Question

Is not getting swept away with emotion whether positive or negative, equal to having Equanimity? Is this the aim?

Answer

So, is not getting swept away with emotion, positive or negative, equal to having Equanimity? Is that the aim? Well this is part of having Equanimity, not getting swept away with emotion, positive or negative. Not wanting, wanting, wanting. Not hating, hating, hating. It's definitely part of having Equanimity. Equanimity though does encompass more when it becomes the factor that we want, which is a Parami and a factor of enlightenment. It encompasses a bit of wisdom in it, too. So it is not just "not getting swept away with emotion". There are people who can be very indifferent, who don't get swept away with emotion. They just don't care. So we can't say that not getting swept away with emotion is equal to Equanimity. No, it could be indifference. When there's more wisdom involved and also more compassion involved, then we could hope that it is equanimity that does not get swept away with positive or negative emotion.

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