EMOTION

It is a psychological state that arises spontaneously rather than through conscious effort and is often accompanied by physiological changes, and has arousing and motivational properties; a feeling: the emotions of joy, sorrow, reverence, hate, and love. They have a physical aspect as well as a psychological aspect. The nature and the intensity of the emotion are usually related to cognitive activity in the form of the perception of the situation. Emotions, then, bridge thought, feeling, and action – they operate in every part of a person, they affect many aspects of the person, and the person affects many aspects of the emotions.

ਤਿਤੁ ਸਰਵਰੜੈ ਭਈਲੇ ਨਿਵਾਸਾ ਪਾਣੀ ਪਾਵਕੁ ਤਿਨਹਿ ਕੀਆ ॥ 

ਪੰਕਜੁ ਮੋਹ ਪਗੁ ਨਹੀ ਚਾਲੈ ਹਮ ਦੇਖਾ ਤਹ ਡੂਬੀਅਲੇ ॥੧॥ 

ਮਨ ਏਕੁ ਨ ਚੇਤਸਿ ਮੂੜ ਮਨਾ ॥ 

ਹਰਿ ਬਿਸਰਤ ਤੇਰੇ ਗੁਣ ਗਲਿਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Ŧiṯ saravraṛai bẖa▫īle nivāsā pāṇī pāvak ṯinėh kī▫ā. Pankaj moh pag nahī cẖālai ham ḏekẖā ṯah dūbī▫ale. ||1||Man ek na cẖeṯas mūṛ manā.Har bisraṯ ṯere guṇ gali▫ā. ||1|| rahā▫o.

In this world pool, people have made their homes, but the water there is as hot as fire! In the swamp of emotional attachment, their feet cannot move. I have seen them drowning there. ||1|| In your mind, you do not remember the God-you fool! You have forgotten God; your virtues shall wither away. ||1||Pause||                        ------Guru Nanak, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page,12-3 & 357-12

Emotions are responsible for e.g. Anger, Anxiety, Bereavement, Boredom, Euphoria, Expressed Emotion, Fear, Frustration, Guilt, Happiness, Hate, Hostility, Jealousy, Laughter, Loneliness, and Love. Undue display of emotion becomes emotionalism. When one becomes emotional, his sense of reason is lost and he becomes irrational due to an undue influence of feelings upon thought and behavior. Although feeling and emotion are sometimes interchangeable, feeling is more general and neutral. Shame defines your mistakes whereas guilt says sure, you messed up all the issues. Guilt is the painful emotion you feel when something you have done is wrong or has failed. Shame goes much deeper than guilt. These can be removed spiritually as the following hymn of Guru Ram Das in Siri Raag states:

ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਚੂਕੈ ਮੋਹ ਪਿਆਸ ॥ 

ਹਰਿ ਸੇਤੀ ਮਨੁ ਰਵਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਘਰ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ਉਦਾਸੁ  ॥

Gur mili▫ai nām pā▫ī▫ai cẖūkai moh pi▫ās.Har seṯī man rav rahi▫ā gẖar hī māhi uḏās.

Meeting with the Guru, the Naam is obtained, and the thirst of emotional attachment departs. When the mind is permeated with God, one remains detached within the home of the heart.  -----Guru Amar Das, Siri Raag, AGGS, Page,26-11

Feelings are personal and one is born with them.  It is our feelings that give life, taste, flavor and color. Without feelings we would be nothing more than unfeeling machines. Feelings make us human and that makes us one of the most interesting and unpredictable creatures on the planet Earth.