Six Basic Exercises: #3 Equanimity
Every esoteric school knows the means which, through thousands of years of experience, bring the student to knowledge in the best way. Therefore, certain general rules are given for meditation, and also special rules for each student. But there are also certain supplementary exercises that can be added to one's usual exercises. Each of these exercises can be continued for six to eight weeks, or as long as necessary, and then started again from the beginning. There are six such exercises.
1. Concentration. Take an object, preferably an insignificant one that does not captivate us in itself, but to which we must captivate ourselves through our attention. Think about this object for at least five minutes without letting your mind wander to other things, always keeping the same thought in mind. You can prepare for this by familiarizing yourself with the object beforehand. After a few days, you can choose another object.
This exercise awakens a feeling of stability in the student by activating the chakra between the eyebrows. This feeling should be sent from there through the brain into the spine.
2. Exercise of will. Resolve to do something every day at a certain moment, again an insignificant action. This exercise also gives you strength.
3. Cultivating equanimity—that is, not swinging back and forth between “rejoicing to heaven” and “despairing to death.” A joke is no less appreciated if you don't laugh heartily at it, and pain is borne less selfishly if you don't cling to it too strongly.
This gives a feeling of calm that flows from the heart through the arms and hands.
4. Seeing the beauty and truth in all things. Think of the Persian legend of Jesus Christ, who admired the beautiful teeth of a dead dog, while his disciples saw only ugliness. In every thing there is at least a small kernel of truth and beauty to be discovered.
Continued practice of this exercise gives a feeling of great joy.
5. Be constantly open to learning new things. Never say: I've never heard that before, I don't believe it; or: That can't be! Whatever you are told, at least keep open the possibility of learning something from it. In this way, you can learn from children, animals, and all things. This gives you the feeling that you are able to perceive something outside your body.
6. This exercise is a combination of the previous ones, which can be taken two by two as you wish.
Through this practice, you will get a feeling as if you have grown larger, expanding beyond your skin.
Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Lessons I, GA 266/I, 13 August 1908, Stuttgart.