Jealosy · Grief · Guilt
What is Guilt? Feel it. Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Does it makes you easeful or uneasy? Obviously it is unpleasant and uneasy. And what mental factor is this that produces such characteristic of unpleasant and uneasiness? Surely it must be aversion or dosa (Pali).
Aversion function is to dispel, to reject.
Whenever guilt arises there is this thought of “I shouldn’t have done it” or to make another guilty “he/she should not have done it” – in both cases it points to rejecting and dispelling the situation. They are very clear signs of aversion.
But aversion comes in many ways and each are unique of its own. For example, jealousy and grief is different though both have dispelling nature.
Jealousy don’t like others of having more. Grief don’t like someone is gone. So when it comes to guilt it is about “don’t like what has happened”.
Notice that in these three examples — jealousy, grief and guilt — they all have common character of dispelling. But they are different. Why so?
Let’s explore them a little more.
Jealousy
It has a comparing factor of others better than us. It is about not able to have (greed) possession or ownership of a certain object.
Grief
It has a comparing factor of what one have and now no more. It is about an object that it longs for (greed), or attached to, and no longer having it anymore.
Guilt
It has a comparing factor of it should not have been such. It is about an action that if possible should not (greed) have been done.
All 3 are targetting at different objects and situations. And also different meanings. Because of that aversion comes in different ways, manifesting itself in different characteristics.
But beneath them all, they have the root of aversion and greed since aversion cannot arise without greed. Because of greed over an event and not able to meet its standard of expectation, aversion is its result.
So you may ponder what is the cause of all these defilements?
A few angles to consider —
1. The mind comes with some kind of ignorance / delusion of not understanding conditioning. Happenings is not personal. Happenings is not tailored to our wanting or not wanting. When condition is there it will happen. If condition is not there it won’t happen. Even this latter is also a type of condition. Not knowing conditionality is ignorance. Because of not knowing conditionality, delusion takes place in the mind.
2. Since all happenings are due to conditionality, nothing can be owned, not even our mind. That is a fact. Because of the mind not knowing this fact, craving arises to hold on to objects, be it person, situation or event. In this case one can notice that ignorance is very connected to craving.
3. Where there is craving or attachment, the mind is constantly expecting pleasurable feelings. Craving is always seeking for such, blind to the fact that nothing is up to craving. It will just be a matter of time aversion will occur.
And this the Buddha showed us the three defilements - delusion, greed and aversion as the culprits of suffering.
They are the cause of suffering and also the effect (experience) of suffering. Only when the mind fully understood conditionality — which can only happened with the arising of wisdom factor in the mind, these defilements will slowly end.
Wisdom can only arise due to Right Practice and that entails right information of realities that leads to seeing things correctly, or right attitude. So it is the Three Yogi Job.
If we meditate to get good experiences we will suffer too. That is because of craving.
When we try to escape from defilements we have to suffer. Defilements cannot be escaped except to be fully understood and comprehended.
So when guilt, jealousy or grief arises, we wanted to “finished them up” — we will suffer more because of dislike.
We can only use our practice, mindfully and ardently with right understanding to become aware of it. Simple, light and easy. Not pushy and wanting immediate result.
❤💭 People with different faiths try to analyse the causes of suffering, and have different solutions to solve the problems or overcome them.
I highlight some above.
Christianity also spot those causes and warns people against them: jealosy, grief, guilt, greed, ignorance, etc.
One good thing is, Christ sacrificed himself and saves us, gives us new life when we accept Christ. God the father, the son & the Holy Spirit are here to help us overcome those problems & temptations when we follow the wisdom and the truth in good Bible.
❤Seek wholeheartedly and the doors will open.
