What are the different ways we can work with emotions?

We and others like to think that the day we become Dharma practitioner, suddenly we become good person, nice person, good practitioner. I do not think it works like this, that it is that easy. It is not the reality. Reality is, it takes more time.

Hatred – maybe it takes five or six years to work with this, to

dialogue with this emotion. We need to become familiar with, we need to recognize how our emotions arise. And then, slowly, make them our friend, or become acquaintances with them, so that then we do not have to suppress them, force them to go away. In this way, they naturally subside, they become self-liberated. That is the way we should work with emotions.

His Holiness, 17^th Gyalwang Karmapa

Ogyen Trinley Dorje

Mahamudra Teaching, Nurburing, Germany