Is Equality a Passive Acceptance?

Achieving the balance between equality and inert passivity is difficult for the human mind, as we tend to prefer clear 'black and white' choices rather than any kind of nuanced approach. Equality refers to the psychological poise with which one receives all impressions, sensations, circumstances, and forces that act upon the being. This does not imply that one must meekly accept whatever comes as the 'will of the Divine".

The equality and ability to maintain calm is a function of the external nature. This allows the seeker to maintain his aspiration and focus toward the Divine. It is the psychic being, in contact with the Divine, that knows 'the thing to be done'.

Outer circumstances do not generally favor the transformation process that the psychic being has accepted, and thus, opposition, difficulties, obstructions will frequently arise as the existing forces of the status quo try to maintain their control and ascendancy. It is the very process of the evolution of consciousness and the transformation to not accept what comes from the existing modes and ways of the world and the forces at play there, but to accept, introduce and move into action the higher forces trying to manifest.

In his book, The Mother, Sri Aurobindo addresses this precise point:

"Note that a tamasic surrender refusing to fulfil the conditions and calling on God to do everything and save one all the trouble and struggle is a deception and does not lead to freedom and perfection."

Sri Aurobindo writes:

"Equality is a very important part of this Yoga; it is necessary to keep equality under pain and suffering -- and that means to endure firmly and calmly, not to be restless or troubled or depressed or despondent, to go on with a steady faith in the Divine Will. But equality does not include inert acceptance. If, for instance, there is temporary failure of some endeavour in the sadhana, one has to keep equality, not to be troubled or despondent, but one has not to accept the failure as an indication of the Divine Will and give up the endeavour. You ought rather to find out the reason and meaning of the failure and go forward in faith towards victory. So with illness -- you have not to be troubled, shaken or restless, but you have not to accept illness as the Divine Will, but rather look upon it as an imperfection of the body to be got rid of as you try to get rid of vital imperfections or mental errors."

- Santosh Krinsky (USA)

Institute of Wholistic Studies, and, Lotus Press

Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 1, Calm -- Peace -- Equality, pp. 15-16