A passionate mind will often experience spiritual laziness. Passions are waves of emotion that rise high to drown one’s intellect, and without the working of the intellect it naturally appears that the feelings one experiences are true.
Then how do we get out of passion? What causes passion to arise? That is the first question we must ask ourselves. Let us look at the order of events. Before the passion we experience inner pain. But then what is before the pain? Before the pain is usually an experience of some misunderstanding. And what is that misunderstanding? It is usually a conflict between fear…desire…conscience…effort…and result. If fear wins the battle the result will be anger. If desire wins the battle the result will be greed. If one concentrates on the result then one will experience anxiety or frustration and if the concentration is on effort then it results in attachments. And why does misunderstanding arise? Before the experience of the conflict one experiences the confusion of what is right and what is wrong…what is to be done…what can wait…what is true…what is unreal. And these questions arise when the mind is on a slightly different path from the intellect and the intellect has only slightly deviated from the voice of the conscience.
We must remember, it is not how much is the deviation- even the tiniest bit can give rise to the highest waves of passion. The sad part is we remember that we almost depend on the conscience but that almost is not enough!
To be free from the waves of emotion you must be vigilant. Your thinking…your understanding…your feeling… your doing and your being must be united in complete oneness. Then all misunderstandings will be at bay! The inner voice will guide you. But then we must not forget to listen to it fully and completely without the obstruction of unnecessary thinking and unnecessary reasoning.
Part of the book: 'Inspiring Thoughts'
By Seema M. Dewan
Copyright reserved by author
Permission given for sharing without changes to text.
