How does Emotional Intelligence go along with Dhamma practice?
score:0
Good householder,
practicing the Dhamma, walking the path of the real intelligent, is "all" about developing "emotional intelligence".
First of all one should know feeling (emotion), it's kinds, it's origin:
”'Feeling should be known. The cause by which feeling comes into play… The diversity in feeling… The result of feeling… The cessation of feeling… The path of practice for the cessation of feeling should be known.' Thus it has been said. In reference to what was it said?
“There are... Nibbedhika Sutta: Penetrative
Secondly it's very needed to know the different between household and renounciation feelings/emotions, especially for avoiding to make the Brahmaviharas just to another home and to avoid dangerous kinds of practice:
"'The eighteen explorations for the intellect should be known': thus was it said. And in reference to what was it said? Seeing a form via the eye, one explores a form that can act as the basis for happiness, one explores a form that can act as the basis for unhappiness, one explores a form that can act as the basis for equanimity. Hearing a sound via the ear ... Smelling an aroma via the nose ... Tasting a flavor via the tongue ... Feeling a tactile sensation via the body ... Cognizing an idea via the intellect, one explores an idea that can act as the basis for happiness, one explores an idea that can act as the basis for unhappiness, one explores an idea that can act as the basis for equanimity. Thus there are six happiness-explorations, six distress-explorations, and six equanimity-explorations. The eighteen explorations for the intellect should be known': thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.
"'The thirty-six states to which beings are attached should be known': thus was it said. And in reference to what was it said? Six kinds of household joy & six kinds of renunciation joy; six kinds of household distress & six kinds of renunciation distress; six kinds of household equanimity & six kinds of renunciation equanimity.
"And what are the six kinds of...Salayatana-vibhanga Sutta: An Analysis of the Six Sense-media
Third, they have to be observed, making them to a frame of reference:
“And how does a monk remain focused on feelings in & of themselves? There is the case where a monk, when feeling a painful feeling, discerns, ‘I am feeling a painful feeling.’ When feeling a pleasant feeling, he discerns, ‘I am feeling a pleasant feeling.’ When feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling, he discerns, ‘I am feeling a neither-painful-nor-pleasant feeling.’
“When feeling a painful/pleasant/neither-painful-nor-pleasant... Satipatthana Sutta: Frames of Reference
Then, in regard of the Brahmaviharas (Sublime dwellings), which are better seen as "way of thoughts" or "dwelling of mind" then to be regarded as feeling/emotions, one can bring the gained intelligence (wisdom/insight) and ones heart ("emotions"), where the development of them is of great fruits, can, will, lead even to highers right liberation.
A perfect guide on the matter of bringing intelligence (head) and emotions (heart) together will help further in details if needed: *Head & Heart Together: Essays on the Buddhist Path, with it's heart-essay, right on the topic of good householders question: Head & Heart Together Bringing Wisdom to the Brahmavihāras, "emotional intelligence.
[Note that this isn't given for trades for the world, stacks or exchange, but for liberation]
Upvote:0
When I read about the Brahmaviharas it said,
These four attitudes are said to be excellent or sublime because they are the right or ideal way of conduct towards living beings (sattesu samma patipatti). They provide, in fact, the answer to all situations arising from social contact.
I think there are additional "emotions", which aren't entirely/directly related to social contact -- things like joy, energy, faith. I'm not sure where courage fits in, maybe virya (strength).
Conversely I once heard "depression" described (from a non-Buddhist source) as "anger without enthusiasm", which I guess is funny.
Also if Brahmaviharas are excellent there's a doctrine about non-excellent emotions, hindrances and obscurations -- and asavas. I like this one for example -- Akkosa Sutta: Insult (SN 7.2) -- about anger.
Upvote:2
The Abhidhamma is useful for this question. I quote from The Abhidhamma in Practice by N.K.G. Mendis.
Starting from the top:
The Abhidhamma deals with realities existing in an ultimate sense, called in Pali paramattha dhammaa. There are four such realities:
- Citta, mind or consciousness, defined as that which knows or experiences an object. Citta occurs as distinct momentary states of consciousness.
- Cetasikas, the mental factors that arise and occur along with the cittas.
- Ruupa, physical phenomena, or material form.
- Nibbaana.
Next we go into the cetasikas:
The second reality or paramattha dhamma is the cetasikas. The cetasikas are the mental factors or concomitants that arise and perish together with consciousness (citta), sharing its object and basis.
The Abhidhamma lists 52 kinds of cetasikas. One is feeling (vedanaa), another is perception (saññaa). The remaining 50 are grouped together under the term sa"nkhaaraa.
And then we go into sa"nkhaaraa:
Sa"nkhaaraa is a collective term for the other fifty cetasikas. These fall into four groups:
- Universal mental factors (sabba citta saadhaaranaa)
- Particular mental factors (paki.n.nakaa)
- Unwholesome mental factors (akusalaa)
- Beautiful mental factors (sobhanaa)
There are 7 universal mental factors (including feeling and perception) and 6 particular mental factors. These are neutral:
The universals and particulars are, in themselves, ethically indeterminate but become wholesome, unwholesome, or neither, depending on the state of consciousness in which they occur.
There are 14 unwholesome mental factors and 25 beautiful mental factors.
The four Brahmaviharas are included in the list of 25 beautiful mental factors. Others on the list include mindfulness, faith, non-attachment, shame of evil, fear of evil, right action, right speech, right livelihood, wisdom etc.
The lists are very long, so I will let you take a look at it on the website yourself.
OP: I am wondering how does it (emotional intelligence) affect and get affected by the practice of the Dhamma?
With Dhamma practice, the unwholesome mental factors should become weaker and the beautiful mental factors should become stronger or more dominant. This is the increase of emotional intelligence that comes with the practice.
OP: Does deeper meditative absorption lead to heightened awareness and control of one's emotions and vice versa or are they completely unrelated?
Your ability to consciously identify and eliminate unwholesome mental factors, and consciously apply beautiful mental factors, increase with the Dhamma practice, including meditation. You get more control over your mind, so to speak.
OP: Also, does the 'feeling' skandha include feeling of one's emotions?
The feeling aggregate is sensing the six sensory media, which includes thought and mind. Emotions are a kind of thought. So, yes.
But unlike externally originated sights, sound and smell which you cannot control, thoughts come out of your mind in a process chain described in this answer. So, you can control it through increasing emotional intelligence.
OP: Are there any wholesome emotions one feels as the practice deepens? Are the Brahmaviharas all there is to wholesome emotions?
No. As shown above, there are 25 wholesome mental factors including the four Brahmaviharas. So, Brahmaviharas are not all there is to wholesome mental factors.
More post
- 📝 What is Generation Stage Meditation also known as Utpattikrama?
- 📝 What is special about physical contact in the context of erotic/sexual behaviour?
- 📝 Can anyone explain how 'stimulus / response' appears in Chinese or Japanese Buddhism?
- 📝 Eternalism and Mahayana Buddhism
- 📝 What are the commonalities between Jewish and Buddhist thought?
- 📝 I believe I have done bad things in a past life can I fix my curse that causes people to turn against me what kind of Karma is this?
- 📝 How to inculcate metta in me?
- 📝 Is surrounding yourself with good people a form of aversion?
- 📝 Romantic love and Buddhism
- 📝 A good source to learn the Pali language?
- 📝 Why are Buddhist concepts so difficult?
- 📝 Om - meaning and "significance" of it in Buddhism - esp. in theravada?
- 📝 How can the Buddha (after he was enlightened) reflect that he was not at ease and then became at ease in seclusion?
- 📝 What Pali term most closely represents the concept of "inner conflict"?
- 📝 Life With Death
- 📝 Five Precepts - did Buddha really preach them?
- 📝 Is there any web site to read teeka (tipitaka sub commentaries) in english
- 📝 It is said that arahants never dream. What are the textual sources for this claim?
- 📝 How can I become less affected by politics?
- 📝 5 Skandhas / 5 aggregates
- 📝 During Anapana, why does the breathing become slower and slower as we progress?
- 📝 At which point after conception does life begin?
- 📝 Can you criticise or improve Ven. Bodhi's description of Mahayana
- 📝 What is the best strategy to confront Non-Buddhist ideology?
- 📝 Is there any extreme of physical pain that a fully enlightened person would find unpleasant on any level?
- 📝 Mindfulness of breathing - What is meant by "arising and passing away of the body"?
- 📝 How to achieve sotapanna?
- 📝 Observing the breath vs Pranayama
- 📝 Can We Teach Animals the Dhamma?
- 📝 Can we use computer coding activity as a kasina object?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 How does Emotional Intelligence go along with Dhamma practice?
- 📝 How does one practice mindfulness during thinking - e.g. thinking about how to solve a problem?
- 📝 In terms of reliability of understanding reality, how does the scientific method compare with Buddhist insight practice?
- 📝 How does the first noble truth associate dukkha with each of the five skandhas?
- 📝 How does human will fit with Pratītyasamutpāda?
- 📝 How does one Practice Sila?
- 📝 How does one practice Buddhism when experience is limited by the 6 senses?
- 📝 How does a monk cope with all the bad things happening in the world if the only thing monks do is sitting and meditating?
- 📝 How does the idea of Bodhisatva in Mahayana mesh with anattā?
- 📝 How does one do mindfulness of breathing with relaxation?
- 📝 How does the Dhamma reconcile slavery?
- 📝 What is Metta-Bhavana and how does one practice it?
- 📝 How do I practice the Dhamma in an environment where it's not supported?
- 📝 How does rebirth fit with the fact that everything is impermanent?
- 📝 How does one cope with despair using Buddhist practises?
- 📝 How does the path according to Sheng-yen compare with scholastic Buddhism?
- 📝 Ultimate reality: How does one practically disidentify with one's mentally labeled world?
- 📝 How does the practice of Buddhism look at preconceived ideas, assumptions or notions?
- 📝 How does this piece of Vasitha's yoga fit with Buddhist thought?
- 📝 How does teaching of Buddhism deal with waste? How does teaching of Buddhism deal with acceptance even it causes unhappiness?
- 📝 How does the བར་དོ་ཐོས་གྲོལ (Bardo Thodol) "Tibetan Book of the Dead" fit in with the Kangyur and Tengyur
- 📝 How does Buddhism deal with failure?
- 📝 How does one practice to develop super-mundane powers through meditation?
- 📝 How to practice ignoring identification with the body?
- 📝 How does Theravada practice to obtain the direct knowledge of anatta?
- 📝 How can we make compatible the 'ehipassiko' aspect of the Dhamma with the faith aspects of it?
- 📝 How can I practice mindfulness meditation with sound, not breathing?
- 📝 How to continue practice with pain?
- 📝 How does one deal with the 'fear of rebirth'?
- 📝 How does mindfulness practice (sati) lead to jhana?