Equanimity in extreme disturbance cases

Question

Equanimity is one of the central points of buddhism practice. I am curious what would happen to that state in cases of extreme disturbance.

Imagine that you were in immediate danger, like being killed by someone , robbed or raped.

I guess Equanimity would not be helpful on those cases, unless we are talking about calmness to think better how to counter-attack. But that would require action, and not only being observer, how equanimity states.

With base of these circunstances, i would like to hear your opinions. What would happen to an equanimity state in case of extreme disturbances?

Answer 1

Equanimity is not the central point of practicing the Dhamma but a high end tool. The central task is discrimination of phenomenas, mindfulness (on the four frames of reference).

In doing so, there is seen where a possible disturbance actually comes from, arises, and by uprooting the disturbance (inwardly), recognicing that one can be not really touched but it is just the grasping, of what is not real, by oneself, there such equanimity with phenomenas arise.

What is an extreme disturbance really? The perception of a mouse, news on TV, a day without food, an executor, a tiger in front, a lost leg, a wounded belly, sreeming child, broken computer? What disturbes? The own missing coffee or missing food for the third world? Minimum 50 years more to suffer here, and not to speak after, again and again?

My person found "Equanimity is one of the central points of buddhism practice" merely disturbing, therfore:

AN 4.100: Potaliya Sutta: Potaliya {A ii 100} [Bodhi]. Here the Buddha points out to an wandering ascetic that alienation and equanimity are not the higherst virtues in regard of praise and blame.

and maybe: The Integrity of Emptiness

Because if having started practicing one will soon know for oneself, without building on disturbing thought constructions.

Enjoy solution, discriminatingly, direct perceived.

[Note: This is a gift of Dhamma, not meant for commercial purpose or other kinds of low wordily gains by means of trade and exchange]

Answer 2

Imagine that you were in immediate danger, like being killed by someone , robbed or raped.

I could answer this from theory (canonical references) or practice. How closely a practitioner is able to attain the theoretical ideal might be another question, but here are some canonical references:

• Theravada:

  • Punna Sutta
  • Non-violence -- A Study Guide

• Zen:

  • The Moon Cannot Be Stolen
  • The Thief and the Master

i was robbed ... Thats why my curiosity how to deal with those situations

So maybe you should be interested in how you are now, after that fact:

• Two Monks and a Woman - a Zen Lesson
• Dhammapada -- The Pairs (note especially verses 3 through 5)

However, if you were about to be raped or robbed or killed, how would you react?

I think that Samana Johann is a monk and therefore has virtually nothing you could rob him of.

unless we are talking about calmness to think better how to counter-attack

I think that monks' code of behaviour includes elementary self-defence practices, e.g. trying to avoid places where thieves and murderers are known to be.

The recommendations for laypeople's behaviour include a lot of prudence: not going out drinking at night, avoiding bad friends, saving money to guard against future misfortune, etc.

By the way "think better how to counter-attack" sounds to me like it might be bad advice.

• Good (better) advice is maybe to be inoffensive (and so to avoid conflict)
• Buddhism maybe doesn't teach much "self-defence" (instead it's more likely to teach a "non-self" doctrine)

A few little bits of "self-defence", which I learned not from Buddhism but from (Taoist) Tai Chi (as a "martial art"), included:

• Run away!
• Don't attack first
• Defend yourself, when necessary, "without thinking"
• Don't get stressed (stand, keep breathing, avoid getting hit, keep your equilibrium or balance)

If you can stay calm it may be better to think about how to de-escalate, how to avoid making things worse (making an enemy) -- not how to counter-attack.