Love('s) Grief

PYS II.33 वितर्कबाधने प्रतिपक्षभावनम् ॥ २.३३ ॥

vitarka-bādhane pratipakṣa-bhāvanam

When the mind is disturbed, contemplate on the opposite.

~ Translation by Manorama

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As is the case with many of life’s experiences, we can’t fully grasp something until we live through it ourselves. This is particularly true for moments of great transformation. Whether they be joyful, (falling in love, achieving a lofty goal, creating new life) or heartbreaking (going through a divorce, losing your job, the passing of a loved one). The ups and downs take us on an emotional roller coaster and though we may understand intellectually that each of these moments is fleeting and impermanent, the challenging, painful (“duḥkha”) experiences, can feel like they linger or persist, while the happy, joyful (“sukha”) moments can seem to fly by.