How do Buddhists handle emotion? (mystic, experience)

[zenzero]

Koan,

Emotions are conditioned thoughts. We can change our emotions by changing our thoughts. When feeling sad, a friend may come along to cheer you up. This friend may say something funny and you laugh. For awhile then, you are not sad, however thinking of why you're sad will return you to that emotion.
Examining thoughts(emotions) as they pass is fine, the problems only arise when we, either try to hold these thoughts(emotions), or act upon them.

Thats exactly the point.
The whole objective of religion is the transend the mind and still one is groping with the mind and its various elements.
It [the mind] needs a wholesale boycott.
Still groping there?
Love & rgds

[Somkid]

My wife says I'm a robot I do not get emotional about anything as I see no point in it.

[zenzero]

Friends,
Somkid is termed as a Robot as he does not show emotions.
Rather like to put it that one can be sensitive and be either sentimental [emotionsal] or not be sentimental [emotional] This being sensitive itself is an aspect of compassion which comes from being non-attached which things.
Love & rgds

[koan]

When something is sad, I cry.

[michaelm]

I dont think we can avoid feelings, and it might be harmful to try.

i recall the story of Ajahn Chah. When he was a young monk he saw a beautiful girl and had strong feelings for her. He had difficulty with this and in the end took himself off in seclusion to meditate ofr 6 months. After those 6 months he was ready to return with those feelings gone. However, as soon as he saw her, those feelings reappeared! You cannot spuress natural feelings and I think it is unwise and harmful to do so. His solution for this particular situation was to contemplate this feeling, examine it thoroughlyform all aspects, thus he used it positively. However it also requires very strong willpower to maintain enough detatchment to do this. that is why only people with a certain level of detatchment should become renunciants. The rest of us should remain householders with work, home, family etc unless and until we find ourselves with little feeling of attachment left. Otherwsie, well, there's always next life!

[MysticSang'ha]

Originally Posted by Somkid

My wife says I'm a robot I do not get emotional about anything as I see no point in it.

I'm such the opposite of you, Somkid. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I laugh when I'm joyful and cry when I'm sad. EDIT: I see that koan replied similarly to this.

All states of mind where I simply move on.




Peace,
Mystic

[zenzero]

Friends,
[WIDE ANGLE HERE]

WE all are trying to be enlightened and to do so we have to have no attachments so that no-thoughts crosses our mind etc.etc.
Now on the path [till we have not reached] mind will respond in various ways including emotional.
One way is to accpet the situation which causes the mind to be emotional and get over it [Somkid]and the otherway is to go the whole hog crying/laughing with awareness [MS].
Both ways are correct. AWARENESS only will finally seperate the bondages and free us.
Love & rgds