Many of you have been listening to or part of here in this class the last few weeks

where we've been exploring what are called the divine abodes.

And the divine abodes are actually the expressions of our awakened heart and mind.

And the four of them are loving kindness, which arises when we experience goodness.

And compassion, which arises when we sense suffering, joy when we open to that vastness

that really includes both.

And tonight, equanimity, which is this balance of heart and mind that is non-reactive and

therefore able to give rise to these others expressions of love.

Each different expression of love relies on equanimity.

In fact, as one, I got an email this week, one man wrote to me, in my relationship I'm

finding that equanimity and loving kindness have to work side by side.

Our neither works very well at all.

Hand in hand.

So equanimity is this mindful presence that we are cultivating through this meditation.

That really is the presence that is neither grasping on to anything or pushing it away.

It's a very open, allowing presence.

And it allows us to respond to the world.

It allows us rather than reacting to respond with our deepest intelligence and heart.

And one of the kind of metaphors or descriptions that I've really enjoyed over the years is

in the Spanish word, Crencia.

Crencia is the place in the ballroom where the ball feels absolutely safe.

If you can find that spot, he's able to become still and regain his strength.

...