A Perfect Balance
Equanimity!?
A Superpower
Wouldn’t you consider mental calmness and composure in a difficult situation as a superpower? As human beings, we are subject to continuous changes in life. To deal with them, we can inherit a liberating quality that allows our mind to be balanced, quiet and steady in the midst of all these changes. That’s the definition of equanimity, a state of mind that is completely opposite of what many of us experience in our daily lives i.e., stress, distraction and anxiety. Its synonyms may include; mental equilibrium, collectedness of mind, peacefulness, serenity and tranquillity. The value of equanimity was taught by many religions and ancient philosophes.
In Hinduism, the term for equanimity is ‘samatvam’, Buddhism considered it as one of the four sublime attitudes, Jewish thinkers highlighted equanimity as foundation for moral development, Christian philosophers considered it essential for modesty, gentleness, contentment, charity, and many more.
The Buddha has said thus on Equanimity
“…As a solid mass of rock
Is not stirred by the wind,
So a sage is not moved
By praise and blame.
As a deep lake
Is clear and undisturbed,
So a sage becomes clear
Upon hearing the Dharma.
Virtuous people always let go.
They don’t prattle about pleasures and desires.
Touched by happiness and then by suffering,
The sage shows no sign of being elated or depressed…”
— Dhammapada
So, how to attain it?
But practically, how does equanimity work? We cannot just press a switch in our mind and let all things pass while be just relaxed.
One key aspect of equanimity is courage and capacity to face the situation directly. Another is accepting the possibility that things may not work as we hoped they will. When we accept that worst may happen, we no longer try to hide from it and can begin to wisely meet it head on. In morning, try setting your intention to be calm, develop patience and take small breaks when needed. Short walk, deep breaths helps in shifting focus which naturally calms down mental activity and relaxes body.
As we exercise our body to keep it functioning, similarly we need to exercise our minds. Mindfulness meditation is a specific technique for calmness and composure. There are scientific evidences which demonstrates the positive effects of mindfulness meditation. This mental exercise has simple four step cycles i.e., focusing on breath, inevitably getting distracted by a thought or emotion, stepping back and noticing that you have been distracted and reflecting on the thought or emotion. During course of meditation, the cycle is repeated dozens of times.
The blissful and serene state of mind after daily mindfulness meditation of 20–30 minutes allows the us to interact with world while peacefully acknowledging and accepting the way things are. Building this mindset doesn’t always happen overnight, and hence daily practice is required to stay calm and relaxed despite anything life throws on the way.
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