Question On Spontaneous Calm Abiding, its effects on emotions Options

I have a small question on a very minor point of Buddhist philosophical minutia.

When one is able to attain the last of the 9 refuges (abodes?) of the mind it is said the person is able to maintain calm abiding spontaneously. When that happens the emotions – and a lot else besides – are “ruled” by the true mind. This is supposed to also retroactively effect the emotions so that all emotions where always seen in a state of calm abiding. I take that to mean memories no longer have the emotions attached to them. My question is: will achieving Spontaneous Calm Abiding prevent the experience of emotions both past and future or merely the tendency for the emotions to rule the mind?

By the way I keep hearing people talk about this part of enlightenment, practicably the beings of the higher realms you’re emulating, emotions of any kind are lost as one ascends further towards enlightenment.

I have a small question on a very minor point of Buddhist philosophical minutia.

When one is able to attain the last of the 9 refuges (abodes?) of the mind it is said the person is able to maintain calm abiding spontaneously. When that happens the emotions – and a lot else besides – are “ruled” by the true mind. This is supposed to also retroactively effect the emotions so that all emotions where always seen in a state of calm abiding. I take that to mean memories no longer have the emotions attached to them. My question is: will achieving Spontaneous Calm Abiding prevent the experience of emotions both past and future or merely the tendency for the emotions to rule the mind?

By the way I keep hearing people talk about this part of enlightenment, practicably the beings of the higher realms you’re emulating, emotions of any kind are lost as one ascends further towards enlightenment.

This is a very familiar state of mind to me, I will have to read up on the 9 refuges/abodes.

Being not as well versed in the intricacies of the philosophy as I would like, I cannot say from a strictly buddhist perspective; however, I would say that it grants the clarity to see with the true mind what part of a memory is based on emotional content rather than rational experience. I suppose if, in the present, one is able to look back on memories absent the lens of emotional irrationality, then according to that present state it was always so. Thus, the quality of the memories themselves have changed. As our past is, in many respects, simply our collection of memories, I believe this is internally consistent, although it does not change the external expressions of those emotional irrationalities: that such and such happened, and there was an emotional response followed by emotionally driven action.

Rather, upon reviewing a memory, one may look at this memory of an event and recognize with the true mind what parts were rational, what parts were driven by emotion, and how one could have maintained right thoughts and actions in the absence of that emotional influence.

For me a state of mind perhaps similar to this - Calm Abiding is a good descriptor but I won't say it is the same thing necessarily - is one in which the emotion may be present, but has no sway over actions or thoughts. I am not in the habit of reviewing my memories with such an eye, but where it seems my emotions want to take over I 'step back' from them and maintain a calm center while making decisions, etc. Where I diverge from buddhism for myself, I think, is the purposeful immersion in emotion when either it will be fun, or when rationality and a calm center are not necessary.

During meditation, this state is useful for observing the content of the mind in conjunction with the emotions attached to it.

Mmmm, so I would say that perhaps it does not prevent the experience, but rather as you say removes the tendency for emotions to rule. If also the true mind can then rule the emotions, one can presumably experience any past, present, or future event/memory through different emotions. Imagine the transformational power of experiencing all of one's 'hurtful' memories through the emotion of love, peace, compassion, etc., rather than anger, fear, sadness.

As for beings on higher planes, I have generally found that entities might communicate through emotion, but are not necessarily ruled or affected by it. That is only my own experience, and recognizing and categorizing exactly where some entity or another stands on the 'scale' as it were, is something I believe I am not always capable of doing with any reliability. Lower entities, however, by contrast, do seem to be increasingly more ruled by emotions, and are more likely to become angry, resentful, etc., as well as being more easily affected by emotional communication. So, that may very well be, and raises questions about the true nature of emotion. Which, i suppose, the buddhists have written about at length.

peace

I was only able to find reference to 4 divine abodes, Maitri, Karuna, Mudita, and Upeksha - Loving Kindness, Compassion, Altruistic Joy, and Equanimity. Is this the same concept, or are you indicating a different element of buddhism? I wasn't able to find anything on 9 abodes or refuges of the mind. It is probably referenced in a book I don't have access to immediately, but I would love to know!

peace