Thanks to Melissa for leading DPX last Sunday. We meditated on and discussed Buddhist equanimity. She read us a passage on equanimity from “Loving–Kindness, The Revolutionary Art of Happiness” by Sharon Salzberg. Salzberg states that equanimity is accepting the cycle of the natural world, being balanced and being fully present with all life’s changing experiences. People often confuse equanimity with disinterest or indifference, which are both mild forms of aversion. Equanimity is neither aversion nor craving. It’s being with what is, accepting and letting go which allows us to respond and act skillfully.
In our group discussion, one member of our group expressed a deep feeling of being out of balance, being angry and trying to change the outcome of situations, which is the opposite of acceptance. With meditation we get a true sense if ourselves.
Barbara mentioned that during meditation, acceptance can seem like it letting your thoughts run amuck. She like the quote from Melissa’s reading on equanimity “Arrest the mind before it falls into extremes” and talked about realizing that the mind has volition over thoughts. It doesn’t need to run amuck. Ray commented that during meditation, instead of labeling her thoughts “thinking” and returning to the breath, she labels her thoughts “let it go” and then returns to the breath. This gives you a bit more awareness of your own volition during meditation in a nonjudgmental, subtle way, and can gently cut the endless flow of thoughts that distract you from being in the present moment.