Maintain an equal balance of thought in respect to profit or loss, good or evil, respect or insult, happiness or sorrow.
Without being even slightly moved by the one or the other.
Practicing Upekkha, you remain unchanged and uninfluenced in the observance of your mental equilibrium in respect to all matters.
To establish equanimity as an unshakable state of mind, one has to give up all possessive thoughts of “mine”, beginning with little things from which it is easy to detach oneself, and gradually working up to possessions and aims to which one’s whole heart clings. One also has to give up the counterpart to such thoughts, all egoistic thoughts of “self’”, beginning with a small section of one’s personality, with qualities of minor importance, with small weaknesses one clearly sees, and gradually working up to those emotions and aversions which one regards as the centre of one’s being. Thus detachment should be practised.
“The real meaning of upekkha is equanimity, not indifference in the sense of unconcern for others. As a spiritual virtue, upekkha means equanimity in the face of the fluctuations of worldly fortune. It is evenness of mind, unshakeable freedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honor and dishonor, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one’s fellow human beings. True equanimity is the pinnacle of the four social attitudes that the Buddhist texts call the ‘divine abodes’: boundless loving-kindness, compassion, altruistic joy, and equanimity. The last does not override and negate the preceding three, but perfects and consummates them.”
| — | Thich Nhat Hanh (via yogachocolatelove) |
The Psychology of Metta
The Pali commentaries explain:
One loves all beings:
(a) by the non-harassment of all beings and thus avoids harassment;
(b) by being inoffensive (to all beings) and thus avoids offensiveness;
(c) by not torturing (all beings) and thus avoids torturing;
(d) by the non-destruction (of all life) and thus avoids destructiveness;
(e) by being non-vexing (to all beings) and thus avoids vexing;
(f) by projecting the thought, “May all beings be friendly and not hostile”;
(g) by projecting the thought,” May all beings be happy and not unhappy”;
(h) by projecting the thought, “May all beings enjoy well-being and not be distressed.”
In these eight ways one loves all beings; therefore, it is called universal love. And since one conceives (within) this quality (of love), it is of the mind. And since this mind is free from all thoughts of ill-will, the aggregate of love, mind and freedom is defined as universal love leading to freedom of mind.
Many have a karmically acquired spiritual nature that naturally effervesces during meditation. This will sometimes cause her or him to have extraordinary experiences, feeling light as a feather, heavy as a rock or feel like they are flying in the sky. These refreshing experiences can easily come to those with previous development. It is a sign of karmic accomplishment from the past. However, this is not how we’re going to become enlightened, only a sign of capability to continue training that actually began earlier. It’s not even a good substitute for a real spiritual practice” ~ Domo Geshe Rinpoche
