Samatvam

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 9/5/00 8:39:24 PM, Skyeryder writes:

 

<< When a loved one dies we feel sadness and grief. We miss the familiar. We

 

may begin obsessing: “I should have been more considerate…I ought to have

 

been more loving…I wish I had… I wish I hadn’t…I ought to have…I ought

not

 

to have.â€

>>

 

Beautiful is when someone dies and you remember what you did for them,

especially if you didn't know they were going to die, and you spontaneously

shared generously and joyfully... sometimes they visit...

 

A lovely friend gave me an idea, to send up visuals in my mind of things that

the dead person loved, such as flowers, or cows, or whatever they loved,

smoked herring even <g>... even if it does nothing at all, it makes for great

serenity and calm quiet peace... the peace one shares in silence :-)

 

Much Love*Light,

rainbo

[Guest guest]

Samatvam Even Mindedness

To always be even-minded, regardless of the circumstances,

is not an easy thing to do. Samatvam seems not to be our nature, but

if we work to cultivate this virtue our lives are sure to be more

peaceful and pleasant. The first requirement is that we not allow

ourselves to be caught in the web of names and form (napa rupa).

Seeing life as a constant changing process one begins to accept

pleasure and pain, fear and courage, joy and \sadness and all aspects

of life with increasing equanimity and balance. “Anakula” is the

Sanskrit term for a mind that is free of disturbance. As insight

deepens, wisdom and compassion arise. We begin to see more clearly

the totality of life’s experiences.

No matter how good we may feel, that good felling will end. No matter

how sad we may feel, that sad feeling will end. “Shanti” is Sanskrit

for peace, the peace that Jesus described as “the peace that passes

all understanding.” Shanti cannot be analyzed, it is just IS when it

IS. Shanti can be a powerful mantram… breathe in “shahn…; breathe out

“tee” … Shanti. Shanti with each breath in and each breath out can

bring you a comfortable calmness. It works quite well as sitting and

lying in bed waiting for sleep. It is good to start your day with a

few minutes of shanti.

Ashanti is the absence of peace, hence grief, worry, anxiety, anything

that disturbs your mind. When we truly look at ourselves – yikes! – on

all levels, when we look at our lives and into our lives

realistically, when we see others without bias, prejudice or

jealousy, it is easy to develop samatvam – even mindedness. We see

that everything follows the law of nature, the rising and the

falling, the appearance and the disappearance, birth and death.

Ashavara is “pleasant mindedness.” These three mind states flow into

one another, they are all aspects of the Spiritual Mind. They allow

us to make informed acceptance and informed rejection of our

thoughts. For example, when at college, we put a drop of sugar in a

petri dish of amoebas, all amoebas quickly scooted toward the sugar.

Then we put a drop of vinegar in another dish and all the amoebas

moved away from it. The amoebas consist of organic living material,

we are made of the same stuff. We move towards comfort and pleasure

and away from discomfort and displeasure. In today’s parlance, the

Buddha would say “Don’t go there!” Keep an even mind.

When a loved one dies we feel sadness and grief. We miss the familiar.

We may begin obsessing: “I should have been more considerate…I ought

to have been more loving…I wish I had… I wish I hadn’t…I ought to

have…I ought not to have.”

An uncontrolled mind will take us on many trips and lead us down blind

and darkened alley ways. The trips do not change a thing! we accept

the pain and sadness, then move away from it. All the obsessing in

the world is not going to change things. There is no way to escape

what is happening, no way to avoid it. It is futile to try to

manipulate life so that it is always pleasant. We cannot expect to be

comfortable all the time. Life is irritating some times… but, life is

also wonderful at times. Accept the moment to moment stuff, whether

it is pleasure or pain with an even mind, then move on. Do not try to

hold on to either, it is not worth the effort. Accept it with

samatvam, anakula, ashavara… an even, undisturbed, pleasant mind, and

you will find your peace. Let the disturbing thoughts pass as a

thunderstorm in the dark night, the sun will rise again. Let the

pleasant thoughts pass like a soft cloud in a clear blue sky…they

always do, you know.

Smiles… Robert/Gator – slightly submerged and watching the cotton balls floating in the sky.