Akashic Touch

Another Gem from His Holiness the Dalai Lama

"Destructive emotions are those emotions that are harmful to oneself or others."

from Destructive Emotions: How Can We Overcome Them?
A Scientific Dialog with the Dalai Lama
Narrated by Daniel Goleman

I have read 8 books by the Dalai Lama. In each of them I am inspired and feel that I am a better human being for having read the material presented. Several of the works I have read have been commentaries (e.g. Narajuna, the III Dalia Lama, etc..) and others his own words that certainly seem destined to be Buddhist Texts of great stature on their own (e.g. The Buddhism of Tibet, The Path to Enlightenment, etc..).

The quote that begins this page was created at a gathering at Harvard University that lasted two days with minds such as Daniel Goleman, Francisco J. Varela, Paul Eckman, Richard J. Davidson, B. Alan Wallace and others of equal distinction brought together to coauthor this book with the XIV Dalai Lama. It is another in the series of eight thus far from the Mind and Life Series.

The book is actually the result of the two day gathering plus an additional 5 day event in Dharamsala, India. This time the Dalai Lama was in attendance and would inspire and bring synergy to the group. Despite their definition the group hoped the Dalai Lama could assist the uncovering of questions such as: What exactly do we mean by "harmful"? They wished to uncover more than the nature of destructive emotions but the factors that catalyze them: events, brain function, genetic background, etc.. What is the source of destructive emotions? From what do they actually arise.

Alan Wallace responds to these questions "These are seen as very interesting issues in Buddhism. What are the effects of destructive emotions on oneself, on the environment , on other people? Once we have identified the destructive emotions and see their causes and thier detrimental effects, then we can ask what the antidote is for these afflictions. What is the medicine? ... drugs, to surgery, to gene therapy, to psychological therapy, or to meditation?

It is a central issue in Buddhism of whether it is possible to be completely and irreversibly free of any or all of the destructive emotions. And as any Westerner knows who has studied his or her philosophy texts, whether at school or at the library these questions reach back to Plato and certainly in the Bible as well.

I am encouraged that with some of the best minds in the East and in the West gathered together to focus on the topic of destructive emotions and that the best solutions possible may lie ahead.

** to be continued **

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