Prepared by
John D. Hughes, DipAppChem, TTTC, GDAIE
Anita Hughes, RN Div1
Evelin Halls, DipFLC
Pennie White, BA, DipEd
Abhidhamma Class No. 37, 4 March 2003
Tatramajjhattata (part 3)
Glossary
equanimity: fairness, impartiality, equity; tranquillity of mind or temper; composure; resignation, acceptance of fate
indriya: faculty
indriya-sacca-niddesa: the twenty-two faculties
nascent: in the act of being born; in the act or condition of coming into existence; beginning to form, grow, develop, etc.
proliferation: multiplication, (an) increase in number
sankharupekkha: knowledge of equanimity about formations
tatramajjhattata: equanimity, evenmindedness, balance of mind, equipoise, mental balance
upekkhindriya: the equanimity faculty
Equanimity is of ten kinds: Six-factored equanimity, equanimity as divine abiding, equanimity as an enlightenment factor, equanimity of energy, equanimity about formations, equanimity as a feeling, equanimity about insight, equanimity as specific neutrality, equanimity of jhana, and equanimity of purification.
Six-factored equanimity is a name for the equanimity in one whose cankers are destroyed. It is the mode of non-abandonment of the natural state of purity when desirable or undesirable objects of the six-kinds come into focus in the six doors described thus: ‘Here a bhikkhu whose cankers are destroyed is neither glad nor sad on seeing a visible object with the eye: he dwells in equanimity, mindful and fully aware’ (Anguttara Nikaya iii, 279).
Equanimity as divine abiding is a name for equanimity consisting in the mode of neutrality towards beings described thus: ‘He dwells intent upon one quarter with his heart endued with equanimity’ (Digha Nikaya i, 251).
Equanimity as an enlightenment factor is a name for equanimity consisting in the mode of neutrality in conascent states described thus: ‘He develops the equanimity enlightenment factor depending on relinquishment (Majjhima Nikaya i, II).
Equanimity of energy is the name for the equanimity otherwise known as neither over-strenuous nor over-lax energy described thus: ‘From time to time he brings to mind the sign of equanimity’ (Anguttara Nikaya i, 257).
Equanimity about formations is a name for equanimity consisting in neutrality about apprehending reflexion and composure regarding the hindrances, etc., described thus: ‘How many kinds of equanimity about formations arise through concentration? How many kinds of equanimity arise through insight? Eight kinds of equanimity about formations arise through concentration. Ten kinds of equanimity about formations arise through insight’ (Patisambhidamagga i, 64).
Equanimity as a feeling is a name for the equanimity known as neither-pain-nor-pleasure described thus: ‘On the occasion on which a sense-sphere profitable consciousness has arisen accompanied by equanimity (Dhammasangani 156).
Equanimity about insight is a name for equanimity consisting in neutrality about investigation described thus: ‘What exists, what has become, that he abandons, and he obtains equanimity’.
Equanimity as specific neutrality is a name for equanimity consisting in the equal efficiency of conascent states: it is contained among the ‘or-whatever’ states beginning with zeal (Atthasalini Ch. XIV, 132-133).
Equanimity of jhana is a name for equanimity producing impartiality towards even the highest bliss described thus: ‘He dwells in equanimity’ (Vibhanga 245).
Purifying equanimity is a name for equanimity purified of all opposition, and so consisting in uninterestedness in stilling opposition described thus: ‘The fourth jhana, which...has mindfulness purified by equanimity’ (Vibhanga 245).
All ten types of equanimity are one in meaning, that is, equanimity as specific neutrality. Their difference, however, is one of position, like the difference in a single being as a boy, a youth, an adult, a general, a king, and so on.
See also the Atthasalini, Book I, Part IV, Chapter II, 172, for the different kinds of equanimity.
There is equanimity on a worldly level where there is profit and loss, praise and blame, happiness and sorrow, honour and dishonour.
See the reality of life how things are impermanent. If you can understand all those, you will have equanimity.
Do not be duped. There is great confusion in person’s minds about equanimity. All have something they call equanimity to something. But this may just be an uncaring, callous nature.
“He did not know his doggy died but when he heard about it how he cried.”
Perhaps you do not care if your pets die. But most persons get upset at such an event. Being upset is not equanimity!
Sankharupekkha is the knowledge of equanimity about formations. Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa describes sankharupekkha as thus:
When he has discerned formations by attributing the three characteristics to them and seeing them as void in this way, he abandons both terror and delight, he becomes indifferent to them and neutral, he neither takes them as ‘I’ nor as ‘mine’, he is like a man who has divorced his wife.
Suppose a man were married to a lovely, desirable, charming wife and so deeply in love with her as to be unable to bear separation from her for a moment.
He would be disturbed and displeased to see her standing or sitting or talking or laughing, with another man, and would be very unhappy; but later, when he had found out the woman’s faults, and wanting to get free, had divorced her, he would no more take her as ‘mine’; and thereafter, even though he saw her doing whatever it might be with whomsoever it might be, he would not be disturbed or displeased, but would on the contrary be indifferent and neutral - so too this [mediator], wanting to get free from all formations, discerns formations by the contemplation of reflection; then, seeing nothing to be taken as ‘I’ or ‘mine’, he abandons both terror and delight and becomes indifferent and neutral towards all formations.
When he knows and sees thus, his heart retreats, retracts and recoils from the three kinds of becoming, the four kinds of generation, the five kinds of destiny, the seven stations of consciousness, and the nine abodes of beings, his heart no longer goes out to them.
Either equanimity or repulsiveness is established. Just as water drops retreat, retract and recoil on a lotus leaf that slopes a little and do not spread out, so too his heart . . . And just as a fowl’s feather or a shred of sinew thrown on a fire retreats, retracts and recoils, and does not spread out, so too his heart retreats, retracts and recoils from the three kinds of becoming . . . Either equanimity or repulsiveness is established.
In this way there arises in him what is called knowledge of equanimity about formations.
But if this [knowledge] sees nibbana, the state of peace, as peaceful, it rejects the occurrence of all formations and enters only into nibbana. If it does not see nibbana as peaceful, [657] it occurs again and again with formations as its object, like the sailors’ crow.
When traders board a ship, it seems they take with them what is called a land-finding crow. When the ship gets blown off its course by gales and goes adrift with no land in sight, then they release the land-finding crow. It takes off from the mast-head, and after exploring all the quarters, if it sees land, it flies straight in the direction of it; if not, it returns and alights on the mast-head.
So too, if knowledge of equanimity about formations sees nibbana, the state of peace, as peaceful, it rejects the occurrence of all formations and enters only into nibbana. If it does not see it, it occurs again and again with formations as its object.
Now after discerning formations in the various modes, as though sifting flour on the edge of a tray, as though carding cotton from which the seeds have picked out, and after abandoning terror and delight, and after becoming neutral in the investigation of formations, he still persists in the triple contemplations.
And in so doing, this [insight knowledge] enters upon the state of the triple gateway to liberation, and it becomes a condition for the classification of noble persons into seven kinds (Vissuddhimagga XXI, 61-66, pp 765-766).
The last three kinds of knowledge are one.
This [knowledge of equanimity about formations] is the same in meaning as the two kinds that precede it. Hence the Ancients said: ‘This knowledge of equanimity about formations is one only and has three names.
At the outset it has the name of Knowledge of Desire for Deliverance.
In the middle it has the name Knowledge of Reflexion.
At the end when it has reached its culmination it is called Knowledge of Equanimity About Formations’ (Visuddhimagga XXI, 79, p 771).
Equanimity is one of the twenty-two faculties (indriya-sacca-niddesa). The Pali word for the equanimity faculty is upekkhindriya.
The faculties (indrya), which are created by kamma, are the mark of profitable and unprofitable kamma.
The function of the equanimity faculty is to impart the mode of quiet, superiority and neutrality.
The term right concentration includes the three kinds of concentration beginning with that accompanied by applied and sustained thought, consciousness concentration, the Concentration Faculty, the Concentration Power, and the Enlightenment Factors of happiness, tranquillity, concentration and equanimity.
One who wants to develop equanimity must have already obtained the triple or quadruple jhana in lovingkindness, and so on.
He should emerge from the third jhana [in the fourfold reckoning], after he has made it familiar, and he should see danger in the former [three divine abidings] because they are linked with attention given to beings’ enjoyment in the way beginning ‘May they be happy’, because resentment and approval are near, and because their association with joy is gross.
And he should also see the advantage in equanimity because it is peaceful. Then he should arouse equanimity (upekkha) by looking on with equanimity (ajjhupekkhitva) at a person who is normally neutral; after that at a dear person, and the rest.
For this is said: ‘And how does a bhikkhu dwell pervading one direction with his heart endued with equanimity? Just as he would feel equanimity on seeing a person who was neither beloved nor unloved, so he pervades all beings with equanimity’ (Vibhanga 275).
Therefore he should arouse equanimity towards the neutral person in the way already stated. Then through the neutral one he should break down the barriers in each case between the three people, that is, the dear person, then the boon companion, and then the hostile one, and lastly himself. And he should cultivate that sign, develop and repeatedly practise.
As he does so the fourth jhana arises in him in the way described under the earth kasina.
But how then? Does this arise in one in whom the third jhana has already arisen on the basis of the earth kasina, etc.?
It does not. Why not? Because of the dissimilarity of the object. It arises only in one in whom the third jhana has arisen on the basis of lovingkindness, etc., because the object is similar.
But after that, the versatility, and the obtaining of advantages should be understood in the same way as described under lovingkindness.
This is the detailed explanation of the development of equanimity (Visuddhimagga IX, 88-90, pp 342-343).
Equanimity is characterised as promoting the aspect of neutrality towards beings.
Its function is to see equality in beings.
It is manifested as the quieting of resentment and approval.
Its proximate cause is seeing ownership of deeds (kamma) thus:
‘Beings are owners of their deeds. Whose [if not theirs] is the choice by which they will become happy, or will get free from suffering, or will not fall away from the success they have reached?’
It succeeds when it makes resentment and approval subside, and it fails when it produces the equanimity of unknowing, which is that [worldly-minded indifference of ignorance] based on the house life (Visuddhimagga IX, 96, p 433).
Equanimity has the equanimity of unknowing based on the home life as its near enemy since both share in ignoring faults and virtues.
Such unknowing has been described in the way beginning, ‘On seeing a visible object with the eye equanimity arises in the foolish infatuated ordinary man, in the untaught ordinary man who has not conquered his limitations, who has not conquered future [kamma] result, who is unperceiving of danger.
Such equanimity as this does not surmount the visible object.
Such equanimity as this is called equanimity based on the home life’ (Majjhima Nikaya, iii, 219).
And greed and resentment, which are dissimilar to the similar unknowing, are its far enemies.
Therefore equanimity must be practised free from fear of that; [320] for it is not possible to look on with equanimity and be inflamed with greed or be resentful simultaneously (Visuddhimagga IX, 101, p 346).
References
Brown, Lesley (editor) (1993), The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Buddhaghosa, Bhadantacariya, (no date), “The Visuddhi Magga”, translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Singapore Buddhist Meditation Centre, Singapore.
The Buddhist Hour radio script 266, 2 March 2003, ‘Managing Emotions’, written and edited by John D. Hughes DipAppChem TTTC GDAIE, Leanne Eames BA MA, Evelin Halls DipFLC, Amber Svensson and Pennie White BA DipEd, Chan Academy Australia, Melbourne.
Walshe, Maurice (translator) (1995). The Long Discourses of the Buddha - A Translation of the Digha Nikaya, Wisdom Publications, Boston.
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