Hoàng-Ân
PASSION AND REASON
"Whatever gets you through the night, .......
It's alright! It's alright!
Whether it's wrong or it's right,
It's alright! It's alright!"
......................................John Lennon............
Everything important that happens to us arouses strong emotions. This is because all our lives, we have to struggle to manage and cope with the complex and stressful demands imposed upon us by our physical and social environments. "Being emotional" is known to be a negative comment. Actually, however, emotions and intelligence go hand in hand, which is why humans, highly intelligent beings, are such emotional animals. Actually, emotions are a vital tool for getting on in the world. This concept can be grasped in John Steinbeck's OF MICE AND MAN, and Albert Camus' THE STRANGER: empathy and sympathy for the unfortunates are expected from a member by other members in a civilization.
What do we mean in saying that "someone is 'emotional'?" It means whenever we experience an emotion, it indicates that something personally important has happen to us. We can learn much about ourselves if we observe our emotional reactions carefully but casually. It takes knowledge, understanding, and a lot of sincere living and honest loving to manage and channel the energy of our emotions effectively. Ultimately, it measures our humaness!
Feeling is neither right or wrong: it just is..!! However, we do not live in a vacuum. Generally, we do not come into the world alone! From our conception in our Mother's womb until our birth, we are being loved into life, and so many are waiting for our service in love. And once our last breath expires, our names are being remembered by our families and posterities. For every action there is a reaction. We cannot control nor change anybody except ourselves. If we view every act others impose upon us as an invitation to respond: we can choose our response!
one of the remedies for our negative emotional life can be condensed by Don Miguel Ruiz's THE FOUR AGREEMENTS:
1). The First Agreement: Be clear and succinct (impeccable) in our words.
2). The Second Agreement: Don't take anything personally.
3). The Third Agreement: Don't make assumption.
4). The Four Agreement: Always do your best.
Our speech is the tool we communicate to the world outside of us about our true Self. When we misspeaking, we hurt the image we would like for other to see in us. Impeccable means "without sin." So, when we are not clear with our words, we commit sin against the truth in us.
It is not to be cold and brutal with the fact that, "Life goes on without you." And we all know too well, no matter the pain and hardship incurring, "the show must go on." The First Truth in Buddha's FOUR NOBLE TRUTH is "Life is suffering!" Although the movie LITTLE BIG MAN is a comedy, it clarifies the fact that ultimately, each of us has to vie for ourselves in life. So, we all commit an act with our self-interest in mind first. So, we don't have to take anything personally at all. Of course we all know, "It's easier said than done..!!"
People are complex creatures living in a multi-facet world. The worst thing one can do to another is to under-estimate his intelligence. And making assumption is most unfair to ourselves and others. Even Anna Frank concluded her Diary to Kitty that she believes ultimately people are basically good. It takes a strong heart to embrace such deep understanding and saintly forgiveness, even from such a young lady under such a tragic circumstance.
The first Four Agreements are very difficult to attain: so The Four Agreement opens a door for us: sometimes we do not truly know whether we are thinking and acting correctly or not, our only salvation is to know thoroughly that in whatever we do, we have tried our best..!! "And in the end, the love that we take is equal to the love we make." (John Lennon)
I wish you life and love: for ours is the meeting of the hearts! I congradulate ourselves for: "Those who live passionately teach us how to love. Those who love passionately teach us how to live." *
