Emotions

Like many planes of existence, the emotional plane (the astral) is a part of every one of us here in the physical. Each of us has our own personal filter that either enhances or subdues the emotional body within us, which is why some people are more or less emotional than others.
In this article, I wanted to talk about what emotions are. Emotions stem from the astral plane and yet are just another "filter"-like the physical-for our perception of All That Is. Like the physical, we mistakenly think it the ultimate truth. Now, while the physical seems to be the ultimate truth of physical properties, emotions seem to be the thrust and so called truth of what makes us "human." Human we are, but only to a certain degree. What we really are is Divine Soul, and yet the soul still experiences and expresses itself through the mental, emotional, and physical bodies. The true bliss we strive for is to understand these filters, to move beyond them (but without condescension) and live the ultimate truth of who we are.
Yes, in being human on this very plane, emotions are an integral part of who we are. When we astral project, the filter of the physical is removed, and these emotions are exposed full force in the astral (because the cumbersome physical is not present to filter the experience of this plane). Our fears, love, and even hatred are enormously amplified. But do you realize that this is only a level and plane of existence that doesn't reflect our higher self? It is one of many filters that we eventually need to understand so that we may move beyond the control of that particular plane, just as we have to one day fully understand the physical plane so that we can rise above incessant physical desire.
The unfortunate thing about emotions is that they distort truth. It distorts decisions and skews perceptions. It weighs down or elevates something beyond any kind of recognition. And we often wield the force of emotion behind the name of love, court or God. However, law plus emotion is law without reason. Religion imbued with emotion turns into bible thumping, flag burning, war mongering escapades and all the while people justifying their behavior in the "name of God." All of this is not really in the name of love, court, or God, but in the name of emotion itself. Emotions are the aftermath of our judgment.
Emotion attached to "love" is what causes people to fall in and out of it. However, the highest love, unconditioned Divine Love, is beyond the emotional plane of existence. It's pure... continual... It has no gut reaction. It does not flow or recede like a tide. It is not contingent on you evoking a sense of awe or beauty within it.
Divine Love is all there is but it gets distorted with emotion. The moment we declare that God's love is removed from any part of Itself (impossible), we are declaring our ignorance of Divine Love-and hence God. We love to declare that God loves "this nation" more or less than another and thus by default, makes this or that nation more right and just in their killing and judgment over another. However, there is right and wrong (good/bad, ying/yang) within all of us, and yet Divine Love remains a constant. It is more neutral then we can ever imagine possible, for Divine Love does not judge or separate. As an example, I watch children fight and squabble on a playground, but I do not love one any less than the other. All one needs to do is look at how things are being run today to see a bunch of "older children" squabbling on earth's school yard declaring rules which are not true, the worst being who God does and does not love and then killing in the "name of God". We are only fooling ourselves and trying to thrust our personal emotional beings into Divine Love, which is not bound by emotion.
You may ask, "How can something be neutral?" It can be neutral for it is not attached to any one thing, but all things. Emotion, like judgment is about division. When you eventually rise above the emotional plane, you exist in a sea of energy that is not divided. Judgment only comes when it has a relation to something else, as does emotion. All That Is, therefore, cannot be judged or divided, which reduces any emotional need.
Ever notice how the true spiritual masters are the quiet ones who speak of peace, serenity, and are devoid of highly charged emotions? It is the raised voice; flailing armed, self-proclaimed gurus on channel 55 that are not speaking truth about Divine Love.
As Blaise Pascal, the 17th Century French mathematician, philosopher and theologian once stated "Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." And that is because most temper their faith with highly charged emotion backed by supposed moral conviction.
The challenge for us is not to divide emotion from Divine Love, but see how they co-exist at this level we currently live in. Divine Love permeates all things, which is why you can experience the paradox of "love plus violent emotion", "love plus hate", and "love plus envy" but Divine Love does not fully embody any of these things. Know that emotion explodes and separates, whereas Divine Love permeates and binds all things and beings. Understand what emotions are: being in-love, hate, fear, greed, etc. THAT is emotion, but it is not your true higher self.
I'm not advocating emotionless drones. I'm advocating purity. The Divine Love state not dragged down by the energies of the emotional lower plane.
May you realize it and live it.