Pura Vida: A Note on Equanimity

This is a journal entry from 8/1/17.

I am flying back from Costa Rica after an amazing trip with several of my best friends. Now I see how important it is to let go of all the stress and worry that I hold on to at home.

This trip allowed me to recharge and refresh. I felt much more like myself, got to try many new foods and experiences, and, most importantly, caught up with my friends.

I remember on my flight down here someone was talking about the phrase “pura vida,” and I came to find out what a beautiful phrase it is.

Literally translated, it means “pure life” but it is used locally as both hello and goodbye, thank you, you’re welcome, I am fine, and everything is good. The concept of Pura Vida is something that I will adopt into my way of life.

In just that one phrase, the calm and relaxed essence of the people here is perfectly captured.

Everyone I met had this completely relaxed vibe, there was no rush for anything. There is this unspoken faith that everything will work out, so the need to worry is absent. It’s an amazing way of life.

The concept of equanimity comes to mind. Equanimity is having a calm and steady mind despite the ups and downs of daily life. It means letting things happen that are beyond control without reacting and dwelling on them.

In Buddhism, equanimity is one of the four sublime attitudes and is considered to create mental space for compassion through its nonreactivity.

It is a supremely calm way of being. As I sit on this plane I can hear kids playing, people talking loudly, and babies crying, while the plane sits idly at the gate waiting for the OK to depart. Before I have been bothered by such things, becoming internally agitated by the scenario. Now I don’t mind it at all. These are the things that are happening, the reality I am faced with. It is beyond my control or influence. Why should I stress?

Everyday we are faced with annoyances and irritations, discomfort and unexpected changes. Most of the time these situations are beyond our control, however we can control how we let them affect us internally.

Have you been letting your daily irritations bring you down? Do you allow little things to dampen your mood? I find myself there too!

I have noticed that before this trip I was becoming agitated more easily, I had a shorter fuse and would allow little things to affect me in a big way. When we hold on to these little annoyances they start to build up and collectively they weigh us down more and more.

Just let them go!

Pura Vida means sitting back and enjoying life as it is served for you. Follow the ride and take the opportunities that come your way. That’s all we really can do anyway.

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Stay tuned next week for a deeper look at equanimity and the ways we can achieve and maintain this beautiful state of mind.

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