While seeking to learn more about fostering equanimity during times of chaos and uncertainty, I find myself turning to the Pali Canon in search of guidance and insight.
I recently encountered Majjhima Nikaya 152 — Indriya Bhavana Sutta, also known as The Development of the Faculties. At first glance, this sutta might not seem directly pertinent to equanimity, but after further review and contemplation it becomes clear that it contains profound teachings on the nature and practice of non-reactivity and calm abiding.
Let’s dive in.
The sutta opens with a student named Uttara, a disciple of the Brahman teacher Parasiri. Uttara visits the Buddha, who asks him, “What does Parasiri teach about the development of the faculties?”
Uttara replies: “We do not see forms with the eye; we do not hear sounds with the ear.”
To this, the Buddha responds: “If that’s true, then a blind man and a deaf man would have fully developed faculties.”
With this statement, the Buddha seeks to point out gaps in Parasiri’s teaching. Reading the suttas, we come to recognize this as part of the Buddha’s teaching style. Uttara has no response and sits silently, ashamed of how quickly the Buddha refuted Parasiri’s teaching. But Uttara does not go away without a useful lesson. The Buddha, using his attendant Ananda and his cousin as his foil, teaches what he calls the supreme development of the faculties.
He explains:
There is the case where, when seeing a form with the eye, there arises in a monk what is agreeable, what is disagreeable, what is agreeable & disagreeable. He discerns that ’This agreeable thing has arisen in me, this disagreeable thing… this agreeable & disagreeable thing has arisen in me.
And that is compounded, gross, dependently co-arisen. But this is peaceful, this is exquisite, i.e., equanimity.’
With that, the arisen agreeable thing… disagreeable thing… agreeable & disagreeable thing ceases, and equanimity takes its stance.
Just as a man with good eyes, having closed them, might open them; or having opened them, might close them, that is how quickly, how rapidly, how easily, no matter what it refers to, the arisen agreeable thing… disagreeable thing… agreeable & disagreeable thing ceases, and equanimity takes its stance.
In the discipline of a noble one, this is called the unexcelled development of the faculties with regard to forms cognizable by the eye.
This structure repeats across all six faculties: eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. For each, the arising of pleasant, unpleasant, and mixed sensations is acknowledged. The key teaching is in recognizing all these experiences as fleeting and conditioned, and then resting in equanimity.
When discussing mental impressions, the Buddha uses this striking image: “Just as two or three drops of water fall on a hot iron plate, they may fall slowly, but they vanish instantly.”
Even if emotional or mental responses arise slowly, we can let them pass quickly—with awareness and calm. This, too, is equanimity.
The Buddha goes further. He explains that a noble one with developed faculties can choose how to perceive things: “If he wishes, he may perceive the unrepulsive in the repulsive, the repulsive in the unrepulsive, both, or neither—and abide in equanimity, mindful and fully aware.”
This flexibility of perception lies at the heart of equanimity. We’re not talking about denial, suppression, or forced neutrality, rather the capacity to hold multiple truths; to see complexity, and to avoid being swept away by attraction or aversion. This is a useful skill, especially in chaotic times.
So how do we practice this?
In our modern world, we’re under constant bombardment by sensory and mental inputs, many of them emotionally charged. For example:
• A protest that you deeply support may disrupt traffic. Can you acknowledge both the value and the inconvenience?
• At a public demonstration, someone throws a bottle at the police. You support the cause but find the action repulsive. Can both coexist in your perception?
• The wording of a slogan or sign doesn’t sit right with you. Can you acknowledge the intention behind it without needing to approve of the delivery?
This practice of “seeing the repulsive in the unrepulsive,” and vice versa, is not about false equivalency. It’s about training yourself to perceive fully, to acknowledge all aspects of an experience, without clinging or rejecting.
The sutta says these responses arise and vanish “just as easily, just as rapidly.” Yet it’s not always so simple. For many of us (me included), equanimity is slow and hard-earned.
As you move through your week, when you see, hear, taste, touch, smell, or think something that triggers a strong emotional reaction, try this:
1. Mindful Observation: When encountering a sensory experience, take a moment to pause. Observe what you see, hear, or feel without immediately labeling it as good or bad. This practice creates space for a more balanced response.
2. Ask Reflective Questions: When faced with strong emotional reactions, consciously ask yourself, “May I see this differently?” This simple question can open the door to new perspectives and foster a sense of calm.
3. Embrace the Equanimous Perspective: Cultivate the ability to perceive the various dimensions of an experience. Instead of becoming caught up in an emotional storm, aim to view it like water droplets quickly evaporating on a hot iron plate—temporary and passing.
Should the above feel too overwhelming, start with this:
Pause.
Ask yourself: “May I also abide in perceiving this differently?”
Try to see the other side—not to agree with it, but to understand it.
This small shift in perception, even for a second, can contain the seed of equanimity.
Let’s keep practicing together.
See more
Margaret Meloni: Death Dhamma
The Death Dhamma Podcast (Margaret Meloni)
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