15. Equanimity

 


Samatva (equanimity) is a common thread that runs across the Gita. Lord Krishna highlights samatva-bhaav, samatva-drishti and samatva-buddhi at various places. Samatva is easy to understand but difficult to internalize. The degree of samatva within us is an indicator of our progress on the spiritual journey.

The Gita begins with our relationship to things, gradually extends that understanding to people, and ultimately teaches us to remain balanced in situations such as praise and criticism. Krishna asks us to regard gold and a stone alike, and to look upon a cow, an elephant, and a dog with equal vision -without assigning greater value to some and lesser value to others.

In the case of people, the difficulty is that we tend to identify with one or more artificial divisions based on culture, religion, caste, nationality, race and gender. The ability to overcome the divisions and to treat two different people equally is the first step towards samatva. Krishna tells us to have equal regard for the strangers, relatives, friends, enemies, hateful beings and righteous (6.9).

The next level in the evolution of samatva is the ability to view those who are close to us and those who are not with the same equanimity. Examples include being happy for the success of our friend’s children especially when our kids didn’t do well, treating mother and mother-in-law equally, treating daughter and daughter-in-law equally etc.

The highest level of samatva is the ability to equate others to ourselves. It is the ability to maintain samatva when others get what we believe belongs to us, like promotion, fame, credit, property etc. Krishna says that the best yogi is he who feels for others, whether in grief or pleasure, as he feels for himself (6.32) which is the highest form of samatva. The obstacle in attaining this highest form of samatva is our mind, which is trained to divide. Instead of allowing it to dominate, we should be able to make it subservient.

This can be attained when we recognize others’ weaknesses within ourselves and our strengths in them. Krishna advises us to see ourselves in others and others in us; and finally, to see Him everywhere.


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