“Equanimity” is the translation of the Pali word upekkhā. Although upekkhā has several meanings, here it refers to one of what the Abhidhamma calls “the universal, beautiful factors of mind.” These are a group of mental qualities that always arise together in every wholesome mind state; these qualities include faith or confidence, mindfulness, self-respect, nongreed, nonhatred, and pliancy. Equanimity, as one of these beautiful universals, is the mental factor called “neutrality of mind.” Bhikkhu Bodhi said that the Pali term could literally be translated as “there in the middleness.” Although
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