| Translations of Upekkha | |
|---|---|
| English | Equanimity, neutral |
| Sanskrit | उपेक्षा (IAST:upekṣā) |
| Pali | upekkhā |
| Burmese | ဥပေက္ခာ (MLCTS:ʔṵ pjɪʔ kʰà) |
| Chinese | 捨 (Pinyin:shě) |
| Indonesian | ketenangan, keseimbangan batin |
| Japanese | 捨 (Rōmaji:sha) |
| Khmer | ឧបេក្ខា (UNGEGN:ŭbékkha) |
| Sinhala | උපේක්ෂා (upēkshā) |
| Tagalog | Upeksa |
| Thai | อุเบกขา (RTGS:upekkhaa) |
| Vietnamese | xả |
| Glossary of Buddhism | |
Upekshā (Pali:𑀉𑀧𑁂𑀓𑁆𑀔𑀸,romanized: upekkhā) is theBuddhist concept ofequanimity. As one of thebrahmaviharas or "virtues of the "Brahma realm" (brahmaloka), it is one of the wholesomemental factors ((kuśalacetasika) cultivated on the Buddhist path tonirvāna through the practice ofjhāna.
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Many passages in thePali Canon and post-canonicalcommentaries identify upekkhā as an important aspect of spiritual development. It is one of the Four Sublime States of Brahmavihara, which purify mental states capable of counteracting thedefilements of lust, aversion, and ignorance. As a Brahmavihara, it is also one of the forty traditionally identified subjects ofBuddhist meditation (kammaṭṭhāna). In theTheravada list of tenpāramī (perfections),upekkha is the last-identifiedbodhisatta practice, and in theSeven Factors of Awakening (bojjhanga), it is the ultimate characteristic to develop.
To practiceupekkha is to be unwavering or to stay neutral in the face of the eight vicissitudes of life – which are otherwise known as theeight directions of worldly winds oreight worldly conditions: loss and gain, good-repute and ill-repute, praise and censure, and sorrow and happiness (theatthaloka dhamma).[1]
The "far enemies" of upekkhā aregreed and resentment driven by desire and anger, which are mind-states that are in obvious opposition. The "near enemy", the quality which superficially resembles upekkhā but which subtly opposes it, is indifference orapathy.[2]
In the development of meditativeconcentration, upekkhā arises as the quintessential factor of material absorption, present in the third and fourthjhāna, states:
| Table:Rūpa jhāna | ||||
| Cetasika (mental factors) | First jhāna | Second jhāna | Third jhāna | Fourth jhāna |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kāma / Akusala dhamma (sensuality / unskillful qualities) | secluded from; withdrawn | does not occur | does not occur | does not occur |
| Pīti (rapture) | seclusion-born; pervades body | samādhi-born; pervades body | fades away (along with distress) | does not occur |
| Sukha (non-sensual pleasure) | pervades physical body | abandoned (no pleasure nor pain) | ||
| Vitakka ("applied thought") | accompanies jhāna | unification of awareness free from vitakka and vicāra | does not occur | does not occur |
| Vicāra ("sustained thought") | ||||
| Upekkhāsatipārisuddhi | does not occur | internal confidence | equanimous; mindful | purity of equanimity and mindfulness |
| Sources:[3][4][5] | ||||
Bhikkhu Bodhi, an Americanmonk, wrote:
The real meaning of [upekkha] is equanimity, notindifference in the sense of unconcern for others. As a spiritual virtue,upekkha means equanimity in the face of the fluctuations of worldly fortune. It is evenness ofmind, unshakeablefreedom of mind, a state of inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honor and dishonor, praise and blame, pleasure and pain.Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one's fellow human beings. True equanimity is the pinnacle of the four social attitudes that the Buddhist texts call the "divine abodes": boundlessloving-kindness,compassion,altruistic joy, and equanimity. The last does not override and negate the preceding three, but perfects and consummates them.[6]
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