Sorry for the late posting and absence in class today.
Because there was no time for discussion last class I took
the opportunity to post a factual question that I found to be of interest and
one that would make a nice addition to the list of exam questions.
In chapter 10, Ricard discusses negative emotions and how to
deal with them. As a way to deal with negative emotions he suggests meditation.
However, what does he mean by ‘meditation”? The popular ideas of meditation
seem to be out of line with his view of how to realize true meditation. Also, what results might one experience when
trying to ‘weed out’ negative thoughts or feeling through meditation?
He also compares suppression of negative feeling to that of
an infectious disease. How do you feel about that comparison?
I think that the comparison between negative feelings and a disease is a good one. As a person that suffers from depression I can say first hand that my mindset during one of my episodes can cause severe damage. If not disposed of early those negative feelings begin to spread into ever category of my life, nothing is safe. My wife's mother died of cancer and her description of what happened physically is the mirror of how I feel mentally and spiritually when i am in an episode of depression.
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