Be free. Be happy. Be peaceful.

May all be free from ignorance

May all be free, be happy, be peaceful

 

Renunciation. Solitude. Seclusion. Silence. Self-realization.

The genuine observation of complete silence in solitude and seclusion, by renouncing worldly passionate egoistic family/cultural/social/spiritual/national/political/commercial ideas, beliefs, values, affairs, activities, interactions, communications, ties and connections, inputs and outputs, inspirations and aspirations, and all kinds of accumulated physical and mental habits or conditional behavior pattern, for minimum 5 - 6 years, or even longer for certain minds, to free the mind from being conditioned by worldly passionate egoistic ideas/thinking/belief/values/practice/desire/inspiration/aspiration, and etc, will eventually lead the mind towards realizing or seeing the truth of Selflessness and Impermanence, even if without coming in contact with any kind of teachings, teacher, or guru.

Some minds think and believe that they have been observing a high level of solitude and seclusion and renunciation, by living alone with a simple and quiet lifestyle while reducing and refraining from unnecessary social activities and interactions for many years, and spending many hours everyday into performing some kind of yoga and meditation practice, but somehow, they are still in doubt, or are not free from ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, restlessness, impurities, or disturb/hurt/painful sorrow/suffering, as they are still being determined/disturbed/affected/sadden/hurt/offended/intimidated/disappointed by this and that, where there is still something that they couldn't let go, either wittingly or unwittingly, then they can reflect upon themselves -

Did they really observe silence in solitude and seclusion, physically/mentally/emotionally?

Did they really observe solitude, seclusion, silence and renunciation in everyday life, for a continuous prolonged period of time, and it's not just from time to time participating in certain type of yoga retreats, or even participating in silent meditation retreat courses, for a few weeks or a few months, while actively engaging in some kind of community selfless service under certain spiritual or non-spiritual organization, or engaging in occasional or regular casual or formal get together with beloved family and good friends or spiritual/non-spiritual community, that give rise to and empower the sense of togetherness, goodness, positiveness, joyfulness, and meaningfulness?

Did they really renounce all kinds of worldly passionate egoistic family/cultural/social/spiritual/national/political/commercial ideas, beliefs, values, affairs, activities, interactions, communications, ties and connections, inputs and outputs, inspirations and aspirations, and all kinds of self and group identity empowerment, not engaging with family/relatives/friends/pets or spiritual family/community/brotherhood/sisterhood as well as monk and nun community, and abandoning accumulated physical and mental habits or conditional behavior pattern, enjoyments of the senses, self-indulgence/pampering, books, novels, magazines, newspapers, social medias, musics, songs, arts, movies, theater performances, documentaries, talks, chitchats, justification, glorification, admiration, condemn, criticism, fault finding, blame, ill will, sabotage, exploitation, manipulation, interference, the urge to control, self-righteousness, debates, discussions, arguments, festivals, celebrations, sentiments, mourning, grieving, historical remembrance, rituals, offerings, obsessions, addictions, attachments, identifications, comparisons, judgments, expectations, desires, craving, aversion, longing, clinging, lust, wild imaginations, day dreaming, wishful thinking, building castle in the air, superstition, story telling, mystic, miracle, spiritual healing, vision, ambition, heroism, pride, guilt, regret, fear, worry, offensiveness, defensiveness, anger, hatred, resentment, jealousy, bitterness, possessiveness, sense of belonging, greed, discontentment, resolution, bucket list, worldly or spiritual inspiration, aspiration, and ambition, and etc?

Meanwhile, if the mind has already developed and firmly grounded in non-attachment/non-identification/non-craving/non-aversion/non-judgment/non-expectation/non-duality/dispassion/right discrimination/desirelessness/fearlessness/mental and emotional independence,

where it is being undetermined/undisturbed/uninfluenced/non-offended/non-intimidated/unhurt/unmoved by the absence of goodness and the presence of badness, or all kinds of ignorant affairs and behaviors that give rise to all kinds of evitable destruction and suffering in the world,

where it has realized and is resting in unconditional peace,

where it respects the truth of selflessness and impermanence, and the nature's law of cause and effect,

where it has mentally renounced all kinds of personal ties and relationships with family and friends or community, and is free from clinging and longing towards the presence of love, support, interaction, acceptance, agreement, understanding, togetherness, appreciation, recognition, praise and compliment, or acknowledgement among oneself and one's family/friends/community, and others,

where it is free from the sense of belonging and connection, self-esteem, self-worth, accomplishment, success/failure, goodness/badness, appropriateness/disappropriateness, positiveness/negativeness, meaningfulness/meaninglessness, joyfulness/joylessness, togetherness/separateness, superiority/inferiority, deserving/non-deserving, fear, worry, guilt, regret, shame, pride, arrogance, and etc,

where it sees no difference between itself and others, between family/friends and not family/not friends, between 'good' people and 'bad' people, between wise beings and ignorant beings, between happy minds and unhappy minds, and etc, as all and everyone are selfless and impermanent, and all are governed by the nature's law of cause and effect,

where it treats all and everyone the same as 'all beings/objects/names and forms that are selfless and impermanent',

where it can be kind towards all without discrimination, and unconditionally,

and it knows when to say 'yes' and when to say 'no',

as it knows Thyself, or what is 'I', or what is the modification of the mind, or the truth of selflessness and impermanence, or timelessness/non-separateness/namelessness/formlessness/attributelessness/birthlessness/deathlessness, or the annihilation of the restless modifications of the mind, or silence,

then this mind doesn't need to renounce anything, especially if this mind still has certain unfinished worldly duties and responsibilities towards looking after old parents, elders, unwell partner, young children, or physically/mentally disabled dependents, that depending on one's physical/mental/financial care and support, while actively engaging in certain activity for maintaining livelihood, or engaging in selfless service community activities, interactions, and communication with some others, where all these actions are being performed under the absence of the idea of 'I' or the ego, without passionate egoism of worldly and/or spiritual attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, expectation, intention, aspiration, or ambition.

The worldly duties and responsibilities, and all kinds of actions, are not contradicted with or separated from dharma/dhamma/teachings/practice/renunciation/silence/inaction/selfless service, when it is being performed under the absence of the idea of 'I'/the ego, ignorance, and egoism.

Perform intentionless actions, and renounce the fruit of actions, being undetermined by the actions and the fruit of actions.

Inquire the truth of everything, including all these teachings here, or from anyone and anywhere.

"You are left alone now." - Swami Sivananda

The essentials for self-inquiry and self-realization

Whatever the mind perceives/experiences/thinks/believes/identifies with, are all merely part of the modifications of the selfless impermanent mind itself.

All forms of 'spiritual/non-spiritual, pure/impure, infinite/finite existence or identity' are nothing but the projections/creations of the selfless impermanent mind itself, during its momentary selfless existence in this space, that (only) exists and functions selflessly and impermanently in NOW, under the selfless support and influence of the selfless energy and elements.

Upon the annihilation of the selfless impermanent modification of the mind/The absence of the idea of 'I' or the ego/The absence of thinking or thought process/Resting in Stillness or Silence, there is no finite or infinite 'I' existing, there is no "I am/I perceive/I experience/I know/I realize/I believe/I think/I see/I hear/I smell/I taste/I feel/I act/I enjoy/I suffer/I give/I receive, and vice versa," there is no whatever 'I' think and believe is "what I (really) am," not to say, "I am the eternal infinite absolute perfect and pure 'this or that'."

There are many "ideas", "beliefs", "values", "practices", "inspirations", "aspirations", "visions", and "various forms of empowerment", created by/deriving from the worldly passionate egoistic minds functioned/functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, influencing and conditioning the mind to think and believe and behave in certain way, that hinder the mind from self-inquiry and self-realization.

That's why the observation of dispassion, renunciation, seclusion, solitude, silence, and desirelessness, are highly important for the minds that sincerely want to be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, during its momentary selfless existence, to be resting in peace, or to stop hurting itself and others in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

"Live alone. Walk alone. Eat alone. Meditate alone. Do not mix. Do not associate. Do not build ashram. Do not hoard disciples." - Swami Sivananda

Inquire the truth of everything.

Conditional vs unconditional (peace and freedom)

There is nothing wrong with the conditional (momentary and impermanent) 'peace and freedom', where the mind will be in a momentary state of contentment, calmness, joyfulness, happiness, meaningfulness, accomplishment, goodness, or freedom, upon the presence of pleasant, agreeable, desirable, and enjoyable/soothing/easy experiences, affairs, conditions, situations, activities, accomplishments, interactions, or relationships, and upon the absence of unpleasant, disagreeable, undesirable, and non-enjoyable/painful/difficult experiences, affairs, conditions, situations, activities, non-accomplishments, interactions, or relationships.

Meanwhile, all these states of mind will be disturbed, changed, or disappeared, upon the absence of pleasant, agreeable, desirable, and enjoyable/soothing/easy experiences, affairs, conditions, situations, activities, accomplishments, interactions, or relationships, as well as upon the presence of unpleasant, disagreeable, undesirable, and non-enjoyable/painful/difficult experiences, affairs, conditions, situations, activities, non-accomplishments, interactions, or relationships.

There is nothing wrong with that because that is indeed the truth of selflessness and impermanence.

This conditional state of 'peace and freedom' is momentary and impermanent. It will change, increase and decrease, or appear and disappear.

Most minds are functioning in such way under the influence of ignorance and egoism, where the minds think and believe that it's absolutely normal, and there is nothing abnormal about that, and hence, restlessly identifying with and swaying in between the different states of mind.

During the process of gratifying their boundless desires, as well as out of the disturbed suffering states of mind upon ungratified desires, most minds would hurt themselves and others and the surrounding environment, either wittingly or unwittingly.

That is not liberation.

That is not what yoga and meditation is about.

Unconditional peace and freedom, is beyond the conditional momentary impermanent states of the mind that is functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, where under the presence of attachment/identification/desires of craving and aversion/expectation, the states of mind is being determined by the mind perception of the different qualities of names and forms that are selfless and impermanent, that ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away.

Unconditional peace and freedom is always there as it is, upon the absence of ignorance and egoism in the selfless impermanent modifications of the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind that is existing and functioning under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements.

Unconditional peace and freedom doesn't increase or decrease, or it doesn't appear and disappear, upon the presence and absence of pleasant/unpleasant, agreeable/disagreeable, desirable/undesirable, and enjoyable/soothing/easy or non-enjoyable/painful/difficult experiences, affairs, conditions, situations, activities, accomplishments/non-accomplishments, interactions, or relationships.

It's beyond all kinds of duality - gain and loss, success and failure, goodness and badness, easiness and difficulty, pleasurable enjoyment and painful suffering, joyfulness and joylessness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, or deserving and non-deserving, and etc.

It's normal and nothing wrong when the minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism will think and believe that, "Unconditional peace and freedom" is abnormal, bullshit, non-practical, unreachable, impossible, or even, a form of mental disorder/illness/madness.

That is their freedom of thinking, understanding/non-understanding, or belief.

The only thing/element that hinders the mind from realizing or resting in unconditional peace and freedom, is ignorance and egoism.

All forms of yoga and meditation practice is merely about the annihilation of ignorance and egoism from the selfless impermanent modifications of the mind (engaging in or activating the mind purification/disciplinary/silencing process and self-inquiry/self-realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence), by the mind itself, through self-initiation, self-effort, self-reliance, and self-discipline, so that the mind stops hurting itself and others and the surrounding environment out of the discontented disturbed suffering states of mind functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

It's not about 'blind believing', 'bling following', 'blind practicing', 'blind propagating', 'worshiping', 'glorification', 'healing', 'spirituality', 'ritual', 'blessing', 'fairy tales', 'white lies', 'comforting story telling', 'self-justification', 'self-righteousness', 'auspiciousness', 'goodness', 'meaningfulness', 'perfection', 'all good nothing bad', 'all positive nothing negative', 'life is beautiful and meaningful', 'defy gravity/decay/aging/death', 'heaven and hell', 'merits and virtues', 'good and bad karma', 'superior/inferior reincarnation', 'untouchable', 'miracle', 'super extraordinary transcendental mystical experiences', 'I am That', 'I am strong', 'I am powerful', 'positive mind power to change the world', 'building a perfect desirable world in accordance to my values and desire', 'All desires/wishes come true', 'I can do and achieve whatever I want to do and achieve', 'to prove that I am worthy and deserving to receive respect, acceptance, love, acknowledgement, recognition, admiration, and glorification from others', and etc.

Even though there is nothing wrong with all that, as many minds are being conditioned to think and believe that they and everyone 'need' to rely on all that to deal with or escape undesirable/unpleasant/painful experiences or impermanent changes, and to justify what they don't know and don't understand, or even, to justify their intentional and unintentional hurtful behaviors unto themselves and others and the surrounding environment.

Just as positive thinking, gratitude, encouragement, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, letting go, healing, and etc, are relevant and useful for the minds that haven't developed correct understanding yet, where they are still being determined and disturbed very much by the presence and absence of the different qualities of names and forms, or all kinds of duality, where the minds would feel offended, intimidated, or hurt by this or that. But all these are irrelevant and useless to the minds that have correct understanding, where the mind is resting in unconditional peace, being undetermined, undisturbed, non-offended, non-intimidated, or unhurt by the presence of undesirable/unpleasant names and forms, or the absence of desirable/pleasant names and forms.

There is nothing wrong with many minds rely on the presence/availability of love, support, understanding, agreement, acknowledgement, appreciation, compliment, desirable connection, interaction, and togetherness with family/friends/community to give rise to and empower the sense of pride, accomplishment, goodness, joyfulness, positiveness, and meaningfulness, however, that is not liberation.

What other minds want to think and believe, desire and behave, or not, it's their own freedom.

What this mind wants to inquire, realize, and understand, or not, it's its own freedom.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Be free.

Wisdom and compassion

It's normal that all kinds of discrimination, selfishness, and cruelty are existing and increasing in the world of many diversities that doesn't belong to anyone.

Because there are, and there will be, more and more minds functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, where they all have one same tendency, which is to impose control, interference, rules and regulations, restriction, oppression, violence, cruelty, and punishment towards some others, including their own family members/partner/children, not to say, those that they recognized as 'not one of them'/'non-compliant towards their particular belief, values, desires, vision, behavior, and practice'/'potential competitor'/'enemy'/'threat'/'obstacle', and towards something that they dislike and disagree with, based on their own particular thinking, belief, values, desires/don't desires, practice, vision, or ambition.

Selfishness, possessiveness, sense of belonging, sense of pride, identity pride, social status pride, community pride, family pride, association pride, origin pride, lineage pride, national pride, regional pride, cultural pride, spiritual pride, knowledge pride, achievement pride, self-righteousness, obsessiveness, oversensitiveness, defensiveness, offensiveness, envy, anger, hatred, greed, fear, and so on, are serious form of mental illness. They are the by-products of ignorance and egoism, and are all leading towards the rise of discrimination, selfishness, and cruelty in the world.

Except in absolute solitude and seclusion, or complete silence, in one's own selfless impermanent function and existence of the mind supported by selfless energy and elements, especially upon the absence of ignorance, where the mind is merely being what it is, devoid of restlessness/impurities/disturbance/qualities/dualities, without engaging in certain physical/mental passionate egoistic activities/inputs and outputs/actions/interactions/duties/commitments, either wittingly or unwittingly, there is very little and even complete absence of any kind of freedom, or there is only partial/restricted/limited/conditional freedom, just by being momentarily functioning and existing in a selfless impermanent world that is full of minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, where there is absence of wisdom (correct understanding) and compassion, that embrace openness, non-discrimination, non-separateness, non-interference, non-violence, non-attachment, non-identification, non-clinging, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-expectation, desirelessness, non-possessiveness, independence, the absence of worldly passionate egoistic ideas/thinking/belief/values/desires/visions/practice, the absence of all kinds of pride/shame, the absence of identification and self-righteousness, the absence of superiority and inferiority, the absence of fear and greed, the absence of jealousy, anger, and hatred, the absence of the urge to control and interfere, and that promote letting go, patience, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, accommodation, adjustment, adaptation, respect, generosity, kindness, and, freedom of existence/living/movement/being what all and everyone are.

The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, that are devoid of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, possessiveness, fear, discontentment, greed, or painful sorrow, they don't impose control/interference/rules and regulations/restriction/oppression/violence/punishment towards anyone or anything, not even their own family members/partner/children, respecting all and everyone to be what they are, as they are, not to say, all the others that have their own particular ties and connection, background, history, experience/non-experience, understanding/non-understanding, thinking, belief/disbelief, values, desires, behavior, way of living, and practice, where all and everyone are responsible towards themselves/the state of mind/the modification of the mind/their understanding and non-understanding/their desires and don't desires/their actions and the fruits/outcomes/consequences of their actions.

Meanwhile, under the presence of wisdom and compassion, the selfless minds can merely provide the correct understanding, knowledge, direct experience/realization, guidance, and support that might help to uplift the minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance, that are egoistic, restless, impure, discontented, disturbed, confused, violent, distressed, or in painful suffering, unconditionally without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, showing them the path towards self-inquiry and self-realization, while allow all and everyone to receive or reject, to evolve as they are, and to be what they are.

Just as the sun, or the nature, merely being what it is - selfless, desireless, intentionless, and impermanent.

 

The truth of selflessness and impermanence in all and everyone and everything, is the only existing 'freedom' that all and everyone have while being existing momentarily, selflessly, and impermanently in this space that doesn't belong to anyone and anything, where none, not even oneself, can control/interfere/change/modify/destroy.

Knowing and accumulating all kinds of knowledge/information/technology/skill in this world doesn't guarantee peace in oneself, that can help to contribute more kindness, peace and harmony into the world of many diversities.

Knowing and respecting the truth of selflessness and impermanence will.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Can't have everything - Appreciate certain things while let go some other things

There are some reasons why the mind is in the state of disturbance, unrest, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, or misery, that is unnecessary and evitable.

- Fear towards making choices or taking responsibilities.

- Doesn't know what it wants and doesn't want.

- Has some ideas towards what it wants and doesn't want, but is unsure towards what it really wants and doesn't want.

- Knows what it really wants and doesn't want, but has fear towards making wrong decisions that lead to regrets.

- Knows what it wants and doesn't want, and has no fear or regret towards making decisions to be achieving what it wants and doesn't want, but it is greedy, where it wants all and everything that it wants, and even beyond.

 

There are inevitable limitations in this selfless impermanent worldly existence of names and forms.

One can only be here, or there.

One cannot be here and there at the same time.

 

No matter how big the pot is, the pot can only fill up what it can fill up.

It's about making choices towards keeping what can be put and kept in the pot, while let go certain things that can't fit into the pot, or when the pot is full.

 

None can have all and everything.

One can fill up all the pockets that one has, and hold something in bags or containers sitting on top of the head, or holding in both hands, or hanging onto the ears, the shoulders, the forearms, the waist, and the hips, or strapping onto the entire body, as much as possible, until one can no longer move and breathe, or one can keep as much as possible in the biggest warehouse(s), but still, there is limitation.

The healthiest, fittest, strongest, fastest, and most knowledgeable, intelligent, skillful, talented, beautiful, charming, admirable, influential, wealthy, successful, or powerful person in the world also has limitation.

For the minds that are devoid of desires, they are free as they are, regardless of all kinds of limitations.

For the minds that have desires, they can be free as well, if they know how to accept and respect limitations.

Appreciate certain things without attachment or clinging, while be bold to let go some other things.

The mind will be free from unnecessary disturbance, unrest, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, or misery.

Be free.

Hardship and difficulty

Some people have to go through many hardship and difficulty in life, while some people don't need to go through any hardship or difficulty at all.

It doesn't mean that those who have been and/or are undergoing some kind of hardship and difficulty in life are any less good, or less smart, or less deserving than those who don't need to go through any hardship and difficulty, and vice versa.

It's definitely nothing to do with what the worldly minded think and believe as the presence and absence of past accumulated and present generated good and/or bad karma.

Many wise and compassionate selfless beings had/have to go through many different kinds of hardship and difficulty, during their limited selfless impermanent worldly life existence, before and even after they attained self-realization or enlightenment.

Upon undergoing prolonged ongoing hardship and difficulty, some people might become more ignorant, corrupt, selfish, bitter, hard, and cruel, while some people might become more wise, understanding, open, cheerful, gentle, and kind.

Similarly, upon the presence of easiness and enjoyment in life, some people might become more proud and arrogant, clinging onto easy and enjoyable conditions and experiences, while some people might realize the fleeting impermanence in all kinds of names and forms, regardless of easy or difficult conditions, and pleasant or unpleasant experiences, and develop a firm foundation in non-attachment and letting go.

Hardship and difficulty are neither good nor bad. It's up to this mind.

One might become less and less ignorant, selfish, hard, bitter, and hurtful, or, one might become more and more ignorant, selfish, hard, bitter, and hurtful.

What does this mind choose to become?

Be free.

The middle path - Neither too tight nor too loose

For the minds that sincerely want to realize yoga/selflessness/unconditional peace, they need to know what is the middle path, and adopt the middle path in everyday life's relationships, affairs, duties, and responsibilities, as well as in the physical and mental yoga and meditation practice.

When it's time to rest, one rests.

When it's time to be active, one be active.

When it's time to retreat, one retreats.

When it's time to move forward, one moves forward.

When it's time to exert energy, one exerts energy.

When it's time to conserve energy, one conserves energy. 

When it's time to eat, one eats.

When it's time to sleep, one sleeps.

When it's time to perform action, one performs action.

When it's time to be silence, one be silent.

There's nothing wrong if the yoga practitioner still have to be living among the worldly passionate egoistic society, and have to be spending approximately 2/3 of one's life existence into the family/social inputs, outputs, affairs, interactions, activities, relationships, duties, and responsibilities, as well as making a living to support oneself and those under one's care, and spending certain amount of time into performing specific physical and mental yoga practice, while spending the rest of one's life existence into sleeping. Although one is sort of being inactive and alone by oneself during the time of sleeping, it's highly important for the yoga practitioner to also reserve a few moments to be alone in solitude and seclusion, in silence and inaction (including not performing any specific physical and mental yoga practice, or so called spiritual practice), while awake, being away/cut off from all kinds of worldly and/or spiritual inputs, outputs, affairs, interactions, activities, relationships, duties, and responsibilities, and eventually, prolonged the moments of being in silence, in solitude and seclusion.

That alone, will allow the mind to develop essential understanding towards the selfless impermanent modification of the selfless mind, and to attain direct self-realization towards selflessness and impermanence, even if under the absence of a personal teacher or guru.

Many passionate minds might see and criticize the practice of solitude and seclusion, or dispassion and renunciation, as a form of extremity, but, it is indeed an essential part of the middle path that will lead the mind towards knowing Thyself.

Inquire the truth of everything.

The basic roles of the yoga teacher

Guiding the yoga students towards -

Develop correct understanding and clarity of thinking

Take responsibility towards one's thinking/belief/values/practice/desires/decisions/behavior/action/reaction, and the consequences of all that

Self-reliance

Self-discipline/control

Self-introspection

Mental and emotional independence

Simplicity and truthfulness

Question/investigate/inquire the truth of everything

Open the mind

Non-blind believing, non-blind following, non-blind agreeing/disagreeing, non-blind practicing, non-blind propagating

Quiet/purify/discipline the restless impure modification of the mind

Turn the outgoing tendency of the mind inward

Develop inner (mental) stamina (patience/perseverance/cheerfulness/contentment), strength (acceptance/will power/attentiveness/forbearance/determination/independence/the ability to let go/non-grasping), and flexibility (adjustment/adaptation/accommodation)

Develop non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation

Let go the idea of 'I', self-esteem, sense of self-worth, sense of belonging, self/group-identification, self/group-image, pride, arrogance, selfishness, self-righteousness, pettiness, stinginess, possessiveness, ownership, greed, hoarding, bribery, prejudice, discrimination, untruthfulness, hypocrisy, story telling, fairy tales, lies, superstition, day dreaming, wishful thinking, boasting, justification, debate, argument, gossiping, slandering, back-biting, manipulation, exploitation, scheming, cheating, stealing, passion, lust, jealousy, admiration, bitterness, resentment, vengeance, anger, hatred, ill-will, cruelty, violence, blame, self-blame, fear, worry, guilt, regret, obsession, clinging, longing, chasing after love/attention/sympathy/empathy/acknowledgement/recognition/agreement/approval/admiration/name/fame/glory/power/status/title/wealth/luxurious enjoyment/superior treatment, ...

Renounce/Let go worldly passionate egoistic ideas/affairs/activities/interactions/status/titles/castes/sects/associations/organizations/ties and connections/thinking/belief/values/practice/desires/aspiration/inspiration/ambition/indulgence of the senses

Transcend duality/dualism

Go beyond the worldly egoistic thinking/belief/values/practice about good and bad, right and wrong, should and shouldn't, positive and negative, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, happiness and unhappiness, joyfulness and joylessness, pleasant enjoyment and painful suffering, hardship and easiness, success and failure, achievement and non-achievement, gain and loss, superiority and inferiority, appropriateness and inappropriateness, respectfulness and disrespectfulness, attractiveness and non-attractiveness, usefulness and uselessness, purposefulness and purposelessness, deserving and non-deserving, ...

Middle path

Dispassion

Renunciation

Solitude

Seclusion

Respect the nature's law of cause and effect

Respect all and everything as they are

Observe/Witness the perceived reality as it is

Non-interference and non-association

Perform self-inquiry

Identify/Recognize what is the ego (the idea of 'I') and egoism

Thin-out/Eliminate the ego (the idea of 'I') and egoism

Focus/Be/Live in the present

Non-wavering to the past memories and the future imaginations

Meditation/Silence/Stillness/Quietness

Direct realization towards selflessness and impermanence

Self-realization

Know Thyself (the selfless impermanent modification of the mind/the mind perception of a selfless impermanent worldly life existence/what is 'I' that the thinking mind thinks and believes as its permanent independent self-existence/suffering and the root cause of suffering)

Liberation from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance

Realize unconditional peace

Stop hurting oneself and others

Be free

Be happy

Be peaceful

How to be happy?

It's not about how I feel, and what I want and don't want.

It's not about how others feel, and what others want and don't want.

It's not about how others think and feel about me or themselves, and how others act/react and don't act/react.

It's not about what I can do and cannot do, and how much I have done and didn't do for myself and others.

It's not about what others can do and cannot do, and how much they have done and didn't do for themselves and others.

It's not about positive thinking, optimism and hopefulness.

It's not about give others happiness and take away others' unhappiness.

It's not about pleasing others to make others happy.

It's not about ignoring, denying, and supporting others' ignorance, so that others won't be unhappy.

It's about the absence of the idea of 'I' and egoism, in this mind.

It's about the absence of attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation towards this mind and others.

It's about the presence of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation towards this mind and others.

 

Be kind to this body and mind, and let it go.

Be kind to others, and let it go.

May all be happy, including those who have been selfish, difficult, and unkind, and including this mind, that is imperfect, selfless, and impermanent.

It's okay that this body and mind doesn't know many things.

It's okay that this body and mind cannot do and achieve many things.

It's okay that this body and mind has certain limitation and weakness.

It's okay that if the mind still couldn't understand all these.

 

What others think and feel, and how others act and react, is others' freedom.

What this mind thinks and feels, and how this mind acts and reacts, is its own freedom.

Regardless of how much hardship, pain, and difficulty in this present moment, choose forbearance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, openness, kindness, cheerfulness, contentment, and peace.

Let go selfishness, bitterness, resentment, vengeance, jealousy, pride, arrogance, anger, and hatred.

If others are being ignorant, selfish, bitter, hard, difficult, unkind, wrongful, discontent, greedy, evil, cruel, violent, jealous, prideful, arrogant, angry, and hateful, let them be what they are, and let them go.

More importantly, this mind is not being determined or disturbed by them, being what they are, as they are.

This mind doesn't need to be like them.

This mind can choose not to become one of them.

 

If this mind can truly understand "May all be happy", and wish all and everyone "Be happy", unconditionally, this mind will be happy as it is, regardless of whether others are happy, or not.

Be happy as it is, unconditionally, it doesn't mean that there are no negative thinking, disagreement, or unpleasant feelings and emotions arising and passing away in the mind, but the mind understands that all these are impermanent, and it's not 'I', while not being determined, disturbed, influenced, or over-powered by all these selfless impermanent modifications of the mind, standing as a witness towards all these names and forms, without association, attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation.

Regardless of what is happening in the body and mind, in life, in all kinds of relationship/ties and connection, and in the surrounding environment/the world, and whether it's something pleasant/unpleasant, agreeable/disagreeable, desirable/undesirable, or soothing/painful, the mind can still be happy as it is, if the mind knows and understands towards selflessness and impermanence.

Be open. Be wise. Be compassionate.

Be free. Be happy. Be peaceful.

None can remove the ignorance in others but one can refrain from empowering the ignorance in oneself and others

It's normal and nothing wrong that when the mind is functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism (the presence of the idea of 'I', attachment, desire of craving and aversion, and expectation), the mind will be disturbed by and would feel depressed/hopeless/meaningless towards the truth about "None can remove the ignorance in others," and hence, either it chooses to perform actions that would bring destruction to all and everyone and everything (if I am in unhappiness/painful suffering, I want all and everyone also to be in unhappiness/painful suffering), or it is reluctant to be performing actions that are beneficial for all and everyone, that might or might not bring constructive improvements in all and everyone and everything (why bother if all and everyone will die sooner or later anyway, no matter what).

That is what ignorance is about. Ignorance feeds/empowers ignorance.

None can change or escape the truth of selflessness and impermanence (decay and death/disintegration), but all and everyone can make good use of the existing ability, possibility, and opportunity in this present moment of the limited selfless impermanent existence, to be kind to oneself and all and everyone.

None, not even enlightened beings/minds/buddhas/gurus, can remove the ignorance in all the other minds.

But one can remove the ignorance in oneself.

One can refrain from empowering the ignorance in oneself.

And, more importantly,

One can also refrain from empowering the ignorance in all the others.

Meanwhile, upon the presence of ability, possibility, and opportunity, one can also perform actions under the presence of correct understanding (wisdom) and kindness (compassion) that are beneficial for all and everyone, that might or might not bring constructive improvements in all and everyone and everything, that might or might not uplift some other minds that are struggling/drowning in ignorance and suffering, unconditionally without egoism of attachment, desire of craving and aversion, or expectation.

Allow the fruit of actions being what it is.

Allow all and everyone being what they are.

Allow all and everyone to remove ignorance in themselves, or not.

Allow all and everyone be free from ignorance, or not.

Be free.

The mind that knows and understands towards selflessness and impermanence

There is needless of engaging in any form of expression or communication, not to say, to be engaging in passionate egoistic interaction, or justification, or debate, or argument, if the mind knows and understands towards selflessness and impermanence, knowing Thyself, being free from ignorance and egoism, and resting in unconditional peace, while respecting all the other minds being what and how they are, and allowing the world being what it is, selfless, and impermanent, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect, where all kinds of names and forms arising, changing, and passing away, at their own respective cause and pace.

There is neither good nor bad.

There is neither right nor wrong.

There is neither positive nor negative.

There is neither meaningful nor meaningless.

All and everything are just what they are.

Who and what, it doesn't matter.

Short-lived or long-lived, it doesn't matter.

Healthy or unhealthy, it doesn't matter.

What is the cause of death, it doesn't matter.

It's whether there is peace, or not, regardless of what is manifesting/happening/changing in this present moment, under the presence or absence of knowing and understanding towards all these.

If the mind still doesn't know and doesn't understand (yet) towards selflessness and impermanence, and it is in doubt and disturbance, and has no peace, while it has intense yearning towards liberation from ignorance by knowing and understanding all these, then it just needs to keep practicing, keep purifying, and keep inquiring.

The different minds think, reason, understand, behave, act, react, and desire differently

There is neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, on how the different minds think, reason, understand, behave, act, react, and desire differently.

Different minds are functioning under different degrees of ignorance, conditioned by different ideas and beliefs, that lead to different understanding and non-understanding, that are influencing the different ways of thinking, reasoning, behavior, action, reaction, and desire/don't desire.

It has to come from the mind itself, to have the awareness towards what is going on in itself (the modification of the mind, or the states of mind, or the thought activities, or the thought process, or all kinds of perceived names and forms of inputs, knowledge, ideas, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, conditions, situations, affairs, experiences, abilities, disabilities, accomplishments, non-accomplishments, ties and connections, relationships, memories, feelings, emotions, disturbance, restlessness, suffering, and etc), while having the initiation and effort to investigate, to inquire, to understand, to learn, to know, to know Thyself, to know the truth of 'I', of what the mind thinks and believes and identifies as its permanent independent individual self-existence, but not really.

Most minds won't be thinking about all that, unless it starts to have doubt or curiosity, upon perceiving, experiencing, coming in contact with, or being hammered and humbled by certain experiences or names and forms that it perceives as 'painful suffering', that it doesn't like and doesn't desire, that it wants to avoid, escape from, or get rid of.

Minds that are enjoying, and being attached/proud towards their particular identities of certain heritage/background/origin/nationality/ethnicity/culture/belief/values/status/title/privilege, possessions, conditions, abilities, and achievements, will have no interest to inquire towards the truth of 'the mind perception of a selfless impermanent life existence', unless they are being hammered and humbled by selfless impermanent changes/experiences that they don't like and don't desire.

Minds that are being determined by, and will be worrying about their physical appearance/condition, social/financial status, abilities/disabilities, or achievements/non-achievements, and how others think, feel, judge, and acknowledge about them, where they put highest priority/attention/effort onto making sure that they are presentable/acceptable/respectable/agreeable/lovable/admirable/creditable by the world or the others, as well as minds that are enjoying what they think and believe as their deserving achievements and enjoyments after exerting attention and effort onto what they wanted to achieve, will have none or very little interest or initiation to be investigating or inquiring towards the selfless existence and function of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional assertive thinking faculty perceiving/experiencing a selfless impermanent life existence.

There's nothing wrong or bad about that. It's the freedom of all minds for what they think, know, understand, and desire, or not.

Minds that have intense initiation/interest to learn about themselves, to know and understand about ALL THESE that is going on in the modification of the mind, of everything that it is perceiving/experiencing, to know what is suffering and the cause of suffering, to know how to be free from suffering or the cause of suffering, to be free from doubts or ignorance, and to attain absolute freedom or liberation from all kinds of limitations, will have the essential determination and perseverance to be learning and practicing Dhamma/Dharma/yoga/buddhism, until they starts to realize/see/know the truth of everything, as it is.

Yoga and/or meditation was, has been, and is being hyped as something 'mystical', or 'spiritual', or 'unreachable'.

When the mind is focusing in the present moment now without wandering to the past memories (past experiences) or future imaginations/anticipations, that is concentration of keeping the mind in the present moment NOW, and if that concentration is being maintained/withheld for an extended period effortlessly and spontaneously, where there is absence of the idea of 'I', or devoid of egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, and expectation towards the selfless existence and function of the perceptive mind and the perceived names and forms (the selfless impermanent modification of mind), regardless of whether engaging in action or inaction, that's meditation. There's no going into meditation (meditating) or coming out of meditation (non-meditating). When the mind knows selflessness/non-attachment/non-grasping, devoid of the idea of 'I'/attachment/grasping (the cause of disturbance/suffering), that's yoga/buddhism. There is nothing mystical, or spiritual, or unreachable.

Even the attainment of self-realization, (not to say, something that appears to be what the mind thinks and believes as 'mystical'/'supernatural'/'magical'/'amazing') also doesn't and cannot change the truth of selflessness and impermanence, of all these selfless impermanent names and forms (living beings and non-living objects). It doesn't and cannot remove the suffering and the cause of suffering in the world of ignorance and egoism in the other selfless minds, of all kinds of ignorant ideas/desires/actions/reactions/behaviors and their consequences being generated in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

There were and are many skillful magicians, amazing stories tellers, intelligent knowledgeable scholars/teachers/scientists/mathematicians, enlightened compassionate beings, positive optimistic cheerleaders, impactful influencers, higher advanced engineering and technologies, and powerful leaders/law makers in the world, but none of these can remove/stop ignorance/egoism/impurities and the consequences of all that, that contribute to all kinds of unnecessary man-made damages/destructions/suffering in the world that doesn't belong to anyone.

The most powerful/wealthy/successful/respectable/admirable/intelligent/knowledgeable/beautiful/healthy/happy/kind person in the world also cannot escape/defy inevitable restless life maintenance, hunger, thirst, fatigue, decay, discomfort, weakness, injury, illness, aging, and death (disintegration).

When the mind is free from the idea of 'I', attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, and expectation, there is no disturbance or suffering arising in the modification of the mind, or there is peace, as it is, regardless of what the mind is perceiving/experiencing towards what is happening within the selfless physical body, or outside the physical body in the surrounding environment in the present moment NOW, of the selfless perception of agreeable or disagreeable names and forms ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away, of the pleasant or unpleasant and desirable or undesirable selfless impermanent changes in the names and forms governed by the nature's law of cause and effect.

It's all about the presence or absence of 'attachment'/'grasping' towards what is in the present moment NOW and towards the past memories/experiences and future imaginations/projections.

The mind that doesn't know 'non-attachment'/'non-grasping'/'detachment'/'letting go'/'desirelessness', that doesn't know selflessness (there is no 'I' existing), that wanders to the past memories and future imaginations, is not free, even when everything appeared to be desirable and agreeable in the present moment NOW.

The mind that knows 'non-attachment'/'non-grasping'/'detachment'/'letting go'/'desirelessness' in the present moment NOW, that knows selflessness, that is free from being determined by past memories and future imaginations, is free, even when everything appeared to be undesirable and disagreeable in the present moment NOW.

Still being over-whelmed/depressed/disturbed/hurt/angered/frustrated/disappointed/confused by all kinds of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in this world?

Inquire the truth of everything, realize selflessness/non-attachment/non-grasping, and be free.

The free mind can be performing many beneficial actions in the world, but not being determined by the actions and the fruit of actions.

The truth as it is

If it is the truth, it doesn't limited to any particular qualities of names and forms.

If it is the truth, it doesn't belong to any particular qualities of names and forms.

If it is the truth, then regardless of all kinds of different qualities of names and forms, all and everyone and everything are subject to this truth.

The truth is neither a belief nor disbelief.

The truth is what things are, as they are.

All the different kinds of belief and disbelief are only limited to their respective particular names and forms, that belonged to the different minds that associating themselves with different names and forms, that the different minds identifying with as who and what they are. Such as different minds have their own particular type of belief and disbelief, which appeared to be very real and valid to each of them in their life existence, while the same belief and disbelief don't really exist in or valid to many other minds in their life existence. There is neither right nor wrong. All minds have their own freedom for what they believe and disbelieve.

Meanwhile,

regardless of 'ancient' or present or 'future'

regardless what kind of names and forms,

regardless of what type of quality/condition/situation/experience/achievement/non-achievement,

regardless of what the different people identifying or non-identifying with as who and what they are,

regardless of what type of background, origin, place of birth, nationality, ethnicity, thinking, belief, culture, spirituality, personality, way of living, lifestyle, ideas, values, desires, and practices,

regardless of good or bad behavior,

good life or bad life,

easy life or difficult life,

selfish or unselfish,

positive or negative,

kind or unkind,

happy or unhappy,

healthy or unhealthy,

wise or ignorant,

peaceful or peaceless,

calmed or disturbed,

male or female, or non-male and non-female, or both male and female,

knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable,

intelligent or non-intelligent,

understanding or non-understanding,

hardworking or laid-backing,

introvert or extrovert,

sociable or non-sociable,

confident or non-confident,

wealthy rich or extremely poor,

generous or stingy,

living beings/plants/organism or non-living objects/things,

mobile or immobile,

ambitious or non-ambitious,

admirable or non-admirable,

proud or humble,

grateful or ungrateful,

contented or discontented,

long-lived or short-lived,

alone or not alone,

yogi or not yogi,

buddhist or not buddhist,

pure or impure,

passionate or dispassionate,

spiritual or non-spiritual,

ordinary or extra ordinary,

talented or non-talented,

sane or insane,

and so on,

all and everyone and everything,

are Impermanent,

constantly changing, decaying, disintegrating,

and eventually, vanished

and,

all are Selfless.

There is no 'I' existing in all and everything to be undergoing selfless impermanent changes and limited existence.

The selfless minds that realized/understand/know this, they are free and peaceful as they are.

Regardless of who and what the mind thinks and believes is itself or "This is I", all and everyone are bound to meet death, sooner or later.

The minds that don't understand, they perceive 'death', or 'All are born to die', or 'old age, weakness, and illness', as negativity, meaninglessness, or painful sorrow, and either they might be reluctant to perform actions, or they might perform actions that would bring harmful consequences to oneself and others.

The minds that understand, 'death', or 'All are born to die', or 'old age, weakness, and illness' are merely the truth of all and everything, it's neither positive nor negative, neither meaningful nor meaningless, and neither sorrowful nor non-sorrowful. Either they are resting in silence, or they make good use of the limited conditional impermanent selfless existence in this present moment to be performing actions that would bring wisdom, openness, kindness, and peace to oneself and others.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

When the mind is lost and doesn't know what to think or do

In this present moment

Either standing, or sitting, or lying down, or being in any position that is comfortable

Closing the eyes gently

Staying still for a few moments

It's okay, if the body needs to move and change position

Focus on the space below the nostrils above the upper lip

Be aware of the breathing

Be aware of the air coming in and going out

The air coming in is slightly cold

The air coming out is slightly warm

The mind might wander away

It's okay

Gently bring the mind back onto the breath

No matter how many times the mind wanders away

Gently bring the mind back onto the breath

If the breath is slow, let it be slow

If the breath is fast, let it be fast

If the breath stops coming and going, let it be

Allowing the breath to be what it is

Allowing the mind to be what it is

No judgment

No expectation

It's okay, if the mind is lost in this present moment

It's okay, if the mind doesn't know what to think or do in this present moment

All and everything are impermanent

The breath is impermanent

The calmed or disturbed state of mind is impermanent

The comfortable and uncomfortable sensations are impermanent

The positive or negative thinking is impermanent

The pleasant or unpleasant feelings and emotions are impermanent

The good and bad experiences are impermanent

No clinging towards what is here, that is pleasant and agreeable

No aversion towards something that is here, that is unpleasant and disagreeable

No craving towards something that is not here

Even this, is impermanent.

The essential practice of non-identification

The practice of non-attachment or non-grasping is being reflected in the practice of non-identification, or letting go the existing identification with all kinds of worldly identities/duties/responsibilities/ties and connections, even though one still have to keep the worldly identities to be living and moving in this world that is run by minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, as well as to be carrying out certain actions, duties, and responsibilities towards oneself and/or others in this selfless life existence.

Similarly, the practice of non-attachment is being reflected in the practice of letting go the desires of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation.

They all are different names and forms, but they are non-separated and non-distinctive from one another.

The thinning-out and the annihilation of the ego (the idea of 'I') and egoism, is about weakening and starving the idea of 'I', attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, until all these names and forms are completely vanished from the selfless modification of the mind.

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A 'mind that is functioning under the idea of I and us' would react and feel greatly disturbed and hurt by something that the mind recognized as something offensive/humiliating/disrespectful/hurtful that is happening unto 'me/I/us/mine/ours', while it doesn't react or feel the same if there is the similar thing that is happening unto some others but not 'me/I/us/mine/ours'.

The mind that is identifying with a particular 'nationality', 'ethnicity', 'spirituality', 'culture', 'belief', 'community', 'family', 'relationship', 'title/status', 'specie', 'gender', and etc, will be determined and disturbed greatly by something unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable, and hurtful that is directing towards that particular nation, ethnic, spirituality, culture, belief, community, family, relationship, title/status, specie, or gender, while it will be either being undetermined and undisturbed, or less determined and less disturbed by the similar thing that is happening unto other nations, other ethnics, other spiritualities, other cultures, other beliefs, other communities, other families, other relationships, other titles/status, other species, or other genders, that it doesn't identifying with.

A 'member of a family' would react and feel greatly disturbed and offended by something that the mind recognized as offensive/humiliating/disrespectful/hurtful that is happening unto 'my family', while it doesn't react or feel the same if there is the similar thing that is happening unto some other families but not 'my family'.

A 'member of a community' would react and feel greatly offended by something that the mind recognized as offensive/humiliating/disrespectful/hurtful that is directing towards 'my community', while it doesn't react or feel the same if there is the similar thing that is directing towards some other communities but not 'my community'.

A 'mind that is identifying with a particular ethnicity/nationality/spirituality/culture/belief' would react and feel greatly offended and disturbed by something that the mind recognized as offensive/humiliating/disrespectful/hurtful that is directing towards 'my ethnic/nation/spirituality/culture/belief', while it doesn't react or feel the same if there is the similar thing that is directing towards some other ethnics/nations/spiritualities/cultures/beliefs that is not 'my ethnicity/nation/spirituality/culture/belief'.

A 'mind that is identifying as a human being' would react and feel greatly offended by something that the mind recognized as offensive/destructive/damaging/hurtful that is happening unto 'human beings', while it doesn't react or feel the same if there is the similar thing that is happening unto some other beings/things but not 'human beings'.

A 'mind that is identifying with all living beings' would react and feel greatly offended by something that the mind recognized as offensive/destructive/damaging/hurtful that is happening unto 'any living beings', while it doesn't react or feel the same if there is the similar thing that is directing unto something that is not 'all living beings'.

A 'mind that is identifying with all are one in this universe, and this is our universe' would react and feel greatly disturbed by something that the mind recognized as offensive/destructive/damaging/hurtful that is happening unto 'our universe', while it doesn't react or feel the same if there is the similar thing that is happening unto some other universe but not 'our universe'.

A 'mind that is identifying with goodness and righteousness' would react and feel greatly disturbed and offended by something that the mind recognized as 'badness' and wrongfulness', that is contradicting with what the mind thinks and believes and categorizes as 'goodness' and 'righteousness'.

It is not any of the names and forms that has the quality or intention to be something 'disturbing or non-disturbing', 'disagreeable or agreeable', 'good or bad', 'right or wrong', 'positive or negative', and 'meaningful or meaningless'. It is how the mind thinks, reasons, understands, identifying/non-identifying with, values, desires, behaves, acts, and reacts towards all and everything upon perceiving/experiencing/coming in contact with all kinds of names and forms.

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Inquire towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence.

There is no 'I' existing to be identifying with any names and forms.

One will not be determined or disturbed by all kinds of activities and their consequences deriving from the minds functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, while one performs one's existing duties and responsibilities, and necessary actions that will benefit all and everyone and everything, without attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, and devoid of all kinds of impurities and restlessness, of selfishness, possessiveness, discontentment, greed, separateness, discrimination, pride, superiority, inferiority, offensiveness, defensiveness, unhappiness, disappointment, hurt, anger, hatred, cruelty, or violence.

The minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, are similar to the wild animals. Wild animals are neither something good nor bad. They are just being what they are. They can be very calmed, contented, happy, and 'cute' at certain time, and they can be extremely disturbed, restless, violent, and hurtful at some other times. There is neither right nor wrong. It is just the truth of what things are, and being what they are.

Most minds are being conditioned by the world of ignorance and egoism to be developing and empowering a strong identification with certain identities under certain names and forms, that empowers pride, possessiveness, selfishness, protectiveness, separateness, discrimination, superiority, inferiority, submissiveness, blind-following, blind-believing, blind-practicing, blind-propagating, non-questioning the leader/authority/authorization/parent/elder/teacher/teachings/belief, non-inquiring the truth of everything, story telling, lies, white lies, hypocrisy, slander, manipulation, temptation, threat, bully, exploitation, violence, force, cruelty, fear, insecurity, discontentment, greed, hoarding, endless desires and ambitions, and etc (the absence of peace).

There are many minds don't like and don't want peace, where they enjoy unrest/restlessness, and want to create unrest and empower restlessness. That's their freedom of likes and dislikes, desire and don't desire. 

The minds that embrace and appreciate peace, they don't need to be determined and disturbed by the likes and dislikes/desires and don't desires or the restlessness of the other minds.

The mind that understands, it is not being determined or disturbed by the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance of the others.

The empowerment of the ego and egoism, or the development and empowerment of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, is something common and normal in most family upbringing, school education, tribe, community, organization, work place, friends circle, social networking, business, commercialism, gangs, politics, spirituality, belief, or any kind of management/leadership/authorization, for them to survive, sustain, and expand, to be in control, or to be in power.

Yoga and buddhism practice is all about freeing the mind from all that.

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The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, they have the clarity of thinking and reasoning, correct understanding, truthfulness, desirelessness, respect towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence governed by the nature's law of cause and effect, self-awareness, self-management, self-control, self-independence, unconditional peace, and unconditional non-discriminating kindness/generosity/accommodation towards all and everything of all kinds of diversities in the world that doesn't belong to anyone.

They don't interfere with all the others being what they are.

They don't claim ownership and authorization.

They don't need to control others to be or not to be in certain way.

They are not being influenced by others to be or not to be in certain way.

They just stay away from the minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism as much as possible, not wasting energy into dealing with ignorant affairs, while conserving energy to be performing actions that might help to bring more peace, wisdom, and kindness into the surrounding environment.

Be free.

Even this, is impermanent

No matter how much painful suffering that the mind is perceiving/experiencing in this present moment now, regardless of whether it's the physical/mental/emotional suffering of oneself, or it's being empathetic towards the suffering of the many others in this world of diversity that doesn't belong to anyone, just remember this, "Regardless of whether it's something pleasant or unpleasant, desirable or undesirable, agreeable or disagreeable, and enjoyable or painful, all are impermanent."

One can choose to perform or not performing certain action that is possible, that might or might not avoid, or minimize, or reduce the suffering in oneself or in others, without attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, and expectation.

There is neither right nor wrong.

If one chooses to perform certain action that is possible, that might or might not help to avoid/minimize/reduce the many unnecessary suffering in the world of ignorance and egoism, then just do one's best, and let it go.

Even this, is impermanent.

What or how to perform self-inquiry to attain self-realization

Self-inquiry and self-realization will be happening naturally and effortlessly under an open mind devoid of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, and expectation (egoistic thoughts activities), that is pure (devoid of impurities or ignorant egoistic corrupted thinking, reasoning, understanding, aspirations, actions, and reactions under the influence of particular worldly cultural/social/spiritual/educational/national/political/commercial ideas, thinking, belief/disbelief, values, ambitions, visions, and practice) and calm/quiet (devoid of restlessness/disturbance/desires).

Without an open mind devoid of impurities and restlessness, self-inquiry and self-realization cannot happen even under great initiation (suffering/limitation/lack of freedom/the sense of emptiness or meaninglessness/doubt/curiosity), great intention (desire or yearning towards liberation/knowledge), or great effort (all kinds of practices or methods), as the mind reasons and judges everything based on the existing worldly egoistic thinking, knowledge, ideas, belief, values, and practice in the mind, as well as acts and reacts under the influence of the impure restless disturbed state of mind.

Under a pure, calm/quiet, and opened mind (the selfless reflector that reflects everything as it is, selflessly and intentionlessly), the truth of everything will be reflected as it is (seeing the truth of everything, as it is - Impermanence and Selflessness).

There is no 'I'. There is no 'not I'.

There is no "I am." There is no "I am not."

There is no "I am reflecting the truth of everything."

There is no "I reflect", "I realize", or "I know".

There is no separateness of subject (the one that reflects) and object (the one that is being reflected) and knowledge (the subject knowing the object).

There is no separateness of the knower and the knowledge.

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The main teachings of yoga and buddhism - Impermanence and Selflessness

The direct realization and understanding towards Impermanence and Selflessness will simultaneously lead to the realization and understanding towards -

Timelessness - There is neither past nor future. There is only NOW, and all that is in NOW, is changing.

All kinds of transitions (impermanent changes) in different realms (different modifications/states of mind) is happening in NOW.

Time is merely the reflection of ceaseless impermanent changes/movements/distances in NOW.

Realms are the reflection of the different modifications/states of mind in NOW.

Countless births and deaths are happening in NOW, in this selfless physical body, in this selfless modification of the selfless mind, in all kinds of selfless names and forms.

The selfless body with the selfless thinking mind (selfless names and forms) is undergoing selfless impermanent changes, or undergoing ceaseless births and deaths in different realms, in NOW.

There is no 'I' in this selfless existence and function of the selfless body with the selfless function of the selfless perceptive thinking mind undergoing all these selfless impermanent changes, a.k.a. ceaseless births and deaths in different realms.

The selfless body and mind (and all kinds of names and forms) is subject to selfless impermanent changes, decay, death, or mortality (finite existence). There is no 'I' that is mortal (finite existence) or immortal (infinite existence) existing in the selfless body and mind, or in any kind of names and forms.

Which also lead to the realization and understanding of all these different names and forms that are non-distinctive or non-separated from one another -

Non-duality

Oneness

Non-separateness

Attributelessness

Namelessness

Formlessness

Birthlessness

Deathlessness

Beginninglessness

Endlessness

Desirelessness

Fearlessness

Unconditional peace

Form is emptiness, emptiness is form

Form is non-distinctive from emptiness, emptiness is non-distinctive from form

No gain, no loss

No increase, no decrease

No purity, no impurity

No wisdom, no gain of wisdom

No ignorance, no end of ignorance

No suffering, no end of suffering

No liberation, no gain of liberation

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Purify the mind.

Discipline the mind.

Quiet the mind.

Letting go all that is in the mind.

Non-blind believing

Non-blind following

Non-blind practicing

Non-blind propagating

Inquire/reflect the truth of everything.

Be free.

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The process of letting go all that is in the selfless modification of the selfless mind (non-grasping/non-attachment/non-association/non-identification/non-possession/non-interference towards all and everything), could be effortless, or could be extremely difficult and even painful for the mind, depending on the different degrees of ignorance.

The mind that is in a state of disturbance or painful suffering, might think, "I am already in great pain. I want to be free from pain. I do not want to go through more pain," or, "I want to be free from pain. I am already in great pain. Any more pain (inevitable difficulties) makes no difference. I will endure any inevitable pain (difficulties) if that will make me be free from pain."

It's the freedom of the mind towards what it wants and doesn't want.

There's neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong.

Be free from fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity through understanding

Just like all the other kind of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity are selfless and impermanent.

All kinds of impurities or thought activities are not 'I', and they are impermanent.

All kinds of impurities or thought activities are just what they are. They are neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, and neither right nor wrong, especially if there is certain degrees of self-awareness, correct understanding, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation in the thinking mind, where the mind is aware of all these impurities or thought activities (regardless of whether they are pleasant or unpleasant/desirable or undesirable) arising, changing, and passing away in the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation towards all kinds of impurities or thought activities that are selfless and impermanent.

Such minds have self-control of not being over-powered by any kinds of impurities/feelings/emotions/ideas (thought activities) that ceaselessly coming and going in the mind, and not generating any actions/reactions/speech/expression under the influence of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind that are selfless and impermanent, that would hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment.

It is only when the mind is functioning under the veil of ignorance and egoism, where the mind doesn't know what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, and hence, the mind is being determined and over-powered by all kinds of impurities or thought activities, and would generate actions/reactions/speech/expression under the influence of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, that might hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment.

Like all kinds of impurities/feelings/emotions/ideas (thought activities) in the mind, the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity in the modification of the mind is something normal and common in most minds. However, if without correct understanding, self-awareness, and self-control, the mind will be over-whelmed and over-powered by the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, that gives rise to all kinds of unnecessary unrest, violence, and cruelty in the world of diversity that doesn't belong to anyone, that is related to selfishness, pride, possessiveness, hoarding, greed, separateness, discrimination, anger, hatred, offensiveness, defensiveness, and so on.

Many minds would think and believe that by acquiring and possessing success and wealth will chase away fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, but it doesn't.

If without correct understanding, even the wealthiest and most successful or powerful people in the world are also being over-powered by fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, being the slaves of all kinds of impurities. Those that are free from fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, they are devoid of discontentment and greed, and they wouldn't be hoarding wealth that gives them the status of wealthiness, that they don't need at all, even if they are highly successful and capable of generating abundant wealth, but they would be using their generated wealth to benefit all the others. However, most minds in the world are not in having such understanding. That's why the world is being what it is, full of all kinds of unnecessary selfishness, discrimination, hatred, unrest, corruption, violence, and cruelty.

The minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that are being over-powered by all kinds of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, would attack and hurt some others out of selfishness, pride, possessiveness, hoarding, greed, separateness, discrimination, anger, hatred, offensiveness, defensiveness, and so on, under the presence and influence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, even when others have no intention to hurt anyone or anything.

The minds that have correct understanding towards the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, they understand that fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity towards certain outcome or reality that might be unpleasant or undesirable don't and won't change the outcome or reality being what it is, but they are the unnecessary hindrance that would affect/impact/disturb/limit/oppress/reduce the performance of the body and mind while performing certain actions or activities, which definitely will hinder the body and mind to perform at its highest and possible ability, that would affect and determine the outcome/the result/the fruit of action/the reality.

Since fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity doesn't change the outcome/reality to be something else that it is not, or it doesn't help to make the outcome/reality to become better than what it is, but it would definitely affect/impact/limit the action in the present moment to be less efficient/productive than what it could be, that influences and determines the outcome/reality to be less efficient/desirable than what it could be, and hence, why still entertain and empower the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, allowing fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity to affect and over-power oneself and one's performance? Under such understanding, the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity will become less and less, and eventually, it will vanish from the modification of the mind.

All types of yoga practice require attentiveness. Being attentive and careful while performing any actions, duties, and responsibilities will minimize or avoid many unnecessary energy wasting, mistakes, damages, or injuries. Fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity doesn't and cannot exist upon the mind is being fully attentive/focused/concentrated towards what is in now, in the present moment.

Fear and worry doesn't exist in the mind that knows and respects the truth of selflessness and impermanence, where there is no past or future, there is only now. One can do one's best in whatever one is doing, while allowing the fruit of action being what it is. There is no attachment or identification towards the action and the fruit of action. That is freedom.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

The absence of fear vs the presence of courage

There's neither right nor wrong with the many different 'approaches' for the different minds functioning under different degrees of understanding towards oneself, or towards the selfless modification of the mind, in order to deal with certain things in the body and mind, or in life, that are not necessarily the way that they would like it to be.

Many positive empowerment training workshops in the world is about countering what the minds perceived and recognized as fear/weakness/negativity/inferiority/dissatisfaction/unhappiness/low self-esteem/lack of confidence/non-accomplishment/meaninglessness with developing/empowering/achieving/possessing the opposite of that, a.k.a. courage/strength/positivity/superiority/satisfaction/happiness/high self-esteem/high confidence/accomplishment/meaningfulness.

That might give the mind some momentary relief from certain states of the mind or conditions/limitations/shortcomings that are not how the mind would like it to be, but that doesn't really free the mind from continuously be determined/conditioned by the mind perception of duality, or the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, to be identifying as who/what they are.

As even all kinds of so called 'good', 'positive', 'righteous', or 'superior' qualities, are also conditional, and impermanent, that will increase or decrease being conditioned/influenced by the different experiences, situations, or physical/mental conditions that are impermanent.

The presence/development/empowerment/possession of high degrees of courage doesn't necessarily correlate with the absence of fear.

The teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism, is to free the mind from all that, or to free the mind from being determined/conditioned/limited by the mind perception of duality or the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, by going beyond or transcending all kinds of duality via non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation.

It's not about the presence/development/empowerment/achievement/possession of what the passionate egoistic minds perceived and recognized as courage/strength/positivity/superiority/satisfaction/happiness/high self-esteem/high confidence/accomplishment/meaningfulness.

It's about the absence of attachment/identification/craving towards all those 'good'/'higher'/'superior'/'top' qualities that most minds like and desire to be identifying as who/what they are, as well as the absence of attachment/identification/aversion towards what the mind perceived and recognized as the opposite of all that, a.k.a. fear/weakness/negativity/inferiority/dissatisfaction/unhappiness/low self-esteem/lack of confidence/non-accomplishment/meaninglessness, that most minds don't like and don't desire to be identifying with as who/what they are.

Courage is useless or needless, upon the absence of fear. So as positivity and the sense of meaningfulness is useless or needless, upon the absence of negativity and the sense of meaninglessness.

All that can be eliminated from the selfless modification of the mind via the annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', and egoism.

Upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, devoid of the idea of 'I', attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, or upon the mind transcends all kinds of duality or the mind perception of selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, there is no need to have the presence of something good/positive/superior to counter something bad/negative/inferior that doesn't exist in the mind at all. Such mind doesn't need to be empowered, to be strong, to be positive, or to be confident.

Even when the selfless modification of the mind is still not yet completely be free from being determined by duality or the mind perception of names and forms, where there is fear, or some other kind of impurities arising and occupying in the mind, from time to time, that's okay too, as the mind that has certain degrees of correct understanding towards itself, or towards the selfless modification of the mind, where the mind is endowed with certain degrees of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, this mind will be aware of what is going on in the modification of the mind, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, while allowing the thought activities (regardless of what the mind perceived and recognized as something good or bad/positive or negative/superior or inferior/agreeable or disagreeable) to be arising, changing, and passing away, as they are, without being over-powered by all these selfless impermanent thought activities of different qualities of names and forms arising and passing away, knowing that all these desirable and undesirable, or pleasant and unpleasant different qualities of names and forms in the mind, are all selfless and impermanent. All these different qualities of names and forms are not 'I', and there is no 'I'.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.