"Try hard as you can to calm the water with your hands and you will succeed in agitating it further. Let it stand undisturbed a while, and it will calm down by itself."
~ Koichi Tohei ~
The Buddhist concept of equanimity interests me and appeals to my soul. It speaks to the fact that we cannot live other people's lives for them, no matter how much we may want to and how much we may feel certain about the right course of action for them to pursue. Equanimity says I love you and I have compassion, but I cannot rise to your challenges or right your wrongs. I am unlimited in my capacity to love but not in my capacity to "do for."
I have to stand back. I have to let go of my desire to control outcomes, and I have to allow others the dignity of choosing their own way. I have to stop running interference and turn my attention to working on my own stuff. If I am honest, and willing to see it, there is more than enough on my own plate to keep me busy for as long as I live.
I love others will all of my heart, but I cannot live their lives for them. I focus on living my own life.
