670. Without Equanimity in our thought the Democracy suffocates…!

http://www.speakingtree.in/public/spiritual-blogs/seekers/mysticism/without-equanimity-in-our-thought-the-democracy-suffocates

Vidya Vinaya Sampanne Brahmane Gavi Hastini
Shuni Chaiva Shwapaake Cha Panditaaha Samadarshinaha -BG 5-18

According to this verse from Bhagavad-Gita, a humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge is able to see with equal vision a learned scholar, a cow, an elephant, a dog or a low class.

A civilized society is the one which understands that every human as a part of that Supreme Soul. While a very few in the society look at their fellow beings as no more worth than machines. And for them machines are simply tools to be used for their benefit and if they do not need them they just discard them. In the Dharmic view of equality a human being is considerably more urbane, considerate, and ethical, than just materialist democratic personality. A person of Dharmic views will find his fellow human as himself with infinitely more than the mere bodily appearance. When we talk about “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (World is a family) where does the differentiation of the people of one region and the other arise at the first place. A truly civilized society comprises of citizens who aspire toward the subtler and nobler spiritual aspirations of life and hence view the world from a spiritual perspective. That nation which has leaders who serve the interests of its people without hatred as well as nepotism has the Dharma Rajya (Dharmic Rule). 

What is lacking to have such a thought? Samata bhava is needed.

Samatavada is a call to interrelate with the world in equanimity which needs a person to overcome the effects of the Sukha and Dukha (pleasure and pain) which are the byproducts of Raga and Dvesha (attachment and aversion). One has to learn to take care of the garden and be glad about all the flower bearing plants. He should never favor one plant over the other or only take care of one variety while leaving the rest to wither and wilt. If the compassion has gripped to attachment, intolerance, or discrimination, it becomes possessiveness.

Our love to others becomes limited when there is no thought of equanimity. A poet-saint equates mother earth to be personification of equanimity. He writes we should learn to be like the mother earth, because no matter what people pour on her, whether it is milk, water, urine, spit saliva, or throw out feces, she receives them all without discriminating whether it is from a high status or a low class person. This is because mother earth is colossal hence she has the capacity to receive, embrace, and transform all that she receives. If we do cultivate our heart to be open and colossal we can also embrace anyone or anything without feel of inferiority or superiority.

There is this experiment which is done in physics lab where if a handful of salt is put in a bowl of water and stirred, the water becomes salty and the water is inconsumable. But if the same quantity of salt is put in the water tank that is put up in the rooftop of the lab, there is no change in the taste of the water. Likewise if our heart is large like the water tank when compared to bowl, there is no suffering from small problems. The large heart is got from equanimity which comes when we look beyond perfect and imperfect angle. Thus we obtain the ability to see everyone as equal. This attitude makes us remain impartial even in a conflict as we are able to love and understand both sides. From this we shed all discrimination and prejudice thus demolishing the boundaries that we had erected between ourselves and others. Unless we see others and value them as more than ourselves and stop perceiving ourselves as elite and exceptional from others, we will never have true equanimity.