Melissa Ann Goodwin
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
U is for Upekkha
Upekkha is a Sanskrit word that means "equanimity." It's one of the four great virtures: Compassion, Kindness, Sympathetic Joy and Equanimity. With all the changes in our life right now, equanimity is the hardest of these for me. So I'm working on it. All your supportive comments have been helping so much. I just try to come up with mantras, like, "just be here now," or "all is well." RVPainter's new saying is, "I'm not worried about it." I've tried this one, and it's actually quite effective!
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Worrying never solved a problem.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great word. All those words are good ones to live by, I think.
ReplyDeleteI have boundless equanimity in a crisis. It's the day to day stuff that wears on me--LOL! I think I have learned to stress even less the older I get and the more I have lived through. My favorite saying is--this too shall pass. Being adaptable is a good skill to hone. You'll be just fine. :)
ReplyDeleteRita, thank you for that. I think I'll be all right. I lose my balance when I am uprooting and changing my life so radically. But I do know that "this too shall pass" and I am grateful for the reminder. "you'll be just fine" are lovely and comforting words :)
DeleteP.S. I have boundless equanimity in OTHER people's crises :D, but not my own.
DeleteI love that the Sanskrit virtues do not require you to be better, smarter, richer than anyone. They are all truly lovely and all hard to achieve consistently. Something to strive for though.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
It's true - they aren't in any way "holier than thou," they are just ... helpful..
DeleteWhen I would lay awake at night, paralyzed by worry, I'd at one point hear a voice in my head saying, "Put it down." Laying down my heavy mental burdens, I'd drift into sleep.
ReplyDeleteTed, thank you for that. I'll try it. I miss you a lot!
DeleteWhat an interesting word. Upekkha. Never heard that one before.
ReplyDelete