In Dalai Lama book, ‘The Art of Happiness’
provides his analysis of the roots of violence. He points out that the roots of
violence ultimately lead to our destructive emotions and their ability to
distort our perception of reality. To understand the role of negative emotions
and distortions in thinking as the main causes of violence better, it is useful
to briefly consider what emotions, why we have them, and how they relate to the
distortions of thinking. Firstly, although we believe that some of the emotions
are negative, or destructive; it is important to remember that in the evolution
of every human emotion has developed with a constructive purpose: from the
point of view of evolution, all the emotions are designed to help us survive
and leave offspring.
Emotions
are emerged to prepare us to respond very quickly to the vital events. The word
'emotion' comes from the Latin word that expresses the idea of movement, and
in general, all the emotions are an extremely effective mechanism to turn our
attention to the situation and encourage us in the direction that is necessary
for our well-being and survival. Destructive emotions in general were designed
to help us to immediately respond to life-threatening situations - to react in
a way so that our chances of survival increased. They tell us that something,
which is 'bad', has already happened or is about to happen, and suggest a
certain course of actions. In fact, they highly recommend a certain course of
actions. Of course, there are emotions they play other useful roles, especially
in communication where they help to inform others of our inner state through
the characteristic facial expressions or gestures.[1]
Chagdud Rinpoche
suggested that, to understand how the emotions incur, follow your thinking.
At first let it
simply relaxes - try not thinking in the past or future, not feel hope or fear
about this thing or the other thing, so let it rest comfortably open and
natural. In this open space of the mind, no problem, no suffering.
And then focus
your attention - an image, a sound, a smell…, your thought splits into inner
and outer, self and other, subject and object; such awareness is simply the
object, and no problems.
But when your
thought have nothing, you realize that it's large or small, black and white,
square and circle, and then you distinguish it. For example, whether it is
beautiful or ugly, after you start distinguishing about it, you immediately
react to it: you decide you like it or not like it. That's when the problems
started; because 'I like it' leads to ‘I want it.’ We want to possess what we feel that like it.
Likewise, ‘I don’t like it’ leads to 'I do not want it.’ If we like something,
want it, and cannot have it, then we suffer. If we don’t like it, but don’t let
it go, so we suffer again. Our suffering seems to occur for the object of
negative desires (pleasures), aversion (unpleasant) within us, but the essence
of things is not like that - it happens because the mind is split into two
sides of the object and the subject and becomes involved in ‘like’ or ‘dislike’
something.
We often think
that the only way to create happiness is to try to control the external
circumstances of our lives, and try to fix what seems wrong or to get rid of
everything annoys and that hurt us. But the real problem lies in our reaction
to those circumstances. What we have to change is our mind and how it
experiences in problems of reality. (Gates to Buddhist Practice)
According basis of brain anatomy evolved in
the Pleistocene era, a period when our environment was much more hostile to us
than it is now. The main negative emotions - fear, disgust, anger, sadness - were
developed as a very effective solution to combat persistent problems faced by
our distant ancestors. Each of these emotions has its own adaptive function.
For example, fear helps us to respond to the threat or danger; disgust, with
its main motivation to push away - which was designed to help us avoid
infection or reject a potentially poisonous food; anger, of course, helped to
prepare to fight or attack, but could also serve as a warning signal when
something prevents us; and sadness, probably encouraged us to take the
necessary time out to regroup after a defeat, to be careful to protect our
forces, and without a doubt, it has also appealed to other people's help. Thus,
every emotion has its own purpose or objective, so that each is associated with
feelings, thinking and behavior, and characteristic for it which is specially
built to help us achieve certain goals.[2]
Since most of these negative emotions were
designed to help us to cope with critical or life-threatening situations where
the fraction of a second is ultimately important; they have to get us to move
very quickly and decisively. In this kind of dangerous situations we do not
have time to consciously analyze the problem in depth, so that the emotions get
stuck even before the information is completely processed in the neocortex - the
new cerebral cortex, the center of the thinking processes. Place of negative
emotions is the limbic system, in places such as the amygdala, which is
responsible for the call of emotions like fear or hostility. Discomfort is caused
by negative emotions serve a good service, attracting our attention to what is
happening, forcing us to make sure that we are attentive to what we do, and
moving us in the direction of resolving the situation. The sense of impending
catastrophe that is inherent to fear, for example, can be quite painful, but it
is precisely this pain that ensures our full attention, encourages us not to
linger on, and triggers us for preventive actions.
Of course, emotions are associated not only
with the feeling; each emotion also causes changes in the way of thinking and
characteristic changes in the body. Messages sent by neurons in the neocortex
of the limbic system may affect our way of thinking. There are also complex
connections between the limbic system and other parts of the brain, as well as
the various organs in the body. Messages sent via neural pathways or networks
that can cause rapid changes throughout the body. With regard to these physical
changes, every negative emotion associated with a particular propensity to
action is a sequence of physiological changes that mobilize support for
specific actions which are intended to prepare us for the reaction to danger or
to help us to ensure our salvation.
To understand this process better, we can take
fear as an example. It is our defense mechanism that warns us of the danger in
particular on life-threatening situations; and like other emotions, it prepares
us to respond quickly to provide our salvation. So how does it do it? As soon
as our senses perceive a potential threat, sensory information is sent to the
amygdala, which primarily provides our motivation to action in creating an
unpleasant feeling of impending disaster. Then it prepares our body to the
point: immediately messages are sent to the neural network, in some cases
reaching a direct effect on the target organs, and in other cases by
stimulating glands to produce chemical messages - hormones that travel through
the bloodstream to the other target organs.
These messages give rise to a cascade of
effects throughout the body, and each of them prepares the body to do what is
necessary for survival: heart rate and blood pressure rise to prepare for our action.
Breathing quickens to deliver more oxygen; muscles tense; the perception intensifies;
sweat begins to flow when the body needs a little evaporative cooling after a
hard run; stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol to course through the
body. These hormones increase the vital functions, directing the flow of blood
to the muscles, and especially the large muscles of the legs and arms to preparing
us to fight or flee. They mobilize our energy reserves, releasing glucose from
the liver for a quick drive, and even cause changes in the blood platelets to
provide rapid blood clotting in case of injury. At the same time, messages are
sent that disable unimportant function, temporarily suspending the activity of
the digestive system, the reproductive system, and immune system - after all,
if you are persecuted by bloodthirsty maniac with an ax, then your brain
realizes that maybe this is not the perfect time for an afternoon sex,
delicious food digestion or for the performance of household chores on the
farm, such as the production of antibodies to fight infection (Howard
C. Cutler).
These
physiological changes are often called a response or reaction to stress. They
can help us to prepare for the usual protective action, or more specific types
of behavioral responses in depending on the nature of the danger. Such
reactions include running or aggression - if a person cannot escape fading or
shackling of action is another potential reaction to the fear, which can be
useful if a person is close to the fall from a cliff, or if the best means of
salvation will be disguise, and in some cases it can even suppress the reflex
to attacking some predators.
We can see how
these physical changes associated with negative emotions; can be quite useful
in situations for which they are intended - the situations that are dangerous
to life. However, in a certain sense, these changes can be seen as imposing
limits or tapers that impact on our behavior. This tendency to action is
programmed by physiological changes in the body associated with emotions, and pushing
the person to a particular course of action, such as fighting, fleeing,
vomiting (associated with emotion of disgust), and so on. We still can choose
any action although the emotion of fear, for example, can prepare the body to
escape, We do not have to run away, and we can even decide to sing an aria or
lie down to sleep. But our course of action in this case is ‘narrowed’ in the
sense that the body is put on alert for more limited and specific course of
actions.
Of course, in addition to the physical
effects, negative emotions can also affect our way of thinking. The combination
of effects on the body and the mind sometimes is called thought-effective
addiction. Negative emotions tend to distort our thinking, reaching a certain
‘narrowing’ effect on the perception, as well as they have a narrowing effect
on our behavior. Thus, we can say that negative emotions have the same effect
on the narrowing of our thought-effective addiction.[3]
On the narrowing
of our thought-effective addiction, someone also cannot see anything true to
its essence; they continue jumping under negative emotions such as happy, sad
... and still dissolute living to the desires arising from within never stop.
“As creeping ivy craving grows
In one living carelessly
Like this, one leaps from life to life
As ape in the forest seeking fruit.”[4]
(Manujassa
pamattacarino
Tanha
vaddhati maluva viya
So
plavati hurahuraj
Phalam
icchaj va vanasmi vanaro.)
The most important question is how negative
emotions and their narrowed mindset that prompts a distorted and incorrect
perception of reality in leading to violence and destructive behavior. To
answer this question, it is useful to first take a closer look at the specific
changes in thinking caused by destructive emotions.
Scientific researchers have provided quite
ample evidence that negative emotions in general have a ‘narrowing’ effect on
our thinking. This makes sense if we remember the reason why negative emotions
emerged in the course of evolution. In situations that are dangerous to life,
our chances to survive are above all, and we are able to send all of our
cognitive capabilities to solve one problem at hand. We send all the attention,
all the resources of the brain and the ability to think on how to survive in a
particular situation at the short moment. So, in fact, in these situations,
thinking and perception are narrowed: restricted with the actual problem,
focused on the present moment.
Through vijñaptimātravāda (cittamā-travāda,
yogācāra) - school of Consciousness in the field of Buddhist psychology, the
cognitive narrow thinking can be called Manas Consciousness (末那 識 / mano-Vijnana) or Root of all Consciousness. It is
one of eight main consciousnesses in the human consciousness stream, also known
as clinging ego - afflicted mentality. Its nature is psychological dependence, negative
and including good and bad and neutral. The most important feature of this
consciousness is attachment to Alaya consciousness (阿陀那識, ādāna-vijñāna) as is its See of part or life. Manas clings Alaya’s
subject and object perceptions as same as itself, and it prevent Alaya’s free
actives in the transformation of good seeds.
Manas also known as born together clinging ego (俱
生 我 執
-sahaja -ahaṃkāra-manaskāratāa) - the ego follows Alaya consciousness to born
once. According triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā, Manas is self-conservative, self
-delusion, self-pride, and self-craving.
The Mana’ activities are ‘moving' (usually moving like waterfall stream)
– its operation is very fast as flowing water;
because its nature is self-craving also,
so the Manas protects ego ‘born together’ of itself very sensitive in
all situations unexpected even in moments of thinking.
Therefore, in
dangerous situations, where even a fraction of a second counts, speed and
decisiveness are critical in resolving it. To increase the chances of survival,
the brain has no time to send the information up into the upper thinking
centers of the neocortex, requiring time to analyze the situation, and a
measured and deliberate decision of which a course of action is suitable best
of all. Instead, we are automatically programmed to respond, relying on a more
primitive brain mechanism. The brain wants to quickly categorize something with
which you are faced, relying on simple paired category black or white, safe or
risky, and so on. This way of thinking will save up your cognitive resources to
ensure that you act quickly and effectively, and so on, but for this you will
have to pay attention: you may focus your thinking on the threat right before
your eyes to increase their chances of survival, but only at the expense of
long-term thinking, that thinking for a long time in future. According to
scientific analysis, the way of thinking to react quickly is the expense of
being able to see the ‘grey ‘areas’ (Cutler). But to Buddhist psychology, Manas
gets measure to make its nature and shapes. Beacause its essence is constant
thoughts considerations, calculations, measurements never interrupted; therefore,
it can able to protect the ego (Self defence) is very clever and quick as a
lightning.
However, this kind of fast thinking scores on
reasoning, logic, and critical judgment, but largely bypassing the top centers
in the brain thinking or the positive sides of Manas. This explains why changes
in our way of thinking caused by negative emotions are limiting our ability to
find solutions to our problems. This also explains why such a way of thinking and
special ability prevents us come to an understanding or a compromise - when we
try to successfully resolve our conflicts without the aid of violence that
Dalai Lama enlightens the most.
Such ‘narrative’ ways of thinking, inherent in
all negative emotions, but as already mentioned, each of the negative emotions
has been specifically designed to help deal with the danger of a certain kind.
The negative emotion is also a kind of distinguish of Manas in playing of role acts
of self-defense instinct. Therefore, in addition to the general narrowing effect
of the negative emotions, each of them has its own specific influence on
thinking distortions, which effect on human judgment and decision-making that can
serve as the hallmark of the other negative emotions. Manas clings to Alaya to
create energy in making good and bad
seeds of good and expressing on thinking of consciousness. The habitual
behavior as attachment, anger, jealousy… arise all, and they a source of our energy
to order us acting, speech and thought in negatively. As each emotion is associated
with a certain way of human judgment about what is happening around at all, and
with a characteristic tendency to make certain choices or to take certain
decisions, it could be seen as another kind of distortion or restriction of
thinking.
For example, distortions of thinking caused by
anger, well documented, and can serve as a good example of a more specific
narrowing and distorting effects of negative emotions. Extensive studies have
confirmed that when angry people think about a situation or a person, or when
they seek to solve the problem; they tend to over simplify the facts to think
very quickly and superficially, and to make conclusions too fast. In such way,
their thinking is narrowed or restricted by the fact that they do not pay
attention to the details and avoid deeper research and analysis. It easily can
be distinguished, for example, from the distorting influence of sadness as sad
people process information through concentration on detail, and they can engage
in more in-depth analysis, but do not pay attention to the complete picture,
and can selectively focus on the information that reinforces their sad mood. In
making decisions, angry people also tend to rely on a subconscious (Alaya)
feeling of infallibility of their evidence, or opinions that can lead to a
sense of confidence and optimism, but at the same time may weaken their ability
to be objective and reasonable.
A Buddha’story following about not-reacting
to anger will help us better understanding to Buddha’s great confidence of
wisdom:
… Angry and
displeased, [Bharadvaja the Abusive] approached the Buddha [Gotama] and abused
and reviled him with rude, harsh words.
When he had
finished speaking, the Buddha said to him: “What do you think, Brahmin
(Bharadvaja)? Do your friends and colleagues, kinsmen and relatives, as well as
guests come to visit you?”
“Sometimes they
come to visit, Master Gotama”
“Do you then
offer them some food or a meal or a snack?”
“Sometimes I do,
Master Gotama.”
“But if they do
not accept it from you, then to whom does the food belong?”
“If they do not
accept it from me, then the food still belongs to us.”
“So too,
Brahmin, we – who do not abuse anyone, who do not scold anyone, who do not rail
against anyone – refuse to accept from you the abuse and scolding and tirade
you let loose at us. It still belongs to you, Brahmin! It still belongs to you,
Brahmin!
“Brahmin, one
who abuses his own abuser, who scolds the one who scolds him, who rails against
the one who rails at him – he is said to partake of the meal, to enter upon an
exchange. But we do not partake of your meal; we do not enter upon an exchange.
It still belongs to you, Brahmin! It still belongs to you, Brahmin!”
… One who repays
an angry man with anger
Thereby makes
things worse for himself.
Not repaying an
angry man with anger,
One wins a
battle hard to win…
As is often the
way in these stories, in the end Bharadvaja is transformed by his encounter
with the Buddha, becomes a monk, and, under the Buddha’s guidance, eventually
achieves complete awakening.[5]
These tendencies
can be traced back to the most basic functions of anger – when the ego is scorned,
our plans are thwarted or something prevented us to reach the goal, and anger
bursts to remove the obstacle. The reason is perceived as something external,
with which we have to fight or what we have to overcome. Therefore, this
general orientation as the destruction of any threats or obstacles associated
with a tendency to see the external circumstances as the cause of the problem,
and with a characteristic tendency to blame others whenever anger erupts. In
fact, studies show that anger itself can automatically use thinking that leads
to prejudice.
A new Buddhist technique for dealing with
anger by Master Thich Nhat Hanh to reduce the risks of conflicts from within
and outside us in following 5 simple steps:
Step 1: Mindfulness with the emotions
We can say to our anger,
-
"Breathing
in, I know that anger is in me. Breathing out, I know that I am my anger."
-
Or
"Breathing in, I know that anger is in me. Breathing out I know that I
must put all my energy in order to take care of my anger."
When we are angry . . .
- We are the anger
- Do not judge or repress the anger
- Focus on the self, not on the other
- As an older sister cares for a younger sister,
-As a gardener sees with insight and non-dual vision
the potential beauty of compost,
-Gradually we can transform the anger completely into
peace, love, and understanding
To cool down:
Step 2: Take a walk outside, meditating
- Breathing in, I know that anger is here.
- Breathing out, I know that the anger is me.
- Breathing in, I know that anger is unpleasant
- Breathing out, I know this feeling will pass.
- Breathing in, I am calm.
- Breathing
out, I am strong enough to take care of this anger.
Step 3: From understanding to compassion
-When we are calm enough to look directly at the
anger, we can begin to see its root causes: misunderstanding, clumsiness, injustice,
resentment, or conditioning.
- Taking time, perhaps half an hour, to be mindful of
the anger, transforms it.
-"Seeing and understanding are the elements of
liberation that bring about love and compassion."
Step 4: Realizing about the roots of anger
The primary
roots are in ourselves:
- Our lack of understanding of these causes of anger
- Our desire, pride, agitation, and suspicion
The secondary
roots are in the other. When we understand the factors that led to the other’s
behavior, we can respond with help or discipline from a place of
compassion.
Step 5: Becoming free of knots
-
We learn to become aware of problematic reactions, handling them promptly and
easily in the present.
-
We learn to let past problematic experiences come to mindfulness.
-
Practicing of breathing and smiling, we learn to look at our difficult emotions
without having to turn away from them, seeing the associations based on past
experience.[6]
When negative
emotion and anger are not transformed, this also could be a reason for angry
people to be more prone to punitive measures for any possibility to harm
others. For example, in one study, the anger was caused to a group of people
who after that were asked to evaluate a series of fictitious court cases that
they have nothing to do with the problems that have angered them, and the
people in anger were much more inclined to accuse the defendants and recommend
tougher punishment. This experiment also indicated a very problematic aspect of
destructive emotions: their impact on the thinking and behavior is quite
stable, and it is seamlessly transferred to other situations that have nothing
similar with the original event that gave rise to these emotions. There is a
huge amount of scientific data proving that the subsequent judgment or decision
of the person would be rather affected by negative emotions, than not, even if
the person does not know about it. For example, research of office workers in
their production environment that the object’s irritation flows on his
judgements about co-workers and acquaintances, so that angry participants in
the study were less likely to trust them even though they had nothing cognate
with the cause of those humans anger. In such cases, as long as the person does
not get rid of the destructive emotions, it will have a tendency, or
"cognitive predisposition" to see subsequent events through the
unconscious lens of perception. And, as it known, when a person perceives
events and information at all in a distorted form, this will certainly have
some effect on its judgments and decisions.
Thus, according to Dalai Lama words,
destructive emotions can cause changes in thinking, which seek to distort and
obscure the reality. The Dalai Lama explained how some of these common
distortions of thinking, such as the lack of awareness about the long-term
consequences of our actions, thinking "black or white", the failure
to look at the deeper issues related to the problem, and so on, are able to
become the sources of the biggest part of human misery and suffering. In
talking about the relationship between the destructive emotions and distorted
thinking, he also raised another important question, not only destructive
emotions rise to distortions of thinking, but also to distortions of thinking
can cause destructive emotions, so as we see, it works in both directions. This
is very important, because if such factors like influence of social environment,
strong propaganda, different leaders trying to manipulate, or the terms of the
situation at all are distorting act on someone’s way of thinking and perception
under certain conditions it can cause or contribute to destructive emotions -
such as anger and hatred - with potentially catastrophic consequences.[7]
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