Answers By Mr. S. N. Goenka: Equanimity

-What do you mean by ‘being equanimous’?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: When you do not react, you are equanimous.    

-Can we feel and enjoy things fully and still be equanimous?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Certainly. Life is to enjoy wholesome things. But not with an attachment to anything. You remain equanimous and enjoy, so that when you miss it you smile : “I knew it was going away. It has gone away. So what?” Then only are you really enjoying life. Otherwise, you get attached, and if you miss it, you roll in misery. So no misery. In every situation be happy.  

-Surely it is unnatural never to react? 

Mr. S. N. Goenka: It seems so if you have experienced only the wrong habit-pattern of an impure mind. But it is natural for a pure mind to remain fully equanimous. An equanimous, pure mind is full of love, compassion, healthy detachment, goodwill, joy. Equanimity is purity. Learn to experience that.    

-How can we be involved in life unless we react?

Mr. S. N. Goenka:  Instead of reacting you learn to act, to act with a balanced mind. Vipassana meditators do not become inactive, like vegetables. They learn how to act positively. If you can change your life pattern from reaction to action, then you have attained something very valuable. And you can change it by practising Vipassana.    

-How is equanimity related to samadhi (concentration of the mind)?

Mr. S. N. Goenka: Samadhi can be without equanimity. With the base of craving one becomes fully concentrated. But that kind of samadhi is not right samadhi. That is with the base of impurity. But if the samadhi is with equanimity, then it gives wonderful results, because the mind is pure and concentrated, so it is powerful with purity. It cannot do anything that will harm you or harm others. But if it is powerful with impurity, it will harm others, it will harm you. So equanimity with samadhi is helpful.   

-If someone is purposely making our life miserable – how to tolerate this? 

Mr. S. N. Goenka: First of all, don’t try to change the other person. Try to change yourself. Somebody is trying to make you miserable. But you are becoming miserable because you are reacting to this. If you learn how to observe your reaction, then nobody can make you miserable. Any amount of misery from others cannot make you miserable if you learn to be equanimous deep inside. Vipassana will help you. Once you become free from misery inside, this will also start affecting others. The same person who was harming you will start changing little by little.      

Source: https://www.vridhamma.org