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One thing I've never quite understood - if you are teaching yourself to become more equanimous how do you avoid becoming less concerned about the things that re

One thing I've never quite understood - if you are teaching yourself to become more equanimous how do you avoid becoming less concerned about the things that really matter also?!

maxxxxx 9y ago
Equanimity doesn't have to be numbness. You can be very passionate about something and still being calm.
- hinkley 9y ago
  I had a boss who didn't understand the difference between panic and urgency. Every 'pep talk' he tried to give us turned into a short day and drinks after work because we were so depressed or freaked out. If your friend falls in the water or is about to be hit by a bus, getting excited about it doesn't help anybody. You have do something, and quickly, but with purpose and reason.
  - maxxxxx 9y ago
    I think a lot of people think it's good to be super excited about everything. You have to be outraged, really angry, deeply offended and whatever. Everything has to be amplified to the extreme.
    - Boothroid 9y ago
      I agree. I should move to Finland, I gather they are more sanguine.
- Boothroid 9y ago
  I'm not being picky but here's a definition for passion I found quickly: 'strong and barely controllable emotion' Surely this is at least somewhat at odds with being calm?!
avtar 9y ago
Language is a funny abstraction to describe these, or any, types of experiences :P But basically what maxxxxx said, one can aim to be equanimous and yet also be committed emotionally. It would be challenging (impossible?) to cultivate equanimity while also not cultivating compassion since one is trying to find peace with whatever they're dealing with. I had an opportunity to attend a talk where a meditation teacher described his experience dealing with cancer. Prior to being diagnosed he said he had a mindfulness practice outside of formal practice where he would set the intention to be aware of mild discomfort throughout the day and try not to react to it immediately. He provided an example of becoming aware of an itch. Instead of reaching for it and scratching he would try to bring heightened attention to the sensations, discern their qualities (if they were manifesting over a large surface area or small, increasing in intensity or fading, etc.), and try to entertain mind states that had a "if this was going to be my experience for the rest of my life would I be able to make peace with it?" quality. After three breath cycles if the sensation persisted and if he wasn't able to let it just be then he would mindfully scratch an itch. He claimed that working this way, with trivial things like itches or mild joint pain, provided a reservoir of equanimity that he was able to draw from when experiencing chemotherapy and the rest.

One thing I've never quite understood - if you are teaching yourself to become more equanimous how do you avoid becoming less concerned about the things that really matter also?!

maxxxxx 9y ago

Equanimity doesn't have to be numbness. You can be very passionate about something and still being calm.

hinkley 9y ago
I had a boss who didn't understand the difference between panic and urgency. Every 'pep talk' he tried to give us turned into a short day and drinks after work because we were so depressed or freaked out. If your friend falls in the water or is about to be hit by a bus, getting excited about it doesn't help anybody. You have do something, and quickly, but with purpose and reason.
- maxxxxx 9y ago
  I think a lot of people think it's good to be super excited about everything. You have to be outraged, really angry, deeply offended and whatever. Everything has to be amplified to the extreme.
  - Boothroid 9y ago
    I agree. I should move to Finland, I gather they are more sanguine.
Boothroid 9y ago
I'm not being picky but here's a definition for passion I found quickly: 'strong and barely controllable emotion' Surely this is at least somewhat at odds with being calm?!

avtar 9y ago

Language is a funny abstraction to describe these, or any, types of experiences :P But basically what maxxxxx said, one can aim to be equanimous and yet also be committed emotionally. It would be challenging (impossible?) to cultivate equanimity while also not cultivating compassion since one is trying to find peace with whatever they're dealing with. I had an opportunity to attend a talk where a meditation teacher described his experience dealing with cancer. Prior to being diagnosed he said he had a mindfulness practice outside of formal practice where he would set the intention to be aware of mild discomfort throughout the day and try not to react to it immediately. He provided an example of becoming aware of an itch. Instead of reaching for it and scratching he would try to bring heightened attention to the sensations, discern their qualities (if they were manifesting over a large surface area or small, increasing in intensity or fading, etc.), and try to entertain mind states that had a "if this was going to be my experience for the rest of my life would I be able to make peace with it?" quality. After three breath cycles if the sensation persisted and if he wasn't able to let it just be then he would mindfully scratch an itch. He claimed that working this way, with trivial things like itches or mild joint pain, provided a reservoir of equanimity that he was able to draw from when experiencing chemotherapy and the rest.