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.