The Basic Principles of Morita Theraphy “Accept your feelings”

Morita Therapy teaches us to accept our feelings as they are.

If we have obsessive thoughts, we should not try to countrol or get rid of them. If we do, they become more intense. Regarding human emotions, the Zen(tradition and way of understanding) saying reminds us, “If we try to get rid of one wave with another, we end up with an infinite sea.” We don't create our feelings; they simply come to us, and we have to accept them. The trick is welcoming them.

Human emotions are not something we consciously create. They arise naturally, without our permission. Therefore, instead of fighting them, we are encouraged to accept them and allow them to exist. The key is not resistance, but welcoming.

Morita compared emotions to the weather. We cannot predict them, change them, or control them. We can only notice them as they come and go. In this spirit, he often referred to the words of the Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who gently said, “Hello, solitude. How are you today? Come, sit with me, and I will care for you.”