Sadhana Panchakam, Instruction 29

Translation and Commentary by Jayaram V

4.5 Endure the dualities such as heat and cold

Suffering does not mean feeling just pain and sorrow. Any disturbance or modification which arises in the mind or body for any reason is a form of suffering only. When we say life is full of suffering, it means that in life we are subjected to numerous disturbances, which may be real or imaginary, which may arise from numerous situations. We are disturbed by numerous factors and every disturbance produces some kind of suffering. In spiritual life we aim to resolve it by overcoming desires and expectations, while enduring the suffering they produce, and experience peace and equanimity.

A spiritual person has an opportunity to practice these virtues when he goes out seeking alms. Since he depends upon others for food, he has to cope with a lot of uncertainty without losing balance and control. It teaches him valuable lessons about the harsh realities of life, and how he has to respond to diverse range of actions from people in different conditions. Through them he learns to endure suffering, honor and dishonor, heat and cold, etc., without losing control. Instead of giving in to sorrow, he uses them as opportunities to practice self-control, indifference, sameness, patience, equanimity, etc.

Life is unpredictable. Disappointments are bound to arise since life does not always offer its best choices and conditions to everyone with certainty. It is one of the reasons why people turn to spirituality and learn to cope with their feelings amidst problems and difficulties. One of the early virtues they have to learn is to remain steadfast amidst the chaos of life, cultivating sameness and indifference. Remaining unperturbed by the conditions of life and the behavior of others and accepting them as a play of Maya, they learn to keep their emotions under control and treat people equally, irrespective of how they treat them. We cannot always read other people’s minds. If people do not show the best of their behavior when he interacts with them, it is not necessarily because they are by nature hostile. They may be having their own problems when we meet them, and they may not appreciate our presence.

The world offers a large field and numerous opportunities to everyone to cultivate sameness and indifference and remain calm amidst chaos. Only a few people take advantage of it and improve themselves and their responses. It is important to remember that no one can truly control the world or the behavior of others, but one can control oneself and one’s responses to different situations. There is no one specific way or the excellent way to deal with any situation. It is where discretion arises, which in turn depend upon your broader aims of life. Spiritual people learn to absorb the suffering which arises in life and move on, with their minds firmly fixed upon liberation. They know that we always have a choice in dealing with situations, and we cannot complain about how our choices bear fruit.

The world is impermanent. The dualities of life which arise from it are also impermanent, which is a blessing because we can always hope for change and improvement by resolving bad situations and attracting their opposite. On the spiritual path, you are not expected to do even that. You have to bear with the conditions of life as long as they last or seek divine intervention, without engaging in desire-ridden and egoistic actions to control them, change them or escape from them.

The Bhagavadgita considers sameness a divine virtue, without which one cannot achieve liberation. It (2.14) states that the experience of pleasure and pain or heat and cold arise because of the contact of the senses with sense objects. Because of their impermanent nature, they keep coming and going. They shall be dealt with by practicing self-control, sameness and equanimity, keeping the ego under check and establishing the mind in the self. Only those who accept them as they are and are untroubled by them are fit for liberation. When sameness is firmly established, one progresses quickly and attains equanimity, peace and self-absorption.

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