Equanimity

Equality is the chief support of the true spiritual consciousness and it is this from which a Sadhaka deviates when he allows a vital movement to carry him away in feeling or speech or action. Equality means a quiet and unmoved mind and vital, it means not to be touched or disturbed by things that happen or things said or done to you, but to look at them with a straight look, free from the distortions created by personal feeling, and to try to understand what is behind them, why they happen, what is to be learnt from them, what is it in oneself which they are cast against and what inner profit or progress one can make out of them; it means self-mastery over the vital movements,— anger and sensitiveness and pride as well as desire and the rest,— not to let them get hold of the emotional being and disturb the inner peace, not to speak and act in the rush and impulsion of these things, always to act and speak out of a calm inner poise of the spirit.

The first condition of inner progress is to recognise whatever is or has been a wrong movement in any part of the nature,— wrong idea, wrong feeling, wrong speech, wrong action,— and by wrong is meant what departs from the truth, from the higher consciousness and higher self, from the way of the Divine.

Complete samata (equality) takes long to establish and it is dependent on three things — the soul’s self-giving to the Divine by an inner surrender, the descent of the spiritual calm and peace from above and the steady long and persistent rejection of all egoistic, rajasic and other feelings that contradict samata.

There can be no firm foundation in sadhana without equality. Whatever the unpleasantness of circumstances, however disagreeable the conduct of others, you must learn to receive them with a perfect calm and without any disturbing reaction. These things are the test of equality. It is easy to be calm and equal when things go well and people and circumstances are pleasant; it is when they are the opposite that the completeness of the calm, peace, equality can be tested, reinforced, made perfect.

No doubt, hatred and cursing are not the proper attitude. It is true also that to look upon all things and all people with a calm and clear vision, to be uninvolved and impartial in one’s judgments is a quite proper Yogic attitude. A condition of perfect samata can be established in which one sees all as equal, friends and enemies included, and is not disturbed by what men do or by what happens.

Equanimity and peace in all conditions, in all parts of the being’ is the first foundation of the Yogic status. Peace is the first condition without which nothing else can be stable.

Equality means another thing — to have an equal view of men and their nature and acts and the forces that move them; it helps one to see the Truth about them by pushing away from the mind all personal feeling in one’s seeing and judgment and even all mental bias.

For a sadhak, to live rather in the calm strength of the spirit is an essential part of his progress.

The Mother:

You must have a strong body and strong nerves. You must, have a strong basis of equanimity in your external being. Equanimity is the essential condition of union and communion with the Divine. If you have this basis, you can contain a world of emotion and yet not have to scream it out. This does not mean that you cannot express your emotion, but you can express it in a beautiful, harmonious way. To weep or scream or dance about with the descent of some kind of higher joy or experience is always a proof of weakness, either of the vital or the mental or the physical nature. If you have to bear the pressure of the Divine descent, you must be very strong and powerful, otherwise you would be shaken to pieces. If a little drop makes you sing and dance and scream, what would happen if the whole thing came down ?

All feelings of shrinking and disgust and fear that disturb and weaken the human mind can be overcome. A Yogi has to overcome these reactions; for almost the very first step in Yoga demands that you must keep a perfect equanimity in the presence of all beings and things and happenings. Always you must remain calm, untouched and unmoved; the strength of the Yogi lies there. An entire calmness and quietness will disarm even dangerous and ferocious animals when they confront you.

Keep a cheerful mind and a peaceful heart. Let nothing disturb your equanimity and make every day the necessary progress to advance with me steadily towards the goal.