Insight Hour with Joseph Goldstein Ep. 182 – Equanimity: "There in the Middleness"
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Sep 30, 2023 The podcast discusses the concept of equanimity and its role in finding balance amidst chaos and navigating the ups and downs of life. It explores how gain and loss impact our emotions, emphasizes the need for acceptance of life's changes, and discusses the importance of equanimity in meditation practice and achieving Buddhahood.
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Equanimity Defined as Middleness
- Equanimity is a quality of neutrality and evenness in the mind, described as "there in the middleness."
- It's a universal beautiful mental factor arising in every wholesome moment of mindfulness.
Equanimity and Life's Vicissitudes
- Life presents eight vicissitudes like gain/loss, praise/blame, fame/disrepute, and pleasure/pain that constantly change.
- Equanimity helps us "ride these waves of change with balance and ease," preventing emotional turmoil.
Knee Injury and Equanimity
- Joseph Goldstein recounted slipping and hyper-extending his knee during a retreat, leading to distress over his teaching schedule.
- He found peace by accepting "anything can happen anytime," allowing his mind to relax and gain equanimity.