Managing Afflicted Emotions

When we experience afflicted emotions, we can manage them in one or more of the following ways, according to our innate tendencies, capacity, and level of spiritual development. Whenever there is doubt as to which may be appropriate, apply renunciation first. 

Renunciation:

• We can renounce desire by contemplating disgust.
• We can renounce aversion by contemplating gratitude.
• We can renounce indifference by contemplating interdependence.
• We can renounce jealousy by contemplating kindness.
• We can renounce pride by contemplating compassion. 

Transformation:

• We can transform desire by identifying with deities in union.
• We can transform aversion by identifying with wrathful protectors.
• We can transform indifference by identifying with the guru.
• We can transform jealousy by identifying with nagarajas.
• We can transform pride by identifying with chakravartins. 

Recognition:

• We can recognize desire as the wisdom of discernment.
• We can recognize aversion as mirror-like wisdom.
• We can recognize indifference as the wisdom of the expanse.
• We can recognize jealousy as all-accomplishing wisdom.
• We can recognize pride as the wisdom of equality.