Om
Every seeker, will be face, at different times, the force of hurtful old old impressions or vasanas. Life is designed to trigger these old stored impressions which come up with a great force, leaving the seeker in a daze, unbelieving of how easily they seem to have forgotten any wisdom, they might have gleaned.
As one's knowing of oneself being the invariable, self-evident, all-pervading consciousness deepens, it seems these old impressions, which were hidden from one's consciousness, feel safe to surface. These impressions are often wired in with negative conclusions formed from painful experiences in one's childhood, perhaps even in one's previous life.
A typical example is of the feelings of helplessness which is wired in with the conclusion 'I am alone, unsupported and I can't go on' which could be triggered when a close friend suddenly leaves the body. When these feelings surface, they appear very very real and it is extremely difficult to recognize them for what they are - which is old impressions in the memory which in the current situation are not relevant.
So the first thing is to be able to recognize that they are old impressions which are not based on the truth of one's life today. These old impressions are useful, in as much they reveal the unresolved areas of one's psyche. So their being triggered reveals an occasion for emotional growth.
Viveka (discrimination) at the vyavaharika (empirical) level is required. For the above example, one would again list out one's support system etc. so that one is able to recognize that these are old old impressions which have been triggered.
Having understood this, one invoke's one's cognitive self and again becomes aware that in point of fact one is the self-evident,ever full consciousness, in whose presence these old impressions are being illumined. As ever full consciousness, one is pure love, pure acceptance and so one remains in utter non-resistance, in loving acceptance of these old feelings - holding them as it were in one's loving presence. One does not try to get rid of them through some technique - instead one allows one's heart to be soft and open allowing the stream of one's loving conscious presence to surround, inundate the old painful feelings - and over time, in that non-resisting loving presence they resolve.
When they resolve one allows oneself to see the falsity of the conclusions based on insecurity and inadequacy, behind the old old feelings. One must be able to see conclusions based on taking the body-mind to one's self, as false. A FALSE CONCLUSION MUST BE SEEN AS FALSE. When one allows one's heart to soft and open, one is giving reality to one's wholeness.
Learning to allow one's heart to be open and soft toward unpleasant, painful situations in one's life, which one cannot change is an invaluable sadhana. Letting go of one's resistance to life as it presents itself in its varying colours and hues, allows one to grow emotionally. Understanding of Ishvara as the infallible order in life and surrendering to Ishvara, in the form of whatever situation one faces, changing what can be changed, and accepting what cannot be changed allows for great emotional growth.
Om Tat Sat