Ep. 161 – Equanimity Practice

Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein

Be Here Now Network

Joseph Goldstein, Mindfulness, Vipassana, Buddhism, Insightmeditation, Meditation, Society & Culture, Religion & Spirituality

4.8 • 864 Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2023

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode, Joseph Goldstein leads a powerful practice around cultivating equanimity and talks about why it’s important not to confuse equanimity with its near enemy, indifference.

This podcast is sponsored by BetterHelp. Click to receive 10% off your first month with your own licensed professional therapist: betterhelp.com/insighthour

“Equanimity is the mind state of impartially, not indifference. So it’s like space which contains everything impartially. And one way of coming to this space of impartiality is understanding that things, in this world, are happening lawfully. They’re not happening by accident. And so the equanimity phrase, and the development of equanimity, is closely tied in with wisdom.” – Joseph Goldstein

In this episode:

Joseph talks about the concept of equanimity, explaining why it’s important not to confuse equanimity with its near enemy, indifference
Joseph explores the wisdom aspect of equanimity
Joseph leads a powerful equanimity practice focused around offering phrases to a neutral person, a benefactor, a good friend, and a difficult person

“All beings are the heirs of their own karma. Our happiness or unhappiness depends on our actions, not upon our wishes.”

This dharma talk from December 7, 2004, was originally published on Dharma Seed.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Equanimity is the mind state of impartiality, not indifference.
0:09.2	So it's like space which contains everything impartially.
0:14.0	And one way of coming to this space of impartiality
0:18.0	is understanding that things in this world are happening lawfully. Welcome to the Joseph Goldstein Inside Hour.
0:45.0	This podcast is an expression of our shared interest in self-discovery.
0:51.0	Join Joseph as he shares his deep knowledge of the path of mindfulness.
0:57.0	If you are interested in supporting this podcast,
1:00.0	please go to be here now network.com slash Joseph. Last night Steve spoke about equanimity.
1:18.0	In this evening we're going to conclude the Brahma Vihauer practices with the practice of equanimity.
1:30.0	It's a little strange that even though this is a quality of mind that we've been practicing
1:37.0	during the whole retreat, still sometimes when we are directing it to particular people or to all beings or to ourselves,
1:50.0	sometimes it creates some difficulties for us in the mind.
1:57.6	Because we often confuse the quality of equanimity
2:10.6	with its near enemy which is indifference. When we use the phrases which I'll mention in a moment, the very phrases that we use, unless we understand
2:17.1	them fully and with some depth, it can sound as if we're really creating a sense of withdrawal or not caring or indifference. So it's helpful to know that this is not equanimity. This is something
2:39.3	that looks like it, but is actually a more unwholesome state.
2:47.7	Equanimity is the mind state of impartiality, not indifference.
2:55.0	So it's like space which contains everything impartially.
3:00.0	And one way of coming to this space of impartiality is understanding that things in this world are happening lawfully, they're not happening by accident.
3:19.0	And so the equanimity phrase in the development of equanimity is closely tied in with wisdom.
3:27.0	And when we repeat the phrases, in one way we could see it not only as the development of equanimity in ourselves, but the gift of wisdom to the person or persons we're sending it to.
3:45.8	The classical phrase in this practice
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Be Here Now Network, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Be Here Now Network and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.