tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6088275604515763262024-03-19T12:06:20.677+08:00be happyThis blog is for those who want to learn and practice yoga vedanta for realizing unconditional peaceMeng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.comBlogger1515125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-57539746508684254922024-03-19T11:17:00.002+08:002024-03-19T11:54:02.984+08:00The belief of good and bad karma<p>This teaching is for those who want to learn and practice yoga and/or buddhism, and those who think and believe that they are practicing and/or teaching/propagating yoga and/or buddhism.</p><p>Under certain worldly passionate egoistic family, cultural, social, spiritual, and/or religious beliefs, ideas, values, and practice, there are minds that believe in good or bad karma, which appeared to be very similar to the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism about the nature's law of cause and effect, or actions and the consequences of actions, but there is a huge difference between 'the selfless nature's law of cause and effect' and 'the passionate egoistic belief of good and bad karma deriving from good/right and bad/wrong conducts/actions/reactions', as what is good or bad, and what is right or wrong, in accordance to the many different worldly passionate egoistic beliefs, ideas, values, and practices, are nothing to do with the selfless nature's law of cause and effect that is merely being what it is, that is non-judgmental and non-discriminate, that is neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong, neither positive nor negative, neither meaningful nor meaningless, neither joyful nor sorrowful, or neither pleasurable enjoyment nor painful suffering.</p><p>The nature's law of cause and effect is merely what things are. It is non-judgmental/non-discriminate and it's not based on the quality of good and bad or right and wrong, being projected and generated by the minds under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness. The belief of good and bad karma is not necessarily what things are, and it is judgmental and discriminate, and it's very much based on the quality of good and bad or right and wrong, being projected and generated by the minds under the influence of particular worldly passionate egoistic belief, ideas, values, and practice.<br /></p><p>The minds that are practicing yoga and/or buddhism, and have intense yearning towards liberation, and want to attain self-realization to be free from ignorance and suffering, the inquiry or investigation towards the truth of everything, is the fundamental essential practice. Although it's the freedom of all and everyone towards what they want to do and practice, or not.</p><p>The yoga and/or buddhism practitioners are never believers or followers, not to say, blind-believers or blind-followers, or blind-practitioners and blind-propagators.</p><p>The teachings of yoga, or the dhamma of buddhism, that is all about self-inquiry and self-realization, is neither a belief, nor a practice that promote the generation and accumulation of good karma or avoid the generation and accumulation of bad karma. It's about non-attachment and non-identification towards the actions and the fruit of actions. It's about renouncing the fruit of actions, regardless of what the minds think and believe and judge as 'good and bad', or 'right and wrong', or 'meaningful and meaningless', or 'deserving and non-deserving', or 'pleasurable enjoyment and painful suffering', in accordance to the many different worldly passionate egoistic beliefs, ideas, values, and practices.</p><p>The mind that is practicing yoga and/or buddhism is desireless, devoid of craving towards 'good karma' and aversion towards 'bad karma', but all and everyone is responsible for one's actions and the consequences of one's actions, where no other can remove or replace oneself for the effect deriving from the cause that oneself have been generating, and one is not being determined or disturbed by the actions and the fruit of actions being what they are, as they are, regardless of whether they appeared to be pleasant or unpleasant, desirable or undesirable, agreeable or disagreeable, meaningful or meaningless, success or failure, deserving or non-deserving, and enjoyable or non-enjoyable.<br /></p><p>The yoga and/or buddhism teachings is about the truth of what things are or truthfulness, by allowing the minds to see, to confront with, and to respect the truth that is not necessarily always pleasant, agreeable, or desirable, and to attain direct realization towards the truth of everything by oneself via an open mind, through self-effort, self-inquiry, and self-realization.</p><p>It's never about out of certain possession, identification, affection, concern, fear, or worry towards the world being or not being in certain way in accordance to one's desires and doesn't desires, or agreements and disagreements, or out of selfish intention, desire, vision, and ambition to create a world that one likes and desires, and hence, there are many hypocrisy, untruthfulness, lies, story telling, or fairy tales being generated and propagated, particularly in many things that they don't know, that they don't understand, and that they couldn't explain, to be threatening and conditioning the minds with lots of untruthfulness that gives rise to fear, in order to influence and control the thinking and behavior of the minds to be and not to be in certain way.</p><p>The belief of good and bad karma, is being used by the minds to either tempt or threaten other minds to behave or not behaving in certain way. "If you do this, or if you don't do that, you will be rewarded and enjoying. And if you don't do this, or if you do that, you will be punished and suffering." Or it is being used to justify certain things that they can't understand and can't explain, or to justify certain hurtful behavior.<br /></p><p>Just as a parent is afraid of the child doesn't behave in the way that it likes and desires, or a leader is afraid of the followers don't behave in the way that it likes and desires, or a teacher is afraid of the students don't behave in the way that it likes and desires, or everyone is afraid of all the others don't behave in the way that each and everyone thinks and believes how everyone should and shouldn't behave. And hence, there are many story telling or fairy tales that are either 'tempting' or 'threatening' the minds to behave and not behaving in certain way.<br /></p><p>There are some minds, including the minds that are practicing and/or teaching/propagating yoga and/or buddhism, were/are being conditioned to believe in,</p><p><i><b>"</b>All and everyone are existing here, experiencing what they are experiencing, is because of their own good and bad karma. Good karma deriving from good and righteous conducts gives rise to pleasurable enjoyment, prosperity, desirable condition, good health, abundance, success, joy, happiness, easiness, or kind treatment, in this present life existence, and will give rise to 'superior reincarnation of a superior next life existence in a superior realm' in the future, and so on, while bad karma deriving from bad and wrongful conducts gives rise to painful suffering, poverty, undesirable condition, ill heath, insufficiency, failure, sorrow, unhappiness, hardship, or ill treatment, in this present life existence, and will give rise to 'inferior reincarnation of an inferior next life existence in an inferior realm', and so on.</i></p><p><i>All and everyone who had been or were experiencing certain ill treatment, abusive affair, ill heath, bad encountering, painful suffering or difficulties in the past, or are experiencing certain ill treatment, abusive affair, ill heath, bad encountering, painful suffering or difficulties in now, are due to their past accumulation of bad karma either in this present life existence and/or from the many past life existences.</i></p><p><i>One must receive all kinds of unpleasant conditions, hurtful experiences, corrupted affairs, abusive family ties and relationships, ill treatments, ill heath, painful suffering, or difficulties in silence, in order to 'burn off' the past accumulated bad karma. Where it is 'good' to be suffering as much as possible, while silently 'encouraging' others to behave badly and hurtfully unto oneself, or even coming from oneself generating all kinds of unnecessary damaging effects, difficulties, and inconveniences unto oneself, or punishing/hurting one's own body and mind deliberately under the terms of 'repent' and 'penance', in order to 'burn off' any past accumulated bad karma, that seemingly bottomless.<br /></i></p><p><i>Meanwhile, in order to avoid any kind of painful suffering or difficulties manifesting in oneself (personal karma) and/or in the collective surrounding environment shared by many others (collective karma), one needs to be on high alert and be judgmental towards one's and/or others' thinking and conduct, where one and/or others should only generate good karma and avoid generate any bad karma, based on the worldly passionate egoistic family, culture, social, spiritual, religious, national, political or commercial beliefs, ideas, values, and practices about what is good and bad, what is right and wrong, what is positive and negative, what is appropriate and inappropriate, what is meaningful and meaningless, what is success and failure, what is prosperity and non-prosperity, or what is should and shouldn't.</i></p><p><i>If someone thinks and believes that itself have been good and kind, and have been performing many good and kind actions, and never did anything bad or wrong in this life existence, but somehow, it is still encountering many badness, undesirable experiences, hurtful affairs, ill treatments, difficulties, or painful suffering, then that is due to the past accumulated bad karma from the previous life existence.<b>"</b></i></p><p>That is everyone's freedom of thinking and belief, reason and understanding, action and reaction. <br /></p><p>Inquire towards all these thinking and belief, ideas and values, and
practice. These are nothing to do with the teachings and practice of
yoga and/or buddhism.</p><p>The difference between 'the nature's law of cause and effect' and 'the belief of good and bad karma' - </p><p>Under the nature's law of cause and effect -</p><p>If apple seed is planted, it will grow into an apple tree, and not a mango tree or a banana tree.</p><p>If mango seed is planted, it will grow into a mango tree, and not an apple tree or a banana tree.</p><p>And so on.</p><p>Does that mean apple is good and mango is bad, or vice versa? Neither.<br /></p><p>As simple as that. <br /></p><p>Meanwhile, under the belief of good and bad karma -</p><p>If one do bad, there is bad karma, and one will be suffering badness. If one does good, there is good karma, and one will be enjoying goodness. What is good and bad, what is goodness and badness, and what is enjoyment and suffering, can be very different under different beliefs, ideas, values, and practices.<br /></p><p>Regardless of what or who the mind thinks and identifies as 'I', and whether the mind thinks and believes that it has been good or bad, kind or unkind, selfish or unselfish, healthy or unhealthy, or have been accumulating lots of so called good karma or bad karma, and so on, all and everyone are under going the inevitable process of selfless impermanent changes, of growth, ceased growing, ceaseless maintenance, decay, aging, weakness, illness, ceased functioning, and disintegration/death. This natural process of selfless impermanent changes can be very unpleasant and painful physically and mentally. Does that mean selfless impermanent changes is something related to bad karma?</p><p>Selfless impermanent changes is just what all and everything are. It is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither meaningful nor meaningless.<br /></p><p>If the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, the mind respects the selfless impermanent changes as they are, devoid of craving and aversion towards the body and mind to be or not to be in certain way, and hence, there is no suffering arise in this mind. If the mind is under the influence of ignorance and egoism, where the mind has desires of craving and aversion towards the physical and mental condition, ability, performance, and achievement, to be and not to be in certain way, and when the desire of craving and aversion is ungratified, or when the body and mind is not being the way that the mind likes, desires, and agrees with, there is suffering arise in this mind.</p><p>It's about one takes responsibility towards one's action and inaction under the influence of one's desires and doesn't desires, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, or understanding and non-understanding, as well as be responsible towards the consequences of that, without self-blame or blame others.<br /></p><p>"I believe or disbelieve in this belief," or "I want or do not want to let go this belief," or "I want or do not want to have this relationship," or "I want or don't want to do this," or "I want to be here and live here," or "I want to go and live somewhere else," or "I want to eat here and this," or "I don't want to eat there and that," and so on. It's one's own choice and decision. And no matter the outcome of one's choice and decision and action/inaction is pleasant or unpleasant, desirable or undesirable, and agreeable or disagreeable, one either accepts or doesn't accept, or either be determined or undetermined by all that, it's one's own choice and responsibility.<br /></p><p>Even if someone else is making all the choices and decisions for oneself, it is oneself who allows or disallows that to be happening, to accept or reject, and to go along with or not going along with all those choices and decisions made by others. That's why it's one's own responsibility towards all kinds of pleasant or unpleasant experiences, regardless of whether it's one's own choices and decisions, or it's others' choices and decisions. </p><p>How common that the mind says, "I am unselfish. I love you very much. I don't do anything for myself. I am doing everything for you, according to what you want and don't want. Because, I want you to be happy. I don't want you to be unhappy. I don't want you to get upset and be angry with me. I want you to love me. I don't want you to dislike me. I am doing all these for you." Nope. The mind is not even aware of itself is being so selfish. Everything is being done in accordance to 'what I want and what I don't want'.<br /></p><p>Similarly, regardless of whether under the presence and absence of ignorance and egoism, and whether there is suffering arise in the mind, or not, upon coming in contact with certain names and forms/experiences/conditions/situations/affairs/happenings/ties and relationships that are unpleasant, disagreeable, undesirable, non-enjoyable, hurtful, disturbing, or painful, that are deriving from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, that are evitable, it is nothing to do with good or bad karma.</p><p>The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, naturally, if they want, they know how to avoid coming in contact with and/or move away from the minds, beings, objects, interactions, dealings, affairs, happenings, areas, conditions, or situations, that are under the influence of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, as much as possible, to minimize unnecessary damages or energy/life wasting. If it is not possible to avoid coming in contact with or move away from such ignorance, they deal with all that in peace.<br /></p><p>Those who are happened to be existing or living in an area that is having all kinds of ignorant affairs, violent and hurtful happenings, or unnecessary evitable damages and painful suffering, that affect all and everyone not only in that area, but also affecting the entire world in certain way, regardless of whether they have been doing something good or bad, right or wrong, and whether they are selfish or unselfish, kind or unkind, it is not because of their bad karma, it's mainly because of the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, of certain minds that are ignorant, prideful, ambitious, greedy, possessive, selfish, discriminating, hating and violent in this present moment.</p><p>The mind will understand all these, knowing what is true or untrue, if it performs inquiry towards "What is time?" / "What is 'I'?" / "What is the thinking mind?" / "What is the modification of the mind?" / "What is past and future?" / "What is selflessness?" / "What is impermanence?" / "What is suffering?" / "What is cause and effect?" /"What is liberation?" under an open mind not being influenced by any particular worldly passionate egoistic beliefs, ideas, values, and practice, and attains direct self-realization towards timelessness, or there's neither past nor future, there is only NOW, and it's changing, or selflessness and impermanence, or knowing Thyself.</p><p>Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-24113679894694152152024-03-18T00:53:00.008+08:002024-03-19T00:00:26.560+08:00Patience, perseverance, and forbearance<p>The state of the mind is very much being determined by the degrees of patience, perseverance, and forbearance (the mental stamina, strength, and flexibility).</p><p>Under a higher degrees of patience, perseverance and forbearance, the mind is not easily be disturbed/frustrated/irritated/annoyed by the inevitable process of waiting for getting, achieving, or experiencing something that the mind likes and desires, as well as the process of dealing with something that the mind dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desire.<br /></p><p>The mind that is highly impatient, lack of perseverance, and reluctant to forbear even the slightest physical or mental discomfort, is easily be disturbed/frustrated/irritated/annoyed by the inevitable process of waiting for getting, achieving, or
experiencing something that the mind likes and desires, as well as the
process of dealing with something that the mind dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't
desire.</p><p>It doesn't mean that the minds that are more or less patient, persevere, or forbearing than some other minds are better or worst human beings than the others. It's merely about the state of mind of the minds that are still functioning under the veil of ignorance and egoism, is very much being determined and influenced by the degrees of patience, perseverance, and forbearance, where the state of mind is also affecting their everyday life affair, behavior, action, reaction, decision making, physical and mental performance, interaction and relationship with others.</p><p>The mind that is lack of patience, perseverance, or forbearance could be having strong awareness and self-control of not wanting to generate any hurtful action or reaction that would hurt oneself and others under the disturbed state of mind due to the lack of patience, perseverance, or forbearance, and vice versa.<br /></p><p>Patience, perseverance, and forbearance are something limited and conditional.</p><p>They are limited, because one can be patient, be persevered, and be forbearing, up to a certain extend, where fatigue or burnout will kick in, just like there is particular limitation in the physical stamina, strength, and flexibility.</p><p>They are conditional, because just as the physical stamina, strength, and flexibility, the degrees of patience, perseverance, and forbearance can be developed and empowered, where the limitation can be extended up to another extend, or they can be declining as well.</p><p>Both physical and mental stamina, strength, and flexibility, are limited and conditional. They are not the goal of the yoga practice.</p><p>The means of the yoga practice is about developing correct understanding, or realizing the truth of selflessness and impermanence, by eradicating the veil of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness from the selfless impermanent modification of the mind.</p><p>The one that needs to be patient, be persevered, and be forbearing towards this or that, that is less or more disturbed by this or that, is the ego, or the idea of 'I' in the mind.<br /></p><p>Under the presence of correct understanding, or under the absence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, the selfless liberated mind doesn't even need to be patient, be persevered, or be forbearing towards anything.</p><p>Under the absence of the idea of 'I and egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind is not being determined or disturbed by the presence and absence of all kinds of names and forms that appeared to be pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, enjoyable or non-enjoyable, as well as what the worldly passionate egoistic minds think, believe, judge and categorize as good or bad, right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate,
auspicious or inauspicious, positive or negative, joyful or sorrowful,
meaningful or meaningless, selfishness or unselfishness, deserving or undeserving, strength or weakness, success or failure, achievement or non-achievement, contribution or non-contribution, and so on, based on the many worldly passionate egoistic ways of thinking, beliefs, ideas, values, desires, aspirations, actions, reactions, and practices.</p><p>The mind that knows what is non-attachment towards the actions/duties/responsibilities/practice/ties and relationships and the fruit or the outcome of all that, or the mind that is dispassionate, desireless and intentionless, is a liberated mind.</p><p>Before the mind is free, the practice and the development and empowerment of patience, perseverance, and forbearance is highly useful and important. As Swami Sivananda taught, "Forbearance is the highest <i>sadhana</i>."<br /></p><p>Be free.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-70459013099559226562024-03-17T01:00:00.001+08:002024-03-17T08:24:30.501+08:00The body is consuming itself upon insufficient energy for basic life maintenance<p>No doubt that when there is still an idea of 'I' having an identification in the thinking mind identifying with the state/modification of the mind that is very much being determined and influenced by the energy fields in the body, as there is absence of correct understanding in the mind, and lack of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, then this mind can observe a type of diet consumption as well as a way of life or activity that can help to induce more calming effect or less agitating effect in the modification of the mind. But, that is not a guarantee that the mind is, or will be free from the veil of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.<br /></p><p>Yoga, or the self-realization towards selflessness and impermanence, or the annihilation of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, or unconditional peace, is nothing to do with whether one is consuming a particular type of diet consumption (either vegetarian, or non-vegetarian, or mixture of both), or not.</p><p>All minds have been adopting a particular type of vegetarian, or non-vegetarian, or mixture of vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet consumption, either since birth or at certain stage in life under different reasons, however, it doesn't determine that whether the minds are free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, or not.<br /></p><p>The body needs to be fed from time to time for maintaining the basic life maintenance, for the selfless bodily systems to be functioning properly, and to have some sufficient excess energy for daily physical and mental activity.</p><p>If one stops feeding the body, or stops eating, or is eating too less, over a prolonged period of time, where the body doesn't get enough energy/nutrients/minerals for life maintenance or for the bodily system to be functioning properly, the body will start to consume itself, or 'eating' itself, in order to extract energy from the proteins and fats deposit, as well as nutrients and minerals from within the body parts that are made up of all these components. That's why the body starts to loose body weight, or muscles mass, or fats deposit, or even bone and teeth density, or couldn't function properly as it is, and etc, when the body consumes less energy/nutrients/minerals input than the energy/nutrients/minerals expenditure over a period of time.<br /></p><p>How can anyone be a pure vegetarian, if that is a natural process under the selfless survival instinct that is happening within the physical body from time to time, or once in a while, even if the mind is unaware of that?</p><p>It's a matter of personal choice under any particular reason for choosing what type of diet to feed the body and mind for maintaining its selfless impermanent existence and function. There's neither right nor wrong in the personal choice of diet consumption that one prefers. <br /></p><p>There's nothing wrong, and it's very good to be observing a more healthy option and balanced type of diet consumption, if possible, depending on the logistic, climate, general condition and situation, availability and affordability. But, it's not about whether one is a better or purer human being than the others who have different types of diet consumption.</p><p>A yogi is not determined by the state of healthiness or unhealthiness, or good and bad health and fitness condition, or the sense of goodness or badness, positiveness or negativeness, righteousness or wrongfulness, and meaningfulness or meaninglessness, upon the realization of selflessness and impermanence.</p><p>The absence or presence of illness, weakness, injury, disabilities, or limitations, and the inevitable process of decay, aging, and disintegration/death of the body and mind doesn't determine one is a yogi, or a liberated mind, or not.<br /></p><p>If the mind insists on the availability of specific type of diet (either vegetarian or non-vegetarian) that it prefers, and it will be frustrated and disturbed by the non-availability of that specific type of diet due to certain reasons, as well as be disturbed and angered by others who have different type of diet consumption from oneself, for any reasons, under the presence and influence of the desire of craving and aversion, attachment, identification, comparison, judgment, expectation, specific way of thinking, belief, ideas, visions, values, aspirations and practice, as well as all kinds of impurities, then that is not part of the yoga and/or buddhism practice at all.</p><p>Be free.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.</p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-67315174986046687882024-03-16T08:09:00.006+08:002024-03-17T08:18:28.397+08:00Discipline in the yoga asana practice<p>There's nothing wrong with many people are interested in attending some yoga classes to be learning and practicing the yoga asana practice only for gaining enhancement in health and fitness, with the aspiration of improving their physical and/or mental condition, ability, performance, and achievement, as well as be able to perform the different yoga asana poses.</p><p>In order to achieve such aspiration, it requires certain degrees of discipline or commitment to be devoting one's life and energy into performing the yoga asana practice and/or some other form of fitness training exercises regularly.</p><p>If one can spend approximately 1 to 2 hours a day, for minimum 3 to 6 times a week, continuously for a few years, to be practicing the yoga asana practice as well as the respective fitness training exercises for developing the required strength, flexibility, stamina, and skill for performing the different yoga asana poses effortlessly, under the correct understanding with right attitude/mentality/manner/attention/effort, then naturally, one will gain significant improvement in the over-all physical and/or mental condition, ability, performance and achievement, while minimizing unnecessary harmful effect or injury unto the body and mind, through the regular persistent yoga asana practice or fitness training without forcing the body and mind beyond its limitations in the present moment, and allowing the limitations to change as they are, during and/or after the persistent continuous regular practice or training for a few years. And all these development or enhancement in the physical/mental condition, ability, performance and achievement are momentary and impermanent. They are not the goal of the yoga asana practice.</p><p>All these enhanced qualities need to be maintained regularly, and yet, even if all these qualities are under going regular maintenance, the body and mind will still be under going the inevitable process of decay, weakness, old age, and disintegration.<br /></p><p>If one has such aspiration of desiring to attain the maximum benefits from performing the yoga asana practice and/or fitness training exercises, but somehow, one doesn't have the required amount of discipline or commitment, where one only wants to attend the yoga asana classes or practicing the yoga asana and fitness training exercises for once a week, while keeps skipping classes or the practice sessions from time to time due to some other priorities and commitments in everyday life, or merely because "I don't feel like doing any physical activity for today at no particular reason" for the day, and for the next many days or weeks, then of course, there won't be much development or improvement in the physical and/or mental condition, ability, performance and achievement.</p><p>Moreover, there will be some physical and mental struggle/discomfort/weakness/tightness/soreness or even unnecessary injury manifesting in the body and mind every time during and after the 'once in a while' or 'irregular' yoga asana practice or fitness training session, as the body and mind were never being given the proper or enough amount of continuous practice, or never received enough regular training for it to develop the required physical and mental familiarity, the basic skill, the stamina, the strength and the flexibility, and to be at ease and effortless in the yoga asana practice routine, and in the different yoga exercises or fitness training routine.</p><p>Meanwhile, the presence or absence of such discipline or commitment makes no difference to those who don't have such aspiration for gaining maximum benefits or improvement in the physical and/or mental condition, ability, performance, and achievement via the yoga asana practice and/or some other forms of yoga practice under certain names and forms, but they are more interested in learning and practicing yoga for self-inquiry and self-realization, or to be attaining liberation from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, as such yoga practice is not limited by the discipline, commitment, devotion, or regularity in attending the yoga asana classes, or in performing certain physical and mental yoga practice under certain names and forms, but, the yoga practice is in everyday life, in every moment, of how the mind thinks, reasons, understands, behaves, acts and reacts towards the mind perception of names and forms in this present moment now, that are pleasant or unpleasant, desirable or undesirable, agreeable or disagreeable, and enjoyable or non-enjoyable. Devoid of grasping, or passionate egoistic attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, allowing and respecting all kinds of names and forms being there as they are, allowing them to change and pass away, being undetermined and undisturbed by all kinds of names and forms arising, changing, and passing away.</p><p>The enhanced physical and/or mental condition, ability, performance, and achievement that are impermanent, might can help to render the body and mind in certain way for different purposes on the path of yoga, but it is neither an obligatory for self-inquiry and self-realization nor a guarantee that the mind will be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.</p><p>The yogi, or the liberated mind, or unconditional peace, is not being determined by the selfless impermanent physical and mental condition, ability, performance, and achievement, not even the momentary concentrated, focused, calmed and quiet state of mind induced by the devoted persevered sincere practice. It's the absence of the idea of 'I' and the egoism of passionate egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and/or expectation towards all these selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, of the limited and conditional adjuncts, that is not 'I', but I-less.<br /></p><p>However, if the mind thinks and believes or realizes that the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, or non-expectation is too difficult or impossible for itself, where it is unwittingly and constantly be determined and disturbed by what is happening in the body and mind, and in the world, of the absence and presence of all kinds of names and forms that it likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with, and desires and doesn't desire, then this mind needs to put in some effort or discipline/commitment into performing the physical and mental yoga practice that come under certain names and forms regularly, such as certain observation and restriction, the yoga asana practice, the breathing exercises, the chanting or sound vibration exercises, the practice of withdrawing the mind from the objects of the senses, the concentration practice, and the meditation practice, that will move the mind away from the worldly passionate egoistic restless affairs for some time, to be turning the outgoing mind inward to be focusing within, that help to induce momentary calmness and quietness, to begin with on the path of yoga, until the mind developed certain degrees of correct understanding and knows how to apply non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation into everyday life, naturally and effortlessly, and be undetermined and undisturbed by all kinds of names and forms.</p><p>There is a huge difference between one who has been practicing yoga
asana practice for one year regularly for 6 times a week and one who has
been practicing yoga asana practice for ten years irregularly for once a
week or once every two weeks. Or, between one who has been practicing yoga
asana practice for many years either regularly or irregularly but
without eradicating the idea of 'I', passionate egoism, and worldly ideas and desires, and one who
has been practicing yoga asana practice for a few months either
regularly or irregularly while working diligently on eradicating the
idea of 'I', passionate egoism, and worldly ideas and desires. This is not about comparison and/or
judgment about who is better or who can achieve better result, but it
indicates that how long one has been started practicing yoga and/or yoga
asana practice, either regularly or irregularly, doesn't determine
that whether the mind is free from ignorance and the by-products and
consequences of ignorance, or not.</p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-66611254502486665262024-03-13T06:32:00.013+08:002024-03-14T22:14:58.065+08:00Would like to learn and practice yoga, but ...<p>If the mind has no interest at all towards yoga and the yoga practice, for any reason or no reason, then there's nothing wrong with that. The mind doesn't have to be 'persuaded' or 'forced' into learning and practicing yoga.</p><p>Whether the mind has been learning and practicing yoga, or not, or how long the mind has been practicing yoga, is nothing to do with whether the mind is wise, free, and peaceful, or not. <br /></p><p>There are some minds might have interest towards learning and practicing yoga for their own particular reasons, however, there are some hesitations that stop them from learning and practicing yoga, or they think and believe that 'yoga' is not for them, or too 'challenging' and 'impossible' for them, or too 'pure' and 'moral high ground' for them, because the 'yoga' that they think they know, has certain conditions that they think they cannot comply with.</p><p>Many minds relate yoga with 'purity', 'spirituality', 'religion', 'health and fitness', 'clean eating', 'positive thinking', 'pure living', 'vegetarianism', 'strength and flexibility', 'challenging yoga poses or sequence', 'goodness and kindness', 'unselfishness', 'untouchable', 'superhuman', 'rules and regulations', 'extreme discipline', and so on.</p><p>I would like to learn and practice yoga, but I don't think I can practice yoga, because ...<br /></p><p>"I smoke a lot, and I am not interested to quit smoking anytime soon, or at all."</p><p>"I enjoy drinking, and I don't want to quit drinking." <br /></p><p>"I am not a vegetarian, I enjoy eating meat and seafood, and I am not interested to become a vegetarian."</p><p>"My body is not flexible."</p><p>"I like to eat junk food, and I am not ready to give up junk food."</p><p>"I don't believe in spirituality."</p><p>"I am not a very good person."</p><p>"I have some bad habits." <br /></p><p>"I don't like discipline, especially I don't like other people to tell me to do this and don't do that."</p><p>"I don't have and don't like self-control. I want to be free to be what I am."</p><p>"I am not a pure person."</p><p>"I don't want to have anything to do with religion or spirituality."</p><p>"I am not good at anything."</p><p>"I am a slow learner."</p><p>"I am impatient." </p><p>"I cannot concentrate or meditate."</p><p>"I don't like exercise that are either too slow and gentle or too intense and difficult."<br /></p><p>"I am already too tired physically and mentally from my work and looking after my family and doing the house work."</p><p>"I have some serious physical condition/illness/injury that is not suitable for practicing yoga."</p><p>"I don't have extra energy for the yoga practice."<br /></p><p>"I don't have any free time for the yoga practice."</p><p>"I don't have yoga mat and yoga attire."</p><p>"I feel intimidated by all these yoga poses."</p><p>"I feel intimidated by all these teachings of yoga." <br /></p><p>"Yoga is too moral high ground for me."</p><p>"I don't know what is non-attachment."</p><p>"The teachings are too hard for me to comprehend."</p><p>"I like to keep myself busy all the time, and I don't like quietness. Yoga and meditation might be too boring for me."</p><p>"I don't think I am fit or qualified enough to be a yoga practitioner."<br /></p><p>And so on.</p><p>Yoga, or the realization of selflessness and impermanence, or unconditional peace, or the liberation from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, is nothing to do with the presence and absence of all those names and forms, backgrounds, experiences, food choices, conditions, way of living, abilities, limitations, or activities.</p><p>One doesn't need to quit smoking or drinking, or believe in spirituality, or be a vegetarian, or have a yoga mat and yoga attire, or be health conscious, or be able to do any yoga asana poses or sitting positions for meditation, and so on, to learn and practice yoga, but having an open mind and the will or desire to learn, to practice, to inquire, and to understand oneself, or the modification of the mind, or what is going on in this mind, by putting aside all kinds of hesitations that stop the mind from learning and practicing yoga.<br /></p><p>It's about all and everyone take responsibility for all their action and inaction out of their own desire and don't desire, as well as be responsible for the consequences of their own action/inaction and desire/don't desire.<br /></p><p>The realization of selflessness and impermanence that leads to unconditional peace, is nothing to do with whether the body can perform the yoga poses, or not, or whether the body can sit for meditation, or not, or whether the body can hold the breath or the yoga poses for a very long time, or not, or whether the mind is complying to the so called guidelines or standards for 'morality' or 'appropriate conduct' based on certain worldly egoistic family/cultural/social/spiritual/religious/national thinking, belief, values, and practice, or not.</p><p>All and everyone can practice yoga of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, and to attain self-realization or liberation from ignorance, even if the mind thinks and believes that itself is the most evil impure being in the world, if they want, regardless of what the mind think, believe, and understand, or not. It's because the mind doesn't know and doesn't understand what are all these teachings and practice, that's why there is the teachings and practice available for this mind to learn and practice, to inquire and understand all that, if there is a will and determination to know and understand all that.</p><p>The mind that is peaceful as it is, that is free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, it doesn't need to practice yoga or anything.<br /></p><p>Those who don't want to practice yoga, or are not interested in yoga, they don't need to practice yoga. It doesn't mean that people are bad if they are not interested in yoga, or if they don't practice yoga. Practicing yoga doesn't mean that one is a better being than the others that don't practice yoga.<br /></p><p>Some minds might have been practicing/teaching yoga and meditation for a long time, being pure vegetarian, promoting loving kindness, and are highly health conscious, but still, they might not be free from passionate egoism of attachment, identification, and the desire of craving and aversion, and might be behaving in the way that hurt themselves and others, either wittingly or unwittingly. It doesn't mean that they are bad people or bad yogis. There's neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong, but everyone need to take their own pace and causation for undergoing the mind purification process for as long as they need, on the path of yoga towards self-realization or liberation from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.<br /></p><p>It's about what the mind wants and doesn't want for itself in this selfless impermanent limited conditional momentary life existence of the limited adjuncts of the body and mind.</p><p>If the mind doesn't want to know and understand about all that, or doesn't want to be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, that enjoys being restless, that doesn't like calmness and quietness, that is its own freedom of thinking, desire and doesn't desire, or action and inaction.</p><p>Learning and practicing yoga is not about trying to become a 'perfectly high quality good and righteous' human being with 'appropriate and agreeable good and righteous behavior' in accordance to the worldly passionate egoistic family/cultural/social/spiritual/religious/national/commercial/political thinking and belief, values and practice. Many human beings that identifying themselves as righteous and good human beings that are highly civilized and cultured are not necessarily be free from ignorance and egoism, and would be thinking, believing, reasoning, understanding, desiring, behaving, acting, and reacting in the way that hurt oneself and others and the surrounding living environment, either wittingly or unwittingly.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-82372480682229430512024-03-12T01:53:00.005+08:002024-03-12T20:00:01.952+08:00Non-judgment and non-expectation<p>The practice of non-judgment is about the mind stops judging oneself and others, under the presence of correct understanding, and at the same time, the mind allows all the others to be what they are, as they are, where others are free to have their own understanding and non-understanding, and have judgment or expectation towards themselves and others, or not, but this mind is not being determined by the judgment or expectation coming from others towards oneself and all the others based on their understanding and non-understanding, action/inaction, and reaction/non-reaction under the influence of their particular thinking, belief, ideas, values, desires, and practice.</p><p>It's not about expecting others shouldn't have any judgment or expectation towards oneself at all, and be offended or disturbed by others' judgment or expectation towards oneself and some others.<br /></p><p>That's why the practice of non-judgment is always being practiced together with non-expectation, as well as non-comparison, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving and non-aversion. All these names and forms are non-separated or non-distinct from one another.</p><p>All kinds of yoga practice is about understanding what is going on in one's modification of the mind, and purifying, disciplining, or changing the modification of this mind via certain methods or practices of observing certain observations and restrictions, it's not about looking at how all the others practice, understand, behave, act and react, or not, while expecting others to practice, understand, behave, act and react in certain way or not in certain way.</p><p>The yoga teacher is merely being there to deliver the teachings and the different practices. And, it's the freedom of the minds of how they want to perceive and react. The minds are free to react towards the delivery of the teachings and practices of yoga by the yoga teacher as a form of judgment or expectation towards themselves to be or not to be in certain way. Similarly, such minds also have the freedom of expecting the teacher to teach in certain way that they desire and agree with, and not in certain way that they don't desire and disagree with. While the teacher also has the freedom to teach in certain way, or not in certain way.<br /></p><p>That indicates how deep is the ignorance in the minds, where the minds feel disturbed or offended by the delivery of the teachings and practice of yoga about identifying ignorance, the ego and egoism in one's mind, as well as observing certain observations (do's) and restrictions (don't do's) in order to eradicate ignorance, the ego and egoism. Even this teaching about pointing out, understanding, recognizing and acknowledging towards "The ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness in the mind," is being perceived as an offensive 'negative' judgment, feedback, or discouragement by the passionate egoistic minds functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism.</p><p>The minds expect 'reactions' from the teacher,</p><p>"You are amazing. You can do and achieve anything that you desire."<br /></p><p>"You are such a wonderful wise and compassionate person with such a beautiful mind and kind heart."</p><p>"There's nothing wrong with you or your mind. Ignorance doesn't exist in you or your mind."</p><p>"Yeah! Well done! You did so well. I am so proud of you! You should be proud of yourself too."</p><p>"You are such a good and kind person. You deserve all the love and compliments. You don't deserve any bad people and bad happenings unto you."</p><p>For many minds, the presence and availability of what they perceived and recognized as 'positive' feedback, acknowledgements, compliments, and encouragements is 'normal', 'healthy', and 'the way that it should be', while the absence and non-availability of all that, as well as the presence of what they perceived and recognized as 'negative' feedback/acknowledgment, or the truth of themselves that they are not aware of, that they don't like and disagree with, is a form of offensive judgment, criticism, or discouragement.</p><p>And many minds are growing up being conditioned to think and believe, to have values, and to act and react in such way. <br /></p><p>That is what the ego is about. It wants and needs to receive 'positive' feedback/acknowledgement/praise/compliment/encouragement constantly in order for it to feel good, right, positive, acknowledged, appreciated, accepted, agreed with, validated, loved, supported, deserving, proud, and meaningful about itself and life existence, while it doesn't want and have intense aversion towards coming in contact with anything that it perceives and refers as 'bad', 'negative', 'disagreement', 'non-supportive', or 'non-encouraging', as well as towards the absence of 'positive' feedback and encouragement.</p><p>That is what the minds are learning in the yoga class, to identify, recognize and be aware of the ego and egoism, and to understand the egoistic behavior, action, and reaction of the impure mind functioning under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I'/the ego, and egoism, while developing mental and emotional independence, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation. And at the same time, working diligently towards the annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness.<br /></p><p>It's 'nice' to have such comforting agreeable 'positive' interaction and encouragement between the teacher and the students, but it doesn't help to eradicate ignorance, the idea of 'I', and egoism, but only empowers all that, particularly empowering the mental and emotional dependency among the teacher and the students. As even the passionate egoistic teacher also wants and needs to feel that, "I am a good and supportive yoga teacher," and "I am loved and needed by the yoga students."</p><p>The mind that is practicing yoga for liberation from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, that is eradicating the ego by 'starving' or 'stop feeding' the ego, is not determined by the presence and absence of 'positive' or 'negative' feedback or acknowledgement from anyone and anywhere. The selfless mind doesn't need the presence of 'positive' feedback and acknowledgement, or the absence of 'negative' feedback and acknowledgement in order to feel good, right, positive, acknowledged, appreciated, accepted, agreed with,
validated, loved, supported, deserving, proud, and meaningful about
itself or life existence, in order to motivate it to perform actions that are beneficial to oneself and others or to keep learning and improving itself, while allowing all these names and forms being projected by all the other minds to be there, or not.</p><p>There are minds that believe in, "We all need love, acknowledgement, and support from one another, to be motivated and encouraged constantly by one another, to keep improving ourselves, to do good, and be good. Or else, we will be lost and aimless, and reluctant to improve, to do good and be good." That's their freedom of thinking, belief, values, desire and practice.</p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.</p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-21570249760867299132024-03-11T06:10:00.002+08:002024-03-11T21:45:16.160+08:00Accepting and loving oneself as one is unconditionally doesn't mean that one doesn't need to inquire the truth of everything<p>Accepting and loving oneself as one is unconditionally, it doesn't mean that one stops learning and improving, or one doesn't need to inquire the truth of everything to be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.</p><p>In contrary, out of unconditional love and acceptance towards oneself, one can be constantly and continuously keep learning and improving in all aspects, but without passionate egoistic attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation towards the body and mind has to be or not to be in certain way, while performing all actions/duties/responsibilities towards oneself and/or others, including performing the yoga and meditation practice to inquire towards the truth of everything, to be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, to attain self-realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence, and allowing the fruit of actions/duties/responsibilities/practice being what it is.</p><p>Such actions, duties, responsibilities and practice are being performed under the presence of correct understanding towards the limitation of the body and mind as well as acknowledging the possibilities and impossibilities in the present moment, without forcing the body and mind beyond its limitation, without hurting oneself and/or others in order to achieve certain improvement or accomplishment, respecting the possibilities and impossibilities in the present moment now, and knowing that all limitations/possibilities/impossibilities in the present moment now is impermanent, and will change.<br /></p><p>It's normal and common that some minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance would have intense disagreement towards self-acceptance, self-love, and contentment, where they think and believe that one would stop learning and improving oneself upon accepting and loving oneself as one is, or upon the presence of contentment. That's their freedom of thinking, understanding, desire/don't desire, and action/inaction.</p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-920096402856892342024-03-10T21:16:00.004+08:002024-03-13T09:57:48.757+08:00Yoga practice is indeed changing the mind behavior pattern of this mind, by itself<p>The yoga practice that is about the annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I'/the ego, egoism, impurities, and restlessness (disturbed suffering state of mind), is indeed about changing the mind behavior pattern, of this mind, by itself, out of self-initiative and self-discipline, or in other term, igniting the process of mind purification, to free the mind from being conditioned by the habitual worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, ideas, values, desires, and practice under the influence of ignorance, the ego, egoism, impurities and restlessness to reason, act and react in certain way, to be preparing the mind for performing self-inquiry under a dispassionate, desireless, pure and quiet mind, to be attaining correct understanding towards the selfless impermanent modification of the mind (the mind perception of a selfless impermanent worldly life existence of names and forms), and the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of names and forms, of both the perceiver and the perceived, where the mind is undetermined and undisturbed by the perceived names and forms being what they are, and allowing all kinds of names and forms being what they are, as they are, and all are selfless and impermanent.<br /></p><p>The mind that is closed, that is prideful, that is self-righteous, that is reluctant to change, while constantly be disturbed or annoyed by all kinds of names and forms, of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts, feelings, emotions, affairs, conditions, situations, family ties, social connections, interactions, events, and relationships that the mind perceived or categorized as unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable, non-enjoyable, hurtful, annoying, bad, negative, or meaningless, but then it also keeps complaining and blaming towards all those names and forms to be the cause of its disturbed state of mind and all its painful suffering, it will be like 'fish out of water' upon coming in contact with the teachings and practice of yoga.</p><p>"There is nothing wrong with me. I am fine. I am good and kind. I don't need to change. The ones that need to change or get out of my way/life are all those people, things, experiences, affairs, and happenings that are bad and wrong, that are negative and hurtful, that are selfish and unkind, that I don't deserve, and they are the reasons why I am in a disturbed state of mind and in painful suffering."</p><p>None can help such mind. And that is everyone's freedom of desire, and freedom of being what they are.</p><p>In the beginning, when the mind is being over-powered by ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness, where there is the absence of correct understanding, it is about changing the mind behavior pattern by freeing the mind from being conditioned by worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, ideas, values, and practice, to reason, understand, desire, behave, act, and react in certain way, that helps to purify and quiet the modification of the mind, preparing the mind for self-inquiry towards the truth of everything, that gives rise to correct understanding. When the veil of ignorance, the ego, egoism, impurities, and restlessness are becoming weaker and thinned-out, where there is the presence of correct understanding in the mind, it's more about transcending the mind behavior pattern, and silencing the selfless impermanent modification of the mind.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.</p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-82835282604041027282024-03-03T10:31:00.009+08:002024-03-13T09:32:48.617+08:00Perform actions without attachment, identification, comparison, judgment, desire, or expectation<p></p><p>The mind that realized and understood towards how to perform all actions, duties and responsibilities, including the yoga and meditation practice, without passionate egoism of attachment, identification, comparison, judgment, craving, aversion, and expectation, regardless of whether the actions are being performed for looking after the selfless impermanent life existence and maintenance of the limited and conditional body and mind of oneself, or actions are being performed for others and the world that doesn't belong to anyone, is a free mind.</p><p>Such mind is not being determined or disturbed by the selfless impermanent modification/state of the mind, or the mind perception of names and forms, or the presence and absence of certain names and forms, or upon coming and not coming in contact with certain names and forms, or upon experiencing and not experiencing certain experiences, that appeared to be something pleasant or unpleasant, desirable or undesirable, agreeable or disagreeable, comforting or discomforting, and enjoyable or non-enjoyable for the mind.<br /></p><p>It has to come from the mind itself to realize and understand what is
non-attachment, non-identification, non-comparison, non-judgment,
non-craving, non-aversion, and non-expectation.</p><p>Some minds never heard about the teachings and practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-comparison, non-judgment,
non-craving, non-aversion, and non-expectation before, until they came to the yoga class that is about renunciation, dispassion, mental and emotional independence, self-inquiry and self-realization, or the annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness. Some of the minds that came with certain degrees of openness are interested to learn about all these teachings and practice, and be initiated to integrate these teachings and practice into the different types of physical and mental yoga practice, as well as into everyday life. That is the beginning of their yoga practice.<br /></p><p>While some of the minds might not be interested in (or even be intimidated and offended by) these teachings and practice, and they reject all these teachings and practice, and just want to learn and perform all kinds of physical and mental yoga practice for gaining the momentary side-effects of those practice, to be enhancing the physical and mental health and fitness condition, and to be attaining some momentary relaxation, tension relief, rehabilitation, or healing, most probably it's because <b>all these teachings and practice are contradicting with their worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, ideas, values, desires, practice, way of living, and way of doing things, as well as the teachings appeared to be 'exposing' or 'pointing out' certain things or the truth/reality that the minds don't want to confront with, that they perceived as something negative, weakness, upsetting, disturbing, hurting, or painful</b>. That's their freedom of thinking, understanding, desire and don't desire, or action and inaction.</p><p>Meanwhile, some minds might have heard about these teachings and practice from somewhere, and they might have been practicing and/or teaching certain style of yoga and meditation classes for some time, and they might think and believe that they know all these teachings and practice, however, they might still be determined and disturbed by the selfless impermanent modification/state of the mind, or the mind
perception of names and forms, or the presence and absence of certain
names and forms, or upon coming and not coming in contact with certain
names and forms, or upon experiencing and not experiencing certain experiences, that appeared to be something pleasant or unpleasant,
desirable or undesirable, agreeable or disagreeable, comforting or discomforting, enjoyable or
non-enjoyable, meaningful or meaningless, positive or negative, right or wrong, and good or bad for the mind.</p><p>That is because these minds might think that they know, but they don't really know, about what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-comparison, non-judgment,
non-craving, non-aversion, and non-expectation. There is neither right nor wrong. The mind only knows what it knows, and it doesn't know what it doesn't know.<br /></p><p>Some minds would strongly think and believe that all these teachings and practice are non-practical, and even impossible, for all 'normal and sane but imperfect' human beings like themselves. That's their freedom of thinking, understanding, desire and don't desire, or action and inaction.</p><p>Some minds might have been practicing yoga and meditation for many years and still don't (really) know all that. And it's okay.<br /></p><p>None can remove the ignorance in the mind, but the mind itself.</p><p>None can make the mind to become dispassionate, to be mentally and emotionally independent, or to be free from passionate egoism, but the mind itself.<br /></p><p>That's why the importance of the observation of renunciation and dispassion, or the practice of silence, seclusion and solitude, for a prolonged period of time, especially for the minds that are easily be influenced by all the other minds that they come in contact with, in order to free the mind from continuously be conditioned by worldly passionate egoistic belief, ideas, values, and practice, ceaselessly be influenced by the many passionate egoistic minds, including one's family and friends, that are functioning under the influence of ignorance, passionate egoism, impurities, and restlessness.</p><p>Devoid of dispassion, or under the absence of mental and emotional independence, the mind doesn't really know what is compassion, or doesn't even know how to accept and love itself as it is, unconditionally, not to say, to accept and be kind to all the others as they are, even if it thinks and believes that it is a highly compassionate being, or it wants (needs) to be acknowledged as a compassionate human being that is kind and loving towards other living beings and nature. Meanwhile, it wants (or has craving towards) to be acknowledged, recognized, appreciated, agreed with, praised, accepted, loved, understood, empathized, and sympathized by others, in order to feel good and meaningful about itself and life existence.</p><p>"I want you to accept and love me as I am," and, "We all are imperfect human beings. I am allowed to feel and behave the way that I am feeling and behaving," but at the same time, "I
hate myself. I don't like my body and my mind being the way that it is. I want
my body and my mind to be the way that I prefer, like, and desire it to be," and, "I hate all these bad people that have been behaving wrongfully and badly unto me and others."<br /></p><p>If
the mind knows how to accept and love this selfless body and mind as it
is, this mind will allow all the others whether they will accept and
love this body and mind as it is, or not. It doesn't matter, and it's
okay for this mind even if there is no one else want to accept and love this
mind as it is, because this mind accepts and loves itself as it is. There is no craving or expectation towards receiving acceptance and love from anyone, including one's family, parents, siblings, partner, children, friends, or pets. It doesn't mean that one allows others to treat oneself and others wrongfully and badly, but the mind is not being determined by others' wrongful and bad behavior.<br /></p><p>The mind that is dispassionate, knows what is compassion, where it accepts and be kind to the selfless impermanent body and mind as it is unconditionally, without attachment, identification, comparison, judgment, craving, aversion, or expectation towards the body and mind has to be or not to be in certain way, and it knows how to accept and be kind towards all the others, unconditionally, where it is undetermined or undisturbed by the world being what it is, regardless of the absence and presence of kindness or unkindness, understanding or non-understanding, agreement or disagreement, like or dislike, goodness or badness, selfishness or unselfishness, calmness or restlessness, appropriateness or inappropriateness, appreciation or non-appreciation, praise or condemn, desire or don't desire, action or inaction, and etc, being projected/coming from all the other minds.</p><p>Such mind is not being determined by the presence and absence of acknowledgement, recognition, appreciation, agreement, praise, acceptance, love, understanding, empathy, or sympathy from others, to be existing and functioning selflessly in this world as it is, while allowing all these names and forms being there, or not.</p><p>There is no "I am proud of myself/you," or "You should be proud of
me/yourself," or "I need to be good enough to be proud of myself and
to make others be proud of me," if the mind knows and understands all
these. There is no superiority/inferiority, pride/shame, low/high self-esteem, envy, admiration, jealousy, guilt, regret, loneliness, or meaninglessness in such mind.<br /></p><p>There is no "I want my body and my mind to be like this and not like that."</p><p>But just do one's best to be looking after the existence and maintenance of the body and mind, as it is. <br /></p><p>There is no "I want the world (our world) to be like this and not like that," or "We all should do something to make the world to be a better place."<br /></p><p>But just do one's best to be doing something beneficial for the world, as it is.</p><p>What the different minds want and don't want, desire and don't desire, like and dislike, or agree and disagree with, as well as what the different minds think and believe what is a better world or the best world (for each of them), is very different from one another.</p><p>Go beyond the sense of goodness and badness, positiveness and negativeness, righteousness and wrongfulness, appropriateness and inappropriateness, joyfulness and joylessness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, accomplishment and non-accomplishment, success and failure, strength and weakness, wellness and unwellness, stability and uncertainty, and etc. All are selfless and impermanent.</p><p>It doesn't mean that the mind is denying all these, but it can be acknowledging the presence and absence of all these names and forms, but at the same time, it knows that all these are selfless and impermanent (both the perceiver and the perceived), and it is not being determined by all that.</p><p><b>"Let go of the past memories and the future imagination. There is neither past nor future. There is only NOW, and it's impermanent. Live in the present moment."</b> - A very simple sentence, but it's the essence of yoga and meditation.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-57828151313167815192024-02-27T20:42:00.003+08:002024-02-27T21:48:43.838+08:00Craving and aversion<p>Some minds, including some long time yoga and meditation practitioners/teachers, don't know or don't understand what is craving and aversion.</p><p>In a simple way, if the mind feels disturbed, frustrated, irritated, angry, or unhappy upon not getting or not experiencing something that it likes, agrees with, and desires, that is the presence of craving in the mind.</p><p>Similarly, if the mind feels disturbed, frustrated, irritated, angry, or unhappy upon getting or experiencing something that it dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desires, that is the presence of aversion in the mind.</p><p>It's okay, and there's nothing wrong to have likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, and desires and don't desires.</p><p>It is the presence of craving towards something that the mind likes, agrees with, and desires, as well as the presence of aversion towards something that the mind dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desire, that give rise to 'disturb', 'unhappy', 'frustrated', 'irritated', 'angry', or 'suffering' state in the modification of the mind upon coming in contact with the names and forms that the mind has aversion towards, that it dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desire, as well as upon not coming in contact with the names and forms that the mind has craving towards, that it likes, agrees with, and desires.</p><p>The mind that is devoid of craving and aversion, it is not being determined or disturbed by the presence and absence of names and forms that the mind likes or dislikes, agrees or disagrees with, and desires or doesn't desire. Such mind is peaceful as it is, upon coming in contact with the names and forms that the mind dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desire, or upon not coming in contact with the names and forms that the mind likes, agrees with, and desires.</p><p>Different minds react differently towards the same thing/object/name and form/experience/affair/condition/situation.</p><p>It is not the thing/object/name and form/experience/affair/condition/situation that has the intention or quality to make the minds to be reacting or not reacting in certain way, to feel good or bad/happy or unhappy, to be disturbed or undisturbed, to be enjoying or suffering.</p><p>It is coming from the minds themselves of how they (choose to) react or don't react in certain way towards whatever they perceive and experience or don't perceive and don't experience.</p><p>The minds that think and believe that they don't have the free will to choose how they act and react, that is because these minds are being conditioned deeply by certain thinking, belief, ideas, values, desires, and practices that are influencing and conditioning the mind behavior pattern in certain way.</p><p>Yoga practice is all about transcending or eradicating such conditional mind behavior pattern by freeing the mind from being conditioned or influenced by any kind of beliefs, ideas, values, desires, and practices to think, desire, behave, act and react in certain way, including the teachings and practices of yoga and/or buddhism, via non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation.</p><p>The mind doesn't even attach or identify towards the teachings and practices of yoga and/or buddhism as, "I am a yogi and/or buddhist," and "I am practicing yoga and/or buddhism."<br /></p><p>It's not even about changing the mind behavior pattern to be something different from what it is.</p><p>That is also why the highly essential observation of renunciation, dispassion, silence, solitude, and seclusion for a prolonged period of time, for at least five years or more, in yoga and/or buddhism.</p><p>Some minds might also have been 'observing' renunciation, dispassion, silence, solitude, or seclusion for certain extended period of time, however they might still not free from ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness, but that doesn't mean that all these observations don't work. Most probably, either they need to undergo a longer purification process of 'keep practicing and keep purifying', or they are lack of right attention, right effort, right practice, and right understanding. As there were/are some other minds attained self-realization through observing these observations under the presence of right attention, right effort, right practice, and right understanding.</p><p>Some rare minds don't even need to observe any kind of observations, and they can attain self-realization via a simple and spontaneous reflection, but certainly, these observations can help the many minds that are under the deep influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, to attain liberation from all that, provided if all these observations are being observed under the presence of right attention, right effort, right practice, and right understanding.</p><p>Even Siddhartha Gautama Buddha also needed to undergo first few years of wandering around under the observation of renunciation (moving away from worldly life affairs, duties, responsibilities, family, relationship, and community), learning and practicing different kinds of practices from different lineages and teachers, and still hadn't attain liberation, not until he came to a conclusion of immersing into deep meditation in silence, solitude, and seclusion (stop wandering around, and stop looking outward for teacher, guidance, assistance, and answer), as well as under taking the middle path.<br /></p><p>Be free.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-57876161589893535812024-02-26T17:21:00.003+08:002024-02-26T23:48:12.334+08:00Knowledge and intelligence and wisdom are irrelevant to one another<p></p><p>The mind doesn't need to be highly intelligent in order to be accumulating and memorizing knowledge or information about this and that.</p><p>Being highly intelligent doesn't necessarily means that the mind is wise, devoid of ignorance, or is peaceful, devoid of suffering.<br /></p><p>Being more intelligent than the other minds doesn't necessarily means that the mind must be more knowledgeable than the other minds that are less intelligent than this mind, and vice versa.</p><p>Although the mind can be highly intelligent as well as has been accumulating and memorizing vast knowledge or information about this and that.<br /></p><p>The amount of accumulated knowledge in the mind as well as the different degrees of intelligence doesn't determine that whether the mind is wise/devoid of ignorance, or not, or whether the mind is peaceful/devoid of suffering, or not.</p><p>The mind that is functioning under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, that is devoid of wisdom and peace, might be utilizing the accumulated knowledge or information about this and that, under the presence of certain degrees of intelligence, specific talent, and specific skill, to be generating certain impure thoughts, ideas, desires, and aspirations, that externalized and materialized into certain damaging destructive behaviors, actions, and reactions, and the consequences of all that, into the world, unto oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment, either wittingly or unwittingly.</p><p>Most minds growing up being conditioned by the worldly passionate egoistic belief, values, and practice about all and everyone need to be developing, achieving, possessing, and accumulating certain qualities of names and forms that all and everyone would agree with and feel proud of, as well as devoid of certain qualities of names and forms that all and everyone would disagree with and feel ashamed of, in order to attain acknowledgement, recognition, acceptance, agreement, validation, respect, and glorification not just from oneself, but especially from others or the world, in order to feel good, righteous, virtuous, meritorious, positive, confident, deserving, proud, happy, joyful, successful, accomplished, or meaningful about oneself and life existence. That is everyone's freedom of thinking and belief.<br /></p><p>The minds that are free from such ignorance and egoism, there is no need to be acknowledged and be proud of towards anything.</p><p>The mind that doesn't need to be receiving acknowledgement, recognition, acceptance, agreement, validation, respect, or glorification from oneself and others or the world, that doesn't need to be proud of by oneself and others towards something that most minds think and believe and recognize as pride deserving, and that doesn't need to be receiving understanding, sympathy, and empathy towards something that most minds think and believe and recognize as sympathy and empathy deserving, is a free mind.</p><p>The mind that can be by oneself in silence/solitude/seclusion for a prolonged period of time without any family/friends/social contacts, communications, activities, and interactions, for at least 5 years or more, and without the sense of loneliness, meaninglessness, joylessness, left-out, failure, shame, badness, negativeness, or wrongfulness, is a free mind.</p><p>The mind that is not being determined or disturbed by the mind perception of names and forms, of the presence and absence of certain pleasant and unpleasant/desirable and undesirable/agreeable and disagreeable sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts, feelings, emotions, experiences, family ties, connections, relationships, interactions, affairs, conditions, and situations, is a free mind.</p><p>The mind that doesn't need to feel good, righteous, virtuous, meritorious, positive, confident, deserving, proud, happy, joyful, successful, accomplished, or meaningful about oneself and/or life existence, that is resting in unconditional peace as it is, is a free mind.</p><p>Such mind can be busy doing something or not doing anything, and still be peaceful as it is, regardless of all kinds of selfless impermanent changes in the selfless limited and conditional existence and function of the body and mind, regardless of the evitable condition and situation in the world that is mostly the consequences of the actions generated by the many minds functioning under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness (suffering/devoid of peace), and regardless of the inevitable process of decay and disintegration in all kinds of names and forms that is ceaselessly happening under the truth of selflessness and impermanence.</p><p>It's okay if the mind is not highly intelligent, or knowledgeable. It's also okay if the mind is not wise and not peaceful, in this present moment now. More importantly is that, the mind is not being over-powered by the impermanent condition and state of the mind to be hurting oneself and/or others, and without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation towards all that, while having the understanding that, even this will change, and pass away.</p><p>More importantly, one must inquire towards the truth of all the existing knowledge or information about this and that in the mind, coming from from anyone and anywhere, including all the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism, coming from any yoga teachers, or Gurus, or yogis.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.</p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-40176432706052350102024-02-21T22:21:00.017+08:002024-02-22T04:17:11.085+08:00Inquire the truth of everything<p>Regardless of whether someone/something that had existed in the past, or is existing in this present moment now,</p><p>Regardless of who or what the mind thinks and believes and identifies as "This is who/what I am,"</p><p>Regardless of whether</p><p>Male, or female, or neither male nor female, or both male and female,</p><p>Young or old,</p><p>Healthy or unhealthy,</p><p>Fit or unfit, <br /></p><p>Strong or weak,</p><p>Flexible or inflexible,</p><p>Intelligent or non-intelligent,</p><p>Educated or non-educated,</p><p>Knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable,</p><p>High or low quality of living,</p><p>Success or failure,</p><p>Wealthy or poor,<br /></p><p>Ordinary or extra-ordinary,</p><p>Talented or non-talented,</p><p>Skillful or non-skillful,</p><p>A lot of experience or very little experience,</p><p>Qualified/Certified or non-qualified/non-certified</p><p>High or low qualification/education/status</p><p>Normal or abnormal,<br /></p><p>Contented or discontented,</p><p>Happy or unhappy,</p><p>Generous or non-generous,<br /></p><p>Selfish or unselfish,</p><p>Wise or ignorant,</p><p>Kind or unkind,</p><p>Peaceful or non-peaceful,</p><p>Sane or insane, <br /></p><p>Good or evil,</p><p>Right or wrong,</p><p>Positive or negative,</p><p>Meaningful or meaningless,</p><p>Joyful or sorrowful,</p><p>Proud or humble, <br /></p><p>Easy or difficult life,</p><p>Desirable or undesirable experiences/relationships,</p><p>Agreeable or disagreeable affairs/interactions,</p><p>Pleasant or unpleasant conditions/situations, <br /></p><p>Belief or disbelief,</p><p>Cultural or non-cultural, <br /></p><p>Spiritual or non-spiritual,</p><p>Religious or non-religious, <br /></p><p>Sentimental or non-sentimental,</p><p>Passionate or dispassionate,</p><p>Graceful or non-graceful, <br /></p><p>Extrovert or introvert,</p><p>Complicate or simple,<br /></p><p>Perfect or imperfect,<br /></p><p>Free or not free,</p><p>Whatever origin, background, appearance, condition, colour, shape, sound, smell, taste, texture, sensation, thinking, feeling, emotion, reason, understanding, values, practice, food choice, way of living, way of doing things, inspirations and aspirations, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, desires and don't desires, known and unknown, true or untrue,<br /></p><p>And etc,</p><p>All and everyone were/are decaying and dying, since the beginning of the selfless impermanent existence.<br /></p><p>All and everyone <b>were dead</b> or had passed away or had vanished / <b>will die</b> or pass away or vanish.<br /></p><p>And, all kinds of actions that were/are being generated during the momentary selfless impermanent existence gave/give rise to the consequences of actions, affecting or inter-influencing all and everyone and everything in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, regardless of whether it's something wholesome/constructive/beneficial or something unwholesome/destructive/harmful.</p><p>Meanwhile, during the momentary selfless impermanent existence in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, some minds were/are peaceful as they were/are, being undetermined/undisturbed by the selfless mind perception of all kinds of names and forms/experiences/affairs/conditions/situations/ties/connections/relationships/interactions, under the presence of correct understanding, upon the absence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness.</p><p>While other minds were/are not peaceful, being determined/disturbed by all that, under the absence of correct understanding, due to the presence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness.</p><p>And all kinds of yoga and buddhism teachings and practices are here for the non-peaceful, disturbed, and suffering minds to develop correct understanding, by annihilating ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness from the selfless impermanent existence/function/modification of the mind.</p><p>So that the mind stops hurting all and everyone and everything deliberately and/or randomly in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, during the momentary selfless impermanent existence and function of the limited and conditional body and mind.</p><p>Peaceful, or not, is right here, in this present moment, in this selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind. It's not something to be attained/claimed somewhere else, in the future, or in 'another' existence, or under a specific condition/quality.</p><p>This 'unconditional peace as it is', that is always there in all and everyone, that doesn't increase or decrease, is nothing to do with the presence or absence of 'good or bad quality', 'good or bad karma', 'merits and virtues', 'rituals', 'prayers', 'chanting', 'sound vibrations', 'specific position', 'specific movements', 'specific direction', 'specific condition', 'specific atmosphere', 'specific place', 'specific timing', 'specific cause and effect', 'blessings', 'auspiciousness or inauspiciousness', and etc.</p><p>The mind that doesn't know any form of rituals, prayers, chanting, or sound vibrations, that doesn't know any particular cultural/spiritual/religious belief and practice, that doesn't know any particular superstition, or inappropriateness, or inauspiciousness, that doesn't communicate, or express, or interact, or read, or write, or speak in many different languages, or in any particular language, that doesn't belong to or identifying with any particular names and forms or 'community/organization' as "This is who/what I am," that has never come in contact with the teachings or practices of yoga and/or buddhism, that doesn't or couldn't perform any kind of yoga and/or buddhism teachings or practices, that doesn't have any external teacher or 'Guru', can also realize this 'unconditional peace as it is', upon the absence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, if there is a will, if there is an intense yearning towards liberation, to be liberated from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, if the mind is opened.</p><p>As this 'unconditional peace as it is' is universal, unconditional and unlimited by any names and forms, that doesn't belong to any particular names and forms, that doesn't belong to 'yoga', or 'buddhism', or 'anything'.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-40013259218172149832024-02-20T07:37:00.006+08:002024-02-20T23:55:21.449+08:00Dispassion and non-attachment<p>Dispassion and non-attachment is the essential practice of yoga and/or buddhism.</p><p>Dispassion and non-attachment doesn't mean that one doesn't love anyone.</p><p>On the contrary, one loves all and everyone unconditionally as they are, without the influence of passion, lust, desire, possessiveness, selfishness, attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, expectation, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, or any kind of impurities, such as dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, anger, hatred, jealousy, resentment, bitterness, exploitation, violence, pride and arrogance, and so on.</p><p>One doesn't need to have, or be in a relationship/family ties/relative connection/friendship with anyone, or have any physical/mental/emotional interaction with anyone, in order to show that one loves all and everyone unconditionally as they are.</p><p>It's about one stops generating thoughts, actions, and speech out of ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness (dissatisfied, disappointed, disturbed, agitated, violent, angry, hating, jealous, unhappy, prideful, or suffering state of mind), under the intention of causing unnecessary damages, or inconveniences, or obstacles, or difficulties, or painful sorrow, or suffering unto anyone and anything.</p><p>One can love one's family and friends unconditionally, accepting and respecting all and everyone as they are, even if they are imperfect, but one doesn't need to be like one's family and friends, especially if they are behaving, acting, and reacting under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness.</p><p>One also doesn't need to be determined, or influenced, or disturbed, or affected by the behavior, actions, and reactions of one's family and friends that are under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness, to also behaving, acting, and reacting like any of them, even if they are one's parents, siblings, lover/spouse, best friends, or teachers, or the highly respectable or famous people.</p><p>By loving all and everyone unconditionally, accepting and respecting all and everyone being what they are, it doesn't mean that one should agree with, or support, or justify, or empower, or glorify any kind of behavior, action, and reaction of one's family and friends, or anyone, that are under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness.</p><p>Out of jealousy, or anger, or disappointment, or disagreement, or dissatisfaction, or hurt, or ungratified desires, or the disturbed state of mind, lovers/spouses, or siblings, or best friends, or parents and children, or anyone in any kind of relationship/ties/connection will hurt each other deliberately, not to say, towards some others that are not in any relationship/ties/connection with oneself.</p><p>Perform self-introspection, look into the modification of this mind, and see how this mind behaves, acts, and reacts, even if one thinks and believes and identifies oneself as a good and kind human being with great enthusiasm, aspiration, and expectation towards hoping and making the world to be a better place. And then, without any judgment, attachment, or identification towards the ignorant egoistic impure modification of the mind, inquire towards why does this mind behaving, acting, and reacting in such way, to develop correct understanding towards the mind's behavior pattern under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, or knowing Thyself, attaining self-realization towards the truth of impermanence and selflessness.<br /></p><p>Many minds might be having such 'confused' state of the mind that is functioning and behaving under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness, thinking and believing that oneself loves and appreciates all and everyone very much, but then, they keep behaving, acting, and reacting in the way that cause unnecessary damages and inconvenience to all and everyone, while without any awareness towards all that, and don't have any initiative to be looking after one's mental health, while thinking and believing and identifying oneself as a healthy, intelligent, knowledgeable, educated, talented, experienced, qualified, successful, good and kind, cultured/civilized, well brought up, generous, unselfish, loving and compassionate human being, while constantly craving and longing for receiving attention, acknowledgement, recognition, praise, compliment, agreement, appreciation, acceptance, validation, admiration, and affection from others towards 'I' and 'mine' that the mind recognized as 'strength' or 'accomplishment', and to be receiving understanding, tolerance, sympathy, and empathy from others towards 'I' and 'mine' that the mind recognized as 'weakness' or 'imperfection', in order to feel good, proud, confident, happy, deserving, or meaningful.</p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-41876349935084320972024-02-17T20:05:00.006+08:002024-02-17T23:52:04.951+08:00It's everyone's own choice towards what to do with the selfless impermanent momentary life existence<p></p><p>Some minds choose to live in the past, where they do their best to hold onto the past pleasant and unpleasant experiences (memories), clinging and missing towards what appeared to be pleasant, desirable, agreeable, and enjoyable to the mind in the past, but that is not here in this present moment, while continuously be determined and disturbed by the past unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable, and non-enjoyable experiences (memories), affecting its physical and mental well-being as well as all its relationships with all the others in this present moment.</p><p>Some minds choose to live in the future, where they do their best to indulge in insecurity, hopefulness, craving, longing, fear, and worry, being determined and disturbed by all kinds of wild imagination/anticipation/projection/expectation towards the future, that don't exist in this present moment.</p><p>Some minds choose to keep behaving in the way that gives rise to unnecessary problems or suffering unto oneself and/or others, while giving themselves reasonable justification for keep behaving in the same way, "We all are imperfect human beings, and hence, we are allowed to keep making mistakes and behaving hurtfully," or, "I was the victim of other people's bad and hurtful behavior, that's why I am behaving the way that I behave. Don't blame me. Blame all those bad people and bad things that had happened on me."<br /></p><p>Some minds choose to do their best to create as much unrest and damages as possible in their own life and/or some others' life and the surrounding environment.</p><p>Some minds choose to be closed-minded, blind-believing, blind-following, blind-agreeing/disagreeing, blind-practicing, and blind-propagating this and that, without inquiring towards the truth of all that.<br /></p><p>Some minds do their best to make life as complicated as possible. <br /></p><p>Some minds do their best to be unhappy with themselves and others most of the time.</p><p>Some minds do their best to be envy and jealous towards all others.<br /></p><p>Some minds do their best to be as difficult as they can be.</p><p>Some minds do their best to be as miserable as possible. <br /></p><p>Some minds do their best to be happy and stay positive.</p><p>Some minds do their best to enjoy life as much as possible.</p><p>Some minds do their best to live life the way that they desire it to be.</p><p>Some minds do their best to achieve all their limitless desires and ambitions, regardless of whether it's something that hurt all and everyone and everything in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything. <br /></p><p>Some minds do their best to be interfering with and controlling others' life to be and not to be in certain way in accordance to their desires and don't desires, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements.</p><p>Some minds choose to not doing anything else, but only eat, drink, pee, shit, procreate, day dreaming/fantasying, sleep, wake up, and repeat.</p><p>And so on.<br /></p><p>That is everyone's freedom of what they want or don't want to do with their selfless impermanent momentary life existence in this world, and be responsible for the consequences of their action and inaction under the influence of their desire and don't desire.</p><p>Some minds choose to live in the present moment, as it is, and
appreciate whatever that is available in this present moment now to live
life and perform actions that might or might not help other minds to be
free and have peace, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation towards the selfless impermanent life existence of the body and mind, towards all kinds of names and forms of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts, feelings, emotions, or experiences that appeared to be pleasant or unpleasant to the body and mind, as well as towards the actions and the fruit of actions. Respecting life to be what it is. Respecting the body and mind to be what it is. Respecting the world to be what it is. Respecting all and everything to be what they are. Respecting the truth of selflessness and impermanence, where all and everything are constantly changing, decaying, and passing away, while appreciating this present moment being what it is, even if it's not perfect.<br /></p><p>What will this mind choose?<br /></p><p>Inquire towards the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-53173432445922084692024-02-14T21:17:00.003+08:002024-02-15T06:28:06.750+08:00The initiative of want to stop hurting this body and mind as well as all and everything<p>Out of the mind's own awareness, reason, and freewill, the mind is interested in learning and performing the yoga and meditation practice, and is determined to free the modification of the mind from the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, out of the initiative of want to stop hurting this body and mind as well as stop hurting all and everything out of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance.</p><p>Under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I' (the ego), egoism, impurities and restlessness, the thinking and acting mind that is functioning under the influence of the idea of 'I' keeps hurting the body and mind with the ceaseless actions and reactions being generated under the influence of the desires of craving and aversion towards the pleasant or unpleasant, desirable or undesirable, and agreeable or disagreeable names and forms, in order to achieve or gratify all its boundless desires of craving and aversion, aspirations, ambitions, visions, and expectations, in accordance to its likes and dislikes, desires and doesn't desires, or agreements and disagreements, under the influence of certain conditional thinking, belief, ideas, values, desires, and practices.</p><p>"I want the mind to be like this and not like that. I want the body to be like this and not like that. I want the body and mind to be able to do this and achieve that."</p><p>And, under the same influences and the desires of craving and aversion, the thinking and acting mind also keeps hurting all and everything.</p><p>"I want and expect all and everything to be like this and not like that. I want and expect the world to be like this and not like that. I want and expect all and everyone to think, to believe, to value, to desire, to practice, to behave, and to act and react like this and not like that." Or, "I love you very much. But I will be very angry with you, as I will feel disappointed and hurt by you, if you don't love me and behave in the way that I want and expect you to love me and behave. And if I am very angry, I will be punishing and hurting you with my hurtful thoughts, actions, and speech."</p><p>That is not love at all. This mind only loves its desires. This mind doesn't even love itself, not to say, it doesn't love anyone or anything at all, regardless of whether it's between lovers/spouses, or between parent and children, or among siblings, or among friends, or among the members of the community in the world. This mind just want to be able to control all and everything to be the way that it desires, or to gratify/achieve all its desires/ambitions the way that it likes and agrees with.<br /></p><p>The mind that realizes this, "Oh, what have I been doing? I have been hurting this body and mind, as well as hurting all and everything, including whom and what I think I love very much, and whom and what have been kind and compassionate to this body and mind, not to say, I have been hurting all and everything that I don't like, that I don't desire, and that I don't agree with, ignorantly and intentionally," there might or might not be an initiative of not wanting to hurt the body and mind as well as all and everything anymore.</p><p>Some minds might continue to hurt the body and mind, as well as all and everything, intentionally, under the awareness of, "Yes, I am aware of this is something hurtful, and yet, I don't care. I want to achieve all my desires and ambitions. I still want and expect this body and mind, as well as all and everything to be the way that I like and desire them to be." That's their freedom of thinking and desire and action. It is also their own responsibility towards their actions and the consequences of their actions out of their thinking and desire.<br /></p><p>Some minds might have the initiative of want to stop hurting the body and mind as well as all and everything, regardless of whether someone or something that the mind likes or dislikes, desires or doesn't desire, agrees or disagrees with, and loves or doesn't love. That is the beginning of the practice.</p><p>Appreciate this selfless impermanent existence and function of this body and mind, without attachment or identification. Make good use of the existing knowledge, talents, skills, experiences, good conditions, abilities, positions, and opportunities that this body and mind has, to be performing actions that would be benefiting all and everyone unconditionally, without forcing the body and mind beyond its limitation, without hurting the body and mind, and without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation towards the actions and the fruit/result of actions. Just do one's best, and let it go.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-58550187632973234692024-02-13T22:19:00.010+08:002024-02-20T20:34:15.719+08:00Upon the annihilation of the ego, the body and mind is just the body and mind existing and functioning as what it is<p>What generates the separateness or distinction between a selfless sentient living beings with the function of a thinking faculty and all other kinds of selfless names and forms, is the existence of the idea of 'I' or the ego in the form of thinking or thought process in the thinking mind.</p><p>Upon the annihilation of the idea of 'I' or the ego, upon the realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of limited and conditional names and forms, including the existence and function of the limited and conditional body and mind, there is no separateness or distinction between sentient living beings and non-sentient living beings and non-living objects.</p><p>All are merely selfless impermanent names and forms that are constantly changing, that are inevitably decaying and disintegrating from the moment of being existing, that there is no infinite and independent individual identity of 'I' existing in all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms, regardless of whether sentient or non-sentient, conscious or non-conscious, mobile or immobile, living beings or non-living objects.</p><p>All are selfless and impermanent names and forms. All kinds of names and forms have their own particular cause of existence and function, that rely on and influenced by many other selfless impermanent elements and energy to be existing and functioning as what they are.</p><p>It's the idea of 'I' or the ego that identifies with the impermanent qualities of names and forms as, "I am distinctive from all the others. I am different from and more superior than all the other names and forms." Nope. You (the ego) don't even have a real and substantial worldly impermanent existence, just as all the other wild imaginations/projections/anticipations of the mind. You can't even be compared to a table, or a tree, or a tiny micro dust that has a real and substantial worldly impermanent existence, as you are only an idea or part of the thinking process in the selfless modification of the selfless mind deriving from ignorance, powered by energy. However, even if you don't really exist, but you are 'powerful' enough to influence the selfless thinking and acting mind to be performing many actions and reactions through the selfless physical body or the organs of the senses, perception, cognition, reason, thinking, and action, that lead to many consequences of actions and reactions, that give rise to unnecessary damage or suffering unto all and everything, ignorantly and intentionally. You can't even be compared to the selfless impermanent destructive natural disasters that are intentionless.<br /></p><p>Upon the annihilation of the idea of 'I' or the ego, the body and mind is just the selfless impermanent body and mind existing and functioning as what it is, selfless and impermanent. Life existence is just what it is, selfless and impermanent. It is neither good nor bad, neither meaningful nor meaningless, neither joyful nor sorrowful, neither a cause for enjoyment nor a cause for suffering.</p><p>What doesn't change upon the annihilation of the idea of 'I' (the ego), is the nature's law of cause and effect, actions and consequences of actions, and the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-18193649592792013052024-02-13T19:33:00.000+08:002024-02-13T19:33:42.840+08:00It's not about can't let go, it's about don't want to let go<p>Many minds think, believe, and say that they can't let go or don't know how to let go.</p><p>It's actually they don't want or reluctant to let go. That's all.</p><p>"I am hurt and suffering. I don't deserve this. I want them/him/her/someone else to be hurt and suffer as well. They/He/She/Someone else deserve(s) this."</p><p>Similarly, in all kinds of unpleasant, undesirable, or disagreeable experiences/conditions/affairs/interactions.</p><p>If (it) is something unpleasant, undesirable, and disagreeable, if (it) is something hurting, if (it) is something burning hot, just let (it) go.</p><p>Can't really blame anyone or anything, if the mind doesn't want or reluctant to let go.<br /></p><p>Be free.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-33867873101299026912024-02-11T21:06:00.022+08:002024-02-14T19:36:49.363+08:00The yoga asana practice and the sense of pride or low self-esteem<p>The sense of pride or superiority and the sense of low self-esteem or inferiority is a huge obstacle on the path of yoga, where the mind is being determined by the presence and absence of impermanent qualities of names and forms, and it keeps chasing after the attainment, possession, and identification towards the presence and absence of certain qualities of names and forms that will give rise to the sense of pride or superiority, that needed to be maintained and empowered regularly, as most passionate egoistic minds are being conditioned to think and believe that one must attain and possess certain qualities that will give rise to the sense of pride or superiority, in order to be free from the sense of low self-esteem or inferiority.</p><p>The sense of pride/superiority and the sense of low self-esteem/inferiority are the two sides of a coin. They exist together.</p><p>The vanish of the sense of pride or superiority will lead to the vanish of low self-esteem or inferiority, simultaneously, and vice versa.</p><p>None need the presence of the sense of pride or superiority towards anything, to be existing, to be living, to be happy, to be peaceful, to be free, and to be constantly improving in this world. While the presence of the sense of pride or superiority a.k.a. the sense of low self-esteem or inferiority gives rise to many unnecessary 'troubles' in one's life, particularly in one's relationship and interaction with some others.<br /></p><p>The mind that is being over-powered by the sense of pride will feel being offended or annoyed easily by certain teachings and practices of yoga that the mind dislikes and disagrees with, as well as upon coming in contact with certain affairs and interactions with some others that appeared to be unpleasant, disagreeable, and undesirable to the mind. It wants and expects the yoga practice or the yoga classes as well as all and everything to be in certain way that it prefers, desires, likes, and agrees with.</p><p>Certain kind of physically and mentally demanding intense yoga asana practice is existing and suitable for the mind that is being over-powered by the sense of pride or superiority a.k.a. the sense of low self-esteem or inferiority. </p><p>The prideful ego will be hammered repeatedly by the more and more challenging yoga asana poses or sequences, that has no limit of higher and higher degree of difficulty and complexity, upon attaining certain degrees of enhancement and achievement in the yoga asana practice, where the mind will eventually be 'humbled' by such limitless practice. Such as, in the beginning one couldn't do even one push up, but then after some time having developed certain degrees of strength and stamina, the body can do 10 push ups consecutively, and it makes the mind feels good and confident or superior about itself, and then, the mind is highly motivated and expects the body to be able to do 20, 30, 40, or 50 consecutive push ups, then, 75, then 100, then 150 push ups, and so on. However, if the mind doesn't develop the basic correct understanding towards the teachings of yoga or the means of the yoga practice, it will only be focusing on continuously challenging the body and mind beyond its limitation until the body and mind suffers unnecessary injuries, regardless of how long and how much the mind has been practicing such yoga asana practice, or regardless of how fit, strong, and flexible is the physical body becoming, because there is never ending of higher and higher degree of difficulty and complexity in such yoga asana practice.</p><p>Being able to do 200 or more two arms, or one arm, or two fingers, or one finger consecutive push ups, or being able to perform many physically and mentally demanding complex yoga asana poses and/or sequences, and the mind is highly focus or attentive while performing all these physically and mentally demanding physical activities or yoga practices, is irrelevant to whether the mind is free from ignorance and the by-products and the consequences of ignorance, or not.<br /></p><p>The mind that is being over-powered by the sense of low self-esteem or inferiority might
feel being intimidated by certain teachings and practices of yoga that
appeared to be challenging, unfamiliar, and unease to the body and mind,
as well as it would feel being intimidated by and envy towards the
physical and mental condition, ability, performance, progression, and achievement of
some others that appeared to be 'better' or 'more superior' than
oneself. However, at the same time, it's also because of the sense of low
self-esteem or inferiority, such mind will be feeling good and confident
or superior about itself upon the presence of certain enhancement in the
physical and mental condition, ability, performance, and achievement, upon being able to perform
certain yoga asana poses or sequences that it couldn't perform in the
beginning, that it couldn't be able to perform comfortably and effortlessly. And hence, it is being motivated to keep practicing regularly in order to attain higher and
higher enhancement, ability, performance, and achievement in the yoga asana practice, so that it can keep feeling good and confident or superior about itself.</p><p>That is not liberation at all. <br /></p><p>Such minds would feel greatly disturbed, disappointed, and frustrated, if for some reasons, the persistent regular yoga asana practice is being disrupted by someone or something, or upon the absence of further improvement or higher ability and achievement, or upon the presence of declination in the physical and mental condition, ability, performance, and achievement in the yoga asana practice, either due to disruption in the regular practice, or illness, or injury, or decay, or weakness, or old age, or any unforeseen circumstances.</p><p>Upon the prideful ego is being hammered repeatedly by the challenging intense yoga asana practice that has no limit of higher and higher degree of difficulty and complexity until the body and mind ceased functioning and existing, the mind might either becoming more prideful for being able to do and achieve this or that by pushing the body and mind beyond its limitation as much as it can, regardless of whether there is the presence or absence of unnecessary injuries, or, it might be 'humbled' by such intense physical and mental demanding yoga asana practice, as well as be 'humbled' by the truth of impermanence, where the mind will start to think and acknowledge, "I am humbled by this intense yoga asana practice and the truth of impermanence of this physical body. I will now be humble and modest, as no matter how good I am or how good the physical condition can be, and no matter how much I can do and achieve with this enhanced physical and mental condition and ability, there will always be something else that I still can't do or achieve (yet), and this physical body is inevitably constantly changing and decaying. I don't need to push the body and mind beyond its limitation that hurt the body and mind in order for me to feel good and confident or superior." Note that this realization is not the end of the yoga practice, but it's the beginning of the path of self-inquiry and self-realization.</p><p>There is still the idea of 'I' or the ego, existing in the mind being humbled by the intense yoga asana practice that has no limit of higher and higher degree of difficulty and complexity, as well as acknowledging and identifying as, "I am humbled, and I am a humble and modest being, devoid of pride or superiority."</p><p>There is no 'I' existing to be 'humbled' and to be acknowledging and identifying as a 'humble and modest being, devoid of pride or superiority', upon self-realization towards the truth of selflessness. There is neither pride nor humbleness, neither superiority nor inferiority.<br /></p><p>Similarly, the physical and mental demanding yoga asana practice might
be rendering the mind focusing within, calm, and quiet, not being disturbed
or affected by the external names and forms during those moments of
concentration focusing within onto the breath, or the point of focus/attention/awareness (<i>Drishti</i>),
or the position and movement, that gives rise to conditional peace that is impermanent, where the mind is acknowledging and
identifying as, "I am focused within. I am not being disturbed or
affected by the external names and forms. I am calmed and quiet. I am
peaceful." But all these are conditional and impermanent.<br /></p><p>If
without self-inquiry, if without working on freeing the mind from the veil of ignorance, the idea
of 'I', egoism, and impurities, all those impermanent moments of
concentration/focus/attentiveness and the state of calmness and
quietness (a.k.a. conditional peace) don't necessarily mean that the mind is liberated from ignorance and
suffering, as if without eradicating the idea of 'I', ignorance, and egoism from the modification of the mind, the mind will still be disturbed and affected by the mind
perception of names and forms outside those moments of focusing within, calm
and quiet state of the mind that is conditional and impermanent, and hence, it might still act and react in the way that could be harmful to oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment, either intentionally or unintentionally, under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities, and the disturbed/agitated state of mind, or under the absence of correct understanding.<br /></p><p>No doubt that by engaging in such physically and mentally demanding intense yoga asana practice, the senses or the organs of the senses are being withdraw from the world
of names and forms, to allow the mind to be focusing within, and hence,
the mind is rendered to be in a state of attentiveness, calmness, and quietness, being
undisturbed by the external names and forms during those moments of withdrawing the senses, but that is also impermanent. It's not
the end of the practice.</p><p>It's like if the senses are being withdraw turning inward focusing within, where the mind doesn't perceive, or doesn't see, or doesn't hear, or doesn't smell, or doesn't taste, or doesn't touch, or doesn't feel, or doesn't think about any names and forms that appeared to be either distracting or disturbing to the mind, and hence, the mind won't feel being disturbed, and will be in a state of calmness and quietness. That is not liberation.</p><p><b>Liberation is upon the mind isn't being determined, or distracted, or disturbed by the perceived names and forms being what they are</b>, under the presence of correct understanding, upon the absence of egoistic attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation. It's not about don't see, don't hear, don't smell, don't taste, don't touch, don't feel, and don't think about anything that appeared to be distracting or disturbing to the mind, so that the mind won't be distracted or disturbed. That's why the minds that don't work on the annihilation of the idea of 'I' and egoism might feel good, calm, and peaceful by moving the mind away from what it thinks and believes is distracting or disturbing, but then the mind wouldn't feel good, calm, or peaceful anymore once they go back to 'everyday life existence' as it is, as they are being distracted or disturbed by what they see, hear, smell, taste, touch, feel, and think. It's not liberation.<br /></p><p>That is also why the teachings of yoga emphasized on continuously extending or expanding the duration of holding the different yoga asana for as long as possible, or holding the breath for as long as possible, or maintaining the concentration/focus/attentiveness, or the calm and quiet undisturbed state of the mind for as long as possible, that have no limit of duration, and that are conditional and impermanent, so that the mind will spend most of its existence, energy, attention, and effort onto the regular practice, and hence, will spend less energy, attention, and effort onto something else that might be harmful to oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment, but it doesn't necessary mean that the mind is free from ignorance or the by-products and the consequences of ignorance.</p><p>And that is totally okay as well, particularly upon the realization towards the truth of selflessness.</p><p>The important thing is that the ignorant passionate egoistic impure minds that are still under the influence of ignorance and its by-products, but were being rendered focus, calm and quiet through the intense regular physical and mental yoga practice, even if it's conditional and impermanent, that needs to be maintained regularly through engaging in certain action or practice, but at least, they are not generating or are generating less unnecessary ignorant harmful actions and reactions unto oneself, others, and the surrounding environment, within those impermanent moments of focusing onto performing the yoga practice, focusing within, attentiveness, calmness, and quietness (the momentary undisturbed state of mind that is conditional and impermanent), while still existing and functioning momentarily in this space of the universe that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.</p><p>Even so, the complete annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, or the attainment of self-realization via self-inquiry towards what is 'I', is still upmost important, if possible, where the mind is no longer being determined or influenced by the impermanent imperfect states of the mind or the impermanent imperfect effects of the yoga/concentration/meditation practice, being undisturbed or unaffected by the mind perception of names and forms beyond the impermanent states of the mind, regardless of performing or not performing certain yoga/concentration/meditation practice, in action or inaction, transcending the impermanent selfless existence and function of the mind, resting in unconditional peace unconditionally while the selfless impermanent body and mind is still functioning and existing.</p><p>There are different types of yoga students/practitioners/enthusiasts that are similar to the different types of wood. The dry wood can be ignited easily, and the slightly wet wood can be ignited after spending certain period of time to be undergoing the process of drying under the right conditions, while the highly wet wood can never be ignited if it stays wet, even after spending certain period of time undergoing the process of drying, but for some reasons, it keeps getting wet, or it isn't getting dried properly under the right conditions.</p><p>The minds that are being over-powered by the sense of pride or superiority/the sense of low self-esteem or inferiority are similar to the wet wood that keeps getting wet, or is not getting dried properly under the right conditions. The physically and mentally demanding type of intense yoga asana practice is most suitable for these minds, as it makes the mind feels good/confident/superior about itself whenever there is some improvement or achievement in the challenging yoga asana practice.</p><p>The minds that are not being over-powered by the sense of pride or low self-esteem, however, they are still under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, are similar to the slightly wet wood that needs to go through the process of getting dried for a certain period of time (the mind purification process).<br /></p><p>The minds that are devoid of the sense of pride/superiority or the sense of low self-esteem/inferiority as well as some other impurities, but somehow, there is still the idea of 'I' existing in the mind due to the veil of ignorance, are similar to the dry wood that doesn't need to go through any kind of drying process at all. These minds don't need to be spending much energy and effort into any kind of yoga practice, not to say, in certain physically and mentally demanding type of intense yoga asana practice, in order to be performing self-inquiry, and attaining direct self-realization towards the truth of selflessness. As unconditional peace, compassion, self-inquiry, and self-realization, or the liberation from ignorance and suffering, is not being determined by the degrees of health and fitness, strength and flexibility, as well as the selfless impermanent effects, benefits, improvements, abilities, performances, and achievements of performing the yoga asana practice and/or any other forms of yoga practice regularly.</p><p>The minds that are devoid of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, they are resting in unconditional peace, as they are. Any kind of yoga/concentration/meditation practice or self-inquiry, is irrelevant or useless to them.</p><p>Out of ignorance and egoism, some minds might perceive this as a form of criticism, discrimination, comparison, or judgment. That's their freedom of thinking and understanding.<br /></p><p>This is not a form of criticism, discrimination, comparison, or judgment at all, but merely about things or the teachings and practices being what they are. The highly wet wood can also be ignited upon getting dried effectively under the right conditions. Meanwhile, even the dry wood might somehow get wet under certain conditions, and hence, it needed to go through the process of drying (performing certain yoga/concentration/meditation practice).</p><p>If the mind still thinks, acknowledges, and identifies as, "I am humbled. I am now humble and devoid of pride," upon the realization towards the truth of impermanence, then know that this mind still need to keep practicing and keep inquiring towards the truth of selflessness, or 'I'lessness, or egolessness.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-4728978767920317312024-02-06T21:40:00.003+08:002024-02-09T17:10:32.075+08:00It's about be free from fear, it's never about sowing and empowering fear<p>The essential teachings and practices of yoga and/or buddhism is very much about peace, which is also about freeing the mind from fear, or the sense of separateness. It's never about sowing and empowering fear in the minds with all kinds of authoritarian conditions, rules and regulations, oppression, threat, intimidation, judgment, punishment, violence, painful sorrow, and suffering.</p><p>Ignorance and the idea of 'I' give rise to the sense of separateness.</p><p>Separateness gives rise to fear.</p><p>Upon the realization of selflessness and impermanence, upon the absence of ignorance and the idea of 'I', the mind that is devoid of the sense of separateness, is devoid of fear.</p><p>Peace is absence upon the presence of fear, as well as other kind of impurities and restlessness.</p><p>Peace is there as it is upon the absence of fear, as well as other kind of impurities and restlessness. <br /></p><p>Yoga and buddhism is all about peace, or fearlessness, as well as the absence of all kinds of impurities and restlessness.</p><p>Peace is of two kinds - conditional peace and unconditional peace.</p><p>There's nothing wrong with conditional peace that is there upon the absence of unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable, and disturbing experiences, and upon the presence of pleasant, desirable, agreeable, and soothing experiences. However, this conditional peace is still part of the impermanent manifestation within the modification/states of the mind that is determined by the mind perception of names and forms, or experiences, or the energy fields and elements, where it will change and pass away.</p><p>Just as the momentary effect deriving from performing certain yoga practice that can help to render the mind calm and quiet. It's relieving 'the symptoms', but it's not the solution of eradicating 'the cause of the symptoms'. However, the momentary conditional peace is also important as it enables the mind to have a few moments of momentary calmness that is essential for inquiring towards the truth of names and forms, that would lead to the realization of unconditional peace.<br /></p><p>Unconditional peace, is beyond the selfless impermanent modification/state of the mind, that neither increase nor decrease, undetermined and unaffected by the mind perception of names and forms, or all kinds of desirable and undesirable experiences.</p><p>It's the realization and understanding towards selflessness and impermanence in both the perceiver and the perceived, where the selfless existence and function of the perceptive mind as well as the perceived names and forms are all selfless and impermanent, that enables the selfless perceptive thinking and acting mind to transcend the impermanent modification/state of the mind, being undetermined or undisturbed by the selfless impermanent modification/state of the mind, of all kinds of perceived names and forms ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away, of different states of the mind arising, changing, and passing away.</p><p>The names and forms, or all kinds of experiences, are just being what they are. They don't have the quality to be something pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, positive or negative, right or wrong, good or bad, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or joyless, deserving or non-deserving, and so on. It's coming from the mind itself, of how the mind reacts towards the names and forms, or all kinds of experiences, where the mind categorized this or that as pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, positive or negative, right or wrong, good or bad, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or joyless, deserving or non-deserving, and so on, based on the existing likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, desires and don't desires, under the influence of the particular thinking, belief, values, and practices in the mind.</p><p>This fearlessness, or the absence of fear under the truth of selflessness and impermanence, where the mind is resting in unconditional peace, is nothing to do with the presence of 'courage' where the mind is 'fearless' towards performing all kinds of actions and activities, ignorantly, even if it's something that gives rise to unnecessary damaging consequences or inconveniences unto oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment, regardless of whether intentionally or unintentionally.<br /></p><p>Inquire towards all kinds of beliefs, values, and practices in the world of passionate egoism and desire, as well as certain 'teachings and practices' in the world of yoga and/or buddhism.</p><p>The
mind will see that most of the beliefs, values, and practices in the
world are mostly about sowing and empowering fear in the minds, while at the same time, propagating 'conditional' peace and love in the way of, "I will love you, and you will have peace, if you ..." and "I won't love you, and you will suffer (or more precisely, I will make you suffer), if you ..."<br /></p><p></p><p>If there are certain 'teachings and practices' of yoga and/or buddhism that appeared to be sowing and empowering fear in the mind with many kinds of 'threats and punishments', then know that it's nothing to do with yoga and/or buddhism, but it's something created by the minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism, impurities and restlessness, possessiveness and desire, where those 'teachings' and 'practices' are under the influence of certain worldly passionate egoistic beliefs, values, and practices.</p><p>That's why it is highly important <b>not to be</b> blind-believing, blind-following, and blind-practicing, but be open-minded to be performing self-inquiry towards the truth of everything, including all kinds of teachings of yoga and/or buddhism coming from everyone and everywhere, including what is here.</p><p>If taking up and practicing certain teachings or disciplines makes life existence becoming more simple and less complicated, and renders the mind becoming more peaceful and has less fear, even if there are some inevitable struggles and challenges due the process of mind purification and changing the mind behavior pattern, but not due to fear towards the existence of certain 'authoritarian threats and punishments', then one is on the right path. And vice versa.</p><p>For the sake of looking after the well-being of oneself and/or others, to be free from ignorance and the by-products and consequences of ignorance, the mind is performing all kinds of practices or disciplines out of it's own freewill and desire, without judgment or expectation towards oneself and others, and not out of fear towards many different kinds of threats and punishments.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-25174613601748234732024-02-05T02:19:00.004+08:002024-02-05T02:45:09.713+08:00The yoga practice of non-identification<p>In the beginning of the practice of non-identification, when the worldly passionate egoistic mind is still very much under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, then it's more about the mind under going the purification process of letting go all the identification with the different qualities of selfless impermanent names and forms as 'I' and 'mine'.</p><p>"I am not the body, the body is not I or mine. I am not the mind, the mind is not I or mine. I am not the modification/state of the mind, the modification/state of the mind is not I or mine. I am not
the thoughts, the thoughts are not I or mine. I am not the memories,
the memories are not I or mine. I am not the belief and values, the
belief and values are not I or mine. I am not all kinds of pleasant and
unpleasant experiences, all kinds of pleasant and unpleasant experiences
are not I or mine. I am not the feelings and emotions, the feelings and
emotions are not I or mine. I am not the sensations, the sensations are
not I or mine. I am not the senses, the senses are not I or mine. I am not the elements and the energy, the elements and the energy are not I or mine. I am not all kinds of identities, ties and connections, all kinds of identities, ties and connections are not I or mine. I am not the intellect, the intellect is not I or mine. I am not the knowledge, the knowledge is not I or mine. I am not the duties and responsibilities, the duties and responsibilities are not I or mine. I am not the actions and the consequences of actions, the actions and the consequences of actions are not I or mine. I am not the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms are not I or mine. I am not the selfless impermanent changes, the selfless impermanent changes are not I or mine. I am not the perceived names and forms, the perceived names and forms are not I or mine. I am not the world and the universe, the world and the universe are not I or mine. I am not the selfless impermanent life existence, the selfless impermanent life existence is not I or mine."</p><p>If it is I or mine, that belongs to I, I should have complete control towards I and whatever is mine to be exactly the way that I want and desire. If it's not in my complete control to be exactly the way that I want and desire, it is not I or mine.</p><p>It doesn't mean that all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms, or the actions and consequences of actions don't exist. It's just that there is no 'I' existing in all kinds of impermanent names and forms, as well as there is no 'I' existing to be the performer of actions and the receiver of the consequences/fruits of actions. Even though there's is no 'I' in all and everything, this selfless body and mind, and all kinds of names and forms, are still under going selfless impermanent changes influenced by the nature's law of cause and effect, and being affected by the actions and consequences of actions deriving from this selfless body and mind. Selflessness in all and everything doesn't change the nature's law of cause and effect (actions and consequences of actions, that is not about 'good or bad karma'), or the truth of impermanence in all and everything.<br /></p><p>The duration of this purification process is varied for the different minds under different degrees of ignorance and egoism. Some minds can let go easily and effortlessly in this instant moment, while some minds still couldn't let go even after a prolonged period of performing many different kinds of yoga and meditation practice regularly. There's neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad.</p><p>At this stage, the mind is still having an idea of 'I' that is not identifying with all those selfless impermanent names and forms, where the mind still needs to inquire towards what is the 'I' that is existing in the mind. If I am not all those selfless impermanent names and forms, then who/what am 'I'?<br /></p><p>As the mind starts to develop certain degrees of correct understanding, dispassion and right discrimination, when there is a strong foundation of the practice of non-identification and non-attachment towards all kinds of names and forms as 'I' and 'mine', then it's about the selfless thinking mind inquires or reflects upon itself, or the selfless impermanent existence and function of a perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind, to know Thyself, where there is no 'I' existing, but merely a selfless impermanent function of the selfless impermanent physical body.</p><p>When there is ignorance, when there is all kinds of attachment and identification, then there is the practice of non-identification, or letting go the identification with all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms as 'I' or 'mine'. And vice versa.</p><p>When there is ignorance, when there is suffering, then there are all kinds of practices to annihilate ignorance, or the path of attaining liberation from suffering. And vice versa.<br /></p><p>There is no 'I' existing to be identifying or non-identifying with any names and forms.</p><p>There is no 'I' to be free or not free from ignorance and suffering.</p><p>The one that is under the influence of ignorance, the one that is not free from suffering, the one that needs to be performing certain practices to annihilate ignorance, and the one that needs to be free from suffering, is just the selfless impermanent perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting impure egoistic mind of the selfless impermanent limited conditional mortal physical body, functioning under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness.</p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-15592439341231698822024-02-03T22:54:00.004+08:002024-02-04T02:50:30.751+08:00Renunciation and the world of passionate egoism and desire<p>The liberated selfless mind that has renounced all kinds of worldly passionate egoistic ideas, identities, ties and connections, beliefs, desires, values, and practices, that is devoid of attachment or identification, craving or aversion towards all kinds of names and forms, identities, ties and connections, ideas, beliefs, values, practices, activities, desires, accomplishments, and achievements, it doesn't need to be performing, engaging, or participating in any kind of daily/weekly/monthly/yearly practices/activities/events/celebrations/rituals based on certain cultural/family/social/spiritual/religious/national/commercial belief, values, and practices, where all kinds of regular practices/activities/events/celebrations/rituals are existing for developing, maintaining, and empowering the attachment and identification of the minds towards such belief, values, and practices, in order for such belief, values, and practices to be continuously sustaining and expanding in this world. There is no sense of wrongfulness, badness, negativeness, inauspiciousness, guilt, regret, left-out, aloneness, disrespectfulness, unfaithfulness, joylessness, failure, purposelessness, or meaninglessness, arising or existing in such mind for non-engaging in such practices or activities.</p><p>The passionate egoistic minds that are not free from attachment and identification, craving and aversion, and passion towards certain names and forms, identities, ties and connections, ideas, beliefs, values, practices, activities, desires, accomplishments and achievements, would be disturbed by the sense of wrongfulness, badness, negativeness, inauspiciousness, guilt, regret, left-out, aloneness,
disrespectfulness, unfaithfulness, joylessness, failure, purposelessness, or meaninglessness, for non-engaging in
such practices or activities, as the minds have been being influenced and conditioned and limited to think in certain way, to believe in certain belief, to have certain identities, qualities, and desires (aspirations), to have pride or shame towards certain identities, qualities, and desires (aspirations), and to carryout and empower certain values and practices.<br /></p><p>It's not that the different kinds of practices/activities/events/celebrations/rituals based on certain
cultural/family/social/spiritual/religious/national/commercial belief and values are anything wrong, or bad, or negative, where most minds that are functioning under the veil of ignorance and egoism, that are not free from the perception of suffering/disturbed/hurt/painful sorrow/unhappiness/meaninglessness and etc, would think and believe that they need all that in order to be existing and living, that they need to be developing, possessing, and empowering the sense of belonging, self-esteem, self-worth, pride, loyalty, righteousness, goodness, positiveness, auspiciousness, togetherness, respectfulness, joyfulness, accomplishment, purposefulness, or meaningfulness, as well as the personal/family/community identity, the existence of the culture/the belief/the values/the spirituality/the religion/the country, the financial status, the social status, or the economy of the individual/the family/the community/the country/the region/the world, are purely surviving on the existence of such regular practices/activities/events/celebrations/rituals based on certain
cultural/family/social/spiritual/religious/national/commercial belief and values, however, upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, the mind is no longer being conditioned by such thinking, belief, ideas, desires, values, and practices, where the mind realizes and understands that the selfless impermanent life existence, or the world, doesn't need any of that, but only need to be free from ignorance and the by-products and consequences of ignorance.<br /></p><p>That is liberation.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.</p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-30516237123808536182024-02-03T22:13:00.004+08:002024-02-04T23:15:02.086+08:00Yoga is the union of the soul, the body, and the mind?<p>"What is yoga?" is very often being expounded as, "Yoga is the union of the soul, the body, and the mind," for the minds that believe in the existence of an individual soul/spirit, or "Yoga is the union of the body and the mind," for the minds that don't believe in the existence of an individual soul/spirit, as well as, "Yoga is the union of the individual consciousness and the universal consciousness", or "Yoga is the union of 'this' and 'that'."</p><p>Due to these words, many minds interpret and understand as "The mind attains union with the body where the passionate egoistic wishful mind can have complete control or influence over the body to be the way that it desires, defying selfless impermanent changes of decay, aging, illness, injury, pain, weakness, and death/disintegration/mortality," or "The individual consciousness attains union with the universal consciousness where the passionate egoistic wishful mind thinks that it will attain immortality and can have the superpower to control or desire everything to be the way that it desires, untouched by the nature's law of cause and effect, being the master of the selfless elements and energy, to be existing infinitely and unconditionally in a limitless 'pleasant desirable space', or 'perfect world', or 'infinite absolute existence', that is all desirable, pleasant, and enjoyable, where there is still the existence of an idea of 'I' in the form of thinking or a continuous stream of countless thoughts in the modification of the mind, that has such wishful desire waiting to be gratified, that doesn't desire to be here that is being perceived as imperfect and undesirable, while desire to be somewhere else that is perfect and desirable, by trying to be reuniting and be identifying with a higher and purer super powerful absolute entity or infinite existence for achieving all that."</p><p>The selfless thinking mind is merely part of the selfless function of the selfless body. There is no 'union', as the body and mind were never two separated 'thing', and it's merely a selfless and impermanent limited adjunct supported and powered by selfless elements and energy. Without the existence and function of the body, there's no existence and
function of the mind. And, if without the selfless support of the supportive
elements and energy for being what they are, the body and mind cannot and doesn't exist, not to say, to be functioning.</p><p>The presence of ignorance and the idea of 'I' in the modification of the thinking mind generates the sense of separateness or distinction between 'I' and what is not 'I'. While in many different kinds of belief, the minds believe that there's an immortal infinite individual 'soul/spirit' that is pure and perfect, of who all and everyone really are, residing in the mortal physical body that is impure and imperfect, and via the function of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind to be experiencing a worldly life existence perceiving names and forms of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations through the organs of the senses, and performing actions through the organs of actions, where the 'soul/spirit' (pure and immortal, and that is who I really am), body and mind (impure and mortal, and that is not who I am), are distinctive from one another. Under this belief, yoga is being interpreted as "The union of the 'soul/spirit', the body, and the mind," so that I am the one in control of the body and mind to be the way that I desire it to be, and not under the influence of the elements and energy, defying selfless impermanent changes and the nature's law of cause and effect.<br /></p><p>Instead of expounding yoga as "Yoga is the union of this and that," but expounding yoga as it is, "Yoga Citta Vriti Nirodhah."</p><p>It is about the annihilation of the
restless modification (thought activities) of the selfless mind, or
Silence, devoid of thought activities/names and forms/desires/actions, or devoid of the idea of 'I', or devoid of the ignorant non-existing individual identification of a
permanent independent individual identity/being/existence, where the
selfless thinking mind attains self-realization towards non-separateness
or oneness (which is nothing to do with "the union of this and that") upon the realization of selflessness and impermanence, where
there is no 'I' existing, or there is not an infinite existence of a permanent
independent unchanging immortal individual identity of anything, where
all and everyone and everything are the same selfless and impermanent.</p><p>The only momentary existence, is in NOW, and it's constantly changing, where there is a beginning and an end of this selfless impermanent momentary limited conditional existence, where there's no infinite immortal 'I' existing to be under going selfless impermanent changes in any particular selfless impermanent names and forms, under the influence of the many different selfless elements and energy that are supporting and influencing all kinds of names and forms arising, changing, and passing away (forming, decaying, and disintegration), selflessly.</p><p>There is no 'I'. Who, or what is there to be attaining union with this or that? Who, or what is there to be desiring or not desiring this or that? All and everything are merely selfless and impermanent names and forms that exist momentarily in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything under the selfless and intentionless support and influence of the selfless elements and selfless energy.</p><p>Even though the thinking and acting mind is only existing and
functioning momentarily in this world through the selfless body of the selfless senses, the selfless organs of the senses, and the selfless organs of functions and actions, but it can create so much actions and consequences of actions out of ignorance,
egoism, impurities, and restlessness, either intentionally or unintentionally, during its momentary existence, that give rise to so much unnecessary impactful damages and suffering unto oneself and others and the surrounding environment, that would be affecting all and
everything in certain way.</p><p>That's why it is upmost important to
free the mind from ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, even
if the mind won't be able to create any ignorant actions and
consequences of actions upon ceased existing, but the pleasant or
unpleasant impact that it had been creating while momentarily existing and
functioning will still be impacting the world that doesn't
belong to anyone, in certain way, for certain extended period, after the selfless
body and mind ceased existing.</p><p>"Mind conquest/Self-realization is the greatest duty of mankind." - Saints and Sages, Gurus and Buddhas, all the practitioners and teachers of Dhamma.</p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /><p></p><p></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-15327661742666461332024-02-02T19:14:00.005+08:002024-02-03T20:12:24.129+08:00Guiding the minds to perform inquiry towards the truth of everything<p>There are two parts in self-inquiry.</p><p>One is to be inquiring towards what is the 'I' that the mind thinks and acknowledges and identifies as 'I', to attain self-realization towards the truth of the selfless impermanent existence and function of the limited conditional physical body with the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind, of knowing Thyself - Selflessness and Impermanence.</p><p>One is to be inquiring towards the truth of everything to attain self-realization towards the truth of everything that come under different qualities of different names and forms - Selflessness and Impermanence.</p><p>This is not about finding out what is right or wrong, good or bad, true or untrue.</p><p>It's about seeing all and everything as it is, where all and everything are neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, upon the realization towards non-separateness/non-duality/oneness, upon the mind attain self-realization towards selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, including what was/is true or untrue, that gives rise to the right discrimination towards what is 'real' (permanent/unconditional) and 'unreal' (impermanent/conditional), while letting go and stop chasing after whatever that is 'unreal'.<br /></p><p>Before self-realization, or the annihilation of the idea of 'I', the mind perceives the inquiry towards what is 'I' and the inquiry towards all kinds of names and forms as separated distinctive subjects, as the existence of the idea of 'I' in the mind generates the separateness/distinction between 'I' and everything that is not 'I'. Upon self-realization or the vanish of the idea of 'I', the selfless mind realized that these two subjects are not distinctive/separated from one another. There's neither right nor wrong. It's merely part of the process.<br /></p><p>The subjects of inquiry might be different, but the truth of all kinds of existence regardless of sentient living beings or non-sentient living beings and non-living objects, as well as all kinds of diverse ideas, beliefs, values, and practices, regardless of whether they are something true (factual) or untrue (non-factual), is the same.</p><p>One might come in contact with the teachings or the dhamma about selflessness and impermanence through various books, medias, and teachers, but just by reading, hearing, studying, or possessing the knowledge/information about selflessness and impermanence without attaining direct experience or self-realization towards selflessness and impermanence doesn't liberate the mind from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, as well as the suffering/unrest/disturbance/painful sorrow driving from all that.<br /></p><p>The liberated minds cannot take away the ignorance of the others by telling others what they themselves have realized through their own effort, practice, self-inquiry, direct experience, and/or self-realization, but they can provide guidelines for the others that would lead them towards performing self-inquiry towards all kind of doubts, or questions, or ignorance that they have, via their own effort, practice, and self-inquiry, to attain direct experience or self-realization, and be free.</p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-62641506693639841972024-01-27T01:23:00.039+08:002024-01-29T02:37:06.084+08:00It's not about achieving perfection in the yoga practice<p>There are many different kinds of physical and mental yoga practice under different paths and lineages in the path of yoga.</p><p>It's not about creating competition or comparison among the different paths or lineages, of which path or lineage is better than the others, or the best among all, or the easiest one, or the safest one, or the most difficult and challenging one, or the most popular one, or the most effective and beneficial one, or the most spiritual one, and etc, but it's about the availability of many different varieties/tastes to 'suit' and 'interest/attract' the many different worldly passionate egoistic restless minds that are functioning under the veil of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, that come under many different traits, personalities, characteristics, backgrounds, conditions, thinking, beliefs, ideas, values, interests, and desires, to be devoting some, or most, or even all of their life existence, attention, effort, and energy, onto performing one, or some, or all kinds of physical and mental yoga practice, persistently and regularly.</p><p>More importantly, by devoting some, or most, or all of one's life existence, attention, effort, and energy, into performing persistent and regular physical and mental yoga practice, is not about achieving perfection in the yoga practice(s) at all.</p><p>Regardless of whether the body and/or mind can or cannot achieve certain degrees of 'physical/mental/spiritual improvement/achievement', or even 'perfection in all kinds of practice', in the respective yoga practice(s) or disciplines, it doesn't determine or guarantee that whether the mind is, or will be liberated from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, or not.</p><p>What are the physical condition/ability/limitation or the state of the mind, is not important at all. Regardless of what are the physical condition/ability/limitation or the state of the mind, as well as what are the result, or the fruit, or the effect/benefit of the different yoga practice(s), all are impermanent.</p><p>What is impermanent, that is momentary, that is conditional, that is the effect of a cause, that will change, and pass away, is not 'real'. It's not the goal of the practice.</p><p>If so, why is it still so important to devote the life existence (time), attention, effort, and energy into performing some kind of yoga practice(s)?<br /></p><p>It's merely about moving the mind away from (the influence/distraction/attachment/identification of) all kinds of worldly restless passionate egoistic ideas, beliefs, affairs, attachments, identifications, aspirations, inspirations, desires, intentions, ties, connections, interactions, activities, duties, and responsibilities (as much as possible), physically and mentally, during those moments when the mind is devoting or immersing into certain kind of physical and mental yoga practice that is all about disciplining, purifying, and quieting the restless modification of the mind, while channeling the life existence, attention, effort and energy onto 'something' such as 'the teachings and practice of yoga' that is about thinning-out/weakening/eradicating the veil of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities and restlessness, that is about developing openness and kindness, that is about realizing compassion and wisdom, that is about right discrimination (wisdom/correct understanding/non-separateness/oneness/selflessness/impermanence/simplicity/desirelessness) that leads to non-discrimination/non-craving/non-aversion towards the many different selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, that allows the mind to be opened (not being conditioned or influenced by worldly passionate egoistic ideas, thinking, beliefs, values and practice), that allows the mind to attain direct experience or realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence, and hence, be free from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, or suffering, that allows the mind to be resting in unconditional peace.</p><p>However, not all or any kinds of physical and mental activities that require certain amount of attention, effort, and energy, will be leading the mind towards the annihilation of ignorance and suffering, or unconditional peace.<br /></p><p>The many minds can also be devoting most, or all of their life existence, attention, effort, and energy onto 'something that attracts their interest' or 'some kind of activity, practice or training', that significantly improve their intelligence, creativity, knowledge, ability, and skill in that particular thing/activity/practice/subject, that give rise to many different 'inspirational' ideas, productivity and creativity, but then, it's not necessarily something that promotes peace and harmony in oneself and/or others and the world of diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, that could be creating many ideas, products, or activities that promote damage, destruction, exploitation, unrest, and disharmony in the world instead, either intentionally or unintentionally, because the minds are still very much functioning under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness.</p><p>It's the right attention, right effort, and right action/practice, that is about developing/empowering/activating the process of the thinning-out/weakening/annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, that will lead to right discrimination, or dispassion, or correct understanding, or wisdom, or unconditional peace, or promoting peace and harmony in the world of diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything. That is nothing to do with the impermanent physical and mental condition/ability/limitation, or the result/fruit/effect/benefit of the different physical and mental yoga practice.</p><p>All kinds of momentary effects of rendering the mind to be focus, calm and quiet, is merely preparing the mind to be able to have a few moments of precious clear reflection to be reflecting upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence, that allows the mind to go beyond the impermanent physical and mental condition/ability/limitation and the side-effects of the yoga practice, but it doesn't guarantee the annihilation of ignorance and suffering, if without integrating/activating the process of thinning-out of the veil of ignorance and its by-products, and if the mind doesn't reflect/inquire upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence, but only enjoying, attaching towards, and identifying with the acquired state of attentiveness, calmness, and quietness via the yoga practice that is impermanent, that is not the means of the yoga practice.<br /></p><p>One can be devoting all of one's life existence, attention, effort, and energy into performing some kind of physical and mental yoga practice regularly, of certain path or lineage, while attaining and enjoying all kinds of momentary agreeable physical and mental health and fitness effects or benefits from the devoted persistent regular yoga practice, however, if without integrating/activating the eradication of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, but instead, all that are being empowered while performing all those physical and mental yoga practice(s), then the mind will still be functioning under the influence of ignorance and its by-products, even after many years of 'practicing yoga' and/or 'teaching yoga'. There's neither right nor wrong. At least, during the moments of their existence, attention, effort, and energy that was being spent on performing the yoga practice, the minds are not performing any unwholesome harmful activities that would harm themselves and/or others and the world.</p><p>Such as, in certain physically demanding and mentally challenging type
of yoga asana practice under particular lineage, that requires intense devotion or discipline of a
few hours per day for six days a week of persistent practice, or else,
the body and mind won't be able to develop and have the required physical and
mental skill, stamina, strength and flexibility to be performing the
full routine of such physically demanding type of yoga asana practice.
The main purpose of such intense yoga asana practice, is all about to move the mind away from worldly passionate
egoistic affairs and activities as much as possible, as well as to be breaking the ego, to allow the mind to see the truth of selflessness and
impermanence, through engaging in such
attention, effort and energy consuming practice.</p><p>As no matter how
much time, attention, and effort has been spent into maintaining and enhancing the condition/ability of the physical body and the modification of the mind, that no matter how skillful, fit, strong, flexible, and healthy that the physical body can become, and no matter how good, positive, successful, accomplished, and meaningful is the mind feels about itself and everything, the body and mind is still a selfless impermanent limited and conditional adjunct,
where all the effects/benefits of well-developed/enhanced skill, stamina, strength,
flexibility, and health condition, are all impermanent. And no matter how skillful, fit,
strong, flexible, and healthy is the physical body, or how knowledgeable,
intelligent, good, or calm is the state of the mind, and no matter what kind of super extraordinary physical or mental experiences that the mind is experiencing before/during/after the devoted persistent regular practice, it cannot escape or change the truth of selflessness and impermanence.</p><p>If the mind doesn't understand this, where it thinks and believes that it's about achieving 'certain result' or 'perfection' in the yoga asana practice or some other yoga practice, then it will try to achieve certain result or perfection in the yoga asana practice or some other yoga practice, by continuously keep pushing the body and mind beyond its limitation that would give rise to unnecessary injuries or damages to the body and mind, empowering ignorance and egoism, which is the opposite of what yoga is about.</p><p>So what, if the body can stay in the headstand, or handstand, or any position, or holding the breath for a prolonged period of time until the energy or strength is depleted completely, or until the body can't hold the position or the breath any longer after holding it for a prolonged period of time. Some even acknowledged and identified themselves as the national or world record time holder for holding the breath or for holding such and such position for how many minutes, or hours, or days. It only indicates that the mind is still very much under the influence of ignorance for trying to challenge the body and mind beyond its limitation in order to achieve certain result or perfection. But, if the mind can start to see the truth of selflessness and impermanence after engaging in such action/activity/practice, then it served the purpose of performing the challenging intense yoga asana practice, or holding the breath (<i>pranayama</i>).<br /></p><p>Without renunciation and dispassion (towards the mind perception of selfless impermanent life existence and the world of names and forms, of all kinds of ideas, affairs, objects, ties, connections, relationships, activities, desires, aspirations, inspirations, attachments, identifications, anticipations, expectations, achievements, conditions and situations), all kind of devoted, persistent and regular physical and mental yoga practice doesn't lead to the liberation from ignorance and the suffering deriving from ignorance, but only give rise to some momentary pleasant or unpleasant side-effects, that are also impermanent, that are still within the manifestation of <i>MAYA</i>.</p><p>If all minds (human beings) spent their entire existence, attention,
effort, and energy onto performing some kind of yoga practice where this selfless impermanent life existence of a body and mind is mainly for the
purpose of conquering one's restless modification of the mind to be
inquiring the truth of everything, (or without the need of performing any kind of yoga practice, but merely
living a life of simplicity and desirelessness,) the world will be so peaceful devoid
of actions and consequences of actions deriving from human beings with
the mind functioning under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I',
egoism, impurities and restlessness, where the minds that are occupying
the world are purely focusing on their yoga practice, or on their simple basic way of living, while only need to spend minimal attention, effort and energy
into finding enough basic needs for looking after daily life
maintenance, <b>devoid of</b> worldly passionate egoistic greedy desires
for attaining excessive accumulation and hoarding of wealth and objects
beyond the basic needs for life maintenance in the present
moment, to be enjoying all kinds of unnecessary physical, mental,
material, sensual, and leisure enjoyments, being inspired to be having
great vision, aspiration, and ambition to be selfish and prideful
towards developing and empowering a personal and group identity, to be discriminating,
interfering with, intimidating, and conquering the others, to be occupying, possessing, and
controlling the world to be and not to be in certain way, to be
achieving higher and higher accomplishments and enjoyments by exploiting all and
everything to the maximum, to be gratifying one's greedy endless
desires.</p><p>The worldly passionate egoistic restless minds that were being conditioned by worldly passionate egoistic ideas, thinking, beliefs, values, practices, behaviors, actions and reactions, to live life and to think/believe/reason/judge/understand/desire/behave/act/react in certain way, will see 'this' as a form of 'non-development', or 'non-civilization', or 'boring and meaningless way of life', or 'non-productivity', or 'failure', or 'inferior', or 'weakness', 'or 'negativity', or 'wrong', or 'madness', and so on. That's their freedom of thinking and understanding, and way of living.<br /></p><p>The difference between the awakened/liberated minds and the worldly passionate egoistic restless minds, is merely whether the mind is <b>under</b> or <b>free from</b> the conditional influence of worldly passionate egoistic (family, community, cultural, social, spiritual, religious, political, national, commercial, sentimental...) ideas, thinking, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, practices, behaviors, actions and reactions, where the awakened/liberated minds don't generate ignorant damaging behavior/action/reaction in this world of diversities that doesn't belong to anyone, devoid of selfishness, possessiveness, discrimination, separateness, or desires, aspirations and visions to conquer and control the world to be or not to be in certain way, and respecting the nature's law of cause and effect, free from attachment and the suffering deriving from attachment, while the worldly passionate egoistic restless minds keep generating ignorant hurtful behavior/action/reaction in the world unto themselves and others, out of selfishness, possessiveness, discrimination, separateness, and greedy desires, aspirations and visions to conquer and control the world to be and not to be in certain way, to be gratifying boundless personal and group desires and ambitions, while drowning in restlessness, greed, discontentment, dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration, irritation, anger, hatred, jealousy, unhappiness, sorrow, hurt, fear, and worry upon ungratified desires and coming in contact with undesirable selfless impermanent changes and disagreeable experiences.</p><p>It's not about which way of living is better or more righteous than the other, but it's about which way of living creates minimum or maximum unnecessary damages to the over-all well-being of all and everything in this world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.<br /></p><p>Inquire the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-608827560451576326.post-74875598293231951942024-01-24T11:01:00.011+08:002024-01-25T00:41:25.301+08:00Before and after the mind realizes and understands towards selflessness and timelessness<p>Before the mind realizes and understands towards selflessness (There's not a permanent independent individual existence of 'I') and timelessness (There's no past or future. There's only the present moment now. Time is only the reflection of impermanent changes. Life is only now, and it's impermanent), the worldly passionate egoistic restless mind needs to adopt certain observation and restriction, as well as to be developing certain types of discipline through devoting or immersing into performing regular practice on the different disciplines, that help to weaken the idea of 'I' and egoism, that help to lessen impurities and restlessness, in order to prepare the mind for meditation and self-inquiry.</p><p>After the mind realizes and understands towards selflessness and timelessness via self-realization, the liberated egoless/selfless mind doesn't need to observe any observation or restriction, and doesn't need to be performing any kind of practice regularly to be developing any form of discipline, as the mind is devoid of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, where the mind is free from the suffering deriving from all that.</p><p>All kinds of yoga practice, is to be allowing the mind to see the truth of selflessness and impermanence, to attain direct experience or realization towards selflessness and impermanence. All kinds of benefits or side-effects are also selfless and impermanent. They are not the goal of the practice. No matter how fit, healthy, strong, and flexible the body can or cannot become through devoted regular practice, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable one can be in any positions or movements, and no matter what is the state of the mind, all are selfless and impermanent, all will change.</p><p>It's the absence of the ego/the idea of 'I' and egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, that allows the selfless mind to be resting in silence, or unconditional peace, transcending the selfless impermanent states of the mind influenced by the selfless energy fields (<i>Gunas</i>), and all kinds of selfless impermanent changes that constantly changing, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect.<br /></p><p>The breath (<i>Prana</i>) is life. Without the breath, there is no life. The breath (Life) is selfless and impermanent. The breath cannot just coming and not going, or just going and not coming, or not coming and not going for too long. The breath is still coming and going as it is, or occasionally pausing for a few moments as it is, and eventually it will stop coming and going, as it is, regardless of whether the mind is aware of the breath, or not, and whether the mind appreciates the breath (life), or not. The practice of observing the natural breath coming and going, without trying to control or change the breath being what it is, allowing the breath to be fast, or to be slow, or to pause for a few moments, is all about allowing the mind to respect impermanence, and be able to let go in peace, devoid of any desire of craving or aversion, upon the breath stops coming and going.<br /></p><p>Similarly, the practice of doing one's best in performing all kinds of yoga practice, actions, duties and responsibilities, but without attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation towards the yoga practice/actions/duties/responsibilities and the fruit of the yoga practice/actions/duties/responsibilities, is about be kind to the body and mind by respecting the body and mind as it is, without forcing the body and mind beyond its limitation, without hurting the body and mind, and in the end, is all about allowing the mind to realize and understand that - <br /></p><p>"The body and mind is imperfect and impermanent. Life is imperfect and impermanent. Regardless of whether good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or sorrowful, success or failure, happy or unhappy, literate or illiterate, knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable, kind or unkind, selfish or unselfish, healthy or unhealthy, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, long-lived or short-lived, spiritual or non-spiritual, religious or non-religious, and rich or poor, all and everyone will die. All are dying from the moment of being born, however, the mind that is free from ignorance and egoism, that realizes and understands towards selflessness and timelessness, will still be doing its best to live life as it is. Appreciating life, but without holding onto life, while making use of the selfless impermanent life existence to be performing all kinds of actions via the selfless impermanent physical body that would be beneficial to all and everyone, while not being determined or disturbed by selfless impermanent changes, of decay, weakness, illness, old age, discomfort, disability, limitation, pain, or death."</p><p>There is no fear and worry in such mind. Decay, weakness, illness, old age, discomfort, disability, limitation, pain, or death, is not something bad, or inauspicious, or negative, or sorrowful, or suffering, if the mind is free from ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, where the mind is peaceful as it is, regardless of all kinds of impermanent changes that is happening in the body and mind, and in the world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect.</p><p>There is no sense of superiority or inferiority in such mind. Separateness, discrimination, and desire of craving and aversion towards the different qualities of different names and forms doesn't exist in such mind.</p><p>If there is still the sense of superiority or inferiority, righteousness or wrongfulness, goodness or badness, meaningfulness or meaninglessness, joyfulness or sorrowfulness, positiveness or negativeness, and etc, in the mind towards certain qualities of certain names and forms that it perceives in itself and others, where there is still the presence of the sense of separateness, discrimination, and desire of craving and aversion towards certain 'superior' or 'inferior' qualities of names and forms in itself and others, where there is still the sense of belonging, pride, possessiveness, offensiveness, defensiveness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, greed, discontentment, fear, worry, hurt, bitterness, loneliness, guilt, regret, shame, and so on, then it indicates that the mind is still very much under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', and egoism, regardless of how long and how much the mind has been devoting most of its priority/attention/effort/energy/<i>Prana</i>/life into practicing and/or teaching certain type of yoga, persistently and regularly, and has been achieving extensive momentary physical and mental benefits and enhancements via the devoted persistent regular yoga practice.</p><p>There's neither right nor wrong. The mind just need to keep practicing. All minds take their own pace and cause to evolve/inquire/realize, and be free.<br /></p><p>More importantly, regardless of whether any mind is being perceived, acknowledged and identified by itself and/or others as good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative,
meaningful or meaningless, joyful or sorrowful, success or failure,
happy or unhappy, literate or illiterate, knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable, kind or unkind, selfish or
unselfish, healthy or unhealthy, vegetarian or non-vegetarian,
long-lived or short-lived, spiritual or non-spiritual, religious or non-religious, and rich or poor, it doesn't change the truth of selflessness and impermanence. It doesn't guarantee that the mind is, or will be free from ignorance and the suffering deriving from being ignorant, but then, all minds can be free from ignorance and suffering upon attaining self-realization towards selflessness and timelessness.</p><p>The one and only GURU is the mind itself.</p><p>Inquire towards the truth of everything.<br /></p>Meng Foonghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11441592442348953178noreply@blogger.com0