Expert: Fahfuen2007 - 3/23/2011

Question
QUESTION: Is there anything resembling this in Buddhism.  

I found a article describing a emotional control exercise, it involves a neutral item and than applying emotions to it e.g loving the item than moving to hate, joy/sadness.  In the article the author says the technique "has found popular application in Buddhism".  I was hoping you could help tell me what exercise is this in buddhism. Thankyou for your time

"At this point you will leverage a technique that is very old. It has found popular application in Buddhism, some Pagan rituals in modified form, and it is a somewhat adjusted form of exposure therapy. It also has heavy application in stage and film theatre exercises. What we are adding to it is what is called the dualities. You see, every emotion is ultimately the expression of an attraction or an aversion to some phenomena. For example, to love something is to be attracted to and desire its presence. To hate something is to avert from and desire the removal of its presence. In its most extreme form to love something is to desire complete union with it (24-7 attraction), and the extreme of hate is to desire the complete and total destruction of a thing (24-7 aversion). What is interesting is that there is a very thin line between love and hate, moving from loving someone (because of how they make you feel so damn alive), to hating them (because of what they did that makes you feel so awful) can happen in the blink of an eye. And, the more you love someone, the more you will probably hate them should they cause hate to arise in you. What this reveals is that they are the same passion, driven in a different direction. The opposite of love and hate (and truly, all the dualities) is, of course, indifference. So, we can see love and hate as one duality. There are actually six:

Love/Hate
Joy/Sadness
Compassion/Disgust
Guilt/Pride
Boredom/Excitement
Fear/Anger.
Finally, is the master duality, the 7th, even though it describes extreme states, attraction/aversion to existence itself: Indifference/Obsession"

http://darkworkers.com/2008/05/the-foci-exercise-for-emotional-control-apprentic

ANSWER: What was described is partially correct. Yes, it is a thin line between hate and love.  In fact, what we do here is not controlling. Rather, we try to follow our thinking to the root that why we love or why we hate.  At that point, we then know the cause.  Once we know the cause, it is easier to dissolve such emotion.  The key is trying to understand the root cause.  I hope it answers your question.  Thanks.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thankyou!! Your answer was great

Further on the exercise, is there anything specific like the exercise : getting angry or loving than talking to a neutral object to find the root causes of your emotion. Perhaps its better if i ask you what exercise do you do to find the root cause of your emotions.

Again Thankyou

Answer
Hi,
 I found this a difficult one to answer in short since it takes years to practice.  I will try to make it short as much as I can.  In fact, to find the root cause is to find yourself.  To find yourself is to really be with yourself. First, you have to know what you think in a period of time, saying one min. Then, you write it down. Further on, when you can follow what you think, the thinking process getting slower. Then, any emotion arises can be detected with ease.
Please try to practice.  This will help you a lot in terms of improving your quality of life.
GOOD LUCK.