Can Emotions Be Too Strong for Any Approach?

Sometimes emotions seem so unbearable that neither the Vedantic nor Tantric approach works. Is it possible that resistance stays even when I’m not resisting? Rupert says: ‘It is your resistance that confers “unbearable” on the sensation, on the emotion. The emotion itself is not inherently unbearable. It is your feeling “I don’t like this” that makes it seem unbearable. If instead of the “I don’t like it” response to the emotion, you say, “I love you. I’m gonna kiss you. I’m going to embrace you”, then the frog turns into a beautiful princess. If it seems that it’s impossible, then you just have to suffer it and wait for the intensity to die down. That would be a good example of a third approach, the Progressive Path. You distract yourself from the intensity of the feeling. Your emotion is not unbearable. You face it. You don’t just face it – you welcome it, and you embrace it, and then you kiss it and you take it into yourself. And it’s when you take it into yourself that the toad turns into a princess.’

From event 30 August - 06 September, 2025 Seven-Day Retreat at Mandali, 30 August–6 September 2025

Subscribe or purchase View full event recordings