The Power of Equanimity in the Mind

There's enough equanimity in the mind to fend off confusion, he says. The startle is an instinctive response, a signal to the mind, uh oh, something is wrong and you might need to do something. Compassion is a variation of matter. It's different from relaxed friendliness because it's hard for the mind to stay relaxed when it encounters a painful, unpleasant situation.