Seven Qualities of Equanimity in Buddhism
What Are the Seven Qualities of Equanimity in Buddhism?
The Buddha described seven qualities we can all develop to bring greater equanimity into our lives. This list is based on a talk by Gil Fronsdal with my own commentary.
Although the concepts derive from Buddhism, you do not have to be a Buddhist to add these practices to your personal development plan.
All are developed in two ways.
External observation - you notice how the world is, how it operates, and your reactions and you learn to master those.
Inner work - By cultivating the following qualities, you build a base of equanimity within you that is not easily shaken by events out in the world. This is not a stoic hardening, but rather a compassionate, understanding, and flexible awareness.
The seven qualities of equanimity are:
Virtue or integrity - the idea here is something similar to the Mahatma Gandhi quote, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” It’s being who you are, not faking it, and being what the ancient Buddhists called, “blameless.”
Faith - the ancient Pali word that translates as faith could also mean courage or conviction. It’s a confidence that you can meet life’s challenges with assurance in yourself.
Well-developed mind - we’re not necessarily talking about knowledge or learning here, though they may play a role. We’re talking about a mind that’s strong, flexible, and stable. The ancient Buddhists believed this kind of a mind could be developed through meditation. When you develop that strength of mind in the silence, you can draw upon it on the moment of chaos.
Well-being - this goes beyond conceptual well-being and encourages you to actively develop a sense of well-being. It can be derived from being in each moment, enjoying the small pleasures each day, and thinking thoughts and taking action that support your well-being.
Wisdom - this quality, of course, is at the core of Buddhist practice. The wisdom needed for equanimity can be summed up as being in control of your emotions, thoughts, words, and reactions. It’s about building a strength of mind that will not be swept away by the behavior of other people or events in the world. It’s being fully capable of handling life’s chaotic and conflicting nature without losing your calm. it’s really about maintaining your balance in any situation.
Insight - this is more of a Buddhist concept, but can easily be adapted to your worldview. Insight is seeing how things are. Phenomenon, all phenomenon, arise, are, and pass away. Recognizing this, we learn not to cling to the appearances in the impermanence. By accepting this and letting go, we maintain and enhance equanimity.
Freedom - in modern parlance, this means letting go of our reactive nature. This means that people and events don’t trigger us as they once did, freeing us from the negative emotions that happen when we allow ourselves to be set off. In time and with practice, we can expand the number of situations where we deal with life’s challenges without angst that disturbs our equanimity.
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