Shaila Catherine gave the seventh talk in a eight-week series titled "Seven Factors of Awakening." This talk explores how the stability and the balance provided by equanimity can make our mind our friend, something that we can trust. When equanimity is strong, if there is pain we won't tend to react with aversion; if there is pleasure, we won't tend to react with grasping and clinging. The mind will be balanced, present, and aware of experience as it unfolds.

The series on the Seven Awakening factors concludes with Oren J. Sofer’s talk on the quality of equanimity. Sofer tells us that this quality develops slowly among the other factors and is considered one of the highest attainments in Buddhist practice. The fore-taste of evenness and balance can be considered a glimpse into the mind of an awakened being.