14.11 Emotion as path to education

To process emotions, we need to begin by understanding why we feel what we feel.

Whenwe don’t understand the cause of an emotion, our attention gets trapped in the reaction.

We sometimes fight to contain it. Sooner or later, we cave in to it: often in ways that are counterproductive.

To process an emotion, start by looking beyond the surface.

Don’t just focus on who or what triggered you; ask which part of the situation hurt the most.

Instead of saying, “I was disrespected,” ask which exact words or actions felt disrespectful.

Then look inward.

Did that outer trigger touch some inner wound?

Does that reveal an underlying issue you never fully addressed?

The Bhagavad Gita (14.11) recommends such inner illumination,

which transforms emotion into a path of education and evolution.

When we process emotions this way, we don’t just gain self-control—

we gain self-understanding, which lasts longer and empowers deeper.