Low self-esteem and the state of being free from pride are two different things

The minds are being conditioned to think and believe in a particular way to categorize everything into good and bad, right and wrong, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, positiveness and negativeness, happiness and unhappiness, appropriateness and disappropriateness, and so on. And once the mind is being conditioned to think and believe in a particular way, it's not easy to allow the mind to be opened to see things as they are, because the mind naturally and autonomously reasons and analyzes everything based on that particular thinking and belief.

People growing up being fed with many information coming from their parents, care taker, friends, religious teachers, society, medias, politicians, or leaders, and went to school/college/university to learn about many things/subjects and gathering all kind of information, and all these information become part of the thinking and belief to reason and analyze everything. But how many would reason the truth of all these information that is influencing them to reason and analyze everything?

Practicing yoga is to learn to inquire the truth of everything, without the influence of the thinking and belief in the mind, but just to see things as they are. Most of the time, people are just being different from one another, and there's nothing wrong or sick for being different from one another. But, those who attached strongly onto their own way of thinking, belief and behavior, will perceive other people who think, believe and behave differently from them as something wrong or sick.

Low self-esteem is being categorized as something not good, bad, or negative in the worldly thinking and belief. It is being treated as a form of physical/mental/emotional weakness that they think it would make a person inferior than other people. But, low self-esteem is just another by-product of ignorance and egoism, just like pride, arrogance, unhappiness, anger, hatred, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, animosity, offensiveness, defensiveness, violence, grief, sorrow, agitation, meaninglessness, worthlessness, loneliness, fear and worry, and so on.

If the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, low self-esteem as well as all the other form of impurities won't exist in the mind.

Worldly minded people think that in order to counter or conquest low self-esteem, they need to develop confidence and pride through accumulating knowledge, skills, achievements, friendships and widening the social interaction network. But they don't see where does low self-esteem come from.

The cause of low self-esteem is not because of lack of knowledge, skill, achievement and friendship, or having limited social interaction network. It is the worldly thinking and belief that is based on egoism about how a person should think, belief and behave in the society that categorize people into 'normal', 'rightful', 'positive' and 'healthy', or 'abnormal', 'wrongful', 'negative' and 'unhealthy', is the real cause of why people are suffering from low self-esteem when they try to comply to all the standards of the worldly thinking and belief that is based on egoism about what is a good and meaningful life that people would feel proud of, but somehow they think they are not good enough when they are unable to achieve the standard of a good and meaningful life that everyone could feel proud of. They were being told to believe that they are not good enough and their life is meaningless, if they don't achieve something that they can feel proud of themselves, or if they are unable to make other people to feel proud of them.

Even many of the yoga practitioners and teachers in the world are not free from being influenced by the worldly thinking and belief that is based on egoism.
This is a common and 'normal' and 'right' thing to say in everyday life,
"I am so proud of myself."
"I am so proud of you."
"You must be so proud of yourself."
"My parents are very proud of me."
"You should be so proud of yourself. How is it possible that you are not proud of yourself?" and so on.

If people didn't make a statement about "I am so proud of you," after other people have achieved or done something that they believe as 'good' or 'great', they will be considered as lack of empathy, unappreciative, stingy to say nice things, or being 'abnormal'. And people would feel disappointed or upset if other people didn't acknowledge their hard-work and achievement or didn't say anything about being proud of them, and it makes them think that maybe they are not good enough to be proud of themselves, or they are not good enough to make other people to be proud of them.

And, in order to help people who they think is suffering from low self-esteem, they think that they should constantly telling people, "I am so proud of you," thinking that this will help people to be free from low self-esteem, so that people won't feel bad about themselves, and will feel good about themselves. What can really help people who are suffering from low self-esteem is allowing them to understand that they are fine as they are, that they can just do their best without the intention of doing something to attain acknowledgement or appreciation from others and to feel proud of themselves, and they don't need to make other people to feel proud of them, or they don't need to keep hearing other people to tell them, "I am so proud of you," to be happy or to live a meaningful life.

It's like some people always looking for love and affection or attention from other people. If they don't hear from other people, "I love you," or "I miss you," for some time, they will feel unloved, left out and miserable. And people think that by constantly showing and telling people, "I love you," will help people to be free from unhappiness or suffering from the sense of being unloved or low self-esteem, but it doesn't, because it only empowers the attachment and the craving for receiving love and acknowledgement from others to feel being loved and meaningful. What can really help people to be free from the unhappiness or suffering from the sense of being unloved or lack of love, is allowing them to understand that they don't need love or appreciation from others at all, through realizing unconditional love in themselves, by freeing the mind from ignorance and egoism.

It's the worldly thinking and belief that is why people create unnecessary unhappiness or suffering in themselves, drowning in the desire of craving, and ceaselessly longing for receiving love and acknowledgement from other beings (humans or animals), by thinking that all beings should give and receive love and acknowledgement from one another, to feel being loved and meaningful.

Those who are free, They are happy and peaceful as they are. They appreciate all the existing love and acknowledgement from everyone as it is, but they don't need to depend on receiving love or acknowledgement from others to be happy, to feel meaningful, or to be who they are. Even if they have no parents, siblings, children, friends, or anyone being there, to show love and care for them or to acknowledged them, but they are still peaceful as they are.

Worldly minded people would relate or refer the people or children who are being free from pride, who don't have the need/desire/craving to feel proud about anything as a form of suffering from low self-esteem, lack of self-respect/self-love, or the sense of worthlessness. They believe that 'normal' and 'mentally healthy' people must have some sort of pride about themselves or towards something that is related to them in life, such like being proud of their family background, culture, religion, country, nationality, parents, siblings, children, friends, or things that they like to do or things that they can do, and etc.

Or else, they suggest that people must be suffering from low self-esteem, lack of self-respect/self-love, or worthlessness, and it's 'abnormal' and 'mentally unhealthy' for someone who doesn't have the need/desire/craving to feel proud of anything, who response to the question of "Do you feel proud of yourself? You must be so proud of yourself. Your parents and friends must be so proud of you for your achievement." with the answer of "No. I never feel proud of myself or anything. Why do I need to feel proud of myself? I don't need anyone to be proud of me either. People can be proud of me if they want. It's their freedom. It doesn't matter to me whether people are proud of me, or not. I am what I am. I'm not interested to be what other people want me to be, so that they will be proud of me."

There are children or people whom the worldly minded think that they are suffering from low self-esteem (which they are not), when they don't need to feel proud about themselves even when they had achieved great results in school or success in career, as the worldly minded think and believe that every normal and mentally healthy person should feel proud of themselves or feel proud of other people around them for being 'good' and for achieving 'great results' or 'success', that it's something wrong in their brain or mind for not feeling proud for something that the worldly minded think is good and great. But actually, people are peaceful, content, comfortable and happy as they are, when they are free from pride or the need/desire/craving to feel proud and meaningful about anything towards oneself and others, which the worldly minded have no understanding at all due to ignorance. These people or children are aware of themselves of what they achieve or don't achieve, but there's no identification or attachment towards the quality of names and forms that they possessed or don't possessed, or what they can do or cannot do, and there's no need to depend on anything to feel proud, in order to feel good or meaningful about themselves or about life.

The needlessness to feel proud of anything and the absence of meaninglessness due to the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, and the existence of the sense of low self-esteem or meaninglessness because people are being informed by the worldly minded to believe that they shouldn't be contented with being what they are, that they always have to be better than what they are, that they have to keep achieving higher standard, performance and success to feel good and meaningful, is two completely different things. And, many people become mentally disturbed, when they start to believe what they have been told by other worldly minded people that it's 'abnormal' and 'wrong', that they are mentally sick for being different from other 'normal' people.

There are children or people who don't feel the need of friends or companionship from others, who are happy being alone by themselves, or they feel fine and happy without mixing or playing or interacting with other children or people, and there's nothing wrong with that, and it's not a form of mental illness to be alone, to feel needless to have friends, or it's needless to be mixing and playing and interacting with other children or people in order to be happy, to feel meaningful, to not feel lonely, or to be 'normal'.

The children or people who are fine and happy being alone by oneself and don't need to feel proud or meaningful about anything, they are not mentally sick or in suffering at all. They are happy and peaceful as they are. But worldly minded people don't think so. They think that these people or children must be so lonely and miserable and meaningless without any friends to play with or interacting with, because that is what was being planted in their mind, "If you don't have friends to play with or interacting with, you must be lonely and miserable and meaningless."

There are people who don't need to feel sad or grief or mourn for the dead, and being indifferent towards birth and death, it's not that they are lack of empathy or mentally sick, but they have realized the truth of life existence and have gone beyond 'normal' worldly thinking and belief about birth and death, where 'normal' people would cheer and celebrate for the newborns as a form of joyfulness and blessing, and they would grieve and mourn for the dead as a form of painful sorrow and suffering.

Meanwhile, 'normal' worldly minded people would feel so unhappy, meaningless, lonely and miserable when they are alone by themselves, when they are not being with other people, thinking that they are being left out and unloved, that no one notice or appreciate them, that no one is there to love and care for them, to be friend with them, or to play and interact with them, constantly craving for and clinging onto 'friends' and 'social interactions' as well as praise and acknowledgement, in order to feel happy, meaningful, loved and 'normal', and there is aversion, fear and sadness towards solitude, illness, old age, death and separation from the people and things that they love, constantly missing the people and things that they loved when they are out of sight or unavailable. But for them, this is 'normal' and 'mentally healthy'.

No wonder the saints and sages in the past declared that "The awakened ones are awake while the others are asleep," and "The unawakened ones take suffering as bliss and take bliss as suffering." There's no debate can change another person's mind. It has to come from everyone's direct self-realization to realize what is going on in their minds.

Everyone is free for how they want to feel and what they want to do with their body and mind. Allowing everyone to feel what they feel and be different from one another, even if people believe that being prideful and full of passionate desires is 'normal' and 'healthy', while thinking that it's 'abnormal' and 'unhealthy' for some other people who are free from pride and passionate desires.

The importance of renunciation, seclusion and solitude

This is not about against happiness or meaningfulness. But it's about being free from attachment towards names and forms that give rise to the sense of happiness and meaningfulness, to realize unconditional peace that is unconditioned by names and forms that are impermanent, that is beyond the sense of happiness and meaningfulness.

All minds will feel good, happy, meaningful, loved and blessed when one is in the company of other people or family and friends who are like-minded and engaging in interactive activities with other people, appreciating good people, good company, good condition, good relationship/friendship and meaningful life. Though the mind might not necessarily be free from loneliness, meaninglessness, missingness, unhappiness and longing for interaction, when one is unable to be with other people, family or friends who are like-minded, and is not engaging in interactive activities with other people for a period of time, if there is attachment, clinging and craving towards good people, good company, good condition, good relationship/friendship and meaningful life.

It's not difficult for us to feel happy and loved when we are constantly surrounded by people who are like-minded and engaging in some forms of interactive activities together, doing something that we enjoy doing, and it makes us feel good, happy, contented, loved and blessed. But when we are unable to see or be with the people whom we love for a prolonged period of time, and we are not doing something that we like to do together for some time, we'll start to miss each other, missing the presence or togetherness or companionship and doing the things that we like to do together, and then the sense of loneliness, meaninglessness, missingness, unhappiness, and longing for interaction with other people, family and friends start to manifest in the mind. This is normal, but it also indicates that the mind is not free from ignorance and egoism, even though the mind might feel good, happy, contented, loved and blessed when we are being with other people, family and friends, whom we love to be with, and engaging in interactive activities together from time to time.

There's attachment towards love and affection, supports and interactions from people around us. This is normal for most people, but this is also the cause of suffering.

There's nothing wrong with the mind feels loved, blessed and happy when we are being with people whom we like and doing activities that we enjoy doing together. We should appreciate all the good condition, good people, good company, good relationship/friendship and meaningful life. But, a well-trained mind is free from loneliness, meaninglessness, missingness, unhappiness or longing for interaction, when it is not coming in contact with people, things and activities that it loves and enjoys.

If yoga practitioners want to know how much we have improved in the yoga practice, we can try practicing seclusion and solitude for a prolonged period of time, renouncing social activities and cutting off all sorts of communications with other people, especially family and friends whom we love very much, as well as refraining from worldly interactive activities that we enjoy doing on regular basis, for at least two to three years, or extended to five or six years. It's normal that worldly minded people are strongly against and disagree with the practice of seclusion and solitude, and that's their freedom of thinking and belief. Those who still have young children or old parents that they need to take care of, they are not ready to practice renunciation. They need to perform their worldly life duties. They can practice seclusion and solitude later.

When the mind is being isolated from people, things and activities that it likes and enjoys for a prolonged period of time, most minds would want to run back into our daily pleasure of being together and interacting with other people, family and friends who are like-minded, and whom we miss very much if we don't see them or be with them for some time. These minds have not advanced in the path of yoga, even though they might have been doing some forms of yoga activities that they enjoy doing for years, and they have learned about the teachings of yoga, and they feel happy, meaningful, loved and blessed for having nice people around them and doing things that they enjoy doing regularly, but they have not yet apply the teachings of yoga into everyday life practically, if their minds depend on being with people whom they loved and doing things that they enjoy doing to feel happy, meaningful, loved and blessed. The mind that practices yoga, that is free, will still be happy as it is, even if there are unkind and disagreeable people around, and for some reasons, it is unable to do what it would like to do. This mind doesn't need to feel loved or blessed or meaningful at all.

Yoga practitioners who think there's no need to practice non-attachment, as they are very happy enjoying a good life and they are enjoying doing some forms of yoga activities regularly, they don't have to practice seclusion and solitude. They can continue their everyday life the way that they like it to be.

Some think that they have given up worldly activities, enjoyments and community, but then they don't realize that they have attached onto what they call 'spiritual' or 'non-worldly' activities or enjoyments or community. It's still a form of attachment that will lead to suffering, whether it's worldly attachment or non-worldly/spiritual attachment. In worldly life, the mind feels unhappy and meaningless when it doesn't get to see or be with or interacting with people from its community, family and friends, and then in spiritual life, the mind feels unhappy or meaningless when it doesn't get to see or be with or interacting with its spiritual community, family and friends.

Just like letting go an unhealthy lifestyle but then attaching onto a healthy lifestyle, is not the end of suffering. For many people, they don't see or can't understand that attachment towards a healthy lifestyle would also lead to suffering. But, when the healthy lifestyle that they love very much is inaccessible for some unforeseen circumstances, they will then understand. Just like people get very upset and frustrated when the good things that they love very much are being damaged or destroyed by some other people, or there's obstacles that obstruct them from getting the good things that they love and want.

Yoga practitioners who think non-attachment is indeed a very important element in the path of yoga, but they think they don't have attachment towards what they like to do and enjoy in everyday life, they can try to practice seclusion and solitude for a prolonged period of time, to see how much the mind has developed in non-attachment.

Unattached towards both worldly and non-worldly/spiritual activities, enjoyments and community.

If the mind is well-developed in non-attachment, this mind can live in the world as it is and appreciate all the good people, good company, good condition, good relationship/friendship and meaningful life, but it's free from clinging and longing, and suffering. It's unconditioned or undetermined by the impermanent qualities of name and form, whether it's in the form of worldly or non-worldly/spirituality. When all these good and meaningful names and forms changed and disappeared or are unavailable, there's no suffering.

When the mind is greatly disturbed by the inputs from social medias

Compassion is reflected in an equanimous mind that remains undisturbed under any difficult or challenging conditions and situations.

If the mind is greatly disturbed by the inputs from social medias, may it be worldly issues or regional issues or personal issues, then out of compassion towards oneself and others, it's better for the mind to stay away from social medias for some time. Be kind to this mind and take care of this mind.

Losing the balanced state of the mind doesn't help the world that one loves and cares very much to be better or to be free from suffering, no matter how intense that one loves and cares towards other beings or the world. It's everyone's freedom for how they feel and what they want to do. Those who practice yoga is to maintain equanimous and undisturbed under any condition and situation, that allows the mind to be compassionate and have the clarity to perform necessary actions out of wisdom.

One doesn't need to react with great disturbance of anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, ill-thinking and ill-will, to show that one cares a lot for the world or sympathizes towards other people's suffering. The disturbed reactions of the mind towards something that the mind dislikes and disagrees with is nothing to do with compassion.

Being compassionate towards oneself and others, is reflected in a peaceful mind, where there is awareness of the inputs or the knowledge of names and forms, and there might be action need to be performed to deal with difficult condition or situation, but there's no disturbed reaction of impurities arise in the mind towards something that the intellect recognizes as 'bad', 'horrible', 'terrible', 'negative', 'wrong', 'depressing' or 'sorrowful'.

When the mind doesn't react with anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, grief, or sorrow, it doesn't mean that this mind is unconcerned or cruel or discompassionate. The mind can be compassionate and sympathize towards the suffering of oneself and others, but it doesn't has to be reflected with impurities of anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, grief, or sorrow. There's nothing wrong with the reflection of anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, grief, or sorrow in the mind towards something that the intellect recognizes as 'bad', 'horrible', 'terrible', 'negative', 'wrong', 'depressing' or 'sorrowful', but it has nothing to do with compassion.

Impurities are the product of ignorance and egoism. When the mind is under the influence of ignorance and egoism, this mind is unable to be compassionate, even though it might show sympathy and empathy towards the suffering in oneself and others, while being disturbed by the unpleasant difficult condition and situation.

To realize the distinct between compassion (that is undisturbed by the object of suffering) and passionate sympathy/empathy (that is physically, mentally, emotionally be disturbed by the object of suffering), is the yoga practice.

Many people who attached onto worldly thinking and belief might interpret this undisturbed state of mind as unsympathetic or unempathetic, as they think and believe human beings should react with anger, hatred, disappointment, distress, depression, grief, or sorrow towards something that they think is 'bad', 'horrible', 'terrible', 'negative', 'wrong', 'depressing' or 'sorrowful', otherwise, it's abnormal, uncivilized, insane, inhuman or wrong, if people don't react in such way. And that's okay. It's everyone's freedom for what they think and how they want to feel and react towards everything that they perceive.

Those who know, they know. Those who don't know, they don't know. Can't do anything about it.

Feel offended by something that the mind doesn't like and doesn't agree with?

It's normal and common that the mind easily feels offended or intimidated or angered by something that the mind doesn't like and doesn't agree with. That's the normal behavior of most minds that are under the influence of egoism.

The mind that practice yoga of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison and non-expectation, that is free from pride and arrogance, wouldn't be offended or intimidated or angered by something that is different from its thinking and behavior, and allowing others to be different and to have the freedom to express their thinking and behavior that is different from this mind.

Even when other people have no intention to offend anyone, and the names and forms have no quality to be offensive, the mind that is under the influence of egoism will still be offended by this or that, due to pride and arrogance. This mind also puts the responsibility of its reactions of being offended, intimidated or angered onto the names and forms that it doesn't like and doesn't agree with.

Yoga practice is about purifying and quieting the mind, and developing awareness and correct understanding towards the mind activities that are under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities, through self-control, self-introspection, self-inquiry and self-realization, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism and impurities.

Minds that have no awareness towards the ignorance, egoism or impurities in the mind and have no idea about the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, desireless, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison or non-expectation, might be doing some forms of yoga exercises regularly, but there is no peace or compassion, when the minds are easily be disturbed, offended, intimidated or angered when coming in contact with names and forms that the minds dislike and disagree with, being over-powered by ill-thinking and ill-will.

If someone wants to know what is the yoga practice of freeing the mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, one can contemplate on this,

One can choose to smile or not to smile to the world. There's nothing wrong when one chooses not to smile. There's no obligation that one has to smile to the world, and when one chooses to smile to the world, there's no expectation that the world will smile back. The world is not obligated to smile back. If the world smiles back, let it be. If it doesn't, let it be. If the world is offended or intimidated by one's smile or smile-less to the world, let it be.

Passionate mind and dispassionate mind

There's nothing wrong with passionate mind or dispassionate mind. They just have different prospect and interest towards life existence, and how they live and act/react in the world.

Both minds can also be endowed with kindness and generosity and good will, to be good, to do good and to hope for the best for the world. Though the meanings of what is best for the world and the way of achieving what is best for the world can be very different for the passionate minds and the dispassionate minds.

In terms of Satsanga as one of the important elements for the yoga practitioners to progress in the path of yoga, especially for those who haven't developed a strong foundation of non-attachment, and they are easily be affected or influenced by other people's thinking, belief and behavior, and they attached onto their actions that are being performed out of good intention, and they are being affected or determined by the outcome of their actions very much, then they need the company of the dispassionate (less unrest), and avoid the company of the passionate (more unrest). Satsanga doesn't matter for those who have developed strong non-attachment, who are not being affected or influenced by other people's thinking, belief and behavior, who don't attach onto their action and are not being affected or determined by the outcome of the action, then there's no difference between the company of the passionate or the dispassionate for them, but for the sake of conserving energy to not wasting energy into unnecessary afflictions created by the passionate minds, the yoga practitioners should also avoid the company of the passionate.

Those who are passionate are not bad people. They can be very good people who believe in goodness and righteousness and maintaining the order of the society or the welfare of the environment. They can be doing many good actions in the world that they think are 'the best' for the world. Just that the passion or intense love towards what they love, what they believe in, or what they think how the world should be like and how people should think and behave (act and react), could generate unnecessary disturbance or disharmony in themselves, and create disturbance and disharmony for others.

Passionate mind will feel hurt, frustrated, irritated, disappointed, distressed, depressed and angry, when things are not being the way that it thinks they should be, or the way that it wants them to be, and under the influence of impurities, it will generate hurtful or violent action and speech to project the disturbed state of mind. There's attachment towards the action being performed, and there's expectation towards the fruit of action has to be the way that it thinks how it should be. This is a mind that changes according to whether the experiences are something that it likes and wants, or something that it doesn't like and doesn't want. This mind projects kind qualities when it is happy and satisfied, when things are the way that it likes them to be, but it projects unkind qualities when it is upset and dissatisfied when things are not the way that it likes them to be. At one moment, it can be very kind and friendly, and in another moment, it can be very unkind and violent.

Dispassionate mind won't feel hurt, frustrated, irritated, disappointed, distressed, depressed or angry, when things are not being the way that it thinks they should be, or the way that it would prefer them to be, and won't generate hurtful or violent action and speech as the mind is free from disturb, ill-thinking or ill-will. This mind projects kind qualities regardless of whether things are being the way that it likes them to be, or not. Even when things are not being the way that it would like them to be, this mind is still kind and compassionate. It doesn't have ill-thinking or ill-will to hurt those who are different from them, who dislike or disagree with them, and who go against them or hurt them.

There might be necessary action being performed, to bring awareness to others who are under the influence of ignorance, but there's no attachment or expectation towards the action and the fruit of action. If others are getting offended and upset for being 'lectured' by other people and they continue to be ignorant, let them be. None can change another being, or remove the ignorance in others. None can change the world to be the way that one thinks how it should be.

Yoga teachings doesn't discriminate good or bad people. But it points out the distinction between passionate minds and dispassionate minds on the path of yoga towards peace and harmony in the society or in the world. Even good people who have good intention to perform good action might be under the influence of passion. These minds are not free. Yoga practice is to free the mind from passion, to be dispassionate, while living in the world, doing one best performing necessary actions for the sake of peace and harmony in oneself and in the world, and let it go.

Be free.

The difference between non-attachment and positive thinking

It's good and helpful to develop positive thinking especially when the mind is being influenced by negative thinking that generates unnecessary tension, fear, worry or unhappiness in the mind and further projecting all these impurities through speech and action into the environment in the relationships with others in everyday life.

Positive thinking is part of the many yoga practice, but it's not the goal or the end of yoga practice, as the mind is still not free from attachment and identification towards names and forms that the mind perceives as positive and negative, and there is craving and clinging towards what the mind perceives as positive, and there's aversion towards what the mind perceives as negative. The mind is not free from desire, duality and separateness. There's desire of craving or longing for positiveness or goodness and there's clinging onto positiveness or goodness with intention or expectation to control the reality to be the way that the mind thinks it should be and likes it to be.

There's nothing wrong with "Think positively and optimistically, and everything will be good in your life and you can achieve anything that you want." especially for the minds that are easily be disturbed or determined by names and forms that the worldly thinking and belief categorized as bad, negative, unhappiness and wrong. Just that the mind is not free from desires, even though the mind would feel happy and satisfied when the desires are being gratified, and its impermanent. Then pride might arise in this mind, "I am superhuman. I have superpower. I can control everything to be the way that I like it to be." This mind is not free. And it's okay, if that is what the mind wants. It's everyone's freedom for how the mind thinks and what it wants.

The mind that is free, is undetermined by the gratification of the desires of likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants, to be happy, confident, meaningful or peaceful. It is peaceful as it is, undetermined by the world or the worldly thinking and belief, ideas and values, achievements, good and bad condition and situation.

Non-attachment is nothing to do with positive thinking. The mind that knows non-attachment doesn't need to think positively. The thinking is just what it is. It is neither positive nor negative.

It's about unattached towards what the intellect recognizes and categorizes as positive or negative, good or bad, happiness and unhappiness, right and wrong. Undisturbed or undetermined by all the perceptions of name and form that are pleasant or unpleasant. Without attachment or identification towards the different states of the mind or the mind activities. Without intention or expectation towards the perceived reality to control the reality to be the way that the mind likes it to be. Allowing the reality to be what it is, and allowing the reality to change as it is.

The mind is free from being determined by coming in contact with positiveness and goodness and not coming in contact with negativeness and badness, to be content or peaceful. The mind is content and peaceful as it is, regardless of success or failure, achievement or non-achievement, good or bad experiences and condition.

The mind is free from desire, duality and separateness. Knowing that the quality of positiveness and negativeness are both impermanent. But, beyond positiveness and negativeness, is unconditional peace, that is undetermined by the qualities of name and form that the mind perceives through the senses, whether it's positive or negative elements, good or bad condition and situation, and desirable/pleasant or undesirable/unpleasant life experiences.

If the perceived reality is nice and pleasant, let it be. It will change, and allow it to change, without intention or expectation to control the reality not to be bad and negative.

If the perceived reality is not nice and unpleasant, let it be. It will change, and allow it to change, without intention or expectation to control the reality to be all good and positive.

There are actions being performed out of compassion in everyday life, but there's no attachment, identification, desires, intention or expectation towards the action and the fruit of action. There are beneficial actions being performed but there's no intention or expectation that the fruit of actions will be all good and positive, or nothing bad and negative. Allowing the fruit of action to be what it is.

There's no identification with all the impermanent changes of names and forms to be existing as 'I'.

Life might be good and easy, enjoy and appreciate without attachment. It's impermanent, and it doesn't matter.
 
Life might be not so good and full of difficulties, but it's okay. It's impermanent, and it doesn't matter.

Be free.

Compassion and wisdom - How to be free from all kinds of suffering

Many people asked, "How to be free from suffering, especially suffering that is inflicted by other people's ignorant behavior out of ignorance?"

Only through self-realized compassion and wisdom can free one's mind from suffering. Obtaining sympathy and empathy from others can only console the mind for momentary relief, but it doesn't free the mind from the root cause of suffering - Ignorance, egoism and impurities. It doesn't matter what kind of suffering that the mind thinks it is suffering from, it's all out of ignorance. The mind who thinks it is experiencing suffering, the object of suffering, and the cause suffering, may it be something physically, mentally or emotionally unpleasant or hurtful inflicted by others, intentionally and unintentionally, or it's due to some unforeseen circumstances, are all the products of ignorance.

Even the liberated, compassionate and wise Buddha also couldn't free other beings from suffering. He could only give them the teachings and it's up to everyone's own awareness, effort, perseverance, self-inquiry and self-realization to free one's mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, and thus, be free from suffering.

When there is a thinking of "I am the victim of suffering" and "I am the victim of the cause of suffering", where there is an identification from the mind being identified as the sufferer, and there is attachment and judgment towards the suffering and what the mind thinks is the cause of suffering, this mind won't be able to see the truth of the suffering and the cause of suffering. And hence, the mind couldn't be free from suffering even though there are plenty of sympathy and empathy coming from other people towards this mind that it thinks it is suffering from some kind of suffering.

Compassion and wisdom allows the mind to stand as a third party looking into the mind that thinks it is the sufferer or an victim, the suffering and the cause of suffering, WITHOUT egoism of judgment, attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion, intention or expectation. It allows the mind to see the truth of the existence of the sufferer or the victim, the object of suffering and the cause of suffering, as it is.

When the mind experiences something that the mind doesn't like, doesn't agree with and doesn't want, there arise suffering in this mind. When the mind doesn't experience something that it likes, agrees with and wants, there arise suffering in this mind. When the mind losing something that it likes, agrees with and wants, there arise suffering in this mind. It's all in the mind from the mind, it's not coming from the objects of name and form that the mind is experiencing. It's the mind rejecting the reality that it perceives or experiences that is not the way that the mind likes and wants it to be, but is the way that the mind doesn't like and doesn't want, that is why suffering exists in the mind. It's egoism of attachment and identification towards the physical body and the thinking mind, that generate great fear and aversion towards having bad condition, not having good condition, losing good condition, physical and mental limitation, loneliness, decay, weakness, injury, sickness, pain, hunger, thirst, disability, old age, separation from people and things that we love, the unknown, insecurity, and death. The mind is suffering from peacelessness or restlessness of ungratified desires of craving and aversion, dissatisfaction, greed, lust, passion, disappointment, anger, hatred, hurt, animosity, hostility, humiliation, pride, arrogance, ill-will, ill-thinking, violence, fear and worry, and etc.

Out of fear, craving and aversion, there's violence, unrest, war, killing, sexual assault, hostility, discrimination, hatred, corruption, and all sorts of human-made ignorant happenings in this world.

And hence, out of wisdom, the mind realizes that all suffering are deriving from impurities born out of ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation. It's really nothing to do with the objects of name and form that the mind experiences/perceives which the mind thinks are 'bad', 'horrible', 'undeserving', 'wrong', 'hurtful', 'negative' or 'suffering', that the impure mind thinks it's the cause of its suffering.

And out of compassion from this mind towards itself that is under the influence of the ignorant thinking about itself is the sufferer or an victim, and being compassionate towards the mind perception of suffering and the cause of suffering, this mind is able to let go the thinking about itself as the sufferer or the victim and what it used to perceive as 'suffering', and thus, the sufferer, the suffering and the cause of suffering all disappear from the mind that is wise and compassionate. And knowing that whether they are pleasant or unpleasant sensations, desirable or undesirable experiences, enjoyable or hurtful experiences, happy or unhappy experiences, deserving or undeserving experiences, present or past experiences, they all have no quality or intention to be something pleasurable or suffering, and they are impermanent, and it's not 'I'.

'I' am not the sufferer, the sufferer is not 'I'. 'I' am not the suffering, the suffering is not 'I'. 'I am not the cause of suffering, the cause of suffering is not 'I'. There's neither 'I' exists to be suffering, or there is suffering existing, or there's a suffering 'I' needs to be free from suffering. There might be painful and unpleasant sensations or limitation in the body due to injury or sickness, but there is awareness knowing that the body is not 'I', 'I' am not the body. And the body and the painful sensations or the injury or the sickness or the function of the body are all impermanent. There's no identification or attachment towards the impermanent changes of the body and life existence. There's no fear or aversion towards painful and unpleasant sensations, injury, sickness, separation from people and things that we love, and death or the end of this life existence. And hence, suffering doesn't arise in the liberated mind.

It's the intense aversion towards something that the mind recognizes as 'bad', 'negative', 'horrible', 'unhappy', hurtful', 'unpleasant', 'wrong', 'undeserving', 'sad', 'fearful', or 'suffering', that the mind doesn't like or doesn't agree with and doesn't want, that intensify the 'suffering' state of the mind. If the mind is free from craving or aversion towards any names and forms that are pleasant or unpleasant, then the mind will be aware of something is not nice, or greatly unpleasant, or not right that the mind is experiencing through the physical body, but the mind won't perceive it as an suffering, and knowing that this is impermanent, and it's needless to hold on onto this unpleasant experience, and allow the memory of this experience to be there, without pushing it away, and this memory has no power or quality to make the mind suffers, unless the mind allows itself to be continuously be disturbed or determined by this memory, and suffers.

When the mind is endowed with compassion and wisdom, this mind will know that all kinds of hurtful or painful experiences inflicted by human beings are deriving from ignorant behavior out of ignorance, whether intentionally or unintentionally. There's no need to blame oneself or others by thinking that "I am a victim of other people's ignorant behavior. And I am in great suffering because of other people's ignorant behavior out of ignorance." or "It's because I am not good, that's why I am experiencing this and I am suffering." Because, the wisdom will allow the mind to understand, "I am not ignorant to behave ignorantly. Somebody else is ignorant to behave ignorantly. Why do I have to suffer for other people's ignorant behavior out of ignorance? I don't have to, even though there might be some damages or painful sensations inflicted onto this body and mind caused by other people's ignorant behavior out of ignorance. If I allow myself to be suffering for other people's ignorant behavior out of ignorance and generating further damages to this body and mind due to anger and hatred, then it's out of my ignorance." And out of compassion towards this body and mind that is physically, mentally and emotionally be affected by other people's ignorant behavior out of ignorance, this mind will let go and move on without resentment, anger, hatred, hurt, guilt or blame. This mind doesn't even need to forgive anyone or anything, as there's no anger or hatred or resentment or hurt in this mind. This doesn't mean that this mind is allowing or encouraging other people to be ignorant to perform ignorant behavior onto this body and mind.

By telling the people who are under the influence of ignorance about the damages and pain that they have done onto other people's body and mind won't undo what had happened and won't remove the ignorance from the people's mind. It has to come from everyone's self-aware and self-realize towards the ignorance in them and the consequences of ignorant behavior, and out of their own free-will and self-control, they want to be free from ignorance and stop behaving ignorantly. If people are free from ignorance, they won't behave ignorantly in the first place. And because of ignorance, they are ignorant towards their ignorant behavior, and continue to be ignorant, even though they are being pointed out that they are ignorant.

Out of our own ignorance, we can tell the wise about something that we think is ignorant about them, "You are ignorant. What you do is so ignorant." And the wise won't be disturbed, and it's our own ignorance for having such statement towards the wise who are not ignorant at all. But we can't tell this to the ignorant, even if it's out of good intention trying to bring awareness to someone about their ignorance and their ignorant thinking, actions and behavior, it's because of ignorance, they will be very offended, disturbed and upset, as the ignorant are being ignorant towards the ignorance in their minds. By telling those who are under the influence of ignorance that they are ignorant, won't take away the ignorance in them. And so, it's pointless to tell anyone whom we think they are ignorant that they are ignorant and to stop being ignorant, whether they are really ignorant, or not, because the wise are not ignorant at all, and the ignorant will still be ignorant.

Whether those who inflict ignorant actions out of ignorance onto other people will finally receive the consequences of their actions, or not, and whether they will repent and apologize, or not, it really doesn't matter to the liberated minds and it's not their intention to make them suffer or be punished for their actions out of ignorance.

If the mind needs to see the ignorant people to suffer or be punished for their ignorant actions, to feel better and satisfied, then this mind is not free, even though it might feel better and satisfied in this present moment by gratifying its desire of wishing the ignorant people to suffer or be punished for their ignorant actions, as this mind is also under the influence of ignorance and egoism and impurities.

May all be free.

Taming the urge to express the thought activities through speech and action

Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha - Yoga is the restraint/annihilation of the modification of the mind - The entire worldly idea of 'I' and life existence cease existing. The perception of separateness and duality of good and bad, right and wrong, positive and negative, happiness and unhappiness, enjoyment and suffering, birth and death, and so on, vanished.

This is an important practice in yoga to silent the mind by stop feeding the thought current or thought activities by restraining the mind from projecting or expressing the thinking via speech and action. It's the practice of awareness, non-attachment and letting go that eventually leads to complete silence or the annihilation of the entire worldly idea of 'I' and life existence. People who are passionate towards worldly idea of life existence, who aspire to build a positive world that is free from what they think is negative, would interpret this practice as oppression or suppression or degradation of the mind or human life existence or humanity, which the worldly minded think it's something inhuman, abnormal, unhealthy, non-progressive and wrong. Those who are not interested in yoga and meditation practice, who are passionate about worldly idea of life existence, they don't need to perform this practice. Those who think they are free from suffering or they don't mind suffering, or who had transcended suffering, also don't need to perform the practice to silent/annihilate the modification of the mind.

Even the teachings and practice of yoga can be something 'good' and 'amazing' for some people, but it can also be something 'not good' and 'wrong' for many other people. It's up to everyone on how the mind perceives and reacts towards everything, and whether the mind needs the teachings and practice of yoga to realize unconditional peace.

The practice of silencing the mind is greatly contradicted with the existing worldly ideas and values that emphasize on empowering self-identification, self-worth, self-development, personal and global achievement and recognition, and social community development, where people think human beings should progress forward by constantly stimulating their minds and projecting their thoughts/desires freely through expressing their ideas and feelings via speech and action, especially if it's something 'constructive', 'good', 'right' and 'positive' according to the thinking and belief consists of certain worldly ideas and values, cultural and religious belief and practice that people think it would benefit all humanity.

What most worldly minds don't realize is that silencing the mind is the greatest form of serving humanity. There's less a being under the influence of ignorance to generate ignorant actions into the world.

 

All the higher technologies and engineering derived from high creativity and intelligence, doesn't remove the ignorance, egoism and impurities in people's mind and it doesn't make the world to be free from what the impure minds recognize as 'bad', 'negative', 'unhappiness', 'wrong', 'suffering', and all sorts of 'selfishness', 'discrimination', 'fear' and 'violence'. People can enjoy the higher technology to live longer, or younger, or healthier, or to enjoy higher standard of living and comfortable lifestyle, but it doesn't guarantee that the mind will be free from suffering, if the mind is not free from ignorance, egoism and impurities. The highest technology also can't alter the truth of impermanence and selflessness. People will still hurt each other out of survival instinct, fear and selfishness, in order to survive or to protect themselves and their loved ones/homes and what they think is 'goodness', if the mind is not free from ignorance.

Many people who are interested in doing some form of yoga exercises regularly are either ignorant towards this teaching and practice, as the yoga teachers don't teach about this teaching in the yoga exercise classes, or, people have heard and learned about it, but they don't like and disagree with this teaching and practice. Whether people know or don't know, like or dislike, agree or disagree, this is what yoga is about - Annihilation of the modification of the mind/thought activities.

The worldly idea of life existence appears when the mind moves, where there is habitual attachment and reaction towards the mind perception of names and forms through the senses. The worldly idea of life existence disappears when the mind is stilled and desireless, where there is only silent witness towards the mind perceptions without attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion, judgement, intention or expectation.

A lot of time, the thinking and judgment from the impure thinking mind is only partially true, or may not be true at all. The mind reaction of likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, is also part of the by-product of ignorance, being influenced by egoism and impurities.

There's nothing wrong when the mind thinks and believes that it has some 'constructive', 'good', 'right' and 'positive' qualities, ideas and values that are well-worth to be shared with the world, and there is strong urge to project what it thinks and believes as 'constructive', 'good', 'right' and 'positive' through speech and action, thinking that this would bring positive goodness to the society or the world, so that other people will also be inspired by or be endowed with the similar qualities, ideas and values. There's kind and generous intention or aspiration to share something great with the world to inspire others.

Everyone has the freedom to express their thinking through speech and action, there's nothing wrong and it really doesn't matter for those who are free from the influence of ignorance and egoism because they will not be affected or disturbed by other people's thinking, ideas or feelings being projected through speech and action/reaction. But in reality, there are many minds functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that are not free from being disturbed by ungratified desires, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, who will be disturbed, or intimidated, or offended, or hurt by other people's thinking, ideas and feelings, actions and reactions. Again, there's nothing wrong with people expressing their thinking freely, as well as it's everyone's freedom and responsibility for how they react towards other people's thinking, ideas and feelings, actions and reactions. Just that impure minds can get very confused when being disturbed or intimidated, and might unwittingly or spontaneously hurt themselves and/or others out of the disturbed and confused state of the mind.

For example, there are women who don't have or don't want to have children would express their ideas or feelings about how 'good' and 'blessed' for them to have the joy of not having children. While the women who have or want to have children would express their ideas or feelings about how 'good' and 'blessed' for them to have the joy of having children. And sometimes, they might mock each other for justifying their respective ideology is somehow more superior or better than the other.

There's nothing wrong with both different ideas or feelings towards the joy of having or not having children. It's all good that some women find joy in not having children, while some women find joy in having children, as long as there's no attachment or identification towards this idea or value to be who they are. Then it doesn't matter whether they have or don't have children, they are fine, being undetermined by any ideology to feel worthy, happy, confident, or meaningful, or not.

There are women who think and believe that having children is something 'good' and 'blessed', and they would love to have children, but for some reasons they couldn't have any children, or they have children, but it's not the way that they like it to be, and their minds are being in a state of suffering due to ungratified desires. Under the imbalanced state of the mind, they would feel greatly disturbed when women who have children keep boasting about their joy of having children, thinking that it's something good and positive to inspire and encourage other women to also have the joy of having children, but it's actually generating great disturbance for the women who would love to have children but they couldn't. And then, there are some women who have children, but for some reasons, they feel regret about having children, and their minds are being in a state of dissatisfaction,  frustration and regret, they might feel more disturbed for having children that they don't really want, when the women who don't have children keep boasting about their joy of not having children.

It's not the fault of the people who express, share or boast about their thinking, values and feelings, when other people attach onto whatever they perceive, and react towards what they perceive, taking other people's expression of thinking and point of view seriously and personally, and feel disturbed, or intimidated, or hurt. Though there are many minds that are easily be affected, disturbed and intimidated by other people's freedom of expression. For the mind that is free, it won't be affected, or disturbed, or intimidated by other people's freedom of expression. This mind doesn't need to stay away from something that the worldly minded perceive as 'bad', 'negative', 'unhappiness', 'depressing', or 'meaninglessness'. But these liberated minds are very rare in the world.

When the mind starts to develop correct understanding towards the modification of the mind, it's normal for the mind to have particular thinking and belief towards particular ideas or values, but it doesn't need to project/express these ideas or values with the intention to inspire other people to also take up these values and ideas, even though the mind strongly believes that they are something 'constructive', 'good', 'right' and 'positive'. Allowing everyone to have their own version of thinking and belief, ideas and values, and it's needless to boast about anything trying to inspire other people to be the same as 'I', to achieve what 'I' achieve, to live life as how 'I' live. It's like, "I am happy. You should be like me, and you will be happy too." But what is 'good and happy' for 'I' might be something 'terrible and painful' for other people.

When teaching a yoga asana class, the yoga teacher can't tell the students, "I can do this, so can you," or "Nothing is impossible. You can do and achieve anything that you want," to inspire or encourage the students to be able to do what the yoga teacher can do, because it's not true. Not everyone has the similar physical structure, condition, ability and limitation to be able to perform the same action. People who take the teacher's words seriously and force themselves beyond their limitation but still couldn't achieve what they want to achieve, they might hurt themselves out of great expectation and disappointment.

 

It's okay that there are things that are impossible to reach or achieve due to certain circumstances. And it's okay if people can't perform certain actions due to certain limitation even after many years of practice and attempts. People don't have to be able to do everything that the yoga teacher or other people can do, to have peace, or be compassionate, or to forgive someone, or to let go something that is hurtful. But the ability or understanding to go beyond all the ability and disability of the body and the mind, accepting the reality as it is, while performing actions without attachment or identification towards the actions and the fruit of actions, and allowing selfless impermanent changes to be there as they are, that will allow the mind to be peaceful, compassionate, forgiving and be able to let go. And it's okay if many people couldn't realize this after many years of practice, and still be disturbed and determined by all the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms.

By accepting the reality in this present moment now as it is, that the mind is not free, and it's okay, and this is impermanent and it's not 'I', and without judgment or disappointment, keep practicing, without attachment or expectation towards the practice and the fruit of practice, and that is already what yoga is about.

For example, high performance and continuous achievement in any field is being perceived as something 'good' and 'positive' in the world. There's nothing wrong with the idea of high performance and continuous achievement individually and globally, and many people can keep up with that idea with not much difficulty, but there are people couldn't meet up with the expectation of high performance and continuous achievement, and they keep forcing the capability of the body and mind beyond its limitation to attain higher and higher performance and achievement until the function of the body and mind eventually breakdown, harming the entire body systems and suffered from physical and mental illness, restlessness, depression or insanity.

People can just do their best within their own capability, without trying to achieve what the world think is 'good' and 'positive', without pushing or forcing the body and mind beyond its limitation to compete with themselves or others to attain the sense of self-worth, achievement, confidence or meaningfulness, and without losing the clarity and sanity of the mind.

For the untrained mind, there are countless random thought activities or thinking in the mind constantly reacting towards the mind perception of names and forms, whether there is likes or dislikes and agreements or disagreements towards the perceived names and forms in the form of thinking, and naturally, there's an urge to project/materialize the thinking through the speech and action, either intentionally or unintentionally. There's an urge to express, to comment, to justify, to fight back, to argue, to attack, to revenge, to intimidate, to oppose, to criticize, to condemn, to aspire, to inspire, to admire, to love, to appreciate, to praise, to possess, to change, or to control, and so on.

For the mind that has developed strong foundation in non-attachment and letting go, there is awareness towards the thought activities of the mind perception of names and forms of sight, sound, smell, taste, sensation and thinking/imagination/feeling, even though there might be likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements in the form of thinking due to the intellectual thought processing and recognizing the perceived names and forms, but it's not necessarily that the thinking has to be projected/expressed/materialized through speech and action. In the end, all the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements in the form of thinking will drop off. There might be necessary actions being performed, without egoistic intention, attachment, identification, desires, judgment or expectation. Allowing the fruit of actions to be there as it is, allowing all the names and forms to be there as they are, and allowing all and everything to change as they are.

There might be many intellectuals in the world would disagree with this, or are against towards 'Silence of The Thinking Mind'. And that is their freedom of thinking and reaction.

This is what yoga practice is about - Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha

And it's nothing to do with the selfless impermanent physical condition, ability and limitation to do the yoga poses. It's nothing to do with the knowledge of anatomy and physiology, or the precise physical alignment and different techniques on performing the yoga poses, or how one looks and feels in the yoga poses, or what are the names and benefits of the yoga poses, or the different types of qualifications and certifications authorized/sanctioned by such and such internationally recognized yoga school, yoga alliance, or yoga association.

The mind that is free from impurities, ignorance and egoism, and is peaceful as it is, being free from ignorance and suffering, doesn't need to be recognized, acknowledged, approved, authorized, qualified, or certified by anyone or any group/organization, or any higher consciousness.

Be free.

Yoga retreat for developing self-discipline, self-restraint, self-reliance, forbearance and simplicity

Many people who are interested in doing regular yoga exercises as a form of health and fitness activity, they might also interested in participating in yoga retreats once in a while. And there are many yoga retreats everywhere in the world that would cater the demands and expectations of those who want to participate in yoga retreats.

Some people are looking for yoga retreats that allow them to learn about yoga and to be focusing and immersed into the traditional yoga practice for a period of time, to develop self-discipline and self-practice in everyday life, to free the mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, to realize unconditional love and peace that is beyond all the qualities of name and form, undetermined by life experiences, condition and situation, physical and mental ability, achievements and enjoyments. While many others are looking for yoga retreats that allow them to gratify the desires of craving and aversion, to be in a comfortable and desirable environment that emphasize on indulgence of the senses, self-pampering and socializing, that makes them feel satisfied, pleased, good, relaxed and peaceful, even though it's impermanent.

Whether the retreat organizers are aware or unaware of it, most yoga retreats are not really about the yoga practice of guiding the yoga enthusiasts/practitioners into the yoga practice of annihilating ignorance and egoism to free the mind from the root cause of suffering - the desires of craving and aversion, but it's actually providing the opportunity for empowering ignorance and egoism through gratifying their desires of craving and aversion, giving them momentary satisfaction and good feelings via pleasurable physical, sensual and mental enjoyments, by giving the mind what it wants and not giving the mind what it doesn't want.

Most people are not really interested in the yoga practice of developing self-discipline, self-restraint, self-reliance, forbearance and simplicity, to free the mind from ignorance, egoism, and the desires of craving and aversion through participating in yoga retreats that allow the participants to learn about the essential teachings of yoga, to focus and immerse into the traditional yoga practice of annihilating ignorance, egoism and impurities, while not pushing away but confronting any impurity, difficulty, discomfort, fear, or blockage that the mind doesn't like to confront with, that the mind would rather runaway from.

Most people are more interested in yoga retreats with holiday resort facilities that provide many types of pleasurable activities, facilities, services and enjoyments of sight, sound, taste, smell, sensation, and imagination, that emphasize on self-indulgence, self-pampering and socializing, to temporarily escape from what the mind thinks is 'negative', 'unpleasantness', 'discomfortable', 'difficult', 'depressing', 'disturbing' or 'non-enjoyment' in everyday life, to be in a relaxing comfortable environment that would gratified the desires of craving and aversion, to be doing activities that they enjoy doing, to be indulging in sensual pleasurable enjoyments, to be pampered physically and mentally, beside attending daily yoga exercise sessions, to feel good, relaxed, satisfied and pleased.

This type of yoga retreats that emphasize on pleasurable physical and mental enjoyments in a comfortable pampering environment are great for those who feel that there is a need to be temporarily moving away from everyday life where they have to carry out their duties and responsibilities, and dealing with all kinds of people whom are not like-minded, and situations and things that are not the way that they like it to be, that make them feel disturbed, frustrated, exhausted, drained, stressed or tensed, that they need to participate in a 'retreat' from time to time, to unwind and relaxed, even though it's just a momentary relief derived from being away from what their mind perceives as undesirable disturbing environment or something that they don't like, but to be in a desirable pleasant environment, while engaging in some activities that they like to do, the way that they like it to be, that make them feel good.

Though this is not what yoga practice is about, there's nothing wrong with most yoga retreats in the world are of this kind as they are many people want and need this kind of yoga retreats. And it's everyone's freedom for what they like and want. It's a business, where you give the customers what they like and want, to make them feel satisfied and happy, and to make sure they will continue to come back again and again to support your business.

The yoga retreats that are about yoga, the teachings and the practice, allow the participants to learn about their own mind and the root cause of suffering, and to practically immerse into the yoga practice of freeing the mind from ignorance to allow the mind to see the truth of things as it is, and freeing the mind from egoism through the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment and non-expectation, while developing self-discipline, self-restraint, self-reliance, forbearance, simplicity, wisdom and compassion, to become their own teacher to perform self-practice that is beyond time and space, that allow them to live in the world as they are, perform all their duties and responsibilities, without attachment or identification towards the body and mind, the actions and the fruit of actions, without being disturbed or determined by all kinds of life experiences, people, situations and things that are not necessarily the way that they like it to be, allowing them to deal with 'difficult' and 'challenging' condition and situation with wisdom and compassion, that allow them to be able to let go what the mind used to perceive as 'negative', 'bad', 'disturbing', 'frustrating', 'exhausting', 'depressing', 'hurtful', or 'stressful', that they know how to partially retreat themselves in everyday life to conserve energy for performing yoga practice and to silent the mind, that they know how to minimize or stop generating and accumulating tension or stress, that there's no need to participate in a 'retreat' to be away from everyday life to unwind or relaxed as there's minimal or no tension and stress building up, and realize unconditional peace that is beyond the qualities of name and form, and all kinds of condition and situation.

A yoga retreat that allows people to develop correct understanding, awareness, self-practice, self-discipline, self-restraint, self-reliance, forbearance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, simplicity, dispassion, wisdom and compassion, that eventually people don't need to participate in any 'retreat' to retreat from everyday life experiences that are not the way that we like it to be of what the impure mind recognizes as 'negative', 'bad', 'difficult', 'hurtful', 'distressing', 'disturbing', 'frustrating', 'depressing', 'discomfortable', 'non-enjoyable', 'unpleasant', or 'exhausting'. The mind is peaceful as it is and wherever it is, undetermined by the qualities of name and form, and all kinds of life experiences and impermanent changes, conditions and situations. One doesn't need to go to a special place, or be with special people, or do special activities, or to participate in any kind of 'retreats' to find relaxation, calmness and peace that is determined by certain qualities of name and form, experience, activity, condition and situation, that is impermanent.

This type of yoga retreat is great for those who are looking for real peace or unconditional peace being free from ignorance and egoism through persevered discipline and restraint of one's mind activities, but it's not favorable for business. As there will be physical, mental and emotional unpleasantness during the purification process under going intensive yoga practice to eliminate ignorance and egoism. There will be rejection and disgust coming from the ignorant egoistic mind that doesn't like to be disciplined or restrained. There's disagreement and aversion coming from the egoistic mind towards the teachings of yoga that is different from the thinking and belief in the mind. And hence, this type of retreats are less popular, and are being criticized by those who expect pleasurable enjoyments, comfortable conveniences, customer service and social interactions in 'yoga retreats'. Those who guide others onto the path of yoga don't take it as a business, and hence, it doesn't matter.

Obsession

Obsession is a form of attachment or clinging. Being obsessed with particular type of food, physical appearance, body shape and composition, body weight, muscles definition, attire, brand, fitness training, diet trend, healthy option, living standard, living environment, social media, selfies, smartphone, relationship, idol, activity, social interaction, cultural practice, religious practice, superstitious belief, ritual, position, number, colour, timing, cleanliness, and anything that can become a form of obsession. It becomes a form of mental illness, when the state of the mind is being conditioned or determined or affected by the obsession towards something, where the mind would be greatly disturbed when the obsession is disrupted or inaccessible, and without awareness, one might hurt oneself or others out of the disturbed state of the mind.

There's nothing wrong with different people having their own particular type of thinking and belief to set as a guideline to live a particular way of life, or engage in a particular activity, or consume a particular type of diet, or do things in a particular way, that the mind thinks and believes is the best and beneficial for oneself, or for other people and the world, that would make the mind feels good, meaningful, happy and pleased.

But when the mind starts to become overly obsessive towards a particular thinking and belief to live a particular way of life, or engage in a particular activity, or consume a particular type of diet, or do things in a particular way, where the mind would feel disturbed, or bad, or anxious, or worried, or guilty, or upset, or angry, or depressed, or disappointed, if for some reasons, the particular way of life, the activity, the type of diet or the way of doing things is disrupted or is not the way that the mind wants it to be.

Even if the object of obsessiveness is something that the mind or the society believes as 'good', 'positive', or 'meaningful', any kind of obsessiveness is still a form of mental illness.

Such like, there were/are artists, musicians, actors, entertainers, designers, scientists, writers, or sportspeople suffered from restlessness, or sleep deprivation, or depression, or mood swing, or anxiety, or self-harm, or drug/alcohol abuse, and etc, due to being obsessed with pushing their body and mind beyond its limitation to attain success or higher achievement and improvement in their respective profession.

There are yoga and meditation practitioners developed obsessiveness towards their particular type of practice, or lineage, or diet, or ritual, or accessories, or the order of things and practice, or yoga pose, or physical alignment, or energy field, or astrology, or dreams, or making connection, or self-identification, or self-image, or spiritual achievement, or psychic development, and so on.

Many people are being obsessed with personal identity, self-image, social status and professional image. Some people are being obsessed with the collection or accumulation of certain objects. Some people are being obsessed with attaining greater improvement. Some are obsessed with orderliness while some are being obsessed with disorderliness. Some people are obsessed with particular type of smell or fragrance and taste. Some people are obsessed with meat eating or non-meat eating. It can be anything that determining or conditioning the state of the mind very much, that people would be greatly disturbed or upset or depressed when their obsession towards something is disrupted or unattainable.

A little bit of obsessiveness would eventually grow into a form of mental disorder, if there's no awareness towards what is going on in the mind, but the mind is under the influence of the egoistic desires of craving and aversion being obsessed with personal, worldly, spiritual, mental and physical achievement, development and enhancement for attaining the sense of success, goodness, meaningfulness and happiness.

Those who truly understand the practice of yoga and meditation do not push their body and mind beyond its limitation out of egoistic intention and expectation of "I want my body, my mind and my life to be like this and not like that, to achieve a particular goal or perfection." but out of compassion, there are necessary actions being performed to take care the well-being of the body and mind, being kind to the body and mind and appreciating life existence, without hurting or straining the body and mind beyond its limitation to be the way that the ego wants it to be, to achieve what the ego wants to achieve. The mind is at peace and equanimous, being undisturbed or unaffected when it is not able to come in contact with the object that it likes, or when it is not able to do what it likes to do. There's nothing wrong with having enjoyment or doing something that the mind likes to do, but there's no attachment or clinging or obsessiveness, without being determined by what the mind likes to enjoy, being the slave of endless desires and the objects of enjoyment.

The mind that is not free, it depends on attaining, or possessing, or coming in contact with certain names and forms to attain the sense of meaningfulness and well-being. The ego needs affirmation from itself and others to be existing and feel meaningful.

The mind that is free, it doesn't need to attain the sense of meaningfulness or well-being, at all. The mind performs necessary actions and allowing the fruit of actions to be what it is, without attachment or identification towards the actions and the fruit of actions, without clinging or craving towards pleasantness and achievement, without aversion towards unpleasantness and non-achievement.

Be free.

The mind and the worldly life existence of enjoyment and suffering

The entire worldly life existence is nothing but mind activities powered by the mind perceptions of names and forms through the senses of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and thoughts/feelings/memories/imaginations/dreams.

If there is absence of the function of mind perception through the senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, sensing/touching and thinking/remembering, there are no mind activities, there's no worldly life experience. There's no good life or bad life. There's no good being or bad being. There's no good world or bad world. There's no enjoyment or suffering.

The worldly life existence that the mind perceives or experiences, whether it's pleasant or unpleasant, and whether the mind enjoys or suffers, it's all in the mind itself, and it's in now and it's impermanent. It's nothing to do with the names and forms that the mind perceives. The names and forms are just what they are. Duality doesn't exist in the names and forms, but only in the mind itself. Duality exists in the mind, not in the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses.

Without the sense of seeing, the mind won't perceive sights or images of colours and shapes. What is beautiful or ugliness? What is attractive or unattractive? What is respectful or disrespectful?

Without the sense of hearing, the mind won't perceive sounds. What is pleasantness or unpleasantness? What is compliment or insult? What is calming or disturbing?

Without the sense of taste, the mind won't perceive tastes. What is tasty or not tasty?

Without the sense of smell, the mind won't perceive smells. What is nice smell or bad smell?

Without the sense of touch/sensing, the mind won't perceive sensations. What is pleasure or displeasure? What is comfortable or discomfortable?

Without the thinking faculty and memory function, there's no thinking and belief, culture and religion, or imaginations, or thoughts/ideas, or feelings. What is good or bad? What is right or wrong? What is positive or negative? What is satisfaction or dissatisfaction? What is joy or grief? What is happiness or unhappiness? What is believe or disbelieve? What is fear or fearlessness? What is birth and death? What is existence or non-existence?

The one who experiences suffering, is the mind that is under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities. The one who performs yoga and meditation practice to be free from suffering, is the mind that is experiencing suffering. The one who is liberated from suffering, is the mind that is being free from ignorance, egoism and impurities through persevered discipline and practice. There's no 'I' experience suffering, or 'I' perform yoga and meditation practice, or 'I' am liberated from suffering.

The mind that is NOT free from ignorance and egoism, there is an idea of 'I' existing to be identified as the one who perceives names and forms, who is aware of the mind activities, and who experiences worldly life existence, to enjoy or suffer based on the reaction towards the perception of names and forms (mind activities of worldly life experiences). The mind is being in a state of restlessness due to ceaseless passionate reactions of egoistic desires of craving and aversion from 'I' towards all the perceived names and forms (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts/ideas/feelings/memories/imaginations/dreams).

The mind that is free from ignorance and egoism, there is no 'I' existing to experience worldly life existence, there's no 'I' am perceiving names and forms, or 'I' enjoy or suffer. It's just the mind functioning and perceiving names and forms through the senses via the sense organs. There is mind awareness being aware of the mind activities, but there's no 'I' am aware of the mind activities. The selfless/egoless mind is undetermined or uninfluenced by the perception of names and forms due to the absence of egoism of attachment, identification, clinging, longing, craving or aversion towards the perceived names and forms, and thus, it's free from restlessness. There's no clinging or craving towards the objects of name and form that are pleasant and there's no aversion towards the objects of name and form that are unpleasant.

Practice yoga of annihilating egoism, to purify and discipline and quiet the mind to allow the mind to see the truth of things as it is, to be free from ignorance - the root cause of suffering. All the other effects/benefits derived from the many forms of yoga practice are just some by-products, and they are impermanent and they are not the end of suffering. Even the positive effects of good feelings, pleasant sensations, enhanced physical condition and ability, calmness and positive thinking derived from many different forms of yoga practice are impermanent. They will change and pass away.

Attaining all kinds of impermanent effects/benefits from the yoga practice doesn't guarantee that the mind will be free from being determined or disturbed by the mind perception of names and forms of a life existence that is impermanent and it doesn't stop the mind to experience suffering, if the mind is still under the influence of ignorance and egoism. 

It's through the elimination of ignorance and egoism that will lead the mind towards the realization of unconditional peace that is not subject to impermanence, that is nothing to do with the qualities of name and form, good and bad condition, and pleasant/desirable or unpleasant/undesirable life experiences. The selfless/egoless mind is peaceful as it is, while witnessing all the perceived impermanent changes of names and forms, or the countless births and deaths of mind activities arising and passing away.

The mind that is not free from ignorance and egoism will be involuntarily and restlessly swaying back and forth between the state of elevation and depression, satisfaction and dissatisfaction, happiness and unhappiness. The mind will feel good, satisfied and happy when its desires of craving and aversion are being gratified, but the good or happy feelings and satisfaction derived from experiencing good condition or pleasant/desirable experiences doesn't stop the mind from feeling bad, dissatisfied and unhappy when the desires of craving and aversion are not being gratified, or when good condition or pleasant/desirable experiences are not available or no longer available, as the mind is not free from egoism of attachment, identification, clinging, longing, craving and aversion towards life experiences of names and forms. And thus the mind is restless or peaceless, even though the mind attains some momentary effects/benefits from the regular yoga practice.

Upon self-realization of the truth of names and forms as it is, when the mind is free from ignorance, all kinds of names and forms that the mind perceived as suffering due to ignorance, are no longer being perceived as the objects, or the quality, or the cause of suffering, but they are just what they are. There are changes, decay, old age, sickness, weakness, discomfort, pain and the end of the existence and function of the body and mind, but all these are not suffering.

There's neither suffering nor the end of suffering.

Be free.