Sadhguru - emotions are the strongest aspect of your life

Summary

In this insightful discourse, Sadhguru emphasizes the significance of emotions in human life, asserting that they often outweigh intellect. He explores the concept of love as a sweet emotion, contrasting it with bitterness, which manifests as hate or irritation. Sadhguru encourages individuals to cultivate pleasant emotions for a more joyful existence. He also humorously notes the unconditional love a dog offers, suggesting it as a 'guaranteed love affair.' The talk concludes with the idea that being pleasant, rather than merely loving, is the key to a harmonious life, where one's inner state naturally influences their interactions with others.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Emotions are a powerful and integral part of being human, often more intense than intellect.
• ❤️ Love is an emotion and represents the sweetness of one's emotional state, contrasting with bitterness which can manifest as hate.
• 🤔 The desire for a 'love without emotion' is a European concept, but love inherently is an emotion.
• 🐕 Dogs are capable of love, providing a consistent and unconditional form of affection, highlighting the depth of their emotional connection.
• 🌟 In yoga, emotions are not categorized as love or hate but are seen as pleasant or unpleasant, with love being a pleasant emotion.
• 🔑 The key to a pleasant life is to cultivate pleasant emotions, which naturally lead to pleasant interactions and experiences.
• 🌱 Emotions should be pleasant not because of external factors but as a reflection of one's inner state, ensuring consistent positive interactions.
• 💡 It's crucial to understand that being pleasant is not dependent on external circumstances but is a choice and responsibility of the individual.
• 🛡 Trying to be pleasant based on external validation can lead to bitterness and conflict, especially in intimate relationships.
• 🌈 Equanimity is essential for perceiving reality as it is, without the distortions of personal likes or dislikes.

Q & A

Why is love considered a significant aspect of human life according to Sadhguru?

Sadhguru suggests that love is significant because human emotion, of which love is a part, is a strong and powerful aspect of being human. Even in an age where people consider themselves intellectual, emotions, including love, remain the most intense part of their lives.

How does Sadhguru differentiate between love and other emotions?

Sadhguru explains that love is a type of emotion, specifically the sweet aspect of emotion. Other emotions, such as anger or irritation, are considered bitter. The same emotion can be love or hate, depending on its expression.

What does Sadhguru mean when he says 'love means just that'?

When Sadhguru says 'love means just that,' he refers to the transformation of one's emotions into sweetness, which is what love represents.

Why does Sadhguru challenge the idea of being in love without emotion?

Sadhguru challenges the idea because love itself is an emotion. He argues that it's not about being in love without emotion, but rather about choosing to have sweet, pleasant emotions over bitter ones.

What is Sadhguru's perspective on the relationship between love and hate?

Sadhguru views love and hate as two sides of the same coin. He suggests that love can turn into hate if something goes wrong, indicating that they are closely related and can easily transform into one another.

How does Sadhguru describe the experience of love in human life?

Sadhguru describes love as the most profound and intense experience of life for many people, often raised to a divine level. However, he also points out that love is just one of the many emotions humans are capable of experiencing.

What is the importance of being pleasant according to Sadhguru?

Sadhguru emphasizes that being pleasant is crucial because it affects all aspects of one's life, including health, peace, joy, and success. He suggests that if one is pleasant, they will naturally be loving, without having to force the emotion.

Why does Sadhguru use the example of a dog to illustrate love?

Sadhguru uses the example of a dog to show that love is not just a human capability. Dogs, he says, can also love unconditionally, providing a guaranteed love affair and a daily demonstration of affection.

What does Sadhguru suggest as an alternative to focusing on being loving?

Instead of focusing on being loving, Sadhguru suggests focusing on being pleasant in one's body, mind, emotions, and energies. This approach, he believes, will naturally lead to a state of love and other positive states.

How does Sadhguru define the role of emotions in yoga?

In yoga, Sadhguru does not categorize emotions as love, hate, happiness, or misery. Instead, he focuses on whether emotions are pleasant or unpleasant, and how they can be made pleasant to enhance one's overall well-being.

What is the key message Sadhguru conveys about maintaining pleasantness in one's life?

Sadhguru's key message is that maintaining pleasantness is an internal responsibility and should not be dependent on external situations or people. Being pleasant regardless of circumstances leads to a more harmonious and fulfilling life.