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The Glory of Samata (Equanimity) - 'The Nature of Emotion'
Yoga Shastra, Fourth Light, Verses 55 to 59 | They repeatedly drink the nectar of samata (equanimity) at will. Whether a serpent is wrapped around their neck or a garland of Kalpavriksha flowers is worn; even then, the one who does not experience dislike or liking is the possessor of equanimity. Samata is not some esoteric substance or a fist-shaped instruction given by an Acharya or anything else. For both the child and the scholar, samata is the thirty-first medicine to eradicate the disease of attachment. It is the extremely cruel act of the peaceful yogis that they destroy the family of attachment, etc., with the weapon of samata. This is a sarcastic statement. You too attain this supreme effect of equanimity! Which grants even sinners the highest abode in an instant. The success of the Ratna Tray (three jewels) is in the presence of equanimity, but its absence leads to failure. Salutations to that mighty equanimity! After understanding all the scriptures and their meanings, we shout at the top of our voices and tell you that in this world or the next, there is no one else who can give happiness to oneself or others without equanimity. There is no other remedy for peace than this timely equanimity in the face of adversity or at the time of death. Many beings, skilled in destroying enemies like attachment and aversion, have enjoyed the wealth of the kingdom of samata and attained eternal auspiciousness and the highest position. Therefore, the seeker who desires to make this human birth successful should not be negligent in attaining this samata-equanimity, which is filled with an infinite group of happiness. ||54||
Here there is a doubt that 'equanimity is the cause of the removal of all faults, knowing this we are happy, but if there is any remedy that opposes that equanimity and there is another remedy for the removal of that remedy, and we can do it naturally, then we will be able to experience joy without any desire.' This is solved by thinking in the mind in two verses.
||381|| Samyam syan nirmatven, tatkrite bhavanaah shrayet | Anityatam asharan, bhavam ekattvam anyatam ||55|| ||382|| Ashochamasravavidhim, sanvaram karmanirjaram | Dharmasvakhyatatam lokam, dwadashee bodhibhavanaam ||56|| Meaning: Equanimity is attained through non-attachment, and to attain non-attachment, one should take refuge in twelve emotions.
Those emotions are as follows. ||55-56|| Explanation: The aforementioned equanimity arises from being free from attachment. The question arises, what is the difference between equanimity and non-attachment? The answer is: Equanimity is the opposite of both attachment and aversion; while non-attachment is only the opposite of attachment. Therefore, equanimity is said to be the remedy for both. Therefore, non-attachment, which destroys the powerful attachment, is also included in equanimity. Just as there is a powerful army, if a powerful person is destroyed in it, then it is not difficult to destroy others; similarly, non-attachment is the main reason for the suppression of attachment, which can be used to destroy aversion, etc., for the weak. What more can be said! The remedy for non-attachment is explained. To awaken the feeling of non-attachment, the yogi should take refuge in the emotions of non-attachment. The names of those twelve emotions are as follows: 1. Anitya-bhavana (impermanence), 2. Asharan-bhavana (helplessness), 3. Sansar-bhavana (worldliness), 4. Ekatva-bhavana (oneness), 5. Anyatva-bhavana (otherness), 6. Ashocha-bhavana (impurity), 7. Ashrava-bhavana (influx), 8. Sanvar-bhavana (restriction), 9. Nirjara-bhavana (cessation), 10. Dharmasvakhyata-bhavana (self-knowledge), 11. Lok-bhavana (worldliness), and 12. Bodhidurlabha-bhavana (rarity of enlightenment). These are the twelve emotions. The nature of these 12 emotions will be explained in turn. ||55-56|| Among them, the nature of Anitya-bhavana (impermanence) is explained first. ||383|| Yatpratastan madhyahne, yanmadhyahne na tanishi | Nireekshyate bhave'smin hi!, padarthanaamanityata ||57|| ||384|| Shariram dehinam sarva-purusharth-nibandhanam | Prachand-pavnodbhut-ghanaghan-vinashvaram ||58|| ||385|| Kallol-chapla lakshmee, sangamaah swapnasannibhaah | Vatyavyatikarotokshiptatul-tulyam cha yauvanam ||59|| Meaning: What is seen in the morning is not seen at noon, and what is seen at noon is not seen at night. Therefore, it is a pity that all things in this world are impermanent. ||57|| This body of embodied beings is the basis of all human endeavors. But it too is perishable like clouds driven away by a strong wind. ||58||
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