K SIVA PRASAD
The writer is a senior IAS officer in the Punjab Government
Samatva (equanimity) is a common thread that runs across the Gita. Lord Krishna highlights samatva-bhaav, samatva-drishti and samatva-buddhi at various places. Samatva is easy to understand but difficult to internalize. The degree of samatva in us is an indicator of our progress in the spiritual journey.
The difficulty with us is that we tend to identify with one or more artificial divisions based on culture, religion, caste, nationality, race and gender. The ability to overcome these divisions and to treat two different people equally, is the first step towards samatva.This is nothing but acceptingsamatva as equality before the law for all citizens.
The next level of progression in samatva is an ability to see two peoplewith samatva, where one is close to us and the other is not. Examples include being happy for the success of our children’s friends especially when our kids didn’t do well, treating mother and mother-in-law equally, treating daughter and daughter-in-law equally etc.
The highest level of samatva is the ability to equate others to ourselves. It is the ability to maintain samatva when others get what we believe belongs to us, like a promotion, fame, credit, property etc. The obstacle in attaining this highest form of samatva is our mind, which is trained to divide. Instead of allowing it to dominate, we should be able to make it subservient.
This can be attained when we recognize others’ weaknesses within ourselves and our strengths in them. Krishna advises us to see ourselves in others and others in us; and finally, to see Krishna everywhere. This is nothing but advaita, which says there are no two.