Day 200 - Equanimity of the Great Sages

Day 200 - Equanimity of the Great Sages

Living in Peace and Equanimity

Established in the realization of the truth, the great sages lived forever in peace and equanimity. They were free from psychological predispositions and neither sought nor rejected life or death. They remained unshaken in their direct experience like another Meru mountain.

Engaging with the World

Yet, they roamed the forests, islands, and cities, traveling to the heavens as if they were angels or gods. They conquered their enemies and ruled as emperors, engaging in diverse activities in accordance with scriptural injunctions as they realized that such was appropriate conduct. They enjoyed the pleasures of life, visited pleasure gardens, and were entertained by celestial damsels. They duly fulfilled the duties of household life and even engaged in great wars.

Maintaining Equanimity

These sages retained their equanimity even in disastrous situations where others would have lost their peace and balanced state of mind. Their minds had fully entered the state of sattva or divinity, utterly free from delusion, the egoistic notion ("I do this"), and the desire for achievement, though they did not reject such achievements or the rewards for their actions. They did not indulge in vain exultation when they defeated their enemies, nor did they succumb to despair and grief when they were defeated. They were engaged in natural activities, allowing all actions to proceed from them non-volitionally.

Example to Follow

VASISTHA continued:

Follow their example, O Rama. Let your personality (ego-sense) be egoless and let appropriate actions spontaneously proceed from you. For the infinite, indivisible consciousness alone is the truth; it is that which has put on this appearance of diversity, which is neither real nor unreal. Hence, live completely unattached to anything here. Why do you grieve as if you are an ignoramus?

The Path to Liberation

Awakening to Reality

RAMA said:

Lord, by your grace, I am fully awakened to the reality. My delusion has vanished. I shall do as you bid me to do. Surely, I rest peacefully in the state of one who is liberated even while living. Pray, Lord, tell me how one reaches this state of liberation by the restraint of the life-force (prana) and by the annihilation of all self-limitations or psychological conditioning.

Understanding Yoga

VASISTHA continued:

They call it yoga, which is the method by which this cycle of birth and death ceases. It is the utter transcendence of the mind and is of two types. Self-knowledge is one type; restraint of the life-force is another. However, yoga has come to mean only the latter. Yet, both methods lead to the same result.

To some, self-knowledge through inquiry is difficult; to others, yoga is difficult. But my conviction is that the path of inquiry is easy for all because self-knowledge is the ever-present truth. I shall now describe to you the method of yoga.

Advisory to Modern Society

Integrating Timeless Principles

The teachings emphasize the importance of equanimity and self-realization in all activities. In today's fast-paced and often stressful world, these principles can offer profound guidance:

1. Practice Equanimity: Strive to maintain a balanced state of mind in both success and failure.
2. Embrace Self-Knowledge: Engage in self-inquiry to understand your true nature and transcend the ego-sense.
3. Live Unattached: Perform actions with a sense of detachment, recognizing the oneness of all existence.
4. Follow the Path of Yoga: Whether through self-knowledge or the restraint of life-force, pursue the path that aligns with your nature.