Everything she identifies with, be it emotion, thought, or action becomes a source of happiness or pain. She thinks the same holds true for Shata ripu or shata ari - her six enemies, mentioned in ancient scriptures as Kama- desire Krodha- desire, Lobha-greed, Mohaindulgence, Mada- intoxication, Matsarya-jealousy, and chaturklesha – chinta-worry, ghrina-hate, shanka- doubt, bhaya -fear. They are a source of pain but they also reveal many things within her which lead to her growth and happiness provided she digs deeper into her psyche.
She is not suggesting that she should work towards developing these feelings to understand herself better. But instead of labelling them as enemies, negative, something to be ashamed of, something to get rid of, she feels they have to be recognized as part of the whole being and not the enemy of the being. In Hindu mythology, even gods have not been immune to these emotions. Most of the rishis and munis have succumbed to the effects of these emotions with all their knowledge and tapasya failing miserably. But when these traits took a massive form in rakshasas they had to be eliminated. In this essay, she is talking about humans.
She is urging the reader to ‘see’ these ten emotions with a sense of detachment, with an attitude of empathy and curiosity and a need for self-love and inclusivity. Each emotion is like a flower growing in the garden. There is a seed from which it grows. The mind is like the earth which nurtures the seed. The environment is like water, sunlight, and nutrients which allow the seed to grow and the ‘vivek’/ ‘Sakshi’ / observant mind is the individual who sees that flower. Every flower is not brought home to decorate the living space but every flower has a place in this world and can be offered to the Higher Consciousness. She may or may not agree with this analogy but the point she is trying to make is – every emotion has a place. Even the ‘good ‘emotions are connected to these ‘bad’ emotions like a complex web.
These 10 challenging emotions are like masks hiding a being who needs to heal. When they take a huge dimension, then they become a real problem not only for the individual but for the family, society, nation, and the entire world. These are some of the questions which she has been working with. She is not a psychiatrist, a spiritual Guru, or a neuroscientist. She can’t give empirical data. She is not talking about medical cases. She is a seeker, a traveller, and a student of self-actualization and spiritual growth looking at life and people in general. She will be very happy if she and I can find our way through these questions.
Do these emotions operate in isolation or are they connected to other emotions? The mind works by making connections. Any emotion is not just that emotion alone. There is a live world of thoughts, people, and instances around that one emotion. For example – if it's Ghrina or hatred we need to see the reason behind it or Krodha - anger against whom and why?
Are they ingrained or are they acquired? We are a product of many lifetimes. Sometimes she doesn’t even know she has a certain emotion unless a situation arises. Also, societal influences play a major role in developing an emotion which is why a great responsibility lies on education and media because if we show a negative emotion repeatedly or on a very big scale then it becomes difficult for some people not to internalize that emotion unless they develop a sense of detachment and test the information in the laboratory of ‘viveka’ or prudent discretion.
Instead of just blaming the person who reacts based on these emotions what if we create a better environment where the person learns to control her reactionary behavior kindled by a particular emotion? This is also the responsibility of institutions like schools, media houses, and religious institutions to help people develop emotional skills, to be more inclusive, tolerant, sharing, and sensitive towards fellow humans. This is also the primary duty of elders at home to practice these values and become role models for the children and help them grow to become better human beings rather than inflate an emotion in them which was there perhaps in a dormant state.
Are people only what they seem or do they reveal something else? In some cases of frequent anger bouts, there is a person who wants to be understood. A person who is deeply attached to people or things is highly insecure. A jealous person has low self-esteem. It is sometimes very hard to shield oneself from the onslaught of another person and step back to see the suffering of that person but we can at least do this with our loved ones. Therapists who are trained for this do this with everyone as they are emotionally distanced from the person who is under their treatment, but we, who do not have those professional skills, can at least not give up on the person without making an effort to understand, why the person is the way she is.
In which way do they heal or propel? These emotions operate at many levels of our conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind and sometimes they reveal to us what needs attention. For example - there are many people for whom envy acts in a positive way as it pushes them to perform better but when envy breeds jealousy it becomes destructive. Anger of one opens up a whole new world of reality for someone else who may be living in some bubble.
The peak of kama can suddenly make a person disillusioned with everything and she like a pendulum moves towards vairagya. She would sometimes like to see Shanka or doubt as her inner voice, her intuition cautioning us but unfounded doubt is negative and action taken under its influence can be life-threatening.
Does ignoring or denying these difficult emotions help? Recently she heard the term ‘toxic positivity’. ‘Don’t think about worries. Ignore your fears. Why are you complaining? there are so many who don’t have what you have’ This doesn’t help in the long run. All is not well all the time. It can be corrected, provided we develop the courage to see our parts which are vulnerable, wounded, and need attention. Sometimes people stop talking about their fears, desires, anxieties, worries, and needs because they are seen as selfish, troublemakers, disrespectful, and indecent. Sharing one's anxieties and fears with someone, who will not judge but will understand a loving touch may change the perspective.
How do the emotions which we consider as good or positive become negative? Love, loyalty, compassion, commitment, sincerity, forgiveness, intelligence, power, religiosity, and peace. Traits which are celebrated but can become lethal depending on who is the receiver of these emotions. To love is not enough. Whom to love? what to love? Being religious is not good if one is not inclusive and spiritual. Love can become Moha or indulgence like Dhritarashtra towards Duryodhana, loyalty towards an oppressor is self-destructive and so on.
Is it the emotion or the degree of emotion that is the enemy? Getting angry is sometimes necessary to protect oneself. Teachers and mothers get angry to discipline their wards. In fact, if mothers don’t get angry then children will do whatever they want. It is the degree of anger which is worrisome.
Also, the issue for which one is getting angry. Yes, this is highly subjective but still if one gets angry just because the bottle is not kept in the right direction on the table and throws that bottle on the worker then it is certainly a matter of concern or when one doesn’t get angry when her child is being abused and simply gives a soft warning to the abuser then its worrisome.
Who carries this emotion? Do the carriers make these emotions good or bad? When a man expresses his love to a woman of other castes the family creates a ruckus but the same family will spend thousands on worshipping Venkateswara an Aryan God's wedding with Padamavati a village girl. Lobha or greed for more knowledge is not lobha but when rich men amass money illegitimately belonging to others, it is Lobha of the worst kind. Emotion in itself is a friend or a foe depending on the individual and the context.
Can other emotions be identified if these emotions are not there? How will she value peace if there is no commotion, how will she know what it is to let go when she does not know what it means to hoard? It is not to justify violence or hoarding. A deeper understanding of the human psyche comes when she is able to see, study, and situate different emotions and not get wary of them. Life is like a palette of colours where each emotion – good, bad, ugly has its own place.
Till the situation arises do some emotions even surface? The most peaceful monks had to take to arms when their monastery was attacked. People from the lowest strata of society behaved just like people from higher strata when they reached a higher stage. The most cruel person turned towards sainthood when he met his Guru. The prostitute became a devotee when she met her Lord.
Why is it easier to be angry than to love? Why does it take more effort to be selfless than be selfish? This may sound weird but it comes more natural to people to worry than be peaceful, become arrogant become humble, hoard and give. But scriptures say that we are primarily good at heart, God resides in everyone. If so, why do people go on retreats to find peace when they get upset and angry wherever they live? The retreats and the presence of a truly enlightened being, help us discover our hidden treasure, our true nature. It definitely requires more strength to be peaceful than to be agitated.
Why is it that one of these ten emotions expressed by her seems to be normal whereas it becomes ‘problematic’ when the other expresses it? This is something she has often seen within and around her. If she is angry it is okay but if the other is angry it is wrong. If she is worrying about a situation it is out of concern but if the other worries it is tension. Whether to call these 10 emotions our enemy is something to be thought about.
But peace, forgiveness, and inclusiveness have to be consciously developed. She can't take them for granted. She needs to make an effort to cultivate and protect these and in the same way, she needs to make an effort to remove negativity by being watchful of her actions and mindful regarding her emotions. She has asked more questions than answers. That is the purpose of the article - to dig deeper into understanding life and society better - to bring more clarity in thinking by seeing the patterns in the web of life.
In her religion, there is a graphic representation of these emotions in the idols - like a constant reminder that life is not a bed of roses. Where there are roses there are thorns. Where there is ‘lotus there is mud’. Where there is training there is pain. Where there is a rainbow there is rain. All emotions co-exist. There is no human being without these 10 ‘enemies’ but that doesn’t make the entire world a battleground. What she would like is to see more acceptance of these 10 emotions - A deeper understanding of their source, and a sincere acknowledgment of their existence with the effort of bringing down their magnitude and not shoving them under a carpet or branding them.
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