Equanimity born with power
Through concentration we can dive the mind down into the first well of equanimity. This is the fourth Jhana. With determination of directed attention, the mind can power through into states of high dose well-being, where a contentment even deeper than peacefulness springs forth. As foreground and background awareness synchronise, wakefulness radically increases, all gross contractions evaporate and experience is soaked with a pure white light, enveloping your whole being. The fourth Jhana is a state brought about by deep meditation, and by flooding the mind with high-pressurised equanimity, a clearing can be made to more cleanly inspect consciousness. This state is the least stable means of equanimity though, as even slight mental or physical perturbation can be enough to throw you out of it.
This well of equanimity only provides for a short time, at most some hours.
Equanimity born in time
Through insight, we reach a phase where the body sinks into the second well of equanimity. As the mind existentially wrestles with relations in reality, a season comes when the fight turns to dance and where body discomfort and irritation once were, ease and softness come to flow. If the equanimity state of the fourth Jhana is to be considered top-down mentally engineered, where mind relaxes body, then the insight equanimity stage is a natural bottom-up emergent harmony, where body relaxes mind.
The insight stage of equanimity is long, delightful and fruitful leading to fruition itself. During this period all affect is diluted by these equanimous waters. One can effortlessly prance about and spray others with their new found fount of love and peace. However, like all kingdoms, periods free of conflict don’t last forever, and such is the same for the kingdom within. The seasons of life continue to change. New paradigms develop, become familiar and comfortable, then turn old and finally found untenable; they break down forcing the conditioned bodymind through the journey of rebuilding anew, thus starting the whole process again. Such is life and thus the cycles of insights revolve indefinitely. This is the endless evolving nature of creation, and the insight equanimity stage is simply a relative golden age within it.
This well of equanimity lasts a moderate amount of time, up to many months.
Equanimity born of wisdom
Through awakening, our soul dissolves into the third well of equanimity. As we surrender more and more to the source of this spring, it saturates more and more of our being. Once the serene water sprouts, this channel of equanimity remains permanently open, no matter the content of our mind or the physical condition of our body - making it both state and stage independent.
This equanimity is still present even when challenging emotions run high. Despite the surface unrest, the depths of fundamental meta-okayness still well up. This equanimity is still present even when we have food poisoning and are suffering from agonising stomach pain. It allows us to smile and laugh in between bouts of vomiting. It is with this abundant wellspring that the mind can learn to no longer fear its shadow, or fear fear itself. It is the equanimity that allows the bodhisattva to travel to the hell realms and rescue souls long forgotten, while remaining uncorrupted.
This well of equanimity, once tapped into, lasts a lifetime.
The essence of all these equanimities is the same, and all have some subjective similarity, as all wells draw from the same source. That source is our Buddha nature. Though it's precise location is unlocatable, drill any which way long enough, you are sure to find it.
Well, well, well…
Look what we have here.
Well, well, well…
Feel what we have here.
Well, well, well…
Hear what we have here.
Well, well, well…
Recognise what we have here.
