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Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Unconditional peace, love and acceptance or non-interference doesn't mean inaction

The mind that realized unconditional peace and love, being free from ignorance and egoism, being undetermined and undisturbed by all kind of corruptions or corrupted behaviors deriving from the many corrupted minds in the world of ignorance and egoism, can be performing many actions selflessly, being free from egoistic attachment, identification, judgment and expectation towards the actions and the fruit of actions.

The realization of selflessness and compassion, being able to love and accept all and everything unconditionally as they are, and void of any egoistic desire or intention to be interfering with the ignorance in other minds that is impacting the condition and situation in the world, it doesn't mean that the selfless mind that is void of desire or intention will be in a state of inaction or actionless, cease performing any actions in the world to be maintaining the life existence of the physical body, or not making use of the remaining life existence of the physical body to be performing selfless actions of disseminating dhamma into the world of ignorance and egoism, that might or might not bring any awareness to the minds that are lost in ignorance and suffering. Or else, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, Swami Sivananda and Ajahn Chah wouldn't be performing so many years of selfless actions of disseminating the dhamma/teachings until their physical body ceased functioning at their own cause respectively.

The selfless mind can be performing many actions out of compassion without egoistic attachment, identification, desire, judgment and expectation, that might or might not help the corrupted and suffering minds that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism to be aware of the ignorance and egoism in themselves, and be initiated to be free from ignorance and egoism, or not. There's no attachment or expectation towards such actions and the fruit of actions has to be or not to be in certain ways. The mind is undetermined and unaffected by the actions and the fruit of actions.

Habitual random egoistic reaction without awareness under the influence of ignorance, is different from selfless actions free from the influence of ignorance and egoism being performed under the presence of wisdom and compassion. Such selfless actions without egoistic desire or intention to be interfering with or changing other minds being what they are, are not the same as autonomous egoistic reaction towards something under the influence of egoistic desires and don't desires, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements that has intention and expectation towards the fruit of 'action' (egoistic reaction) to be in certain ways.

Such as preparing for the practice of concentration and meditation. One performs necessary actions regularly to prepare the body and mind to have the focus and be able to be in a steady position comfortably for concentration and meditation. That is nothing to do with reaction. Performing certain practice that help to free the mind from ignorance, is also nothing to do with reaction. And then, during the practice of concentration and meditation, one is being aware of and observes the pleasant and unpleasant physical sensations/thoughts/feelings arising, changing and passing away without attachment or grasping, without craving or aversion. That is non-reaction.

Without the desire or intention to change the world to be or not to be in certain ways, the selfless mind can be performing certain actions selflessly under the presence of wisdom and compassion that might or might not help to bring more peace and harmony or lessen the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world. It's free from the attachment, identification, desire or craving and aversion or intention of "I don't desire, like or agree with this, and hence, I want/need to do something to change this to become something that I desire, like and agree with."

Upon being aware of certain corruptions or corrupted behaviors in the world deriving from ignorance and egoism in the corrupted minds, and free from being disturbed by the existence of such corruptions, unconditional love and acceptance or non-reaction doesn't mean that the selfless mind that is resting in unconditional peace won't be performing any actions that might bring certain awareness into the world that might or might not help the corrupted minds to be aware of the ignorance in themselves, and be initiated to be free from such corruptions, or not. It also doesn't mean that the selfless mind won't be performing any actions that might or might not help all the other minds that are also under the influence of ignorance and egoism to be developing certain degrees of awareness or correct understanding so that they can be aware of such corruptions existing in the world, and hence, be free from being taken advantage/exploited/abused or disturbed by the many corruptions deriving from the many corrupted minds.

Certain yoga or budhhism practitioners/teachers/leaders might be confused by the teachings and practice of unconditional love and acceptance, non-reaction, non-interference, desirelessness, intentionlessness or silence (where all these names and forms are being misunderstood as actionless or inaction), where they couldn't comprehend that selfless actions being performed under the presence of wisdom and compassion upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism in the mind, are not contradicting with the teachings and practice of unconditional love and acceptance, non-reaction, non-interference, desirelessness, intentionlessness or silence, at all. 

Some other common misunderstanding towards the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism, such as about karma, where the minds that are still under the influence of ignorance and egoism would think and believe that when people are experiencing certain painful suffering, ill treatment, cruelty or abuse inflicted by some others either intentionally or randomly, out of ignorance, lust, greed, authoritarian or self-righteousness, that it's their own bad karma accumulated from the past out of their own bad and wrongful actions/behaviors, that they should go through all those painful suffering, ill treatment, cruelty or abuse in silence without trying to refuse/defense/move away/avoid such unpleasant painful treatments in order to 'burn off' those past accumulated bad karma in order to be free from the binding of karma. That understanding is mere ignorance.

Because of such ignorant misunderstanding, many corrupted minds make use of such corrupted thinking and belief as an excuse or justification to be taking advantage, exploiting or abusing some others to be satisfying their own lustful desire, or to be relieving certain type of disturbance, tension or frustration in themselves, or merely to be feeling superior, powerful and in control. And then, the others who are aware of the existence of such corruptions, would feel that it's wrong or not appropriate for them to be doing or saying something, to acknowledge and expose such corruptions, or to avoid or reduce further similar or some other type of corruption, that might or might not help to minimize such corruptions to be continuing happening or existing under such incorrect understanding about karma. They thought and believe that the practice of SILENCE or non-reaction is about closing their eyes, ears and mouth, don't see, don't hear, don't speak, and don't act, and that it's actually good for the people to be suffering enormously and continuously in order to be 'burning off' their past accumulated bad karma. Such deep ignorance.

Another common misunderstanding that is related to such corruption that involves exploitation and physical/sexual abuse in the world of yoga and buddhism, is about compassion.

Under the influence of ignorance and egoism, the minds think and believe that compassion is about showing sympathy and empathy towards other people's suffering, by encouraging and empowering mental and emotional dependency among one another, to be cheering and comforting one another, to be giving and receiving love and affection between one another, and in order to help to relieve the suffering or unhappiness in others, one should be comforting or pleasing others in order to make others happy or to lessen others' unhappiness. And such misunderstanding is the perfect excuse or justification being used by certain corrupted minds to be taking advantage, exploit and abuse some other ignorant minds that are in certain suffering and in desperation towards seeking certain comfort, love, affection and relief or liberation from suffering.

Out of misunderstanding towards compassion, some people might not be aware of they are actually empowering the ignorance and egoism and corruptions in the minds or in the world, when they think and believe that they are being compassionate performing compassionate actions out of compassion.

Upon attaining certain degrees of correct understanding or direct realization, and established in unconditional peace, free from passionate egoistic desires, greed and impurities, being undetermined and undisturbed by duality, selfless actions can be performed without egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, of disseminating the dhamma or the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism without attachment towards the action and the fruit of action, while being aware of all kind of wholesome/unwholesome affairs in the world without judgment towards this is good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative, meaningful or meaningless, appropriate or inappropriate, and auspicious or inauspicious.

Just as water being water. Air being air. Space being space. Fire being fire. Earth being earth. Selfless, desireless, intentionless. But ceaseless intentionless actions are happening selflessly, inter-influencing one another, and enabling all and everything to be forming, changing and disintegrating at their own cause and pace.

Knowing that all kind of corruptions or corrupted behaviors are deriving from ignorance and egoism. It's about the presence or absence of ignorance and egoism. It's not about judging something as right or wrong, good or bad/evil, appropriate or inappropriate, based on any particular thinking and belief, values and practice. And none, not even the enlightened buddhas or gurus, can purify, remove or eliminate the ignorance in the mind of others, but the mind itself. The buddhas or gurus are just showing the way, disseminate the dhamma/teachings, without desire, intention, judgment or expectation, and without directing to any specific type of corruption or specific individual, as all are the products of ignorance.

Without any egoistic intention or desire to interfere with the nature law of cause and effect, or to influence and change other minds or the world to be something else that it is not, without egoistic authoritarian to be judging, disciplining or punishing other minds for their imperfection or ignorance, and without the desire of 'healing' anyone or anything, or 'saving' anyone out of the ocean of suffering, one can be acknowledging all kind of ignorance in the world and perform selfless actions that might or might not help to ignite certain awareness in the minds that are under the veil of ignorance, without specifically directing towards any particular type of corruption or specific individual, allowing all minds whether to come in contact with dhamma, or not, whether to receive or reject the gift of dhamma, and whether to be free from ignorance, or not.

As even under the law of cause and effect, where planting mango seeds lead to the growth of mango tree that gives the fruits of mango and not other kinds of fruit, and one reaps the fruit from the tree that grows out of the seed that one planted, however, there are many elements that can affect the entire process from the moment after the seed is planted. If there's no, or not enough essential supportive elements that enable the mango seed to grow properly and healthily, it might not grow into a mature tree, or it might not give any fruits at all, or it might not give fruits of mango with the specific/perfect texture and taste, or it might stop giving fruit after a few years of giving many fruits, or it might be attacked and damaged by disease or insects, or it might be destroyed by mankind or nature either intentionally or unintentionally. And no matter what is the quality, a good tree with good fruit or a bad tree with bad fruit, a mango tree or an apple tree, all are impermanent, all are arising, changing and passing away. And more importantly, all are selfless.

That's why it's ignorance to tell others that they deserve to be suffering what they are suffering because it's their bad karma or sin, and that it's very good for them to be suffering 'more' to 'burn off' their bad karma or sin.

Regardless of what type of actions that will bring respective consequences, it's not about 'burning off' or 'getting rid of' karma, or particularly bad karma/the seeds of unpleasant actions and consequences, as what most minds would like it to be. It's not about greedy for accumulating merits and virtue and good karma to be enjoying good karma or the seeds of pleasant actions and consequences, as what most minds would like it to be. It's about freeing the mind from ignorance and egoism.

The most evil mind that had done many evil actions in the past also can attain liberation upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism. It's not about intentionally to be 'burning off' all kinds of karma or sin through self-torturing or be tortured by others. That's why the importance of some basic self-independence, mind purification and correct understanding that would allow the mind to investigate the truth of everything, and NOT blind-believing, blind-following, blind practicing, blind-agreeing/disagreeing and blind-propagating anything.

The teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism emphasized on the importance of developing self-independence, particularly mental and emotional independence, dispassion, renunciation (nothing to do with becoming a nun or monk living among a nun/monk community in an ashram or a monastery), seclusion, solitude, self-awareness, self-control, self-discipline, self-effort, self-investigation, self-inquiry and self-realization, to free the mind from the veil of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

It's the annihilation of the desire of craving and aversion which is the root cause of all kinds of ignorance induced corruption and suffering.

It's the realization towards the one same nature of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, and respecting the nature law of cause and effect.

It's transcending or going beyond duality. It's quieting, disciplining and purifying one's mind through self-control and self-discipline for performing self-inquiry or contemplation to attain self-realization to be free from ignorance and the suffering deriving from ignorance.

It's NOT about 'healing', 'energy exchange', 'community support', 'miracle touch/hug/treatment', 'mystical/transcendental experiences', 'super extraordinary power', 'receiving blessings from certain higher entity', or giving and receiving 'love and affection' among one another.

It's not about other minds are free from ignorance and corruptions, or not. It's about this mind that is here perceiving all these. Look after this mind, to free this mind from ignorance, and resting in unconditional peace.

Before the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, the mind is being disturbed by the absence and presence of all kind of pleasant/agreeable/desirable experiences (so called good karma) and unpleasant/disagreeable/undesirable experiences (so called bad karma) under the desire of craving towards pleasant/agreeable/desirable experiences, and aversion towards unpleasant/disagreeable/undesirable experiences, and hence, it perceives suffering upon the desire of craving and aversion is not being gratified, and it has the desire to be free from suffering.

Upon the realization of selflessness, or upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, the mind is not being disturbed by the absence and presence of all kind of pleasant/agreeable/desirable experiences and unpleasant/disagreeable/undesirable experiences, as it is free from the desire of craving and aversion, and hence, it is void of suffering and the desire to be free from suffering.

That's why it's not about 'burning off' karma, but it's transcending both good and bad karma or cause and effect through the annihilation of ignorance and egoism.

Transcending good and bad karma, or being free from the desire of craving and aversion doesn't mean that one sees a wall right in front of oneself and deliberately run into the wall and hurt oneself, or one sees a stone is coming towards oneself, but deliberately not moving away and being hit by the stone and be injured by that. That's pure ignorance.

Inquire the truth of everything, including everything that is here.

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Know thyself. Everything is impermanent and selfless. There is no 'I'. There is no 'I am selfless'/'I am not selfless'. There is no 'I am hurt'/'I need to be healed from hurt'. Non-blind believing, non-blind following, non-blind practicing and non-blind propagating, but be open-minded to inquire the truth of everything. Be free. Be peaceful. Be happy.

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