Emotional Turmoil - A Form of Puification?

[WoselTenzin]

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?

   

[Positive Change]

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?

   

Well Wosel Tenzin... All i can share with regards to this is that whenever we go through certain situations that "remind" us of things that happen in the past, triggers these thoughts. Whether or not we thought these were subdued in the past. It is by no means a negative thing if we realise that the thoughts are perhaps a reminder of what we really should not be feeling.

Am not sure of the terminology to use but if these thoughts help bring us back to the moments where we made similar decisions or judgements which we have some form of relation to, then use it well. Contemplate on what we did in the past and whether or not it worked. If it did, use similar methods, and if it did not, why? And choose a different one.

Easier said then done of course but in realising the turmoil is perhaps the first step to purification?

[triesa]

Yes, any form of emotional turmoil or any on set of afflictive emotions is a form of suffering and hence purification as we experience it.

I was told that that mental sufferings is sometimes worse than physical sufferings. As mentioned by WoselTenzin that these afflictive emotions can arise from nowhere and all of a sudden just engulf you up into a state of rotten depression or extreme flames of anger, jealousy which may lead to further negative karma from our actions and speech that follow.

I have been learning some kind of meditation lately and we were taught to observe our own mind during the meditation, so I guess we can apply the same mind awareness here. \When there is any allflictive emotions arising, we put ourselves like an observer, just observe the rising of the emotion and let it pass away........

I believe this will help to reduce the magnitude of suffering when we practise awareness and  mindfulness.

[Big Uncle]

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.

[Helena]

Beautifully said, Big Uncle.

We all can experience any pain or suffering, and have experienced them at any one given time. Some of us may still be doing that right now. But nothing is purified if it is not dealt with and resolved. Purification means we have come to terms with the issue, we faced it, learnt from it and transformed for the better because of it. Then it is a form of purification. Just experiencing or going through emotional turmoil or any form of suffering does not warrant that we are purifying this particular karma or issue. There needs to be a real shift in our minds and a real transformation occurs within.

Otherwise, it is just another emotional suffering. And all of us undergo plenty of that at different junctures in our lives.

[triesa]

Thank you Big Uncle and Helena for clarifying.....look like I still have a lot of negative karma to be exhuasted .......

[diamond girl]

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.

Thank you Big Uncle for the clarification! I have heard before that for purification to take place it is NOT just sitting and dwelling on the "emotional pains" we are going through and labeling it as "purification". I believe that there is a much deeper process involved which leads to a shift in the mind - a transformation - which leads to a permanent resolution so that we no longer have the "emotional pains".

If the mere self-indulging emotional turmoil which bring us down is purification, we have glorified our self-indulging self-cherishing minds. And then trust me, we will constantly be in emotional havoc because it is purification. This is incorrect and I would dare to say destructive.

I am glad to learn this four opponent powers - Regret, Refuge, Remedy and Resolve. This is purification process. It is not easy and much mental and emotional anguish will entail. However, the key is to Resolve and not just stay in Regret. At the end of it all, I simply put it this way - why bother to put any energy on all this emotional turmoil? Why not just tell yourself - I have negative karma and thus I feel this way but I know that it is not permanent and that I can do something about it. Push yourself to focus out and take actions to benefit others. Be a benefit and not a burden!

[Positive Change]

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.

This is interesting as I would have thought going through the motions of "emotional turmoil" as WT put it, would be some form of purification based on what one understands, realizes, learns and then acts from it.. But I guess that in itself is a form of as you put it Big Uncle... Regret, Refuge, Remedy and Resolve.

Sometimes we feel it is like purification because if we choose to not wallow on the problem and move on and we do feel better we are perhaps deluding ourselves into thinking the root problem is gone. What we have done is buried it further and it will come to the surface again like the weeds of a garden. Best to grab it by the roots and pull it out altogether... eg Purification. Definitely a lot harder to do and more work than merely covering it up but certainly better in the long run. Am all for "weeding" as I rather for through A difficult patch rather than many less difficult patches... hehehe

[vajraD]

I like what Big Uncle said – Regret, Refuge, Remedy and Resolve

A lot of times I dwell in my regret, refuge and look for remedy. But is always apply that’s holds me back hence resolve is always slow down. With this action at times people tend to miss understand me in certain incident. Sometimes it is always easier said than done. Hump…but working hard to change this action.

[vajratruth]

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.

Thank you Big Uncle for this clarification. I was recently informed that one of the fastest ways to purify our negative karma is the Dorje Shugden practice.  This is due to the sheer power of the Protector and the Protector’s compassion in wanting us to be liberated by our negative karma as quickly as possible.

Can the efficacy of this Practice in purifying us, as applied properly, result in some emotional distress?

For new practitioners, are there distinguishing signs between emotional turmoil as a result of a purification practice (applying the 4 Opponent Powers) and emotional turmoil as the on-going result of our self-cherishing mind?

[Q]

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?

   

Yes, I believe it is a form of purification.

I remember when I did my first prostration retreat, being really new to Tibetan Buddhism (actually, Buddhism in general)... I asked some of the senior students all about prostrations. I knew it was for purification, but I didn't know how it was going to be! So to be prepared on what's probably coming my way, I asked the seniors on what will happen during a purification retreat (which by the way, a rather redundant question as all people have different levels of karma so they experience differently)

It was here that I learned and understood what is purification and how doing a prostration retreat allows us to exhaust our negative karma in a controlled environment. One of such purification process that we may experience during these retreats are emotional turmoils.

For example, if we have the karma to meet with a terrible car accident, then through purification in a controlled manner, instead of experienceing it real life, we may experience it in a dream. The shock, fear etc from the dream is equally traumatic/scary as it is in real life. So, instead of experiencing the actual thing, we experience it in a more controlled place.

[Aurore]

I guess it can be a form of purification depending on how one reacts to their indulgence of selfishness. Basically, what is the result of this ups and downs?

Example, I get depressed. Sometimes up to a week indulging in poor me. Then I snap out of it. Then I get depressed again. Then I snap out of it at a reduced time, from one week to few days to one hour. Eventually it becomes nothing. Then that could be purification.

OR how about in cases like this? A spiritual teacher skilfully and deliberately builds up a certain emotion in you so that with mind training one can train the emotion (or mind as it is connected) to be released faster and quicker. An example is the emotion of anger. Built up the anger, then let go. Build up again and then let go a bit faster this time. So the faster one releases the anger, it would eventually become less every time the anger builds up again. When that happens, it can be a form of purification of a certain negative emotion.

[sonamdhargey]

I agree that it can be a form of purification. If someone suffers from an emotional turmoil and can identify what is causing their emotional turmoil, instead of dwelling in that emotional state of mind, but take positive actions a step at a time and eventually be free from that negative state of mind. That way that state of mind has been purified.

I've gone through an emotional turmoil and took the steps above and able to understand how I can be in control of my emotions and I'm definitely happier.

However if we are stuck in the emotional turmoil and keep on dwelling in it, keep on finding reasons to justify that emotions, that emotions just gets bigger and how can we purify? It cannot be purified. It only get worst and will lead to more turmoils instead.

[bambi]

Thank you for the explanation Big Uncle. I remember way back when I was in a depression mode, I don't know why I felt that way. Everything was just of no interest to me, always moody. Then I went to a temple nearby and started offering incense. Thru time I felt better and lighter. I continued doing it for a year until I read up and learned that it was my karma. Wow! That's it. I just have to let it pass and accept it.

[biggyboy]

Thank you to Big Uncle and Helena...very well explained!  These clear many questions in many people's mind as to how one should view and understand what purification means.  In addition to it, the four opponent powers must be done repeatedly with mindfulness and consistently for we have done many negative actions, which we cannot expect to counteract all of them at once.  The stronger the four opponents powers are, the firmer our determination not to repeat the action and the more powerful the purification will be.