The Gift of Human Emotions

I recently discovered someone who calls himself Magister Daire. I liked a quote of his and used it with an image. I started following him on Instagram and I liked a lot of what he posted and then he posted something that just rubbed me the wrong way. Granted, I haven't studied this individual at length but the little I have seen gives me a definite impression of someone who thinks himself more knowledgeable and more enlightened than the rest of us. That word...enlightened...annoys the crap out of me.

A truly enlightened person would never claim to be enlightened. A truly enlightened person knows there is a distinct possibility that they actually know nothing at all. They know they are forever both student and teacher. They don't seek followers. They seek simply to learn and understand as much as they can through each human incarnation.

This is the meme he posted and the poem below it that bothered me:

I really dislike it when spiritual teachers make statements that put shame around half of the human emotions we experience while we are here. So the impression I get from this is he is saying all anger and sorrow is based in fear which in turn makes the person on a spiritual journey feel they are wrong for ever having those emotions because they don't want to live in fear. You know what I say to that? FUCK THAT SHIT!!!

So called "negative" emotions like sorrow and anger have the ability to act as a catalyst to transform us more than any other. It is when we reach our lowest point that who we are can be burned away and we can rise from our own ashes renewed and reborn if we allow it. Most people on a spiritual journey got there because intense sorrow, grief, anger and pain brought them to their knees. Those who reach for something more start their spiritual journey into self discovery.

And once we are on these journeys, it is fucking hard and no matter how much spiritual knowledge you gain, tears, sorrow, anger is a natural part of the process into change. No matter how much I know and understand about death, I still ache when a physical character I knew and loved is no longer part of my personal play. I miss them no matter how much I know they might still be with me in spirit. I will allow myself to feel heartache when I am hurt by someone I love. I will allow myself to feel sorrow when the missing of someone is acute. I will allow myself to feel anger that moves me into action to create change in my world.

The difference with a spiritual person is we try not to unpack and live in those emotions. We allow them, experience them, learn from them and then release them. There is no shame in feeling what you feel...EVER. As long as you can step back and sort out where it is coming from, learn something from it and then turn it around so that it is useful instead of detrimental, I see no harm in it. It is when you unpack and live in any given emotion that people run into problems. A person living in one emotion is someone living out of balance and I am all about preaching balance. It is something I strive for but can honestly say I have never achieved. Lol

The way I see it is like this. Those who try to deny themselves certain emotions because they are deemed "negative" are a lot like those who go on restrictive diets (I am not talking about those with true allergies or intolerance). You have those who eat no grains, no gluten, no dairy, no sugar, no meat, nothing cooked, and the list could go on. I came for the human experience and half of that experience is about tasting every human emotion I can. You can stay away from the strawberry whipped cream frosting cake and chocolate eruption cake if you wish because someone said it is bad for you, but I will have my cake when I feel so inclined to have it and I will eat it too. I don't have it all the time, but I also won't deny myself experiencing the myriad of flavors/emotions life in the human vehicle affords me.