In plain words
Uparati means, first of all, trying to bring oneself some measure of contentment within. This very thing has been called conscience. When our conscience has no contentment, our life finds no contentment at all. Truly, that is your master. I say this many times. Four Fs. First of all, follow the master. You must follow your conscience. But you act against your conscience and deceive the world into thinking you are acting well. What you think is one thing, what you say is another. What you say is one thing, what you do is another. This is against humanness. The proper study of mankind is man. Thoughts, words, deeds: these three must be one. You must shape what is in your heart along the right and sacred path. That is follow the master. When you follow your conscience in the right way, face the devil. We may stand ready to face this that is wicked, unholy, passing and unclean. How far must we do these? We must keep on until we develop confidence. Follow the master. Face the devil. Fight to the end. We must fight against it to the very end. Then self sacrifice comes of itself. That is finish the game. So uparati is to inquire, first of all, whether our heart is in the right state or not. Your good and bad are not for someone else to declare. You must decide your good and bad yourself. How must you decide? You must decide so that it satisfies you. But today no one enters into such a sacred thing.
Then, titīkṣā. The equal state of the two is called titīkṣā. Let someone blame you or praise you, you must take both with an even mind. We must regard it as mere waves of sound. Our goodness does not fall because someone reviles us. Our goodness does not grow because someone praises us. At one time you may bring home good marks. You must not sink in despair and dejection, saying you have failed. You must regard these as results that have come in some way to increase your zeal and drive. That is why: The pleasure is an interval between two pains. We must believe that pleasure lies only between two pains. You must not sink in despair, saying, ‘I have failed.’ Why did I fail? You must examine it well, saying, ‘I did not study properly.’ It is only the fault of my own effort, and nothing else is the cause. But you must hold to the resolve, ‘From now on I shall carry my effort through well.’ In that, hold to determination, a fine firmness. Only when we are like this can we gain evenness and Ānanda in everything. A cool wind is blowing. We cannot put up with this cool wind for long.