Ten Thousand Joys, Ten Thousand Sorrows: Practicing Equanimity Amidst Life’s Changes

A Day of Practice at Blueberry Gardens, Ashton, Maryland

Register now.

Part of the art of suffering well is learning not to magnify our pain by getting carried away in fear, anger, and despair.…Instead of throwing good energy away on condemning yourself or obsessing over what catastrophes might be lurking around the corner, you can simply be present with the real suffering that is right in front of you, with what is happening right now. Mindfulness is recognizing what is there in the present moment. Suffering is there, yes; but what is also there is that you are still alive: “Breathing in, I know I’m alive.” —Thich Nhat Hanh, No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering

At the heart of the Buddha’s teaching is the insight of impermanence. Everything in the universe is in a process of transformation. We can observe the changes our bodies have gone through since childhood, and we can be surprised by how quickly our mind states and emotions change from moment to moment. One day our lives seem to be orderly and successful; the next day, everything is thrown into disarray. Tides ebb and flow, and seasons follow each other. Everything is of the nature to change. How can we accept and hold this truth?

In our day of practice, we will explore the quality of equanimity in the Buddha’s teachings. One aspect of equanimity, upekkha in Pali (upeksha in Sanskrit), has the meaning of “looking over.” Thich Nhat Hanh evokes the image of climbing a mountain so we can look over the whole landscape, the whole situation, without being bound to one side or another. Equanimity also suggests balance and the ability to remain centered in the midst of our ever-changing lives. We can learn to accept and be present to the “eight worldly winds”: praise and blame, success and failure, pleasure and pain, fame and disrepute, letting these states come and go over the course of time.

During our time together, we will refresh and center ourselves through practices of mindful breathing, sitting, walking, and eating. We’ll share our aspirations and experiences of equanimity and explore how we can practice so that equanimity will arise more often and stay longer in our consciousness.

The day of practice will be led by Connie Anderson, Eliza King, and Tim McCormack of the Still Water Mindfulness Practice Center.  We will meet in the octagon at Blueberry Gardens in Ashton, Maryland. The suggested Dana (donation) is $40-$70.  Dana is a gift from the heart that supports the community and the teachings; please feel free to contribute less or more depending on your circumstances.

We hope you can join us! All experience levels, including no meditation experience, are welcome. Register now.

 If you have questions, please email our registrar, Gene Klinger, at gklinger@verizon.net or call 240-731-3732.