The mirror and the mind

The mirror is just what it is, having the function of reflecting all kinds of image of the objects of different names and forms in front of it.

The mirror is not being contaminated/influenced/changed by the presence of the reflection of all the different objects of names and forms being reflected on it. Neither is the mirror being contaminated/influenced/changed by the absence of the reflection of any particular object of names and forms that is not present.

The mirror doesn't analyze/judge/compare the different objects of names and forms.

The mirror has no likes or dislikes, agreements or disagreements and desires of want and doesn't want towards the objects of names and forms.

The mirror has no intention or expectation to be reflecting/not reflecting any particular object of names and forms.

The mirror doesn't have desire/intention/aspiration/expectation to be good or bad, or to influence/change/control all the names and forms to be the way that 'I' want them to be, or the way that 'I' think and believe how they should be.

The mirror doesn't interfere with/influence/change the objects of names and forms being what they are, as they are.

The mirror doesn't 'hold on', or 'cling onto', or 'possess', or 'identifying with' any particular reflection/image of the different objects of names and forms being reflected on it.

The mirror doesn't enjoy or suffer and doesn't become good or bad, positive or negative, happy or unhappy, meaningful or meaningless, useful or useless, regardless of the presence or absence of any kind of objects of names and forms being reflected/not being reflected on it.

As the mirror is selfless/egoless/'I'less/intentionless/desireless. It doesn't has a self-identity, or self-image, or intentional duty/action of "I am a 'beautiful' and 'useful' mirror being here to 'reflect' the image of names and forms."

Although the reflections/images of the objects of names and forms might be distorted/contorted/corrupted/blurred by some cracks/dirt/dust/stains/movements of the cracked/dirty/dusty/stained/non-stilled mirror, but the mirror is neither enjoying nor suffering, neither it's being pleased or displeased by the crack/dirt/dust/stain/movements on it or the distorted/contorted/corrupted/blurred reflections/images being reflected on it. Neither will the selfless/egoless/'I'less objects of names and forms are being changed/influenced/contaminated by their distorted/contorted/corrupted/blurred reflections/images being reflected on the cracked/dirty/dusty/stained/non-stilled mirror.

The mind that is void of ignorance and egoism, is not different from the mirror, reflecting all kinds of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, selflessly/intentionlessly/desirelessly, being undetermined/uncontaminated/uninfluenced/unchanged/undisturbed by the presence or absence of all kinds of names and forms, of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, feelings, emotions, thoughts/thinking/belief/knowledge, all kinds of action/reaction, behavior, relationship, way of life, condition and situation, and all the impermanent changes of all and everything.

The selfless/egoless/'I'less mind is not being determined/contaminated/influenced/changed/disturbed/enjoyed or suffered/pleased or displeased by the presence or absence of any impurity.

Neither is the selfless/egoless/'I'less mind and the selfless objects of different names and forms being determined/contaminated/influenced/changed/disturbed/enjoyed or suffered/pleased or displeased by the distorted/contorted/corrupted/blurred/incorrect/false thinking or understanding towards the names and forms being perceived under the presence of impurities, or the truth of things as it is when the names and forms are being perceived under the absence of impurities, or the impermanent changes of all the names and forms.

The perception of the 'existence'/'presence'/'experience' of all kinds of goodness and badness, rightfulness and wrongfulness, positiveness and negativeness, fullness and emptiness, happiness and unhappiness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, loved and unloved, deserving and undeserving, enjoyments and suffering is merely the mind is being ignorant towards ignorance, being limited by the particular passionate worldly egoistic thinking and belief to analyze, judge, compare, expect, desire, feel, aspire, inspire, act and react, enjoy and suffer, ceaselessly.

The ignorant egoistic minds argue - "We are living beings with a soul, thinking, passion, feelings and emotions. We are not a thing like the mirror that has no soul, thinking, passion, feelings and emotions." If so, it shows that it's the existence of a soul, thinking, passion, feelings and emotions are the 'culprit' of all kinds of disturbs, evilness, wrongfulness, hurtfulness, dramas, discrimination, anger, hatred, violence, conflicts, afflictions, miseries, or suffering.

After all, the mirror is not 'the mirror' and the mind is not 'the mind'. They are just what they are.

Be free.

Oneness, non-separateness, selflessness, compassion

Oneness, non-separateness, selflessness and compassion are one.

Without the realization of oneness/non-separateness/selflessness, compassion is absent or unavailable in the egoistic thinking mind, even though the egoistic mind wants to practice 'compassion' or be 'compassionate'.

Due to ignorance, the thinking or the idea of 'I' that 'exists' as a distinctive individual being, generates the sense of 'separateness' between 'I' and all and everything that are not 'I'.

There's an 'I' existing and identifying as the performer of actions and the receiver of the fruit of actions.

There also arise many different forms of 'relationship', 'friendship', or 'connection' between 'I' and 'all and everything that are separated/distinct from I', or between 'God' and 'I'.

And hence, there is the notion of 'I love you', or 'I give you love', or 'I receive love from you', or 'God loves me', or 'I am grateful for god's blessing towards me', or 'I am a kind and compassionate being', or 'I am being kind and compassionate to other beings', or 'I am sharing peace and loving kindness with all other beings', or 'I am connected with all and everything', or 'Have love and faith in God and receive blessings/heaven/good karma/merits', or even 'Be fearful towards god/punishment/hell/bad karma/sin'.

The mind is not free, even though there's nothing wrong or bad with all these thinking/belief/ideas/perception in the mind generating the 'self-existence' that built on the identification with all these 'thinking', 'belief', 'ideas', 'qualities', or 'actions and the fruit of actions' as 'I'.


Upon the realization of oneness, non-separateness, or selflessness/egolessness/'I'lessness, all the separateness vanished.

'I' doesn't exist. There's no 'I' being there to be identifying with any ideas or qualities.

All kinds of mind perception of 'living beings and non-living beings', 'purity and impurity', 'superiority and inferiority', 'good and bad', 'right and wrong', 'positive and negative', 'meaningfulness and meaninglessness', 'happiness and unhappiness', 'friends and not friends', 'family and not family', 'praise and condemn', 'gain and loss', 'deserving and non-deserving', and so on, vanished.

Regardless of all the different qualities of names and forms, all and everything are one/non-distinctive, ceaselessly forming and deforming, coming and going, arising and passing away, under the influence of one same nature of impermanence and selflessness.

Just like 'the space'. Intentionlessly allowing all and everything to be there as they are. It never increase nor decrease and it never change into good or bad, no matter how many knowable and unknowable objects of names and forms forming and deforming, coming and going, arising and passing away endlessly in 'the space'. 'The space' is uncontaminated or undetermined by all the different qualities of names and forms that are impermanent and selfless.

Time doesn't exist in 'the space'. 'The space' is unconditioned/unlimited by causation, or cause and effect. 'The space' is beyond existence and non-existence. There's no beginning or ending. Timeless. Limitless. Attributelessness. Ageless. Changeless.

All the objects of names and forms that are momentarily existing in this present moment in 'the space', whether gross or subtle, regardless of knowable or unknowable, all are conditioned and limited by existence and non-existence, beginning and ending, forming and deforming, arising and passing away.

It's the impermanent changes of names and forms that generate the notion/false impression of time. There is no past nor future in timelessness. Time, past and future exist in the thinking mind deriving from perceiving/experiencing all the impermanent changes. It's a false impression existing in the thinking mind due to ignorance, and its by-product of egoism that generates attachment towards the impermanent and selfless physical body and modification of the mind, also gives rise to the idea of an existence of 'I' which lead to the sense of separateness of 'I' and 'all the others that are not I'.

All kinds of fear, affliction, suffering, misery, hurts, sorrow, grief, disturbs, unrest, loneliness, meaninglessness, incompleteness, clinging, longing, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, ill-will, ill-thinking, protectiveness, self-esteem, pride, animosity, hostility, and so on, arise/exist due to the sense of separateness, the by-product of ignorance and egoism as part of the modification of the mind. And thus, all the different kinds of yoga and meditation practice are mainly to annihilate the modification of the mind - Yoga Chitta Vritti Nirodha. All the other physical and mental health and fitness benefits deriving from performing regular yoga practice are just some side-effects.

Though there's nothing wrong if the yoga practitioners are not working on annihilating the modification of an egoistic thinking mind, and merely focusing on the attainment of physical and mental health and fitness benefits of the yoga and meditation practice, but there's no freedom, being bound by the false impression of an existence of 'I' and 'all that I experience', even though the body and mind might be receiving and enjoying all the momentary physical and mental health and fitness benefits from the regular yoga and meditation practice for a prolonged period of time, that are also subject to impermanence.

If the mind doesn't realize this, then even when everything is good now, and the mind is happy and contented with all the goodness that is present in this moment, but yet, this happy feeling and contentment will also pass away, if there's attachment onto all the goodness to feel good, happy, blessed, assured, confident and meaningful, as all the goodness will also pass away.

No matter how strong the mind believes in positive thinking and optimism, all 'beloved parents' will pass away. 'Relatives and friends' will pass away. 'Family, siblings, cousins, spouse, children' will pass away. 'Good people and bad people' will pass away. 'Happy and unhappy feelings' will pass away. 'Wise and ignorant beings' will pass away. 'Living beings and non-living beings' will pass away. 'Saints and sages and all kinds of hero' will pass away. 'Great minds and mad minds' will pass away. All and everything will pass away, except 'the space', is still what it is.

'The space', or nameless/formless/attributeless/timeless/ageless/changeless/birthless/deathless infinity, is 'the silent witness' of all the impermanent changes, without 'egoism' of performing actions/receiving the fruit of actions, interference, judgment, comparison, discrimination, or expectation. Intentionless. Selfless. Egoless. 'I'less.

"You are left alone now." - Swami Sivananda

Life is good and meaningful?

There's nothing wrong when the mind perceives or acknowledges that 'life is good and meaningful' because of 'the presence of something good and meaningful or the absence of something bad and meaningless', or when the mind perceives or acknowledges that 'life is bad and meaningless' because of 'the absence of something good and meaningful or the presence of something bad and meaningless'.

Just that the mind is still being determined by the presence and absence of 'certain qualities of names and forms'. There's no freedom, as there's attachment towards the presence or the absence of certain qualities of names and forms to feel good and meaningful, or not. Even when the mind thinks and believes that 'life is so good and meaningful' or 'life is so bad and meaningless' due to 'the presence and absence of certain qualities of names and forms', all are subject to impermanence and selflessness. Whether it's 'good and meaningful' or 'bad and meaningless', all and everything will pass away.

Yoga and meditation practice is to allow the mind to see things as they are, and be free. Life is just what it is, as it is. Life is neither 'good and meaningful' nor 'bad and meaningless' being undetermined by the presence or absence of certain qualities of names and forms that are subject to impermanence and selflessness.

It's everyone's freedom for what they think and believe, and whether they want to be free, or not.

Some minds actually enjoy the state of restlessness, enjoy being determined by all the names and forms that are impermanent and selfless, where they would find moments of calmness, joyfulness, goodness and meaningfulness from time to time during those moments of 'life is good and meaningful' due to the presence or absence of certain qualities of names and forms, while trying their best to avoid coming in contact with anyone or anything that they perceive/believe/acknowledge as 'bad', 'negative' and 'meaningless', where they believe it will bring 'badness' or 'negativity' into their life if they come in contact with certain qualities of names and forms that they believe as 'bad' and 'negative'. That's their freedom, even though that's no freedom at all.

Love and passion vs dispassion and compassion

"I love my family, my friends, my brothers and sisters, my children, my partner, my country, my world, my job, my career, my body, my health, my fitness, my ability, my interests, my rights, my freedom, my religion, my belief, my culture, my tribe..."

"I need to be there to protect and fight for my family, my friends, my brothers and sisters, my children, my partner, my country, my world, my job, my career, my body, my health, my fitness, my ability, my interests, my rights, my freedom, my religion, my belief, my culture, my tribe..."

"We are one family. We are brothers and sisters. We need to love and be kind to one another. We need to be there to protect and stand up for each other. We won't allow or let anyone or anything to hurt or destroy all that we love and passionate about."

"I love you so much. Will you be mine?"

"I love you so much. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"You are so pitiful. I want to love you. I take you to my home. I will look after you and protect you."

"I love you so much. I want you to be good, be strong and be healthy. I don't want you to be bad, be weak and be sick. I don't want you to leave me. I don't want you to die."

"I love you so much. I want you to be happy. I don't want you to be unhappy. I will make you happy. Your happiness is my happiness."

"I love you so much. You mean so much to me. Without you, my life is meaningless."

"I love you so much. I am kind to you. You will be grateful and appreciate my love and kindness for you."

"I will be very disappointed and hurt if you don't love me, or don't appreciate my love and kindness for you."

"I like you. I want you to be my friend and I want to be your friend. As friends, we should be like this and treat each other like that."

"Be kind and be loving and life will be kind and loving in return."

"I have been good and worked so hard and did my best, but still, why things are not being fair to me?"

"Everyone should be loving and passionate. It makes us feel good and happy and meaningful. It makes a better world. Without love and passion, there's no life. Life is so meaningless without love and passion. We want the world to be filled with love and passion."

This is 'love and passion'.

Inquire into the cause of different kinds of discrimination in the world that lead to many forms of offensiveness, defensiveness, hatred, bullying, oppression, unrest and violence. It's coming from 'love' and 'passion' towards particular quality of names and forms that the mind attached onto and identified with, that one likes and agrees with. There's desire to possess/empower/protect/defend the names and forms that one loves and passionate about, that one attached onto and identified with as 'I' (as an individual) and 'we' (as a family/friends circle/relationship/community/society/nationality/race/spirituality/religion/gender/sexual orientation/arts and culture/diet trends/political view, and so on), while there's desire to interfere with/control/change/eliminate the names and forms that appear to be threatening and hindering the mind from achieving/possessing/protecting/defending the names and forms that the mind loves and passionate about, that the mind attached onto and identified with. People would 'hate', 'intrude' and 'hurt' each other for propagating/achieving/protecting/empowering certain names and forms that they love and passionate about, and couldn't respect and allow others who are different from oneself to be what they are, as they are, that one dislikes and disagrees with.

Compassion is void of such 'love and passion'.

Dispassion leads to compassion.

Compassion manifest as it is upon realization of selflessness, being free from egoism of attachment, identification, clinging, possession, obsession, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison, intention, expectation.

Respecting and allowing all and everyone and everything, including this body and this mind and this world of a life existence, to be what they are, as they are, regardless of all kinds of 'relationship' or 'non-relationship', 'friends' or 'not friends', 'known' or 'unknown', 'likes' or dislikes', 'agreements' or 'disagreements', and all kinds of beings and non-beings with different names and forms. All are impermanent and selfless.

Just like the sun, the air, the water, the earth and the space.

Just like every single cell that forms all the different organs, sense organs, bones, muscles, ligaments, tendons, joints, blood vessels, nerves, glands, skin, nails and hair that form all the different systems that give life to 'this body'.

Love is there as it is, intentionlessly.

Freedom?

Freedom is not 'something' to be found in the past or to be attaining in the future, or being determined by whether one has been 'good' by performing many 'good actions' and has not been 'bad' by not performing any 'bad actions', or not.

Freedom is nothing to do with 'attaining extraordinary physical or mental ability/achievement', or 'exemption from undesirable impermanent changes, hunger, thirst, discomfort, unhappiness, disability, imperfection, decay, old age, pain, illness and death/decomposition', or 'freedom of all desires are being gratified', or 'unrestricted freedom of movements/actions/speech/thinking/belief', or 'free from boundary, natural disasters, discrimination, bad happenings, unjust, violence or wars', or 'free from the law of cause and effect', or 'free from bad, wrongful, hurtful or harsh experiences'.

Freedom is the moment when the mind/life existence is undetermined by any qualities of names and forms that are impermanent and selfless.

Freedom is always here, in this present moment, when the mind is being free and peaceful as it is, regardless of all kinds of good or bad condition and situation that is subject to impermanent changes and selflessness.

Being free from ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

Being free from attachment, identification, craving, aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation.

Being undetermined/undisturbed/uninfluenced by all the impermanent changes of the selfless existence and function of the physical body and modification of the mind, of all the mind perception of different qualities of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses.

Being unattached towards and unidentified with all kinds of worldly social/cultural/racial/religious/spiritual/philosophical thinking and belief, identification, accumulated knowledge, practice, values, conduct and way of life.

Going beyond all the abilities and disabilities, possibilities and impossibilities, availability and non-availability, pleasantness and unpleasantness, deserving and undeserving treatment/result, achievement and non-achievement, good or bad/happy or unhappy/desirable or undesirable experiences/relationships/contacts.

Transcending the perception of duality/separateness, time, space and causation, of births and deaths, goodness and badness, rightfulness and wrongfulness, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, positiveness and negativeness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, joyfulness and joylessness, pleasurable enjoyment and suffering, praise and condemn, belief and disbelief, trust and distrust, togetherness and separateness, presence and absence, existence and non-existence.

Being free from clinging, missing, craving, longing towards something that is not here, that is unavailable or absent in this present moment.

Being free from self-image, self-esteem, loneliness, incompleteness, meaninglessness, fear, worry, lust, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, discrimination, jealousy, envy, pride, animosity, hostility, offensiveness, defensiveness, hurts, regret, guilt, painful sorrow, grief, misery, bitterness, violence and ill-will.

Being in the present.

Desireless.

Mind and life existence with all kinds of experience/relationship, are one.

Absence of ignorance and egoism, the mind is free, as it is. So as life existence with all kinds of experience/relationship.

Life existence with all kinds of experience/relationship are just what they are. Neither good nor bad. Neither joyful nor joyless. Neither meaningful nor meaningless. Neither positive nor negative. Neither rightful nor wrongful. Neither deserving nor non-deserving. Neither enjoyable nor miserable.

The physical body is limited by the law of nature, of impermanence and selflessness. The physical body of all the saints and sages was/is not exempted from the law of impermanence and selflessness.

The mind perception of a life existence is although under the influence of the law of nature, but yet, it doesn't have to be determined by impermanence and selflessness, if the mind is free from ignorance.

Life existence appears to be limited/not free, as it is being perceived or reflected 'in a particular way' by the ignorant/egoistic/impure thinking pattern or modification of the mind that is under the influence of ignorance that gives rise to egoism and impurities of ceaseless desire/clinging/longing/craving/duality/separateness/dissatisfaction/disappointment/unhappiness/meaninglessness/loneliness/misery/fear and so on.

The ignorant/egoistic/impure mind projects goodness/badness, joyfulness/joylessness, meaningfulness/meaninglessness, positiveness/negativeness, rightfulness/wrongfulness and enjoyment/misery onto all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the sense.

Life existence with all the different qualities of names and forms are being limited merely by the ignorant/egoistic/impure thinking pattern or modification of the mind under the influence of particular worldly social/cultural/racial/religious/spiritual/philosophical thinking and belief, identification, accumulated knowledge, practice, values, conduct and way of life.

The mind is free, or not free, in this moment, is beyond the law of cause and effect, or 'the accumulated good or bad karma', or whether someone 'believes or disbelieves in God', or is practicing some kind of 'religious/non-religious', or 'spiritual/non-spiritual', or 'cultural/non-cultural' belief and practice, or not.

As long as the mind is under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities, the mind is not free.

As soon as there's attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, clinging, longing, judgment and expectation, there's bondage or absence of freedom.

Be free from the egoistic intention to be interfering with/controlling/wishing/expecting everything to be the way that 'I' want/desire/like/agree with, or the way that the mind thinks and believes how it should be.

Respecting all lives and deaths as they are.

Respecting all kinds of belief and disbelief and way of life as they are.

Respecting all the thoughts, feelings and sensations coming and going as they are.

Respecting all the impermanent changes in all kinds of relationship with all and everything as they are.

Contemplate on this, and realize freedom.

If this is not 'the freedom' that the mind thinks and believes what it is, that's everyone's freedom of desire, thinking and belief.

Inquire the truth of everything

The prerequisites for the mind to inquire the truth of everything -

An open mind that is unattached towards any particular way of thinking and belief to analyze or judge everything. Letting go all kinds of subjective judgment and comparison.

Free from expectation towards everything that everything has to be/not to be in certain ways. Allowing everything to be what they are, even if the mind dislikes and disagrees with it. Being undisturbed by names and forms that the mind dislikes, disagrees with and doesn't want.

Free from pride and arrogance or low self-esteem (they both are the same thing.)

Free from blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, blind-preaching, blind-sharing.

Free from fear towards 'religious authority', 'superstitions', 'criticism', 'condemn', or 'the truth that is not necessarily the way that the mind believes what it is or how the mind would like it to be'.

Being aware of the mind is ignorant towards the unknown, or many things that are beyond the knowledge of the mind, and is aware of the mind is functioning/perceiving/understanding everything under a particular way of thinking and belief in the mind that influence how the mind perceives, analyzes, judges, feels, acts and reacts towards all the mind perception of names and forms, which is nothing to do with the truth of what things are.

The state of the mind of calmness, quietness and purity, being free from stimulation, incorrect/corrupted thinking, restlessness and impurities.

It's like the function of a mirror.

The mirror that is cracked/contorted, or is shaky, or is full of dust and dirt, cannot reflect the image of things as it is. The reflection of things is distorted/contorted, or blurred, or not what it is. Even though the reflection/image of things are distorted/contorted, blurred and not what it is, being reflected onto a cracked/contorted, shaky and dirty mirror, it doesn't change the truth of the things. The truth of things is still what it is, being undetermined, unaffected, undisturbed, or unaltered by the cracked/contorted, shaky and dirty mirror.

Just like a mind that is functioning under the influence of the defilement of ignorance or incorrect and corrupted thinking, or is restless, or is under the influence of egoism and impurities, cannot reflect the truth of things as it is. The perception or understanding of things are incorrect, corrupted, blurred, or not what it is. Even though the perception or understanding of things is incorrect, corrupted, blurred and not what it is, being perceived under a mind that is over-powered by ignorance/incorrect or corrupted thinking, restlessness and impurity, it doesn't change the truth of things. The truth of things is still what it is, being undetermined, unaffected, undisturbed, or unaltered by the ignorant, corrupted, restless and impure state of the mind.

And thus, all the different forms of yoga practice is to be calming, quieting and purifying the mind, to free the mind from ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, to allow the mind to reflect/see things as they are, being free from the influence of any particular worldly cultural/social/religious/spiritual/national/racial/political/educational/philosophical idea, accumulated knowledge, thinking, belief, value and practice to analyze or judge everything.

Reflect upon the truth of things as it is. Everything is just what they are. Neither good nor bad. Neither right nor wrong. Neither positive nor negative. Neither meaningful nor meaningless. Neither happiness nor unhappiness. Neither spiritual nor non-spiritual. Neither superior nor inferior.

Be free.

The yoga class

Teaching yoga or practicing yoga is nothing to do with money, 'fees', or 'donation'. No one can sell or buy yoga, or peace, or compassion, or wisdom, or liberation from suffering with any amount of money, or 'fees', or 'donation'.

Meanwhile, running 'yoga classes' or 'yoga courses' that involve a lot of expenses/maintenance/labour/management/coordination requires money in the form of 'fees' or 'donation' for it to be happening. It doesn't necessarily mean that if the money received is in the form of 'donation', it means 'non-commercialized yoga' or 'authentic yoga', or if the money received is in the form of 'fees', it means 'commercialized yoga' or 'inauthentic yoga'. Such a simple understanding, but due to ignorance, many minds/people do not understand this.

Yoga classes/courses based on 'donation' without requesting a specific fees are not necessarily pure and authentic, or it's being free from any form of 'corruptions'. While yoga classes/courses required specific amount of fees are not necessarily impure, inauthentic, or corrupted.

People would perceive 'yoga classes' based on 'donation' or 'small amount of fees' that they think is 'appropriate' or 'acceptable' as 'authentic yoga' conducted by 'compassionate' yoga teachers, while 'yoga classes' required 'certain amount of fees' that they think is 'inappropriate' or 'unacceptable' as 'inauthentic yoga' conducted by 'money minded' yoga teachers.

Yoga students come to the yoga teacher to study yoga and seek guidance from the teacher and they give some fees/money to the teacher to support the teacher's living is nothing to do with 'commercial' or 'inauthenticity'. It's like grown up working children give their parents some money regularly to support their parents' living, there's nothing wrong and nothing commercial. It's a form of love, kindness, generosity, sharing, gratitude and gratefulness, even though the parents bring up the children out of love, without expecting anything in return. If the children grown up and are working, but only want to keep all that they earn for themselves, for they own living enjoyments and social expenses, and they refuse to support their own parents' living, or those who are grown up but are lazy to work or spent all their earned money on non-essential things and enjoyments, couldn't support their own living and need to depend on other people's charity for living, not to say to support their parents' living, then that is something 'absurd'.

Many people who only want to pay very little 'fees' to attend 'yoga classes' or who prefer to attend 'free yoga classes based on donation' would think and expect that 'yoga teachers' should all be beggars to beg for donation, food, clothing and shelter on the street while giving 'yoga classes' for free or on donation basis. This type of 'yoga classes' is most probably unwittingly empowering 'ignorance' and supporting 'corruption', supporting people who would spend money generously on their personal worldly indulgence/enjoyment/social life activities, but would think and believe that it's 'wrong' or 'inappropriate' to pay certain amount of fees to attend 'yoga classes' or 'yoga courses'.

There are some people who already have a good financial support for their living, where they don't need to depend on receiving any 'fees' or 'donation' from teaching or running 'yoga classes' as a form of charity coming from them to other people. That's very good, but not many people are having such financial-free living condition. Many people need to somehow 'make a living' to support themselves and also maybe some other people under their care. If the basic living necessity is not available, people need to be spending time and energy to 'make a living' in order to 'survive', not to say to have the spare money, time and energy to 'organize' charity yoga classes for people who want to enjoy cheap or free yoga classes.

Meanwhile, there are those who think and believe that they are 'highly spiritual beings', would perceive receiving 'money' in the form of 'fees' for conducting 'yoga classes' or 'yoga courses' as a form of 'evilness', 'wrongfulness', 'impurity', 'corruption', 'greed', 'down fall', or 'non-spiritual', that 'yoga classes' or 'spiritual activities' shouldn't be 'tainted' by 'money' or 'fees'. They don't mind receiving 'donations' from anyone, but they don't want to get involved in 'money matters' personally. They don't want to be physically touching any money or keeping any money under their names, or keeping any money close to their body or their 'spiritual practice space', but they need some other people who look after them to handle the money in the form of 'donation' that support their living and all kind of expenses.

Many good people who try to be good and do good and work very hard to make an honest living in this world are not exempted from the suffering of poverty or hunger/thirst and exploitation by others. People want to enjoy cheap goods, enjoyments, conveniences and services, and that's how all kinds of exploitation started in this world of commercialism.

People who are busy in life need the existence of the convenience and service of shops/eateries, which rely on the people who devote their time, effort, attention and money into running shops/eateries to provide the convenience and service to the people while taking the risk of running business. The existence of shops/eateries also need to depend on other people who work or run business that provide everything from farming and harvesting to transportation and providing all kinds of shop, kitchen and dining equipment, that allow the shops to put goods on their shelves for people to buy and allow the eateries to put meals on the table for the people to consume. Even though it's a business or work involved with money transactions, but still it's a form of 'convenience and service' that benefits many people. If nobody interested in taking the risk of running a business and devoting their time, energy and money into starting a shop/eatery, or if nobody is involving in farming/harvesting/transportation/providing shop, kitchen and dining equipment, or food production is not available due to any natural/technical cause, people won't be able to enjoy such convenience and service. It doesn't mean that any form of 'business' involved with money transaction is 'non-giving to the society' or 'non-compassionate'.

Compassionate actions are not necessarily have to be free from any involvement with 'money'. Even when there are some good and kind people want to help other unfortunate people in this world, they also need to gather money in the form of donation/contribution/funding from somewhere in order to help other people. Selfless actions are also not necessarily have to be free from the involvement of 'money', it's about non-attachment and non-identification towards one's actions and the fruit of the actions. It doesn't mean that when people are working and getting some monthly salary for living, or people who run business and getting some yearly profits for living, that their action of contributing their time, energy, attention, knowledge, skill or talent into their work or business is nothing to do with 'selfless service'. If everyone doesn't work or run any business, this society that builds on social economy that provides all kind of conveniences and services will collapse.

Any kinds of work, or duty and responsibility towards oneself and others, or business, can turn into a form of selfless service even when there are involvement of 'money', if people know what is performing actions without egoism. Volunteering work doesn't necessarily means 'selfless service' when it's done with attachment and identification. Non-expectation also doesn't mean that 'not receiving anything in return'. As all actions will bring the fruit of actions as it is, whether people have expectation, or not. Those who are free from expectation, they allow the fruit of actions to be what it is, it's not about 'I don't want any fruit of actions after I performed actions'. That is ignorant understanding influenced by egoism of 'I want to give without getting anything in return as it's not selfless service anymore if I am getting something in return'.

People don't really need to attend any 'yoga classes', or 'yoga courses', or 'yoga retreats' to be learning and practicing yoga, or to be peaceful, compassionate, wise, forgiving and be able to let go what the world categorize as 'bad', 'wrong', or 'hurtful'. People can be attending many yoga classes and yoga courses regularly for many years, or teaching yoga for a long time, but still, the mind is not free from ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, still being determined by worldly idea, thinking, belief and practice, and are under the influence of the desire of craving and aversion towards dualities and qualities of names and forms very much, as the mind still couldn't go beyond the mind perception of the duality of 'good and bad', 'right and wrong', 'positive and negative' and 'happiness and unhappiness, and hence, unwittingly chasing after what the mind categorizes as 'goodness', 'rightfulness', 'positiveness' and 'happiness', while rejecting what the mind categorizes as 'badness', 'wrongfulness', negativeness' and 'unhappiness'. The mind couldn't see things as they are, or allow everything to be what they are, as they are. That's nothing wrong, as the mind misunderstood the teaching of yoga about 'positive thinking'. Many yoga enthusiasts, including 'yoga teachers', think and believe that it's about influencing/making/changing everything to become 'positive' or 'good'. But actually it's merely about when the mind is over-powered by 'negative thinking', then the mind can cultivate positive thinking to counter negative thinking, and when the mind is free from negative thinking, there's no need of positive thinking, as everything is just what they are, neither positive nor negative, neither good nor bad.

Although there's nothing wrong with sincerely looking for a teacher to learn and practice yoga, to seek guidance of how to free the mind from ignorance and its by-products of egoism, impurities and restlessness - the root cause of suffering.

It's everyone's freedom for what they want to think, believe, behave, act and react.

Contemplate on this, and be free.

Go beyond the mind perception of an impermanent and selfless worldly life existence

The life existence of the mind perception of a worldly life of names and forms is only existing in this present moment, where the past and the future doesn't exist in this present moment, and it is impermanent and selfless.

'The past' is just some scattered fading memories of pleasant and unpleasant, desirable and undesirable, agreeable and disagreeable past experiences. It exists only as a form of memory.

'The future' is just some wild imagination, anticipation, speculation, projection and expectation. It only exists as a form of thought activity.

When the mind is under the influence of ignorance and egoism, it attached onto the past memories of pleasant/unpleasant, desirable/undesirable, agreeable/disagreeable experiences and the anticipation/projection into the future, and be affected, disturbed and determined by 'the past' and 'the future' that doesn't exist in this present moment, which is unnecessary if the mind is free from ignorance and egoism.

The past and the future doesn't exist in this present moment, but there is a connection between the past actions/reactions and the present moment now, and between the actions/reactions in this present moment now and the ceaseless impermanent changes, which is the consequences of actions (cause and effect.)

The entire life existence of this impermanent and selfless existence and function of a physical body with the restless egoistic thinking mind is being what it is due to the law of cause and effect. This 'life' doesn't exist if the parents didn't plant the 'seed'. The entire limited momentary existence of this selfless body and mind is nothing but ceaseless impermanent changes following the seed being planted. The present moment is nothing but the consequences of the past actions, which is the only element that relates the past actions with the present moment, and yet, the past doesn't exist in this present moment. All the consequences are just what they are, in the present moment, as they are, and changing selflessly under the law of cause and effect.

The only existence is this present moment now, as it is, not necessarily the way that the egoistic thinking minds would like it to be, as the result of the ripened consequences of actions plus all the egoistic actions and reactions in this present moment that give rise to further consequences of actions, ceaselessly and restlessly, and even so, the consequences of actions are not necessarily exactly the way that the minds think and believe what it should be. The consequences of actions are just what they are, as they are, and not being the way according to any wishful thinking and belief, that anyone would like it to be.

For example, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we planted an apple tree (the past actions) that gives the fruit of apples (the consequences of actions.) Even though after some time we realize that we don't really like apples, we cannot change the apple tree to be orange tree or banana tree. We have to accept that this is an apple tree that gives the fruit of apples. Even though we don't like apples, but the apple tree will still give the fruit of apples. We might prefer the fruit of oranges or bananas, and we can try to plant orange and banana trees, but we can't make the apple tree to give the fruit of oranges or bananas. Sometimes the apples from this apple tree are more sweet, and sometimes are less sweet, while some other times are sour and bitter. Although we might not like the taste of apple as it is especially when they are sour and bitter, but since these are what available to us, we can make use of the sour/bitter apples to cook them into something that is more palatable, or give them to other people who would enjoy the apples as they are, or feed them to the animals. More importantly, we don't turn the apples into a weapon to hurt other people. Sometimes, for some reasons, the trees don't give any fruit at all, or the trees die before giving any fruit.

If the future exists, we can bring the future into this present moment and we would be able to control the future to be exactly the way that we would like it to be. There won't be any uncertainty/anxiety/fear/worry/dissatisfaction/disappointment/regret/guilt/unhappiness/suffering, everything will turn out to be exactly the way that we desire it to be. We want forever youth, pleasant sensations, happy feelings, good health, good relationships, good and easy life condition free from difficulties and hardships, desirable life span with only pleasurable enjoyments and happy experiences, without any painful sickness/injury, suffering or unhappy experiences, without coming in contact with happenings, objects or beings that we don't like and don't agree with, without separation from the beings and things that we like and love. But we can't, as the future doesn't exist. Without intention to be controlling 'the future' to be the way that we like it to be, the consequences of actions derived from the actions and reactions in this present moment now, will be what they are, as they are.

If the past exists in this present moment, then we can bring the past into this present moment and undo any past actions/experiences that we don't like and don't want, to alter the consequences of actions to be something different. But, we can't undo any past actions/experiences that we don't like and don't want. Without intention to be changing the consequences of past actions that channeling life in this present moment being what it is, but the realization of selflessness allows the mind to be undetermined by life being what it is, transcending all the pleasant and unpleasant, desirable and undesirable consequences of actions.

Those (the minds) who are not aware of this, they always hope or try to control life in this present moment and in the future to be in certain ways that they desire and not to be in certain ways that they don't desire.

Those (the minds) who are aware of this, they deal with the consequences of actions of all kinds of pleasant or unpleasant, desirable or undesirable experiences, or what we identify as 'life', as it is, without craving or aversion, allowing life to be what it is, and make use of the present moment to silent the modification of the mind to transcend the mind perception of an impermanent and selfless life existence carved by cause and effect.

Life might not always being the way that we would like it to be, but we can accept life as it is, without clinging/craving/aversion towards something that is here (pleasantness and unpleasantness), without craving for something that the mind likes and desires but is not here, without aversion towards something that the mind dislikes and doesn't desire that is here or not here. In the meantime we can make use of life as it is (regardless of easy or difficult condition/situation that exists in this present moment) to be doing something beneficial to ourselves and others in certain ways depending on how we look at it. Such as growing up without proper emotional, educational and financial support. Some people would see it as a harsh condition and use it as an excuse to do things that hurt themselves and others. While some others would turn it into great strength to overcome any difficulty or challenging condition and situation to be doing something great for themselves and others.

In the end when the mind realizes selflessness, life is undetermined by the separateness of 'I' and 'my life', or the quality of good and bad/meaningful and meaningless/positive and negative, and it doesn't belong to 'I' or 'God'. It's just life as it is, as a product of cause and effect. There's no 'I' and 'my life'. There's no 'good, meaningful and positive life' and 'bad, meaningless and negative life', or "I or 'God' want my life to be or not to be in certain ways."

Go beyond the idea of 'I'

Upon realization of Selflessness/I-lessness and the only existence is the present moment now where there's neither past nor future, all kinds of disturb, unrest, anxiety, fear, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, hurts, regret, guilt, painful sorrow, worry, animosity, offensiveness, defensiveness, unhappiness, pride, arrogance, and all kinds of connection/relationship/duty/responsibility with particular names and forms, vanished or ceased existing. All actions are being performed out of compassion, not out of the sense of duty and responsibility. There's no need of 'healing' or 'positive thinking' to be free from 'hurts' or 'negative thinking'.

Without the idea of 'I', life is just what it is - Impermanent, selfless, intentionless and desireless. It's neither 'good' nor 'not good', transcending time, space and causation, as it doesn't need to 'be mould into' or 'be acknowledged' as 'good life' or 'not good life' based on the existence and non-existence of certain qualities of names and forms that are limited by time, space and causation. It exists only at this present moment, transcending the memories of the past and the imaginations towards the future. It's undetermined by all kinds of cultural/national/family/community/social/religious/spiritual 'appropriateness', 'practices', 'rituals', 'achievements', 'activities', 'mourning', 'celebrations' or 'festivals', undetermined by the mind perception of all the different qualities of names and forms, or any kind of thinking/belief/feeling/relationship/appearance/condition/ability/disability/conduct/experience, undetermined by cultural/national/social/racial/religious/political/personal/gender/professional 'worldly identities', transcending the sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, goodness, happiness and meaningfulness. Life is free as it is.

Being bound by the idea of 'I', life is being limited and conditioned by egoistic intention and desire, being determined by time, space and causation, of the existence and non-existence of certain qualities of names and forms that 'I' desire and don't desire, to be acknowledged as 'good life' or 'not good life'. Life isn't just what it is, but it's 'my life' and 'the life that I desire it to be', and from there, the idea of 'I' extends its possessiveness and authority onto the world, "This is 'my world' and 'I' want 'my world' to be the way that I desire it to be."

Due to ignorance, life is being determined very much by a past and a future that 'I' desire or don't desire. It's being determined by 'my' cultural/national/family/community/social/religious/spiritual 'appropriateness', 'practices', 'rituals', 'achievements', 'activities', 'mourning', 'celebrations' or 'festivals', being determined by the mind perception of the different qualities of names and forms to feel, think, behave, desire, act and react, being bound by the actions and the fruit/results/consequences of actions, being determined by the different kinds of thinking/belief/feeling/relationship/appearance/condition/ability/disability/conduct/experience and all the cultural/national/social/racial/religious/political/personal/gender/professional 'worldly identities' of 'mine' or what 'I' think is 'who I am'. The entire life is being juggled around the attainment of the sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, goodness, happiness and meaningfulness.

Go beyond all kinds of belief and disbelief

There are many different kinds of belief and disbelief existing in the world, but whether they are true or untrue, it's not important for those who want to practice yoga to conquer the restless impure egoistic mind. As all kinds of belief and disbelief are all part of the modification of the mind. And yoga practice is to allow the mind to go beyond all kinds of belief and disbelief, allowing everything to be what they are, without judgment or expectation that everything has to be/not to be in certain ways. More importantly, is not to blind-believing, blind-following, or blind-preaching any belief or disbelief.

The truth of names and forms is not a belief. The truth is just what things are, impermanent and selfless. Regardless of whether the mind believes or disbelieves in something that the mind comes in contact with, the mind can't see the truth of names and forms as it is when it is functioning under the influence of certain belief or disbelief to analyze and judge everything, to act and react complying to those belief and disbelief.

Unconditional peace, unconditional love (compassion) and the ability to forgive and let go something that the worldly thinking mind perceives as 'wrong', 'bad', 'disturbing' or 'hurtful', to surrender/give up all the desires of craving and aversion, and to be free from disturbs, pride, arrogance, offensiveness, defensiveness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, hurts, guilt, regret, painful sorrow, grief, fear and worry, are nothing to do with whether the mind believes or disbelieves in something.

For those who truly want to practice yoga and meditation to conquer the modifications of the mind, it's about going beyond all kinds of belief and disbelief, freeing the mind from egoistic judgment, comparison and expectation based on those belief and disbelief, to allow the mind to see things as they are.

Regardless of all kinds of belief and disbelief, everyone still have to live life as they are, dealing with the truth of impermanence and selflessness of a life existence of the body and mind. The modification of the mind as well as the consequence of all the actions and reactions (cause and effect) of the impure egoistic mind is still what it is. It doesn't determine that everyone who believe or disbelieve in something are all free/not free from ignorance and the suffering that derived from ignorance.

There's nothing wrong with the existence of many kinds of distinct thinking/belief/disbelief. It's just something there influencing how the minds/people think, feel, behave, analyze, judge, expect, act, react and live life.

Different minds/people think, feel, behave, act, react and live life differently from one another. But beyond all the different kinds of thinking, feeling, behavior, action, reaction and way of life, out of ignorance, all beings think and believe that 'I' exist under the function of a thinking mind perceiving a world of names and forms through the senses under the influence of ignorance/egoism/impurities where the mind or what the mind thinks and believes as 'I', constantly acts and reacts restlessly towards all the mind perceptions of names and forms.

All kinds of distinct thinking/belief doesn't change the truth of impermanence and selflessness, or the truth of suffering and the cause of suffering - Ignorance and its by-products of egoism (attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation), all kinds of impurities, disturbance and restlessness, and the existence and function of an impermanent and selfless physical body of countless births and deaths, of blood, flesh, shit, pee, pus, hunger, thirst, decaying, aging, illness, pain and decompose. The inevitable fundamental suffering of all living beings, hunger/thirst - eat/drink - shit/pee - and repeat, over and over again, until the body stops functioning/existing. It's the truth of the physical body and the restless selfless modification of a thinking mind. All these are nothing to do with the world of names and forms that the mind perceives through the sense, or the belief and disbelief in the mind. Even if the mind strongly believes in 'positive thinking', 'righteousness', 'kindness' and 'goodness', the truth of the impermanent and selfless physical body and the thinking mind is still what it is. Enjoyment and suffering, good and bad, happiness and unhappiness, they all happen in the thinking mind. They exist as part of the modifications of the mind, in the form of thought-current/thought-wave arising and passing away, ceaselessly.

All kinds of disturbs/hurts/disappointment/depression/anger/hatred/jealousy/animosity/fear/unhappiness/painful sorrow/suffering/and etc, exist in the form of thought-current/though-wave.

And hence the teachings of yoga and Buddhism - Annihilate this thinking mind/thought-current, and the world of names and forms, births and deaths, of enjoyment and suffering, good and bad, happiness and unhappiness, cease existing.