Upekkha (noun) – Pali/Sanskrit

Equanimity. Refers to the mast of a ship staying upright on stormy seas. Unwavering stability in the face of fluctuations. Unshakable inner equipoise that cannot be upset by gain and loss, honor and dishonor, praise and blame, pleasure and pain. Upekkha is freedom from all points of self-reference; it is indifference only to the demands of the ego-self with its craving for pleasure and position, not to the well-being of one’s fellow human beings. 

As we develop concentration, deeper connection, and upekkha, the spotlight of our attention grows stronger, and we begin to become more skillful at pointing it in useful directions.