). What is anger? Unfulfilled desire is called anger. The desire is not fulfilled, that’s why you are angry. Your husband wanted you to do things in a certain way and you have not done it. He’s angry. Or you are angry with him because he did not come home on time. Unfulfilled desire means anger. “Why are you angry honey?” he asks. You tell him, “I told you to bring something for the children and you forgot to bring it. You started drinking with your friends and you forgot. I told you not to drink and you are drunk, that’s why I’m angry.” Anger means unfulfilled desire. If kama, desire, is not fulfilled you get angry. If it is fulfilled, you become proud (mada). And then you get intoxicated (moha).
Reprinted from “Conscious Living,” an HIHT publication.