Painting Emotion Into Harmony

In deep spirituality, some friends hate emotions excessively, especially negative emotions such as anger and hatred. To be honest, even after attaining enlightenment emotions are still there inside. Although the enlightened simply witness emotions with smile. On the biological side, the body is made of earth, water, fire, air, space. The element of fire in biology has partner in psychology in the form of emotion. So as long as someone has biological body, the emotions are still there.

Survival of The Fittest

In the book titled Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin once wrote that human being has similar emotional expression everywhere. More than that, this inventor of the theory of evolution speculated, emotion is an important key to the survival of species (survival of the fittest).

In Darwin’s age, this theory was just a speculation. At this age, it is supported by a lot of academic research. Candace B. Pert, Ph.D. is one of the scientists who is very accurate in this matter. In her beautiful book Molecules of Emotion, she writes clearly how emotions play major role in the healing process.

Emotions – according to professor of research in the department of physiology and biophysics at Georgetown University – can be a source of disease, can also be a source of healing. In a number of studies clearly found, each change in the emotional side were followed by change in physiology. Back to Darwin’s speculation, be careful of emotion, it clearly determines how long and how peaceful one will live.

Survival of the Kindest

In psychology, emotion is a field of study that is wide and open. Sigmund Freud underlined that trauma and feeling which were repressed for years, especially in the age of zero to ten years, will determine how fragile one’s emotion is. The more trauma and feeling that were repressed, the more dangerous a person emotionally. That is why Freud suggested to express emotion in a healthy manner through journaling, healthy friendship and mature dialogue.

Carl G. Jung through his archetype was closer to meditation and Eastern philosophy. With the symbol of perfect circle (similar to earth, moon, sun), Jung tried to explain emotional energy that flow. It is as simple as changing day into night. Pain occurs because people fail to flow, healing occurs because one perfectly flow with all blessing of life.

As the sky which is naturally blue, one who perfectly flow with life will be naturally full of kindness. Full of kindness to help people and all creatures to flow in life. This is what so called survival of the kindest. The kind people who are here to help, that’s the only reason to survive.

Painting of Harmony

On the path of meditation, especially at the level of perfection (not at the development stage) disciples are advised to flow in a perfect circle like this: “accept, flow, smile”. Pain is like a crying baby, consciousness is visualized in the form of a loving mother who gently hug her only son.

Borrowing the finding of British psychologist John Bowlby in the 1960s on attachment theory, since the birth time our brain is biologically designed to be full of love and caring. When a person learns to “accept, flow, smile”, he/she returns to the brain’s natural home. As mountain, beach, river are naturally look beautiful, when emotions are accepted, let it flows, and embraced by smile, then emotions are turned into painting of harmony.

In this light of understanding, it does not mean that one can be angry as free as possible. Once again not. Similar to well-experienced gardener, even though we just plant grass, but weeds also appear. And weeds (by which read : negative emotions) are continuously cleaned without complaint. It the natural law of garden, where there are grass there are weeds. Accepting and recognizing the natural nature of life like this, that is the beautiful painting of harmony.