Equanimity through Right Perspective
-Sridevi Annapragada
The world is full of opposite sides of the same coin, night-day, yin-yang, male-female, where one cannot exist without the other, which says both are equally important. We cannot say one is better than the other. The concept of one is good and the other is bad; this way is correct, and any other way is wrong; these are the dualities we carry in our minds. The concept of one underlying principle behind all beings and actions removes the identity-based judgments we needlessly practice.
Even though we know the One Truth, retaining this understanding while operating in the universe is challenging. Hence, acting out of our judgemental attitude has become part of our lifelong journey. While we can hurt others with this judgmental attitude, the most affected is ourselves. We judge, label, and create identities within us and finally become self-critic and self-loathing individuals. A hundred voices within our heads constantly judge shame and blame us daily for every small thing.
Feeling worthless and developing low self-confidence has become a modern psychological pandemic. Social media only reinforces this on us and our teen children. We are no longer the whole. The broken parts we carry outweigh the assets we have developed over time with excellent family values given by our parents and society.
The other end of the spectrum could be thinking too highly about ourselves, putting others down, labeling people as sensitive, eccentric, or antagonistic to people who don't agree with their ideologies and theories, shunning away from people with whom they don't resonate with their thoughts and beliefs and thinking themselves superior to others. We can see that the corporations are also not spared from this malady. The managers and people in leadership positions fail to understand that their employees work for the company, not them.
Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita says, "Punditah samadarshinah" - The wise see oneness behind everything and everyone.
Samadarshana is about developing the right perspective. All humans have equal birthright — to be, feel, and express the way they are, wholly and completely. Delving into this understanding gives us equanimity or Samadarshana.
We are all equally working towards a common goal. When managers consider their direct reports as equal to themselves, they stop being controlling and dictating and become compassionate. Many think compassion means being weak and susceptible to exploitation, but it works well when applied correctly. However, it is not easy to practice kindness. This calls for more people to walk the Yogic path to move beyond these disparities and start seeing people and all beings as equal, working towards a higher purpose in the universe.
Let us join hands to first begin practicing Samadharshana (seeing with equality) or Samatvam (equanimity) within ourselves and accept the Self as equal to all the living beings manifested on this earthy life. This can help drop all our judgements, identities, labels that occupy so much space in our mind and body about ourselves and others. We are all on our own journey at our own pace to find our "Truth".
Sridevi Annapragada is a yoga teacher and currently a student of Diploma in Yoga Therapy at Yoga Bharati