How to Control Emotions?

When emotions and impulses trouble you much, be indifferent. Say to yourself: Who am I? I am not the mind. I am all-pervading Soul. How can emotions affect me? I am unattached. I am a witness of these emotions. Nothing can disturb me. When you repeat these suggestions, the emotions will die by themselves. This Jnana method of controlling emotions is easier than the Yogic method of driving the emotions and struggling with the mind.

SENTIMENTS

Religious sentiment, moral sentiment, aesthetic sentiment (or sentiment for the sublime and the beautiful) are the three important sentiments of the mind. Feeling and sentiments are illusory. They are not in Soul. They are deceptions created by the mind.

MOODS

Mood is a mental state. We say, Mr. Mike is a moody gentleman. This means he becomes a slave of the mood quickly. We also say, that gentleman is in good mood or happy mood. I can approach him now for a short interview or talk or He is in a very angry mood. I should not see him now. Actually these are all thoughts or emotions only. Dr. Bhagavan Das, the reputed author of Science of Emotions classifies these under emotions only.

THE TWO KINDS OF MOODS AND THEIR EFFECTS

There are only two kinds of moods, viz., Happy (joy, exultation or exhilaration) and Sad (grief or depression). In the mind, these two kinds of moods prevail. Now there is joy. Five minutes later, there is depression. These currents alternate. They are two waves that affect the mind-ocean.

People of gloomy moods attract to them gloomy things and gloomy thoughts from others. Persons with hope, confidence and cheerful spirits attract thoughts of similar nature from others. They are always successful in their attempts. People with negative moods of depression, anger, hatred do positive injury to others. They infect others and raise these destructive thoughts in others. They are culpable. They do great damage in the thought-world. People with happy and cheerful moods are a blessing to society. They bring happiness to others.

HOW TO CONTROL NEGATIVE MOODS

One can eradicate depression by prayer, meditation, counter-thoughts of joy, chanting of mantra and singing divine songs. Never give room for gloomy depression. Repeat “I am full of joy, my true nature is Joy. Depression will vanish. There are various causes for this depression. Cloudy day, association with evil persons, indigestion, influence by astral spirits, revival of old karmas of depression. All these induce depression.

When you get a talking mood, practise at once silence. This is an antidote to the talking mood. When you are in a mood of hatred, develop the opposite virtue of love. This mood will pass off quickly. When you are in the mood of selfishness, begin to do selfless work. When you are in the mood of separateness, try to mix with others through service, love and kindness. When you are in the mood of laziness, do at once some kind of active work, drawing water, gardening, running, brisk walk or biking, etc. In Soul, there are no moods. It is pure consciousness. Identify with Soul. You can destroy all moods very easily.

REFERENCE

Mind – Its Mysteries and Control by Sri Swami Sivananda