In short: the Buddha described equanimity as being steady like the earth: "Rāhula, meditate like the earth. For when you meditate like the earth, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind" (MN 62). Here are four genuine quotes, each with its source.
1. MN 62
"Rāhula, meditate like the earth. For when you meditate like the earth, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind."
MN 62 · More
2. Dhammapada 81
"As the wind cannot stir a solid mass of rock, so too blame and praise do not affect the wise."
Dhammapada 81
3. Dhammapada 95
"Undisturbed like the earth, true to their vows, steady as Indra's pillar, like a lake clear of mud; such a one does not transmigrate."
Dhammapada 95
4. Dhammapada 228
"There never was, nor will be, nor is there today, someone who is wholly praised or wholly blamed."
Dhammapada 228
All quotes are from the early Buddhist texts in Bhikkhu Sujato's translation on SuttaCentral, copied exactly. Last checked: 18 October 2026.
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What did the Buddha say about equanimity?
'Meditate like the earth. For when you meditate like the earth, pleasant and unpleasant contacts will not occupy your mind' (MN 62).