| | You can think of them (grasping and aversion) as expressions of desire. Grasping is a vector, it has direction. There is distance between you and an object imagined to be pleasurable, and there's a move to close that distance. Alternately, you can sense that there will soon be distance (in time, space, or both) between you and a current pleasure. You grasp to try to prevent the distance from occurring. Introduce the sensations related to time and/or space and it's clearer.
Grasping carries feelings of longing, fear, desperation, excitement, focus, and active intentionality.
One common example of grasping in practice: you experienced a subjectively enjoyable, pleasurable meditative state, and now you want to have it again (or you want it to stay and not go).
Grasping is movement towards.
Grasping and aversion are both impulses. They're both intentions to move (one's awareness). Or to have something else move (into or out of the space of awareness).
From a physical, sensate perspective, observe tension, tightness, resistance. Not relaxation and opening. |