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 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 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.
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.
Be
aware...
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