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Based on the wonderful reading by Thanissaro Bhikku, here is my reflection:
Life presents challenges. There are times when I feel the glow of attainment and success. And there are times when I feel the gloom of loss and failure. I have experienced ups and downs in my life. How do I relate to such ups and downs cycles makes a significant difference in the quality of my life. Realizing that life is not a straight line and it goes through small and big curves and accepting this fact without grudging and complaining is the right and wise way of living. I turn my face towards such happenings and face them with equanimity. This is the equanimity of a warrior. I believe in the wise saying, "A wandering mind is not a happy mind." I know the power of pranayama, maintaining a dynamic balance between inbreath and our breath for keeping the mind steady and focused. Regular practice of pranayama makes my mind clear and calm. I feel peaceful and happy. How to sustain this flow is a big challenge for me. What helps me maintain that flow is mindfulness-a nonjudgemental awareness with an intention of staying in the here and now consciousness not bound by ruminating on the past and worrying about the future. I consider this an illustration of concentration equanimity. All wisdom traditions emphasize the value of non-attachment. We all know attachment to anything, good or bad, creates obstructions on the path of our spiritual journey called yatra. In the spiritual journey, there are neither likes nor dislikes. Likes and dislikes come and go. Both likes and dislikes are two sides of the same coin of attachment. We get bound by them. Self-awareness transcends this duality and creates oneness. I would consider this state as transcendental equanimity. May we be free from attachments and aversions and attain the bliss of equanimity in our life! Namaste!
1 Comment
Debbie Podwika
2/18/2024 12:34:01 am
Well I read the original post and actually where that excerpt was taken from as well, I think that added a little bit. I'd have to say at this moment in time in my life the definition I read online of equanimity I do not like or agree with. To me it seems like a robot. Now if on the other hand instead of it saying even keeled or balanced it was concerned with being overly upset or overly happy, that I would agree with although I'm sure there would be some disagreement on what is defined as overly or too much, that line might be different for each person. I like the example of the Hunter and what will happen in that situation, but I don't think that necessarily applies to all situations. For example, if I just stay calm even keeled and say not that happy when I won a million dollars or Oprah gives me a car, haha, I think people would wonder what the heck's going on and that's where people would say what the heck they're like a robot. And I don't think I would be enjoying life as much. I also don't believe God wants us not to experience great joy and great sadness and to not express them. I believe that is what makes us human. Why would God bother giving us emotions if we weren't supposed to use them? Know anything in excess is not good of course. I do agree that when you get to a place where you no longer want to strive because you think you've achieved your goal or certainly the opposite those who are extremely depressed or like grieving you can't stay there forever, those extremes are always not great to stay in. As I read the original post about the Hunter and Warrior it made me think of Tony Robbins. He actually uses the Warrior, the Magician, the Lover, and the Sovereign and I like his theory on those. I like the metaphors of a roller coaster you can't have the fun going down unless you have the hard climb up and then you get a really good view too before you go down ha. I also think of Life as a labyrinth and I've even walked one at the Grand hotel on Mackinac Island. I tried to also remember that on that labyrinth you sometimes pass people right next to you but they are still on a different section of the path, they may be ahead of you or they may be behind you. I also think sometimes if things are not going my way with say another person or an event for me it may not be the right time for that person to learn that lesson or I may not be the right person, it may be the fifth person after me, that gets them to learn it. I also just read Jamie Kern Lima's book Believe It. Which is excellent especially for the idea of determination. Her new book Worthy comes out February 20th I believe. I'm hoping I recall this correctly but she talks about how maybe you don't get a job with somebody and what it is really is God hiding your skills from that employer because they were not to be a part of your destiny and I would add you of their destiny. It may be the next employer that is much better for you and you much better for them. I think sometimes God wants us to also learn from failure and I do believe, though sometimes I forget, that things are happening on God's timing not mine. When I discuss the idea of brick walls I tell my students that when you're hitting a brick wall to think of maybe not trying to get that whole wall down by yourself but getting help and also if you think about it sometimes just a few strategic holes in the right places will make that whole wall tumble down without much effort. Or you can make a big enough hole in the wall that you can just go through the wall and it doesn't have to come down. I'm also going to dare to disagree with Buddha. The idea that the Earth does not react to the positive and negative thrown at it I totally disagree with. In fact our whole climate crises is a good example of that. I did like the idea of meditation not being a void but this idea of being mindful perhaps a singular focus and the idea of skillful qualities I liked. And I totally agreed with Ajaan Lee that gains and losses and praise and criticism pain and pleasure can be both good and bad. Again it depends upon how much of each of these and when, but for example, the pain I am having currently reminds me to be compassionate when others are in pain and that is a good lesson to learn and a reminder at times. I think we should celebrate wonderful gains and achievements but again use the lessons we've learned of how we achieve those things to help others. I guess you can tell now that I found the post thought provoking and I will be thinking about it more and I'm sure find more lessons in it later. Leave a Reply. |
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