समभावै- प्रतिक्रियारहित जीवन
By कु. कोशल
Summary
The text discusses the concept of living a reaction-free life, which is described as true independence and liberation. It states that a person who lives without reactions is self-reliant, free, and can be called a liberated or passionless being. The state of being free from reactions is defined as equanimity, which is considered true conduct or religion, and is a state of the soul free from attachment and agitation. Beings who react with likes and dislikes to even slight internal or external stimuli live a dependent life filled with pleasure, pain, agitation, and fear. The purpose of spiritual practice is to live a reaction-free, independent life amidst the constant natural, human, animal, divine, or karmic stimuli. This equanimity is the soul's natural state, independent of any external condition or place. To awaken this equanimity, the text outlines four key points. First, cultivating friendliness by abandoning aversion and developing a perspective that appreciates virtues, which leads to love. Second, maintaining awareness and self-reflection to identify and eliminate latent defilements, as carelessness, not the act of living, causes karmic bondage. Third, taking responsibility for one's own actions, as each being experiences the results of their own deeds, and blaming others is a common mental tendency that should be abandoned. Fourth, seeking refuge in oneself, as the ultimate reality is one's own pure consciousness, which is beyond all external objects, relationships, and mental constructs. The text emphasizes that this state of blissful equanimity can be attained in the present moment, anywhere, without dependence on any external organization, place, time, or posture.
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Conclusion
The document emphasizes that true freedom and liberation are achieved through a life devoid of reaction, termed *samabhav* or equanimity. The key implication is that external circumstances, whether natural or human, do not bind the soul; rather, it is one's own reactive attachments and aversions that create bondage. The prescribed outcome is a shift from blaming others or fate for one's suffering to taking complete self-responsibility. By cultivating the four practices of friendliness, alertness, self-criticism, and self-reliance, one can transcend the cycle of karma. The ultimate outcome is the realization of the pure, blissful, and independent nature of the self, attainable in the present moment through inner stillness, regardless of one's external situation.