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5.4. Cultivating Equanimity

So what's the solution to this deeply ingrained patterning of responding with craving, aversion and ignorance?

sukhāya, bhikkhave, vedanāya rāgānusayo pahātabbo, dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo pahātabbo, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahātabbo.

yato kho, bhikkhave, bhikkhuno sukhāya vedanāya rāgānusayo pahīno hoti, dukkhāya vedanāya paṭighānusayo pahīno hoti, adukkhamasukhāya vedanāya avijjānusayo pahīno hoti, ayaṃ vuccati, bhikkhave, bhikkhu niranusayo sammaddaso acchecchi taṇhaṃ, vivattayi saṃyojanaṃ, sammā mānābhisamayā antamakāsi dukkhassā'ti.

In the case of comfortable vedanā, the underlying tendency towards desire should be abandoned. In the case of uncomfortable vedanā, the underlying tendency toward aversion should be abandoned. In the case of neither-comfortable-nor-uncomfortable vedanā, the underlying tendency toward ignorance should be abandoned.

When this is done, a monk is called free from underlying tendencies, one who sees correctly, he has cut craving and untied the bonds, and from the complete comprehension of conceit, he makes an end of suffering.

-- SN36.3 pahānasuttaṃ

This is describing nothing less than an arahant, a worthy being who has reached the end of the Buddha's training and found the end of suffering.

Luckily the Buddha has provided us with a straightforward method to do just this, for those who understand and are willing to do the work.

The very last sutta in the Majjhima Nikāya gives a detailed exposition on how to cultivate a new response to vedanā, how to alter the habitual response of greed, hatred and delusion. It is no magic bullet, but a slow process of reconditioning, response by response.

kathañcānanda, ariyassa vinaye anuttarā indriyabhāvanā hoti? idhānanda, bhikkhuno cakkhunā rūpaṃ disvā uppajjati manāpaṃ, uppajjati amanāpaṃ, uppajjati manāpāmanāpaṃ. so evaṃ pajānāti – uppannaṃ kho me idaṃ manāpaṃ, uppannaṃ amanāpaṃ, uppannaṃ manāpāmanāpaṃ. tañca kho saṅkhataṃ oḷārikaṃ paṭiccasamuppannaṃ. etaṃ santaṃ etaṃ paṇītaṃ yadidaṃ – upekkhā’ti. tassa taṃ uppannaṃ manāpaṃ uppannaṃ amanāpaṃ uppannaṃ manāpāmanāpaṃ nirujjhati, upekkhā saṇṭhāti. seyyathāpi, ānanda, cakkhumā puriso ummīletvā vā nimīleyya, nimīletvā vā ummīleyya, evameva kho, ānanda, yassa kassaci evaṃsīghaṃ evaṃtuvaṭaṃ evaṃappakasirena uppannaṃ manāpaṃ uppannaṃ amanāpaṃ uppannaṃ manāpāmanāpaṃ nirujjhati, upekkhā saṇṭhāti. ayaṃ vuccatānanda, ariyassa vinaye anuttarā indriyabhāvanā cakkhuviññeyyesu rūpesu.

And what, Ananda is the ultimate development of the sense faculties in the discipline of the Noble One?

Having seen a form with the eye, pleasantness arises, unpleasantness arises, (neither) pleasantness nor unpleasantness arises.

He understands, "This pleasantness has arisen, this unpleasantness has arisen, this (neither) pleasantness nor unpleasantness has arisen. But it is conditioned, coarse, dependently originated. This is peaceful and sublime, namely equanimity."

For him, the arisen pleasantness, the arisen unpleasantness, the arisen (neither) pleasantness nor unpleasantness ceases and equanimity remains.

Just like a sighted person would blink their eyes and open them again, in the same way, just as fast, just as quickly, with as little difficulty, the arisen pleasantness, the arisen unpleasantness, the arisen (neither) pleasantness nor unpleasantness ceases for someone and equanimity remains.

This is called the ultimate development of the sense faculties in the discipline of the Noble One with regard to visible forms.

-- MN152 indriyabhāvanāsuttaṃ

The same is repeated for the other five senses. There's a lot going on here, so let's break it down.

  1. Know a sense experience has occurred through one of the six channels
  2. Know the vedanā which has occurred in response
  3. Understand the vedanā is fabricated, gross and conditioned
  4. Watch the vedanā end with a perfectly balanced, non-reactive mind.
  5. Experiences rise and pass but only equanimity remains.

Through all the previous sections of this course, we have been building up to be able to see this clearly—the occurrence of a sense experience, knowing which channel it occurs on, knowing the type of vedanāwhich arises, and understanding the dependent nature of the whole experience. Being practised in all these skills, it is possible to fulfil the last step, which is to watch the experience with such a balanced mind that no reaction takes place, the experience ends and only equanimity persists.

The flavour of equanimity is an acquired taste. Craving is MacDonald's cheeseburger which smears your face with ketchup when you eat it. Hatred is like a spicy lamb vindaloo, painful on the way in and out. Equanimity is like an organic cucumber, no strong taste, but cool and refreshing, and digests perfectly.

The balanced reaction to each and every sense experience is represented by similes which give the impression of a small task being quickly and easily performed.

  1. Just like a sighted person would blink their eyes and open them again ... just as quickly, one develops equanimity to sights.

  2. Just like a strong person would snap their fingers without any difficulty ... just as quickly, one develops equanimity to sounds.

  3. Just like a drop of water rolls off a slightly sloping lotus leaf ... just as quickly, one develops equanimity to smells.

  4. Just like a strong person would collect a ball of saliva on the tip of their tongue and spit it out without any difficulty ... just as quickly, one develops equanimity to flavours.

  5. Just like a strong person would bend their arm forwards or backwards ... just as quickly, one develops equanimity to physical sensations.

  6. Just like two or three drops of water falling into an iron pan heated in the midday sun would sizzle away and disappear ... just as quickly, one develops equanimity to mental phenomena.

So that's enough in theory, let's look at how to do this in practice.

Meditation on cultivating equanimity

Transcript Come back to your senses. Be aware of whatever sense experience is happening right now. Is the experience comfortable, uncomfortable, or neither. Label it as such. The habitual reaction to comfortable experience is to like it, to want more of it. Now you're actively going to cultivate a different reaction to pleasant experiences, that is non-reaction, just knowing it with equanimity. The habitual reaction to uncomfortable experience is to dislike it, to want less of it, make it go away. Now you're actively going to cultivate a different reaction to unpleasant experiences, that is non-reaction, just knowing it with equanimity. The habitual reaction to neither comfortable nor uncomfortable experience is to ignore it, to be unaware of it. Now you're actively going to cultivate a different reaction to these neutral experiences, that is non-reaction, just knowing it with equanimity. --- When seeing, as fast as you can blink, respond to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral *vedanā* with equanimity, just experiencing them with a balanced mind. When hearing, as fast as you can snap your fingers, respond to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral *vedanā* with equanimity, just experiencing them with a balanced mind. When smelling, as fast as water rolls off a lotus leaf, respond to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral *vedanā* with equanimity, just experiencing them with a balanced mind. When tasting, as fast as you can spit something out, respond to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral *vedanā* with equanimity, just experiencing them with a balanced mind. When feeling physical sensations, as fast as you can bend your arm, respond to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral *vedanā* with equanimity, just experiencing them with a balanced mind. When experiencing mental phenomena, as fast as a drop of water evaporates on a hot plate, respond to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral *vedanā* with equanimity, just experiencing them with a balanced mind. Experience by experience, it makes no different which sense channel the experience is occurring on, it makes no different whether it is comfortable, uncomfortable or neutral, your job is to know it in the most balanced way possible, just looking on with equanimity. Knowing every *vedanā*, respond to every one with a completely balanced mind. --- When experiencing pleasant *vedanā*, don't give craving a chance. Don't let desire take root. Keep the mind balanced in response. When experiencing unpleasant *vedanā*, don't give aversion a chance. Don't let dislike take root. Keep the mind balanced in response. When experiencing neutral *vedanā*, don't give ignorance a chance. Don't let delusion take root. Keep the mind balanced in response. --- This is the most simple yet profound practice to alter the way you respond to reality. Not having each and every experience coloured and clouded by greed, hatred and delusion will allow you to see more clearly, more objectively, more in line with reality. --- The practice is simple, but maintaining it is difficult. So make a special effort to continue throughout the day and into the night, knowing each experience, fully experiencing each *phassa*, every *vedanā* with a non-reactive mind. This is the noble practice of *indriyabhāvanā*, cultivating equanimity to each and every experience. --- Keep knowing every experience and responding with perfect mental balance. Experience by experience, it is possible to change this deeply ingrained pattern of response. Don't be a slave of *vedanā* any longer. Don't let this invisible force exert its hidden power over you. Instead of responding to *vedanā* with greed, with hatred, with delusion, responded with a perfectly calm, balanced mind. This is the training in cultivating equanimity. Keep practising.

Spend the day with this meditation. Live with it. Apply it in all your daily situations.

Q&A

Q: Do you have any questions or doubts at this point?

References

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