Q & A with Robina

QUESTION

Venerable Robina,

I was reading His Holiness's commentary on verse three of the Eight Verses of Mind Transformation and I had a question I wanted to go over with you.

It says: 

In all my deeds may I probe into my mind,

And as soon as mental and emotional afflictions arise –

As they endanger myself and others –

May I strongly confront them and avert them.

Based on His Holiness's commentary this verse is instructing us to apply the antidotes the moment that we can perceive a disturbing emotion arising in our mind. 

My question is, how can we do this without generating aversion to our experience and responding in our habitual way of wishing it wasn't there or pushing it away?

I also think there can be merit with sitting with an unpleasant emotion as well. We can perceive how much suffering it causes us and that it, like other phenomena, is impermanent as well. I think that if we try to apply the antidote the moment it arises perhaps we could miss that chance at understanding its nature. I'd love to hear your thoughts, Venerable. Thank you so much for all your inspiring teachings. You are a true source of safety for my mind in these perilous times. Thank you. 

Best Wishes,

T

ANSWER

Happy to hear from you, T.

I think the key to understanding the advice in the verse is to stop believing in the deluded thought that underpins the emotion.

Yes, sitting with the emotion surrounding it, that’s good. But the thing to avoid is the thought, the delusional thought.

We don’t often notice that. We’re so caught up in feelings, emotions – but they’re just the energy that’s triggered. Underneath is the delusion, the conceptual thought of anger or attachment or jealousy. We need to catch it immediately, and then not believe its story.

Delusions are defined as conceptual thoughts that misconceive their object. So anger, for example, is a thought – way deep down, under the emotion – that overexaggerates the bad qualities of someone. Let’s say you’re angry with someone at work. That anger for sure has the emotional component, which is what is painful, but the concept that informs it sees the person’s faults, believes their true, and if the anger is strong we’ll want to do something to the person.

Every second of those angry thoughts leave imprints in the mind. And who wants that? So, yes, sit with it, notice it, but at least don’t believe the misconception and don’t follow it.

This is hard, of course, because these habits are very strong. Bad enough, as Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, to have those exaggerated negative thoughts, but the worst thing is we believe they’re true.

Do you see the difference?

Love,

Robina

QUESTION

Yes, Venerable I can see the difference more clearly now. Thank you! Throughout my day I am beginning to be able to hear the thoughts that underpin my emotions and feelings. I can hear the familiar thoughts rattle off "You're not going to be able to do this part of your job, you don't have the experience." To which I think, well I never knew how to develop photos in a darkroom until I learned either. So I did do something I did not know how to do previously so why can't I do the same here.” I've noticed now that my rebuttals are slowly starting to happen more easily and with less effort. So that's definitely a plus.

In gratitude,

T