Equanimity facts for kids

Equanimity is a special kind of calmness and balance. It means staying undisturbed and steady, even when you face strong emotions, pain, or difficult situations. Many major religions and ancient philosophies teach that equanimity is a very important virtue and value.

What Does Equanimity Mean?

The word equanimity comes from the Latin words aequus (meaning 'even' or 'level') and animus (meaning 'mind' or 'spirit'). So, it literally means having an "even mind" or "calm mind." The English meaning of "evenness of temper" has been used since the 1600s.

Equanimity in Religions

Many different religions around the world talk about the importance of equanimity.

Indian Religions

Hinduism

In Hinduism, the word for equanimity is samatvam (or samatva or samata).

The ancient text Bhagavad Gita talks about it. It says that you should do your duties without worrying too much about whether you will succeed or fail. Being calm and balanced like this is called yoga.

A spiritual teacher named Swami Sivananda explained that to reach samatvam, you need to develop certain qualities. These include:

• Viveka: Being able to tell the difference between what is real and what is not.
• Vairagya: Not being overly attached to things.
• Six virtues: Mental calmness, control of your senses, endurance, faith, and mental balance.
• A strong desire for freedom.

He said you need to work on steadying your mind all the time.

Yoga

Another Sanskrit word for equanimity is upekṣhā. This word is used by Patanjali in his Yoga Sutras. Here, upekṣhā is seen as one of the four special attitudes. The others are:

• Loving-kindness (maitri)
• Compassion (karuṇā)
• Joy (mudita)

It is also connected to the idea of Vairagya, which means "not being overly passionate." Some Yoga schools, like Upeksha Yoga, believe equanimity is the most important part of practicing yoga.

In many Yoga traditions, practicing equanimity can be a result of regular meditation. When you combine meditation with pranayama (breathing exercises), asanas (yoga poses), and mental training, it can clear your mind. This helps you move towards a state of health and balance.

Buddhism

In Buddhism, equanimity (Pali: upekkhā; Sanskrit: upekṣā) is also one of the four special attitudes. It is seen as:

Not just a thought or an emotion, but a steady understanding that everything in reality changes. It helps you gain wisdom and freedom, and it protects compassion and love. While some might think of equanimity as being neutral or distant, true equanimity brings a feeling of warmth and brightness. The Buddha said a mind full of equanimity is "full, great, endless, without anger and without ill-will."

You can also develop equanimity through meditation. During meditation, you can practice "single-pointed concentration." This is where your mind focuses on one thought or feeling at a time. You notice how the feeling comes up. This helps you become more aware of the present moment. With practice, your mind can become calmer and more balanced.

In Vipassanā meditation, people learn to see clearly that all experiences are temporary. From this view of equanimity, your mind becomes less easily upset by unexpected situations or strong emotions. Meditation can train your mind to be sensitive and flexible. This helps you develop and keep a state of calm, peace, and balance in all kinds of experiences.

Abrahamic Religions

Judaism

Many Jewish thinkers believe that equanimity (called Menuhat ha-Nefesh or Yishuv ha-Da'at) is important for growing morally and spiritually. Rabbis like Rabbi Yisroel Bal Shem Tov and Rabbi Simcha Zissel Ziv wrote a lot about this virtue.

Christianity

Samuel Johnson said equanimity means "evenness of mind, neither too happy nor too sad." In Christian philosophy, equanimity is seen as necessary for practicing other virtues like modesty, gentleness, contentment, temperance, and charity.

Christian patience means being able to handle annoying things. It means controlling your own will so that problems don't feel heavier than they should.

Christian forbearance means understanding that all the difficult experiences people have with sin will eventually lead to good results that God intends. It means not being quick to accuse, find fault, or overreact. It's about looking kindly at what others do and not quickly thinking they meant to be unkind.

Islam

The word “Islam” comes from the Arabic word aslama. This word means the peace that comes from fully surrendering and accepting things. A Muslim can experience that everything happening is meant to be, and comes from God's great wisdom. So, being a Muslim can mean being in a state of equanimity.

Baha'i

The many writings of the Baha'i Faith talk a lot about divine qualities, and equanimity is one of them. Words like "detachment" and "selflessness" are used often. These help people free themselves from strong reactions to the changes and challenges of the world. People are encouraged to be completely detached from everything except God. This means not being too attached to the material world or their own desires.

Other related ideas include faith, growing through suffering, strength during difficulties, dignity, patience, wisdom, and not being attached to material things. Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Baha'i Faith, wrote that to receive God's favor, a person must be willing to sacrifice their own desires.

Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'u'llah's son, was exiled and imprisoned for over forty years. He faced many hardships. Yet, it is said that he remained very calm. Even when people thought he might be killed, he was planting trees in his garden. He would later share the fruits with both his friends and enemies.

When asked about his time in prison, he said: "Freedom is not about where you are. It is a state of mind. I was thankful for the prison, and not having liberty was pleasing to me, because those days were spent serving, even with great difficulties and trials, and they brought good results." He explained that true freedom comes from being free from your own self.

Equanimity in Philosophy

Many ancient philosophies also valued equanimity.

Pyrrhonism

In Pyrrhonism, the word for equanimity is ataraxia. This means being undisturbed or unbothered. Achieving ataraxia was the main goal of Pyrrhonist practice.

Taoism

In philosophical Taoism, equanimity is both a practice and the result of that practice.

Stoicism

Equanimity is a very important idea in Stoic ethics and psychology. The Greek Stoics used the words apatheia or ataraxia. The Roman Stoics used the Latin word aequanimitas.

The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius wrote a book called Meditations. In it, he explains how to find and keep equanimity even during conflicts. He suggested following nature as a guide. His adoptive father, Antoninus Pius, even chose "Equanimity" ("Æquanimitas.") as his last word.

Epicureanism

Epicurus believed that "pleasure" (ἡδονή) was the greatest good. But he thought the way to get this pleasure was to live simply, learn how the world works, and control your desires. This way of living would help followers of Epicureanism reach ataraxia (equanimity).

See also

In Spanish: Ecuanimidad para niños