67 Equanimity (1)
Teaching pt1. Alan revisits the 4th immeasurable equanimity. The Pali canon emphasizes a sense of imperturbability or emotional balance. In this spirit, Alan reads a section from Dudjom Lingpa’s Sharp Vajra of Conscious Awareness Tantra. Hoping for and clinging to things regarded as good and fearing things regarded as bad will lead to misery and suffering. Whatever joys and sorrows arise, these are mere appearances which are not to be blocked. Just stop reifying—i.e., the feeling of joy or sorrow and its causes. The mind that reifies appearances is the root that needs to be blocked. Meditation. Equanimity with suffering in the past, present, and future. 1) Direct your attention to a situation in your own past which you found very difficult and led to suffering. Can you distinguish between the event that arose to meet you and your response to that event? If there is suffering, you identified an event as bad. Can you observe phenomena as phenomena and distinguish that from your designation? The basis is empty of your conceptual designation. The feeling of suffering is also an empty appearance. In all adversity, as an active participant, you designated something as bad and experienced suffering as a result. 2) Is there anything here and now that troubles you? What is the basis for your designation? See the emptiness of both the basis and your designation. Once you withdraw reification, form is emptiness, emptiness is form, and there is neither benefit nor harm. 3) Is there anything in the future you dread? What is the object that you fear or find unpleasant? Is your unhappiness lodged out there in the object? The object doesn’t exist at all, nor does the unhappiness. No more substantial than a mirage, they are all empty appearances arising and dissolving in space. Teaching pt2. Once hopes and fears are released, the mind settles in the center. In the center, there is neither pleasure nor pain, but a sense of equanimity. Beware of falling into dullness and indifference. Maintain lucidity while resting in the center, and it dissolves into a well-spring of bliss. Meditation starts at 15:00
