Maitree Karuna Mudita and Upeksha

 Today, I am writing in the context of making the mind still by using some simple rules to deal with all kinds of persons and relationships in the world. The 4 words are part of an aphorism from the Yogasutras of Patanjali.

Patanjali is the name of an ancient sage, who seems a remarkable individual who was the author of Sanskrit grammar as well as the author of the Ayurveda system of medicine. Myth and reality seem intertwined when we refer to some sage who is supposed to precede Christ. However, the most important contribution of this great sage remains the Yogasutras. He propagated and created Ashtanga Yoga or 8 limbed Yoga. The first two limbs contains the Yamas and Niyamas relating to restraint from unethical actions and performance of positive action. The next three limbs are related to control of the body in the form of asanas (body postures), Pranayama (relates to control of breathing), and Pratyahara, (relates to control of the senses). The following leads to the final, Dhyana, Dharana and Samadhi, which is leading to attention to the internal world followed by single pointed attention on an object of divinity, finally merging with divinity in the state of samadhi. 

maitri karuna muditopeksanam sukha duhkha punyapunya visayanam bhavanatas citta prasadanam

“By cultivating attitudes of friendliness toward the happy, compassion for the unhappy, delight in the virtuous, and disregard toward the wicked, the mind-stuff retains its undisturbed calmness.”

The Yoga sutra aphorism referred to the thirtythird  one in Chapter 1, I found fascinating and worthy of discussion. For most of us who are taking steps to still the mind by using techniques of Yoga or any other method, the success we achieve or otherwise is not so easily measured. Personally I have used the technique of Passage Meditation. I must confess that I am reasonably consistent in sitting for the same but the quality of concentration varies depending on the state of mind. However, over time I have realized that my reaction to the similar situations has changed, which makes me feel that slowly and steadily I am making progress. Situations and persons we meet in life create a kind of reaction which can be favorable or unfavorable. In a very simple sentence this aphorism gives an elegant solution to deal with the different kinds of persons we meet by categorizing them and giving a reaction to the same. 

In life we meet different people who predominantly are one the 4 kinds. 

1. Contented happy and satisfied persons. 
2. Sad unhappy and dissatisfied persons.
3. Contemporary virtuous competitive persons. 
4. Contemporary unvirtuous spiteful persons.

• Maitree: For the first kind it is natural for most of us to extend the hand of friendship a natural warm feeling of respect and happiness on meeting such a person. This is also  reserved for persons who are idols even if they are not close friends.
• Karuna: is reserved for the second kind. This is translated as compassion for the unhappy sad persons. It is closer in meaning to empathy than sympathy or pity. Here one learns to put oneself in the position of the other and share the pain and sadness in order to alleviate it. However, one important thing is not make the receiver of empathy feel inferior or beholden to the giver.
• Mudita: is reserved for the third kind of person who are our peers and equals, good persons competing with us. They by their actions surpass us and make us have the feeling "I wish I was more like him or her". We admire their virtues and we ask questions as we want to see their success come to us. If we have joy in their success equal to the joy we have when we have the same success is represented by the word Mudita. You feel genuine delight and joy in the success of your colleague as much as your own.
• Upeksha: is reserved for the evil envious contemporary competitor who spares no effort to irritate or hurt you. These are the persons most difficult to deal with and try your patience to the maximum. Upeksha means to ignore or avoid such persons and think of them as sick persons who need to be given help in the form of counseling, anger management etc. Ignore does not mean running away from such persons but living among such persons without allowing their behaviors' to affect us.

So what do we learn from this aphorism? I think it is a simple formula to apply in nurturing relationships in life. The result of this will ensure that the mind remains calm and free from the dualities of love and hared, joy and sorrow and finally victory and defeat. This is not easy but remembering and imbibing these truths in your consciousness will gradually still the mind to a state of undisturbed calmness.