EMOTIONS
Emotions are signals from reality that aid in recognizing it. It is impossible to make decisions without emotions. They serve as a rapid and fundamental signaling system about oneself and the world. Emotions should not be "discarded," much like one should not eliminate the pain reflex. Emotions enable us to quickly discern where conditions are favorable and where dangers lie. Thinking, by contrast, is slower, more complex, and often more confusing. It is safer to promptly feel an emotion—be it offense, anger, or fear—and swiftly leave a dangerous area, rather than to overthink, question the validity of our feelings, and remain in a potentially perilous situation, thus continuing to expose ourselves to risk. While emotions can occasionally malfunction and mislead, they require study to fully understand their nature. Emotions become problematic in the event of painful disorders within this system, such as when an emotion persists too long or when an emotion is completely absent. Like any other illness, many diseases also disrupt emotional well-being. Suppose someone has heart disease, and a doctor prescribes medicine. Why then do people say "Get rid of your emotions"? It's as strange as if someone were to say, "Amputate your heart!" Isn't it ridiculous to demand a cure in one case and amputation in another?
Thus, all kinds of emotions are worth to be present in our lives, to be healthy and balanced. This is 51st sloka from the Soundarya Lahiri composed by Adi Shankara is about importance of ALL emotions in our life:
शिवे शृङ्गारार्द्रा तदितरजने कुत्सनपरा
सरोषा गङ्गायां गिरिशचरिते विस्मयवती |
हराहिभ्यो भीता सरसिरुहसौभाग्यजयिनी
सखीषु स्मेरा ते मयि जननी दृष्टिः सकरुणा ||
शिवे - in/on Shiva (referring to Lord Shiva)
शृङ्गारार्द्रा - filled with romantic sentiment/emotion
तदितरजने - towards other people
कुत्सनपरा - given to scorn/disparaging
सरोषा - with anger
गङ्गायां - in/on the Ganga (Ganges River)
गिरिशचरिते - in the story of Girisha (another name for Shiva)
विस्मयवती - filled with wonder
हराहिभ्यो - towards lions
भीता - frightened
सरसिरुहसौभाग्यजयिनी - victorious over the lotus’s fortune (a poetic way of expressing beauty or overcoming typical beauty)
सखीषु - among friends
स्मेरा - smiling
ते - your
मयि - in me
जननी - mother
दृष्टिः - vision/look
सकरुणा - with compassion
Putting this translation into a flowing sentence, the verse could be interpreted as:
O Mother, in Shiva you are imbued with romantic sentiment, towards others you are scornful, angry in the Ganges, amazed at the stories of Girisha, frightened of lions, triumphant over the conventional beauty of the lotus, smiling among friends, and your gaze upon me is filled with compassion.
