Equal-mindedness in the Life of the World

By P. C. Goyal

The Bhagavad Gita lays great stress on equal-mindedness, exhorting us to look with the same eye on all, whether wise or foolish, high or low, friend or enemy, honest or dishonest. "The wise look alike upon a learned and righteous Brahmin, a cow, an elephant and a dog, and even the eater of a dog." (V. I8). And again: "He is esteemed who observes the same equanimity towards the benevolent, friends, foes, the impartial, neutrals, those of ill-will, relatives, the righteous and the unrighteous." (VI, 9).

What is the meaning of this for one who is living in the world, as distinct from a sadhu who has renounced the world? How can he put it into practice in his daily life of work, play and rest? Actually, it would be quite wrong to suppose that this precept is meant only for the sadhu. It is even more necessary for the householder.

The real meaning is that I should have equal regard for all other human beings, nay for all living creatures, that I should be free from prejudice, malice or contempt towards some or undue favour towards others. It does not mean observing similar conduct or behaviour towards all others but seeing the same Spirit of God pervading all life as an invisible unity within multifarious diversities. On that basis my external behaviour will vary according to the needs of times and circumstance's and not be capricious or dictated by love or enmity, fear or favour.

Suppose. for instance, the organisers of a meeting give the chair and platform to the president and distinguished guests, while the audience sit on the floor below and a few fools or miscreants who try to disturb the meeting are ejected from the hall: have they violated the principle laid down in the Gita?

Not unless their behaviour is dictated by personal affection for the president and malice towards the miscreants. On the contrary, if they should choose a fool or miscreant for president on the plea that no distinction should be made between the wise and foolish they would be falsely interpreting the principle, and they would thus defeat the very object of the meeting.

I may be careless of my possessions when dealing with a person who is known to be honest but must take precautions with one who is dishonest. I may speak appreciatively to the former and harshly to the latter if the occasion so demands. But if the two of them are drowning in the river I shall see God in both and rescue them both without discrimination.

Suppose a mother has two sons and two daughters, all four of different ages. They will have different needs as regards clothing, food and education. It would be quite foolish of her to treat them all alike in these respects. She will be following the Gita principle correctly if she regards them with like affection and does what she can for the welfare of each one of them, giving them different things according to their different needs. She will only violate it if she discriminates mentally between them, treating the needs of one as less important than those of another.

This Gita precept is, then, a very sound rule of conduct in a world of outer variety masking inner unity. Even if I wanted to, it would be unwise and in some cases impossible to ignore physical differences and avoid making distinctions in my treatment of others. For instance. I can't treat and feed my cow in the same way as my dog. I can't behave in the same way towards my mother, my wife and my daughter.

And in the case of a householder, social as well as physical differences have to be observed in matters of conduct. I can't behave to my employer in the same way as to my office clerk.

Even my own body provides me with an excellent analogy for understanding the principle of equal-mindedness. I don't use my mouth, hands and feet in the same way but discriminate between them. Indeed, I have to bestow different kinds and degrees of attention on the different parts of my body. Nevertheless, I regard them all equally as mine, feel their various pains and comforts alike and have the same amount of concern for the entire body. The feeling of 'mineness' pervades every part of my body so long as I am alive though each part is used for a different purpose and treated in a different way.