Upekkhā pāramī : equanimity, serenity
As experienced, the essence of equanimity (upekkha) is “It’s OK”. The more widely we can apply this attitude, the more deeply we are steeped in equanimity.
The question is, how far can we go with “It’s OK”? We’re usually ok, or rather we define the way we usually feel as ok. But when we get a shock, positive or negative, can we still be ok with things as they are? At what point do we start thinking, “This is wrong – it shouldn’t be this way”, or “There must be some mistake”?
Wisdom and equanimity are interdependent; the more we can see things just as they are (including not being about ME), the more easily we can say, “I don’t like this, but it’s OK.” or “This is wonderful and I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.” If we’re seeing clearly, we notice the beginnings and endings of these thoughts flowing by.
Beware of thinking that equanimity is simply a case of not caring about anything. True equanimity is characterized by unfiltered intimacy, a high degree of “up-closeness”. When the mind-heart is in a state of equanimity, there’s an inner peacefulness that notices when things go well or not well, but isn’t disturbed by either. It’s called a sublime or divine state, and it’s real and available to the diligent practitioner.
Really like the way you summed it up in the last paragraph…I’ve always found it difficult to put the feeling of equanimity into words without the ‘not caring’ element creeping in, but you’ve done it perfectly ….very helpful thank you Lynn.