Are you someone who always struggles with what is right and wrong in life, unable to get over unpleasant events, thinking that they are abnormal and should not have happened to you?
Master Lu says, “You should regard everything in this world with equanimity where everything is alright as it is experienced as a natural phenomenon”.
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Why is equanimity important? Or rather, why is opening up our own preconceived biases important?
Have you noticed that it’s actually painful when we are non-equanimous? Just like a child who accidentally breaks his toy, bursts into tears and protests, “I don’t want it broken! This is not what I want!”
There’s pain in that resistance and that refusal to accept things as they are. It’s the same in a certain kind of relationship or situation where you are disliking a person’s actions, or a situation you are in. For example, if it’s too cold, too hot…. Equanimity is when you ask yourself, “If others are able to endure the heat/cold, why can’t I?”
This is when we begin to break free from our self-imposed constraints (thanks to the force of equanimity). And, this is why it’s important to open up our biases and practise equanimity on a daily basis.
Dive deep into this pack to discover an inner stillness and poise even in the midst of chaos. This is the gift of equanimity and we invite you to find out more.
< THE LIFE OF A HUMAN IS WITHIN HIS ONE BREATH >
Master Jun Hong Lu: Like a larvae that can merely live for one night, or a flower that only lasts for a season. This is how fleeting it is. Thus, every minute and every second that we are breathing should be dedicated to continuous self-improvement.
What is Equanimity (平常心)?
It is when we regard every situation as a normal phenomenon
REGARD EVERY SITUATION AS A NORMAL PHENOMENON
Master Jun Hong Lu: It is a must that all Buddhist practitioners uphold the Buddhist precepts in all their actions. As mentioned before, as long as you do not impose yourself on others, you will not be planting bad karma.
Instead, you should regard everything in this world with equanimity. Everything is alright in your regard as it is experienced as a natural phenomenon.
Your husband mistreats you today. You think, “That’s normal because I am karmically indebted to him”. You are unhappy at work today. It’s normal simply because your work is not up to scratch, and you haven’t been a good person. Today, your child behaves badly towards you, that’s normal too, after all you did not carry out your responsibility as a parent to instil good moral values in him. If you can view all the good and bad things that happen to you as entirely normal, you will have an equanimous mind (平常心). So, what’s there to be afraid of?
Many people unexpectedly develop a lump on their bodies but, with a calm mind, they will see that this happens to everyone. Without such a mental state, you might think, “Why did I get a lump? Could it be cancer? Did someone put a curse on me? Is someone trying to harm me?” Without an equanimous mind, what comes next will be a series of problems. Do you understand?
If your husband picks a fight with you, try your best to be nice to him. If it doesn’t work, just go with the flow. If you end up being single, so be it. Think about how many single mothers there are. It is no big deal. After all, it’s your karmic grievances, and you lack such good fortune, so just let it be. With such a line of thought, your mind becomes balanced, and you are said to have an equanimous mind.
You are suffering from hair loss, that’s normal. Think about how fortunate you are compared to those who lost their hair at a younger age. That’s how you should think.
Assuming, today you have a painful experience, think about how much better off you are compared to those who are locked up in jail. Instead, if you are are someone who struggles with what is right and wrong in life, and unable to get over things, thinking that they are abnormal, you are no longer perceiving things with an equanimous mind (心就不平常).
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 9 Chapter 3
Stay healthy in body, mind and spirit by:
Opening up our biases and practising equanimity!
Question:
How do Bodhisattvas practise equanimity?
ON EQUANIMITY
Master Jun Hong Lu: Our thoughts, be it kind or evil, are all the same in the eyes of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Just like how a mother would perceive the good and bad deeds of her child – they are of no difference to her.
As the mother feels sorry for the child, understanding that he is just a child, as long as he does not repeat his mistakes, all is fine. At the other end of the spectrum, when her child does something good, the mother will rejoice. This is the mind of a Bodhisattva.
Bodhisattva regards all the good and evil deeds as the manifestation of human’s karmic obstacles (业障的显化). In modern context, it is like a teacher who perceives norms when her students are sometimes mischievous but at other times, obedient.
When we give rise to a kind or an evil thought, as far as Bodhisattva is concerned, She recognises that we are just humans who have yet to attain a high state-of-mind (还没有这个境界), hence it is absolutely normal. Therefore, Bodhisattva takes mercy on us and forgives us.
Despite our wrongs, why does Bodhisattva still render us help? Despite us already ending up in hell, why does Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva still make His way to hell to save us?
Because the Bodhisattva regards all beings with an equanimous mind, including all our good and evil. What great compassion! Are you willing to do so?
You are happy when others treat you well but when they mistreat you, you immediately turn around and curse them. Isn’t this the case? Do you think Bodhisattva will behave this way? Bodhisattva only sees the good side of you and your past and regards you as sentient beings without partiality (平等众生).
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 6 Chapter 28
Question:
We all know that it’s actually painful when we’re non-equanimous, for example when we are disliking a person’s actions or a situation we are in. But, why do we still fail to practise equanimity?
PAIN STEMS FROM OUR UNWILLINGNESS TO FACE REALITY
Master Jun Hong Lu: One of the humans’ greatest pains is living with regret. We should never regret things that have happened. After all, it is said in the Buddhist scriptures that even the Buddha cannot change the past. The Buddha will accept whatever happens and He would tell Himself, “I cannot change the law of karma”. Conversely, humans refuse to accept reality, and will question, “How could this happen? That’s not possible!”.
This tendency in humans has nothing to do with their reluctance to think and change, but it stems from their inner sense of attachment and having a character that simply refuses to accept things as they are. This can be likened to a child playing in the courtyard, accidentally breaks his toy, bursts into tears and protests, “I don’t want it broken! This is not what I want!” Looking on, the adults know well that it is over.
The same goes to marriages. Marital breakdown causes many people to wallow in sorrow, crying, “I don’t want him to go. He should not leave me”. While others might hurt them once, they end up hurting themselves countless times.
It is inevitable that life will throw all sorts of curveballs at us, leaving us broken-hearted. As and when a relationship breaks down or a financial crisis hits us, the majority of the adults will react like a child, who will say, “I don’t want it to be like this. It should not be like this”. Such a reaction is merely a manifestation of our inner fear and a soul that is in a state of denial (内心的恐惧和心灵的逃避).
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Vancouver, Canada, 3 September 2016
SUFFERING CEASES WHEN WE LET GO OF OUR ATTACHMENTS
Master Jun Hong Lu: We should let go of this idea that we are entitled to happiness. Many people think they deserve to be happy when what they should have done is to relinquish the happiness and success that they perceive to be rightfully theirs as only then will they find their life to be less cumbersome.
The Buddha says, “The binds of life come only because we ask for it. In fact, some pain that we suffer is self-inflicted. There is no such thing as being born under a bad sign. The problem lies in our obsession that we refuse to let go of”. You must have faith in your own strength. Since you are the one who binds yourself, you are the one capable of breaking free of the chain that binds you.
Misery in life stems from our excessive clinginess to what we have. We manage to raise our children against all odds, thinking that our children will be filial to us in return. We expect our kindness will always be reciprocated. We also believe in everlasting love and that our loved ones will be with us in perpetuity.
We practically bank our desires and hopes in a world that is constantly changing. Had we known earlier that people change and everything in this world, including our material possessions, are ever changing, we wouldn’t have subject ourselves to so much heartache and tears.
Gaining and losing is nothing but a normality. As a Buddhist practitioner, it is when we understand the law of karma and the working of causes, conditions and its effects, we are able to rise above it.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Public Talk, Hong Kong, China, 20 June 2015
PEOPLE BECOME FALLIBLE IN THE ABSENCE OF AN EQUANIMOUS MIND
Caller: Why is it that the more cautious we are, the more prone we are to making mistakes? Conversely, if we do not give it any special attention and face the situation with a sense of equanimity, the outcome tends to turn out better? Master, could you enlighten us?
Master Jun Hong Lu: The explanation to this is very simple. It is your sense of attachment (执著) that is at play here. When you cling onto something, karmic obstacles develop. When you begin to feel that the matter in hand is becoming increasingly important to you, this is attachment (执著). The more you grasp and cling, the more trouble you are bringing upon yourself, right?
For instance, you say something that an ordinary folk may find inconsequential but the moment you say the same to a higher authority, you begin to feel anxious.
Without knowing how he will react, you are so fear-stricken that your mind starts to think, “Gosh! What will he think of me?” and you conjure up all sorts of permutations. You start to lose sleep and appetite, when in reality, the person has totally forgotten about what you said. Aren’t these self-generated troubles and obstructions, the consequence of your own grasping? Do you understand now?
Caller: Yes, I do. Thank you, Master.
Source: Wenda20150904 09:01, Master Jun Hong Lu’s call-in radio program
IT IS YOUR CONDITIONS, NOT YOUR ABILITY, THAT DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS
Master Jun Hong Lu: Remember: It is your conditions, not your ability, that determine whether you can succeed perfectly in your endeavours. No matter how much effort you put in, or how capable you are, you may still fail. This is because blessings in the human realm are formed through a combination of causes and conditions (因缘和合而成). You must have a certain cause (因) to foster a particular condition (缘). Only in the presence of a combination of proper causes and conditions can you succeed. Take note that if you want to succeed perfectly, you must carefully consider whether the causes and conditions for the task at hand have ripened, and not whether you have the energy or ability to accomplish or solve the task.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 1 Chapter 13
AFFLICTIONS ABOUND FOR THOSE WHO LACK EQUANIMITY
Master Jun Hong Lu: Many of us are constantly being tested mentally and physically. In reality, it is a reflection of our inability to liberate ourselves, and the lack of an impartial view in life (没有看成平等).
Many people frequently ask, “Why do I have to endure such injustices in life? Why do I have to go through this?” But when you think about it the other way around, “Why is it that I can’t endure this suffering? Why is it that I can’t tolerate such injustices? If others are able to do it, why not me?”
Let me illustrate with a simple example. Say, it is scorching hot outside. Others seem to be able to withstand the heat alright but why not you? This is because you are only thinking about yourself, your misery and your sadness. You feel extremely irritated but how about the rest of the people? Equality is when you see others are able to remain unruffled, you ask yourself, “Why is it that I can’t endure the same as them?” By doing so, you are essentially applying an equanimous mind to contemplate and observe yourself. It is through this that you are able to break free from the shackles of your self-imposed constraints (解掉自己的束缚).
Source: Baihuafofa160324, Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms (Radio Program), 24 March 2016
< A BALANCED MIND IS LOST WHEN YOU BEGIN TO GRASP AT THINGS IN LIFE >
Master Jun Hong Lu:
Humans have this weakness, when we are so fixated or hung up on a certain thing, we would lose our ordinary state of mind and this is when we become tense. When this happens, our hearts palpitate faster, we lose focus and our movement becomes incoherent.
Remember, as Buddhist practitioners, with no desires, our hearts will be calm. With this inner peace, all our worries and distress will be wiped out.
We must know if our actions are right or wrong. Our mind should be as clear as a mirror.
Live an enlightened life and bring forth the compassion and love of the human realm.
< Buddhism in Plain Terms < 白话佛法共修分享