The principle of impermanence teaches us many wisdoms, and one of them is developing our mind to maintain equanimity in all conditions of life, both success and failure. In life, we might have to go through many failures yet we may also get chances to celebrate successes. Somehow, every human being likes success, but failure feels like thorns. However, is it possible to live a life without failure at all? Everyone, at different stage in own life, faces both failures and successes. How you receive them defines your character.
While life keeps moving, we need to maintain a balance in this motion. Allowing life to get toppled with emotional turmoil is not advisable. It would ruin us not only in failures but also in successes. Consider a person distributing alms of a sizeable amount when getting rich, but trying to steal if poverty strikes. This is not how we adapt to the situation. There are certain rules we need to follow to live in society. If a student excels in an exam, parents may pamper her, but if she fails, they cannot disown her. She is the child of the family and will remain so, despite her success or failure. A delicate balance is necessary here in both the situations of success and failure.To develop a mindset of equanimity in both situations, we must understand them as waves in the sea. There are crests and troughs. But none of them is better water than the other. Both are made of the same water running in different cycles. The way we see day and night, as the earth rotates on its axis, but in effect, neither the sun nor the earth changes due to this cycle; everything remains the same. We should understand different phases of life in this context. Success and failures are like crests and troughs in the same water of our life. Taking both of them with equanimity and maintaining emotional balance in every situation is true wisdom.
Shri Krishna in Bhagavat Gita Chapter 2, Shloka 48 describes the principle of equanimity to Arjuna as follows:
योगस्थ: कुरु कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा धनञ्जय |
सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्यो: समो भूत्वा समत्वं योग उच्यते ||
Translation: Be steadfast in the performance of your duty, O Arjun, abandoning attachment to success and failure. Such equanimity is called Yog.This shloka is preceded by the one in which Shri Krishna tells Arjuna that he has no right over results, but only over his efforts – Karma. In this Shloka, Arjuna is advised to perform his duties in all situations dedicatedly, without being affected by the outcome, with full equanimity. It is called the Yog – union with the supreme. The ultimate balance and control over emotions in life.
People with a strong mindset do not get affected by turmoil in life, but remain steadfast on their path of performance. They maintain faith in their efforts, faith in the supreme power. Whether one is following any religion or not, believes in any God or not, being consistent in efforts, without being perturbed by outcomes, is the best way to live a life of equanimity.
Mahatma Gandhi led many movements during the freedom struggle of India. Some of them did not yield expected results. But he remained fully committed to the principles of truth and non-violence. It gave him strength, kept his vision clear. Gave the freedom movement a clear direction. This was possible because of him remaining balanced in both success and failure. His calmness in both victory and defeat was exemplary.Steadfastness in duty, performing karma without flinching in difficult circumstances, is required for a balanced approach in life. Remaining composed in the time of difficulties, maintaining one's own calm, and continuing on the path of one’s duty, is equanimity. Such equanimity saves us from crumbling under the weight of uncertainties. A person with such wisdom doesn’t collapse on facing failure, nor does he become inflated on the occurance of success. Such an individual maintains perfect equanimity, both in favourable and unfavourable circumstances, without moving from the path of Karma.Elixir:Circumstances are cyclical. We pass through phases of success and failure in life. Equanimity guides us to maintain full commitment to our duty, our karma, in all circumstances without flinching.
