Emotional Turmoil - A Form of Puification?

[hope rainbow]

There would be times when negative thoughts arise in our minds out of nowhere.  There is no reason for us to feel negative and yet we still do.  Events that happened ages that we almost forgot about come back haunting us with regret and anger. 

However, if we take a step back and think logically, all the havoc seem to arise only in the mind.  There is nothing really happening outside the mind but yet all this spontaneous emotional turmoil makes us feel like "crap". It depresses us to a certain extent and brings our energy down.  Sometimes this feeling can last for days or even weeks.

Could this be a form of purification? I understand that our negative karma do not just evaporate into thin air even if we do virtuous actions to purify them.  We need to suffer it out in order for it to be purified.  Others get accidents, their money stolen or fall sick as purification of their negative karma I was told.

What does everyone think?

Actually, feeling depressed, or feeling arrogant, or in emotional turmoil is a situation in which we feel the "self" very strongly, we feel it very solid, and we are entirely turned towards the projection we have made of "me".
We are totally focus on the "me" that is "threatened" and totally not on others, and this makes us suffer with intensity.

Especially if we are being blamed for something, if we are the object of critics, hate or rejection, the projection of our "self" hardens and is felt very strongly, this can be a very good time to engage in a purification process, but the emotional turmoil is not purification per se. Purification process would have to include the 4 opponent powers as explained by Big Uncle here above.

Emotional turmoil, for most beings, would not be purification, but only a karma being experienced, and very likely dealt with in wrong ways: anger, delusion, defensiveness, blame, hiding, depression, guilt etc...

Have you ever wondered why people love to indulge in "hobbies"?
Hobbies like collecting Playmobils, collecting objects, travelling, playing video-games non-stop, gardening, painting, fishing, running, singing, biking, cooking, watching TV, learning to play an instrument, learning anew language, reading books and magazines...

We do that and feel some release of anxiety when we do that, we feel a lowering of suffering when we engage in these activities, for the simple reason that we focus on something else than our self, we focus on our hobby, we focus on the movie, we focus and making a painting, we focus on a video-game... And we lower our focus on our "self".
This is only a quick-fix though, not long-term and not mind-changing fix... Not reliable.

Only the practice of Dharma, and even better the assistance of a Guru can make us engage in mind shifts so that we change our focus from an inward focus to an outward focus.

Happiness will arise upon me working for the happiness of others and stop worrying about my own happiness.

[Dondrup Shugden]

"Emotional turmoil as you put it, is not purification. It is merely experiencing and exhausting karma but the root or cause of the karma is still not extinguished, the tendency and so forth is still there and can resurface again. Real purification can only come with the four opponent powers. Regret, Refuge, Remedy and Resolve never to perform the negative deed again. In other words, purification practices must be done in relations to a Buddha so we attacked our negative karma right through to the root. However, there are times we go through rough patches before gaining something good. It is a blessing from Dorje Shugden to build our mental strength and to clear some negative karma so that which we gain will truly benefit our spiritual path. Therefore, I reiterate that experience emotional difficulty is not purification unless it is experienced in relations to the 3 Jewels in whatever way, shape or form."

I too suffer from such mental emotions often and had also wondered why?  Also asked myself how come I have not acquired any form of mind stability.

As a form of relieve, I would recite mantras in front of my altar and it had always been helpful.

The above explanation from Big Uncle is very helpful and shall contemplate on this method the next time when I get afflicted by my emotions.

[Geraldine Sarie]

 Thank you Big Uncle on your clear explanation. I recall back I suffer this feeling in my teens and it affected my studies terribly. The only way I could help myself up then, was to develop mind concentration and self confidence. It wasn’t easy at the beginning but I push myself hard to practice it. After sometime, I could see much difference of me now and then.

[SabS]

Wow! Now that is a thought. I would certainly hope that the turmoil i suffer from exhausts my negative karma as mentioned by Big Brother. I constantly suffer from emotional turmoil, often times coming out of nowhere and hitting me hard. So much regret of past actions and the "if only". We are born into a world that is ready to make us fail and create more karma than merits. This is why we need the Dharma to teach us the ways to practice and the importance of a real Guru to guide us in our path, especially when the temptations to stray is ever so strong.