I previously wrote about meditation on feelings, briefly touching on feelings that are neither good nor bad.
Here, I’ll elaborate with examples.
In our daily lives, we often encounter many feelings that are actually neither good nor bad.
Yet, we don’t accept these “third” feelings as they are.
Due to the dualistic mindset we’re educated and influenced by, we consciously or unconsciously interpret and choose.
As soon as thought intervenes and extends, these “third” feelings mostly end up as bad feelings.
This is because the initially vague and unfamiliar sensations are prone to fear or negative thoughts due to their ambiguity.
Moreover, societal and cultural influences exacerbate this tendency to reject these “third ground” feelings.
In the social environment, there’s an emphasis not just on having a firm stance, taste, or opinion, but sometimes on imposing it.
In such a trend, there is reluctance to allow feelings that are neither one thing nor another.
However, if we look closely, “good” and “bad” are just words.
The degree of goodness and badness varies greatly from person to person, and the proportions of these sensations can vary.
Even for the same person, depending on the situation and conditions, the same feeling can be received in completely opposite ways.
These feelings are, in essence, outside of our control.
Thus, it’s natural that lying down or eating, as time passes, transforms from a good feeling into a bad one.
Feelings inevitably change.
So, forcing a “third” feeling into the “good” or “bad” categories is a futile act with no benefits.
Let’s embrace feelings as they are.