The Perfection of Equanimity - The wise Lomahamsa II

“He thought, ‘I shall accumulate the practice of supreme patience,

enduring derisive speech from others.

I shall develop the perfection of equanimity to the highest degree.’

He left his home, dressed only in the clothing he was wearing;

he practised the elimination of defilements to the utmost.

When he was without strength, he behaved as if he had strength.

Though not dumb, he behaved as if he was dumb,

while he was ridiculed by others because of his appearance

that seemed to be of a fool.

He wandered in villages, cities and the capital,

and he stayed in each place for only one night.

Wherever he was much ridiculed, he stayed for a longer time.

When his clothing became worn out and unsightly,

he did not accept another piece of clothing from someone else;

he wandered about with clothing that served only to cover the private parts.

While he wandered about in that way he came to a house in the village.”
This is the perfection of equanimity to the highest degree, which is most difficult to develop. He had many possessions, but he did not cling to them. He wanted to accumulate the perfection of equanimity: he endured derisive speech from others, and he went outside covered only by a piece of cloth. When he was without strength, he behaved as if he had strength, he was not downhearted and he had patience. Though not dumb, he behaved as someone who is dumb, he was not disturbed by anything. No matter what someone else said, no matter whether others ridiculed him because of his outward appearance which seemed to be that of a fool, he was unaffected.
We all have different accumulated inclinations. We are attached to our  appearance, to our clothing, to words of approval and praise from others. We like to be dressed beautifully, but the Bodhisatta had in that life great endurance, he was unaffected when others jeered at the way he was dressed. Where he was much derided he stayed longer. Wandering about in that way he came to a house in a village. We read:

“There the children of that family were of a mischievous character,

they were prone to violence and liked to beat other people.

Some children were relatives or slaves of the royal household.

They had a cruel, fierce character, 

they uttered sarcastic, coarse, insulting speech

and they went about mocking all the time.

When these children would see old, destitute people,

they would take fine dust and scatter it all over their backs.

They behaved in an improper, reproachable way,

and they jeered at the people who were watching the scene.

When the great Being saw those mischievous children going about in the village,

he thought, ‘Now I shall use a trick as a means of accumulating the perfection of equanimity,

and therefore I shall stay in that place.’

When those mischievous children saw the Great Being,

they began to behave in an improper way.

The Great Being stood up and pretended that he could not stand this any longer

and that he was afraid of those children.

When the children followed the Bodhisatta,

he went to a cemetery, thinking,

‘Here nobody will interfere with the conduct of those children.’

He took a skeleton as a pillow to support him and he lay down.

Thereupon the children behaved in an improper way

such as spitting upon him and then returned.

Every day they behaved in this way.

When wise people saw the children’s behaviour,

they forbid them to act in that way, saying,

‘This person has great powers, he is an ascetic, a great yoga practitioner.’

Those wise people greatly praised and honoured the Bodhisatta.”