The Yoga of Equanimity:- Perform action, O Arjuna being steadfast in yoga, abandoning attachment & balanced in success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga. (Bhagavad Gita, 2:48) Samatvam is equanimity of mind & outlook, equipoise. It is being able to keep the mind & balanced in all the conditions of life. It is the ability to be forever serene, contented, calm & peaceful. Samatvam is having the ability to remain cheerful in adverse conditions, to have fortitude in meeting danger, & to have the presence of mind & forbearance to bear insult, injury & persecution. Samatvam means being able to go through the routine of life, amidst the din & clamour of the world, patiently & joyfully. Goal of life:- Pious people, saints & sages declare that the restlessness afflicting everyone, the state of discontent, discomfort & dissatisfaction, & the feeling of being ill at ease with oneself & one’s surroundings is due to the loss of companionship with one’s soul. Man has forgotten that the goal of life is the attainment of Self-realization or God-consciousness. There is one supreme, undying intelligent principle or essence, Atman or Brahman Supreme Self, who dwells in the chambers of everyone’s heart. He exists in the past, present & future. He is existence absolute, knowledge absolute & bliss absolute. Abiding joy or lasting peace can only be sadhana, self-restraint, purity & meditation. Ultimately, he must reach the yoga of equanimity. The Pathway to Samatvam:- An aspirant who treads the path of samatvam must make every effort to acquitr the following essential qualities: discrimination, viveka dispassion, vairagya, the six virtues, shadsampat, & an intense desire for liberation, mumukshutva. In order to possess the virtue of samatvam, he will also need to dedicate himself to steadying the mind every moment of his yoga career, because if the mind is restless, not an iota of progress can be made in the attainment of this divine quality. All over the world there are peace conferences, peace talks & peace walks. They are no doubt laudable & beneficial, but unless we all consciously strive for equanimity through meditation, prayer & other spiritual practices, no one in this world will be able to achieve true, everlasting peace of mind. To attain the state of samatvam the aspirant will have to prepare himself while living amongst all the ups & downs of life. How can this preparation be made? Carefully study the words Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. In this magnificent dialogue between Lord Krishna & hid disciple, Arjuna, all the qualities of one who has attained the yoga of equanimity are given. In that description the Lord also Arjuna the sadhana that leads to the yoga of equanimity, samatvam. Concentration & Meditation:- Through the practices of concentration & meditation, the yogi loses contact with sense objects & comes into contact with the immortal Self within & thus enjoys the supreme peace of Brahman. Aspirants, awaken! Sensual pleasures are transitory or fleeting but the bliss of Brahman is uninterrupted, undecaying & everlasting. That is the reason why one should attempt to realize the Self within. By concentration & meditation practices the yogi removes the obstacles that stand in the way of obtaining union with the Lord & thus always keeps the mind steady in the Self. CONCENTRATION:- Concentration is the way to get rid of worldly miseries & thus attain a balanced & steady mind. Man is born to practice concentration & through concentration to realize the Self. That is the purpose for which he has taken birth in a human body. However, he forgets this duty due to attachment to family, children, money, power, position, respect name & fame. Concentration of mind is one of the most difficult & tedious virtues in the world to achieve. The most outstanding habit of the mind is that it cannot stick to one point without a sustained & devoted effort to spiritual sadhana. If you watch the mind carefully, you will discover that it wanders wildly about like an unchained monkey. Yet, concentration means unite the rays of the mind at one point, to bring the mind back again & again to one chosen point or idea. So bear in mind that perfect one-pointedness is not achieved in just a day.