Along the road to awakening,
We have four companions that join us.
They wait for us within our hearts and minds to help us on the path toward enlightenment.
When as with all things,
They manifest their opposites,
They manifest our enemies.
Through our meditation,
We help to cultivate these four companions and cast out our enemies.
We abide within the presence of our companions whenever we can open our hearts to clarity,
Our minds to wisdom,
A dedication to practice and a trust within ourselves and the Dharma.
We abide in the company of loving-kindness,
Compassion,
Joy and equanimity.
All of these dwell within us but are shrouded and veiled by the darkness of our own detriments.
By pointing them out and focusing toward them,
We may begin to plant the seeds of growth and cultivate a true measure of each of these four profound qualities.
These four companions create real security and determination in our practice.
If they are cultivated each to some extent,
We will all,
As the Buddha said,
Not quarrel with the world.
This is part four of a four-part meditation series on these four companions.
Let us begin again by getting into the meditation position,
Whether it is on a cushion,
In the cross-legged position,
In a chair or standing.
Take a moment to find balance.
Take a moment to find stability.
Take a moment to find the breath and bring the awareness forward.
And for the time being,
Just focus on these words.
The last of our four companions is the great friend of equanimity and balance,
Or what is called even-mindedness.
Its apparent enemies are anxiety,
Restlessness,
And anxiousness,
And its subtle enemy is indifference and apathy.
These can easily be confused for one another and often attempt to hide behind each other in our searching for understanding and equanimity.
Equanimity is based on the wisdom that everything changes,
On a recognition of the impermanence and thus equality of all things.
Everything changes.
This is the universal law.
Whether it is good or bad,
It is neither a cause for excitement or sadness.
Even our own well-being is an illusion because nothing can ever make us lastingly secure and nothing can make us lastingly one way or another except for enlightenment.
I once heard a great sage say that,
All you will find between this moment and enlightenment,
No matter how convincing,
Are illusions.
To cultivate equanimity in ourselves we need more than just determination.
If we just use determination we may fall into mere suppression,
Which is not what we want.
Equanimity needs insight.
When it is perfectly cultivated,
Equanimity is one of the seven factors for total enlightenment.
Yet how do we practice it before that point?
Through meditation we can start to see the flow,
How the mind constantly changes and that all we are and experience is like snow upon the desert sand.
One moment here and the next gone.
Everything is momentary.
As the breath rises it is already falling.
As it falls it is rising again.
Once you accept this and work with it in your meditation,
The necessary insights will begin to arise.
So long as you do not accept this,
There will be resistance in your practice.
Resistance of the way and of equanimity is one part that carries us to enlightenment.
Let us sit with this and think of impermanence,
Even-mindedness and equanimity.
There will be a short bell at the end that signifies the end of the practice,
Followed by a short accord that I hope you will listen to.
Thank you.
Thank you for sitting with me in this fourth part of the four part series on these four companions.
If you have sat with me through all four of these,
I am truly happy to have you here and I am very happy to have you meditating and considering these things.
If you find joy in my words and my work,
And you are financially able to,
If you would take the time to consider donating even a dollar on Insight Timer or Patreon,
It would mean the world to me and supports the creation of this kind of content.
You can find my Patreon at patreon.
Com slash Silas Day,
Or just support me here on Insight Timer.
Thank you and have a wonderful day.
