Equanimity is the key to the spiritual journey. Equanimity means that we do not react and remain at peace even in adverse circumstances. Equanimity can't be forced. It's a natural state of being for aware people. As we become aware of our inner self, we realize that this body and all the sensations in different parts of it are temporary. When there is a flow of testosterone and we feel excited, angry, or agitated; or when there is a flow of dompamine and we feel at the top of the world, after winning some medal, award, or experiencing some achievement; or when there is a flow of serotonin and we feel wider, connected, in all these situations, the "self" remains unchanged. What changes is the flow of hormones and neurotransmitters that create certain sensations in different parts of the body and create certain experiences.
Does that mean that we will no longer be concerned about anybody? If there is a rape in front of our eyes and we will maintain equanimity considering it to be temporary? If somebody is trying to exploit us, will we just not act? I feel that we need to discriminate between "action" and "reaction". "Reaction" comes in response to something. We want something or we want to avoid something, and therefore we act. For example, we see corruption and we suffer as a result of not getting the services that should have been made available to us. That makes us react to the situation. On the other hand, action is not driven by the flow of neurotransmitters; rather, it is driven by the "self". We feel concerned about everybody around because we feel connected. We know that corruption is taking away the potential to explore from all the people around. Krishna was not affected by the outcome of the battle between the Pandavas and the Kauravas because his kingdom was unaffected. Yet, he decided to participate in the battle not as a reaction, but out of his "concern" for the masses.
I feel that it is the main difference between the "great" and "ordinary" people. While ordinary people react, the great personalities of the world act. We experience discomforts and challenges created by the lack of money and resources in our childhood, and therefore make efforts to get the best of the colleges, jobs, and earn money by working hard. That's a reaction to the uncomfortable experiences during our childhood. The reaction does not stop here. We want to ensure a comfortable life for our kids and even their families. Some people experience violence in their childhood, and they react to that. They get frightened by every news item that has an element of danger. Some of these kids make counter-violence as their winning formula and enter the dark world of crime. Many of us experience rejection from society during our childhood, and we react the whole of our lives by making efforts to become powerful.
In a society that is so insecure and violent, it is definitely more difficult to stay calm. You go out for a drive and experience chaos everywhere. People drive vehicles mindlessly and are ready to fight at the drop of a hat. Fraud is quite common, and you never feel secure. There is always a fear that your hard-earned money will be taken away by some fraud. Even the big corporations are busy defrauding the people. People do not mind expanding the boundary of their homes to take away some part of the road, and blocking the drainage system. People damage public properties without any thought, and therefore, when a needy person tries to use them, he has to live with sub-standard infrastructure.
All these things and even worse existed when Mahatma Gandhi was fighting for the freedom of the country. Why he could inspire millions was because he "acted" and not "reacted". He had a natural concern for everybody. His consciousness expanded beyond himself and his family and included the entire humanity. He had love and compassion for everybody, irrespective of their nationality. That's why he acted for the freedom of everybody. He worked in South Africa as well as India. He acted for the freedom of everybody. Freedom of the political dispensation as well as freedom from fear and aggression. As we grow more and more aware, our actions are also driven by love, compassion, and freedom. All the great personalities in this world have always acted with love, compassion, and freedom. Once our actions are driven by love, compassion, and freedom, it does not matter how chaotic, exploitative, or violent the ecosystem is. In fact, every such chaos, exploitation, and violence is an opportunity for self-examination to observe our inner fear, greed, and selfishness, and drop the same. We may appear quite benevolent and generous sitting comfortably in our palace, but the real test lies when we experience chaos, violence, and exploitation. If our "actions" do not turn into a "reaction" in these challenging times, we are on the right track.
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