“To me this is a very big deal. I don’t know if I’ll ever go into why this so . . . because there’s so many layers to this . . .”
Actually I come to realize that it’s not that of a big deal, which I’ll explain at a later time. But it was something that I wasn’t aware of, but could be used to learn of it. In a way I was surprised and rushed words, spoken too soon.
I was going to say as well . . . “If that’s the case, then we would’ve all have attained Nibbana many times . . . “
The reason’s why I said this was because to indirectly hopefully share an example of where one can use the dhamma where one is learning / understands for discernment. One of the other ways to express what will be mentioned.
I’m sure everyone here knows about the sansara process, how we have been reborn in the hells and heavens without a discernable beginning. I believe in our previous life, we all had attained the 4 jhana’s and been born in the highest of heavens. My understanding is that the 4th jhana is related to upekkha. If we all had attained the 4th jhana some time in our previous lives and that if by achieiving / remaining in upekkha can get rid of or eradicate seeds, thereby leading to no more new fruits. Then wouldn’t we have already attained nibbana and many times over?
One can force mind to be equanimous for only so long. Then again one will start to create merits or demerits.
One can also get attached to equanimity.
“They have good description about end goal, but they don’t share any methodology about how to mold mind to permanently behave in the said equanimous way.”
I can’t say my book learning or understanding of upekkha is much, but from understanding so far, it seems like the permanent way to mold the mind to behave “in the said equanimous way” is by developing and having Lokuttara Samma ditthi leading the way.