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The only way out is through.... |
| May, 2006 |
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Let’s explore the experience of sadness. We begin with the word itself. When sadness is used as a general term, it ranges from a hint of melancholy to deep despair. Anyone who feels slightly wistful or seriously discouraged is essentially sad. This means that almost all of us will experience some kind of sadness this very day.
According to my teacher, Shinzen Young, sadness, like any emotion, can be broken into three components; the first two being sad thoughts and sad feelings in the body. In meditation we bring single pointed awareness and an attitude of non-interference to our sadness. These are skills that can be developed much like the muscles in our bodies – with perseverance and patience.
The third component of an emotional experience is the tendency to lock
into it. When that happens our sad thoughts and body sensations build
on each other, thus multiplying our anguish. A woman I know is locked
into the idea that she is worthless, and that comes with the feeling of
lethargy. At certain times the sad thought and feeling build on each other
and she becomes immobilized. Her meditative goal is not to get rid of
this sadness; rather, it is to lessen the possibility that she will lock
into it – and that, too, is a skill that can be learned.
