Emotion and Spiritual Development

Dealing with the power of emotion can be confusing and difficult, whether for an individual living a normal life in the external world of social relationships and situations, or for someone who wants to focus on spiritual growth and development.

Emotions develop through attachment, desire and passion. They can be triggered by events, by interactions, or by the release of various hormones into the system that can be triggered, not only by relationship issues, but by various changes in the physical development, including the development of puberty, mid-life crises, and the aging process. In some cases, various forms of propaganda or media manipulation are used to induce emotional responses, and skilled propagandists actually utilise psychological techniques to attach specific emotions to symbols or phrases that are intended to trigger them.

We undergo what we call romantic love, as well as grief, hatred, and feelings of lack of self-worth, among many other emotional states, as we try to navigate our way through the challenges of daily life. This becomes difficult for people to navigate on their own, so we have a number of therapists of various modalities who try to guide us through the emotional minefields of our lives, or we try to self-medicate our emotional state with alcohol, drugs, or distractions fueled by adrenaline rushes or extreme behaviours, to try to mask the emotional roller coaster we are embarked on. In the end, we may find out that not only do these things fail to solve the emotional issues, but they can cause other, and worse, unintended consequences.

The spiritual seeker does not have it any easier. He starts from the same emotional platform that impacts everyone else, and is subject to the same swings of mood and emotional spikes, both positive and negative, that are the normal modes of response built into our social training and societal expectations. But he also wants to find a way to escape this bondage to the emotions.

In some cases, historically, the solution has been to try to 'cut the knot' of the emotional issues by cultivating a type of stoicism, a conscious effort to tamp down on emotions and their entanglements. The emotions are suppressed and can eventually lead to a colorless, emotion-less life with little warmth or passion. This method controls the emotions, but does not get the benefit of utilizing this power in furtherance of the spiritual objectives.

In other cases, the practice focuses on harnessing the emotions to the spiritual practice. Unless there is real inner aspiration and psychic poise, this can lead to the emotional force linking itself to the vital and physical parts of the nature with results that can distract and imbalance the individual.

When the emotions are, however, focused on the psychic qualities of aspiration, consecration, self-giving surrender and they are based on a calm, serene and balanced approach, they can add considerable force to the coming forward of the psychic being as it works to guide and direct the external life.

Sri Aurobindo observes: "Emotion is a good element in yoga, but emotional desire becomes easily a cause of perturbation and an obstacle."

"Turn your emotions towards the Divine, aspire for their purification; they will then become a help on the way and no longer a cause of suffering."

Not to kill emotion, but to turn it towards the Divine is the right way of the yoga."

"But it must become pure, founded upon spiritual peace and joy, capable of being transmuted into Ananda. Equality and calm in the mind and vital parts, an intense psychic emotion in the heart can perfectly go together."

"Awake by your aspiration the psychic fire in the hear that burns steadily towards the Divine -- that is the one way to liberate and fulfil the emotional nature."

reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 6 More Lights on the Psychic Being, pg. 186