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- Thus have I heard -

Three Methods for 

Dealing with Negative Emotions 

"If one doesn't know the identity of an emotion, of whatever it is that may be arising in one's mind, then one doesn't know how to deal with it."
Palyul Clear Light — Article Teaser

First, before one deals with the emotions, one must know what an emotion is. Is emotion mind or not? Are emotions thoughts or concepts, or are emotions feelings? How do we identify emotion? If one doesn’t know the identity of an emotion, of whatever it is that may be arising in one’s mind, then one doesn’t know how to deal with it. So first it is important to know the identity or the nature of the emotion. And, of course, is that emotion a good emotion, a bad emotion, a useful emotion, or a useless emotion?

These are the things one has to identify in one’s own mind for whatever emotion is happening. Of course, we know in general that all sentient beings, even tiny, tiny insects, have emotions. Insects, mosquitoes, snakes—every single sentient being has emotions. It is not that easy to know how to deal with the emotions within all sentient beings, but that is not our topic. Here our topic is that, in our daily life as human beings, emotions are troublesome. They trouble us very much.

Let me start by explaining in this way: Thought and emotion are not one and the same. A thought is not necessarily an emotion. Emotion is, I think, more like feeling, where one has some feeling. So, in that sense of feeling, there is the possibility of good and bad, positive and negative.

This article continues in the print edition.

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