This talk reviews the Universal Wholesome Cetasika of Upekkha (ooh-peh-kah),Equanimity, which provides balanced functioning in the mind that is free from dukkha, distress and confusion. The review emphasizes the balance of energy–avoiding too much excitement or too much tranquility–with attention, avoiding too much identification or too much skepticism–producing the quality of mind that supports the process of Awakening. Equanimity is also described as the factor that brings balance to lovingkindness, compassion and sympathetic joy. Peter relates upekkha to another important and synonymous concept, tatramajjhattata (tah-trah-muh-jah-tah-tah), which literally is translated as “that which is found in the middle”, emphasizing the development of mindfulness, investigation of mental phenomena and Right Effort to foster this balancing. There is an accompanying recording entitled “Guided Cultivating Equanimity Meditation” found in the archives of this site that suggests the practice of mindfulness of breathing for this cultivation. This description is followed by a question and answer period to clarify the concept and practice.
Here are the notes accompanying this talk, including a graphic illustrating the interactions between energy and cognition that are reviewed during the talk: Cultivating Equanimity
The topic for next week’s talk is the realization of the “Six Beautiful Pairs” of Wholesome Cetasikas.
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