"The purpose of this meditation is to free our mind from unbalanced attitudes, which are the main obstacle to developing the essential Mahayana realizations of unbiased love, compassion, and bodhichitta. Our feelings toward others are normally unbalanced. When we see a friend or someone we find particularly attractive, we feel pleased; when we see an enemy or an unattractive person, we feel dislike for him or her; and when we see a stranger or someone we find neither attractive nor unattractive, we feel indifference. For as long as we have these unbalanced attitudes, our mind will be like a rocky field that cannot support the growth of Mahayana realizations. Our first task, therefore, is to free our mind from these unbalanced attitudes and develop genuine equanimity — an equally warm and friendly attitude towards all living beings. . . .

We engage in the following contemplation:

There is no sense in feeling attached to someone who appears attractive, feeling aversion towards someone who appears unattractive, or feeling indifferent towards someone who is neither attractive nor unattractive. Someone who appears attractive to me can be the object of aversion to others; someone who appears unattractive to me can be the object of attachment to others; and someone to whom I feel indifferent can be an object of attachment or aversion to others. There is no certainty. The appearance of attractiveness, unattractiveness, and indifference are only my own mistaken projections; and they make my mind unbalanced and unpeaceful, and destroy my happiness.

Having repeatedly contemplated these points, we make the strong determination: 'I must stop all these unbalanced minds, and develop and maintain equanimity — an equally warm and friendly attitude towards all living beings.' With this determination, we generate a warm and friendly feeling towards all living beings without exception. This feeling of equanimity is the object of our meditation.”