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equanimity

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 11:31 am
by siddhartha2010
Hi all,

I have been practising goyenka ji tradition for five years have sat few 10 day courses, satipatthana as well and have been meditating daily rougly 3, 4 hours. I understand we are suppose to remain equanimous to every experience. But when I read some of your comments I see nimitta, bhanga and other concentrative stages and so on. I am happy with the way it is going and am not expecting this or that stage. maintaining equanimity to every situation is the teaching. my question is that could it be something that has something to do with the instructions that I am not following.
thank you

Re: equanimity

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 11:41 am
by Ben
Hi siddhartha2010

If what you are doing is maintaining sati and sampajjano and remaining equanimous with regards to anything you are experiencing - then you are following the instructions. Keep in mind that different people progress at different rates. Craving a particular meditative experience actually creates a barrier to its development. So in those immortal words from the 1980s pop song, Don't worry - be happy!

Re: equanimity

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 12:07 pm
by siddhartha2010
Hi Ben

Thank you.. Your posts are inspring and motivating.

Re: equanimity

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 12:18 pm
by Ben
Thanks. I'm glad I can be of help.

Re: equanimity

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:09 pm
by zavk
Hi siddhartha2010

I'm a student of Goenkaji too. Ever since my first course I've always taken this advice by Goenkaji to heart: 'The only yardstick for measuring progress is how quickly we come out of misery or how much less misery we experience.' These may not be the exact words but I am very sure he said something like that in one of the discourses.

All the best.

Re: equanimity

Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 1:21 pm
by siddhartha2010
yes.. he mentioned this on the 3 day course. I find "accept the nature as it is.. nature has manifested the reality as it..I have something to add to it that it "sati and sampajanno" (thanks Ben).

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:38 pm
by rowyourboat
Hi Ben,

Is maintaining equanimity or being aware of impermanence of sensations, the objective of the practice?

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:48 pm
by PeterB
rowyourboat wrote:Hi Ben,

Is maintaining equanimity or being aware of impermanence of sensations, the objective of the practice?
They are mutually dependant.

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 2:55 pm
by kirk5a
PeterB wrote: They are mutually dependant.
I agree. But the question was whether they are the objective. If we're going to talk about "objectives" then basically, I say no they are not. "Release" is the objective.

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:00 pm
by PeterB
Of course they are not the objective. I cant imagine that anyone would actually mistake the means for the end...unless they were politically motivated to ask the question.

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:02 pm
by kirk5a
PeterB wrote:Of course they are not the objective. I cant imagine that anyone would actually mistake the means for the end...unless they were politically motivated to ask the question.
So much for not assuming...

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:09 pm
by PeterB
And the fact that RYB has a history going back to E Sangha of signalling to Ben his aversion to Goenka is of course mere coincidence... :lol:

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:13 pm
by kirk5a
:smile: I have become aware of the "history" but I think there's value in the question anyway.

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 3:24 pm
by PeterB
;)

Re: equanimity

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 10:55 pm
by Ben
rowyourboat wrote:Hi Ben,

Is maintaining equanimity or being aware of impermanence of sensations, the objective of the practice?
What Peter said.
You can't really observe the rise and fall of vedanas without developing equanimity towards vedanas. But the ultimate objective of the practice is liberation. This is something that Goenkaji (and U Ba Khin) have stated over, and over and over again.