Upekṣā

Upekṣā (Sanskrit; Faded: upekkhā ), the equanimity is one of the central concepts of the Bouddhisme.

The equanimity is a particular quality, associated with wisdom, Prajna, which differs from the indifference. The indifference is simply a feeling, Vedana, neither pleasant nor unpleasant. But the equanimity is “moral quality”: not a feeling but a volition, Samskara.

Upekṣā, as a Samskara, is described like one of the factors of an extremely developed concentration: the fourth Dhyana, whatever the object which will have made it possible to reach this concentration.

Upekṣā can be taken as object of a exercise of concentration and constitutes one of the Incommensurable Four then. See: Samatha Bhavana . This exercise consists in developing the equanimity and the concentration.

“the knowledge of the equanimity towards the mental formations”, sankharupekkha-chick, is, according to the description of Seven purities one of the stages of the practice of Vipassana.

Upekkhā-bojjhanga is a factor of awakening, one of seven qualities which makes it possible to reach the nirvana. For this reason, it is associated with wisdom, even it is wisdom.

The description of the practice in term gradual makes reference at a stage, sankharupekkha chick, the equanimity towards any formation, or imperturbability in front of all the conditioned phenomena, in which meditating this quality completes and approaches the nirvana from the force of its detachment.

References

Nyanatiloka, Vocabulary fade-French of the Buddhist terms , Adyar

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