Samadhi Pada • sutra 33
| मैत्री करुणा मुदितोपेक्षाणां सुखदुःख पुण्यापुण्यविषयाणां भावनातश्चित्तप्रसादनम् ॥१.३३॥ maitrī karuṇā mudito-pekṣāṇāṁ sukha-duḥkha puṇya-apuṇya-viṣayāṇāṁ bhāvanātaś-citta-prasādanam ॥1.33॥ |
|---|
| The pacification of the mind (citta-prasādanam) is attained through the cultivation (bhāvanātaḥ) of friendship (maitrī), compassion (karuṇā), sympathetic joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekṣāṇām), in relation (viṣayāṇām) to happiness (sukha), suffering (duḥkha), virtue (puṇya), and non-virtue (apuṇya). |
| Commentary This sutra offers a concrete path to cultivating a clear, stable, and serene mind: citta-prasādanam. The word prasādanam evokes openness, ease, clarity: qualities belonging to a mind that is not only calm, but also lucid and ready. Patanjali is not speaking here of complex techniques, but of an inner attitude to be cultivated (bhāvanātaḥ), a voluntary and consistent practice of transforming the way we view the world. The four attitudes presented are directed toward four kinds of situations: • Friendship (maitrī) toward those who are happy (sukha): the challenge is to overcome envy or a sense of separation, and to sincerely rejoice in another’s joy. In this sense, being happy for someone else’s happiness means doubling one’s own joy – a simple yet powerful principle. • Compassion (karuṇā) toward those who suffer (duḥkha): this is not pity or judgement, but the willingness to feel with another without losing oneself. • Sympathetic joy (muditā) toward those who act virtuously (puṇya): appreciating the good in others, without comparison or sarcasm. • Equanimity (upekṣā) toward those who act in questionable or harmful ways (apuṇya): not indifference, but balance. The capacity not to be pulled into reactivity or the need to intervene. These four attitudes are not moral dogmas, but practical tools to lighten the mind from its habitual tensions. When we stop reacting automatically to what we see – with envy, repulsion, judgement, or attraction – the mind grows quiet, no longer imprisoned in its own patterns. In the context of practice, this sutra serves as a compass to orient our attention not only in meditation, but in every relationship. The goal is not to become perfect, but to observe how we relate to others and to what happens, creating space, presence, and discernment (viveka). These four attitudes correspond to the Four Immeasurables of Tibetan Buddhism, expressed as universal aspirations extended toward all sentient beings: • Immeasurable Love: May all beings obtain happiness and its causes • Immeasurable Compassion: May all beings be free from suffering and its causes • Immeasurable Joy: May all beings never be separated from the bliss that is free from suffering • Immeasurable Equanimity: May all beings dwell in equanimity, free from attachment and aversion This parallel shows how the teaching has a universal and cross-traditional value, useful for inner growth and the cultivation of presence. |
Leave a Comment