Cultivating an Equanimous Mind
To cultivate a mind of equal and unbiased compassion, we must view every sentient being equally, rather than being particularly kind to some while being especially dismissive of others.
Once, the great master Chögyam Trungpa asked the venerable Shantideva: “Can you please give a teaching that summarizes all the essential points?” The venerable one replied: “Just as you wish for yourself, so do other sentient beings wish for themselves; therefore, practice accordingly (with an equal mind towards self and others)!”
We often feel close to our friends and family, distant from those we dislike, and indifferent towards those who are unrelated to us. This unequal mindset imbues our compassion with a strong sense of “self-attachment.”
In fact, throughout the endless cycle of rebirths, all sentient beings have been our parents, relatives, and friends countless times. They have loved us, protected us, and brought us much joy. Due to attachment and craving in this life, many of our friends and family members become obstacles in our practice. On the other hand, these beings who are like mothers have also been our enemies; they have harmed us countless times and caused us much suffering. The enemies in this life bring many troubles and pains into our worldly existence, prompting us to seriously contemplate the nature of suffering in samsara. This leads to the arising of a desire for liberation and turning towards the Dharma; thus they often serve as conducive conditions in our practice. From this perspective, all sentient beings are equal in their relationship with us.
Moreover, every sentient being wishes for happiness just like ourselves and seeks to avoid suffering; everyone’s experiences on physical and mental levels are entirely similar. Every life within samsara is bound by the suffering of the five aggregates and troubled by the five poisons. Each person among humanity is made of flesh and blood; everyone has emotions, desires to be understood and accepted, fears loneliness and abandonment—each person experiences helplessness against circumstances beyond their control as well as fear of the unknown… At all times we think about how to attain more happiness while wishing to avoid even a hint of pain. From any perspective we consider it is clear that all beings are equal. When we see others suffering, we should imagine that person as ourselves; put ourselves in their shoes and reflect on how we would wish to avoid pain in that same situation. When others experience joy, we should empathize with them by considering how we would desire happiness if we were in their position.
In our usual practice of cultivating an equanimous mind, we visualize our parents from this life as well as past lives on our right shoulder while visualizing those who owe us debts or enemies on our left shoulder—and imagine them both as equals. With prolonged practice like this, a natural sense will arise that oneself and all sentient beings are indeed equal.