Develop a mind of equilibrium. You will always be getting praise and blame, but do not let either affect poise of mind: follow calmness, the absence of pride.
If we only practice compassion at the mind level, we run a great risk of our compassion being just talk. As we know, talk is cheap. To develop true compassion we have to put our money where our mouth is.
The voting booth joint is a great leveller, the whole neighbourhood – rich, poor, old, young, decrepit and spunky – they all turn out in one day.
For him who has completed the journey, for him who is sorrowless, for him who from everything is wholly free, for him who has destroyed all ties, the fever of passion exists not… He is like a pool, unsullied by mud; to such a balanced one, life’s wanderings do not arise. Calm is his mind, calm is his speech, calm is his action, who, rightly knowing, is wholly freed, perfectly peaceful and equipoised.
