Equanimous Days

Meditation and Self help

New meaning can redefine past experience.

Shortly after becoming familiar with this term, I noticed when it was used to describe the response from a crew of deep sea fishermen caught in high winds as they pulled together to weather a storm.

Equanimity is defined as the state of being calm, stable and composed under stressful situations. The English translation also describes a sense of inner quietness arising from deep awareness and concentration.

I have also discovered the term to have immeasurable meaning in Far Eastern languages and spirituality. Equanimity takes on broader and deeper meaning in “non-attachment” and “middle way” as two of the available translations.

“Non-attachment” implies a world view empty of self-perception; a world empty of boundaries and attached labels. With non-attachment we also understand that all situations (bad and good) are only temporary.

The expression “middle way” refers to balance and remaining centered during whatever is happening in the world around us, or “to stand in the middle of all that is”.

The calm presence of inner quietness and balance can keep us upright, like the ballast of a ship in strong winds. We can develop this inner strength through different practices, such as meditation, which I happen to enjoy.

Lately during my meditation practice I have noticed that as I quiet my mind of the day’s busyness and noise, past experience, in the form of pain and regret move to the forefront of my thoughts.

Since learning the meaning of this term and application in the fishermen’s story, I thought it would be beneficial to apply the definition of equanimity to my meditation practice.

Through equanimous thinking we remain open and accepting of stress filled thought, as the sea is open to the storm and each drop of rain. Equanimity can help us with all that comes our way. When times are good we must not become too attached to success, when times are bad we must not become too dejected.

“There is no separation of calm, storm and sea. We must wait for the sea to become calm and prepare for the storm”

I continued to practice achieving inner quietness during meditation. Then one day, as I was meditating, it began to storm. I thought of the fishermen and meaning of equanimity.

I opened myself to the rainy day, listening to the sounds of displaced water and air.

I enjoyed the hum of the window fan and cool smells of wind. I enjoyed the banging of blinds being blown about. I enjoyed the sounds of water from open gutter ways falling and crashing. I enjoyed the rhythmic spatter of siding and filling of puddles……. I enjoyed inner quietness.