On Settling Consciousness

Pick a sutra… and “chew on it.” Share your translation and how you’ve interacted with it or related to it in the two weeks.

I.33 maitrî-karuñâ-muditopekæâñâä sukha-duïkha-puñyâpuñya-viæayâñâä bhâvanâtaå citta-prasâdanam

  • maitrî = friendliness
  • karuñâ = compassion
  • mudita = delight
  • upekæâñâä = equanimity
  • sukha = happiness
  • duïkha = distress, pain, suffering
  • puñya = good, virtuous
  • apuñya = bad, evil
  • viæayâñâä = object (of experience)
  • bhâvanâtaï = radiating, projecting
  • citta = consciousness
  • prasâdanam = calming, tranquilizing, clarification

Consciousness settles as one radiates friendliness, compassion, delight, and equanimity toward all things, whether pleasant or painful, good or bad.

(translation by Chip Hartranft)

You must use kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity.
Learn to keep your feelings in balance,
whether something feels good, or whether it hurts;
whether something is enjoyable, or distasteful.
This practice makes the mind bright and clear as pure water.

(translation by Michael Roach and Christie McNally)

The feelings of friendship, mercy, gladness, and indifference, in regard to objects happy, unhappy, good, and evil, respectively, pacify the chitta.

(translation by Swami Vivekananda)

There is no phenomena which cannot reveal the mystery of Love and Unity.
Even in an illusion of stark polarity.
The secret then
Is how one relates.
Be loving and kind.
Respond with deep compassion.
Light up with delight!
Abide in peace, in balance.
These are the mind states that approximate the view of the Infinite.
In particular:
Meet what is naturally pleasing with appreciation.
Meet what is difficult and painful with kindness and compassion.
Meet what is good and beautiful with joy.
And those things that appall you, that seem evil or just really get your goat
Those things, those things
Meet with equanimity
Not rushing to judgment
Not looking away
Not reviling with harsh words
But remaining present, poised, open hearted,
Practice what you have learned in meditation
Look deeper
Cut through appearances with the diamond of insight
And abide
Calm, clear, unmoving.
This is the way of the Tao, and of all the Wise Ones.

– Paraphrased by David Lake, who doesn’t know squat about Sanskrit syntax.