The Heart Practices: Equanimity and Steadiness
Way back when I lived in an ashram I think our teacher started getting fed up with people sharing their personal drama.
He developed what I thought of as a mantra. When someone would go on and on about some revelation or insight, he'd listen politely for awhile, then start to get agitated. After awhile he'd interrupt and say,
"So What?"
It was hilarious - and quite to the point.
I started to apply this new mantra when I'd get upset or feel slighted and even sometimes when I'd have what felt like a great revelation. "So What?" It was liberating.
Equanimity is the capacity to be steady in the midst of change. We are driven by the 'eight wordly winds,' as they are referred to in Buddhist psychology.
- Gain and Loss
- Praise and Blame
- Honor and Disgrace
- Pleasure and Pain
I know a lot of extremely successful people who have been deeply driven by their fear of failure.
How full would our lives be if these forces did not have their grip?
This talk dives into the practices that cultivate equanimity.
The blurb:
This talk explores both the qualities of steadiness as well as the 'near-enemies,' states that look like equanimity but fall short. You'll explore some practices and hear some stories that can help you remember, no matter what arises, a transcendent quality of presence.
iTunes podcast here, online streaming here, stitcher app here. The sound is pretty low so you'll have to crank it up a bit. Sorry about that.