Secret of Life-4

STRENGTH OF EMOTION

Emotion and Discrimination

Emotions are physical manifestations of mental
feelings. The churning in the mind gives rise to
physical reactions. Emotions cloud impartiality,
discretion, analytical ability and the real issues.
If one gets involved in an issue or matter as an actor
would, he gets emotional. He develops an attachment
towards the issue at hand. By developing an
attachment, he takes sides. He comes to some
pre-conceived conclusions, without a logical or
scientific thinking.

An issue can be best approached in a manner of
detachment. One has to be impersonal to solve an
issue. Discretion will set in only when emotions are
absent. It is always said: "Discretion is the better
part of valour". That is, diplomacy will be able to
achieve what war cannot. A threat will work, only if
it is not executed. It loses its value, once it is
executed.

Arjuna was covered with emotions when he thought that
the Kauravas were his cousins and uncles. How could
he do any harm to them? Lord Krishna then advised
Arjuna to keep emotions at bay, and to look at the
issue as the battle of good over evil, and not between
cousins. And thus was the great Bhagavad-Gita born.

Emotion clouds intellect. Man has to be aloof as a
third person, if he has to use his intellect. And
also if he has to resolve issues and find solutions.
Vedanta helps man to keep intellect over emotions. A
bottle of poison is a medicine for some. It will be
medicine, only if used in the correct dosage. If the
dosage is higher, it will destroy life, as it will
protect life on proper dosage. Sugar is poisonous for
a diabetic, but it is the most essential medicine, if
the glucose levels go down the minimum in the body,
for the same person. Likewise, emotions, if used in
the most judicial way, will give better results.

Root of Emotion

Emotion takes the following forms:

• Desire - Kama
• Anger- Krodha
• Obsession- Moha
• Possession- Lobha
• Arrogance - Mada
• Envy- Matsarya
• Fear - Bhaya

Desire is the root cause of all emotions. It is the
first stage of emotions—kama. You develop kama when
you develop a sense of unfulfilment towards an object.
A desire is developed towards an object. The more
one develops a desire towards an object, the sense of
unfulfilment and void grows. The desire takes the
form of attachment, as the sense grows. This
attachment, when the
unfulfilment and void continues, develops into anger,
which is krodha.

As the sense of attachment grows into anger, and the
object still eludes you, then you develop a sense of
fantasy towards the object and you become obsessed
with it. This is the stage of Moha.

If you get the object, you start craving for more such
objects, larger possession and greater enjoyment. You
start developing greed towards the object. You become
possessive. This is the stage of Lobha.

You tend to develop your greed with more such objects
and acquisition; you develop arrogance, which is Mada.
You are arrogant towards others who don't have the
objects that you possess; you look down below at them.
And you start looking at people who are above
you—people who have material possessions more than
what you have. You develop a sense of envy towards
those people who have more possessions. This feeling
is Matsarya.

Finally, these material belongings develop a sense of
insecurity. You don't want to lose things you have
acquired. You develop the fear of loss of those
possessions. This sense of fear is Bhaya.

True Knowledge does not forbid you from having desires
towards objects. It just tells you not to be addicted
towards such desires. You should not become a slave
for desires. You should control desires and not the
other way round.

One who is able to control passion and anger in this
life before he is separated from his body, he is
happy--Gita, Chapter V, Verse 23

Desires, when not checkmated, result into a lot of
negative emotions—krodha, moha, lobha, mada, matsarya,
and bhaya. These negative emotions prevent man from
developing individually, from realizing the meaning of
life.

It is yet another law of nature that you will get what
you deserve, and not you desire. You will never get
what you just desire, unless of course you deserve it.
If you deserve, you will definitely get it, even
without your desire for it. On the other hand, if you
desire something you don't deserve, you will never get
it.