Be free from gross and subtle attachment, clinging and craving

This teaching is more suitable for those who are endowed with intense yearning for liberation, who are aware of ignorance and egoism and the consequences of it.

 

Those who are not interested in transcending the mind perception of a worldly life of names and forms, but merely interested in doing certain favorite yoga asana and breathing exercises of particular style and brand to attain some health and fitness benefits, to attain momentary physical/mental/emotional relief, pleasantness and calmness deriving from performing the different types of yoga and meditation practice, while enjoying all kinds of worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity with other people/beings who are like minded, whom one perceives as one's family, friends and relatives, that give rise to the sense of meaningfulness, satisfaction and fulfillment, to chase away the sense of dissatisfaction, meaninglessness and loneliness, they don't need to practice the teaching of yoga about renunciation, solitude and seclusion, to renounce all kinds of worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity, to efficiently free the mind from both gross and subtle attachment, clinging and craving towards desirable/agreeable relationships, connections, interactions and activities that gives rise to the sense of meaningfulness, goodness and fulfillment.

The worldly passionate mind would perceive discomfort/unrest/suffering/unhappiness/meaninglessness/loneliness/emptiness when it is being cut off from the familiar worldly relationships, connections, interactions and activities for a certain period of time. People, including mental health professionals, think and believe that people will be mentally and physically sick and die due to loneliness, emptiness and meaninglessness, if without connecting, contacting, communicating and interacting with some other human beings. That's their freedom of thinking and belief. And hence, the practice of renunciation, solitude and seclusion is definitely not for them, as they will be crazy, sick and die due to being over-whelmed by the sense of loneliness and meaninglessness deriving from practicing renunciation, solitude and seclusion, as it's too painful, difficult, terrible, guilty and depressing for them to be without worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity.

Only those who are determined to transcend the worldly life of impermanent selfless names and forms, who are endowed with the intense yearning for liberation, even when life experience and condition is rather good and comfortable, knowing that all is impermanent and selfless, would be interested in the practice of renunciation, solitude and seclusion, being dispassionate towards the fleeting worldly life of names and forms, of worldly affair and condition that are being limited by cause and effect and impermanence, powered by ignorance and egoism, and hence, they could renounce all kinds of worldly connection, relationship, interaction and activity, without much difficulty, allowing the mind be able to be free from not just gross but also subtle attachment, clinging and craving towards worldly connection, relationship, interaction and activity.

Those who chase after the sense of meaningfulness, goodness and fulfillment deriving from being passionately engaging in worldly social and spiritual connection, relationship, interaction and activity, where they think and believe that the attainment/presence of the sense of meaningfulness, goodness and fulfillment is the meaning of life existence, or the highest achievement of their spiritual practice, or the goal of yoga and meditation practice, they would perceive the teaching and practice of renunciation, solitude and seclusion as something out of date, absurd, abnormal, negative, selfish, meaningless, or even useless.

 

In the many social cultural belief and practice, renouncing worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity are being perceived as unacceptable inappropriate wrongful way of being. People would be criticized and condemned by the passionate egoistic family, friends and relatives, if they don't engage in family, relative and friends social visit/meet up/get together/celebration, not to say, completely cutting off all kinds of contact and communication. There's nothing wrong with that, as it's everyone's freedom for what they think and believe as well as what they want to do and don't do with their life. These minds are not free, as they would loose the sense of meaningfulness and goodness, if for some reasons, desirable/agreeable worldly connection, relationship, interaction and activity are unavailable, especially for a prolonged period of time, that give rise to the sense of meaninglessness, emptiness, uselessness and loneliness to the mind.

The gross and subtle attachment/clinging/craving towards all kinds of relationship, connection, interaction and activity is one of the greatest obstacle for many yoga practitioners, including so called 'yoga teachers'. The great spiritual ambition/aspiration to be connected with people/other beings/nature, or fellow yoga community/family as much as possible, to be as meritorious and virtuous as much as possible, desiring to be transitioned towards better or higher realm of existence, to create/build yoga community, yoga school and/or yoga ashram, to hoard 'family/friends/brothers/sisters', 'students', 'disciples' and 'followers', under the 'good intention' to share 'yoga' or 'love' with as many beings as possible, are indeed the sign of subtle attachment/clinging/craving that the mind doesn't even aware of. All these names and forms of relationship/connection/interaction/activity/merit/virtue/better or higher realm or transition/the sense of meaningfulness, goodness and fulfillment deriving from spiritual aspiration, achievement, contribution, action and interaction, don't exist for the silent mind.

 

Though renouncing worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity, the dispassionate minds can still be performing actions that would be beneficial towards oneself and the world, but it's free from any 'ambition', 'aspiration', or 'intention', without expecting life or the world has to be in certain way according to particular desire, thinking and belief, but allowing life and the world being what it is. This 'intention-less action' is unthinkable for most passionate egoistic minds that believe in all actions must be inspired by and performed out of intention/aspiration and motivation to bring out certain result/success/achievement that they expect how it should be. These minds need to be driven by certain intentional motivation/expectation as well as certain result/achievement/recognition/acknowledgement/accreditation/appreciation/compliment/encouragement to perform all kinds of action.

It's everyone's freedom for what they know and don't know, what they understand and don't understand, and what they think and don't think.