What is good Equanimity ? ( = Upekkha)

Friends:

EQUANIMITY:

Equanimity means Unaffectable
Equanimity means Unprovokable
Equanimity means Undisturbable
Equanimity means Unexcitable
Equanimity means Imperturbable
Equanimity means Disengaged
Equanimity means Disentangled
Equanimity means Detached
Equanimity means Immovable
Equanimity means Unbeatable
Equanimity means Untemptable
Equanimity means Wholly Immune
Equanimity means Indifferent
Equanimity means Impartial
Equanimity means Unbiased
Equanimity means Disinterested
Equanimity means Balanced
Even like a smiling mountain!

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The Threefold Equanimity (Upekkha):

If Indifferent towards both:
Internal states & external phenomena,
Living beings & lifeless things,
Past, present & future events,
How can one be hurt, upset,
disturbed or distressed ?

---

Such noble friend finally develops
the link to awakening that is Equanimity
during awareness of in-&-out breathing,
which protect against bad mental states,
tends to dispassion, to extinction,
& culminate in self-surrender.

If, friends, awareness of in-&-out breathing,
is so cultivated and made much of, it
is of great fruit, of great advantage !

One whose awareness of breathing
in-&-out is perfected, well developed,
and gradually brought to refined growth,
thus according to teaching of the Buddha,
such one illuminates the world, just
like the full moon freed from clouds.

SN V. LIV. Anapana-samyutta

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Equanimity is Tatra-majjhattata which designates the evenly balanced
'keeping to the middle of all things'. It has as characteristic that it
effects the balance of consciousness and mental properties as a single
function of single taste, which prevents both overt excessiveness and any
insufficiency. Equanimity thereby puts an end to biased partiality by
manifesting moderation well within range of the properly reasoned midway.

Visuddhimagga XIV

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Friends, these four steps in the Dhamma are ancient, authentic,
classic, original, pure, & undiluted. Then, now & forever, always
will they be admired by the wise.

Which four ?
Absence of Wanting.
Absence of Anger.
Right Awareness.
Right Concentration.

---

And how, friends, does one cultivate
the mental release by evenly balanced equanimity ?
What is its' aim ? What is it's fruit ? How is it excellent ?
Where does it lead to and end ?
In this, friends, a noble friend train and cultivates the:
Awareness enlightenment-factor joined, fused & combined with equanimity,
the Investigation enlightenment-factor joined & combined with equanimity,
the Energy enlightenment-factor joined, fused & combined with equanimity,
the Rapture enlightenment-factor joined, fused & combined with equanimity,
the Tranquility enlightenment-factor joined, & combined with equanimity,
the Concentration enlightenment-factor joined, & combined with equanimity,
Equanimity enlightenment-factor joined, fused & combined with itself,
All based on seclusion, based on dispassion, based on cessation,
ending in self-surrender.

If this noble friend so wish:
'Let me avoid both the pleasant and the painful as well, and instead
remain in well-balanced equanimity, evenly composed, clearly aware,
unperturbed and self-possessed.'
this friend does so indeed silence both pleasantness and unpleasantness,
and so remain utterly imperturbable, established in balanced equanimity,
evenly composed, clearly aware and self-possessed.

Or if such friend by passing utterly beyond by leaving all behind
the realm of infinite consciousness, so continuously fixed on the idea:
'Nothing exists, nothing is there, all is a void, empty vacuity ... ',
such friend indeed attains and abides in this formless realm of
nothingness.

Friends, I declare that the release of mind by equanimity & equipoise
has the 'void empty nothingness' for its excellence.
Herein appears intuitive insight for the friend,
who has not yet penetrated to a still higher release...

---

Although a man is richly dressed and adorned,
if he is in peace, at ease, in equanimity, calmed,
composed, controlled, celibate and harmless
towards all beings, then verily he is a Holy One,
a recluse, a Bhikkhu ...

Dhammapada 142

---

He comprehends how:
Equanimity as a factor of awakening is present within me.
Or, there being no equanimity as a factor of awakening present within,
he recognizes that: Equanimity as a factor of awakening is not present
within me. He realizes how there is the arising of unarisen Equanimity
as a factor of awakening.
And he comprehends how there is the culmination of the development of
equanimity as a factor of awakening once it has arisen.

DN 22

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And of what kind is the controlling ability of Indifference ?
That bodily or mental feeling arised from bodily or mental contact,
which is neither agreeable nor disagreeable, That!, friends, is called
- the controlling ability of Indifference [Upekkha, Equanimity].

Owing to the bodily or mental contact experienced as indifferent, friends,
arises the controlling ability of Indifference.
The one who experiences it, being indifferent,
is fully aware of being indifferent.
Also on the ceasing of that bodily or mental contact experienced as
indifferent, that controlling ability of Indifference so ceasing,
the one thus experiencing its end, is aware that it ceases,
is aware that it fades.

Just as, friends, when rubbing two sticks together, heat is produced;
likewise when moving these sticks apart, the warmth so born ceases,
exactly so, friends, owing to bodily or mental contact experienced as
indifferent, arises the controlling ability of Indifference.
The one who experiences it, being indifferent, is fully aware of being so.
Similarly on the ceasing of that bodily or mental contact experienced &
felt as indifferent, that controlling ability of Indifference so arised
the one experiencing its end, is aware that it ceases,
is aware of it being lost.

Finally, friends, suppose a bhikkhu dwells earnest, ardent and aspiring,
and there arises in him the controlling ability of Indifference.
He is aware of it thus:
'There has arisen in me this controlling ability of Indifference.
Now this is constructed, has its causes, it's components, and it's
conditions. That the controlling ability of Indifference should arise
without these causes, parts and reasons is quite impossible.'
Thus he comes to know fully both the controlling ability of Indifference,
it's arising, it's ceasing: and how, when arising, the controlling ability
of Indifference comes to cease without remainder,
that also he knows fully...
Now, friends, how does the controlling ability of Indifference
comes to cease without remainder ?
Here, friends, a bhikkhu, by passing utterly beyond the state of
neither-perception-nor-non-perception, attains and abides in the
state of cessation of perception and feeling.
It is here that the controlling ability of Indifference,
when arisen, comes to cease without remainder.
Such one, friends, is called:
A Bhikkhu who have understood the ceasing of the controlling
ability of Indifference, one who have collected his mind for
the attaining of such a state...

Samyutta Nikaya V - XLVIII. Indriya-samyutta.

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Equanimity towards one's own internal states -
that is a link to wisdom.
Equanimity regarding external phenomena & conditions -
that is a link to wisdom too.

Samyutta Nikaya V - XLVI. Bojjhanga-samyutta.

---

With the fading of rapture he remains in equanimity,
mindful & alert, still physically sensitive to bodily pleasure.
He enters & remains in the third jhana, of which the Noble Ones
declare: 'In aware Equanimity, one abides in pleasure.'

With the stilling of pleasure & pain as with the earlier disappearance
of elation & frustration he enters & remains in the fourth jhana:
purity of aware equanimity, - neither pleasure nor pain -
This is called right concentration.

---

A monk intent on heightened mind should attend periodically
to these three themes:
he should attend periodically to the theme of concentration; (samadhi)
he should attend periodically to the theme of uplifted energy; (viriya)
he should attend periodically to the theme of equanimity. (Upekkha)
When he attends periodically to the theme of concentration, energy,
& equanimity, his mind becomes pliant, malleable, luminous, & not brittle.
It is then rightly focused for the elimination of the fermentations.

Anguttara Nikaya III.100

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Gaining this precious pleasure not of the flesh,
one decides to pursue this subtle equanimity:
gradually wearing down the five hindrances
with endurance constantly stirred;
entering the jhanas with a mind unified,
aware, & directly knowing how it actually becomes
in the total break of all mental chains,
not clinging to anything,
his mind is rightly released!
In One such rightly released,
there comes the assurance,
'This release is irreversible.'
That is the supreme knowledge.
That is the sublime happiness.
Sorrow, stain & dustless,
Finally at rest, at ease, & in peace
that is release from all debt.

Anguttara Nikaya VI.45

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Practice Universal Equanimity (Upekkha) as a Mother towards
her grownup son who is busy with his own affairs who she
neither is bothered by nor concerned or worried about.

---

The Blessed One said:
"Now how, Ananda, in the discipline of a noble one is there
the unexcelled development of the senses?
There is the case where, when seeing a form with the eye,
there arises in a monk what is agreeable, what is disagreeable,
what is agreeable & disagreeable. He discerns that:
'This agreeable thing has arisen in me, this disagreeable thing...
this both agreeable & disagreeable thing has arisen in me.
And that is constructed, conditioned, coarse & dependently co-arisen
But this is peaceful, this is exquisite, namely equanimity!
Instantly, that arisen agreeable or disagreeable thing ceases,
and equanimity takes its stance!
Just as a man with good eyes, having closed them, might open them;
or when open might close them, that is how quickly, how rapidly,
how easily, no matter what it refers to, equanimity make
whatever arisen agreeable thing... or disagreeable thing...
or agreeable & disagreeable thing cease,
and equanimity takes it's stance!
In the discipline of The Noble Ones,
this is called the unexcelled development of the senses
with regard to visible forms cognizable by the eye.

MN 152

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Pleasant feeling is agreeable when it arises
but disagreeable when it ceases!

Painful feeling is disagreeable when it arises
but agreeable when it ceases!

Indifferent feeling is agreeable when one os aware of it
but disagreeable when one is unaware of it!

---

Now, O monks, what is worldly equanimity?
There are these five cords of sensual desire:
forms cognizable by the eye ...
sounds cognizable by the ear ...
...
tangibles cognizable by the body that are wished for and desired,
agreeable and endearing, associated with sense desire and alluring.
It is the equanimity that arises with regard to these five cords of
sense desire, which is called 'worldly equanimity.'

Now, what is unworldly equanimity?
With the stilling of pleasure and pain,
and with the previous disappearance of gladness and sadness,
a monk enters upon and abides in the fourth meditative absorption
- neither-pain-nor-pleasure - pure awareness due to equanimity.
This is called 'unworldly equanimity.'

And what is the still greater unworldly equanimity?
When a fermentation-free monk looks upon his mind that is
freed of greed, freed of hatred and freed of confusion,
then there arises equanimity.
This is called a 'still greater unworldly equanimity'.

Samyutta Nikaya XXXVI.31

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Calm is his mind.
Calm is his speech.
Calm is his action.
So is the Tranquility;
So is the Equanimity;
of one freed by the Insight
of right knowledge.

Dhammapada 96

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Turning your back on pleasure & pain,
as earlier with sorrow & joy,
attaining pure equanimity, tranquility,
wander alone, like a rhinoceros.

At the right time console with the release
through friendliness, through understanding,
through appreciation & equanimity, infinite &
unobstructed by all in the world, in any world,
wander so alone like a rhinoceros.

Sutta Nipata: Khaggavisana Sutta

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The elimination of both sensual desires & of discontent,
the ejection of laziness, the calming of regrets,
just this pure equanimity being aware of all mental properties
exactly at the moment they appear:
That I call the direct knowledge of release
the breakthrough from ignorance.

Sutta Nipata V.13: Udaya's Questions

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There, oohh monks, the monk with a mind full of equanimity
pervading first one direction, then a second one, then a third one
then the fourth one, just so above so below and all around; and
everywhere identifying himself with all, he is pervading the whole
world with a mind full of equanimity, with a mind wide, developed,
unbounded, free from hate, and ill-will ...

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Cool Calm is the ultimate Balm

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I would make my bed in a charnel ground with a skeleton for a pillow.
And cowherd boys came up and spat on me, urinated on me,
threw dirt at me, and poked sticks into my ears. Others, exultant &
thrilled brought me offerings of food, perfume & garlands of flowers.
Yet I do not recall that I ever showed any partiality towards any of
them. I was the same to them all. Neither arousing fondness nor
aversion. Such was my abiding in equanimity

MN 12 Lomahamsanapariyaya
The Hair-raising Presentation
Cariyapitaka III 15

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Equanimity (Upekkha) is the tenth perfection (parami)
Come On Now friends! This One is the tenth one to adopt,
practice, develop, refine, & perfect resolutely:
The equanimity of even minded & well balanced indifference,
just the earth accepts whatever fine & foul is thrown
upon her without reacting with neither like nor dislike,
then a Buddha's wisdom shall be yours!

Jataka Nidana (introduction)

-oo0oo-

Inspired by 'Gemstones of Good Dhamma': Wheel 342/344 1987
Ven. S. Dhammika, BPS Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka.
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/bps/wheels/wheel342.html

for the gladdening of good people

&

for free forward : - ]

Best wishes,

Friendship is the GREATEST !!
& the whole Motivation behind
the entire Noble Life ...

Samanera Samahita
Cypress Hut, Gangamulla
Bambarella, Thawalantenna 20838.
Central Province. SRI LANKA.
Email: monomuni@...
WWW: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Buddha-Direct

: - ]

--
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He who is stained (with defilements) without self-control and truthfulness,
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Random Dhammapada Verse 9