Walking in Balance

Walking in Balance through life requires a balanced physical, mental and emotional approach to daily living. In the Buddhist teachings, equanimity is one of the four great virtues (along with compassion, loving kindness, and sympathetic joy) that the Buddha taught his disciples to cultivate.

Birken Forest Monastery

Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery is a Canadian Theravada Buddhist monastery. It’s Pali name is 'Sitavana', translated as 'cool forest grove'. The monastery is located in the secluded forests of British Columbia's interior region, approximately 40 kilometers south of Kamloops.  The monastery provides a peaceful refuge for monastics and lay people seeking to deepen their practice of the Buddha's teachings.

The Birken Monastery 'Sitavana'

The founding Abbot and spiritual leader, Venerable Ajahn Sona, comes to Kamloops every month to provide people with a guided meditation and a dhamma talk.

You don't have to be a Buddhist or an experienced meditation practitioner. These informal meetings are very inspiring and uplifting, especially if you are not experienced and you are looking for some answers about what life really is about, and how to find more peace and joy. It is a safe place, there is no judgment, and I always feel lighter and energized after the meditation and talk.

In February, Birken in Kamloops happened to be on the day after Valentine's day. Ajahn Sona talked about how originally Valentine's day was not about romance at all, but about compassion and equanimity. Equanimity is very important and it is the most valuable skill in any relationship. Romance is about preferential or conditional love. It can be dangerous when you get deeply attached to one person, the stakes are high. Equanimity in a relationship, on the other hand, is a quality of love that is free, warm, happy and detached. It is a love of intimacy and vulnerability, enough to have a deep warm relationship, without attachment.

What does Equanimity mean?

According to Wikipedia, equanimity comes from the Latin word 'æquanimitas', having an even mind; (aequus even, animus mind/soul). It is a state of psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by experience of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other phenomena that may cause others to lose the balance of their mind. Equanimity is not the same as boredom, apathy or indifference.

We live a life of dualities and contrasts. Success-fail; praise-blame; good health-bad health; good faith- bad faith; absence of pain-presence of pain. Life does not need to swing like a yo-yo, up and down. We assume it is the downs in life that help us feel up. No ups without the downs! This is not true, and it is the cause of a lot of suffering. Why can't we always feel light and free? Because feeling neutral following pain feels good. Neutral following pleasure feels boring and dull. Avoiding pain and dull, boring feelings, cheats us into seeking the thrill. We look for the change because we look for the pleasure after the pain. A neutral, even state of mind does not provide this, so we never find the peace of equanimity. In a romantic relationship the absence of equanimity is the source of anxiety trading places with feelings of elation. In all interpersonal relationships, romantic love, love for family, or love for all beings, equanimity can bring balance and peace.

Thich Nhat Hanh says that Buddhist equanimity includes the ability to see everyone as equal. "We shed all discrimination and prejudice, and remove all boundaries between ourselves and others," he writes. "In a conflict, even though we are deeply concerned, we remain impartial, able to love and to understand both sides."

Cultivating Equanimity

Practice is the key to realizing anything you intend to generate. Cultivating equanimity requires practice:

1. Slow down, step back, see the bigger picture. Imagine yourself on the top of a mountain, and having a wider view.
2. Do not let the ups, the downs, and the neutral feelings influence you. Do not buy into it. Practicing mindfulness will help increase awareness around your triggers and responses, so you know when you need to step back and use your wisdom. People who are not mindful are perpetually being jerked around by their emotions, like a yo-yo. But with mindfulness, you recognize and acknowledge feelings without letting them control you.Change your perspective. You can view the sun as a star at the center of a planetary system, which is the science point of view. Or you can appreciate the beauty, the warmth, the rays on your face, soaking up the energy and enjoying the colors of the sunset.
3. Change your perspective. You can view the sun as a star at the center of a planetary system, which is the science point of view. Or you can appreciate the beauty, the warmth, the rays on your face, soaking up the energy and enjoying the colors of the sunset.Cultivate wanted emotions. Think about how you want to experience your day, how you would like to feel. With a very clear
4. Cultivate wanted emotions. Think about how you want to experience your day, how you would like to feel. With a very clear intention and committed attention, you will start feeling the way you intend to feel, and radiate that out into the world. You will generate peace and joy. The more you practice this, the more you are able to cultivate equanimity. Don't let your habits create a mediocre life. Cultivate a divine life.

The  benefits from cultivating equanimity are numerous. Mindfulness, generating positive emotions, unconditional love, and balanced relationships will calm the nervous system and activate the self-healing ability of the body. A happy mind creates a happy body. It decreases stress and will improve all your relationships. Road blocks or unwanted events will not affect you in the same way, allowing you to learn and grow from your experiences. The result is more success and more ease.

Walk through life in Balance and listen to your Inner Wisdom before activating habitual patterns.

Birken in Kamloops Information