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Monday, April 28, 2014

Freedom of thinking, action and speech?

We want to be able to have freedom of thinking, action and speech. That's what most people fight for from ancient until now. When we want to be able to express ourselves through thinking, action and speech freely, do we also allow other people to express themselves through thinking, action and speech freely, even though we might not like and might not agree with their thinking, action and speech? Do we easily or automatically be disturbed, offended, angry and unhappy when we hear or see something that we cannot agree with or we think it's insulting or disrespecting? Do we want to be free from disturbs, anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction, restlessness and unhappiness? Do we really want to have peace? Or, do we actually enjoy all the disturbs, anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction, restlessness and unhappiness, and don't really like peace (as it seems to be quite boring without excitement and stimulation.)

There's nothing wrong with expressing our thinking and points of view about our agreements and disagreements, about what we believe as right and wrong, and to discuss or debate about certain subject freely. That's the natural habit of the mind. That's what a mind does to 'feel' being existing, to be acknowledged by itself and the world of its existence.
 
It's not just about we want to have freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech, but we must also understand that all actions will bring desirable/undesirable or expected/unexpected consequences of action. There will be agreeable/disagreeable and pleasant/unpleasant reactions coming from other people of different backgrounds reacting towards our thinking, action, expression and speech.

When we only allow ourselves to have freedom of thinking, action and speech, to believe in whatever we want to believe, to do whatever we want to do, and to express or say whatever we want to express or say, even if it appears to be insulting/disrespecting/offensive towards certain things for certain people of different background, but at the same time, we don't allow other people to have freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech, or to react in certain way towards our thinking, action, expression and speech, and we want to 'correct' their thinking, action/reaction and speech to be the way that we think it should be, the way that we like and agree with, and that is what the world is happening now - it starts with disagreements, then arguments, clashes, unrest, hatred, violence, wars, killing, torturing, and etc.

If someone needs to 'change' or 'be corrected', it has to come from oneself being aware of there's something in oneself that needs to be 'changed' or 'corrected', and willingly to 'change' or 'correct' what needs to be 'changed' or 'corrected' by oneself, and it's not coming from other beings trying to 'change' or 'correct' another being.

When we practice yoga and meditation, we are changing the habits of this mind (our own mind, not other people's mind). We are silencing the mind. When the mind is silent, turning inward resting in the chamber of the heart, wave-less/action-less, what is freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech?

Taming and quieting the busy outgoing self-righteous expressive mind is our yoga and meditation practice. The rest are just 'toys' to bring the attention of the mind into this present moment.

That's why the observance of silence is the most important practice in meditation retreat. It doesn't matter whether we are intellectual or not, it doesn't matter we are whom we think we are, it doesn't matter how healthy, strong and flexible is our physical body and what it can do or cannot do, it doesn't matter we have been to a yoga school or not, or have studied and learned under which Guru or which school, it doesn't matter how long we have been studying and practicing yoga and meditation, it doesn't matter how much we know or don't know about this and that, it doesn't matter what we believe what things are and how things should be, we all do one same practice. We silent/withdraw the thought-waves (the mind), the organ of action (the body) and the organ of speech (the expression).

When we see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think about something that we like or dislike, agree or disagree with, we observe, be aware. Just observe and be aware, without identification, without attachment, without reacting, without judging, without anticipating, without craving, without aversion, without clinging, without rejecting. This practice might take some time to be effortless. But then our mind will taste freedom and peace. Real freedom and unconditional peace. Freedom from ignorance, egoism, attachment, desire and impurities (in short, suffering).

Freedom of thinking, action and speech is there when we have the clarity and understanding to decide or choose what we want to think, act/react, express and say, or not. Being able to decide/choose what to think, act/react, express and say, and what not to think, act/react, express and say, is the real freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech. It's not about being able to think, act/react, express and say anything and everything freely, even if it will cause painful sorrow/suffering to ourselves and/or other beings.
 
Just like we can choose to keep our hands away from contacting with fire directly because we don't want to suffer injury or pain from being burnt by fire. It doesn't mean that we are lack of freedom of action when we choose not to perform certain action that will cause injury or pain to oneself and/or others, thinking that freedom of action means, "I want to be able to do whatever I want to do, such as be able to put my hands into the fire for as long as I want and I expect myself not getting injury or pain from being burnt." That's ignorance, not freedom at all.

Om shanti.

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Know thyself. Everything is impermanent and selfless. There is no 'I'. There is no 'I am selfless'/'I am not selfless'. There is no 'I am hurt'/'I need to be healed from hurt'. Non-blind believing, non-blind following, non-blind practicing and non-blind propagating, but be open-minded to inquire the truth of everything. Be free. Be peaceful. Be happy.

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