Equanimity with Heather Stang

Heather Stang; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven (ed.)  Wisdom Quarterly

Whenever I search for a photo that accurately depicts "equanimity" (upekkha) and the art of mindfulness meditation, I come up short.

Stock photo galleries are full of images featuring blissed out models meditating on serene beaches or mountaintops.

As an amateur photographer, I appreciate the beauty of these scenes. As a meditator, I know the images are aspirational — not depictions of reality.

Let’s face it, meditation practice can be messy. Not only do we have to carve out a space to practice in a home that might be full of other living beings, but we have our own internal mind clutter to deal with: 

• taxes,
• relationships,
• to-do lists,
• not to mention the barrage of external stimuli —
• dogs barking,
• children crying,
• the sound of traffic,
• cell phones chirping.

Life can be messy, too. Fortunately, we do not need to have a pristine internal or external landscape to practice meditation.

Meditation, rather, allows us to deconstruct our moment to moment experience so we can separate the feeling tones of our experience from the stories and add-ons that cause us suffering.

What is equanimity?

Equanimity is the ability to be with what is happening — whether it is pleasurable, unpleasurable, or neutral — without reacting to it one way or another.

It is one of the Four Divine Abidings (brahma vihāras) — the sublime attitudes of Buddhism — along with lovingkindness, compassion, and empathetic joy.

These virtues are developed through practice. They are not prerequisites to practice.

In fact, equanimity itself is not a natural human mental state. Spend a few minutes alone with your own mind, and you'll quickly learn that we are geared to seek out pleasure and avoid pain and boredom. More