How to be free from the sense of pride and superiority

The minds that are devoid of the sense of pride and superiority, they don't need to be free from pride and superiority.

The minds that have the sense of pride and superiority, most probably they enjoy very much being prideful and are enjoying the superior status, and won't be interested in letting go the sense of pride and superiority.

"To be free from the sense of pride and superiority? Why? Is that even a thing that exists? Everyone works so hard and wants to be able to be qualified and deserving to be prideful about their physical and mental quality and ability and all kinds of achievements and possessions, that give them the status of superiority, and be able to boast or glorify about the qualities, abilities, achievements, and possessions that they have, that give them the sense of pride and superiority, that make them feel strong and powerful."

Just like the minds that enjoy making unlimited money and hoarding unlimited wealth and possessions, most probably they won't be interested in letting go greed, or endless dissatisfaction or discontentment, and hoarding/possessiveness.

Unless they experience something impactful in life, where they realize that there are certain things that they want so much, but they can't get, or buy, or in exchange with the total amount of ability, wealth, possession, and power that they have, that will make them rethink or reflect about themselves or about life existence.

Upon coming in contact with certain impactful experience, or intense physical/mental/emotional painful suffering, where their own physical body is no longer in their command to perform even the simplest task, the minds that are prideful about their superior status might rethink and reflect about the uselessness or powerlessness of the sense of pride and the superior status, as no matter how prideful and superior that they think they are, they are just like all and everyone else, where all and everyone cannot escape the inevitable limitation of selfless impermanent changes of decay, hunger, thirst, aging, weakness, stiffness, illness, pain, injury, disability, disintegration, and death, or mortality.

It is highly exhausting to be upholding the sense of pride and superiority that come from the attachment and identification towards certain qualities, abilities, achievements, and possessions that they have, that are limited, conditional, and impermanent. Not only that it takes a lot of energy or effort to maintain all that, but they also need to ceaselessly attain and possess more or higher quality, ability, achievement, and possession, and hence, upon intense exhaustion, maybe some of them will realize that they don't need to be the slave of pride and superiority that come from the possession and accumulation of qualities, abilities, achievements, and possessions that are impermanent, and out of their own freewill or desire, they want to let go the sense of pride and superiority. While there are some minds will never let go, and that's their freedom.

Some minds might question that how difficult can it be to just let go the sense of pride and superiority?

The sense of pride and superiority, a.k.a. the sense of momentary satisfaction, security, success, accomplishment, strength, and power, that are limited, conditional, and impermanent, is similar to any kinds of 'physical or mental addiction' that give the minds some momentary pleasurable enjoyable sensations or feelings that are limited, conditional, and impermanent, that the minds addicted onto.

It is not easy, but it's possible for the minds to let go of the sense of pride, superiority, success, strength, and power, that are there to suppress the many other qualities or impurities that exist in the modification of the mind that they don't like and don't want, such as the sense of low self-esteem, low self-worth, inferiority, failure, weakness, fear, insecurity, animosity, insufficiency, and powerless, reacting towards the presence of certain limitations or qualities in the body and mind that they don't like, disagree with, and don't desire.

It is also because of the ignorant egoistic impure minds don't like, disagree with, and don't desire certain undesirable qualities that exist in their body and their modification of the mind, that make them feel inferior, or insufficient, or weak, or insecure, or powerless, they will also be discriminate towards others that have certain qualities that they don't like, disagree with, and don't desire.

The minds that have discrimination and hatred towards some others, that cannot accept and be kind towards some others that they discriminate and hate, is because these minds have discrimination and hatred towards something in themselves that they don't like, disagree with, and don't desire, where they cannot accept and be kind to themselves as they are. If so, how can they accept and be kind towards some others as they are?

That's why the minds that know how to accept and be kind to themselves as they are, will also know how to accept and be kind to many others as they are, devoid of discrimination or hatred towards oneself and others.

One thing for sure. The most prideful and superior super successful, super strong, and super powerful person in the world will also have to bow down to DECAY and DEATH, when they can't even perform the simplest task, or can't even walk to the toilet, and can't control their pee and shit, or upon the heart stops beating, and the breath stops coming and going.

The unlimited degrees or amount of difficulty/challenge that exists in the yoga asana practice, the pranayama practice, and the concentration practice (especially in certain lineage that only focus on the yoga asana/pranayama/concentration practice, that deliberately doesn't talk about any philosophy at all - "99% of practice, 1% of theory", "Just do your practice, and all will come to you" that are designed for hammering or breaking the prideful ego of the practitioners that have a strong and energetic physical condition and personality), that has no limit of difficulty or challenge physically/mentally/emotionally, until the body and mind can't push any further, and breaks down.

Many people might think and believe that physical/mental/emotional breakdown is something bad and terrible, but it can be the precious life changing moment for the prideful arrogant minds to rethink and reflect upon themselves and life existence, and how they treat all the others in this world that doesn't belong to anyone and anything. Here, we are talking about the self discipline of performing the yoga asana/pranayama/concentration practice out of one's own freewill willingly to discipline one's own modification of the mind, without violence, or forced by some others.

This physical/mental/emotional breakdown process deriving from performing the challenging yoga asana practice, is coming from the prideful arrogant mind itself trying to push its body and mind beyond its limitation, that enables the mind to have direct experience and understanding towards the inevitable truth of limitation and impermanence in the body and mind, to be free from pride/arrogance/and many other egoistic impurities, but definitely it's not coming from some others impose/inflict certain violent and aggressive disciplinary training/punishment forcefully unto some others, to push them beyond their physical and mental limitation, in order to hammer and break them, to make them feel weak and vulnerable, to make them become submissive and surrender under their control.

That's why the challenging yoga asana practice being performed out of one's freewill, can help the minds to grow and evolve towards peace, wisdom, and kindness, and even if they haven't attained self realization yet, but just by performing the yoga asana practice regularly for certain months and years, will bring beneficial effects to the body and mind, that can improve the physical and mental health and fitness condition.

Meanwhile, the authoritarianism or disciplinarians that is about coming from someone (an authority or a disciplinarian) imposes/inflicts violent forceful aggressive disciplinary training/punishment or restrictive rules and regulations unto some others, to inflict certain painful physical and mental suffering unto some others, with the intention to make some others to become submissive towards the authority or the disciplinarian, to behave or don't behave in certain way, doesn't help the minds to grow and evolve towards peace, wisdom, and kindness, but the contrary of that.

Just like all kinds of world records in any kind of sports activities and competitions. A world record holder of weight lifting, or high jumping, or gymnastic competition understands that the physical body is limited, where it can never win against the unlimited weight, unlimited height, or unlimited difficulty, as well as the selfless impermanent changes that are not in the control of the body and mind, that can allow the prideful mind to have direct experience and understand towards the sense of pride and superiority as well as the optimistic positive thinking and belief, confidence, and affirmation about "I am highly knowledgeable, intelligent, talented, well-trained, young, healthy, fit, super energetic, super strong, super powerful, and superior human being. I can do and achieve anything that I desire," doesn't and cannot defy or escape DECAY, ILLNESS, INJURY, OLD AGE, and DEATH.

These competitive athletes understand that PRIDE and SUPERIORITY, 'achievement' and 'winning'/'victory', or 'world record' and 'world record holder', or the strongest/the fastest/the supplest/the lightest/the most talented/the most skillful/the most powerful/the most charming/the most influential, and etc, doesn't really mean anything for the physical body, or the life existence, that is limited, that is impermanent, that is extremely fragile.

There is really nothing that can be prideful about, and there is no superiority in anything.

The minds that understand this, will not hurt themselves or others. 

Only the ignorant egoistic minds will think and believe that they (need to) have something that they can be prideful about, and that make them feel somehow more powerful or superior than many others, that boost the sense of self-esteem, self-worth, power, strength, security, accomplishment, and meaningfulness, that are also impermanent. These minds will be hurting themselves and others by constantly forcing their body and mind beyond its limitation in order to achieve higher and endless achievements, out of the sense of pride and superiority.

The minds that are devoid of the sense of pride and superiority,  even when they are highly successful, accomplished, intelligent, knowledgeable, talented, or skillful in something or many things, will also simultaneously be free from dissatisfaction, disappointment, greed, anger, hatred, discrimination, possessiveness, selfishness, low self-esteem, low self-worth, insecurity, humiliation, animosity, offensiveness, defensiveness, bully, jealousy, envy, fear, agitation, frustration, annoyance, violence, authoritarianism or disciplinarians, and all kinds of impurities. (The annihilation of duality, of all kinds of egoistic impurities)

That's why the annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, is the highest duty of all minds.

Although the limited body and mind can never change or defeat the truth of selflessness and impermanence, but it can go beyond or transcend all kinds of limitation, not being determined or over-powered by all kinds of limitation, while make good use of the availability of energy, life existence, supportive condition, ability, knowledge, intelligence, talent, skill, opportunity, and possibility in the present moment now, to be doing something beneficial for oneself and others and the world, even if all these are limited, conditional, and impermanent.

Inquire the truth of everything.

How to practice non-attachment?

All kinds of yoga practice are non-violent or non-forcing, including non-attachment, letting go, concentration, meditation, asana practice, pranayama practice, self-inquiry, self-discipline, self-control, self-reliance, dispassion, renunciation, silence, and so on.

Violence, or forcing the practice to happen, will only hinder the practice to be what it is.

Practice non-attachment, but not attaching towards the practice of non-attachment. Allow the practice to evolve as it is. Similarly, apply this non-attachment onto all kinds of practices.

Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's difficult. Sometimes it's more difficult, sometimes it's less difficult. Sometimes it's struggling, sometimes it's effortless. All are impermanent.

Not attaching towards the practice is not the same as completely not practicing or stop practicing.

But it is okay to stop practicing for some time, if it is too much for the body or mind to be engaged in certain practice under certain difficult moments or conditions, but pick it up again when the body and mind is ready again.

If the body and mind cannot perform certain practice due to some injury or sickness, then just rest. That is already the practice.

Just keep practicing, but without forcing.

Just like engaging in any kind of fitness training.

Be patient. Be adjustable. Be adaptable. Be persevere. Be understanding. Be kind.

Allow the strength of the practice to be developed little by little, without expectation.

How to practice non-attachment?

Non-attachment and non-violence are the two sides of the same coin.

Non-attachment is reflected in letting go, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, non-expectation, being in the present moment, attentiveness, concentration, meditation, self-inquiry, understanding, and so on.

All kinds of practice are not separated from one another, and all are being practiced simultaneously under the presence of non-attachment or non-violence/not forcing/not hurting.

There might be some physical or mental discomfort, or muscle tightness/ache, or mental tightness/dizziness/heaviness, during the first few practices of learning and practicing something that the body and mind are not familiar with, and also after performing certain practice for a prolonged extended duration, but it is merely some momentary effects that will pass away after taking rest. This is different from being forceful forcing the body and mind to go beyond its limitation in the present moment to perform certain practice until the body and mind suffer from certain unnecessary injury.

Just do one's best in whatever one is doing, and allow the result of one's action to be what it is, not trying to control or expect the result has to be in certain way and not to be in certain way.

Just do one's best to love and be kind to oneself and others, and allow oneself and others to be what it is, allow others to appreciate one's love and kindness, or not.

Whatever one experiences in this present moment now, regardless of whether it is desirable or undesirable, without clinging towards the desirable experiences, without aversion towards the undesirable experiences. Allow the desirable or undesirable experiences to be there, to change, and to pass away.

Whatever one experienced in the past, even just a moment ago, not to say a few moments ago, a few minutes ago, a few hours ago, a few days ago, or a few weeks/months/years ago, regardless of whether it was desirable or undesirable, without craving towards the desirable experiences, without aversion towards the undesirable experiences. They only exist in the form of memory. Let them go. Not to be determined or disturbed by the past desirable or undesirable experiences that are not here in this present moment.

Whatever one imagines or anticipates towards what is going to happen or what is going to be experienced beyond this present moment, regardless of whether pleasant or unpleasant imagination, hopeful or fearful anticipation, all that are only some imaginations or anticipations that don't exist in this present moment now. Not to be determined or disturbed by all these imaginations or anticipations. Bring the mind back into the present moment, focus on what is here in the present moment, and allow what is here in this present moment to be what it is, and it is impermanent, allow it to change, and pass away, without clinging and craving towards the agreeable names and forms, without aversion or resentment towards the disagreeable names and forms.

Focus on what is possible in this present moment. Let go what is not possible in this present moment, but try again when it is possible. Not to be determined or disturbed by what is not possible in this present moment. Not to be determined or disturbed by the presence of undesirable conditions, limitations, difficulties, or obstacles. Need not fight against undesirable conditions, limitations, difficulties, or obstacles, but move around it, and all are impermanent. Both possibility and impossibility in this present moment now are impermanent.

Perform all one's actions, practice, duties, and responsibilities, and renounce the fruit of actions, practice, duties, and responsibilities. Allow the fruit of actions, practice, duties, and responsibilities to be what it is, and it is impermanent.

Even without any intention or expectation to be receiving anything in return, the fruit of actions will still be there as it is, not necessarily the way that the mind thinks and believes about what and how it should be. Allow the fruit of actions to be what it is, allow it to change, and allow it to pass away. It is not 'I', or 'mine'. And there is no 'I', or 'mine'.

Do one's best to look after one's physical and mental health condition, attend what is needed to be attended in this present moment, to eat, to drink, to rest, to move, to stay still, to shower, to use the toilet, to clean up, to sit down, to stand up, to walk, to lie down, to sleep, to wake up, to study, to meditate, to inquire, to stretch, to work, to relax, to be active, to be quiet, to observe, to be alert, to be focused, to be attentive, to let go, to care, to give, to love, to be kind, to appreciate, to perform one's duty and responsibility, to be free, to be happy, to be peaceful, to be in the present moment, to make changes, to smile, to cry, to laugh, and so on, without violence, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation.

Do one's best to look after the surrounding environment or the world, without attachment. Allow the surrounding environment or the world to evolve as it is, after one performed actions to look after the surrounding environment or the world. Regardless of whether good or bad condition, agreeable or disagreeable affair, pleasant or unpleasant situation, kind or unkind beings, all are impermanent, all will pass away.

If there is no attachment, there is needless to let go.

If there is attachment, then let it go.

In the beginning and during the process, effort is needed. There is some struggling or discomfort. It's normal. Allow the struggle or discomfort to be there as it is, and it is impermanent. It will change, and pass away.

Keep practicing, until everything become effortless.

The yoga asana practice, the breathing exercise, the concentration practice, the meditation practice, the self-inquiry, the realization, the understanding, the letting go, the non-attachment, the undisturbed state of mind, the selfless impermanent life existence, the limitation, the hardship, everything will become effortless.

It is okay if the body cannot do certain thing, or certain asana, or certain position, or certain practice, or certain movement, or even, cannot do anything. It is okay if the mind cannot understand something, or let go something, or even, cannot let go everything, in this present moment now, or after some time, or after many years, or even, at the end of life existence.

No judgment. No expectation. No craving. No aversion.

Let it be.

Even this is impermanent.

Self discipline vs self punishment

Self discipline is not self punishment.

Disciplining the ignorant impure egoistic modification of the mind, by the mind itself, out of freewill, to render it clear, pure, calm, and quiet, is not about inflicting violent hurtful or forceful practice/action/punishment unto the modification of the mind, which doesn't help to render the modification of the mind to be clear, pure, calm, and quiet at all, but would intensify the restless violent impure thought current.

Self discipline in the teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism is all about the ability of self management, time management, effort/energy usage or distribution, energy conservation, balancing physical and mental activity, filtering physical and mental inputs and outputs, self restriction and self control to be developing and empowering non-violence or non-hurtful in thoughts, actions, and speech, out of one's own freewill, devoid of violence or harm unto oneself and/or others.

It is nothing to do with what the many minds understand as 'self punishment' or 'disciplining oneself with forceful practice or hurtful action', or 'self inflicts violent and hurtful punishment unto oneself in order to repent' that exists in the many worldly egoistic beliefs in the world.

Many minds have intense aversion or rejection towards the teachings and practice of self discipline in yoga and/or buddhism because they confuse 'self discipline' with 'self punishment' that exists in the many worldly egoistic beliefs, values, and practices, which most minds would have intense disagreement, anger, and disgust towards.

Yoga and/or buddhism is non-religious. It is not a belief or values. It is science. It is biology. It is about the truth of this selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence of the limited adjuncts of the selfless mortal physical body that comes with a selfless perceptive thinking and acting faculty, that dependent on the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements to be existing and functioning. There is no pride and arrogance, or fear and painful sorrow, can exist in the mind that knows about the truth of Selflessness and Impermanence.

It is about coming from one's own freewill and desire, to be disciplining the selfless impermanent restless modification of the mind, without violence, or judgment, or attachment, or identification, or craving, or aversion, or comparison, or expectation, to be rendering the state of mind clear, pure, calm, and quiet, that unveils the existing knowledge and correct understanding towards the selfless impermanent existence and function of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind and the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, that are limited and conditional, that is here in this present moment now, perceiving a selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary worldly life existence, that is subject to the inevitable selfless impermanent changes, of forming, birth, growth, ceased growing, decay, weakening, illness, stiffness, injury, discomfort, old age, malfunction and dysfunction of the selfless bodily systems, and eventually, ceased functioning (death), and disintegrate (decompose).

All these are painful sorrow and suffering, to the minds that don't know Thyself.

All these are merely an inevitable natural process in all and everyone that are selfless, impermanent, limited, and conditional, to the minds that know Thyself.

There is no 'authoritarianism', or 'authority', or 'authorization', in the path of yoga and/or buddhism.

There is no 'judgment' or 'punishment', not to say, 'self punishment' or 'punishment unto others', in the teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism.

More importantly, the basic foundation of the teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism from the beginning of the practice until 'self-realization towards the truth of Selflessness and Impermanence' happens, is all about non-violence, or the annihilation and absence of violent hurtful thoughts/ideas/desires/actions/reactions/behaviors, via self-initiation, self-control, self-effort, self-reliance, and self-discipline, where all kinds of practices served as the non-violent tools for rendering the modification of the mind to be clear, pure, calm, and quiet, to be free from the veil of ignorance/restless violent impure egoistic thought current, a.k.a. the annihilation of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, or restlessness from the modification of the mind, which then allowing the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty to be able to see/know/realize/have a glimpse towards the truth of itself and the modification of the mind (knowing Thyself) under the presence of clarity a.k.a. the absence of hindrance/the veil of ignorance.

Self discipline is about managing one's physical and mental activities, or the usage of time or energy a.k.a. what to do with one's momentary precious life existence, balancing between activity and inactivity/work and rest/wake and sleep, filtering and choosing the type of physical and mental inputs and outputs, without violence or forcing, but with kindness and understanding towards what is the physical and mental needs/condition/ability/disability/limitation/possibility/impossibility in this present moment now, and attending what is needed to be attended immediately in this present moment now accordingly, accepting and respecting the perceived reality in the present moment now as it is, while knowing that all these are impermanent, and that it will change, and hence, just do one's best on what is possible in the present moment now, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, and allowing or respecting the result/fruit/outcome of one's action to be what it is, and changing.

Attending the physical and mental essential needs to be existing and functioning, to maintain life existence, are completely different from gratifying the wants, or the desires of craving and aversion, or the physical/mental/emotional clinging or addiction, or the ambitious ambition.

Without energy, food, water, air, minerals, and nutrients, the body and mind cannot exist or function.

Without a proper shelter and protective layer of clothing, to be sheltering from harsh weather, extreme condition and situation, injury, illness, and predators, without the selfless autonomous bodily systems and components that are there working together non-stop selflessly forming and supporting the life maintenance/existence/function of the body, or without certain survival knowledge and skills, such as balancing activity and inactivity/physical activity and mental activity/work and rest/wake and sleep, neither over-use or under-use, neither over eating or under eating, and etc, as well as the knowledge and understanding of non-violence, non-interference, non-possession, non-hoarding, non-greed, non-discrimination, independence, respect and kindness among one another, that gives rise to a supportive peaceful harmonious environment among the many diversities of different duties, responsibilities, knowledge, talents and skills, that are inter-supporting the survival of one another, just like the different selfless bodily systems and the many different selfless components that make up the entire selfless physical body, that gives life to the body and mind and support the life existence/function/maintenance/survival of the entire body, similar to the entire selfless solar system that is supporting the selfless existence of all and everything in it, then it might be challenging for maintaining the survival of the body and mind.

These are the needs, that is inevitable for maintaining life existence and the proper function of the body and mind, under a supportive, peaceful, and harmonious living environment in the world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

Out of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, there are fighting, hating, bullying, interfering, invading, oppressing, controlling, hurting, attacking, or killing one another in the world that doesn't belong to anyone and anything, is not different from committing suicide, just like the corrupted/malfunctioned auto immune system that attacks the different bodily systems and components.

 

The non-gratification or non-availability of the few/many/boundless different types of wants, or cravings, or physical/mental/emotional clinging or addiction, or the absence of certain desirable/pleasurable/enjoyable physical and mental inputs and outputs, or activities, or experiences, or effects, or enjoyments of the body and mind,

of certain pleasurable, desirable, agreeable, and enjoyable sights, smells, sounds, tastes, sensations, objects, intoxicants, drugs, alcohols, fashions, lifestyles, decorations, symbolical objects, arts, music, fine dining, luxurious indulgence, commercialized leisure holidays and activities, outings, gatherings, events, celebrations, festivals, material possessions, sexual activities, social activities and interactions, ties and connections, friendships, relationships,

of any kind of worldly egoistic belief, values, rituals, and practice, worldly education and learning, academic achievement, proficiency in particular or different languages for communication, praise and compliment, acknowledgement and recognition, love and affection, hugging and touching, agreement and understanding, admiration and glorification, the sense of self-esteem and self-worth, the sense of meaningfulness and purposefulness,

as well as without the idea of 'I', egoism, and impurities of pride, arrogance, greed, anger, hatred, fear, worry, jealousy, bitterness, resentment, selfishness, possessiveness, separateness, discrimination, cruelty, violence, hurtful behavior, and etc, the body and mind can still be existing and functioning as it is under the sufficient supply of energy, food, water, air, minerals, and nutrients, under the support of some basic survival knowledge, tools, and skills, and the availability of a proper shelter and sufficient clothing/wearing to be protected from extreme condition and situation, extreme heat and cold, harsh weather, natural disaster, accident, or predators, to be minimizing unnecessary injury and illness, if possible, without attachment, and devoid of violence or hurtful action/reaction/behavior unto oneself and others or the surrounding environment.

 

The absence and presence of worldly education, worldly knowledge, academic achievement, intelligence, talents, ties and connections, physical and mental good health and fitness condition, or social and financial status and achievement, doesn't determine whether a person or a mind is wise and kind, or not, is free from violence, cruelty, and hurtful thoughts/ideas/desires/actions/reactions/behaviors, or not, and is peaceful, or not.

Similarly, not all yoga and/or buddhism practitioners/teachers, or scientists, or biologists, are free from the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, if they haven't attained self realization yet, but only gathering all kinds of information/knowledge coming from everywhere and everyone. All these names and forms are neither good nor bad, depending on the presence or absence of correct understanding, that determining whether the availability of all these names and forms are being utilized for something constructive or destructive.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Selfishness

Most of the minds that are selfish, are not aware of themselves are being selfish, but, they would think and believe that themselves are not selfish at all, while they might be aware of and recognizing many others are being selfish. These minds are being selfish unintentionally and ignorantly.

The minds that are aware of themselves are being selfish, that is because they deliberately want to be selfish, for their own reasons, to cause disturbance, or unhappiness, or obstacle, or inconvenience, or annoyance, or pain, or injury, or failure, or damage, or destruction, or unrest, and etc, unto other people, intentionally and deliberately, out of ungratified desires, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, fear, unrest, the sense of self-righteousness, the sense of pride, the sense of superiority or inferiority, or any kind of impurities in their modification of the mind. These minds are being selfish intentionally and ignorantly, even more ignorant than those who are not aware of themselves are being selfish.

These minds are not peaceful being disturbed by something that they don't enjoy, don't desire, don't like, and don't agree with, and they don't want others to be peaceful as well.

Similarly, the minds that are ignorant, are not aware of themselves are being ignorant, especially the minds that might be highly educated, knowledgeable, talented, skillful, or accomplished in something or in many things.

The minds that are aware of ignorance in themselves, they might or might not have the yearning to be free from ignorance. There is neither right nor wrong. It's the freedom of all minds whether they want to be free from ignorance, or not.

The minds that are aware of ignorance in themselves, and that have the yearning towards knowledge/liberation/freedom/peace, to be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, are very precious in this world, as they can help themselves as well as maybe some others, to be free, to have correct understanding, to not hurt themselves and/or others.

"I don't like and don't want to be hurt by others. I don't like and don't desire others to be hurt by some others. I don't like and don't desire to hurt myself. I don't like and don't desire to hurt others. I might not be aware of myself is hurting myself and others. Now that I am aware of I have been hurting myself and others, I want to be free from hurting myself and others. I want to be free from what causing me to hurt myself and others."

That idea/thought/awareness/understanding is highly precious, as that initiates and powering the path towards self inquiry and self realization.

There is no need judgment, not to say, self punishment or repent, upon being aware of the selfishness, impurities, or ignorance in oneself. Let it go, and move on with that awareness/understanding, and keep practicing until the modification of the mind is purified, calmed, and quiet (clarity), without violence, without forcing, without judgment, without attachment, without identification, without craving, without aversion, without comparison, and without expectation, but never give up and keep going until the mind starts to see/know/realize the truth of itself under the absence of ignorance/hindrance a.k.a. under the presence of clarity.

Observe our own ceaseless actions/reactions/behaviors in everyday life, and see how much selfishness or ignorance in our actions/reactions/behaviors, either intentionally or unintentionally, out of anger, hatred, jealousy, pride, arrogance, fear, unrest, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, frustration, irritation, bitterness, resentment, feelings of hurt/betrayed/being taken for granted/being exploited/being bullied/being insulted/being belittled/being threatened/being intimidated/being abandoned/being disapproved/being unappreciated/being unloved, the sense of low self-esteem, the sense of self-righteousness, possessiveness, self-protectiveness, and so on, that we were not aware of, until now, without judgment.

Without judgment, or non-judgment, alongside with non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, and non-expectation, is highly important on the path of yoga and/or buddhism to be free from ignorance, to attain self realization, to transcend this selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence.

Inquire the truth of everything.

May all be free, be happy, be peaceful.

The presence of freewill vs the absence of freewill

The inevitable unconditional unlimited permanent infinite truth of Selflessness and Impermanence in all and everything, doesn't change or disappear, that cannot be changed, or modified, or destroyed, or eliminated, regardless of whether there is the realization, or knowledge, or understanding towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, or not. It is what it is.

All and everything that are selfless and impermanent, that exist and function as what they are, only for a momentary limited duration, are constantly changing selflessly and impermanently, as well as the selfless impermanent changes are conditional, that can be influenced, rendered, or modified in certain way, up to certain degrees, under certain limitation) during the momentary limited existence and function of all and everything.

There is, and there isn't freewill, depending on the subjects and the current conditions or situations, that is also limited and conditional, that can be presence or absence, that is available or not available, and that can be empowered from the existing existence.

Such as, 'correct understanding'/'willpower'/'self control' might be absent/not available/non-existing (non-activated), or might be present/available/existing and maybe significantly or insignificantly (activated), in this present moment now, but correct understanding, willpower, and self control can be formed or developed from non-existence, and be empowered from existing existence. Because all that are both limited (that can be presence or absence/available or not available/existing or non-existing/significant or insignificant/strong or weak) and conditional (that can be developed or subjugated/annihilated, can be empowered or suppressed/weakened, can increase or decrease, during the limited momentary existence), even if all and everything are selfless and impermanent, where there is no finite or infinite independent 'I' existing in the existence of all kinds of names and forms, and the selfless existence of all and everything is momentary.

The selfless eyes cannot see itself (being ignorant towards itself), but under the presence of a selfless reflective object, the selfless eyes can see itself (knowing Thyself). From the absence of knowledge to the presence of knowledge under the presence of doubting, learning, experiencing, investigating, reflecting, and inquiring. All and everything that the mind perceives, or the selfless impermanent modification of the mind/the mind stuff, deriving from its own selfless impermanent existence and function, are the selfless reflector for the mind to know itself. It doesn't need to rely on something that is not coming from itself.

That is freewill that comes along with the selfless impermanent existence and function of the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty.

That is the knowledge/liberation/freedom/peace/independence that is always there, that is existing in all selfless minds, regardless of the absence or presence of physical and mental deformity/disability, happy or unhappy, pure or impure, kind or unkind, understanding or non-understanding, ignorant and selfish, or not, violent and hurtful, or not.

There is freewill (that is neither good nor bad, depending on the presence or absence of correct understanding that gives rise to the type of ideas/thoughts/desires/actions/reactions/behaviors and their consequences) in the selfless thinking and acting faculty of the selfless physical body, even if it is limited and conditional, under the presence of the selfless conscious awareness in the selfless thinking and acting faculty for certain things (to make conscious choices and to perform action and inaction that can influence, render, and modify the condition of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional physical body and the modification/state of the mind), especially towards transcending (not being over-powered or determined by) all kinds of inevitable limitation and the absence of freewill (not by choice) to be existing and functioning that needed to be depending on the availability of the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements.

Without the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, there is no physical body, there is no perceptive thinking and acting faculty, there is no physical and mental desire/action/reaction that give rise to the consequences of desire/action/reaction. (The absence of freewill or choice to be coming into selfless impermanent momentary limited and conditional life existence to be existing and functioning as what they are)

The chair didn't exist until it exists. The chair 'didn't' (it didn't exist until it comes into existence) and doesn't (after it comes into existence) have the intention or freewill to be existing to be what it is. Similarly, all and everything. The selfless body and mind didn't exist until it exists. The selfless body and mind 'didn't' and doesn't have the intention or freewill to be existing to be what it is. That is the truth of Non-self and Selflessness. The truth is fixed, permanent, infinite, indestructible. The truth doesn't change.

Under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, the selfless physical body with the selfless thinking and acting mind is existing and functioning as what they are, but there is no 'I' existing in the entire formation of the different bodily systems and components that perform their own specific duty and work together selflessly and inter-dependent on one another that enabling the selfless existence and function of the physical body and the thinking and acting mind to be what they are. (The truth of Selflessness)

Even though all and everything are selfless, and impermanent, that only existing for a momentary limited duration, where there is no independent individual self identity/existence of 'I' existing in all and everything to be undergoing selfless impermanent changes/to enjoy or suffer, it doesn't mean that all these selfless names and forms don't exist or function as what they are, momentarily, selflessly, and impermanently, undergoing ceaseless selfless impermanent changes, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect (actions and consequences of actions), in this present moment now, in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything. It doesn't mean that the selfless existence and function of the selfless complex thinking and acting faculty under the presence of the selfless conscious awareness doesn't have the limited freewill of choice making and to perform selfless action or inaction, either under the presence or absence of correct understanding that is limited and conditional.

There is no 'I' existing in the selfless impermanent body and mind to be responsible for the actions and consequences of actions of the selfless impermanent body and mind, it doesn't mean that the selfless impermanent body and mind is not responsible for its actions and consequences of actions.

All kinds of selfless names and forms are undergoing inevitable ceaseless impermanent changes from forming to existence, to decay and disintegration, to ceased existence. (The truth of Impermanence)

Coming into selfless impermanent momentary life existence that is limited and conditional (not by its own choice/the absence of freewill, as it didn't exist until the selfless formation of its selfless impermanent momentary existence and function that is limited and conditional), but if without the presence of conscious awareness (of being disconnected from the selfless consciousness that is always there as it is), under certain physical/mental deformity or disability, there is no 'perception of suffering', there is no 'yearning to be free from suffering', there is no 'the path of transcending suffering', there is no 'the end of suffering'.

Under the presence of conscious awareness, the selfless impermanent physical body under the existence and function of the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty perceives/experiences/undergoing inevitable selfless impermanent changes that gives rise to the perception of suffering under the presence of ignorance (the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, or restless thought current/activities) a.k.a. under the absence of correct understanding (clarity, devoid of the restless thought current/activities, impurities, egoism, the idea of 'I'), and there is the yearning to be free from suffering, and there is the path of transcending suffering, and there is the end of suffering. (The presence of limited freewill to make conscious choices, and to perform action or inaction that can influence, or render, or modify the limited and conditional condition of the physical body and the modification/state of the mind in certain way, that influence the inevitable selfless impermanent changes in certain way)

The presence of conscious choice making and the opportunity and possibility of performing action out of the limited freewill of the selfless thinking and acting faculty either under the presence or absence of correct understanding that give rise to respective consequences of actions, are depending on the availability of the selfless supportive energy and elements, and the current condition and situation that is limited, conditional, and impermanent. (The truth of Non-self, not in the control of the selfless thinking and acting faculty that has the limited freewill to be making conscious choice and to perform action/inaction either under the presence or absence of correct understanding)

Even though there is the limitation of Non-self, of the presence and absence of supportive energy and elements, and the current conditions and situations (not in the control of the selfless thinking and acting faculty), that gives rise to the presence or absence of opportunity, or the possibility and impossibility to be materializing the choices made to turn into actions in the present moment now, however, the possibility and impossibility of materializing the choices made to perform action, are also impermanent, that will change.

The selfless mind that understands, it will seize the presence of certain opportunity and possibility that is available in this present moment now, to perform certain action, to materialize some of its choices made, while not being determined by the absence of certain opportunity or possibility in the present moment now, where it is not possible to perform certain action, to materialize some of its choices made. But it will wait for the presence of opportunity and possibility for performing certain actions, while make use of the availability of some other opportunity and possibility to be performing some other actions that is available in the present moment now.

Instead of being determined by the availability or non-availability of certain condition and situation, the selfless thinking and acting faculty can choose to either make use or not making use of the current available condition and situation in certain way to achieve certain thing, to choose and determine what to do with the current condition and situation, while not being the slave of the availability or non-availability of certain condition and situation in the present moment now. The selfless thinking faculty can choose to perform action or inaction, and how it wants to act and react under the presence of correct understanding and self control, not being over-powered by the instinctive urges/impulses. That is TRANSCEND. That is freewill, that is existing in this present moment now.

It is like maneuvering the yacht (action) that needs to depend on the availability of the wind and the direction of the wind (opportunity and possibility) to go somewhere, to reach specific destination (materializing choices made). The yacht or the wind doesn't determine the specific destination. The sailor (the selfless thinking and acting faculty under the presence of conscious awareness) does (out of the limited freewill of choice making). The sailor might need to wait for the presence of wind, and the right direction of the wind, and seizes the presence of wind that has the right direction that enables the sailor to reach the specific destination, patiently, persistently, and determinedly.

Meanwhile, if there is the presence of wind and the direction of the wind can bring the yacht to some other destinations, that are also within the choices, or even not within the choices of the sailor, to rest and refuel while waiting for the presence of the wind with the right direction heading towards the initial final destination, why not? (Transcend, or liberation, where the selfless thinking and acting faculty is not being over-powered, or determined, or disturbed, by the limited and conditional selfless impermanent changes, conditions, and situations that are not in its control (Non-self and Impermanence).

Without the yacht or the sailor, or without the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements that enables the yacht and the sailor to be what they are, there is no yacht or sailor. (Selflessness)

The yacht or the sailor is constantly changing (inevitable selfless impermanent changes) upon the beginning of its selfless existence and function, of decay, disintegration, ceased function, and ceased existence (decompose). (Impermanence)

The yacht or the sailor is dependent on the presence and absence of wind and the direction of wind that is not in their control, in order to be in use or to be in action. (Non-self)

Meanwhile, the ceaseless maintenance of the selfless, impermanent, limited, and conditional condition of the yacht, to be functioning and performing at its best condition and efficiency for the maximum duration, is at the conscious choice and action of the sailor or the care taker of the yacht, as well as the ceaseless maintenance of the selfless, impermanent, limited, and conditional condition of the sailor, to be functioning and performing at its best condition and efficiency for the maximum duration, to be well-equip with the essential knowledge and skill to be sailing and maneuvering the yacht and dealing with extreme conditions or weather or situations, is at the conscious choice and action of the selfless thinking and acting faculty of the sailor.

Not all sailors or yachts can reach their initial final destination at the desirable specific speed (limited and conditional), but, each and everyone will be arriving at their initial final destination, or any destinations, sooner or later, eventually, as long as they haven't ceased functioning and existing yet, or they are still functioning or existing supported by the selfless energy and elements to be existing and functioning as what they are, or the sailor decided to abandon being a sailor, while the yacht that might or might not be continuously functioning, can be abandoned, or can be used by another sailor, until it ceased functioning and existing.

Under great desperation (the presence of intense yearning towards liberation/freedom/peace), the sailor might find some other ways (paddle(s) or an engine) under the absence of wind of the right direction, or even, abandoning the yacht and swims, or walks over land and climbs over mountains, while taking sufficient rest and refuel during the entire journey, and arrives at the destination of its choice, regardless of the presence of any difficulties, obstacles, or challenges. It is called willpower, perseverance, determination, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, forbearance, patience, and never give up.

That's why the presence of that limited freewill to be making conscious choices under the presence of conscious awareness, that can render or direct the selfless evolution in certain way, is highly precious.

Make good use of the available energy and elements, instead of being determined by the energy and elements that are intentionless. The energy and elements, or the selfless impermanent life existence doesn't decide how the thinking and acting faculty will make use of them, or the selfless impermanent life existence, but it is the selfless thinking and acting faculty that decides what to do with the availability of the energy and elements, or the selfless impermanent life existence, even if it is momentary and limited.

Without that, the living organisms are just merely existing, functioning, and surviving in the present moment now until they ceased functioning and ceased existing, being completely over-powered, or determined, or influenced by (being the slave of) the selfless instinctive survival instinct, the selfless instinctive urges/impulses, the selfless inherited genetic traits, the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, the selfless actions and consequences of actions, the selfless inputs and the selfless impermanent surrounding environment, or the internal and external influential conditions and influences, and the selfless impermanent changes/evolution (the absence of "conscious freewill to evolve in certain way under the presence of correct understanding/knowledge").

Unconscious - The presence of autonomous physical and mental activities operated under the absence of freewill to be maintaining life existence and function under the availability of the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, up to certain extend, and the absence of non-autonomous conscious by choice physical and mental activities operated under the presence of limited freewill. (Being the slave of the instinctive survival instinct and urges/impulses)

Conscious - The presence of both autonomous physical and mental activities operated under the absence of freewill for life maintenance, as well as non-autonomous conscious by choice physical and mental activities operated under the presence of limited freewill that can influence, affect, or impact the life maintenance operated under the autonomous selfless bodily systems, or the selfless impermanent changes (decay and disintegration) of the body and mind in certain way (either constructive/beneficial/prolonged life existence/enhanced bodily mechanisms and functions or destructive/detrimental/shortened life existence/weakened bodily mechanisms and functions, depending on the presence or absence of correct understanding and self control), under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, up to certain extend. (The ability/possibility to be transcending all kinds of limitation and condition, or not being the slave of the instinctive survival instinct and urges/impulses)

The mind that understands this, will do one's best within one's ability and possibility to be looking after oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment, performs one's existing duties and responsibilities, without violence or force or control, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, not trying to force or control anything to be or not to be in certain way, respecting all and everyone to be what they are, as they are, and changing as they are, while allowing the fruit/result/effect/outcome of one's action to be what it is, to change as it is, allowing the body and mind and the world to change/evolve as it is, after performing actions.

That is perform actions and renounce the fruit of actions.

That is inaction in action.

That is TRANSCEND, liberation, freedom, or peace.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Non-violence or non-hurtful vs good and evil or right and wrong

Non-violence or non-hurting towards oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment, is the basic foundation of the teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism.

What the mind thinks and believes or identifies as good or evil and right or wrong, are not necessarily representing or reflecting the presence or absence of non-violence or non-hurtful.

Under the influence of the many different types of beliefs, values, and practices, different minds have different standard or understanding about what is good or evil, and what is right or wrong.

Out of ignorance, or under the restless disturbed dissatisfied discontented unhappy suffering prideful state of mind, the mind can be generating action/reaction/behavior that is violent and hurtful unto itself and/or others and the surrounding environment that it thinks and believes or identifies as evil and wrong, based on its particular belief, values, and practices about what is good and evil or right and wrong.

It is not about what the mind thinks and believes or identifies as good or evil and right or wrong.

It's about the absence of violent and hurtful ideas, desires, actions, and reactions in the modification of the mind that turn into physical actions or behaviors that are violent and hurtful, that hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment.

All kinds of diverse beliefs, values, and practices, are not necessarily universal. That's why different minds have their own different standard and understanding about what is good or evil and what is right or wrong, and it's not necessarily free from violence and hurtful ideas, desires, actions, and reactions, towards what each and everyone thinks and believes or identifies as evil and wrong, that give rise to the consequences of all that - never ending of violence and hurtful activities and affairs.

The teachings and observation of non-violence or non-hurtful is universal, regardless of what type of belief, values, and practices that all minds have, that leads towards peace and harmony in oneself and among the many diversities, and in the surrounding environment.

Non-violence in thoughts, actions, and speech.

Non-violence in oneself, in the family, in the relationship, in the community, in the surrounding environment, and in the world.

Non-violence can be developed and empowered. But it has to come from the mind itself to be willingly to practice non-violence (freewill - not being forced by others - out of conscious choice, self-control, and self-effort).

Whenever there is a violent hurtful thought/idea/desire arise in the thinking, the mind just need to be aware of it, and not to be over-powered by that thought/idea/desire, and not externalize or turn it into physical action/reaction or behavior that is violent or hurtful, under certain degrees of willpower or self-control, and more importantly, without attachment, identification, craving and aversion, judgment, or expectation.

Not attaching and not identifying with this or any thought/idea/desire as 'I', or 'mine'. All kinds of pure or impure thoughts/ideas/desires are not 'I', and they don't belong to 'I'.

Not judging this violent hurtful or some other impure egoistic thought/idea/desire, or the thinking in the mind, as 'bad', 'evil', 'negative', or 'wrong', and not judging some other kind of thought/idea/desire that the mind believes and identifies as 'good', 'noble', 'positive', or 'right' based on the existing belief and values in the mind, as good, noble, positive, or right.

Non-craving and non-aversion towards the absence or presence of any particular thought/idea/desire.

Not expecting this thought/idea/desire doesn't/shouldn't/won't appear in the modification of the mind, or expecting the thought/idea/desire to disappear immediately or at specific timeline, but allowing the thought/idea/desire to arise, change, and pass away, as it is.

This is non-violence from the mind towards itself and the selfless modification of the mind.

Eventually, any kind of impure egoistic thought/idea/desire will be less intense, and then will pass away in the mind, without turning into physical action/behavior/activity that hurt oneself or others or the surrounding environment, under certain amount of effort or self-restraint/self-discipline/self-control.

Do not confuse the term 'self discipline' with 'self punishment' or 'self inflicting violent hurtful activity unto oneself in order to repent'. That is what most mind interpret and understand the term 'self discipline' under their specific belief, values and practice.

While keep practicing like this without attachment, identification, craving/aversion, judgment, and expectation, and eventually, there will be less and less violent hurtful or any other kind of impure egoistic thought/idea/desire arising in the mind, effortlessly. It takes a lot of patience, forbearance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, perseverance, and determination for constructive evolution (changes/to build or remove any kind of habit) to happen.

If someone (the mind) is holding something (thought activities) that is hurtful/undesirable/unpleasant/disagreeable in its hand (the modification of the mind). It might want to damage that thing while holding in its hand, or on a surface somewhere, aggressively, but then itself will be in pain for doing that. That is what most minds are trying to do. Or, it can just let it go. Not hurting itself or the object that is hurtful. That is real and practical practice of non-violence.

There is no 'self punishment' or 'punishment' in the path of yoga and/or buddhism, not to say, 'punished by others' or 'punishing others', or 'to inflict punishment from one unto oneself and the others'.

It has to come from the mind itself (that is being over-powered by impure egoistic thoughts/ideas/desires and acting/reacting/behaving violently/hurtfully or selfishly/ignorantly) to willingly to come out from such condition (freewill/conscious choice/not being forced by others), to make effort to come out from such condition (self-effort), to stop hurting itself and/or others and the surrounding environment (self-control/self-discipline/self-restraint).

And upon self-realization towards the the truth of itself - Selflessness and Impermanence, of knowing Thyself, under a calm and quiet (non-violent/restless/ignorant) modification of the mind, everything become effortless. There is needless of any self-effort, self-control, self-discipline, self-restraint or practice to restrict or control or remove any impure egoistic thought/idea/desire that doesn't exist upon the annihilation of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, upon the selfless mind transcends its own modification of the mind, or not being over-powered by the selfless modification of the mind that is pure or impure, that is impermanent, limited, and conditional, effortlessly.

That's why non-violence or non-hurtful under non-grasping, or non-attachment, or letting go, is the universal practical practice for inner peace and world peace, regardless of what type of belief, values, and practices that the different minds have or don't have.

Meanwhile, letting go, or non-attachment/non-grasping, doesn't mean that one doesn't or shouldn't perform necessary action or existing duty and responsibility to be looking after oneself and/or others and the world.

This is the upmost important knowledge or duty (not a belief or value) that exists in all minds, regardless of what they are, of what they think or don't think, believe or don't believe, know or don't know, understand or don't understand, intelligent or non-intelligent, knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable, educated or non-educated, fit or unfit, healthy or unhealthy, behave or don't behave, can do or cannot do, enjoying or suffering, and so on.

All these are practical and absolutely possible.

"The most violent (disturbed) minds in the world also can attain peace (liberation from ignorance)." - Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

Inquire the truth of everything.

Genetically inherited personality and characteristic (thinking and behavior pattern) vs external influential conditions and influences

Yoga and/or buddhism teachings and practice is indeed existing for the selfless minds to render and modify their selfless and impermanent modification of the mind, to change their limited and conditional thinking and behavior pattern, consciously, by themselves, out of one's own conscious freewill/desire/choice and effort, under intense willpower, perseverance, and determination.

It is about self discipline and self control, self purification and self reliance, self inquiry and self realization. It is not about controlling others, or disciplining others, or purifying others, or manipulating others, or forcing others, or changing others to think and behave in certain way or not in certain way.

All and everything are selfless, as well as limited and conditional, and impermanent. Because everything is limited and conditional, as well as impermanent, even the genetically inherited traits will also be changing/evolving, slowly or rapidly, consciously (by conscious choice) and unconsciously (not by conscious choice), either progressively or regressively, and significantly or non-significantly, to adapt and accommodate the current impermanent changes in the surrounding environment.

That's why it is possible to change or evolve, consciously or unconsciously, under the presence or absence of freewill. And more importantly, it is possible to change towards kinder and happier personality and characteristic, or clearer thinking and better understanding, and more wholesome and constructive behavior, if there is a will to change to be kinder, happier, and better understanding and behavior human being.

 

No doubt that all minds have their own specific genetically inherited traits of personality and characteristic or mind thinking and behavior pattern that was being formed even before birth during the biological formation of the body and mind, however,

It is highly important and powerful of the presence and absence of certain external conditions and influential mind inputs, of the types of surrounding environment during conception and after birth especially during the process of growing up (the stage of conscious and active learning and accumulating knowledge and skill, or the development of physical and mental maturity), of the types of family/household/neighbourhood/society conditions, situations, affairs, experiences, and interactions.

Upon the formation and activation of the mechanism of the brains to be receiving non-by choice random physical and mental inputs before and after birth, to the stage of growing up physically/mentally/emotionally being conditioned under certain parenting method, school educational system, cultural/spiritual/religious ideas, affairs, values, practices, and empowerment, family/parents/siblings/relatives interactions, friends circle interactions, community interactions, and all kinds of social/public/national/international/political/commercial/philosophical ideas and affairs, that keep conditioning and influencing the thinking and behavior pattern in certain way,

Until the body and mind reaches certain degrees of physical/mental/emotional maturity or independence, where it starts to have certain doubts towards its own existence, its existing reasoning and understanding, its way of thinking, and its belief or disbelief, as well as it starts to have its own different idea, thinking, reasoning, understanding, belief/disbelief, desire and doesn't desire, interests developing, choices making, and actions taking.

The presence of doubt in one's thinking, is extremely precious, as it ignites the desire and effort to be investigating and finding out the truth of something or many things, that lead to the path of self-inquiry and self-realization. Similarly, the presence of pride towards one's particular belief and values, physical and mental ability and achievement, intellect, learning, knowledge, and understanding, is a hindrance or obstacle towards self-inquiry and self-realization.

 

The inherited traits/personality/characteristic/thinking and behavior pattern can be over-powered by all kinds of external influences and conditions, and vice versa. Regardless of whether from constructive to destructive, or from destructive to constructive, or from constructive to more or less constructive, or from destructive to more of less destructive, either wittingly or unwittingly, consciously or unconsciously, intentional or non-intentional, by choice or not by choice.

And more importantly, both the internal genetically inherited conditions and influences and the external influential conditions and influences (physical and mental inputs/activities) that are conditioning and influencing the personality/the characteristic/the thinking and behavior pattern evolving in certain way, can be over-come or transcended by the selfless thinking and acting mind that has developed certain degrees of correct understanding towards its own selfless, impermanent, limited, and conditional existence and function.

Before, the mind was being determined, disturbed, dissatisfied, and unhappy towards the presence of certain shortcoming or imperfection in itself or in the physical body, and after developing certain understanding that leads to the realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence, that enables the mind to transcend all kinds of agreeable and disagreeable traits, of imperfect personality and characteristic, or imperfect thinking and behavior pattern, that are limited and conditional, that are impermanent, and hence, the mind is no longer being determined, disturbed, dissatisfied, or unhappy towards certain existing shortcoming or imperfection in itself or in the physical body, that are impermanent, that can be modified, that can change, that can be developed or nurtured/improved or empowered/weakened or eliminated, while devoid of craving towards perfection, and devoid of aversion towards imperfection.

That state of mind, of not being determined by the absence and presence of certain desirable and undesirable qualities that are limited and conditional and impermanent, devoid of craving and aversion, is highly important for inner peace/clarity, that contribute to peace in the family, the personal relationship, the particular community, the entire diverse society, the surrounding environment, or the world.

 

The selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty of the selfless physical body, or the selfless different functions of the brains (the selfless central and peripheral nervous system) that receives sensory information or inputs (perceiving/experiencing) from the inside and the outside of the physical body via the organs of the senses, processes and digests (intellectual and cognitive reasoning, understanding, recognizing) the inputs, and activates, responds, or releases outputs (internal or external actions/reactions, interactions, and expressions) via the organs of actions, is being formed under the influence of certain genetic inheritance as well as being conditioned by external conditions and influences since the beginning of forming and coming into life existence, consciously and unconsciously.

Different minds came from the same parents under the similar genetic inheritance that gives rise to specific type of personality and characteristic of a specific mind thinking and behavior pattern from birth, where all siblings might have the similar or different types of personality and characteristic, of the similar or different types of mind thinking and behavior pattern, regardless of whether all siblings are growing up under the similar living environment and condition, receiving the similar physical and mental inputs/experiences from the same parents/relatives/friends/community, or not. It is up to each mind.

None can help the mind that is reluctant or refuse to help itself, to improve, to change (consciously), to have a better and healthier state or condition, even if all and everything are impermanent and momentary.

The mind that thinks and says, "It's in my genes. Many biologists say that there is no freewill. Everything is determined by the genes, or the existing cause (the seed/my parents' genes/what I eat and drink and my physical and mental inputs or activities) that leads to effect (the fruit/the genetic condition of my body and mind/my physical condition and mental state under the influence of external conditions). I can't change to be different from what I am, to be what I would like to be." That is its freedom of thinking and understanding.

The mind can also think and act, "It's in my genes. But I still can change what is needed to be changed, that can be changed, and to be what I would like to be (to be hurtful or non-hurtful/to be peaceful or non-peaceful), if I really want, because all and everything are limited and conditional, and impermanent. My inherited parental genes might be difficult to change, but the external influential conditions of the type of food and drink or the type of physical and mental inputs and activities, that are influencing my physical condition and mental state, is in my own conscious choice. The seed is fixed, it is what it is, but the supportive and influential conditions that is influencing the seed to becoming a matured plant (more or less healthy) that gives fruit (more or less tasty/bitter/sour/sweet), where the entire process from the seed, to becoming the plant, and to be giving fruit, is not fixed. The plant doesn't have the mobility (the absence of freewill or choice making) to move away from bad or detrimental conditions and influences, by itself. I have the mobility (the presence of freewill or choice making) to move away from bad or detrimental conditions and influences (renunciation and/or seclusion), by myself, if I want. And more importantly, all these limited conditional impermanent existing genetic traits, personality, characteristic, or thinking and behavior pattern (the selfless impermanent modification of the mind or the mind stuff), regardless of good or bad qualities, are not what I am (the selfless thinking and acting faculty). I don't have to be determined by all that, if I want."

 

The awareness is aware of the object of awareness. The awareness is not the object of awareness. The perceptive mind is perceiving the perceived names and forms. The perceptive mind is not the perceived names and forms. The thinking mind is thinking (the modification/thought process/state of the mind). The thinking mind is not the thinking (the modification/thought process/state of the mind). The observer is observing the object of observation. The observer is not the object of observation.

The projector projects projections or created contents (under the support of energy and elements) onto 'the projector screen' (the timeless silent witness selfless consciousness) that is hosting the projections or created contents that are being projected by the projector. The momentary existence and function of the projector is neither the projector screen nor the projections/created contents. Both the projector (the selfless impermanent thinking and acting faculty) and 'the projector screen' (the timeless silent witness selfless consciousness) are not being contaminated by the projected contents (the perception/projection of selfless and impermanent names and forms/qualities/thought process/modification/restless births and deaths (of countless thought activities arising, changing, and passing away) transitioning in different realms/states of mind). The projector screen is not being affected or contaminated by both the momentary existence and function of the selfless impermanent projector and the projected contents being what they are.

Without the projector screen to host projections, what is 'the projector' or 'the projections or created contents'? Without conscious awareness, what is the perceiver and the perceived names and forms, or the conscious thinking/intellectual reasoning/cognitive understanding/thought activities, or the perception of suffering? Without the existence and function of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty, what is the selfless impermanent modification of the mind? Without the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, what is restless births and deaths transitioning in different realms? Without the illusive idea of 'I', who or what is undergoing ceaseless selfless impermanent changes (enjoy or suffer), or undergoing countless births and deaths (of restless thoughts arising, changing, and passing away) transitioning in different realms/states of mind?

"The wheel of 'countless births and deaths' or the ceaseless loop of 'endless boundless karma' ceased existing upon the annihilation/subjugation/silence of the restless thought current/modification of the mind (Samadhi/Yoga Citta Vritti Nirodhah/Nirvana)" - Both the teachings of yoga and buddhism

Do not confuse 'Nirvana' with "The realm/sphere/place/state of heaven, or the perception/existence where there is only unlimited desirable pleasurable enjoyment, devoid of any kind of undesirable painful suffering, that is not here in this present moment now, but it is at somewhere else waiting to be arriving at some other moment (future), that 'exists' in the many different beliefs" as what most minds interpret, think, and believe what it is.

Samadhi or Nirvana is right here right now (it is always here and now, doesn't increase or decrease, uncontaminated by qualities of names and forms, regardless of whether the mind realizes or doesn't realize, knows or doesn't know) in the selfless consciousness of the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind that is devoid of grasping/attachment, transcending its own selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence and function/modification of the mind (non-duality/non-separateness/timelessness/changeless/attributelessness/namelessness/formlessness/birthlessness/deathlessness/desirelessness/intentionless/unlimited/unconditional/neither enjoyment nor suffering/neither existence nor end of existence).

That's why the upmost importance of the presence of conscious self-awareness, mental and emotional independence, correct understanding and openness, non-blind believing/following/practicing/propagating and yearning towards knowledge/liberation/freedom/peace, self-initiation and self-effort, self-discipline and self-control, self-purification and self-reliance, renunciation and dispassion, Satsanga or Asanga, concentration and meditation, self-inquiry and direct experience/self-realization, in both Yoga and Buddhism.

It is about the presence or absence of non-grasping/non-attachment/non-identification/non-craving/non-aversion (the knowledge that leads to/enables effortless TRANSCEND).

All these selfless impermanent names and forms (the selfless thinking and acting faculty and the selfless modification of the mind), are limited, conditional, and impermanent. Without the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, all these (the projector and the projections or created contents) don't exist or function.

Similarly, letting go and not being determined/disturbed by certain experiences in the present moment now or the past experiences in the form of memory that are unpleasant, undesirable, and disagreeable, or not letting go (holding onto) and be determined/disturbed by all that, is up to each mind.

 

The personality and characteristic or the thinking and behavior pattern of the different minds coming from and having the same parental genes can change or evolve, similarly or differently, upon how each mind chooses to act and react, or not, towards certain experiences, consciously or unconsciously, either learning from or being hammered by certain action and the consequences of action that are unpleasant, undesirable, and disagreeable, and either being motivated or demotivated by certain experiences that are not necessarily pleasant, desirable, or agreeable.

It is called 'the life changing moment'. Under a specific impactful experience or after undergoing many similar or different impactful experiences, regardless of whether desirable and uplifting experiences or undesirable and depressing experiences, one can be changing towards a better or worst personality and characteristic and behavior, becoming more or less unselfish or selfish, kind or unkind, constructive or destructive, that would benefit or harm oneself and/or others.

Some minds growing up being surrounded by selfish and violent minds and inputs (parents/siblings/relatives/friends/schoolmates/community/society/social and public medias/spiritual, cultural, tribal, national, political, and commercial ideas and affairs/personal and group identity, social class, and financial status empowerment), and either they wittingly or unwittingly become like them, selfish and violent, or even more selfish and violent (under the influence of survival instinct and the absence of correct understanding), or they might start to have intense yearning towards knowledge/liberation/freedom/peace, as they are aware of themselves are in great disturbance and painful suffering living under such selfish and violent surrounding environment surrounded by selfish and violent people and affairs (parents/siblings/caretakers/relatives/friends circle/schoolmates/neighbourhood/community/village/town/country/region), and they don't want that state of disturbance and suffering, and hence, they themselves wanted to get out from such surrounding environment, to be free from such disturbance and painful suffering.

Nobody wants to or enjoys being in an environment that is full of selfishness and violence. All minds initially will want to get out from such environment. However, under certain limitations and circumstances, some couldn't get out, or don't know how to get out, but have no choice to be waiting for help from others, or from 'the one that has superpower', while some are lost, and losing hope and trust. Meanwhile, some might have the self initiative and willpower to get out by themselves, no matter what and how, because somehow, even though they don't know exactly what it is, but they 'know' that there must be something and somewhere else that is better than being where they are, and being 'trapped' in such disturbing and painful suffering condition, unwittingly. These minds are extremely precious in this world of ignorance and egoism, as they can help themselves as well as many others to be free from selfishness and violence.

Some minds maintain the similar genetically inherited thinking and behavior pattern (it is still impermanent and changing/evolving, but the changes might not be significant) regardless of whether there is desire or don't desire to change. And it's okay, as long as the mind knows what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, and non-aversion. There are some strengths and weaknesses, or good or bad qualities, or mixed qualities in the modification of the mind, but there is no attachment, identification, craving, or aversion being generated from the selfless conscious thinking and acting faculty towards all these names and forms that present or absent in the modification of the mind.

 

Some minds don't change much, either being determined or over-powered by the internal genetically inherited condition, even if they would like to be able to change significantly, or they changed/evolved unwittingly being determined, or over-powered, or influenced by certain internal or external influential conditions and influences. - The absence of willpower (or the presence of weak willpower), or the absence of freewill to make conscious choices and perform actions (effort)

Meanwhile, some minds either don't change much or they change very little, or they changed/evolved significantly under conscious choice and effort through engaging in certain persistent physical and mental practices or training, to be rendering/restricting/modifying the existing thinking and behavior pattern or developing a different thinking and behavior pattern. - The presence of (intense) willpower, or the presence of freewill to make conscious choices and perform actions (effort)

Under the presence of correct understanding towards the selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function of the selfless thinking and acting faculty of the selfless physical body, that comes under specific genetically inherited traits, that gives rise to specific personality and characteristic, or mind thinking and behavior pattern, the mind can transcend both internal genetically inherited conditions and influences as well as all kinds of external influential conditions and influences, not being determined or over-powered by both internal and external conditions and influences.

 

When a young body and mind hasn't reached maturity or physical and mental independence, or it is still physically and mentally dependent on some others for life maintenance and growth, it has no choice but to be living and growing up under the influence of both internal and external conditions and influences, being the slave of all kinds of not by choice personality and characteristic, thinking and behavior pattern, instinctive urges/impulses, specific belief, values, and practice, specific knowledge, reasoning, and understanding, specific desires/interactions/activities/experiences, specific ties and connections/friends circle/relatives and community, specific parenting method/school education and learning, and specific living environment, neighbourhood, conditions, and situations, all are not by its own choice. It couldn't move away from certain conditions or situations that are hurting and detrimental to its physical and mental and emotional growth and well being.

However, upon reaching maturity or physical and mental independence, or it doesn't need to be physically and mentally dependent on some others for life maintenance or attending daily needs and tasks, where it can find food and shelter to feed and accommodate itself, to look after itself, where it has developed its own thinking and reasoning, where it has certain doubts towards the truth of many things, including its own life existence and its own existing (not by own choice) thinking, belief, values, and practices that have been implanted/inherited since the beginning of the formation of the body and mind, the mind can make conscious choice and effort to evolve consciously, to look after the well-being of oneself, by moving away from any existing detrimental and hurtful conditions and situations or influences (the presence of physical/mental/emotional abusive detrimental environment, or Kutsanga) even if they are one's family, parents, siblings, relatives, friends, spouse, children, community, or neighbourhood, and put oneself into a healthier or uplifting condition and situation or influence (the presence of peace, wisdom, and kindness, or Satsanga, and even, Asanga/seclusion and solitude), or even, having the intense yearning towards knowledge/liberation/freedom/peace, and engaging in the practice of meditation and self-inquiry, and attaining self-realization via certain persevered and determined physical and mental observation, training, and practice.

If there is absence of conscious awareness (perceptive cognitive intellectual reasoning and understanding) and the organs of action (mobility), then there is no freewill or choice. More importantly, there is no need to transcend suffering if there is no perception of suffering under the absence of conscious awareness.

Unless one is born without conscious awareness and the organs of action, or there is serious physical/mental damage or physical/mental deformity or disability, but if there is presence of conscious awareness (perceptive cognitive intellectual reasoning and understanding) and the organs of action (mobility), where there is the perception of suffering, the selfless mind has conscious freewill of choice making, to choose what type of conditions and influences to avoid or to be in, and even, to transcend suffering, even if the body and mind is selfless and impermanent, limited and conditional, depending on the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements to be existing and functioning, that only existing for momentary duration, but during the momentary existence, upon reaching physical/mental independence, the selfless mind can choose what type of physical and mental inputs and activities, to render the physical condition and mental state in certain way, and even, to transcend all these names and forms that are non-self (not in the control of the selfless body and mind), selfless (devoid of a finite or infinite permanent independent self existence), impermanent (constantly changing), limited (inter-dependency, imperfection, genetic inheritance (the seed being what it is), and momentary existence), and conditional (can be developed/nurtured/rendered/modified/intensified/ weakened/eliminated during the momentary existence).

The presence of conscious freewill of choice making of the selfless thinking and acting faculty is also limited and conditional, being supported by the selfless intentionless energy and elements, that can be empowered or suppressed, that is neither good nor bad, and dependent on the availability of opportunity and possibility to materialize the choices made, and all that are impermanent and momentary. That's why the availability of conscious choice making is extremely precious, and more importantly, it is neither good nor bad because the choices made that turn into actions can be made under the presence or absence of correct understanding, that will lead to the consequences of actions that are constructive or destructive. And hence, the presence of correct understanding is even more precious.

Under certain life threatening situation, such as fire in the house. If the fire is controllable and is possible to be eliminated, then there is no need to leave the house. If not, if there is way out, if there is possibility to get out from the house, one tries to get out immediately as soon as possible. If there is no way out, then one couldn't get out of the house immediately, but has to be waiting for/depending on the availability of external help/rescue, and while waiting for the presence of help or rescue, one can do one's best to stay safe and calmed, to be able to think clearly to reduce the risk of getting severe burnt or suffocated or injury as much as possible. And if one couldn't help oneself, and there is no external help available, one can accept the reality as it is, of whatever outcome it is.

A mind that is well-informed, that has certain genuine life saving information and skill, can save its own life and maybe some others' lives under certain life threatening situation, and vice versa. But if the informed 'life saving information and skill' is incorrect, then one might jeopardize one's life and maybe some others' lives under certain life threatening situation.

 

There are ceaseless instinctive urges/impulses/sensations/thoughts/feelings that arising and passing away in the body and mind, demanding certain action and reaction from the selfless thinking and acting faculty. The selfless thinking and acting faculty can be over-powered by all these instinctive urges/impulses, and act or react spontaneously or unwittingly, or, it can be aware of all that while not being determined or over-powered by all that, and it can choose whether to act and react, or not, and how it wants to act and react.

Such as hunger/tiredness/jealousy/irritation/annoyance/frustration. The mind can be over-powered by the urge/impulse/sensation/thought/feeling of hunger/tiredness/jealousy/irritation/annoyance/frustration, and generates action and reaction via the organs of action that might be unpleasant or hurtful unto oneself and others or the surrounding environment (lack of understanding and self control). Or, the mind can be aware of all these instinctive urges/impulses/sensations/thoughts/feelings, and choose to act and react, or not, and how it wants to act and react, while not generate action and reaction via the organs of action that might be unpleasant or hurtful unto oneself and others or the surrounding environment (the presence of understanding and self control).

Willpower is neither good nor bad, and it can be developed and empowered. It can be supporting the selfless mind to remain pleasant/kind/constructive or unpleasant/hurtful/destructive personality and characteristic and behavior, or to change/intensify/weaken to be better or worst. What will this mind choose?

 

It's not about denying, defying, and escaping selfless impermanent changes of decay, illness, weakness, old age, death, disintegration, and ceased existence.

It's not about challenging the nature's law of cause and effect.

It's not about controlling the body and mind to be the way that is desirable and agreeable.

It is not about controlling and making the world to be all good/positive/desirable/agreeable and nothing bad/negative/undesirable/disagreeable.

It is not about superhero and super extraordinary power to save the world from destruction.

It is not about inaction.

 

It's about inaction in action (selfless action devoid of the idea of 'I' and egoism).

It is about perform all actions and renounce the fruit of actions.

It is about do one's best, and let go.

It is about self control and modifying one's modification of the mind, to be free from ignorance and the by-products/consequences of ignorance (restlessness).

It is about knowing Thyself, and one naturally stops hurting oneself and others and the surrounding environment while existing and functioning momentarily, selflessly, and impermanently in this limited and conditional world of names and forms that doesn't belong to anyone and anything.

It is about transcending the selfless impermanent changes, the nature's law of cause and effect, the body and mind being it is, and the world being what it is.

It is about disseminating peace, kindness, and wisdom into the world of ignorance and suffering, while allowing all and everyone being what they are, and evolve as they are.

May all be free, be peaceful, be happy.

Inquire the truth of everything.

The different stages of understanding

The mind is being conditioned by certain worldly passionate egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, desires, and practices, to be thinking in certain way, and to reason/analyze/judge everything based on those worldly ideas, beliefs, values, desires, and practices, that give rise to specific understanding, as well as agreements and disagreements based on the existing understanding.

It is very difficult for the passionate egoistic impure mind to grasp the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism about Selflessness that appears to be contradicting to the existing thinking, ideas, beliefs, values, reasoning, understanding, desires, and practices in the mind, as well as to inquire towards "There is no 'I' existing, or 'I' doesn't exist," because the mind interprets that teaching as itself (the selfless impermanent life existence of a limited and conditional body and mind) doesn't exist, "How can I that is here in this present moment perceiving, thinking, knowing, and experiencing all these, doesn't exist?"

There is nothing wrong with, "The one that is negating all and everything cannot negate itself (the one that is negating all and everything). Even if all and everything that the mind perceives don't really exist, but the mind cannot negate itself that is perceiving all and everything, even if all and everything don't really exist."

The mind couldn't comprehend or think of it is merely a selfless impermanent mechanism of a selfless impermanent living organism, where it only exists and functions as what it is, in this present moment NOW, selflessly and impermanently under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, without an independent infinite permanent unchanging individual self-existence or self-identity.

Under the selfless function of memory of remembering all kinds of physical and mental inputs/outputs/thinking/feelings/emotions/sensations/learning/knowledge/skills/relationships/interactions/experiences/inspirations/aspirations/imaginations/dreams, on top of the presence of egoistic attachment and identification, there arise the false impression of a continuous individual existence of 'I' existing in the body and mind, that has a solid permanent independent individual identity, that has specific family heritage and birth place, that has specific personality and appearance, that has certain knowledge and talent, that has certain inspiration and aspiration, that has certain weakness and strength, that has certain achievement and non-achievement, that has certain ties and connections with some others, that has certain duties and responsibilities, that has certain interests and hobbies, that has certain beliefs and values, and it has been brought up in the way being conditioned and empowered to be developing a prideful and meaningful personal self-identity that also comes with family identity, community identity, group identity, ethnicity/tribal identity, social class identity, national identity, and/or global identity, that is empowered by egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, expectation, possessiveness, self-esteem, self-worth, pride, and many other kinds of impurities.

"I am perceiving, experiencing, thinking, doubting, reasoning, understanding/non-understanding, seeing/hearing/smelling/tasting/sensing, know/don't know, desire/don't desire, agree/disagree, act/don't act, react/don't react, behave/don't behave, feel/don't feel, enjoy/suffer, healthy/unhealthy, awake/asleep, and so on, and thus, how can I doesn't exist?"

And there is nothing wrong with the function of memory or that understanding (and it doesn't contradict with the truth of Selflessness), as that is what the mind knows and understands or doesn't know and doesn't understand. None can argue with anyone towards what each mind understands and doesn't understand. Such as none can argue with one another about what the mind perceives and doesn't perceives, and how each mind perceives and understands everything differently from one another.

Upon looking at the same thing, someone says, "It is grey," another one says, "It's blue," while another one says, "It's green," and there is neither right nor wrong, but that is what each mind perceives/sees/recognizes what they think they are perceiving/seeing/recognizing. In fact, it is neither grey nor blue or green. It is just what it is. But the mind perceives/sees/recognizes under different condition, cognition, reasoning, and understanding.

When majority minds, or even all and everyone think and believe and recognize towards something as 'this is right' or 'this is wrong', and 'this is good' or 'this is bad', it is not necessarily the truth of that something. Such as even if all and everyone else are disagreeing with one single person, it doesn't necessarily means that all and everyone are correct or right, while this single person is incorrect or wrong, and vice versa.

What majority minds, or even all and everyone want or don't want, agree with or disagree with, are not necessarily something good or bad.

It is not that the selfless impermanent perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty/mind existing and functioning under a selfless impermanent physical body, doesn't exist, it is the 'I' of a permanent independent unchanging infinite individual self existence of a particular identity or quality, that the mind thinks and believes and identifies as what it is, or who I am, doesn't exist.

The idea of 'I' gives rise to possessiveness/the sense of belonging of 'my' and 'mine'/the urge to control everything under my desire, the perception of separateness/distinctiveness/discrimination between 'I' and 'all and everything that is not I', and the sense of high and low self-esteem and self-worth, pride and shame, good and bad, positive and negative, meaningful and meaningless, deserving and non-deserving, inferiority and superiority, of all kinds of duality.

What the mind thinks and believes and identifies as, "I am (or, I have) a permanent independent unchanging infinite individual existence, and this is my self, my body, my condition, my thinking and belief, my knowledge and understanding, my duty and responsibility, my intellect, my cognition, my consciousness, my feelings and emotions, my life, my family, my sibling and relative, my friend, my pet, my home, my belongings, my learning, my personality, my interests, my talents, my achievement and non-achievement, my strength and weakness, my ability and disability, my enjoyment and suffering, my status, my ethnicity, my community, my culture and values, my creativity and ideas, my action and inaction, my pride and shame, my nationality, my identity, my quality, and this is who I am," is merely an idea/a continuous thought of 'I' deriving from ignorance and egoism, that exists in the selfless modification/thinking process of the mind, that attached onto and identified with all kinds of names and forms to be identifying as 'this is I/me/myself' and 'this is mine', that also simultaneously gives rise to the idea of 'that is not I/me/myself' and 'that is not mine'. - The mind is limited by the perception of time, space, and causation (selfless impermanent changes/limitation/condition), the past (memories) and future (imaginations), all kinds of selfless impermanent qualities, all kinds of duality, separateness, distinctiveness, or discrimination.

Upon the realization of Selflessness and Impermanence, the mind transcends its own selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function and the selfless impermanent changes that are happening in the body and mind ceaselessly, and naturally, transcends time, space, and causation (all kinds of limitation and condition - both internal genetic biological and external environmental influences), where there is neither past nor future, there is only NOW, and everything in NOW is impermanent. All kinds of duality or separateness/distinctiveness/discrimination disappeared, where all and everything (living organisms and non-living objects) are merely some limited and conditional names and forms that are selfless and impermanent, that exists in this present moment NOW supported by the selfless energy and elements, and all and everything in NOW is changing influenced by the selfless energy and elements, either ceased existing/decomposed, or forming, or coming into existence, or growing, or ceased growing, or decaying, or disintegrating.

All kinds of worldly beliefs and values are neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong, and they have their specific purpose, however, these beliefs and values that are influencing and conditioning the minds to be thinking/reasoning/understanding/desiring/behaving/acting and reacting/living in certain way, are deriving from ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, as well as feeding and empowering all that.

That's why for the mind that wants to learn and practice yoga, that sincerely wants to know what is yoga and what are the teachings of yoga, it has to start from certain technique that enables the development of basic correct understanding, willpower, inner or mental strength/flexibility/stamina, and self-control, that leads to the development of mental and emotional independence, that enables the mind to be opened, or to be free from blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, blind-agreeing/disagreeing, and blind-propagating, or to be free from being conditioned by the existing worldly passionate egoistic thinking, ideas, beliefs, values, desires, inspirations, aspirations, and practices in the selfless impermanent modification of the mind (purifying the cognition or the storage of learning/knowledge/information/understanding).

Then it can advance with certain technique/observation that enables the mind to limit/reduce/filter the physical and mental inputs and outputs, to quiet or calm down the restless thought activities/thought current, to develop certain degrees of attentiveness/concentration/focus (calming and quieting the dissipated thought activities, or taming the urge of keeps running out chasing after the objects of the senses), to purify or sharpen the intellectual reasoning power (purifying the intellect), and to develop non-grasping/non-attachment/non-association/non-identification, to stand as a third party to be aware of, or to look at/observe all those random restless thought activities, of thinking, feelings, emotions, sensations, actions, reactions, doubts, ideas, beliefs, values, desires, inspirations, aspirations, practices, behavior pattern, memories, imaginations, anticipations, and all kinds of impurities, without desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation (purifying the thinking and acting faculty or modifying the conditional mind behavior pattern), that lead to the realization of Impermanence and Non-self, or the inevitable suffering that exists under the truth of Impermanence, and that is not in the control of 'I', which ignites the yearning towards knowledge/liberation/freedom/peace, to be free from ignorance and all kinds of doubt, insufficiency, discontentment, disturbance, unrest, and suffering deriving from ignorance that are evitable.

Then it can advance with certain technique that enables the mind to investigate or inquire towards the root cause of suffering, to find out how to be free from evitable suffering and how to transcend inevitable suffering, and to inquire the truth of the existing thinking/ideas/beliefs/values/desires/inspirations/aspirations/practices in the mind that have been implanted/adopted/developed/empowered either consciously or unconsciously, either wittingly and unwittingly, since the beginning of the selfless formation of the selfless life existence of the selfless physical body with a selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty, or the selfless bodily mechanism of a thinking and acting mind, as well as to inquire towards the truth of all the teachings of yoga and/or some other kinds of teachings coming from anyone and everywhere, channeling the entire energy/effort/attention/life existence into performing self-inquiry to know Thyself, or to attain self-realization towards knowing the truth of Selflessness and Impermanence (purifying the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind, or annihilating ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness).

Then it can advance with certain technique that enables the mind to inquire towards what is the 'I' that it thinks and believes and identifies as itself, under a purified, calmed, and quiet modification/state of the mind (the absence of the veil of ignorance/the presence of clarity devoid of hindrance), that will lead to the realization of Selflessness, not only that all kinds of names and forms arising and passing away in the modification of the mind are not in the control of 'I' and they are not 'I' (Non-self), but there is no 'I' existing in its selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function, and there is no 'I' in all and everything (Selflessness), transcending the selfless impermanent limited and conditional life existence and function of a body and mind that is subject to ceaseless maintenance, growth, ceased growing, decay, and disintegration (inevitable suffering of selfless impermanent changes), as well as devoid of evitable suffering deriving from ignorance and its by-products.

During the persist and prolonged one-pointed/focused self-introspection and mind purification process, the agitated churning restless thought current is gradually becoming less violent, slowing down, calming down, or subsiding (the murky water in the pond is becoming clearer and clearer, or the thick veil of ignorance is being 'peeled off' layer by layer), which give rise to the different stages of understanding in the mind.

That's why there is nothing wrong with all kinds of non-understanding, misunderstanding, and partial incomplete understanding, which is an important inevitable process that the mind needs to go through, but it can lead the mind closer and closer, and reaching towards clarity, or correct understanding, or complete understanding/absolute knowledge/a glimpse towards selflessness.

That's why the presence of inner or mental strength, flexibility and stamina, is highly important, that is enabling continuous effort devoted for engaging in the mind purification process persistently until the modification of the mind is free from ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, or until the restless agitated churning thought current subsides, that enables the mind to see/know things as they are.

In the beginning, the mind that is functioning under the influence of ignorance and the idea of 'I', unwittingly attaching onto and identifying with the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind or the restless thought activities as 'I' or 'this is I', where there is no distinction between the mind and the modification of the mind.

"I am good" or "I am bad"

"I am happy" or "I am sad"

"I like and desire myself of certain qualities" or "I don't like and don't desire myself of certain qualities"

And then, upon perceiving/experiencing certain unpleasant/undesirable/painful experiences (doubts/hurts/suffering), ignites the intense desire towards knowledge/liberation/freedom/peace in the modification of the mind, that leads the mind to be inquiring and understanding towards the existence and function of itself and/or the modification of the mind, where the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind, is distinctive from the restless impure modification/state/thought process of the mind. -

"There is some good or bad qualities in the modification of my mind. I am not the good or bad qualities. The good or bad qualities are not me."

"There are some pleasant or unpleasant/elevating or depressing/happy or sad/positive or negative/desirable or undesirable sensations, feelings, and emotions in the modification of my mind. I am not the sensations, feelings, and emotions. The sensations, feelings, and emotions are not me."

"There are some likable and dislikable or agreeable and disagreeable qualities in this body and the modification of the mind. These qualities are not me. I am not these qualities."

"Non-clinging and non-craving towards the presence of qualities that are likable and agreeable or the absence of qualities that are dislikable and disagreeable, while non-aversion towards the presence of qualities that are dislikable and disagreeable or the absence of qualities that are likable and agreeable."

The mind understands that the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind is not in its control, where all kinds of names and forms merely arising, changing, and passing away in the modification of the mind as they are (coming and going without asking for permission/consent or acknowledgement), and hence, all kinds of thought activities/instinctive biological urges/ideas/sensations/feelings/emotions/beliefs/values/conscious desires/actions/reactions/behavior pattern or conditional accumulated habit/likes and dislikes/agreements and disagreements are not 'I' or 'who I am', by performing Neti Neti, negating what is not 'I', of 'I' am neither this or that.

The mind understands and refers 'selflessness' as a quality of purity, spirituality, higher consciousness, non-discrimination among the different qualities, unselfishness, generosity, loving kindness, goodness, positiveness, meaningfulness, happiness, peacefulness, calmness, gentleness, forgiveness, non-violence, non-harming, sharing, sympathy, and empathy, that is existing in and limited to all kinds of living organisms/sentient living beings, that can be acquired, learned, practiced, developed, and empowered, such as 'love thy neighbour as thyself', 'treat others the way that oneself would like to be treated', 'positive thinking and optimism', 'be good and do good, don't be bad and don't do bad', 'I am what I eat', 'I am pure/purity', 'I am that I am', 'I am attributeless, nameless, and formless infinite pure consciousness', or 'I am That'.

"I need to learn and practice selflessness and become selfless."

"I need to return to my original state of selflessness."

"Selflessness is who I really am."

At this stage, the mind still hasn't realized Selflessness. There is still the idea of an inferior impure ignorant limited and conditional imperfect impermanent finite 'I' that thinks and believes that itself is undergoing ceaseless births and deaths transitioning in different realms endlessly to burn off/to reap past accumulated karma that will never come to an end, that is performing all kinds of yoga and/or buddhism practice, in order to exit the ceaseless loop of 'the wheel of births and deaths' that is infinite/endless, eagerly waiting to be returning to, or reconnecting with, or re-identifying with something higher, or superior, or purer, or perfect, or permanent, or infinite, or unlimited, or unconditional, or absolute, or all powerful, or my true and original birthless and deathless permanent independent self existence/identity of who I really am. There is still ignorance, the idea of 'I', separateness, and duality.

Keep practicing. Keep purifying. Keep inquiring.

Selflessness is not a quality, or an idea, or a theory, or a philosophy, or a behavior, or an action, or a practice, or a goal, or a knowledge, or an attainment that can be attained, or a sentiment, or a state of mind, or a state of body-less immortal spiritual being, or the state of purity, or perfection, or all powerful.

Selflessness is not the absence of selfishness or the presence of unselfishness.

Selflessness, is merely the truth of what all and everything are, where there is no finite or infinite independent unchanging self existence of 'I' existing in all and everyone and everything to be identifying with anything (finite or infinite), regardless of all kinds of different qualities, or names and forms, or behaviors, or sentiments, or conditions and limitations, of all kinds of living organisms and non-living objects, mobile or immobile, conscious or non-conscious, that the mind thinks and believes and recognized as good or bad, useful or useless, kind or unkind, selfish or unselfish, long-lived or short-lived, healthy or unhealthy, fit or unfit, young or old, ignorant or wise, understanding or non-understanding, partial understanding or misunderstanding, correct understanding or incorrect understanding, knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable, intelligent or non-intelligent, pure or impure, positive or negative, right or wrong, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or joyless, powerful or powerless, superior or inferior, strength or weakness, happy or unhappy, achiever or non-achiever, greedy or content, insufficiency or abundance, generous or stingy, spiritual or non-spiritual, enlightened or non-enlightened, and so on, all and everyone and everything are selfless, and impermanent, that lead to the realization of all kinds of selfless and impermanent existence/perception/experience/knowledge under certain names and forms, are all limited and conditional, where all kinds of names and forms are arising, changing, and passing away, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect, and supported and influenced by the selfless energy and elements, but there is no 'I' existing that is undergoing all kinds of selfless impermanent changes in all kinds of limited and conditional names and forms, or to be identifying with something finite or infinite.

There is no infinite independent self existence of 'I' existing to be undergoing ceaseless 'endless births and deaths transitioning in different realms'. It's the existence of an idea/thought of 'I' in the modification of the mind, that is undergoing ceaseless selfless impermanent changes, of arising, changing, and passing away transitioning in different qualities/modifications/states of minds, in NOW, that keep changing under the selfless support and influence of the selfless energy and elements.

And the direct realization of this knowledge or understanding under the rendered pure and calm modification of the mind, is absolutely 'liberating' for the selfless mind that has been ignorant, that was in doubt, that perceived suffering, that has some partial understanding but not complete understanding, that desired to be free.

The clarity/calmness/stillness of the selfless impermanent modification of mind, which is also selfless and impermanent, that is also limited and conditional, that also will change, but it is highly essential and precious for self-inquiry and self-realization (a precious glimpse towards the truth of selflessness), that enables the selfless thinking and acting mind to transcend all kinds of limitation and condition that are selfless and impermanent, effortlessly, not being determined or disturbed by the selfless impermanent changes in all and everything governed by the nature's law of cause and effect, and hence, resting in unconditional peace upon the selfless changeless attributeless universal consciousness that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, where there is neither "my/his/her/its/their selfless consciousness" nor "I am/we all are the selfless universal consciousness" (the selfless silent witness towards all kinds of selfless impermanent manifestations of selfless impermanent limited and conditional names and forms upon it, that is uncontaminated/unaffected/undamaged/untouched by the selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence/function/modification/qualities/changes/the presence and absence of impurities and restlessness of the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty).

Regardless of whether it is finite (limited and conditional and impermanent) or infinite (unlimited and unconditional and permanent), all are selfless. (This teaching is highly important for self-inquiry)

Inquire, there is already so much chaos, conflict, sorrow, and painful suffering arise in the momentary limited existence and function of the selfless impermanent modification of the conscious perceptive mind due to the presence of an idea of 'I' (not selfless, but not really), and if, the infinite universal consciousness is not selfless, but it has not just an idea of 'I' that doesn't really exist, but it has a solid permanent infinite self existence, that has been existing infinitely before and after all kinds of limited impermanent finite existence that keep arising and passing away ceaselessly upon it, and it has no choice but has to be witnessing all kinds of chaos, conflict, sorrow, and painful suffering in all the limited finite existence, permanently and endlessly without an end to it, then it must be the most suffering consciousness at all time, infinitely.

Inquire, if there is an immortal human being with the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind functioning under the idea of 'I' that will live forever infinitely in this world, that will never decay and disintegrate, that can never be modified and never change, that has no choice but to be witnessing so many births and deaths of so many other human beings and other living organisms, including objects that come and go, while the life existence of itself can never come to an end, then that will be the greatest suffering in this world. Similarly, if there is the existence of an unlimited unconditional permanent independent unchanging birthless deathless infinite universal consciousness that is not selfless, where there is an infinite permanent existence of 'I' existing to be witnessing all kinds of chaos, conflict, sorrow, and painful suffering in the entire universe, then that will be the greatest suffering among all kinds of suffering.

The mind that understands this, will be appreciating this momentary selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, to be making use of the existing limited knowledge and talent that it has, to be doing something beneficial for oneself and others, happily to give and share with all and everyone, unconditionally, without attachment, identification, desire, comparison, judgment, or expectation, and not wasting any energy (life) into dealing with all kinds of ignorance in the world. The mind that understands all these will not argue or debate or justify about anything.

Selflessness in the body and mind doesn't mean that the selfless body and mind is free from being bound by cause and effect, or action and the consequences of action, or devoid of selfless impermanent changes of decay and disintegration. The mind that thinks and believes and desires, "Since there is no 'I', that 'I' doesn't exist, then 'I' can do whatever 'I' want, and there will be no consequences of action, just like in dream, everything is not real, and has no consequences," is still functioning under the influence of ignorance.

The realization towards selflessness, or the annihilation of ignorance and the idea of 'I', or upon transcend takes place, it doesn't change the truth of selflessness and impermanence in the body and mind, or in all and everything, and it doesn't make the limited and conditional names and forms to become unlimited and unconditional. It doesn't make all kinds of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world disappear. It doesn't make everything become all good and positive, and nothing bad and negative. It doesn't stop selfless impermanent changes, of decay and disintegration in all kinds of names and forms. It doesn't make the mortal to become immortal. It doesn't bring back the dead.

But, the selfless thinking and acting faculty that is still existing and functioning under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, will have peace, unconditional peace, being undisturbed and undetermined by all kinds of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in this world of ignorance and egoism, and because it is being undetermined and undisturbed by all kinds of experiences or the selfless mind perception of names and forms that are not necessarily pleasant, desirable, or agreeable, it won't generate action and reaction that would hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment during its momentary selfless and impermanent existence in this world that doesn't belong to anyone and anything, while might, or might not, performing selfless service to serve the world of ignorance and suffering (planting and nurturing 'the seed of wisdom' a.k.a. disseminating dhamma), allowing all and everyone to be free from ignorance, or not, under their own desire, freewill, initiative, effort, and determination, at their own cause and own pace.

That is the greatest contribution to world peace and harmony.

As long as the mind still hasn't attained direct realization towards all these knowledge/teachings/guidance for self-inquiry, it will still be in doubt as it doesn't know whether all these are true or untrue. It will still be determined or disturbed by the presence of names and forms, experiences, relationships, interactions, or affairs/behaviors/activities in the world, that are unpleasant, undesirable, and disagreeable, as well as be determined or disturbed by the absence of names and forms, experiences, relationships, interactions, or affairs/behaviors/activities in the world, that are pleasant, desirable, and agreeable.

Under a disturbed confused suffering restless state of mind, the mind generates ideas/desires/behaviors/actions/reactions that would hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment, either wittingly or unwittingly, intentionally or unintentionally, deliberately or randomly.

The teachings of yoga and/or buddhism, is not an unrealistic/impractical/unreachable philosophy, and definitely, it is not a religious belief and practice, or mystical spiritualism, or superstition, or magical super power. It contains different teachings/guidance/methods/techniques/practices for the different minds under different temperaments and different degrees of ignorance/restlessness, that enables each mind to work/practice/inquire out of their own desire/freewill/initiative, by themselves independently, at their own pace under their own effort, to realize the truth of Selflessness and Impermanence by themselves, and naturally and effortlessly, transcending all kinds of selfless impermanent limitation and condition, devoid of suffering and the idea/desire/behavior/action/reaction out of ignorance that hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment in the world that doesn't belong to anyone and anything.

The minds that think and say, "This is an unrealistic/impractical/unreachable philosophy," is because they haven't realize the truth of Selflessness, as they are still functioning under the veil of ignorance.

Inquire the truth of everything, including all that is here, and be free.