A request and a disclaimer: Before you begin to read this blog, request you to first read the 3 parts of ‘Stroke in the canvas called ‘The Value of Values’. You may also choose to read the blogs on the values of amAnitvam, adambhitvam, ahimsA (the value of ahimsA is in three parts) kshAntiH, Arjavam, AchAryopAsanam, Saucam, Sthairyam, AtmavinigrahaH, indriyArthesu vairAgyam, anahankAraH and janma-mrtyu-jarA-vyAdhi-duHkha-dosAnudarsanam, asaktiH  and anabhisvangaH putra-dArA-grhAdisu though they are not a prerequisite to reading this value. The language and explanations used by pUjya swAmiji is so profound, that I wish I do justice by aligning my understanding to his explanation, as I parallelly try to relate it to day to day living.. Any error in the way I have blogged upon these values, is due to an error in my understanding alone.

This value is pronounced as nithya samachittathvam ishta-anishta-upapattishu

sama means equal

cittatvam means state of mind

istAnistopapattisu means occurance of something that is considered desirable or undesirable

To have a state of mind that treats equally, the results that we get of the actions that we do – results that we either like or dislike, that we find pleasurable or unpleasurable, that makes us comfortable or uncomfortable.

To have the sameness of the mind that is neither elated at gaining what we like, or feeling sad that we did not get what we wanted to..

This certainly is a tall order of a value to have..

– How is it possible not to feel elated when we gain what gives us pleasure, what makes us comfortable or what we like?

– Isn’t it natural to feel sad when we don’t get what we wanted to? And if we have really worked hard for it but we have NOT got it, the feeling is one at the rock bottom pit..

– How is it possible to have the sameness of mind? This is a trait only a saint will have, is a thought that certainly crossed my mind.

The first visual that came to my mind, as I started this blog, was that of a weighing scale where the needle stays at the center and staying balanced, neither moving this side nor moving the other side. But this is possible when there is no weight on the scale. But when there is weight, the scale will tilt, isn’t it?

But then, the scale is a man-made object that will conform ONLY to the way it is made. Whereas we as humans, have the capacity of changing the way we act, and to program ourselves differently.  Interesting!! What I thought was a tall order now suddenly seems to look doable.

When we achieve something that we did not expect to, isn’t it but natural to feel elated and stay in that elated state for a few moments or a few days?

Is it possible actually to be in that state all the time?

Don’t we find ourselves in situations during those moments or days, when something that we did not like to happen actually happened?

So there is elation and there is sadness.. there is joy and there is anger.. there is delight and there is depression.. If we observe carefully, everyday we find ourselves going thru’ these churn of emotions.. One moment comfortable, the next not.. one moment pleasured, the next not.. Just imagine, out of 86400 seconds in a day, if we have to go thru this churn second after second, how much will the mind be able to take? How much of this churn will the body be able to take? Each cell is working overtime to handle this churn.. Each organ is working hard to balance the enzymes, the hormones and the adrenaline in control.. Effect – BURN OUT TIME!!!

The first reaction when we encounter a situation / people  that we don’t like / not comfortable with is one of denial. That is human tendency and we cannot stop that. But we have the capacity to stop what comes after that – which is by looking at ‘how do we handle the situation we are in?’

It is like this story of a man who is waiting for his family to arrive by a ship. He gets the news that the ship has sunk.

He asks, “What?”

“Sir, the ship has sunk.”

“So what?

“Sir, you wife and children have drowned.”

“What?”

“Sir, they are no more.”

“So what?”

Every time this man says “What?” it is in denial and non acceptance of the news. Every time he says, “So what?” it is an attempt to accept the fact and trying to move on.

Now, is this easy across situations? It most certainly may not be. Some situations that impact us greatly, takes time to come out of. It takes time to tell ourselves to move on. It takes time to find ourselves work to engage in, that makes us keep aside the pain. Some situations take relatively less time to tide over the disappointment of not getting what we want.

There are people who push themselves from not getting elated, because they think that the next moment something will happen to make them feel sad.. This is like a balloon that refuses to inflate because it has to deflate a while later.. Sunken ship!!!

There are people who are so elated when they achieve something and with a THUD they hit a low, when they don’t achieve it.. This is like a balloon that inflates when you blow into it and suddenly it just goes pssssss.. It happens with such frequency that at one time soon, that balloon just snaps..

So what is that sameness of mind that we need to have, to accept whatever comes our way (pleasurable / unpleasurable, comfortable / uncomfortable, like / dislike)? Is it possible at all? Is it possible all the time? How can we cultivate this?

Some thoughts on how..

– Watch your reaction every time you encounter a situation that finds you elated / sad (based on the outcome you get).

– Observe how often do you get into these varying emotions (in a day)

– Understand the time that you take, to stay in that feeling of elation / sadness

– See whether there is a reduction in the recurrence of these instances of elation and sadness, as you keep watching yourself (you will find that there is indeed a difference)

– Look at things from a factual angle; the moment you get emotional about it, it means that you are putting your likes and dislikes on that situation. You could do one thing – imagine that you are sitting on a tall bucket that is turned upside down and the situation is sitting on the floor, near your feet. Look down on the situation (no pun intended :-)). Remove all the expectations of likes and dislikes that you have placed on the situation. You may find that there is nothing else on the situation other than what you see, which is the fact

– Visualise a poised and composed weighing scale (that is you) which has the needle in the center, not wavering on either side and if it wavers, it quickly alerts itself and comes back to that center. It’s like when a strong gust of wind blows against you, what do you do? Do you let it push you down? You fight against it to come back to standing straight, isn’t it? The same way you do this as well 🙂

– Remember always that to keep learning to move on in life, we cannot afford to sway either side.. and if we do which is the human tendency, we need to learn to minimise it

Will cultivating sameness of the mind to accept what comes our way (in terms of our like and dislike of the outcome) happen overnight? That now is a tall order.. Every instance of having the state of mind to accept the outcome is a change for the better. 

One step at a time!!!