सुहृन्मित्रार्युदासीनमध्यस्थद्वेष्यबन्धुषु | साधुष्वपि च पापेषु समबुद्धिर्विशिष्यते || ९ ||
suhṛn-mitrāry-udāsīna-madhyastha-dveṣya-bandhuṣu sādhuṣv api ca pāpeṣu sama-buddhir viśiṣyate
suhṛt—by nature a well-wisher; mitra—benefactor with affection; ari—enemy; udāsīna—neutral between the parties; madhyastha—mediator between the parties; dveṣya—the envious; bandhuṣu—and the relatives; sādhuṣu—unto the pious; api—as well as; ca—and; pāpeṣu—unto the sinners; sama-buddhiḥ—having equal intelligence; viśiṣyate—is far advanced.
“One who is equal-minded toward well-wishers, friends, enemies, the indifferent, the neutral, the envious, relatives, the righteous, and the sinners — that person excels.”
This verse describes a radical inner democracy: the same consciousness is seen in all the varied characters of life's drama. This is not a policy of naivety — a wise person still acts differently toward a saint and a criminal in practical terms. But the inner recognition is equal: the same Self inhabits all forms, regardless of how differently they are currently expressing. This equal-vision (sama-buddhi) is both the fruit of realisation and the practice that hastens it.
Choose one person toward whom you feel strong aversion or envy. Spend five minutes sincerely considering: What has their life been like? What pressures or wounds drive their behaviour? The same awareness that animates me animates them. This practice of perspective-taking is a powerful antidote to the reactive mind.