Equanimity is a spacious stillness of mind that allows you to be with things as they simply are. It does not imply indifference, however. Rather, when equanimity is present, it is the ground out of which sustained transformation can occur. It is also the foundation for the boundless arising of other qualities of the mind and heart, such as lovingkindness, compassion, and sympathetic joy-joy in the happiness of others. The predominant tone of equanimity is one of calm. Be fully connected to whatever is happening around you. Fully connect to others without habitual reactions of careening toward what is pleasant and pulling away from what is unpleasant. Without equanimity, you might offer friendship only as long as your offering is acknowledged and appreciated, or as long as someone responds in kind. You would offer compassion to yourself only when you were not overcome by pain and compassion to others only when you were not overcome by their suffering. You would offer sympathetic joy only when you did not feel threatened or envious. Cultivate equanimity and your tremendous capacity to connect can blossom-for you do not have to push away or cling to anything that may happen.

Sometimes in teaching meditation we say, "Sit like a mountain. Sit with a sense of strength and dignity. Be steadfast, be majestic, be natural and at ease in awareness. No matter how many winds are blowing, no matter how many clouds are swirling, no matter how many lions are prowling, be intimate with everything and sit like a mountain." This is an image of equanimity. We feel everything, without exception, and we relate to it through our own strength of awareness, not through habitual reactions.

Equanimity's strength derives from a combination of understanding and trust. It is based on understanding that the conflict and frustration you feel when you can't control the world does not come from your inability to do so, but rather from the fact that you are trying to control the uncontrollable. You know better than to try to prevent the seasons from changing or the tide from coming in. Following autumn, winter comes. You may not prefer it, but you trust it because you understand and accept its rightful place in a larger cycle, the bigger picture. Apply the same wise balance to the cycles and tides of pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral experiences in your life through guided meditations, talks, and Q&A periods to explore the practice of equanimity. Go deep into the practice and find equanimity:

• Through mindfulness
• Alongside lovingkindness and compassion for yourself and others
• By reducing the stress of daily life
• In deep peace meditations

As you begin to understand and practice equanimity, you move from a mode of struggling to control what comes into your life a mode of simply wishing to truly connect with what is. This is a radical shift in worldview. Be part of it. This retreat is suitable for both new and experienced meditators.

Course 123146
Date  Saturday, June 23 and Sunday, June 24
Time  10:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Sat. night optional Q & A 7:00 - 900 PM
Cost  $300/275 by May 23
Place Techny Towers, 2001 Waukegan Rd., near Northbrook, IL