The Way of Equinimity

"Herein is the mystical secret that holy sparks are raised when we fully realize that we are nothing but vehicles for the expression of Divine Will. Paradoxically the vehicle itself has its own free will. When the conductors (you and I) of this free will believe that we are separate identities, we limit and detach ourselves from the source of life, and the sparks thereby cannot be returned to their root. When we appreciate that we are empowered by a central force, then our free will is used for the benefit of this central force, and the holy sparks are returned to their root." Rabbi David A. Cooper,God Is a Verb: Kabbalah and the Practice of Mystical Judaism

The more I explore Judaism, the more I recognize similarities between the core of its mystical expressions and that of Vajrayana Buddhism. To many, this might seem a far-fetched comparison, but at least insofar as my own experience is concerned, I find my attraction to the meditative and transformational elements of Judaism strikes very similar chords to my opening to the Dharma. The most poignant example of this is the oftentimes understated consequence of practicing an observant Jewish life: the diminishing of ego and exaltation of the web of inter-connectivity that links us all in the fabric of creation.

Though I could spend a lifetime fleshing out the exercises offered in Cooper's God is Verb, I think that I would like to start by focusing on each of his recommended practices for raising the sparks of the Divine on a case-by-case basis. It isn't that I don't trust him and need to prove something to myself before diving in. Actually, I am certain that these processes yield an abundant harvest because I explored similar practices as I familiarized myself with Mindfulness meditation and centering prayer in the context of my Buddhist practice. Rather, I am exciting to take each exercise very slowly so that I can slow down and really taste and savor what he is asking me to drink. I know that this is a rich feast, so rather than rush through it, I'd like to enjoy it.

In this spirit, I'd like to start a bit out of order and jump directly to what Cooper calls the Path of Equanimity. 

This is found on page 225 of God is a Verb:

Practicing Equanimity: Part 1

1. Sitting quietly, allowing the mind to reflect, try to recall as many times as you can during the past year when you were angry, and what caused it.

2. Try now to remember as many times as you can in your entire life when you were angry. How many details can you remember?

3. You will notice that no matter how much you try, you will be able to remember only a relative handful of times; even for these, many of the details will have disappeared. Notice that more than 90 percent (and it may be as high as 99 percent) of the angry experiences you have had are completely forgotten. Reflect upon this for a few minutes.

4. Now, try to remember all of the experiences of great joy that you have had in your life. Try to remember all of the details as best you can.

5. Of course, you will have noticed that more than 90 percent of the joyous experiences also are completely forgotten. It is true that at various times something will happen in our lives to cause us to remember an angry, sad, or joyous moment, but the point of this exercise is to realize that experiences of great emotional power do not last for long and most of the time are forgotten. Again, reflect upon this for a few minutes.

6. This is all there is to the practice. The more we reflect upon the ephemeral nature of our emotions, the more we realize that the next time we are caught in an emotional response, it will surely pass and be forgotten, even though we may not feel this way in the moment of our passion. 

I have had a lot of extreme ups and downs in my life, so I am looking forward to reflecting on them through this exercise over the next couple of days. Perhaps this equanimity resonates within the Shalom that we yearn for and pray to be made manifest in our personal lives and in all of creation.