Seeuzin
28th September 2008, 03:41 PM
I'm writing a paper for Comparative Religions class on Buddhist tools for developing compassion. I thought your "Inner Dissolving" practice dovetailed nicely with Metta Bhavana in that it encourages acceptance of our emotions and releases the anger and pain that can tie up our energies and keep us from devoting them to love.
The following is what I plan on including in my paper. It's my own words but I basically lifted all the concepts from your Inner Dissolving sticky in the Meditation forum. Is it alright if I include this in my paper?
Also, I was curious what the Buddhist/Daoist name of the technique is, do you know?
"Inner Dissolving" - Introduction
Up until now I have mostly spoken of grasping in terms of clinging to the presence of something, but aversion is also clinging according to the Buddha. It is clinging to the idea of the non-presence of something. This technique, Inner Dissolving, is specially tailored for a kind of aversion: the avoidance of negative emotional states. At first, this might seem counterintuitive; why should we not avoid them? In some circumstances, avoiding negative emotion is normal and healthy, such as when we avoid a situation or way of thinking that might cause it. Sometimes, however, we have already experienced a painful event, and we dam up our pain behind powerful bulwarks of repression. This is a natural protective mechanism and a survival tool for dealing with trauma; some experiences are pushed out of conscious awareness to avoid overloading the mind.
The problem is that this damming up of emotion is actually the segregation of a part of self, a denial of something which belongs to us, and maintaining it can tie up an incredible amount of mental energy. Additionally, the more of ourselves we shut off, the more imperfect our repression becomes, and the emotions we have pushed away begin to shape our thoughts and reactions. Our negative emotions may burst out onto others in ways we do not intend, and overall we become increasingly tense, reactive, and miserable.
When we face up to our emotions and allow them to consciously unfold, we free up enormous amounts of energy, and become more spontaneous, authentic, and whole. The Buddha taught that everyone is capable of this. Part of his reasoning was that most people are full of energy as children. We have so much that we give it off in massive quantities (who does not smile when babbling to a baby or interacting with a playful young child?) As we grow, however, this energy becomes tied up in distractions and painful experiences, until we no longer have an excess. In a practice that dovetails nicely with Metta Bhavana's cultivation of positive emotion, Inner Dissolving deals specifically with releasing negative emotions that arise from memories of past experiences.
The Inner Dissolving Process -
Begin by setting intention: to focus on the problem emotion in order to work through it. As in Metta Bhavana, the more time and sincerity are involved in this, the more our intentions will act as guides for our meditations even when we are not consciously focused on them.
Then, lay down or sit and focus on any emotions that are present, and follow them where they lead. Perhaps there is a feeling of constriction in the throat, or tears forming in the eyes: focus on these things, gently. If it is possible, let go of the fear of the feeling. When we feel a pang of emotion in a real-life situation, it can easily escalate, but in meditation, we often find that it does not. Keep in mind that all forms of emotional pain are messages - they tell us when something is not the way we want or need it to be. In focusing in this way, we take our fingers out of our ears and "hear" the message. Often this is enough to cause the feeling to lessen with time. Sometimes it feels that the emotion slowly dissolves under our gaze, hence the name "Inner Dissolving."
Be careful with the use of this meditation. It works best with pain that is "old" and not being added to by a current situation. Also, respect the mind's limits and avoid taking on too much. It is normal to sometimes feel overwhelmed or to lose the ability to focus, and in these cases it is wise to get up and focus our attention on something else for a while. Remember, when we have pushed emotions away, we usually did so for a reason.
Above all, it is important to be gentle with ourselves.
More detailed instruction in Inner Dissolving can be found here - viewtopic.php?f=46&t=9353 (http://forums.astraldynamics.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=9353)
The following is what I plan on including in my paper. It's my own words but I basically lifted all the concepts from your Inner Dissolving sticky in the Meditation forum. Is it alright if I include this in my paper?
Also, I was curious what the Buddhist/Daoist name of the technique is, do you know?
"Inner Dissolving" - Introduction
Up until now I have mostly spoken of grasping in terms of clinging to the presence of something, but aversion is also clinging according to the Buddha. It is clinging to the idea of the non-presence of something. This technique, Inner Dissolving, is specially tailored for a kind of aversion: the avoidance of negative emotional states. At first, this might seem counterintuitive; why should we not avoid them? In some circumstances, avoiding negative emotion is normal and healthy, such as when we avoid a situation or way of thinking that might cause it. Sometimes, however, we have already experienced a painful event, and we dam up our pain behind powerful bulwarks of repression. This is a natural protective mechanism and a survival tool for dealing with trauma; some experiences are pushed out of conscious awareness to avoid overloading the mind.
The problem is that this damming up of emotion is actually the segregation of a part of self, a denial of something which belongs to us, and maintaining it can tie up an incredible amount of mental energy. Additionally, the more of ourselves we shut off, the more imperfect our repression becomes, and the emotions we have pushed away begin to shape our thoughts and reactions. Our negative emotions may burst out onto others in ways we do not intend, and overall we become increasingly tense, reactive, and miserable.
When we face up to our emotions and allow them to consciously unfold, we free up enormous amounts of energy, and become more spontaneous, authentic, and whole. The Buddha taught that everyone is capable of this. Part of his reasoning was that most people are full of energy as children. We have so much that we give it off in massive quantities (who does not smile when babbling to a baby or interacting with a playful young child?) As we grow, however, this energy becomes tied up in distractions and painful experiences, until we no longer have an excess. In a practice that dovetails nicely with Metta Bhavana's cultivation of positive emotion, Inner Dissolving deals specifically with releasing negative emotions that arise from memories of past experiences.
The Inner Dissolving Process -
Begin by setting intention: to focus on the problem emotion in order to work through it. As in Metta Bhavana, the more time and sincerity are involved in this, the more our intentions will act as guides for our meditations even when we are not consciously focused on them.
Then, lay down or sit and focus on any emotions that are present, and follow them where they lead. Perhaps there is a feeling of constriction in the throat, or tears forming in the eyes: focus on these things, gently. If it is possible, let go of the fear of the feeling. When we feel a pang of emotion in a real-life situation, it can easily escalate, but in meditation, we often find that it does not. Keep in mind that all forms of emotional pain are messages - they tell us when something is not the way we want or need it to be. In focusing in this way, we take our fingers out of our ears and "hear" the message. Often this is enough to cause the feeling to lessen with time. Sometimes it feels that the emotion slowly dissolves under our gaze, hence the name "Inner Dissolving."
Be careful with the use of this meditation. It works best with pain that is "old" and not being added to by a current situation. Also, respect the mind's limits and avoid taking on too much. It is normal to sometimes feel overwhelmed or to lose the ability to focus, and in these cases it is wise to get up and focus our attention on something else for a while. Remember, when we have pushed emotions away, we usually did so for a reason.
Above all, it is important to be gentle with ourselves.
More detailed instruction in Inner Dissolving can be found here - viewtopic.php?f=46&t=9353 (http://forums.astraldynamics.com/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=9353)