Simply This Moment - Buddhist Meditation and Theravada ...

keep out unwholesome states and arouse and maintain wholesome states of mind, buthow you do that depends upon the circumstances. There are times when we grab holdof the mind and we actually do something and there are times when we just practiseequanimity; it’s knowing when to do what and that makes one a skilful practitioner.It’s like the pain we experience from time to time in monastic life, the physical painand the pain of disappointments, the pain of doing things we don’t want to do. Allthose things are problems for the mind. We can do one of two things. We can try andovercome the obstacles, try and work hard to do something. But sometimes there isnothing we can do and then we need equanimity. Very often that’s the case withphysical pain; you go to the doctor, you try to do exercises, you try to change yourdiet. Sometimes it works but often it doesn’t. So the practice of effort means thatthere are times when we try to do something, but if there is nothing that can be done,then we have to practice equanimity.Developing EquanimityEquanimity doesn’t mean just to endure. Equanimity should always be practisedalongside investigation because otherwise it will not be able to be maintained and willturn into more problems. Equanimity that is practised alongside investigation –especially with pain – means you are not going to try and get rid of the unpleasantphysical feelings, nor are you going to just grit your teeth. Equanimity should bedone with a sense of interest, with a sense of investigation, with a sense of curiosity,finding out what these things really are. That is a good way of dealing with dukkhavedanā, physical pain: you watch it with equanimity. You watch it in the same waythat a scientist needs to watch an experiment, without a vested interest in what theyare going to find. Because, if you’re looking for something, if you’re looking toprove your pet theory, then you’ll never have that evenness of mind, you’ll never havethe equanimity to be really able to see the truth. You’ll only see what you’re lookingfor. That’s what delusion is.With equanimity you have to put aside all prejudgement and all the past, becauseprejudgements arise from our past experiences and past biases. Practising equanimityyou have to look upon the object that you find painful as if seeing it for the first time.If you can do that then you really can see that thing clearly and you can investigate it165