The minds that are not aware of ignorance and egoism in itself, will just be spending the entire life time into engaging in worldly relationships, social connections and interactive activities, repeating the cycle of eat, sleep, work and play, chasing after the objects of the senses or the pleasurable enjoyments of the senses, gratifying the desire of craving and aversion, accumulating personal relationships and social connections, amassing superior social status and wealth, empowering the sense of goodness, righteousness, positiveness, joyfulness, success, achievement, satisfaction and meaningfulness. That's everyone's freedom of thinking, action and desire.
The minds that are aware of ignorance and egoism in itself, and want to be free from ignorance and egoism, but somehow, there are still many doubts and disturbs in the mind, then these minds might need to make an effort to renounce the worldly passionate egoistic way of life, cutting off all kinds of personal ties, social connections, communications and interactive activities, to be in seclusion and solitude for a prolonged period of time, for at least 5 to 6 years, or even more.
There's no harm in trying to renounce the worldly passionate egoistic way of life, especially for the minds that already have certain degrees of mental and emotional independence. The minds that have certain physical or mental illness, or have high physical, mental and emotional dependency on some others, might not be suitable for such renunciation.
After being in seclusion and solitude for some time, either the mind will begin to realize the benefits of renunciation, seclusion and solitude, where all kinds of gross and subtle attachment and identification starting to drop off by itself naturally, transcending all kinds of duality and separateness, be able to see the truth of names and forms as it is, be free from the bondage of ignorance and egoism, and realizing unconditional love (selfless compassion) and unconditional peace (being undetermined by the perception of names and forms of a selfless impermanent worldly life existence.)
Or, the mind might still can't let go worldly passionate egoistic attachment and identification, being defeated by the sense of loneliness, boredom, guilt and meaninglessness, and will runaway from seclusion and solitude going back to its normal worldly life routine of engaging in worldly personal ties, social connections and interactive activities, that makes the mind feels good and happy, positive and meaningful, to get rid of the sense of loneliness, boredom, guilt and meaninglessness.
Attending yoga retreats for a short period of time, from time to time, especially those that emphasize on the indulgence in pleasurable enjoyment of the senses with specific sights, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations, and strengthening the yoga community connection among one another by engaging in various forms of interactive yoga activities during the yoga retreats, doesn't work the same as renouncing the world completely for a prolonged period of time.
Similarly, being a monk or nun living together with the community of monks or nuns in a place away from the worldly society, where one is still engaging in worldly passionate habits of mingling and interaction among the monks or nuns community, enjoying the companionship and comforting among one other, it doesn't work, even after many years.
Yoga teachers who have been teaching yoga classes and retreats for many years, and have been attending various types of yoga and meditation retreats from time to time, but somehow, they still might not be free from the influence of passionate egoism and all kinds of worldly habits, actions and reactions, and hence, unwittingly guiding their yoga students in the way that is not about eliminating ignorance and egoism, but it's empowering the ignorance and egoism, and that's their freedom of thinking, action and desire.
It's common and unfortunate that some people who have good intention, to be good and do good, and want to do the right thing, who are hardworking and being highly responsible human beings to be looking after their loved ones and the surrounding environment, but somehow, the minds are still functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, constantly being determined and disturbed by the perception of names and forms that the minds don't like and disagree with, being angered and hurt by other people's behaviors that are bad and wrong, and being disappointed and hammered by what is happening in life and in the world that is undesirable and unpleasant.
Those who are worrying or condemning about the renunciation of cutting off personal ties, connections, communications and interactions with everyone in one's life means that one is being selfish, cruel, irresponsible, unloving and uncaring towards one's family, friends and community, that's their freedom of thinking, understanding, reaction and expression, however, that is only because they don't see that those who truly renounced all kinds of personal ties, relationships and connections, who are free from egoistic attachment and identification, are those who know how to love everyone unconditionally, without selfish possessiveness, desire and expectation towards all and everyone.
In fact, those who think and believe that they love their family and friends and community very much, but would be feeling unhappy, disappointed or angered by their particular thinking and behavior that they dislike and disagree with, and will be criticizing and condemning them as not a good spouse, or good parent, or good child, or good brother/sister, or good friend, or good community member, then it only shows that they themselves don't know how to love whom they think they love very much, but they are merely being possessive with selfish desire and expectation towards all kinds of personal ties, relationships and connections. They don't even know how to love and be kind to themselves. They only love their possessions and desires being the way that they like it to be.
And hence, those who really want to renounce all kinds of personal ties and connections to be free from ignorance and egoism, shouldn't be worried towards or be disturbed by the non-understanding and unhappy reactions and comments coming from those who think they love everyone very much, but not really. They only want to be loved or be treated by others in certain way that they would like it to be, the way that they think and believe how it should be.
May all be free from ignorance and egoism, and realize unconditional peace.
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