Low self-esteem and pride is the two sides of a coin. Real confidence is there as it is when one is free from being determined by the flipping coin to be 'I' that is swaying in between low self-esteem upon failure and pride upon success.
There are many different kinds of exploitation that exist in the world.
Particularly during this prolonged pandemic situation in the world that has taken away many people's livelihood.
Many people's life and livelihood are being impacted greatly by the prolonged lockdown in certain countries where the pandemic situation wasn't being handled efficiently.
There are also certain countries run by their government that have been handling the pandemic situation more efficiently that the other countries, where people's everyday life and livelihood aren't being affected too much by the pandemic like the many other people in some other countries.
Some people would have the common sense to be considerate towards other people's financial difficulty and suffering due to the prolonged lockdown in some other countries, even though they themselves might not be affected very much by the pandemic in their own countries.
Meanwhile there are also some people, who are not just don't have the conscience to be considerate towards other people's difficulty, but whether wittingly or unwittingly, in certain dealings, people are taking advantage out of other people's difficult condition to be exploiting other people especially those who are under desperation for survival, not to say, to be making a decent livelihood, under the impact of the prolonged pandemic lockdown in their countries.
This kind of exploitation are existing due to those who are in desperation, they have no other choices but would rather be exploited than to let themselves and/or their family to go hungry or to endure further difficulty.
Similarly, in order to stop encouraging or empowering this kind of exploitation, we ourselves don't take advantage of other people's desperation under difficult condition to be exploiting other people in anyway, regardless of whether out of desperation or out of greed and stinginess, but also, we ourselves don't allow ourselves to be exploited by those who would take advantage of other people's suffering to exploit other people, out of their greed and stinginess, no matter how much difficulty that we need to endure, for not giving in to exploitation by others, and not allowing exploitation to be happening to ourselves done by others and/or to others done by ourselves.
Unfortunately, even among the yoga community, who are supposed to be practicing reflective understanding towards other people's difficulty and suffering, but then either wittingly or unwittingly, out of worldly egoistic habitual behavior pattern, some yoga enthusiasts might be engaging in exploiting other people in certain situations, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Inquire the truth of everything.
Life in this world, can be like forever standing at the outside of a giant forest that is unknown to us, looking at the forest from our point of view of where we are with many wild imaginations towards what could be inside and beyond the forest, and never want to take the risk to be exploring what is inside and beyond the forest, to see and experience what is actually there, or we can choose to be walking into the unknown forest to explore what is there and beyond.
However, some people would be exploring the forest while claiming ownership over the space in the forest, exploiting what is in the forest, as well as transforming the space in the forest into something that they prefer, causing many kinds of damages.
Just as some people try to find a place on earth that they feel they belonged to, where they want to stay for as long as possible, and desire to establish a living space and community of their own in a particular way that they prefer, while exploiting what is there in the name of pursuing higher pleasurable enjoyment of life beyond the basic needs for survival, and causing many damages here and there, either wittingly or unwittingly.
While some people don't need to find or establish a sense of belonging, but just to explore the unknown as much as possible without exploiting anything along the way, and wherever they are, they live life as it is, without taking more than what they need to survive, without claiming ownership towards the space or trying to establish a living space or community of a particular way.
Unfortunately, many people growing up were being told that it's highly important to find and establish a sense of belonging towards a particular place, community, culture, belief, spirituality, and etc, as well as emphasizing on the pursue of higher pleasurable enjoyment in life.
Inquire the truth of everything.
People might relate minimalism with simplicity.
Minimalism does not necessarily mean simplicity.
In fact, there's a huge difference between them.
Minimalism is a form of trendy lifestyle that is linked to 'de-cluttering' from time to time.
In minimalism, people might be continuing buying many different things of the latest trends or products from time to time, as they need to decorate or redecorate their home and their physical appearance with different looks or styles from time to time, and they will need to 'de-clutter' their 'possessions' from time to time, to let go their 'used' things in order to create space for their 'new' things, so that they aren't accumulating too many things in their living space, in order to be qualified as a 'minimalist' who is living a 'minimalism' lifestyle, where people live with very few possessions at one time, which is nothing to do with simplicity at all.
There is no need of 'de-cluttering' in those who truly live a life of simplicity.
In simplicity, people not just don't keep too many things beyond what they need to live everyday life, but they will keep using the same few things for very long time until they are completely worn out, where they don't need to keep buying new things of the latest trends or products to replace the things that they are using, because they don't need to decorate or redecorate their home or their physical appearance with many different looks or styles from time to time, and hence, there's no need to 'de-clutter' their 'possessions' from time to time in order to create space for new things.
Minimalism is very welcomed by the world of capitalism and consumerism.
While the world of capitalism and consumerism might not like simplicity at all.
Inquire the truth of everything.
Being curious and asking about what other people believe and disbelieve is not yoga practice, and it doesn't lead to liberation from ignorance.
What everyone want to believe and disbelieve, is everyone's freedom.
There's neither good nor bad with different people having many different kinds of belief and disbelief.
Meanwhile, for those who want to practice yoga, is about opening the mind by going beyond all kinds of different belief and disbelief in the world, while detaching and dis-identifying from all kinds of belief and disbelief that are already existing in one's mind that have been influencing how this mind analyzes, judges, behaves, acts and reacts, and at the same time, respecting others for their belief and disbelief, or what they practice and don't practice.
What this mind believes and doesn't believe is not important.
What you think you believe and don't believe, or what you think you want or don't want to believe is not important.
What others believe and don't believe is not important.
One allows others to express what they want to express and to give their opinion and advice about this and that, but one shouldn't be influenced or determined by what others think, believe, disbelieve, or their opinion and advice about anything, or what others telling you what you should and shouldn't believe or disbelieve, even if it's coming from one's beloved and respected people in the world.
Those who are truly wise and compassionate wouldn't tell anyone what they should and shouldn't believe or disbelieve, but would be encouraging everyone to inquire the truth of everything. Those who would be offended by others who don't accept or follow their thinking, belief, disbelief, opinion and advice, only indicates that these minds are not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism. And it's everyone's freedom and responsibility for how they react towards everything.
Without blind-believing or blind-disbelieving in anything, but inquiring the truth of everything through self-inquiry.
The truth of things is not a belief. It's what things are, and everything is selfless and impermanent.
Yoga practice is about letting go all kinds of belief and disbelief, freeing the mind from being conditioned by any existing belief or disbelief in one's mind, not to say, being conditioned by any other people's belief or disbelief, but learning how to purify, discipline and quiet the mind to allow the mind to see things as they are.
Inquire the truth of everything.
There are minds grew up being conditioned or told by their elders and the surrounding community about, "We need to keep our head down. In many occasions, we need to keep one eye opens one eye closed. As long as it doesn't affect ourselves and our livelihood directly, we shouldn't bother about the others being threatened and hurt by the existence of discrimination and oppression in our society. Even if it affects us indirectly, we must keep our head down and not getting into troubles. Be obedient, do as they told, give them what they want, and keep them happy, then our life will be a lot easier."
This is the mentality of some, or many people living in the world of corruption, discrimination and oppression.
There is fear towards the so called 'authority', where it shouldn't be. Many minds are being conditioned since very young age to be 'very fearful' towards this and that, to be obedient, and one must believe that 'this' is the truth, instead of learning to be open to inquire the truth of everything.
"The authority" is 'supposed' to be a leader, or a team of 'public servants' that supports or serves the community non-discriminatively, that empowers and supports the enhancement of the overall well-being and prosperity of everyone in the society, for personal, community and environmental growth.
An "authority" that doesn't serve or support all and everyone without discrimination, that aren't looking after and supporting the welfare of everyone equally, but instead, only looking after the welfare of themselves and/or those in their own skin, while enforcing 'force', 'fear', 'threat', 'discrimination' and 'oppression' onto the others that are different from them and disagree with them, that are being disagreeable and dislikable to them due to their particular ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, financial status, educational status, culture, belief, values, practice, way of thinking, way of life, food choices, origins, or nationality, is not really an "authority". It's just a very sick mind, or an organization run by a group of 'mentally ill corrupted minds suffering from intense ignorance and egoism, that are prideful and yet, fear of losing power and control, or profit and wealth.'
Unfortunately, the mentality of "As long as it doesn't affect me personally and my livelihood, I still can enjoy my little 'goodies bag' of some limited rights and freedom given by the 'authority' because I am obedient, in which will be taken away from me if I am being disobedient, which I won't, I don't need to bother about the others being 'hurt' by the corruption, discrimination and oppression around me," would only empower such corruption.
Such like, "I'm not any of the LGBT community, I don't need to bother about the authority sanctions discrimination and oppression towards the LGBT community. Even if they are someone that I know personally. That's their problem, not my problem." or "I am privileged to be given certain rights, I am enjoying my little life. I shall not bother about the others whether they have rights and a life, or not." or "I am a man. I enjoy my privilege of being a man. I don't need to bother about women are being discriminated and oppressed by the authority in my community, even if I personally don't want to discriminate or oppress women for anything."
Needn't have any hopes about seeing a 'better' world that has less ignorance, egoism, selfishness, greed, corruption and discrimination, as none can remove the ignorance of others, but just do one's best of what is possible within one's ability, sharing the path of wisdom and compassion, in peace.
When people are learning how to read and write modern languages using Roman Alphabet, one begins with recognizing and pronouncing the letters of A, B, C, and so on. And then one learns about the utilization of the vowels a, e, i, o, u, and some combinations of different vowels, and so on. Then one will be learning how to pronounce and recognize simple words made out of the combination of letters and vowels. Then, one will advance further by pronouncing and recognizing more complicated and challenging words as well as learning about grammars and tenses while making sentences with combination of words utilizing appropriate grammars and tenses, and so on.
People would think and believe that basic or beginner yoga practice means learning and doing some simple and basic physical yoga poses or exercises (Asana), observing some code of conducts of do's and don't do's (Yama and Niyama), as well as doing some basic cleansing and breathing exercises (Kriya and Pranayama) to purify, balance and charge the energy centres and channels, to purify the mind on the gross level as well as rendering the mind calm and quiet, preparing the mind for the practice of withdrawal of the senses, concentration and meditation (Pratyahara, Dharana and Dhyana) that would purify the mind on subtler level.
As the body developed certain degrees of physical strength, flexibility and skill, the yoga practitioners will advance in their yoga asana practice by doing some more complicated and challenging physical yoga poses or exercises that require certain degrees of physical strength, flexibility and skill, as well as doing some advance cleansing and breathing exercises.
While many yoga enthusiasts would think and believe that 'practicing yoga' means doing some form of basic, intermediate and advance yoga poses and exercises, cleansing and breathing exercises, step by step, level by level, as the basic yoga practice that needs to be done for many years before one shall be introduced with the teachings of yoga about the modification of the mind and mind conquest about the annihilation of the mind, after the mind is rendered calm, pure and quiet.
There's nothing wrong with that understanding and procedure.
However, somehow, even after years and years of performing all kinds of 'basic/intermediate/advance' yoga practice regularly, and the body and mind has been gaining some physical and mental benefits as part of the side-effects of performing those yoga practice regularly, but the mind might still be functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, where it still has intense attachment and identification towards a personal and group identity that built on a particular worldly passionate social, cultural, spiritual, religious, regional, national or political thinking, belief, values, practice, actions and the fruit of actions, and hence, it's not free from the restlessness and suffering deriving from ignorance and egoism.
This is due to the practitioner is performing all kinds of physical and mental yoga exercises regularly getting all kinds of benefits, but without the basic foundation of dispassion, renunciation, desirelessness of non-craving and non-aversion, non-attachment and non-identification, to stop generating 'rubbish' from within the mind itself.
Maybe many yoga enthusiasts might not be aware of, actually in the traditional lineage of yoga, the new students are just living closely to the teacher and doing some daily chores for many years (some are up to 12 years), which is about developing the basic foundation of dispassion, renunciation, desirelessness of non-craving and non-aversion, non-attachment and non-identification, in order to be equipped with the 'mental fitness' before the students are being introduced to the yoga practice of Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Kriya, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi, and so on.
This 'mental fitness' or 'prerequisite' before the start of many different types of yoga practice is like the foundation of a house. If the foundation is not good enough, or is completely absent, then there will be many 'problems' with the house, risking those who live in the house and those who are in the surrounding environment as well, no matter how much effort and money has been spent onto decorating the inside and outside of the house with many precious and beautiful things.
This foundation in yoga, is about eliminating egoism and all kinds of worldly passionate egoistic influences in the mind. It's about performing actions and renouncing the fruit of actions.
The practice of dispassion and renunciation (disinterest towards worldly passionate objects and affairs, and moving away from worldly relationships, connections, interactions and activities), the practice of desirelessness of non-craving and non-aversion, and the practice of non-attachment and non-identification towards the qualities of names and forms, particularly towards the selfless impermanent physical body and modification of the mind, which will lead towards detachment and dis-identification towards all the existing 'worldly identities with qualities of names and forms' based on particular thinking, belief, values, practice, actions and the fruit of actions, is indeed the basic yoga practice that would be efficiently reducing or cutting off 'worldly passionate egoistic influences or inputs' in the mind, that would allow the mind to perceive everything as it is, and see things as they are, without being contaminated by any worldly thinking, belief, values and practice deriving from ignorance and egoism to analyze and judge everything, to act and react.
This well-trained mind stops generating 'rubbish' from within the mind. It stops hurting itself and/or others.
There's nothing wrong when the mind is practicing dispassion, renunciation, desirelessness, non-attachment and non-identification, but due to certain reasons and limitations, this mind might not be doing any particular form of yoga practice under particular names and forms.
It would be good also, if the mind is practicing many different types of yoga practice along with the foundation practice of dispassion, renunciation, desirelessness, non-attachment and non-identification.
Meanwhile, just by doing many different types of yoga practice under many different names and forms, but without the practice of dispassion, renunciation, desirelessness, non-attachment and non-identification, it could be something else, and most probably, the mind is still swaying between satisfaction and dissatisfaction, happiness and unhappiness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, joyfulness and painful sorrow, and so on, due to the momentary side-effects of performing the different types of yoga practice. Such as, after a yoga and/or meditation session, the mind says, "Wow! I feel so good." And then, if due to some reasons, there are certain days void of yoga and/or meditation practice, the mind says, "Mmm... I don't feel good."
Just like the knowledge and action of using the letters and vowels to create words and sentences, and expressing many ideas through writing while learning about many things through reading, is neither good nor bad. However, depending on the reasoning power to reason everything that we read, as well as depending on the intention of creating certain words and sentences, we can turn the knowledge and action of reading and writing into something beneficial or harmful. Just like a lawyer or a doctor can be utilizing their particular knowledge, skill and opportunity to be doing something beneficial or harmful to oneself and/or others depending on their reasoning power and intention.
What is determining the reasoning power and intention that influencing whether the minds utilize the knowledge, skill and opportunity to be doing something beneficial or harmful for oneself and/or others, is similar to the presence and absence of the basic foundation of dispassion, renunciation, desirelessness, non-attachment and non-identification that is influencing whether the minds utilize the knowledge, skill and opportunity in yoga to be doing something beneficial or harmful for oneself and/or others. There have been quite some corruptions existing in the world of yoga, even among those who have been practicing and teaching yoga for many years, this is due to these minds were/are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism. It's not the fault of the teachings or practices.
Some corrupted minds might even use the teachings of selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, non-duality of neither right nor wrong/neither good nor bad, as well as the practice of performing selfless community service of serve, love and give, desirelessness, non-attachment and non-identification to justify their own impure egoistic lustful misconducts of taking advantage, exploiting and hurting other people for satisfying their own lustful desires. Again, there is nothing wrong with the teachings and practice of yoga, but it's coming from these corrupted minds themselves, generating such misconducts out of their own ignorance, egoism and impurities. Even the 'victims' of these corrupted minds, themselves are not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, because the corrupted minds wouldn't have any opportunity to be taking advantage, exploiting or hurting the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism.
Inquire the truth of everything.
Yearning towards all kinds of freedom and rejection towards any kind of subjugation being imposed onto oneself is part of the basic instinct in all living beings.
All living beings want total or maximum freedom for themselves, however, there are also human beings that don't mind imposing subjugation or restriction onto other beings that they disagree with or dislike, either by themselves or by others. These minds want all kinds of freedom for themselves, but they disagree with or being dissatisfied with some others having their own freedom.
In the teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism, one doesn't impose subjugation or restriction onto any others, but, only through one's own freewill, one imposes subjugation or restriction onto oneself, to discipline oneself, to have self-control, in order to annihilate ignorance, egoism and impurities in oneself, to attain the highest freedom of existence, which is free from the inevitable restless suffering of names and forms that is subject to selflessness and impermanence, of a perceived worldly life existence deriving from the modification of the mind functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism.
Coming from the conscience of this mind itself, yearning to free itself from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, so that the existence of this body and mind, its thoughts, actions and speech wouldn't cause any painful suffering onto the others in the surrounding environment.
Many people would think and believe that 'democracy' or 'power to the people' is 'freedom from being ruled by others', or what people think and believe which will give them 'the power' that gives them 'the freedom' that they desire, where people have the power to choose and elect a group of people that represent them to form an authorization that will 'serve' them and 'give' them what they want, the way that they desire. But, 'democracy' is only 'sort of power and freedom' to a group of people who make up the majority, and not to the other groups of people who aren't the majority, because not everyone has the same interests and desires towards a world run by a particular system that they prefer and don't prefer. Meanwhile, 'the majority' with the similar interests and desires are not necessarily those who are free from the influence of ignorance, egoism, greed, possessiveness and selfishness, as well as those whom 'the majority' chosen and elected to represent them and form the authorization to serve the people, also might not necessarily be free from the influence of ignorance, egoism, greed, possessiveness and selfishness.
A 'system' that is generated and run by a group of corrupted minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance, egoism, greed, possessiveness and selfishness would be hurting many innocent common people who just want to live a simple honest life and hurting the surrounding living environment more than to be 'protecting' the benefits and welfare of the people non-discriminatively, or to be 'looking after' the welfare of the surrounding living environment.
That's why the teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism emphasized on the attainment of self-realization through self-conscience, self-freewill, self-effort, self-discipline, self-control, self-purification and self-inquiry to free one's mind from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, allowing a world that is self regulating under the law of nature, where all beings are self-initiated to free oneself from the influence of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, where all beings don't need to be regulated under a humans generated 'system' to be or not to be in certain way, or 'be so called protected' under the 'system', where liberation from ignorance and egoism in the beings will efficiently contribute to peace and harmony among all beings in the world of diversities. Then, either with or without a 'humans generated system' in the world, it's neither good nor bad, if the world (the people and the authority that serves the people) is free from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance.
Liberation from ignorance and egoism can never be achieved by the discrimination, regulation, oppression, disciplinary, control and threat imposed by others, or by receiving so called 'blessing' from 'someone or somewhere', but only through self-initiation and persevered self-effort to discipline, purify and silent one's mind.
It's never about out of self-righteousness based on a particular thinking, belief, practice, values, interests and desires to teach, judge, oppress, control, discipline, change, prosecute and punish the others that are different from oneself, that one disagrees with and dislikes.
It's not about achieving a world that is preferable to a particular group of people of a particular thinking, belief, practice, values, interests and desires, by running the world under a particular humans generated 'system of law and order' to regulate all and everyone to be and not to be in certain way according to a particular thinking, belief, practice, values, interests and desires.
Under the so called 'democratic system regulated under specific law and order' to be regulating and controlling the people in the world to be and not to be in certain way, some really good leaders with good intentions and great ideas that would benefit the overall welfare of the world also can't do much to free the world from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, due to being 'restricted' by the 'system of democracy' itself. It's not that 'democracy' is not good, it's just that real freedom for all and everyone without discrimination doesn't come from 'democracy'.
Above all, 'positive thinking' and 'optimism' also couldn't remove the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world.
Inquire the truth of everything.
Death might be perceived by many people as something sad, bad, dark, inauspicious, negative or terrible, but for those who understand the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of perceived names and forms, including the existence and function of this body and the modification of the mind, death is just a natural process of impermanent changes of this selfless body and mind.
It's everyone's freedom for what they think and how they feel towards 'death' of oneself and others, especially someone or something that oneself cherishes very much. It's normal and nothing wrong that people would perceive 'death' as something sad, bad, dark, inauspicious, negative or terrible.
There's nothing wrong with the different thinking, beliefs, reactions and emotions towards 'the inevitable natural process of changing, decaying and disintegrating since the moment of birth or the forming of names and forms', where everything is going through a continuous process of changes approaching death/disintegration, even after ceaseless effort of maintenance and enhancement being spent on the impermanent objects of names and forms, depending on how the different states of the minds perceive and understand everything differently from one another.
For some people, it depends very much on the ongoing, prolonged and current condition and situation in one's life existence and in the world, where during certain moments, being alive could be something far more challenging, complicated and painful than 'death' itself.
While for some others, life goes on no matter it's easy or difficult, and maybe, if possible, making good use of this impermanent selfless life existence to be doing something beneficial with this body and mind that will benefit oneself and others in this world of impermanence.
It's not about developing the sense of meaningfulness to be the motivation for continuing living especially under extreme harshness, but it's going beyond the good and bad condition and situation in life and in the world, appreciating what is possible in the present moment and letting go what is impossible in the present moment, without the need of developing the sense of meaningfulness to be the motivation to keep living, respecting all the selfless impermanent changes being what they are, as they are.
For yoga and buddhism practitioners, there's no 'I' existing to be going through the natural process of selfless impermanent changes, but merely the objects of names and forms, or the decaying selfless physical body and the restless modification of the perceptive thinking mind, being what they are, and they are selfless, and impermanent. These minds are able to appreciate all the good condition and situation or relationship that is existing in the present moment without attachment, and be able to let go, when good condition and situation or relationship has changed or is no longer available in the present moment.
Those who understand this, would be able to go and/or live somewhere else without any fear or hesitation when the condition and situation in a particular place is no longer suitable for living.
It's everyone's freedom, if people have very strong sense of belonging (attachment and identification) towards a particular place, as there is where they were born and grew up, and they think and believe that there is where they live and where they die, as well as there is where their family, relatives and friends are, and they feel reluctant to go anywhere else even when the condition and situation is no longer suitable for survival, not to say, for living a life.
Inquire the truth of everything.
Education, information, science and technology are no doubt some of the essential elements for promoting a higher quality of life for many people in the world. Although the attainment of a so called 'higher quality of life' for being able to enjoy all kinds of service, convenience, comfort and enjoyment, doesn't necessarily means freedom from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the minds and the surrounding living environment.
Many different kinds of innovative invention and creativity, engineering and architecture, informative telecommunication and interactive social media platform, food production and transportation, personal care and medical health care, all kinds of industries, and etc, are existing and constantly upgrading in the world because of the existence of and accessibility to education, information, science and technology.
Education, information, science and technology is neither good nor bad, as it has no intention to be something good or bad, but depending on the intention of the minds that are being given the 'opportunity', 'power', 'authorization' or 'responsibility' to facilitate and utilize education, information, science and technology, where either it can be 'used' to promote all kinds of 'wellness' that would benefit the overall welfare of all and everyone non-discriminatively as well as benefiting the well-being of the surrounding living environment, or it can generate many kinds of 'harmfulness' to the minds and the surrounding living environment.
If education, information, science and technology can be used to generate such huge influence and impact on people's living, thinking and behavior in a good way, it also can be influencing and impacting people's living, thinking and behavior not in a good way, especially if it's being facilitated and utilized by minds with impure intentions under the influence of ignorance and egoism.
And hence, it highly depends on those who have the 'power', 'authorization' or 'responsibility' to make decision and perform action that determining what type of education and what kind of information that is 'delivering' to the people, that are influencing the way of thinking, belief, values, behavior, action and reaction of the people in the world, which also indirectly impacting on the surrounding living environment, because it's the 'responsibility' of everyone for their action and inaction that are 'responsible' to be looking after or damaging the surrounding living environment depending on everyone's way of thinking, belief, values, behavior, action and reaction.
Education, information, science and technology shouldn't be interfered, influenced, manipulated or contaminated by any particular egoistic national, social, ethnical, cultural, religious, spiritual, commercial or political thinking, belief, values and interest. Only then, it will benefit all and everyone non-discriminatively and the surrounding living environment efficiently. Or else, if certain people, particularly people who involved in the world of commercialism and consumerism, influencers, leaders and authority in the world are functioning under the influence of egoism, where they use their 'power', 'authorization' and 'responsibility' to make decision and perform action that don't really aim at benefiting the welfare of all and everyone non-discriminatively, but only benefiting certain group of people, where education, information, science and technology has become their convenient 'tools' that would help them to achieve their particular ambition and desire under their particular national, social, ethnical, cultural, religious, spiritual, commercial or political thinking, belief, values and interest.
Even when there are some people have very good ideas and kind intention who work very hard trying to make the world a better place for all and everyone non-discriminatively, and to protect the surrounding living environment from many unnecessary destruction that could be avoided through activating certain decision and action, and no matter how incredible is science and technology progressing rapidly, it couldn't really help the world to be a better place that is free from all kinds of corruption and the consequences of corruption deriving from impure egoistic human minds, that has less unrest and discrimination but more peace and accommodation among the vast diversities, that doesn't damage the surrounding living environment so much, if the education, information, science and technology is being 'facilitated' and 'utilized' by certain people for accomplishing certain personal or group ambition and desire.
Human beings don't 'need' to 'buy' or 'obtain' so many 'things' or 'enjoyments' that produce so much 'rubbish' and 'other side-effects' into the world, and be able to live in peace and harmony with one another among all kinds of diversities, but because of the minds are easily be influenced by all kinds of inputs, and hence, education, information, science and technology are being 'facilitated' and 'utilized' by those who are under the influence of survival instinct and greed in the way that are harming the people's minds and the surrounding living environment more than to be benefiting them.
The great advice from the past gurus in Yoga and Buddhism for those who are easily be influenced by mind inputs - Staying away from TV, cinema, radio, theater, magazine, politics, and all kinds of social media communication and interaction that are being over-powered by commercialism, consumerism and advertisement, unless the mind has developed a firm foundation of non-attachment and self-inquiry towards the truth of everything.
A knife doesn't has the intention to be useful or harmful, to be a convenient tool that improves quality of life, or to be a 'tool' that hurts oneself and/or others, but depending on the state of the mind of the person who uses the knife, that can turn the knife into something useful or harmful.
The world will be peaceful as it is, when none try to paint the world with any particular colour that they like and desire, when none try to possess and control the world to be 'mine' or 'ours'. Unfortunately, many different groups of people are highly motivated and ambitious to be fighting against one another trying to conquer and control the world, to make the world to be the way that they like and desire.
It's not about, "We need to love and protect our world," even with kind intention, but it's about letting go the idea or desire of "We want 'our' world to be like this and not like that."
Even the existence of the teachings and practice of Yoga and Buddhism also has certain non-intentional influences on people's way of thinking, belief, values, behavior, action and reaction in the world, although the main teaching and practice is about disciplining and preparing the mind for performing self-inquiry to inquire towards the truth of everything, including the teachings and practice of Yoga and Buddhism, to attain self-realization, without blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating. It's never about trying to 'conquer', 'possess', 'control', 'oppress', 'influence' or 'change' the world to be or not to be in certain way under the influence of survival instinct or greed.
Inquire the truth of everything.
Yoga of self-inquiry and self-realization is for everyone, regardless of the different qualities of names and forms that present in the many different bodies and minds, regardless of the different degrees of ignorance and realization, regardless of the different conditions of the physical body and the different states of the mind, of different temperaments, personalities and characteristics, as well as regardless of the different conditions and situations of the surrounding environment.
Although, not all forms of yoga practice are suitable for everyone due to being limited by the different degrees of ignorance and realization, the different conditions of the physical body and the different states of the mind, of different temperaments, personalities and characteristics, as well as the different conditions and situations of the surrounding environment.
Regardless of what form of yoga practice that is suitable or unsuitable for the different bodies and minds being limited by the different qualities of names and forms, or what kind of yoga practice that is suitable or unsuitable in different conditions and situations under the influence of time, space and causation, all and everyone can practice yoga of self-inquiry and self-realization, of purifying, disciplining, quieting and silencing the modification of the mind, to annihilate ignorance and egoism, to realize selflessness and impermanence of all kinds of names and forms.
The practice of the elimination of egoism, is unlimited by any qualities of names and forms that is conditioned by time, space and causation, or selfless impermanent changes.
For example, someone who is suffering from certain illness, injury or limitation/disability in the present moment, or someone who has just eaten a heavy meal, or someone is not physically and/or mentally ready for certain teaching and/or practice, or there's no suitable time and space in the present moment, then certain type of yoga practice might not be suitable for this particular person under this particular condition and situation in the present moment. But then, it doesn't and couldn't stop this person from continuing practicing non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation. It doesn't stop this mind from being in the present, without being determined or disturbed by the action (including inaction, or action that is not possible or not suitable in the present moment) and the fruit of action, without being determined or disturbed by the selfless mind perception of names and forms that are pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, and desirable or undesirable.
Regardless of what is going on in the mind or in the surrounding environment, whether in action or in inaction, whether in calmness or in chaos, whether in joyfulness or in painful physical and/or mental suffering, yoga/the teachings of yoga/the yoga practice is there as it is, unlimited by time, space and causation, of ceaseless impermanent selfless changes, when the mind is free from the idea of 'I', egoism and the by-products of egoism.
Regardless of the different degrees of ignorance and realization in different minds, where some minds are free from the influence of ignorance, while some minds are under the influence of ignorance, and hence, there are different thinking, understanding, behaviors, desires, actions and inactions in different people, but then, all are the same impermanent and selfless names and forms, and all can be practicing yoga and realizing yoga, if they want.
The current pandemic situation has been affecting and changing many people's life. Especially in certain countries, where many different activities that used to be accessible for all, might be regulated under certain new rules and regulations now, where certain activities are becoming accessible or inaccessible for certain people due to their decision and action, where life is somehow becoming difficult or inconvenient for certain people who made certain decisions for action and inaction under their own particular thinking and desire, where certain activities such as 'physical in-person yoga activities' might be only accessible for certain group of people and inaccessible for other group of people regulated under the 'law' of certain countries, even so, all these rules and regulations can't stop anyone from learning, practicing, or realizing yoga.
For those who truly practice yoga, they make certain decision and perform certain action after weighing what is the most beneficial action that can help the world to move forward, that can help to minimize general healthcare system collapsing, and more importantly, that can help to lessen the financial, physical and mental suffering of many people being impacted by the pandemic situation, especially by the prolonged 'partial half-baked lockdown' in certain countries that doesn't work, but it has taken away many people's livelihood, where some people couldn't get through the challenging situation, and had chose to end their own lives.
For those who truly practice yoga and know what is the essence of yoga, which is selflessness, there's no such idea as 'This is my body, my choice, my freedom, my right' or 'I don't want to be the guinea pig for scientific testing that would benefit the next generations'. Although there's nothing wrong if some people are thinking in such way, and it's everyone's freedom for their particular thinking, belief, desire, action and reaction. Just that, if those who identifying themselves as 'sincere yogis who love yoga' or 'compassionate beings who advocate compassionate actions', but then, the minds are being occupied and influenced by such ideas to act and react, then they haven't realized the essence of yoga, of selflessness and compassion. Again, there's nothing wrong, and it's their freedom of thinking, desire and action/reaction.
For the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, that realized selflessness and compassion, what is 'I don't want to be the guinea pig for scientific testing that would BENEFIT the next generations' or 'This is my body, my choice, my freedom, my right'?
This is not about 'right and wrong', 'good and bad'.
This is not about agreeing with or supporting corrupted authorization, oppression, discrimination or human rights infringement.
This is not about everyone, especially yoga practitioners, should 'sacrifice' themselves for others or to benefit others, in order to be portraying 'selflessness and compassion', or to be identifying as 'selfless compassionate beings', but it's about this mind knowing what is occupying and over-powering this mind that influence this mind's way of thinking, reasoning, judging, behavior, desire, action and reaction.
Yoga, or the teachings and practice of yoga, doesn't discriminate any names and forms, behavior, action/reaction. It exists particularly for the minds that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism. The minds that are already being free from ignorance and egoism don't need to learn, practice or realize yoga. There's no judgment of 'This is bad and wrong due to ignorance and egoism' or 'Being ignorant and egoistic is bad and wrong'. There's no authorization of 'This is wrong and sinful, and hence, it's punishable and suffering deserving' or 'People should think and behave like this, and shouldn't think and behave like that'. There's no discrimination of 'This is not qualified for yoga and yoga practice' or 'This is not eligible for realizing yoga, or unconditional peace'.
All and everyone who truly want to learn, practice and realize yoga, must be taught, or learn how to look into their own mind, to know what is going on in the mind; developing the foundation of self-control, self-discipline and self-independence; freeing the mind from being conditioned by all kinds of worldly passionate egoistic social, cultural, religious, spiritual and political thinking, belief, values and practice; purifying, disciplining, quieting and silencing the modification of the mind; practicing non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation, to eliminate the idea of 'I' or 'the ego' and egoism; allowing the mind to be open, to be quiet, to perform self-inquiry inquiring towards the truth of names and forms, including the teachings of yoga, allowing the mind to see things as they are; to realize the truth of selflessness and impermanence; to be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.
If some minds who think and believe that they love yoga very much, that they are practicing yoga, that they are highly experienced and knowledgeable about what is yoga, but would be 'offended' by this teaching, that's their freedom of thinking, action and reaction. Just that this teaching might not be suitable for these minds, yet.
Any action that we perform and any decision that we make, even in some simple things like breathing, eating, drinking, walking, talking, opening and closing the door or window, cleaning, washing, or even sleeping, will have certain risks that we might not think of, not to say, for certain people who have certain physical or mental illness, injuries or limitations to be doing something, or for those who have certain allergic reactions towards certain elements in the surrounding environment, objects, sounds, smells, shapes, colours, images, food, drinks, drugs, medications, minerals or chemicals, and etc.
Even with sufficient understanding about our own physical body and mind and its ability and limitation in the present moment, as well as paying maximum attention while performing our yoga practice without forcing the body beyond its limitation, also cannot guarantee that there won't be any physical and mental unpleasantness or adverse reaction during and/or after the practice, not to say, when we have very little understanding about our own physical body and mind and its ability and limitation, or if we don't pay attention onto our practice, or pushing the body to go beyond its limitation, and/or without awareness towards certain risk factors that exist in the surrounding environment.
Some people are not suitable to perform certain yoga practice, while some people are not suitable to perform some of the yoga poses or exercises due to some existing physical and/or mental illness, injuries, or limitations. Not everyone have the same condition of the physical body or the same state of the mind. Even the physically and/or mentally fit people who first try to perform some of the yoga practice or yoga asana practice would also encounter certain unpleasantness or difficulty, and might even develop some adverse reaction during and/or after the practice, not to say, for certain people who are physically and/or mentally unfit, where they might encounter great unpleasantness and adverse reaction during and/or after the practice, which may take some time and regular practice for the body and mind to develop certain degrees of understanding, skill, technique, acceptance, familiarity, patience, tolerance, forbearance, adjustment, adaptation and accommodation towards the practice.
Does that means 'yoga practice', or 'yoga asana practice', or 'certain yoga practice and yoga asana practice' are something 'unsafe' or 'bad' for people, and people shouldn't practice yoga?
Again, it depends on the different states of the mind under the influence of different degrees of ignorance, some minds will think and say, "Yes. That means yoga practice is unsafe and bad for people. It may cause unpleasantness and adverse reaction to our body and mind. We all shouldn't practice yoga," while some minds have different understanding and say, "No. It doesn't. Everything has risk. We take risks at our own responsibility. There are many elements that can influence and minimize/maximize the risks to the minimum or maximum."
There are also many imperfect impure minds within the yoga community whose thinking, action and speech are not perfect, as well as scandalous misconducts existing within the world of yoga. It doesn't mean that 'yoga' or 'the teachings of yoga' is something 'wrong' or 'bad'. Although for those who don't have the basic correct understanding, they would think and say, "Yoga and the teachings of yoga must be so wrong and bad."
If the truth of something is 'nothing good but bad', then everyone who take that thing will all experience 'nothing good but bad reaction', and vice versa. Just like any kinds of drug or medicine might not be perfect or suitable for everyone. Everyone might react towards the same drug or medicine differently. It doesn't mean that the drug or medicine is something good or bad. It is neither good nor bad, but just having its own particular purpose and effect that might work differently on different individuals.
Whether we are aware or unaware of it, most of the time, we all are dealing with many kinds of risk assessment and risk taking while being existing and living in this world.
More importantly, it's about investigating the truth of everything via self-inquiry, measuring what will bring more benefits than harms, be bold and responsible to make any decision or perform any action in everyday life, while taking any potential risks that come along with making those decisions and performing those actions, without fear, blame and regret. It's also everyone's freedom of whether they want to take certain risks, or not.
There's nothing wrong if we don't know much about many things. There's nothing wrong to think and say, "I don't know," or "I'm not sure," as well as be open to inquire the truth towards something that we don't know and aren't sure about. It's better than blind-agreeing/disagreeing, blind-following, blind-practicing and blind-propagating something without thorough investigation towards the truth of it.
Unfortunately, many minds, including some yoga practitioners/teachers, are unaware of themselves are being influenced and conditioned deeply by certain stories, ideas and beliefs to reason and judge everything. While self-inquiry is about freeing the mind from the influence of any particular way of thinking, ideas and beliefs existing in the mind, to allow the mind to see things as it is.
The essential teachings in Yoga and Buddhism, is about selflessness and impermanence.
The essential practice in Yoga and Buddhism, is about purifying, disciplining, quieting and silencing the modification of the mind, or the perceptive cognitive assertive thinking faculty.
There's no 'I'.
There's neither 'I' am thinking nor not thinking.
There's neither 'I' believe nor don't believe.
There's neither 'I' am acting nor non-acting.
There's neither 'I' am giving nor receiving.
There's neither 'I' am enjoying nor suffering.
There's no 'I' am good or bad.
There's no 'I' to be going through impermanent changes of ceaseless births and deaths.
There's neither 'I' to be identifying with nor not identifying with the thought process.
There's neither 'I' am the thought process nor 'I' am not the thought process.
There's no 'I' to be aware or unaware of the thought activities.
There's no 'I' am observing or witnessing the thought process.
The 'I' or 'self', that the thinking faculty thinks and believes as 'an individual existence of I', is just an idea or a stream of continuous thoughts supported by the function of memory under the influence of ignorance.
From the idea of 'I', there arise egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, expectation and separateness within the modification of the mind, or the thought activities of the perceptive cognitive assertive thinking faculty, under the veil of ignorance.
There's neither 'I' am selfless nor 'I' am not selfless.
There's no 'I' realize selflessness.
It's just the perceptive cognitive thinking faculty starts to see the truth of things as it is.
It's just the mind being aware of the thought activities.
It's just the mind sees itself, or knows Thyself.
It's just impermanent selfless names and forms arising and passing away, forming, changing and deforming, under the influence of cause and effect, powered by energy and elements.
The realization of selflessness and impermanence leads to the realization of timelessness.
There's neither past nor future.
It's merely the mind perception of selfless impermanent changes of names and forms in NOW that gives rise to the idea of 'time'.
'Time' is merely the reflection of ceaseless impermanent changes of selfless names and forms, of selfless forming, changing, decaying, aging, dying, and deforming or disintegration, in all kinds of names and forms, regardless of sentient beings or non-sentient objects.
When the mind is silent, when there's no stream of continuous thought activities, when there's no recollection of memories, what is 'I'? What is 'individual identity and life existence'? What is 'impermanent changes'? What is 'time'? What is 'the world'? What is 'desire'? What is 'good'? What is 'bad'? What is 'fear'? What is 'guilt and regret'? What is 'positive and negative'? What is 'meaningfulness and meaninglessness'? What is 'happiness and unhappiness'? What is 'superiority and inferiority'? What is 'love and connection'? What is 'loneliness'? What is 'hurt'? What is 'pleasure and suffering'? What is 'end of suffering'? What is 'liberation'?
Do not blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating.
Inquire the truth of everything through self-inquiry and self-realization.
Go beyond the thinking, the beliefs, the identification, the aspiration, the inspiration, the perceived world of names and forms, the selfless modification of the mind.
Be free.
Letting go and moving away from one's native living environment that one cherishes and familiars with, without wasting energy and effort into fighting against ignorance and the consequences of ignorance that ceaselessly occupying that particular surrounding living environment, is not weakness at all. Instead, it's the greatest strength that allows oneself to move forward without fear and worry towards the unknown or uncertainty.
Choosing to move away from a living environment that is drowning in too much ignorance and the consequences of ignorance that directly and indirectly impacting one's over-all physical and mental well-being, and not wasting energy and effort into fighting against ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world, is not about running away from the perceived reality that is unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable, or challenging. Fighting against the ignorance of others is completely useless, because none can remove the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance of other beings in the world.
Even though none can find any place in this world that is completely be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, but one can appreciate the rest of one's life span by choosing to be in a space that has less ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, that allows possible constructive improvement in oneself and/or others, if that's possible. If it's not possible, then one can let it be. In the end, all are just selfless and impermanent changes of names and forms.
It's wisdom and compassion towards this mind, by conserving energy and diverting life and attention onto some other things and actions that would lead to more constructive improvement for over-all physical and mental well-being in oneself and/or some others, truly appreciating and making good use of this impermanent selfless life existence, if possible, without attachment.
Meanwhile for the many egoistic minds, letting go and choosing not to fight but to retreat, and being free from egoism of attachment, identification and expectation, without ambition to conquer the world to make the world 'mine' and 'to be the way that I desire and the way that I think how it should be', is weakness. That's their freedom of thinking, belief, values and practice.
It has to come from the mind's own awareness, initiative and effort to acknowledge the presence of ignorance in itself, to discipline and purify itself, to inquire the truth through self-inquiry and self-realization, and free itself from ignorance.Being in a space that is full of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, is like being on a ship in the middle of the huge ocean that is full of other human beings who think and believe that the ship belongs to them, and all have their own ambition to make the ship and all the others to comply to their own particular desire, way of thinking, belief, values and practice. Everyone also think that they love 'their' ship very much, but then, they don't really look after the over-all well-being of the ship as well as ceaselessly fighting and harming one another while trying to be the master of the ship, to be in power and in control of the ship and the occupants to become exactly the way that 'I' desire, where none welcome but would be offended by any wise advice for constructive improvement for oneself and others. Then, no matter how much energy and effort someone tries to put into looking after the over-all well-being of the ship, it's useless. Just let them have the ship for themselves the way that they desire.
If there are no other ships available, then one has no choice but remaining on that ship no matter how bad it is. But, if there's a possibility of another ship where there's less ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, where more people are self-initiated to be looking after the over-all well-being of the ship without the sense of belonging or authority, where most occupants don't have ambition to conquer one another to make the ship 'mine' or to make everyone complying to 'my desire, my way of thinking, my belief, my values and my practice', as well as welcoming others who would lead to all kinds of constructive improvements for the ship and everyone on that ship, then one can choose to be on that ship as well, where peace and harmony, wisdom and compassion are most welcome.
Maybe there are people who don't like peace and harmony, who don't appreciate wisdom and compassion, but they prefer life existence under the sense of authority and possessiveness, pride and arrogance, discrimination, oppression, intrusion, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, violence, unrest, and all kinds of ignorance induced suffering. That's their freedom.
Some people might be thinking and believing that, "I am a compassionate being. I love this ship. This ship needs me. This ship is part of me. I am part of this ship. We are a family. I need to do my best to make improvement for this ship and all the others who are on this ship. I cannot abandon this ship and all the others who are suffering due to their own ignorance and the consequences of ignorance. It's selfish and cruel for me to abandon them while it's possible for me to be on another well looked after ship occupied by wise and compassionate occupants. And hence, I will not go anywhere else and would stay here and hope to make a change for better improvement on this ship. Someone has to be here to clean up the mess that created by others endlessly." That is people's freedom of thinking and action, though it has nothing to do with wisdom and compassion.
Under wisdom and compassion, unless one is incapable to do so due to some inevitable reasons, everyone learn to clean up their own body and the facility by themselves after peeing and shitting. Those who are not incapable to clean up by themselves, but merely reluctant to do so, while peeing and shitting everywhere as they like, or expecting some other people to do the cleaning up for them, and someone offers to clean up for them by thinking and believing that this is being kind and compassionate, but it's not. This is not about people don't need to be kind and generous towards one another if everyone is being independent physically, mentally and emotionally, or if none is needing any kind of help from others. It's a complete different story, if people are being generous and kind towards one another, where people would help one another when help is needed, or do something nice for one another randomly out of generosity and loving kindness.
Knowing the bowl that is shared among many others is full of stubborn impurities and cracks, due to many others ceaselessly staining and damaging the bowl as they constantly fight against one another to 'own' the bowl just for themselves in order to only put in specific food that they prefer and to gain certain personal benefits using the bowl, while none willingly to clean up and look after the bowl, but then someone is still hoping to clean up the bowl and repairing the old and new cracks caused by all the others, while putting in all kinds of well-prepared wholesome and clean food into the forever dirty and cracked bowl for oneself and the others, where many others don't want to consume that kind of food, where oneself and some others are actually ended up consuming the contaminated food and suffering for it, which is unnecessary, while hoping that somehow be able to 'transform' the dirty and cracked bowl into a clean and crack-less bowl 'one day', thinking that "This is 'our' bowl, I need to look after and protect this bowl no matter what," this is nothing but egoism of attachment, identification and expectation deriving from ignorance.
It's the same as offering wholesome and clean food in a clean bowl to those who don't appreciate and don't want wholesome and clean food, and those who are already full with many food that they prefer, will only end up in the food being thrown away. But then the mind strongly thinks and believes that it is practicing compassion, and it keeps doing that, hoping that one day eventually, people would appreciate the wholesome and clean food in a clean bowl, it doesn't matter how much food and effort will be wasted. Why not offering the food to those who are hungry in the present moment, and those who are looking for and appreciate wholesome and clean food?
It's not discrimination, when you stop giving something to people who refuse to accept or don't want to receive the thing that you give, instead, giving it to those who need it and who want it. It's not non-compassionate when you allow everyone to learn from their own mistakes or consequences of ignorance, and learn to become independent physically, mentally and emotionally.
There's nothing wrong when the mind is being affected and disturbed by something that the mind perceives as unpleasant, undesirable or disagreeable, as the mind is not free from ignorance and egoism yet.
The difference between a mind that is free from being influenced by ignorance and a mind that is under the influence of ignorance, is whether the mind is aware of and understands that this disturbance is due to this mind itself is still not completely be free from ignorance and egoism yet, and hence, this mind will continue to work diligently to annihilate ignorance and egoism from itself, or, the mind firmly thinks and believes that this disturbance is due to all the unpleasant, undesirable and disagreeable happenings, actions/reactions and behaviors that this mind believes and judges as bad and wrongful deriving from the ignorance of other people in the world.
'Gratefulness' is a natural reflection of 'Contentment' (and vice versa) in oneself arising from within oneself, regardless of whether there's a reason for it, or not. It's neither something good nor bad, as it doesn't change the truth of names and forms being what it is, even though the presence of the sentiment or the thought of 'gratefulness' and 'contentment' in the mind can help certain people to get through certain challenging difficulties in life more easily.
But, nowadays, 'Gratefulness' or 'Contentment' has become something that is widely being misused by many people trying to 'advice' or 'threaten' other people, either wittingly or unwittingly, out of certain intention, expecting other people to be grateful or content, by telling other people, "You all should be grateful and content for the good things that you already have, and shouldn't be difficult or complaining about anything else." Some people believe in and tell others, "If you don't know how to be grateful, all your good karma will be gone, and bad karma will come to you."
Some even propagate, "Just by being alive and still breathing in this present moment, people should be grateful and content. Why are people complaining about non-functional government, selfish politics, poverty, corruption, discrimination, unjust, prejudice, crimes, violence, or some other forms of human imperfections?" or "You have a good and comfortable life, you should be grateful for the privilege that you have, why do you want to be busybody minding about other people's suffering and get yourself into 'troubles'?"
Showing concern and going against towards the existence of all kinds of unnecessary suffering in the diverse human society resulting from non-functional bias and corrupted system and leadership run by human beings under the influence of survival instinct, selfishness, greed and self-righteousness deriving from ignorance and egoism, is nothing to do with being ungrateful or discontented towards 'All the good things that we already have.'
Being at peace, being grateful and content in the present moment now with or without particular reason, while being undetermined or undisturbed by all kinds of suffering and difficulties resulting from ignorance and corruptions in the world, accepting the perceived reality in the present moment now as it is, regardless of whether it is pleasant/desirable or unpleasant/undesirable, as the mind is void of egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment or expectation, it doesn't mean that one is void of selfless actions, or one is keeping quiet, agreeing, supporting, encouraging, ignoring, or denying towards all kinds of ignorance and corruptions that are existing in this world of selflessness and impermanence.
Meanwhile, performing selfless actions showing concern and going against towards the existence of many unnecessary suffering resulting from ignorance and corruptions in this world of selflessness and impermanence, it doesn't mean that one cannot be peaceful, or should be disturbed and determined by all kinds of suffering and difficulties mentally or emotionally, or is being ungrateful or discontented, or is under the influence of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment or expectation. The teaching and practice of non-attachment, non-identification, desireless, non-judgment and non-expectation doesn't mean that one should just stand there not moving away from being abused by some abusers while encouraging more abuse to be happening.
The poison itself has no intention to be poisonous, or not. Knowing something is poisonous and still want to take the poison as the mind strongly believes in "I am fit and healthy, I am protected from being harmed by anything," and suffer from it, is pure ignorance. It's nothing to do with non-attachment or non-judgment.
The 'neither right nor wrong' in the teaching and practice of non-judgment, is about non-attachment towards or going beyond the conditional qualities of names and forms that are subject to selflessness and impermanence, it's not about approving wrongfulness, or seeing everything as all good, right or positive and nothing bad, wrong or negative. The truth of names and forms are neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, but the egoistic intention of human's impure mind that put into the selfless intentionless names and forms can generate beneficial or harmful consequences.
Those who know this, they can be doing their best, performing necessary actions in the world that might help the world to have less unnecessary suffering and difficulties due to ignorance and corruptions, without attachment, identification, desire, judgment or expectation towards their actions and the fruit of their actions, or towards the world of selflessness and impermanence governed by the nature's law of cause and effect, while being undisturbed and undetermined by all kinds of ignorance and corruptions.
There is no such thing as "Be grateful and content for all the good things that we already have, that we are still alive and still breathing, and need not be concerning or complaining towards all kinds of ignorance and corruptions in the world," as that is merely something created out of the egoistic selfish intention of certain ambitious people who want less obstacles hindering them from achieving their selfish greedy ambitions, may it be something political, religious, spiritual, ethnical or cultural under a particular thinking, belief, values and aspiration.
For example, a good and functional and humble 'authority' will not and don't need to tell the people to be grateful and stop complaining about anything, by oppressing freedom of expression. It's only a corrupted and non-functional and arrogantly defensive 'authority' will 'tell', or 'remind', or 'threaten' the people to 'be grateful', as they don't like and would disallow any complaint and criticism towards their shortcomings, as they are too arrogant to acknowledge shortcomings in them, not to say, to consider other people's knowledge and different opinions that could help them to be more functional.
The world's history is formed by actions and the consequences of actions. The history of human beings is made by human beings, either intentionally or unintentionally, and our actions in the present moment now, determining what kind of history we are making.
Everyone has the freedom to perform certain actions, or not, out of their own free will and understanding, while all actions, including inaction which is also a form of action, will bring along the consequences of actions, regardless of whether the fruit of action is being the way that the minds think and believe how it should be, or not.
In yoga practice, one needs to know how to free one's mind from being conditioned and influenced by any particular political, religious, spiritual, ethnical or cultural thinking, belief, values and aspiration, allowing the mind to inquire the truth of names and forms as it is, and hence, be able to make the best decision and perform the best action that would bring more benefits than harm or more peace/kindness than unrest/hatred into the world, as there's no perfect decision or perfect action and perfect fruit of action can be found in this world of selflessness and impermanence.
Yoga practitioners, especially yoga teachers or yoga community leaders, who understand this, will not try to influence or dictate other people's decision and action based on one's particular physical condition and ability/limitation, or based on one's particular political, religious, spiritual, ethnical or cultural thinking, belief, values and aspiration, but allowing all and everyone to free their own minds from being conditioned by any particular influences, to inquire the truth of everything as it is, to make their own decision independently and perform necessary action out of their own direct understanding through self-inquiry.
There's nothing wrong and it's okay to have pleasant and unpleasant thoughts, feelings and emotions, arising and passing away in the perceptive thinking mind. More importantly, it's having the core understanding towards selflessness and impermanence, be free from egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment or expectation towards all kinds of names and forms arising and passing away, selflessly and impermanently. The modification of the mind is just what it is. Unconditional peace is there as it is, undetermined by the selfless impermanent modification of the mind/actions and the fruit of actions/conditions and situations in the perceived world of names and forms, neither arising nor passing away, neither appearing nor disappearing, neither increasing nor decreasing.
One can be dispassionate and renounce from worldly affairs, activities and relationships, but it doesn't mean that one wouldn't be performing selfless actions that would help the world to move forward, without attachment or expectation towards the world has to be or not to be in certain ways. This is nothing to do with generating good karma or avoiding bad karma, not to say, the presence or absence of gratefulness or contentment. Unless the mind is still being disturbed and determined very much by the condition and situation in the world, then one can completely retreat from performing any actions in the world, to be looking after one's mind before one can serve the world efficiently, in peace.
"Should yoga practitioners believe in science and be vaccinated, or not?"
One is fearless towards making the appropriate decision and the consequences of one's decision, uninfluenced by one's family and friends and community's different opinions about the vaccines. There's no perfection in any decision and action. There are pros and cons in any actions. The fearless beings perform actions based on what is most beneficial for the world to move forward, without attachment, identification, judgment, or expectation.
The teachings of yoga doesn't discriminate any kind of names and forms, not to say, anyone's decision towards getting vaccinated, or not, especially in a prolonged pandemic situation. The difference between yoga practitioner and non-yoga practitioner is whether one inquires the truth of everything without being influenced by any particular worldly thinking and belief that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism to judge everything, or not.
It's the same as in the world of Yoga and Buddhism. Those who appoint and identify themselves or some others as the authority/authorization of Yoga or Buddhism to be claiming 'ownership' or 'authorization' over Yoga or Buddhism, to be 'controlling' and 'regulating' the activities of Yoga and Buddhism in the world, to authorize or sanction this and that, under the name of 'protecting the purity or authenticity of Yoga or Buddhism', or 'maintaining a higher quality in Yoga or Buddhism practice or dissemination', then obviously they have no idea what is Yoga or Buddhism. Even an enlightened being wouldn't appoint and identify oneself or anyone as "The authority of Yoga or Buddhism."
Authority of any kind doesn't exist in the truth of the universe governed by the law of nature, of cause and effect, where all and everything are subject to the truth of Impermanence and Selflessness. Not even the selfless almighty 'God existence' that many human beings believe in, is self-appointed or self-authorized as the highest authority of the universe to be busy authorizing or non-authorizing this or that, to be governing, discriminating, monitoring, regulating or controlling this or that for being existing, changing, decaying and ceased existing under the law of nature.
Unfortunately, many human beings are being brought up in the way to live a life that is based on the sense of belonging and pride towards a national identity, personal identity, gender identity, sexual orientation identity, ethnic identity, cultural identity, educational identity, religious identity, spiritual identity, social class identity, body image identity, financial status identity, community identity, political identity, 'authorized/approved/recognized' identity, 'respect deserving' identity, and so on, that doesn't eliminate but empowers ignorance and egoism.
Those who want to think positive and be optimistic towards developing and hoping for a 'better' world, will only end up in great disappointment. Free from positive or negative, optimism or pessimism, one can do one's best for what one thinks and believes as beneficial for oneself while living in this world and/or for the over-all welfare of the world, but without attachment or expectation towards the actions and the fruit of actions, and allowing the world being what it is, full of ignorance and egoism and the consequences of that.
Performing beneficial actions for oneself and/or the world, but without any intention of controlling, changing or expecting anything and anyone to be or not to be in certain way, is the essence of Yoga or Buddhism.
There are some human beings are truly selfless and compassionate serving the community of diversity and helping the less fortunate human beings or non-human beings, non-discriminatively. They might not be involving in any form of yoga practice, but they are the 'yogis', who perform selfless service to benefit the world without being determined or disturbed by the ignorance and selfishness in the world. There are people who are also doing something to help others, but with particular intention to convert others to take up or believe in their particular religious belief and practice, or to be getting other people's support towards a particular political party or social group, that is nothing to do with 'selfless service'.
Inquire towards the truth of everything.
Transcending existing difficulties won't change the difficulties into something else, and won't make the difficulties become less or disappear. But through understanding and non-attachment, one is not being determined by the difficulties. The difficulties are just being what they are. They arise, change and pass away as they are, at their own cause.
Just as knowing the truth of things won't change the things being what they are.
The direct experience of different types of difficulties allows the mind to understand towards the many types of suffering that different minds might go through.
Many people believe in and propagate 'the law of attraction or desire', "Don't think of negative things and there will be no negative things come into your life, or, only thinking about positive things and there will be only positive things come into your life."
That's their freedom of thinking and desire. It's not the practice of Yoga or Buddhism.
The teachings of Yoga and Buddhism teach about the law of nature, the law of cause and effect, the truth of selflessness and impermanence, the relationship between ignorance and suffering, and the practice of non-attachment and desirelessness of non-craving and non-aversion as the path of liberation.
Transcend the thinking mind. Transcend all the names and forms. Transcend the world of ignorance and egoism. Transcend birth and death. Transcend all kinds of dualities. Everything is just what they are. They are neither positive nor negative. Need not pushing away or craving for this or that. Allowing everything being what they are, as they are, and all are selfless and impermanent.
Suffering arise upon the presence of attachment and desire. Free from attachment and desire, there's no suffering.
All kinds of fear exist following attachment and desire. Free from attachment and desire, fear doesn't exist.
Freedom from fear is liberation, is freedom, is peace.
Be free.
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