Equanimity
From the very beginning of my relationship with Swami, He made it perfectly clear that my specific path was Equanimity. In my learning process I was shown that all the “different” paths of Swami’s teaching led to the same result…God.
The dictionary defines equanimity as A state of constant calmness and peace.
The day-to-day reality of equanimity is the ability to experience everything occurring in our environment, as it occurs, and to act appropriately in each and every moment of our life as it unfolds. This differs greatly from reacting to events as a result of our programming. We must remain aware that there is a major difference between action and reaction.
The major obstacle to overcome, in enabling us to achieve this state of being, is the control of our own mind. In order for us to control our mind, I find surrender is absolutely necessary. We must surrender to God or Guru. Without surrender, the rational (ego) mind with all it’s programming, will control almost all of our behavioral patterns. Surrender consists of three essential factors, Love, Trust and a Leap of Faith.
Our mind is filled with data we have accepted from our parents, friends, strangers, movies, television and many other sources, in addition to our karmic stuff. This is what overrides our own unique experience and instead we find ourselves accepting other people’s opinions as to what is right and wrong, what is good and bad, what is up and down, what is black and white, etc. We have accepted that we are to behave in a specific manner when a certain event occurs, and a different way when something else happens. This, dear brothers and sisters is programming. It is re acting, as opposed to acting appropriately in the moment. Action derived from being in the moment might also be called “flowing”. Flowing with the current of existence rather than trying to swim upstream.
Most people will say that they are in control of their own mind. If so, then why do thoughts come into focus when we do not want them to? If for example when meditating we choose to fully concentrate on the light of a candle or on our own breathing, why do “unwanted” thoughts enter our consciousness, and how long does it take us to become aware that we are thinking of something different than what we want to focus on? How much control do we really have on our own mind? If we are not controlling our mind, then who or what is?
The more we learn to control our mind, the faster our consciousness will expand toward achieving the state of equanimity. I find the closer we get to equanimity, the closer we get to the experience of Love. I speak of the state of Love and not the emotion of love.
The emotion of love is an ego based “quid pro quo” arrangement where there is a feeling that says if you “love“ me, then I will love you. If you treat me in the specific way that I demand you do, then I will love you. If you do not act and behave in that specific predetermined manner then I will not love you any more.
The state of Love as defined by Swami is “Giving and Forgiving”. When one is in this state, there is no anger and there is no ego constantly making demands. This state is the source of selfless service.
I will close by sharing with you one of Swami’s instructions to me the first time I visited India, in 1974. He told me “worship God in any form (or formlessness) you choose, but worship Him fully.”
~Philip S. Budin
New York City, New York, USA
