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The Need to Maintain Calm Equality in One's Relation to the Circumstances of Life · Sri Aurobindo Studies

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  Someone says or does something we do not like or which we find
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  offensive. They may do things to harm our
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  reputation or our relationships, or they may affect our financial
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  well-being, possibly cheat us, or interfere with our lives in
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  some other way. The natural reaction is one of
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  anger, even righteous anger in some cases.
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  We feel that our stomach knots up.
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  We lose our Peace of Mind, we cannot sleep, or we experience
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  other symptoms of anxiety or nervous tension.
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  We become upset by the actions of others, even if they have no
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  direct relation to ourselves. Thus, someone else's personal
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  life is treated as an affront to us, and we can become distraught
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  because of the private life that others may be leading or the
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  different decisions they make on issues of lifestyle, morality,
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  dress, or other factors that in truth do not affect our lives
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  directly. Sometimes we become upset
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  because people do things that we believe are simply stupid,
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  counterproductive, or harmful. We become upset with the news
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  and the direction our society is taking.
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  We have endless causes of disturbance to our minds.
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  Religious and spiritual aspirants are not exempt.
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  In fact, the history of religions tells us that someone
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  disrespecting our religion or our leader or teacher may cause
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  tremendous unrest in the disciples or followers and lead
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  to reactions not only of anger, but rage, hatred and outright
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  violence. So for a spiritual seeker, there
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  is a practical issue to resolve. How can we gain the standpoint
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  that allows us to observe and maintain a calm equality in the
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  face of these numerous impacts that so easily disturb our
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  peace? Swami Vivekananda describes a
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  process of observation of the mind stuff and how it begins to
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  vibrate as each impulse or impact is brought before it.
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  He provides in his lessons on Raja Yoga deep insight into how
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  the seeker can learn to still the mind stuff and thereby allow
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  receptivity to open up for the spiritual growth to take place.
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  Sri Aurobindo describes the standpoint of the witness
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  consciousness that treats all external events and impacts as
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  part of nature, to be viewed but not to be reacted to as having
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  any relation to one's inner life.
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  The techniques used by these and other teachers are intended to
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  help us achieve a standpoint of separation and freedom from the
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  immediate reactions. This is not to say that we
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  abandoned life in action. Rather, we need to find a way to
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  keep our attention fixed on the deeper truths of existence, and
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  treat these outer disturbances as transitory and subject to
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  constant change and modification, and thus not worth
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  worrying about. It is said that the Buddha once
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  counselled a disciple that if something takes place about
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  which one cannot do anything, there is no 'cause to be upset
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  or angry or to otherwise react about it.
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  It is going to happen anyway, regardless of one's reaction,
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  and if something happens that one can do something about, then
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  one should just do it without anger, without hatred, without
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  the loss of energy and focus that comes with all these
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  reactive responses. Sri Orbindo observes quote.
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  There are two attitudes that asada can take either a quiet
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  equality to all regardless of their friendliness or hostility,
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  or a general goodwill. What you should do is to keep
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  your right attitude towards the others and not allow yourself to
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  be upset, irritated or displeased by anything they may
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  say or do. In other words, keep the Samata
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  and universal goodwill proper to a Sadiq of yoga.
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  If you do that and still others get upset or displeased, you
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  must not mind as you will not be responsible for their wrong
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  reaction. End Quote Reference Sri Oro
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  Bindu and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 2.
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  Looking at Oneself and Others, pages 42 to 43.