Both Positive and Negative Emotions Are Bondage.

Both Positive and Negative Emotions Are Bondage.

Go Beyond Duality.

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You may like something or someone, or you may dislike the same. In both ways, you are creating bondage for yourself. Both likes and dislikes (raga & dwesha in Sanskrit) are traps. One who has this wisdom will neither be positively attached to someone or something nor will they be negatively attached. Negative attachment!—What’s that? You may wonder. Let me shed light on it. 

Whenever we harbour negative emotions or attitudes within us towards somebody or something, we’re creating a negative relationship with that person or that thing. Anger, hatred, jealousy, grudges, ill-will—all bind us in negative chains. As these are chains, so are the positive ones. Our love, care, hopes, expectations, emotional exchanges—all create bondages for us. We are attached in both ways. Do you see that? If you hate someone or hold grudge against someone, you’re holding on to that person in your mind! You are not actually going away from that person. You may think you’re staying away from that person’s influence. But, not entirely true. You are still caught up with that person. As caught up you are with the person(s) you love. This is a fact. Please see it. 

So, one who is truly wise will not hold on to any emotion, feeling or attitude. They will rise in him/her and will subside again. She/he will not be caught in the wave. This gives tremendous inner freedom. Because you’re out of duality now. You are not creating duality within and around yourself. Such a person lives through the thick and thin of life without ever getting affected by anything. This is real freedom. 

Everything we do—whether we pray, meditate, love, serve, or hate, be jealous or angry—we are creating bondages all the time. Love liberates. But the way we love creates enormous bondage and attachment. No? Whatever binds us—be it a positive attribute or a negative attribute—is worth shunning. But, I don’t mean to say, you shun your relationships, your loved ones. No. You just let go of all attachments. Can’t you do that? Well, our situation is, we can’t give ourselves to anybody or anything unless we are attached to some extent. We don’t know involvement without attachment. 

Air is in everything. And it flows everywhere. But it does get attached to anything, does it? If it gets attached to something, it cannot flow freely. Can you be like air in your relationships? This is a different way to live, I know. But, the way we live is not right. It’s unacceptably wrong. Seeing this wrong approach to living, it’s only sensible to change our way of living. Would you change then? You should. But if you think, the way you’re living is completely okay, go ahead. I am nobody to stop you. It’s your life after all. You get to decide how you’ll use it. But, if you’re really honest, you’d want to change your life. Personally, I want to be free of this dualistic game. 

This life is to work out our karma, not to create further entanglements—this much is clear to me. And both positive and negative attributes create entanglement. So, why be foolish‽

Have a great life!

Thank you for your time. See you. 

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Image Credit: istock photo.