Equanimity: An Objective of Meditation

Equanimity is a central fruit of contemplative practice—a state of inner balance, calm, and presence amid life’s changing conditions. It is the quiet center within the storm, a still point in a turning world. Unlike emotional suppression or passive indifference, equanimity is an awakened, compassionate steadiness of heart. It does not arise from detachment in the cold sense, but from the deep, abiding understanding of impermanence and the wisdom that all things rise and fall in due time.

In many spiritual and meditative traditions, including early Christian mysticism, Buddhist mindfulness practice, and Stoic philosophy, equanimity is revered as a sign of maturity and transformation. It reflects a mind and heart that are not enslaved by reactivity, but are anchored in clarity, love, and peace[¹].

Understanding Equanimity

Equanimity (upekkhā in Pali, meaning “to look over” or “to observe impartially”[²]) is the ability to remain composed and internally balanced, regardless of the emotional or circumstantial turbulence that may surround us. In the Christian contemplative tradition, equanimity is echoed in the virtues of peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7) and gentleness under pressure, seen in the lives of saints and mystics who endured great suffering with spiritual serenity[³].

Equanimity allows us to live in the present moment with full awareness, without being pulled off-center by craving or aversion. It invites us to accept reality as it is—not as we wish it to be—while remaining engaged with compassion and integrity.

Equanimity Is Not Indifference

It’s crucial to differentiate equanimity from indifference. Indifference is apathy—numbness, disengagement, or spiritual bypassing. Equanimity, by contrast, is emotionally alive and responsive. It allows us to care deeply without becoming consumed by attachment or aversion. It is love with spaciousness. As Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “True equanimity is neither cold detachment nor lukewarm acceptance. It is the capacity to bring peace and love to even the most turbulent situations”[⁴].

Key Aspects of Equanimity

Here are several essential qualities that characterize the development of equanimity through meditation:

1. Non-Attachment

Equanimity involves releasing the tight grip of clinging. We often attach ourselves to outcomes, identities, beliefs, or even our emotions. But everything we hold onto is subject to change. Meditation reveals this directly. By witnessing thoughts and feelings as transient events, we learn to loosen our grip and rest in a more spacious awareness[⁵].

“Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be attained only by someone who is detached.” — Simone Weil[⁶]

In Christian thought, this parallels the teaching to “lay aside every weight” (Hebrews 12:1), and to hold this world’s blessings and sorrows with an open hand.

2. Non-Judgment

Equanimity flourishes in the soil of non-judgment. Rather than labeling experiences as good or bad, success or failure, we learn to witness them with openness and curiosity. Judgment creates inner conflict; equanimity brings peace.

Mindfulness teaches us to observe without condemnation—ourselves, others, and each moment—realizing that judgment often arises from egoic expectations rather than reality[⁷].

3. Balanced Response

Equanimity does not suppress emotion, but rather moderates reaction. It creates a sacred pause between stimulus and response. In meditation, we cultivate the capacity to watch thoughts and emotions arise, crest, and pass without being overtaken by them. From this centered state, we can respond with wisdom, rather than impulsivity.

This aligns with the Desert Fathers’ notion of apatheia—not apathy, but freedom from being ruled by passions[⁸].

4. Acceptance

Equanimity requires a full-hearted acceptance of what is. It does not mean resignation, but rather trust—a yielding to the truth of the present moment. This includes embracing suffering, change, and even uncertainty without resistance. As the 14th-century mystic Julian of Norwich expressed, “All shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well,” not because life is always easy, but because it is held in divine presence[⁹].

Acceptance is not passivity; it is grounded faith that God is present even in chaos.

5. Compassion

Equanimity is not a sterile stillness. It is love that has been purified of fear and control. It enables us to hold space for the pain of others without absorbing it, and to act justly without being paralyzed by anger or despair.

Christian contemplative traditions, such as those taught by St. Teresa of Ávila and Thomas Merton, emphasize the union of inner stillness with compassion for the world. Equanimity allows one to serve while remaining centered—a contemplative in action[¹⁰].

Cultivating Equanimity Through Meditation

Equanimity is not achieved by force. It grows through practice—through sitting with breath, body, and thought until we begin to witness the impermanence of all things. Over time, this witnessing transforms our inner landscape.

Here are a few contemplative practices that help cultivate equanimity:

Mindfulness Meditation: Watching the breath and observing thoughts helps loosen the grip of identification and reaction[¹¹].
Body Scan Meditation: Encourages acceptance of sensations without judgment or resistance.
Loving-Kindness Meditation: Balances equanimity with compassion, helping the heart remain soft and open.
Scripture Meditation: Contemplating verses like “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) grounds us in God’s constancy amid change.
Welcoming Prayer: A method taught by Thomas Keating, inviting us to welcome every thought, emotion, and sensation as a doorway to surrender and union with God.

The Fruits of Equanimity

As equanimity matures, it brings profound benefits:

Emotional Resilience: We are less reactive and more responsive.
Mental Clarity: The fog of anxiety and over-identification begins to lift.
Inner Freedom: We are no longer at the mercy of praise or criticism, gain or loss, health or illness.
Spiritual Peace: A deeper trust in God emerges—rooted not in external control, but in inner stillness.

As Paul writes, “I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content” (Philippians 4:11). This is the voice of equanimity—a soul that has found rest in the abiding presence of the Divine.

Conclusion

Equanimity is both a practice and a grace. It requires discipline, but it also flows from surrender. It is not the suppression of emotion, but the sanctification of perception. Through regular meditation and an open heart, we can begin to experience life not as a battlefield of ups and downs, but as a sacred rhythm—each moment an opportunity to rest in God, to respond with love, and to abide in peace.

Footnotes

Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path (Buddhist Publication Society, 1998), p. 54.
Nyanaponika Thera, The Heart of Buddhist Meditation (Rider, 1962), pp. 48–50.
The Holy Bible, Philippians 4:7, ESV.
Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching (Parallax Press, 1998), p. 161.
Joseph Goldstein, Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom (Shambhala, 2003), p. 115.
Simone Weil, Gravity and Grace (Routledge, 2002), p. 25.
Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance (Bantam, 2003), p. 89.
John Cassian, Conferences, trans. Colm Luibheid (Paulist Press, 1985), p. 56.
Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love, trans. Elizabeth Spearing (Penguin Classics, 1998).
Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (Doubleday, 1966), p. 35.
Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation (Workman, 2010), p. 72.