Solution to the Emotional Problem
This means, in order to solve the problem created by the emotions, the underlying philosophy or the assumptions behind the thinking must change. That is, the problem and its solution must be understood. When the underlying philosophy is changed, a reorientation of the mind takes place, which is the pursuit of tranquillity. This reorientation results in a different way of seeing life and interpreting circumstances. For example, the young man who met the girl and appreciated her beauty will now think in a different way. Instead of looking at the surface of the body, he will begin to think of the inside of the body from an anatomical point of view. He begins to think of the skin, the flesh, the blood, the bones, the intestines, the faeces and all the repulsive elements contained in the body. He can also think of the mental condition of the girl, which could be very unpleasant, even though she may have good looks. This is a broader outlook than the narrow superficial perspective that leads to the emotional reaction. Often people begin to acquire the broader outlook only after marriage. This seems to be the reason for most divorces. This broader outlook is accompanied by the philosophy that true happiness comes through tranquillity of mind and not through the gratification of sense desires; and this means, changing the goal of life to calmness or tranquillity.
Here we may be reminded of Alfred Adler, who spoke about the importance of the philosophy of life and the goal orientation. Yet this fact was taught by the Buddha twenty five centuries before Adler. The Sublime Eightfold Way of the Buddha is based on this principle. It begins with the Harmonious Perspective and the Harmonious Goal- orientation. The extent to which Adler was influenced by the Buddha is a mystery, as it is in the case of Sigmund Freud. It appears that Freud was influenced by the first and second truths of the Buddha, while Adler was influenced by the fourth.
This method of the Buddha for eradicating the emotional reaction needs to be fully understood by modern psychologists, and it can be of great help in their practice, as well as their research. The Sublime Eightfold Way, however, is a gradual progressive process of growth. It does not result in a sudden transformation. It should be carried out step by step. The first step is to understand the problem and its solution. The problem is the unconscious reaction of the organism to environmental stimulation. The solution is to stop this reaction by becoming conscious of it. At first we stop the active phase of the reaction. This is the stopping of emotional behaviour (sila). The second step is to stop the emotional arousal. This is to learn to relax the body and to calm the mind (samadhi). The third step is to learn to change one’s way of interpreting circumstances. This is to cultivate a broad mind, as opposed to a narrow mind, and to consider the importance of others in our lives, and to practice patience, tolerance and the understanding of the other’s point of view. Learning to calm the mind is called tranquillity meditation (samatha bhavana). Learning to change our way of thinking is called insight meditation (vipassana bhavana).
This practice of emotional control or purification of mind has four parts:
(1) Preventing emotional arousal (samvara)
(2) Eliminating emotions already aroused (pahana)
(3) Cultivating calmness (bhavana)
(4) Maintaining calmness (anurakkhana)
Let us compare the mind to a room. We want to clean the room. The first step is to shut the doors and windows through which the dirt enters the room. The second step is to take the dirt off from the room by sweeping or using a vacuum cleaner. The third step is to put clean furniture and decorate the room. The fourth step is to constantly keep watch and maintain the cleanliness.
Clearing the mind of emotional disturbances is also done in a similar way. First we prevent the arousal of emotions. This is done by guarding the senses, because the sensory stimulation is the starting point of the chain reaction that ends up in the emotional arousal. There are three conditions necessary for the arousal to take place: for example, the eye being open, an object being visible, admiring the object. It is not possible to keep our eyes closed all the time, or to avoid things coming into our field of vision. The third condition is under our control. That is the way we think about what we see. We can stop thinking about what we see, or we can think in a way that emotions do not arise. This is guarding the senses.
The second step is to get rid of emotions already aroused. It is important to understand that an emotion always carries a mental picture along with it. As long as this picture is in the mind, the emotion will remain. It is only by throwing the picture out of the mind that the emotion can be thrown out. The emotion as we understood is physical and the picture is mental. The mental part is the cognitive part which is the Freudian ego. It is the ego, therefore, that is responsible for the continuity of the emotion. The mental image does not stand alone; it also comes with a verbal interpretation. Both the image and the verbal interpretation have to be thrown out. In other words, it is by changing the thinking of the ego that the emotion can be removed. This is a method used in cognitive psychotherapy today.
The third step is to cultivate calm. It is important to remember at this point that the emotional reaction occurs when we focus our attention on an external object, and then start thinking about it. Instead of doing that, if we can get into the habit of focusing attention on what is going on in the mind and body, which is the reaction, then the reaction automatically stops. This is like switching off the light. A switch is on when two wires are touching, so that the current begins to flow. The switch is off when the two wires are separated. In a similar way, when the attention is focussed on an external object, the reaction occurs. When the attention is taken off the external object, and focused on the body and the mind, the switch is off, and the reaction stops. Of course, if the emotion is already excited, when we take the attention off the object, the emotion does not disappear suddenly like the light disappearing when the switch is turned off. The emotion is more like the hot plate than the light in this case. The emotion takes time to calm down, just as the hot plate takes time to cool down, even when the switch is turned off. This is the way the calmness of the mind is achieved and maintained. This method of introversion of attention is called “introspection” (satipatthana),(11) which is looking within, resulting in “in-sight” (upekkha),(12) which is “seeing within.”
The last or fourth step is to maintain the calm, so that the mind can never be disturbed again. This maintenance of absolute calm comes from “under-standing” (pañña),(13) which follows “in-sight” (upekkha), which is seeing within, or seeing what is inside. In other words, in-sight is becoming aware of the subjective mental process, which is the reaction of one’s body to environmental stimulation. By focusing the attention within, or introspection, carried out in a relatively calm state of mind, one becomes aware of one’s own reaction to stimulation. This happens progressively in degrees. First one becomes aware of the physical manifestations of the reaction (kayanupassana). Then one becomes aware of the reaction in terms of sensations in the body (vedananupassana). Then one becomes aware of subtle emotional arousals, which one is not aware of normally (cittanupassana). Next one becomes aware of the concepts that start the emotional reaction (dhammanupassana). When one has gained in-sight in degrees this way, one begins to become fully aware of the chain reaction that begins with sensation leading to perception, conception, emotion, and action. This makes one realize that what we call the mind is this impersonal, unconscious, chain reaction. There is no “self” involved with the thinking feeling or acting. Becoming conscious of this unconscious process, stops the emotional arousal. With the calmness of mind gained this way, one then begins to become fully aware of the cognitive process, beginning with sensation, leading to perception, and ending in conception. Then one begins to realize that the object to which we normally react as well as the subjective “self” are only mental constructs. The reality of the subject as well as the object is not real any more.
The mind then enters a state that can never be disturbed. One then becomes aware of the Sublime Reality of “impersonal experience” (Dhamma).(14)
Normally people stand on concepts taking them to be reality. People basically stand on the concept of existence, taking it to be real. When one has seen that the subject and object are only mental constructs the reality of existence ceases. The reality of both subject and object ceases when one gains this in-sight. Then one begins to see that existence is only a mental construct, created through the process of perception. In other words, existence is only a cognitive experience. Cognitive experience is the basis of existence. Cognitive experience precedes existence, and existence is a product of the cognitive experience. When one realizes this, one stops standing on existence, and begins to stand on the cognitive experience, which is the basis of existence. This is “under- standing” (pañña).
In other words, this is to Awaken from the “dream of existence” into the Sublime or Transcendent Reality – “Impersonal Experience” (Dhamma).
As one’s awareness of the reaction develops to a high level, and one begins to become aware of the perceptual process, when one begins to see that there is no real person thinking or doing anything here, when even the reality of the object perceived ceases to be real, then there is only a process of activity going on due to the presence of the necessary conditions. When the conditions cease, the activity ceases. With this realization, the “sense of self” disappears, and then the emotional reaction has no meaning. Therefore this realization stops all emotional reactions and maintains the calmness and imperturbability of the mind, which is called NIRVANA.
At this level a person has transcended the normal human level and has reached a supernormal level. This supernormal level of under-standing is the “experiencing of experience.” It is also the “awakening from the dream of existence.” At this level, one does not personalize experience thinking, “this experience is mine,” nor does one identify oneself as, “this is my self.”
(11) This is a more meaningful translation than the common translation, “mindfulness.”
(12) This translation is more accurate than, “equanimity.”
(13) This is a much more meaningful translation that the common, “insight.” This is explained further below.
(14) This is a special translation of the word Dhamma, which is extremely meaningful.