Beware of householder equanimity

"When we come to the meditation, the Buddha says that when there’s householder distress, you should try to cure it with renunciate distress. That’s a step a lot of us would like to skip. Renunciate distress there is realizing that there is a goal that other people have attained, it is possible, but you’re not there yet, and you think about all that needs to be done.

Some people find this so discouraging that they aim for equanimity as something halfway between householder and renunciate joy, but they’re actually going back to householder equanimity. They comfort themselves with the idea that “Maybe there’s nothing to attain” or “If I try to have an attainment, I’m creating suffering and stress for myself right now. I’m getting upset over something I can’t see, so I might as well learn how to accept the way things are.” They try to anesthetize themselves to the distress, and end up with a very calm state, but again, it isn’t solidly based. It needs constant shoring up.

You see this in the people who say that there’s nothing to attain or that if the idea of attainment gets you upset, why bother with it? Just be okay in the present moment. But again, that kind of equanimity easily slips back to householder distress. It doesn’t get you out.

The way out is to focus on renunciate distress as a motivating factor...."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Skillful Distress"

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