Architects of a New Dawn

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My monkey mind plus my body was going so wild during the first few days especially, in the ten day silent retreat, that I made a mantra out of "stay calm with equanimity". Even though we are not supposed to have a "mantra", still I remind myself to return to Anapana (the breath concentration taught the first three days of the course) and to stay in equanimity. I had a pretty good idea of staying calm and balanced being equanimity, but this explanation in Letters from the Dhamma Brothers (p.29)really helped clarify my thinking.
"After going through an emotional storm with Vipassana, you realize that there is no experience that is going to make you permanently happy. There is no experience that is going to make you permanently sad. Equanimity is achieving this wisdom and accepting everything just as it is from moment to moment."

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When I speak of duality, I see a yin yang symbol... a full, complete circle, broken into 2 segments - with each containing a bit of the opposite. Equanimity contains the duality... the continual balancing... back and forth of apparent opposites.

When I speak of the flow of dhamma, I see the yin yang as a three dimensional spiraling circle... and me flowing through the middle of the spiraling circle... balancing, breathing and basking in the river, the flow of universal energy...

And yet, the spiral is omni-directional... as is equanimity.
Welcome Louis! A standard dictionary of equanimity as:

e⋅qua⋅nim⋅i⋅ty  /ˌikwəˈnɪmɪti, ˌɛkwə-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ee-kwuh-nim-i-tee, ek-wuh-]
–noun mental or emotional stability or composure, esp. under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium.
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Origin:
1600–10; < L aequanimitās, equiv. to aequ(us) even, plain, equal + anim(us) mind, spirit, feelings + -itās -ity

My operational definition is balance of the mind. The body and spirit may follow as well. What I am balancing are extremes of emotion, and twisted thinking: love: hate; fear: faith; and other resentments and dicotomies. I love the analogy to the Yin/Yang, Jeanne. Much can be said of this. The physical analogy is the magnet which attracts in opposite and repeals in unipolarity.

With Vipassana, and other forms of meditation, there is the emphasis on getting in touch with SELF. Ironically, however most of us feel most connected as we share, or work with others. So whereas we go deep to resolve the issues within ourselves, we will find that resolution of the angst can best serve someone else.


Best, Mike

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