The Practice of Equanimity

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju; recorded and transcribed by Namo Amituofo’s disciple, Venerable HaiZe.

December 8, 2023

The Essence of a Peaceful Heart

Is it truly "Equanimity," or is it simply "a peaceful heart"? When external conditions manifest before you, can you face them with an equanimous heart in that very moment? Or does your heart ripple with agitation, requiring you to wait until the moment has passed before you can find a sense of peace? Perhaps, for many, this emotional turbulence accompanies them throughout their entire life, persisting until the very end.

If these karmic conditions and the causes and effects are not brought to a conclusion in this life, they will inevitably follow you. You will be required to resolve them in future lifetimes when the conditions manifest once again. Whether you can resolve these debts depends entirely on the depth of your skills:

• Your level of compassion for all beings.
• Your capacity for Patience (Endurance) in the face of adversity.
• The strength of your meditative concentration.
• Whether you truly understand that all things are merely illusions.

Seeing Through the Illusion

Even if you encounter these same situations in future lifetimes, they remain illusions. Only by clearly recognising the truth of reality—by knowing that all is an illusion—can you truly face all matters with equanimity. By letting go, you can break through the illusion, realise your true nature, and avoid being misled by these phantoms, which only lead to suffering.

Within this illusion, we encounter everything that defines our worldly existence. All of these are but fleeting shadows:

• Birth, aging, sickness, and death: The inevitable cycle of the physical form.
• Joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness: The shifting tides of human emotion.
• Tragedy and joy, separation and reunion: The changing circumstances of our relationships.
• Greed, Anger, Ignorance, Arrogance, and Doubt: The Five Poisons that cloud our original nature.
• Wealth, lust, fame, food, and sleep: The Five Desires that bind us to the cycle of rebirth.

The Path to Awakening

When these conditions manifest before you, if you can recognise them as illusions, you will not have attachment to them. You will not be moved by the appearance of these external states. To accept these conditions with a peaceful heart is to possess meditative concentration and wisdom.

As a practitioner, you must strive to face all people, matters, and objects with this equanimous heart. Continue your diligent practice, moving forward with unwavering focus. By doing so, you will reach the state of an awakened being and successfully save yourself and others, reaching the Western Pure Land and finding one's own Buddha nature.

Namo Amituofo