Thai food and yoga

There are people who have been enjoying eating 'Thai food' in some restaurants cooked by some chefs who don't really know what is 'Thai food', or the 'Thai food' that they have been enjoying eating are being modified and presented differently from the traditional authentic 'Thai food' to suit the taste of people who prefer to eat bread and potatoes than rice or noodles, or who aren't use to spiciness or the intense taste of fish sauce, which is the main ingredient for 'Thai food'. And one day, they have the opportunity to come to an authentic 'Thai food' restaurant and they order some 'Thai food' to eat, some would appreciate the authentic taste of 'Thai food', and are glad to have tasted the real 'Thai food', while some would feel very disappointed as it's not what they expected, where it's completely different taste or presentation from the 'Thai food' that they usually eat, where the food doesn't served with bread or potatoes and they don't like the taste of the authentic 'Thai food', and they don't want to finish the food that they ordered while refuse to pay the bill, or request a partial billing, saying that "Your food is not good. I don't like your food. At home, our 'Thai food' served with some bread or potatoes. Your 'Thai food' doesn't served with bread or potatoes. I don't want to pay for the food that I didn't want to finish eating because I don't like it and it doesn't served with bread or potatoes."

It's everyone's freedom for what they like and don't like. There's nothing wrong with people enjoy eating 'Thai food' that is not really 'Thai food' and rejecting authentic 'Thai food', but one still have to pay for the food that one ordered but didn't want to finish eating because one didn't like the taste or there is no bread or potatoes being served.

It's similar as there are many people have been teaching 'yoga classes' in the world after attended and graduated from some kind of 'yoga teachers training courses' and call themselves 'certified yoga teachers', but not all these 'yoga teachers' are teaching yoga as it is, that allow people to develop the basic understanding about the elimination of ignorance and egoism, to be learning and practicing yoga that is not necessarily pleasant or enjoyable for the body and mind but might be very unpleasant and painful for the impure prideful egoistic mind during the purification process of the annihilation of ignorance and egoism. As a result, many people are learning and practicing what they think is yoga but not really yoga from all these 'certified yoga teachers' and they think that is how yoga practice should be done 'correctly' as taught by these 'yoga teachers'.

When these people participated in a 'yoga retreat' or 'yoga course' that is about yoga and they have the opportunity to come in contact with the yoga practice of simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation, about the elimination of ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation, of purifying and quieting the restless impure mind for meditation, that is different from the 'modified yoga asana classes' that they have been learning from their 'yoga teachers' for many years which is nothing to do with the elimination of ignorance and egoism to purify and quiet the mind for meditation, but these 'yoga classes' actually empowering the ignorance and egoism through the gratification of the desire of craving and aversion by pampering their body and mind in the enjoyments of the senses, some of them might develop certain degrees of understanding and would appreciate and glad to be learning and practicing yoga as it is, while some might feel greatly disturbed or disappointed and reluctant to continue learning and practicing yoga that is about yoga, and they want to quit the yoga retreat/course because they don't like the yoga practice that is about yoga, as they refuse to make adjustment to adapt and accommodate to learn the different style of yoga practice being practiced differently from their usual way of practice. Some of them even ask for refund. And when they don't get the refund as that would be supporting and empowering ignorance which is not yoga practice, they'll get so angry and would do things with the intention to hurt the yoga teachers or retreat centres. This shows that they never learn what is yoga even though after many years of practicing a particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way under a particular teacher.

Yoga practice is all about making adjustment to adapt and accommodate condition and situation that the mind doesn't like, or doesn't familiar with, or doesn't feel comfortable with, to allow the mind to be opened, to be able to be peaceful and compassionate under any condition and situation, wherever they are and whatever they are experiencing, being undisturbed by names and forms that the mind doesn't like, doesn't want and doesn't agree with.

As part of the yoga practice, one needs to learn how to let go of attachment and identification towards a particular style of yoga practice that one familiar with that one has been learning and practicing under certain yoga teachers or yoga centres, and learn how to adjust one's body and mind to adapt and accommodate towards the yoga practice that one doesn't familiar with or never experience before. If one can only practice yoga of a particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way but couldn't practice yoga anymore when that particular style of yoga in that particular way is not available, then one is not free even though one has been practicing particular style of yoga in a particular way for many years.

Yoga teachers who teach a particular style of yoga in a particular way need to learn how to allow their yoga students to be unattached towards that particular style of yoga being practiced in that particular way. But many 'yoga teachers' in the world are not free from ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, pride and arrogance towards their own particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way. Whether aware or unaware, many yoga teachers implant the strong attachment and identification towards their particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way into their yoga students' minds, so that the yoga students will be faithful, loyal and supportive towards them and their style of yoga being practiced in a particular way. Those who teach yoga will allow all their students to be unattached towards their particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way, to be open-minded to go out there to learn from some other teachers with other types of different yoga practice and respect all types of different yoga practice even if one finds it challenging to make adjustment to adapt and accommodate the different practices that one doesn't familiar with, and it doesn't matter if one isn't interested in practicing any of those different practices.

Before I left Kuala Lumpur and moved to Langkawi about 10 years ago, I told all the students to continue their practice, either by themselves or continue learning from other yoga teachers, and respect other teachers and their different ways of teaching and practice. Do not compare. They are just being different. More importantly, they might be practicing different style of yoga being practiced in a particular way, but always remember that regardless of all kinds of different style of yoga being practiced in many different ways, there's only one yoga, the yoga of freeing the mind from ignorance and egoism, to purify and quiet the mind, to realize the truth of impermanence and selflessness, and be free, which is nothing to do with whether one is practicing a particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way; or one has some physical injuries that limit oneself from performing certain yoga poses; or one is severely physically ill and weak that one couldn't perform any yoga asana poses at all; or whether the body is able to be completely comfortable while doing certain movements or holding certain poses; or what type of benefits that come from doing particular practices; or whether one knows the names of the poses or the muscles/bones/organs in any particular language; or whether one is able to perform all the yoga poses in 'perfect alignment'; or how many years one has been performing the yoga practice under particular yoga teacher; or how many years one has been teaching yoga to other people; or whether one has attended many yoga teachers training courses and attaining how many yoga certifications, or not.

In the yoga class, it's not about performing some yoga asana poses to make the body more healthy and illness-free, or be more strong and flexible, but it's developing self-awareness, self-discipline, self-control and self-independence, as well as non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison and non-expectation, to know what is going on in the body and mind, and accepting the reality of the physical condition and the state of the mind in the present moment now as it is. It's about do what the body can do comfortably in the present moment now without forcing the body to go beyond its limitation regardless of whether the body is injury-free, or is suffering from some injuries or sickness. One learns how to make appropriate adjustment to adapt and accommodate the yoga asana or other yoga practice based on the condition of the body and the state of the mind in the present moment now. One doesn't need to do anything that the body cannot perform in this present moment due to injury or sickness. One can stop and take rest as long as one needs to during a particular practice or in between different practices.

Being unable to perform any yoga asana poses or any form of physical practice due to any physical limitations, or injuries, or sickness, doesn't stop the mind from performing the formless inner practice of awareness, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison and non-expectation, and realize unconditional peace, and be free.

Most importantly, one is aware of everything is impermanent and selfless, regardless of whether one feels comfortable or uncomfortable during certain practices and whether one can do or couldn't do certain movements or poses in this present moment. One learns to take full responsibility to look after the well-being of one's body and mind without expecting somebody else, neither the teacher nor the doctor to look after the well-being of one's body and mind. No body but oneself, knows directly and instantly what is going on in the body and the mind, not the teacher or the doctor. If there's pain or discomforts, one do not proceed any further, or one can make some adjustment or modification. If there's tiredness, one can take rest as long as one needs to.

If one needs to depend on a teacher or a doctor being there to be responsible to look after or supervise the well-being of one's body and mind all the time, then one will never be able to realize what is yoga, even after many years of practicing a particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way under the supervision of a particular teacher, expecting the teacher to tell them what they should do and shouldn't do, and constantly expecting the teacher to check on them, asking them whether they are comfortable, or not, and telling them whether they are doing it nicely, or not, and whether they are good, or not.

Just like a blind person needs to depend on a blind stick to find their way, while other people with healthy vision don't need to depend on a blind stick to move around. By telling everyone that everyone must carry a blind stick with them in order to move around, or else, without a blind stick everyone can't go anywhere or will injure themselves, is complete ignorance. And that is what happening in many yoga centres/schools/studios/ashrams with particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way. Without any particular equipment or props that they used to rely on while performing their yoga practice, these yoga students can't practice yoga anymore, or they find it 'wrong' or 'bad' for not having those equipment or props while performing the yoga practice. These students will never be free from ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification and desire of craving and aversion, even after many years of attending these kind of yoga classes doing a particular style of yoga being practiced in a particular way, where the yoga teachers are either wittingly or unwittingly developing the circle of 'my style/brand of yoga', 'my students', 'my clients', 'my members', 'my followers', 'my disciples', 'my supporters', or 'my admirers'.

Yoga retreat is not a place for mingling or socializing or interaction, but it's a great opportunity to practice simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation while living among the society, to be by oneself moving away from worldly social interactions and activities to quiet the restless mind, to be reflecting upon the truth of names and forms, to be aware of the modifications of the mind to know thyself, besides looking after one's daily duty and responsibility such as maintaining the tidiness and cleanliness of the accommodation/living environment/practice space and looking after one's daily meals, while dealing with condition and situation that are not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, so that one can perform Yoga Sadhana at home observing simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation while living among the society performing one's duty and responsibility in everyday life. At one stage, Swami Sivananda walked 15 km everyday to the nearby villages for Biksha (obtaining food by alms) besides performing daily Sadhana and selfless service while living a life of renunciation.

Many 'yoga retreats' in the world are not about quieting the restless mind via the practice of simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation, but it's about being in an out of the world environment away from dealing with any duty and responsibility in everyday life, indulging in pleasurable enjoyments of the senses of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and visualization/imagination/anticipation/expectation, gratifying the desires of craving and aversion, promoting mingling and socializing, enjoying all kinds of conveniences of hotel facilities and services, which most worldly minds expect what 'yoga retreat' is about. Food is prepared and served by somebody. Cleaning up and laundry are done by somebody. Room tidiness and cleanliness is maintained by somebody. Everyone just needs to enjoy mingling and socializing with the other retreat participants, while indulging in pleasurable yoga activities, spa treatments and all kinds of hotel facilities and services during the retreat.

And this is 'the world of yoga' that is supposed to be about living a life of simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation from worldly activities/connections/interactions/enjoyments to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, but many people are unaware of the 'yoga classes' or 'yoga retreats' that they have been attending are not about Yoga Sadhana to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, but it's actually empowering ignorance and egoism instead.

It's everyone's freedom whether to practice yoga as it is, or not.

Distraction, inattentiveness, boredom, irritability, impatience, intolerance and outgoing pleasure seeking tendency

Distraction, inattentiveness, boredom, irritability, impatience, intolerance and outgoing pleasure/fun/enjoyment/excitement/adventure/interaction seeking tendency are some of the obstacles for those who have interest or aspiration in learning and practicing yoga, especially when joining a serious yoga and/or meditation retreat which emphasizing on learning and practicing traditional yoga and meditation to quiet the restless mind, to purify the mind impurities, to eliminate egoism, to allow the mind to reflect upon the truth of names and forms and all the teachings, to allow the mind to know what is going on in the mind or to know thyself, to free the mind from ignorance and suffering, the by-products or consequences of ignorance.

Holding a position such as sitting forward bend for more than a few seconds would appear to be challenging or unbearable for these minds. The minds get bored, impatient and irritable when holding the sitting forward bend or in a lying position during the relaxation for a prolong period of time quietly in stillness. The minds also reluctant to proceed a little more or further in the entire practice once experiencing slight tiredness or discomforts, as they don't want to forbear or tolerate slightest of tiredness or discomforts.

These minds enjoy very much constant movements of the physical body such like sun salutations, but only as long as there's absence of tiredness or discomforts. They also prefer the back bending series or challenging balancing series more than the other positions as these movements excite/stimulate the energy fields or the mind, not so much of holding the positions for a prolong period of time, but just to get into the positions and out of the positions quickly. It's the same as for all the other positions, these minds get into any positions quickly in a rush and don't like to stay in the positions for longer than a few seconds and eagerly want to come out from the positions quickly. If they 'have to' stay in the positions, they won't stay still for a second, they would move around, such like looking around or playing with their fingers, toes, skin, hair, or clothing.

These minds have intense dislike or aversion towards aloneness or being with people that don't interest them; non-talking or talking about things that don't interest them; non-interaction or interaction with people that don't interest them; silence/quietness or noises/sounds/speech that they don't like; mental and physical stillness or mental and physical training/practice/activity that they don't like; restricting the thought activities or focusing the mind at one point for a prolong period of time; or listening to the teachings of yoga of the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, of desireless, dispassion and renunciation that appear to be non-interesting, or irrelevant, or disagreeable to the minds.

Usually, these minds will feel regret for participating in such retreat and eagerly want to give up half way through the retreat and think of many 'reasonable' excuses to 'runaway' from the retreat.

"It's so fun and pleasurable when we can be attending parties/celebrations/festivals, dancing and listening to upbeat loud musics, eating, drinking and smoking while talking, flirting, gossiping and laughing with many like-minded 'friends' and enjoying outdoor adventurous activities while looking at beautiful scenery are so much more enjoyable and meaningful and well-worth money spending than participating in these kind of 'retreats' about holding some tiring, boring and discomfortable positions in closed eyes and observing the breath without moving, talking or interaction for many hours for many days, and have to be listening to some 'boring' and 'ridiculous' teachings of 'disciplining/restricting our thinking/actions/speech', to be quiet, to be still, to be dispassionate and letting go our passionate desires and what we like to enjoy very much."

It's everyone's freedom for what they want to do with their life, body and mind.

The great aspirations vs the reality

The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism don't need to be inspired to have great aspirations to achieve something to feel good and meaningful towards life existence, but there's nothing wrong with the minds that are still under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that need to be inspired to have great aspirations to motivate them to achieve something in life for them to feel good and meaningful about themselves and their life existence.

Anyone also can have great aspirations, to set as a direction in life with certain goals and visions to achieve what they want to achieve, or to be what they want to become. Though the reality of whether those aspirations would be materialized or turn out to be what they are, or not, might not necessarily being the way that the minds imagine or anticipate, of what the minds expect it to be, or want it to be.

There are important elements or factors that allow people achieving all their aspirations and goals, which are hard-working, discipline, focus, attentiveness, patience, determination, perseverance, forbearance, tolerance, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation and accommodation, along side with the available intelligence, knowledge, technologies, enthusiasm, talents, skills, creativity, opportunity, support, assistance and cooperation from many other different fields and levels.

It's very good for people to have great aspirations of "I want to do/achieve this and that" or "I want to be this and that", but if the minds are being over-powered by laziness, impatience, lack of discipline, distractions, inattentiveness, lack of determination, lack of perseverance, lack of forbearance, intolerance, incapability of accepting things as they are, reluctance of making adjustment, inability to adapt and accommodate, then those aspirations or goals might not turn out to be the best as they could be, even when intelligence, knowledge, technologies, enthusiasm, talents, skills, creativity, opportunity, support, assistance and cooperation from many other different fields and levels are available to the minds with great aspirations to achieve something that they want to achieve, or to be somebody that they want to be. 

 

These minds are being affected or disturbed very much by the hardship, challenges, distractions or obstacles that might exist along the way towards achieving those aspirations, and be over-powered by dissatisfaction, disappointment, irritation, frustration, anger, self-criticism, meaninglessness, laziness, impatience, inattentiveness or demotivation that arise in the minds due to lack of those important elements that allow the minds to be focused and persevered to achieve what they want to achieve. These minds would easily give up whatever they have started in the beginning with great aspiration and full of motivation, but then, everything that they have started will be abandoned halfway when those excited passionate feelings of aspiration and motivation slowly fade away.

For example, many people might have the aspiration of "I love the Earth/nature/world", "I want to help to look after the Earth/nature/world" and "I support environmental and ecosystem friendly way of living." That's great.

Everyone can help to look after the environment and ecosystem by adopting a simple way of life or living.

But the reality is not always the way that the minds aspire it to be. Simple way of life or living is extremely 'tough' for many people who have been pampered by all kinds of commercial products and conveniences in the modern world of civilization.

People like to talk and share about the issue of looking after the environment and ecosystem, and talk about living a simple life, but at the same time, living in the modern society, many people want to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle and many conveniences, be busy doing many things or creating new things, and need to be presentable all the time in their active social life, by looking after their physical appearance, beautiful skin and hair that needed to be washed, cleaned and treated frequently especially with particular brand of body care, skin care and hair care products, while frequently applying the body with perfumes, lotion, moisturizer, beauty products, branded fashions and accessories, and couldn't live without using iPhone or Gadgets that needed to be replaced with the latest/up to date model every now and then, or enjoying very much indulging in different forms of indulgences for the body and mind, such like, enjoyments of the senses and different types of leisure activities, while at home, people who have the spending power want to decorate their house with the latest design of beautiful things, enjoying the convenience and comfort of different kinds of electrical devices that would be replaced with new ones once in a while, where all these commercial products and leisure activities are mostly related to some kinds of 'exploitation' and 'pollution' in the world.

Some people are also being passionate about bringing people to come together for some activities, frequently organizing birthday/anniversary/new year celebrations or cultural/spiritual/religious/sports festivals that require certain expenses, such as getting appropriate attires/costumes/decorations/huge amount of food for the specific functions, or getting presents on daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis to please, motivate and reward oneself or other people for a cause that worth 'celebrating' and 'rewarding', expending extra money, energy and effort, and generating extra waste products and rubbish into the world.

But then, we still want to think and believe that we are very friendly towards the environment and ecosystem because we have the great aspiration in the mind to be good and responsible human beings who care for the environment and ecosystem of the Earth, and be passionate towards supporting the activism for protecting the environment and ecosystem, as we think we love the Earth/nature/world very much.

It's everyone's freedom for what they think, feel, act and react, and what they want and don't want, what they aspire and don't aspire, or what they achieve and don't achieve.

Help oneself, love oneself, take care oneself

There are those who would lie and steal, and keep telling untrue pitiful stories to themselves and others to justify their own ignorance and ignorant life decision making and behavior and the consequences of their ignorance.

People don't like to take responsibility for their ignorance and the consequences of their ignorance, but they like to tell themselves and other people about their pitiful life stories of how pitiful/helpless is their tragic and sympathy deserving difficult and challenging life conditions and situations in order to get other people's sympathy, moral and financial support, but actually in truth, most of the difficulties and challenging life conditions and situations are deriving from their ignorant thinking/belief/behavior/decision making and their passionate lustful desires and greedy ambitions of living a passionate enjoyable comfortable lifestyle with big money spending high living expenses as well as having children and grandchildren that they couldn't manage to support emotionally/financially, or to bring up properly with patience and the correct guidance, but the ignorance of themselves has become the children's 'role model' of what they are becoming, of getting into financial debts, messy troubles and broken relationships with children at young age, where they don't have the emotional/financial support, patience and correct guidance that their children need from the parents, and 'out of desperation', they would lie and steal and telling themselves and other people about untrue pitiful stories of themselves that they deserve to get sympathy, help, love, care and support from other people.

The grandchildren are unwittingly becoming exactly like their parents and grandparents, if this ignorance doesn't stop, if these grandchildren don't know how to think; if they don't help themselves as they expect the deserving help from others; if they don't love themselves as they expect the deserving love from others; if they don't take care themselves as they expect the deserving care and support from others; but just being there in their most sympathy deserving look expecting sympathy, love, affection, care and support from other people, by ceaselessly telling and reminding themselves and others untrue pitiful stories about how much they deserve sympathy, love, affection, care and support from other people, they will become the same as their parents and their grandparents.

People who really want to 'help' others who are living with difficult and challenging life condition and situation, must be aware of this ignorant thinking, belief and behavior in most people.

Most of the time, people might think and believe that themselves are very sympathetic and compassionate people who are generously helping 'those poor pitiful suffering people', by showing people sympathy, help, love, affection, care and support that they think and believe that these people deserved to be getting from other people, but they are actually empowering the ignorance in people as well as in themselves.

Out of this ignorant sympathetic reaction, people keep telling the young children from broken family with financial difficulty that they are so pitiful, that they deserve sympathy, help, love, affection, care and support from other people, without knowing that many of these children would become the victims of people with selfish intention and get caught in young age childbearing, child marriage or sexual exploitation/abuse, because they are longing to receive 'help', 'love', 'affection', 'care' and 'support' emotionally and financially from other people.

If people truly want to help others (young children or adults) who are living with hard and challenging life conditions and situations to come out from that kind of difficult challenging life condition and situation, it's to teach and guide these people towards liberation from ignorance, the root cause of suffering, that how they should learn to help themselves, to love themselves and to take care themselves by freeing themselves from ignorant thinking and behavior and the consequences of ignorance, without the ignorant idea or thinking of 'these poor pitiful suffering people' deserve to be receiving sympathy, or help, or love, or care, or support from other people.

While those who receive sympathy, help, love, care or support from other people need to learn how to be free from the ignorance of the thinking and belief of they should expect or they deserve sympathy, help, love, care and support from other people, and other people are 'obliged' to show them sympathy, help, love, care and support just because they think and believe that their life conditions and situations are somehow more difficult and challenging than many other people.

Many people would justify to themselves that "Out of desperation derived from having to live under difficult and challenging life conditions and situations, they think and believe that it's okay to tell lies and steal and tell 'as pitiful as possible' untrue stories to get moral and financial help and support from other people that they think and believe that they deserve to be getting. And if they don't get what they think they deserve to be getting, they'll get disappointed, unhappy and angry, and when they are disappointed, unhappy and angry, they would do destructive things/actions that would hurt themselves and others, and they blame life and the world for their actions and reactions or behavior, as they think and believe that their destructive hurtful behavior is due to life and the world is being cruel and harsh on them."

While other ignorant minds/people also empower that ignorant idea/thinking/belief about it's because life and the world is being cruel and harsh on people, that's why people would behave like that. "Oh, such pitiful people. They behave like that because life is so hard and cruel on them."

That's the huge ignorance that most minds/people who think themselves are 'good and compassionate human beings' don't see in themselves.

One doesn't need to tell lies and steal, or involve in activities that hurt oneself and others, and doesn't need to behave in a destructive way towards oneself and/or others, no matter how hard and difficult life is, or how cruel and harsh the world is. It's mere ignorance when people justify their self-destructive hurtful behavior as the result of a hard and difficult life that they have. Those who understand, they won't empower this ignorance. Those who don't understand, they would get offended by this teaching. And that's their freedom of thinking, actions and reactions.

Go beyond worldly social thinking and beliefs

Most minds are not interested in the teaching of yoga about going beyond worldly social thinking and beliefs. For them, "Why do people want to do that? It's strange and crazy for anyone to have such idea or practice." and "Social relationships, activities, mingling and interactions are very good and positive for improving friendship, bonding, understanding and harmony among each other in the society."

Just like many passionate minds would think and believe that "Being sociable is similar to friendliness and being non-sociable is similar to unfriendliness."

In yoga, "Being sociable and non-sociable is irrelevant to friendliness and unfriendliness. One can be friendly and kind towards all without selfish intention or discrimination of likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, good people and bad people, friends and not friends, while at the same time being non-sociable or disinterested towards social relationships, activities, mingling and interactions. On the other hand, being actively sociable doesn't mean that the mind is being friendly and kind towards all without any selfish intention or discrimination of likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, good people and bad people, or friends and not friends."

In the path of yoga to eliminate ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness from the mind, one needs to learn how to go beyond all the worldly social thinking and beliefs by renouncing social relationships, activities, mingling and interactions, as all these social relationships and activities will only empower or feed the ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion, judgment, expectation, restlessness and impurities, unless the mind is already being free from ignorance and egoism, then one can mix freely into the society without being influenced by the society, without being disturbed by what is happening in the world, and without being entangled in the worldly ideas, thinking, beliefs, values, practices, relationships and activities.

It's not that the social thinking and beliefs, relationships, activities, mingling and interactions are something 'bad' or 'wrong', but for the yoga enthusiasts who are sincerely seeking liberation from suffering, or more precisely, to be free from the cause of suffering - Ignorance, the minds need to go beyond all kinds of worldly ideas of social thinking, beliefs, values and practices by renouncing social relationships, activities, mingling and interactions, as all these social activities are feeding/empowering ignorance, egoism, passions and restlessness, which hinders the mind to see the truth of names and forms, to be free from ignorance and the product of ignorance - Suffering. If the mind is not free from ignorance, egoism, impurities, restlessness and suffering, the mind is not free, even after many years of practicing 'yoga' or teaching 'yoga' to others.

Some of the common social thinking and beliefs such as,

"Everyone needs to have family, relatives, friends and community, to enjoy life, to be happy and feel meaningful. It's hard, pitiful, unfortunate, lonely, joyless and meaningless to be by oneself without family, relatives, friends and community."
*In yoga, one is not determined by having or not having family, relatives, friends and community, to enjoy life, to be happy, or to feel meaningful, or not, in order to be free from ignorance and suffering, or not. The mind that is free from ignorance and egoism doesn't need to enjoy life, or to be happy, or to feel meaningful. One is peaceful as one is, when the mind is free from ignorance and egoism and its by-products of boredom, loneliness, fear, clinging, expectation, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurts, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, animosity, pride, hostility, painful sorrow, unhappiness, emptiness, incompleteness and meaninglessness.

"One needs to be 'educated' and 'knowledgeable' to be confident to achieve success in everything, to enjoy a higher quality good life with loving and supportive family and relationships, in order to achieve happiness and meaningfulness."
*In yoga, being educated and knowledgeable doesn't guarantee that the mind is free from ignorance, egoism, impurities, restlessness, disturbs and suffering. Wisdom of being free from ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, is nothing to do with 'worldly education' and 'worldly knowledge'. Wisdom, or knowing the truth of names and forms, allows the mind to have peace, being free from disturbs and suffering, regardless of whether the mind is 'educated' and 'knowledgeable', or not; whether life is good and comfortable, or not; whether there's loving and supportive family and relationships, or not. The liberated mind doesn't need to be confident to achieve success in everything to have a higher quality good life. Neither by having or not having a higher quality good life is related to having loving and supportive family and relationships, or not. Neither by having or not having loving and supportive family and relationships is related to the attainment of the sense of happiness and meaningfulness. Neither by attaining or not attaining the sense of happiness and meaningfulness is related to whether the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, or not. The mind that is free from ignorance and egoism, doesn't need to attain the sense of happiness and meaningfulness. One is happy and peaceful as one is, being free from ignorance and egoism, being unconditioned and undetermined by the quality of names and forms.

"One needs to aspire and be inspired to be somebody endowed with certain qualities of names and forms that make oneself and others be proud of, to attain love, acceptance, respect, support and acknowledgement from oneself and others."
*In yoga, the mind that is free from ignorance and egoism doesn't need to aspire or be inspired to be 'somebody' that would make oneself and others be proud of. Neither does one need to attain love, acceptance, respect, support or acknowledgement from oneself or others.

"One needs to keep setting higher and higher expectation/goal towards oneself in order to keep pushing oneself beyond one's limitation to achieve higher success and better result."
*In yoga, the mind that is free from ignorance and egoism doesn't need to have any expectation/goal towards oneself, anyone or anything, or to push oneself beyond the physical/mental limitation that is impermanent and selfless, but still perform countless actions of what is possible in the present that would benefit oneself and others, or to keep improving, intentionlessly, while allowing the fruit of the actions to be what it is.

"One should help others so that one will receive help from others in return."
*In yoga, one helps others unconditionally regardless of whether others will be grateful and show appreciation, or will give help to oneself in return, or not.

"Be kind to others and others will be kind to you in return."
*In yoga, one be kind to others unconditionally without selfish intention/expectation to be receiving kindness or friendship in return. Be kind to all without discrimination even when others are being unkind to oneself, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

"Everyone needs continuous/on going inspirations, positive encouragements, love, supports and acknowledgements from others to be doing something good for oneself and others, or to refrain from doing something bad to oneself and others."
*In yoga, the selfless/egoless mind doesn't need any (continuous/on going) inspirations, positive encouragements, love, supports and acknowledgements from anyone to be doing something good for oneself and others, or to refrain from doing something bad or hurtful to oneself or others. It's the prideful egoistic impure idea of 'I' or the ego that needs continuous inspirations, positive encouragements, love, supports and acknowledgements from others to motivate oneself to be good and do good, or to refrain from be bad and do bad. If the egoistic minds don't get such 'motivations', they are reluctant to be good and do good, or refrain from be bad and do bad. That's not freedom at all.

"Everyone needs love and affection. Give love and affection to others, and others will have love to love themselves and love others. Giving love to others will make oneself feels good and meaningful."
*In yoga, when the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, one doesn't need to receive love and affection from anyone to feel loved, or to have love. Everyone just need to realize unconditional love in oneself, where there's no lack of love/craving for love/aversion towards loveless and there's no separateness of 'I' and 'others'. There's no 'I' am 'giving love' to 'others', or 'others' are 'receiving love' from 'I', but out of compassion, teach and allow everyone to be free from ignorance and egoism to realize unconditional love in oneself, where everyone doesn't need to receive love from others to feel loved or to have love, and everyone doesn't need to feel good and meaningful from the action of 'giving' and 'loving'.

"Everything is possible. Nothing is impossible."
*In yoga, everything is possible, including both possibility and impossibility. Possibility is possible. Impossibility is also possible. It's okay sometimes things are not possible, such like one couldn't stop the physical body from impermanent changes of aging, decaying and death/decompose, or one couldn't undo the past, and whether it's possibility or impossibility, all are impermanent.

Worldly minds, including many yoga enthusiasts, are functioning under the influence of the social thinking and beliefs perceiving everyone and everything as 'good or bad', 'right or wrong', 'positive or negative', 'normality or abnormality', 'meaningfulness or meaninglessness', 'appropriateness or inappropriateness', 'friendliness or unfriendliness' and 'nice or not nice'.

"This is a good/bad person."
"This is so positive/negative."
"This is so meaningful/meaningless."
"This is a friendly/unfriendly person."
"This is a nice/not nice person."
"Yoga teachers/practitioners need to 'be positive' and say only 'positive words' to influence/encourage others also to be positive."
And so on.

In yoga or Buddhism, it's not necessarily so. Upon knowing what is going on in the mind and seeing the truth of impermanence and selflessness in all the names and forms, naturally, one stops judging and labeling everyone and everything into 'this' and 'that', upon perceiving/experiencing all kind of different experiences, thinking, beliefs, actions, reactions and behaviors.

"You are being nice to me, but it doesn't mean that 'you are a nice person or your are not a not nice person'."
"You might not behave in a good way, but it doesn't mean that 'you are a bad person or you are not a good person'."
"You are feeling happy or unhappy in this moment, but it doesn't mean that 'you are a happy person or you are an unhappy person'."
"Yoga teachers don't need to 'be positive' or say only 'positive words', they just need to teach yoga as it is, and the teachings are neither positive nor negative, although many impure minds might not like or agree with the teachings, and perceiving and judging everything as 'positive' and 'negative' according to the worldly thinking and beliefs, while passionate minds might be disturbed by the teachings that they dislike and disagree with, that is not necessarily something that they think it should be."

The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism are not 'passionate' or 'interested' towards the attainment and accumulation of worldly objects of names and forms, the cultivation and achievement of worldly passionate desires/ambitions and the engagement in all kinds of human social relationships, activities, interactions, excitement, enjoyment and entertainment because these minds are void of the by-products of ignorance and egoism, where the minds are free from the sense of low self-esteem, low confidence, negativeness, unhappiness and meaninglessness.

These selfless/egoless minds don't need to develop or empower the sense of high self-esteem, self-worth, confidence, positiveness, happiness and meaningfulness through the attainment and accumulation of worldly objects of names and forms, or the cultivation and achievement of desires/ambitions, or the engagement in social relationships, activities, interactions, excitement, enjoyment and entertainment, in order to chase away the sense of low self-esteem, low self-worth, low confidence, negativeness, unhappiness and meaninglessness. It doesn't mean that these minds don't perform any actions to improve or be successful in whatever they venture, but all actions are free from attachment, identification, craving, aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation.

These quiet peaceful liberated minds might be perceived by the other majority of the society, including passionate sociable 'yoga practitioners/teachers' and health professionals as a form of 'unhealthiness', 'selfishness', 'abnormality', or even, 'insanity', as these minds don't think and behave, act and react, and are not interested towards engaging in the worldly passionate sociable family/community way of life like all the other majority in the society. They are peaceful as they are, being free from ignorance, egoism, passions, discrimination, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, animosity, violence, fear, boredom, loneliness, longing, hurts, meaninglessness, incompleteness and restlessness, being immerse in silence, seclusion and solitude, allowing the world and everyone to be what they are, as they are, and all are impermanent and selfless, which the worldly passionate sociable minds perceive as a form of 'unhealthiness', 'selfishness', 'abnormality' and 'insanity'.

It's everyone's freedom for how they perceive, think, feel, act and react, and what they want to do with their life, body and mind.

Worldly identifications

One of the great obstacles or challenges for the yoga enthusiasts to be free from egoism is the intense attachment towards worldly identifications with some qualities of names and forms to be existing as 'I'.

It's 'unthinkable' for the egoistic minds to be 'functioning' or 'aware of the mind perception of a worldly life of names and forms' without any identifications with some qualities of names and forms to be acknowledged by oneself and others as 'This is I'.

There's great fear towards losing the sense of the existence of 'I', or 'selflessness/'I'-lessness', or being unable to be acknowledged by oneself and others as "I am this and that", if without any of the identifications that the egoistic thinking mind would like to acknowledge itself and be acknowledged by others that "I exist as an (unique/special/distinctive/meaningful) individual being with such and such qualities of names and forms."

Similarly, most minds have great fear towards letting go all kinds of superstitious thinking, beliefs, values and practices that were being ingrained into the minds from very young age by their elders, parents, relatives, friends, school teachers, religious teachers, the community and the society. Very few minds would question the truth of all those thinking, beliefs, values and practices, to inquire the truth of everything that was told or informed by everyone, and would just blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing and blind-passing on all these thinking, beliefs, values and practices. As most people would 'label' themselves or be 'labeled' by others as 'bad person' or 'traitor' towards one's root and ancestor's cultural background and family values, if they don't embrace or follow or pass down those thinking, beliefs, values and practices.

For many people, this is the 'normal', 'good', 'productive', 'positive', 'healthy', 'successful', 'meaningful' and 'rightful' way of life or living.

Not only that there was a 'basic identity upon birth' that relates to a 'given name', a 'gender', a 'family', an 'ethnicity', a 'birth place', a 'nationality' and a 'security ID number', but everyone was growing up being conditioned by the society to identify oneself with a 'sexual orientation', a 'personality', a 'physical appearance', a 'self-image', a 'body image', a 'physical condition', a 'mental state', a 'religion', a 'culture', a 'lifestyle', a 'trend', and etc. Most minds are being 'encouraged' by the society to be constantly 'developing' and 'possessing' further more other qualities of names and forms to empower or strengthen that 'self-identity', that would allow the minds to feel proud, confident and meaningful towards the existence of 'I' under such identifications. Such like, "I am a 'good', 'strong', 'healthy', 'fit', 'beautiful', 'attractive', 'stylish', 'successful', 'intelligent', 'knowledgeable', 'positive', 'multi tasking', 'talented', 'well-informed', 'well-behaved', 'inspirational', 'generous' and 'kind loving' human being on top of all the identifications with a particular belief, religion, spirituality, culture, caste, sect, educational level, social status, community group, political views, profession, interests, qualifications, certifications, achievements, contributions, possessions, relationships, connections, and so on.

There are some common sayings such as -
"Be good, do good, and life will be all good and you will be happy."
"Be nice and friendly to other people, and other people will be nice and friendly to you."
That is not necessary true.

But everyone has been circulating that kind of sayings especially from the elders to the youngsters, or from the yoga teachers to the yoga students. Many people experiencing disappointment, depression and meaninglessness because they have such expectation towards life, where everyone and everything has to be in certain ways based on those sayings.

Many times, life is not necessarily all good and people are not happy even after they are being good and they have done many good. And it's okay.

People don't have to be happy all the time. Just be good and do good, and allow the fruit of actions to be what it is, not necessarily has to be the way that we would like it to be.

Sometimes, people are not being grateful or appreciative towards our kindness and friendliness, and are not being nice or friendly to us when we are being nice and friendly to them. And it's okay.

People don't have to be grateful and appreciative, and be nice and friendly to others, if they don't want to. Just be nice and friendly to others, without the expectation that other people should be grateful and appreciative, and be nice and friendly to us in return.

The most practical way in the yoga practice to eliminate egoism from the mind is via renunciation of what most minds being conditioned to think and believe as the 'normal' and 'meaningful' way of life. Moving the mind away from the egoistic worldly social cultural thinking and beliefs, ideas, relationships, connections, interactions and activities, and letting go novels, news and magazines reading, radio listening, movies watching and theater visiting. Be determined to observe seclusion and solitude for at least five or six years, cutting off all kinds of worldly social cultural inputs, ideas, connections, activities and interactions, to allow the mind to be free from being conditioned by worldly thinking and beliefs that are all about empowering worldly attachment and identification. Only then the mind can see the truth of names and forms as it is.

Once the mind is free from being conditioned by worldly egoistic thinking and beliefs, it is no longer being determined by any of the worldly identifications with qualities of names and forms to be existing as 'I'. There's no need to feel proud, confident or meaningful towards "I am somebody endowed with this and that prideful, superior and meaningful qualities."

There's no 'I' being there that needs to be empowered, be acknowledged, be motivated, be inspired, be loved, be proud, be confident and be meaningful. There's no 'I' being there to be strong, be weak, be happy, be unhappy, be positive, be negative, be good, be bad, be hurt, be healed, be pleased, be displeased, be praised, be insulted, be selfish, be unselfish, be unfree or be free.

While the entire world emphasize on the empowerment of a strong self-identity nurtured with the qualities of names and forms of particular social/cultural/ethnicity/nationality ideas/values/practices, yoga practice is mainly to free the mind from all these identifications with any qualities of names and forms.

Even the idea of "I am a yoga practitioner practicing yoga of annihilating ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness" and the desire of "I want to practice yoga to be free from ignorance and suffering" vanished from the minds that know thyself.

Selfless actions influence others without the intention to change or control others

Selfless actions could influence others as well as the condition or situation in the world, but without the egoistic intention to change or control others and the condition or situation in the world to be the way that the egoistic minds would like it to be, or think and believe how it should be.

There's no disappointment, frustration, anger, hatred, or depression when things are not 'being' or 'changing' to be the way that the egoistic minds would like it to be, if actions that could influence others and the condition or situation in the world are being performed out of selflessness and compassion, selflessly and intentionlessly, without 'good intention' to be performing 'good actions' that the egoistic minds 'desire' or 'hope' to 'change' others and the condition or situation in the world to be 'good' the way that the minds think and believe what is good.

Similarly, most of the time, when 'good minds' have 'good intention' to tell the truth of 'something not good' about somebody or some organization might provoke the dissatisfaction, frustration, anger and hatred in the egoistic minds where their desires or agendas are being affected directly or indirectly by 'the intentional good action' of 'telling the truth of something not good'.

Just look at our everyday life interaction with people around us, especially those whom we know. When we see someone whom we know does something that we think is wrong out of ignorance, we might have 'good intention' to tell the truth of 'someone is doing something wrong out of ignorance' and the consequence of that is usually very 'unpleasant' as either the person might react with feelings of hurt, shame, guilt, regret or self-blame towards oneself if this person suffers from low self-esteem, depression or over sensitive, or this person might react with feelings of being insulted, humiliated, belittled, intimidated, anger and hatred, if this person suffers from pride and arrogance. Unless the minds are free from ignorance and egoism, and be able to see, or hear, or coming in contact with the truth and allowing the truth to be what it is, but if people would do something wrong/bad out of ignorance it also means that they are not free from ignorance. And the minds that are not free from ignorance don't have the 'understanding' and 'ability' to deal with 'the truth' openly and peacefully.

Most of the time, 'the truth of something not nice' told by others appears to be something hard, or harsh, or cruel, or dislikable, or disagreeable, or offensive, or hurtful, or insulting, or humiliating, or inappreciative, or ungrateful, or unsupportive, or negative, or unloving, or unkind to the egoistic minds, including knowledgeable and intelligent minds. Most egoistic prideful minds prefer to hear 'nice things' or 'kind words' about themselves. Many people say, "Don't say anything 'not nice'."

And hence, 'the truth' must be self-aware or self-realized.

More importantly, the truth is just what it is. It's neither positive nor negative, neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, neither nice nor not nice. But impure egoistic minds that are functioning under the influence of duality interpret everything as positive and negative, right and wrong, good and bad, nice and not nice, and react spontaneously and emotionally influenced by the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements coming from the egoistic mind based on the thinking and believe in the mind to judge and react towards all the perceived names and forms or experiences, to feel pleased or displeased.

That's why the relation between 'the truth' and 'silence'. And hence, the practice of 'silence' is very important and relevant in the path of yoga and Buddhism of self-inquiry and self-realization of the truth to attain liberation from ignorance and suffering.

This 'silence' doesn't mean intentionally not seeing, not hearing, not smelling, not tasting, not feeling/sensing or not thinking 'something that the mind thinks and believes as bad/wrong/negative/not nice', or not performing any necessary actions. This 'silence' also doesn't mean intentionally denying 'the truth of something'.

Without any of the senses functioning, or without the idea of denying 'the truth of something', or being unable/unwilling to perform any physical or verbal actions doesn't mean that the mind is free from the suffering of ignorance, egoism, restlessness and impurities. But, there's no ego or 'I' being there to ceaselessly act and react out of 'intention' or 'aspiration' to change or control others or the world to be in certain ways, to be attaining or not attaining 'certain qualities of names and forms' that the ego desires or doesn't desire to be identifying with or to be possessing when there is an ego, or the idea of 'I', existing and identifying with the modification of the mind, attaching onto and identifying with the actions and the fruit of actions (being passionate towards one's actions and there's attachment, identification and expectation towards the fruit of one's actions.)

Be free from the idea or thinking of "I want others and the world to be like this and I don't want others and the world to be like that."

Perform self-inquiry towards all the doubts in one's mind

There’s nothing wrong with reading and memorizing and studying the teachings from the ancient scriptures of Yoga or Buddhism. Just that one needs to know how to unattached towards all the teachings in the scriptures, even if some or all of the teachings might seem to be agreeable or disagreeable to the mind based on what the mind thinks it knows, without blind-agreeing/disagreeing, blind-believing, or blind-following, but be determined to purify the mind to free the mind from egoism and impurities, to allow the mind to perform inquiry/investigation to inquire the truth of all these teachings whether they are true, or not.

At the same time, when the mind is still under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities, the mind might generate disagreement or dislike towards some or all of the teachings, and out of the egoistic habit of the mind, it might feel disturbed or resentment towards the teachings that the mind disagrees with or dislikes. The disturbed mind would want to argue or debate or discuss about the truth of this and that, which the mind itself isn’t sure what it is. The mind that ‘knows’, would be in silence, allowing others to ‘understand’ or ‘interpret’ this and that in their own ways/versions.

It’s not so much about whether the teachings in the scriptures are all true, or not. Or whether there’s some misinterpretation coming from the impure mind while studying and analyzing the teachings, or there’s some misleading coming from those who ‘prepared’ the scriptures while putting the teachings into words/texts in a particular language, or there’s some imperfection while describing/translating the teachings into a particular language.

Any kinds of written texts or verbal words in any particular form of language is imperfect. That’s why the truth can only be realized through self-realization under a pure mind, and it can never be described/translated into the form of verbal or written words/texts of any languages. Buddha already stated that the truth can only be attained through self-realization via a pure and quiet mind acting as a reflector for the mind to reflect upon itself to know thyself, it's never through reading/studying/analyzing/debating/discussing or getting answers from anyone by asking questions, as one will never know whether all the answers from anyone is true, or not, unless one realizes the truth by itself.

Dhamma cannot be written down in words of any languages, and if the teachings had to be passing down through verbal form and be translated into other languages in verbal or written form, and be kept in the form of texts/words in any particular languages, it’s not perfect. Everyone who sincerely wants to follow the path of yoga or Buddhism, must work diligently on purifying and quieting the restless mind to allow the mind to inquire/reflect the truth of everything, including all the teachings from all the scriptures (any kind of teachings in text form or in verbal form of any particular language.)

And it’s not important at all whether the agreements and disagreements coming from the impure mind towards the teachings are true, or not. But it’s about the mind develops non-attachment towards all the teachings as well as all the impure mind reactions of agreements and disagreements towards everything based on ‘what the mind thinks it knows or understands’, without being disturbed by something that the mind disagrees with or dislikes, without being attached onto something that the mind agrees with or likes, remain equanimous being free from craving and aversion towards the duality of what the mind thinks and believes or understands as ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, or ‘true’ and ‘untrue’, that is upmost important.

Any form of argument, debate and discussion that derived from impure minds are useless as the minds are functioning under the influence of impurities. If the mind is free from impurities, there’s no argument, debate or discussion. Swami Sivananda mentioned repeatedly many times in many of his books – Abandon all forms of argument, debate and discussion. Purify and silent the mind. Meditate and realize. Ajahn Chah mentioned in his teachings – There’s only one book to read – the heart, look within and know thyself. Buddha’s teaching – Do not blind-believing or blind-following, investigate the truth of everything via self-realization through purification of the mind and the annihilation of ignorance and egoism – attachment, identification, the desire of craving and aversion.

The truth is there as it is when the mind is pure and quiet, being free from the influence of duality, being free from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance – egoism, impurities and restlessness of the modification of the mind. The truth is not a belief. The truth is just what things are. The truth is still the truth, that all are impermanent and selfless, including what the impure mind perceives as pleasurable enjoyment or painful suffering, regardless of what the mind thinks it knows or doesn’t know, or whether the mind agrees or disagrees with what it perceives based on what it thinks it understands, or whether the mind thinks itself is perfect or imperfect, or whether the world that the mind perceives through the senses appears to be pleasant or unpleasant, or whether the mind is happy or unhappy.

Those who had never read or come in contact with any scriptures or teachings, can still attain self-realization and be free from ignorance and suffering, when the mind is pure. Being free from ignorance and suffering doesn’t change the truth of impermanence and selflessness in all the names and forms, or doesn't change all the names and forms to be the way that the impure egoistic minds would like them to be.

Go beyond self-esteem and self-worth

For those who are not really interested in the path of yoga, they don't need to 'practice yoga'. People can just live everyday life as they are, don't need to do anything to purify the mind, to render the mind quiet, to free the mind from the influence of worldly egoistic ideas, thinking, belief, behavior, action and reaction, to free the mind from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance - egoism, impurities, restlessness and suffering.

People can continue being passionate towards improving the quality of a worldly life that mostly emphasize on the gratification of the desires of wants and don't wants.

From young to old, it's all about developing and enhancing the qualities of name and form that the thinking mind attached onto and identifies as 'I', to carry on or adopt a particular cultural/religious/spiritual belief and practice that influence the way of life, to be 'educated', to accumulate 'knowledge', 'skills' and 'qualifications', to empower a high self-esteem and self-worth that builds on personality, confidence, self-image, body image, charm and attractiveness, physical and mental ability and achievement, to be accumulating relationships and friendships, to broadening social networks, to establish a livelihood and a social/community life, to enjoy sights/sounds/tastes/smells/sensations/imagination, to aspire and be inspired, to fall in love, to find a life partner or some lovers, to reprocreate, to build a family, to enjoy easier and more comfortable life, to contribute to the society or the country or the world, to attain acknowledgement, recognition, support, praise and compliments, to attain 'success' in life, career and relationship, to attain the sense of existence, purpose, pride, happiness, joyfulness, blessedness, gladness and meaningfulness.

For those who sincerely want to practice yoga and realize yoga, then go beyond a worldly life that emphasizes on developing and enhancing 'self-esteem' and 'self-worth' that derived from ignorance and egoism that feed on worldly ideas, thinking, beliefs and practice.

The necessity or importance of developing and enhancing 'self-esteem', 'self-worth', 'confidence', 'self-image', 'body image', 'charm and attractiveness', 'physical and mental ability and achievement', 'the sense of existence/purpose/meaningfulness', and etc, are nothing but the play of ignorance and egoism.

The sense of self-esteem and self-worth that builds on the qualities of names and forms, such as "I know something", "I can do something", "I achieved something", "I am good", "I look good", "I feel good", "I am strong", "I am healthy", "I have family and friends", "I am contributing something", "I am acknowledged and supported", "My life/career/relationship is good and meaningful" and so on, is conditional and impermanent. It will break.

Yoga practitioners are supposed to eliminate the egoism and not empowering the egoism. It's the ego that needs to have a high self-esteem to achieve 'success' in life, career and relationship, to attain the sense of existence, acknowledgement, self-worth, confidence, purpose, or meaningfulness. And thus it performs actions out of intention and aspiration. It attached onto and identifies with its actions and the fruit of actions. It is being determined and bound by the actions and the fruit of actions.

For those who are aware of this, actions are being performed out of compassion, without the need/aspiration of 'developing' and 'enhancing' self-esteem to achieve 'success' in life, career and relationship, to attain the sense of existence, acknowledgement, self-worth, confidence, purpose, or meaningfulness. Though that is what most people including highly educated and intelligent minds strongly believe in and are practicing, and that's their freedom.

"Well done!"
"That's very good!"
"You should be proud of yourself!"
"I am so proud of you!"
Most people think and believe that all these words are very essential positive encouragement and acknowledgement towards somebody's achievement to enhance their self-esteem and self-worth, so that they will be motivated to strive harder to improve and be better, to attain continuous positive feedback and acknowledgement, to attain the sense of self-worth, accomplishment, purpose, meaningfulness. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Those who are free from ignorance and egoism don't need any 'positive words of encouragement or acknowledgement' from anyone to motivate them to perform actions that will benefit all and everyone, and are not disturbed or discouraged by any 'negative words of discouragement or non-acknowledgement' to be continuing performing actions that will benefit all and everyone.

'Yoga teachers' who truly teach yoga in the yoga class don't empower the egoism in the yoga students but to allow the students to develop correct understanding and direct experience towards the practice of yoga to eliminate the egoism.

By constantly giving the students 'positive words of encouragement' out of "good intention to encourage and motivate the students to be good, do good, to improve and be better" because the teacher thinks and believes that "the students who haven't developed non-craving and non-attachment would be discouraged or lack of motivation to be good and do good, or to improve in their practice, if the teacher doesn't give any 'positive words of encouragement' to the students", don't help to eliminate the egoism, but instead will only be empowering the egoism in the students. And if the students have already developed non-craving and non-attachment towards any kind of 'positive words of encouragements', then, 'positive words of encouragements' are needless in such yoga classes, as the students don't need to hear any 'positive words of encouragements' to motivate them to be good, do good and to improve, neither the students will be discouraged or lack of motivation to perform their practice, to be good, do good and to improve, if the teacher never give any form of 'positive words of encouragements.'

Be free.

Untrained mind is being conditioned by remembrance of past experiences

The untrained minds are being conditioned and determined by the remembrance of the past desirable and undesirable, pleasant and unpleasant, happy and unhappy, or good and bad experiences to think, behave, desire, act and react in the present moment now, constantly missing and longing towards the past experiences that were desirable, pleasant, happy or good, while continuously being disturbed by the past experiences that were undesirable, unpleasant, unhappy or bad, influencing the relationships and interactions with the others in the present, as well as projecting/anticipating into the future longing for experiencing the similar desirable, pleasant, happy and good experiences, while rejecting towards experiencing the similar undesirable, unpleasant, unhappy and bad experiences, full of tension and anxiety derived from aversion and defensiveness or self-protection.

It's not about trying to erase or forget all the past memories of all kinds of pleasant/unpleasant experiences, but it's about the ability of being unattached towards all the past desirable/undesirable experiences and live in the present without being conditioned or determined by the past happy/unhappy experiences influencing one's relationships and interactions with other beings in the present, being free from missing and craving towards something 'nice' that doesn't exist in the present, being free from fear and aversion towards something 'not nice' whether it's existing or non-existing in the present.

Many people who have been through broken relationships in the past, and are continuously being affected and disturbed by the past undesirable/unpleasant/unhappy/bad experiences of the broken relationships, will more or less be determined by the past experiences to influence how one thinks, behaves, desires, acts and reacts in the new relationship with somebody else in the present, full of tension and anxiety being over-powered by defensiveness/self-protection being in the new relationship. Oneself is not peaceful while generating unnecessary tension into the new relationship, for being unable to be relaxed and immersed into the new relationship with some other people in the present even when other people are being genuine and loving towards oneself. There's no peace in this kind of relationship where one or both party is being conditioned or determined by the past undesirable relationship with some other people.

There's this thinking in the mind, "Oh, I am a victim of other people's selfish unloving and wrongful behavior. I was so nice and loving to the person in the relationship with me, but this is what I got in return. I am ill-treated. I am hurt. I am broken. I am vulnerable. That's why I feel like this and behave like this. I deserved sympathy and empathy and loving kindness from other people. I need to learn how to protect myself from being hurt again." This mind is not free, even though there might be many people think and believe that by showing sympathy and empathy and loving kindness towards this 'suffering' mind will relieve the pain in this mind, and this mind might feel 'better' and 'loved by others' via receiving sympathy and empathy and loving kindness from others, but it doesn't take away the ignorance in this mind, unless the mind starts to see the truth of what is going on in the mind.

Some minds also try to redeem what they think they deserved in return for all their love and sacrifices that they had put out in their past broken relationship while being in the new relationship with somebody else. Some minds even redirect their frustration and anger that they had been accumulated from their past broken relationship towards the person in the present relationship with them.

Be free.

Be free from all kinds of craving and clinging

Though this is the very basic teaching and practice of yoga, many people are not free from certain forms of physical, mental and emotional craving and clinging, both gross (aware) and subtle (unaware). It's a practice that seems to be challenging or struggling for many yoga practitioners, including 'yoga teachers', mostly those who are passionate towards worldly life existence of an individual being with a personal identity and most probably at least one or a few group/community identity under the influence of worldly cultural and social ideas, activities, thinking and beliefs.

The minds that are not free from attachment and identification with some kind of impermanent qualities of names and forms as 'I', are not free from being determined by the presence/possession and absence/non-possession of certain qualities of names and forms to feel good, happy, confident and meaningful, or not.

There's craving towards certain qualities of names and forms that the impure mind perceives or recognizes as 'good', 'positive', 'well-deserving', 'acknowledgement', 'payback to one's effort', 'higher standard', 'prideful', 'successful', 'lovable', 'joyful' and 'meaningful', and there's aversion towards certain qualities of names and forms that the impure mind perceives or recognizes as 'bad', 'negative', 'undeserving', 'non-acknowledgement', 'non-payback to one's effort', 'lower standard', 'shameful', 'failure', 'unlovable', 'sorrowful' and 'meaningless'.

This is how most worldly minds think, believe, behave, live life, interact with one another, act and react, as most people/human beings grew up being taught/influenced by their parents, teachers, society and medias to develop a strong sense of 'self-identity' and 'group identity' attaching onto certain qualities of names and forms to be who they are, or who 'I' am. The entire life existence is very much based on upholding, or attaining, or possessing, or protecting, or passing down certain 'values' to feel happy, confident and meaningful, to live a proud, purposeful and meaningful life. Such as there's nothing wrong when most minds would feel, think and believe that "It's so good to practice yoga and it's so meaningful to teach yoga to other people." but the minds are not free.

It's not easy for the minds to just 'let go' or 'abandon' all these identities of certain qualities that 'generate' the sense of 'existence' or more so the sense of 'meaningful existence', which is truly unnecessary to the liberated minds, but is upmost essential to the worldly impure minds.

There is the need of 'aspiration', 'intention', 'motivation', 'inspiration', 'reward', 'encouragement', 'praise and compliment', 'recognition', 'acknowledgement', 'positive feedback', 'positive interaction', 'positive guidance', and etc, for performing actions (of doing something that the mind perceives as 'good') or inactions (of not doing something that the mind perceives as 'not good').

As long as the mind is not free from this 'worldly habitual thinking pattern' under the influence of worldly thinking and belief where most people think and believe that there is a need of the existence of 'positive beings' to uplift/inspire 'the other not so positive beings' to 'create' a 'positive world', or there is a need of 'spiritual beings with spiritual healing power' or 'magic pills' to 'heal' all the 'hurts' or 'take away' all the painful sorrow and suffering of mankind, this mind will always be determined by the qualities of names and forms that are impermanent and selfless, and be disturbed by the absence and presence of what the worldly minds perceive as 'good and bad', 'right and wrong', 'positive and negative', 'appropriateness and inappropriateness', 'should and shouldn't', 'auspiciousness and inauspiciousness' and 'meaningfulness and meaninglessness'.

The mind expects itself and everything that it identifies as 'I', such as 'my body', 'my appearance', 'my ability', 'my mind', 'my belief', 'my feelings', 'my knowledge', 'my happiness', 'my confidence', 'my life', or 'my existence' to be in certain ways that the mind desires, likes and agrees with, of the qualities that it craves to achieve, or possess, or identify with. The mind also expects others and everything that it relates to 'I', such as 'my family', 'my relationship', 'my friends', 'my country', 'my community', 'my group', 'my world', 'my fellow human beings', and so on, to be in certain ways that the mind desires, likes and agrees with. When things are not the way that the mind expects it to be, the mind feels disturbed, dissatisfied, disappointed, and either agitated or depressed.

Those who truly 'help' other beings to be free from ignorance the cause of suffering, they 'guide' the minds to become their own teacher, to be aware of what is going on in the mind, to inquire the truth of everything, and to attain self-realization, to be free from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance - egoism and impurities empowered by worldly ideas, activities, thinking and beliefs.

Contemplate on "Positive thinking is a just a practice to counter negative thinking, but it's not the goal of the yoga practice." and "There's nothing wrong with attaining good health and happy mind, but it's not the goal of the yoga practice." and go beyond positive thinking, good health and happy mind.

Realize this, "It's okay when the mind is 'negative or unhappy' in the present moment, as even this state of 'negativity or unhappiness' is impermanent and will change. Without any intention or expectation to chase away the state of 'negativity or unhappiness' or to develop the state of 'positivity and happiness', without craving towards 'positivity/happiness' or aversion towards 'negativity/unhappiness', allowing the mind to be what it is, allow it to change as it is. The mind is just what it is. It is impermanent. It's neither a positive nor negative mind, neither a happy nor unhappy mind. And it's not 'I'."

Love and be kind to the mind as it is, even when it is negative or unhappy. This doesn't mean that pampering the mind by gratifying all its desires, but be determined to free the mind from ignorance, impurities, egoism and suffering.

As long as there is an identity in the mind generates clinging/craving towards 'positivity' and aversion towards 'negativity', to change the mind to be the way that 'I' want it to be, the way that 'I' think it should be, the mind is not free, even though there's nothing wrong with that. Instead of working on transforming a 'negative mind' into a 'positive mind', work on 'being aware of what is going on in the mind, without attachment of craving and aversion towards all the 'positive and negative', 'good and bad', or 'happy and unhappy' thought activities as 'I'. The mind doesn't need to be 'positive', or 'good', or 'happy' when it is free from ignorance.

Practice yoga, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion and expectation, allowing the effects or the fruit of the practice to be there as it is. There's no "I am doing the yoga practice and I will be receiving the effects or the fruit of the yoga practice." The one who is free, or not free from ignorance, disturbs and suffering, it's the mind. There's no 'I' expects the mind will be free. The mind will be free as it is, when the idea of 'I' disappears.

Be free.

Silence upon realization of selflessness and compassion

As the world evolves towards what most people believe as higher quality of life with higher standard of living, somehow the teaching/practice of 'silence' in Yoga and Buddhism is being neglected, or abandoned, or denied, or criticized. And there's nothing wrong with that, as that's the way it goes.

It's not easy for the impure egoistic passionate minds (that are being conditioned by worldly ideas, thinking and belief to think and behave, to aspire and inspire, to live life, to socialize and interact, to accumulate connections and relationships, to feel happy, confident, proud and meaningful) to penetrate the subtle meaning of silence. In many cases, silence would be perceived by the worldly egoistic passionate minds as 'cowardliness', 'non-action/improper action', 'weakness', 'submissive towards other's people bad and wrongful behavior', or 'passively encouraging evilness, bad ideas and wrong doings'. There's nothing wrong with this common worldly thinking and belief, action and reaction.

Only the dispassionate minds could penetrate the subtle reason/meaning/action/practice of silence in the teachings of Yoga and Buddhism, where it's beyond restraining the speech organ, physical and mental activities, or restraining the senses from going out chasing after the objects of the senses, but real silence comes naturally and effortlessly out of compassion upon realization of selflessness knowing what is going on in the mind of all the restless and selfless modifications of the mind perception of names and forms, egoism and the by-products of egoism, separateness, all forms of impurities, actions and reactions, intentions and expectations, aspirations and inspirations, enjoyment and suffering.

It's being aware of and acknowledging the ignorance in one's mind. It's seeing the ignorance in this mind which is not any different from the ignorance in other minds. It's seeing the truth of "the impermanent and selfless worldly life existence of the body and mind functioning and perceiving all the impermanent and selfless names and forms" as it is.

The highest Yoga Sadhana is forbearance to forbear the mind perception of unpleasantness, disagreement, undesirable experiences, constraint, selfless undesirable changes, difficulties, obstacles, challenging condition and situation, insult, humiliation, threat and hurt, without violence, animosity, ill-will, anger and hatred, which include non-craving, non-aversion, non-justification, non-retaliation, non-contentious, non-bashing, non-criticism, non-judgment, non-expectation, and so on, upon experiencing what the worldly thinking and belief categorizes as stupid, selfish, unjust, bad, undeserving, wrongful, hurtful, unkind, harsh, cruel, unreasonable, provoking, or mischievous treatment/behaviors from others, especially if it's coming from those whom we love, who are in some kind of relationship with us.

Upon realization of the truth of names and forms, the mind perception of suffering and the root cause of suffering vanished, or being free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance - all kinds of suffering, all forms of yoga practice including forbearance become irrelevant or useless. It is needless to practice forbearance to forbear anything, as the mind has gone beyond all the modifications of the mind perception of duality, separateness and the worldly ideas, thinking, belief, actions and reactions. It is needless to practice yoga to free the mind from ignorance, egoism, impurities, restlessness and suffering, as the mind is free as it is.

After going through a prolong and unpleasant process of mind purification, the minds that are rendered pure and quiet are able to see the truth of names and forms as it is, realizing oneness/non-separateness among all the different qualities of names and forms, and the relation between silence, selflessness, compassion and non-violence, being free from the ego (the idea of 'I' exists as an individual being) and egoism, and the mind perception of 'hurt and suffering' vanished. There's no need to 'forbear' something 'hurtful and suffering'. There's no need to be 'healed' from 'hurt and suffering'. The mind is resting in silence peacefully, naturally and effortlessly, even under the great criticism/attack from many other passionate egoistic minds (those who identify themselves as 'good and kind people' empowered by the sense of self-righteousness) in the world discouraging, condemning and disagreeing with the action/practice of silence.

There's nothing wrong with most minds think and believe that people/human beings/mankind should react with 'Intolerance and discouragement towards bad and wrongful treatments/behaviors', to fight back and attack the 'bad and evil beings', to obtain revenge/justice/relief for themselves being 'the victims' of other people's bad and wrongful treatments/behaviors, as that is how all the impure egoistic minds understand and being conditioned to react in certain ways upon receiving treatments/behaviors from others that the minds perceive, think and believe as 'undeserving', 'shouldn't', 'wrongful' and 'bad'.

To contemplate on this teaching -

Let's say, there's a couple who think they love each other and are committed to be a couple.

One of them behaves in the way that most minds/people would perceive, categorize, think and believe as terrible, bad, wrongful, or hurtful.

It's normal that the other person will react and feel dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, anger, or hurt by the partner's bad, hurtful and wrongful behavior.

Out of dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, anger, or hurt, this person has the urge to complain to other people about "My partner is so bad and terrible. He/she is like this and like that. He/she did this and did that. I love him/her so much. I am so nice to him/her, but this is how he/she behaves in return for my love and care. I don't deserve to be treated like this."

This person has the freedom to express his/her frustration, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, anger and hurt, to do and say what he/she wants to do and say, but then it only indicates that this person doesn't love the partner at all, when he/she would think and react in such way, and would do and say things that would hurt the partner in return out of the frustration, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, anger or hurt, that he/she strongly convinced that it's caused by the partner's being unloving and unkind with his/her bad, undeserving, hurtful and wrongful treatments/behaviors.

If the partner reacts with dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, anger, or hurt towards this person's action, and would react by doing and saying something that would hurt this person in return, then this also indicates that the partner also doesn't love this person.

Both of them don't love each other at all. They only love what they desire. They would have ill-thinking and ill-will towards each other, and would hurt each other when they don't get what they like and want from one another, but they are getting what they don't like and don't want from one another.

If a person loves the partner, he/she will love him/her as he/she is, and won't do or say anything with the intention of deliberately to 'hurt' him/her, even when the person receives so called 'bad', 'wrongful', or 'hurtful' treatment/behavior from the partner.

If the partner loves this person, he /she won't be doing anything intentionally to 'hurt' his/her partner or the relationship. He/she will love the partner as he/she is, even when knowing that this person doesn't love him/her, as he/she would do and say things to 'hurt' their partner when they are dissatisfied, unhappy, angry or feel hurt by something that they don't like and don't want. The partner won't retaliate by doing or saying anything with the intention of deliberately to 'hurt' him/her in return for this person's action of complaining to other people about the partner being 'bad' and 'terrible'.

There's nothing wrong when one knows/realizes that oneself doesn't love the partner or anyone. "Because I don't love you, that's why I would do things that will hurt you and our relationship, or I would want to hurt you in return for thinking and believing that I am hurt by you and your bad, wrong and hurtful behavior."

The thinking of "I love you so much, I am so loving to you. I deserve to be loved by you and I should be receiving loving treatment. I am very disappointed, unhappy, angry and hurt by your bad, wrongful and hurtful behavior that I don't deserve. I need to tell other people about how bad, wrongful and hurtful you are, because it will make me feel better by getting support and agreement from others to also agree with me that I am good and you are bad, that I am right and you are wrong, and that's why I am the 'victim' of other people's hurtful behavior and I need/deserve support and sympathy from others," is the cause of misery arising in the mind.

The realization of "I am unhappy, dissatisfied, disappointed, frustrated, angry and hurt is because I don't love you, I only love what I like and want, and I am not getting what I like and want from you, but I am getting what I don't like and don't want from you," is what allows the mind to be liberated from misery. There's no need to 'complain', or 'condemn', or 'redeem justice'.

It doesn't mean that one allows other people to abuse one's body and mind, but one doesn't need to be disturbed or determined by other people's unloving or unkind treatments/behaviors. One can let go of the partner and the relationship in peace. It's when one couldn't let go the partner and the relationship for some reasons, and hence, one is peaceless and suffering being 'engaged' or 'stuck' in a loveless relationship that is not the way that one would like it to be.

The thinking of "We are kind and loving people, and believing that we love other people and are kind to other people, but at the same time, thinking that we are somehow hurt by other people whom we 'love' very much. Believing and expecting that all mankind 'should' be loving and kind to one another." is the cause of 'hurt and suffering'. If we truly know what is love and how to love, we love everyone as they are, we love everything as it is. There's no 'hurt and suffering' regardless of how other people think, feel, behave, act and react, and how things are.

It's great liberation either when the mind realizes it doesn't love anyone, and there's nothing wrong for being loveless/don't feel love towards someone and something or towards everyone and everything, or when the mind realizes unconditional love and loves everyone and everything as it is, without expecting everyone and everything has to be in certain ways, that everyone has to be kind and loving to one another, or has to be grateful, appreciative and thankful for goodness and other people's love and kindness. One is free to love and give without possessiveness and ill-feelings/resentment, being free from egoism of attachment, identification, craving, aversion, judgment and expectation.

There's nothing wrong when other people don't love us, or don't want to love us. Everyone has the freedom to love, or not to love anyone. Just that when there's no love, people will do and say things that will hurt one another when their minds are being over-powered by dissatisfaction, disappointment, feelings of hurt and anger due to ungratified selfish desire, including hurting people whom they think they 'love' very much, whether intentionally or unintentionally. There's nothing wrong if we feel unhappy, disappointed, hurt and angry when we are not loved by those whom we would like to be loved by them, and we would feel hurt by their unloving treatments/behaviors towards us, but that thinking and reaction is merely due to ignorance in our minds.

It's the craving and clinging towards 'love and affection' and 'receiving loving treatments' and 'possessing a loving relationship' to feel love, happy, confident, worthy, proud and meaningful about 'I' and 'my life', that is causing suffering exist in the mind.

We feel disappointed, unhappy, angry and hurt is because things are not the way that we would like it to be. We didn't get the 'love and affection' that we expect to be receiving from others, or be loved/sympathized/accepted/acknowledged/understood/supported/treated by others the way that we would like it to be, the way that we think it should be, to attain and empower the sense of love, self-esteem, purpose, confidence, pride, happiness, completeness and meaningfulness, to be 'who I am'.

If 'yoga teachers' truly want to help other beings/people to be free from the suffering of hurts/disappointment/anger/painful sorrow/grief/resentment/fear/loneliness/depression, it's not by empowering the ignorance and egoism in others through 'being a good listener listening to their complaints', or 'giving them the love and support that they are looking/craving for', or 'prescribing them with different types of healing practice', or 'being the healer that claimed to be able to heal their minds/souls from all kinds of hurts and suffering', but it's to give them the Dhamma, that will allow them to purify their own minds via their own self-effort and self-discipline, to attain self-realization to realize/see the truth of all the names and forms, to know what is going on in the mind, to know the root cause of all suffering, and free their own minds from ignorance, egoism and impurities. Buddha didn't 'take away' the ignorance and impurities from people's mind, neither did Buddha 'heal' other people from their hurts and suffering, but Buddha just gave the Dhamma to those who came to him for 'guidance how to be free from suffering', and allowing everyone whether to practice and free their own mind from ignorance and suffering, or not.

Those who live in the truth, they are peaceful and free as it is, regardless of whether there's love or loveless towards others who restlessly act and react under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities, and would hurt others whether intentionally or unintentionally. There's no need to forbear, or forgive, or let go anything, as they are free from disturbed, disappointment, resentment, anger, hatred and hurts. It's everyone's own responsibility to be aware of what is going on in their own minds, and whether there's self-control over their own actions and reactions, or not.

Be free.

Freedom in all kind of relationships

Some minds are troubled/disturbed by the existence of relationships that are not the way that they would like it to be, and some minds are troubled/disturbed by the past relationships that were not the way that they liked it to be, while some minds are troubled/disturbed by the absence of relationships that they would like to have. The ever-restless clinging mind is always looking forward for 'something' that isn't here, or a 'reality' that is not what it is in the present. There's nothing wrong with that, as it is the nature of the impure egoistic mind, just that the mind is not free.

The minds that don't know and the ones who think they know but they don't really know what is going on in the mind of attachment and non-attachment, there is no peace or freedom regardless of whether they have a few or many relationships, or don't have any relationships. The minds are being determined by the existence and non-existence of relationships, the quality of the relationships and the impermanent changes of the relationships. The minds are not being in the present, being determined or disturbed by the past pleasant and unpleasant experiences/memories and future anticipations/non-anticipations, as well as being determined by the perceived reality in the present.

The minds that attached onto worldly passionate thinking and belief in search for the sense of self-esteem, confidence, fulfillment, happiness and meaningfulness in the qualities of names and forms or relationships are not free from the impure modifications/reactions of the mind perception of dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hurts, regret, guilt, loneliness, boredom, meaninglessness, fear, worry, grief, painful sorrow and suffering, and be disturbed upon coming in contact with the names and forms or relationships that are not the way that the minds like, agree with and desire.

The minds that know what is going on in the mind of attachment and non-attachment, they are peaceful and free as it is, regardless of whether they have a few or many relationships, or don't have any relationships. They are not determined by the existence and non-existence of relationships, the quality of the relationships, or the impermanent changes of the relationships. The minds are being in the present without being determined or disturbed by the past pleasant and unpleasant experiences/memories and future anticipations/non-anticipations, and being undetermined by the perceived reality in the present.

They love, unconditionally/compassionately. They don't fall in/out love. They love all and everything as they are, as it is, without expecting or interfering with all and everything have to be in certain ways.

They are free to give, or not. And when they give, they give their best within their ability and capacity of what is possible and available in the present, without attachment towards the actions or the fruit of actions, being free from discrimination, identification, intention, expectation, greed, possessiveness, clinging, craving and aversion, and allowing others whether to accept, receive, appreciate and be thankful towards what they give, or not, and thus being free from dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hurts, regret, guilt, loneliness, boredom, meaninglessness, fear, worry, grief, painful sorrow and suffering, and be undisturbed upon coming in contact with the names and forms or relationships that are not necessarily the way that most mind would like, agree with and desire.

There's no judgment and expectation towards others for how others think, believe, behave, act and react, desire and don't desire. There's no 'should' or 'shouldn't'. There's only actions and the consequences of actions.

All kinds of violence/conflicts start from "Desire of expecting, interfering, changing, controlling, over-powering and oppressing others' thinking, beliefs, behaviors, actions and reactions to be the way that 'I' think and believe it should be."

There's neither right nor wrong when the dispassionate minds don't perceive sadness or grief towards the dead ones while the passionate minds perceive sadness and grief towards the dead ones. It's just the different modifications of mind perception/reactions functioning either under the influence of ignorance, or free from ignorance.

These dispassionate attachment-free minds are being perceived by the worldly passionate minds, including many of the 'yoga practitioners' and 'yoga teachers' in the world as 'wrong', 'negative', 'heartless', 'feelingless', 'cold', 'selfish', 'self-centered', 'uncaring', 'unloving', 'unsympathetic', 'inhuman', 'madness', 'weird', 'abnormal', and so on. All these judgments/labels derived from the worldly passionate minds don't affect or disturb the dispassionate minds being peaceful and free as it is. It's everyone's freedom for how they perceive, act and react, judge and expect, or seeing what they want/like to see and not seeing what they don't want/like to see.

"How can a 'normal' human being don't feel sad or grieve for the death of another being, especially someone who loved you and whom you love and related to you dearly? It's so wrong and inhuman."

Indeed, that's how most minds think, believe, behave, act and react - 'Normal' human beings should behave, act and react in 'certain ways' and shouldn't behave, act and react in 'certain ways' based on the worldly thinking and belief about what is 'right and wrong', 'should and shouldn't'.

For the minds that know, there's nothing 'wrong' with all the different kind of mind perceptions, way of thinking, belief and disbelief, behavior, actions and reactions. It's just the minds that don't know what is going on in the mind, they are functioning under the influence of ignorance, while being ignorant towards ignorance, and thus, being disturbed by the modifications of the mind perception/reaction towards all the perceived agreeable/disagreeable names and forms, and all kinds of dissatisfaction, disturbance, hurts, restlessness and suffering arise in the mind. There is a desire/need of receiving kindness, interaction, understanding, acceptance, appreciation and acknowledgment, and there's perception/reaction of hurts and the desire/need to be healed from hurts.

It's like when the ignorant mind experiencing something that it perceives/recognizes as 'hurtful' and 'wrongful', it feels hurt and angry about something, and there's a desire/need to be healed from 'hurts' and 'anger'. But when the mind sees the truth of 'hurt' and 'anger', being free from ignorance, the mind no longer perceives/feels hurt or angry about anything. There's no desire/need to be healed from anything.

Be free.