Moodiness and Emotional Outbursts
by Venerable Master Hsing Yun

An outburst of emotion is often a disgruntled act of the weak and timid. In some situations, children use their moods to manipulate their parents. Wives use their emotions to corral their husbands. Subordinates use their pique against their superiors, and friends will sometimes be temperamental toward one another.

In today's society, some students skip classes because they feel depressed, some teenagers run away from home because they feel misunderstood, and some workers call in sick because they feel unappreciated; even pets will ignore their owners when they are in a bad mood. Every person, old or young, is prone to emotional disturbances. When they are irritated or in low spirits, they would even consider leaving home for good or locking themselves in their bedrooms for a long time. Negative emotions are indeed very harmful to a person's well-being.

No one in this world is without emotions, and everyone will seek a way to express his or her feelings. Women pretend to be angry or displeased to express how they feel. Teenagers engage in fights to vent their frustrations. Children throw tantrums to show their displeasure. Workers go on strike to protest unfair treatment. Why are emotional outbursts necessary? Because some people believe that they are the best solution to their problems. However, this is not the case; the use of excessive emotion only makes matters worse. Parents will not favor children who are often moody. Teachers will consider students who are often temperamental to have behavioral problems. Superiors will not promote subordinates who are too moody. Fits of bad tem-per by a husband or wife can definitely destroy a couple's loving relationship.

People who are moody are often considered as being unpredictable and ever changing like the weather. They can be gloomy at one moment and fly into a rage at the next. When their minds are con-trolled by their emotions, they talk nonsense, and their lives are chaotic. They cast aside reason and the ways of the world just to indulge them-selves. They have a total disregard for their image because they are consumed by strong feelings.

According to Buddhism, emotions are the karmic winds of ignorance. When they blow, the waves roar and the sea billows, and human nature will never see the light of day. We will live in eternal darkness, where truths are distorted. Therefore, negative emotions are catastrophic and damning.

Some people, when they are in a fit of rage, break plates and furniture, though the victims of their anger did nothing wrong to cross them. Others, when they are frustrated or depressed, blame and curse every-thing and everyone except themselves. Similarly, no person or thing had done anything to offend them. Throughout history, many people have been put to death wrongly because of a tyrant's sudden change of mood. Therefore, many wise and capable people would rather forsake fame and fortune than to subject themselves to someone else's outburst of emotions.

Emotions can have a great impact on one's life, country, and society. If we chose to give in to our moods and become overly emotional, our lives will be tumultuous. If the leaders of our government were irrational and emotional, our country would not be run like a country; the government would be in shambles, and our society would be in ruins.