Subsidiary Exercise #3

Overcoming Pleasure and Pain

During the Day

Develop a certain equanimity towards the fluctuations of joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain.
`Heights of jubilation’ and `depths of despair’ should quite consciously be replaced by an equable mood.

Take care that,

  • no pleasure shall carry you away
  • no sorrow plunges into the depths
  • no experience leads to immoderate anger or vexation
  • no expectation gives rise to anxiety or fear
  • no situation disconcerts you

and so on.

Once Every Day

There need be no fear that such an exercise will make life arid and unproductive; far rather will it quickly be noticed that the experiences to which this exercise is applied are replaced by purer qualities of soul.
If subtle attentiveness is maintained, an inner tranquility in the body will one day become noticeable;

  • Call this inner tranquility up before the soul
  • Pour this feeling into the body
  • Let it stream from the heart
    • towards the hands
    • towards the feet and, finally
    • towards the head.