equanimity

On the cultivation of insight/wisdom
siddhartha2010
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Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:20 pm

equanimity

Post by siddhartha2010 »

Hi all,

I have been practising goyenka ji tradition for five years have sat few 10 day courses, satipatthana as well and have been meditating daily rougly 3, 4 hours. I understand we are suppose to remain equanimous to every experience. But when I read some of your comments I see nimitta, bhanga and other concentrative stages and so on. I am happy with the way it is going and am not expecting this or that stage. maintaining equanimity to every situation is the teaching. my question is that could it be something that has something to do with the instructions that I am not following.
thank you
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Ben
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Re: equanimity

Post by Ben »

Hi siddhartha2010

If what you are doing is maintaining sati and sampajjano and remaining equanimous with regards to anything you are experiencing - then you are following the instructions. Keep in mind that different people progress at different rates. Craving a particular meditative experience actually creates a barrier to its development. So in those immortal words from the 1980s pop song, Don't worry - be happy!
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

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siddhartha2010
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:20 pm

Re: equanimity

Post by siddhartha2010 »

Hi Ben

Thank you.. Your posts are inspring and motivating.
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Ben
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Location: kanamaluka

Re: equanimity

Post by Ben »

Thanks. I'm glad I can be of help.
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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zavk
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Location: Melbourne, Australia

Re: equanimity

Post by zavk »

Hi siddhartha2010

I'm a student of Goenkaji too. Ever since my first course I've always taken this advice by Goenkaji to heart: 'The only yardstick for measuring progress is how quickly we come out of misery or how much less misery we experience.' These may not be the exact words but I am very sure he said something like that in one of the discourses.

All the best.
With metta,
zavk
siddhartha2010
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 12:20 pm

Re: equanimity

Post by siddhartha2010 »

yes.. he mentioned this on the 3 day course. I find "accept the nature as it is.. nature has manifested the reality as it..I have something to add to it that it "sati and sampajanno" (thanks Ben).
rowyourboat
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Re: equanimity

Post by rowyourboat »

Hi Ben,

Is maintaining equanimity or being aware of impermanence of sensations, the objective of the practice?
With Metta

Karuna
Mudita
& Upekkha
PeterB
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Re: equanimity

Post by PeterB »

rowyourboat wrote:Hi Ben,

Is maintaining equanimity or being aware of impermanence of sensations, the objective of the practice?
They are mutually dependant.
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kirk5a
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Re: equanimity

Post by kirk5a »

PeterB wrote: They are mutually dependant.
I agree. But the question was whether they are the objective. If we're going to talk about "objectives" then basically, I say no they are not. "Release" is the objective.
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
PeterB
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Re: equanimity

Post by PeterB »

Of course they are not the objective. I cant imagine that anyone would actually mistake the means for the end...unless they were politically motivated to ask the question.
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kirk5a
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Re: equanimity

Post by kirk5a »

PeterB wrote:Of course they are not the objective. I cant imagine that anyone would actually mistake the means for the end...unless they were politically motivated to ask the question.
So much for not assuming...
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
PeterB
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Re: equanimity

Post by PeterB »

And the fact that RYB has a history going back to E Sangha of signalling to Ben his aversion to Goenka is of course mere coincidence... :lol:
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kirk5a
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Re: equanimity

Post by kirk5a »

:smile: I have become aware of the "history" but I think there's value in the question anyway.
"When one thing is practiced & pursued, ignorance is abandoned, clear knowing arises, the conceit 'I am' is abandoned, latent tendencies are uprooted, fetters are abandoned. Which one thing? Mindfulness immersed in the body." -AN 1.230
PeterB
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Re: equanimity

Post by PeterB »

;)
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Ben
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Re: equanimity

Post by Ben »

rowyourboat wrote:Hi Ben,

Is maintaining equanimity or being aware of impermanence of sensations, the objective of the practice?
What Peter said.
You can't really observe the rise and fall of vedanas without developing equanimity towards vedanas. But the ultimate objective of the practice is liberation. This is something that Goenkaji (and U Ba Khin) have stated over, and over and over again.
“No lists of things to be done. The day providential to itself. The hour. There is no later. This is later. All things of grace and beauty such that one holds them to one's heart have a common provenance in pain. Their birth in grief and ashes.”
- Cormac McCarthy, The Road

Learn this from the waters:
in mountain clefts and chasms,
loud gush the streamlets,
but great rivers flow silently.
- Sutta Nipata 3.725

Compassionate Hands Foundation (Buddhist aid in Myanmar) • Buddhist Global ReliefUNHCR

e: [email protected]..
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