adamas john zerbu:
The bon dzogchen concept of zerbu "nailing it down" is the process of integrating the things we like, the things we don't like and the things we are indifferent too under the banner of effortless. If one then gets angry one abides in being angry as one of the five lights and a pure state in itself. One does not follow after it but allows it to express itself until it expires naturally of its own accord. The following after one of the pure states does start to generate karma only if we become attached to it.
Adamas, do you mean "express itself" as in, the emotion is fully experienced to the point of revealing its true nature, or "express itself" in words and deeds?
I'm not too familiar with Bon Dzogchen, moreso with the buddhist variety. Therein the former (experiencing the "emotion" so fully that the illusion of duality is seen through and the true nature reveals itself in the very presencing of the emotion) possibility is emphasized while the latter (behavioral expression in words and deeds) is generally considered to be a sign of egoistic inflation, a spiritualized ego which justifies harmful behavior with spiritual concepts. Very often the phrase used is "neither express nor suppress the arising passion and it will naturally self-liberate (reveal its true nature)" or the phrase "nothing accepted, nothing rejected" pointing to the same practice modality.
-jake