Regardless of whether it's a non-reproductive non-living object or thing, or a reproductive living organism with or without the function of the thinking and acting faculty, or a reproductive living organism with or without the function of mobility, all and everything are selfless and impermanent, where all have their very own particular impermanent changes in certain way, and particular limited selfless impermanent life span, or a limited duration of existence for 'existing and being what they are'.
'These many identical toys' are the same kind of toys, that are having the same material, design, quality, appearance, shape, size, texture, colour and name, being manufactured under the same batch at the same time by the same machine from the same factory, but, among 'these many identical toys', each toy is having its own selfless impermanent existence of under going different encountering of different owner(s) and different impermanent changes. One of them might be well looked after and would last many years, while many of them might be having shorter life span, and are slightly or deeply damaged, or are breaking apart and ceased existing at different timings under different causes. Upon the ceased existence of 'being what they are', the material of 'the toys' might be under going certain transformation being transformed into some other objects, or might be disintegrated into different elements and energy that will be transitioning or transforming into some other forms. But, it's not 'this toy' having a permanent independent individual existence continuously existing in some other forms upon the disintegration or ceased existence of 'this toy'.
Living organisms are not much different from any non-living objects or things in terms of the truth of selflessness and impermanence, except that there is the function of the perceptive thinking and acting faculty and/or mobility in some of the living organisms. Even so, all are selfless and impermanent without a permanent independent individual existence, or an infinite 'I', that exists to be under going countless impermanent changes, or under going transitions or transformations of transitioning into some other different forms ceaselessly, upon the disintegration or ceased existence of 'being what they are during their limited duration of a selfless impermanent existence'.
Even if there are identical twins, or triplets, or quadruplets, and so on, among the reproductive living organisms, and there are genetic influences, where the reproductions of all these reproductive living organisms might be having the particular similar genetic appearance, general physical and mental condition, survival instinct, personality and characteristic, but, each and every selfless impermanent living organism are distinct from one another, where all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms are having their own particular selfless impermanent changes in certain way, of coming in contact with different encountering under different causes that give rise to different effects, or different actions/reactions that give rise to different consequences of actions/reactions, during their limited duration of a selfless impermanent existence. But there is not an infinite 'I' existing in any names and forms to be under going all those impermanent changes, or under going ceaseless transitions/transformations/reincarnations into different forms.
Such as 'this atom' is 'this atom', and 'that atom' is 'that atom', while 'this atom' is not 'that atom', and there is no 'I' in each atom among the countless atoms that exist in all and everything, including the selfless elements and selfless energy that support and influence all kinds of names and forms existing and being what they are. While each atom is changing at its own cause and pace, but one thing in common that never change among all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms, is that, all are selfless and impermanent, ceaselessly changing, decaying, and eventually disintegrating, or ceased existing.
The oldest object and/or organism that is still existing in the universe, that outlive all and everything else, that has a beginning that will lead to an end, is still ceaselessly changing, decaying, and eventually disintegrating or ceased existing, selflessly.
There is not a continuous infinite existence of a permanent independent existence of an individual entity, or an infinite 'I' of a particular quality and identity, to be under going all those selfless impermanent changes, or to be transitioning or transforming (reincarnated) into countless forms of selfless impermanent existence, one after another ceaselessly, under 'one same permanent independent individual entity or existence' that doesn't exist.
'This particular body with this particular perceptive thinking and acting faculty of particular gene, characteristic, personality, way of thinking and understanding and behavior', or 'this particular orange', or 'this particular tree', are all selfless and impermanent, constantly changing, decaying, and eventually, disintegrating.
'This body and mind' is decaying, and will be ceased functioning and ceased existing, and the body might be consumed by some other organisms. The end of 'this particular body with this particular perceptive thinking and acting faculty of particular gene, characteristic, personality, way of thinking and understanding and behavior'.
'This orange' is being eaten by this body and mind, and be digested, or be broken down and transformed into nutrients, energy, and fibers. The end of 'this particular orange'.
'This tree' is uprooted by the strong wind during the heavy storm, and it might be utilized as burning wood for cooking and heating, or to be made into certain type of furniture. The end of 'this particular tree'.
There's not a continuous infinite existence of a permanent independent individual entity, or infinite existence of an identity, existing in all kinds of names and forms, not to say, to be under going transition or transformation to be continuously existing in some other form of existence upon the disintegration or ceased existence of any particular object or organism, however, the selfless elements and selfless energy that have been supporting and forming the selfless existence of all these selfless impermanent objects and organisms, are ceaselessly forming and influencing some other selfless impermanent names and forms, continuously supporting and influencing all kinds of names and forms arising, changing, and passing away, under the respective cause.
All these selfless impermanent changes, of forming, decaying and disintegration, under the support and influence of the selfless elements and energy, that are happening in all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms (living organisms or non-living objects), are ceaselessly happening upon the infinite independent timeless and changeless, beginningless and endless, birthless and deathless, attributeless, nameless and formless selfless universal consciousness that pervades within and without all and everything, that doesn't belong to any particular name and form among the countless names and forms that ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away upon it.
Although the selfless universal consciousness pervades all and everything that are selfless and impermanent, that are ceaselessly arising, changing and passing away upon the selfless universal consciousness under the selfless support and influence of the supportive and influential selfless elements and selfless energy, it is not the selfless universal consciousness that is under going countless ceaseless transition/transformation/reincarnation. The selfless universal consciousness is untouched by all these selfless impermanent ever changing phenomena. It is the selfless silent witness witnessing all kinds of names and forms arising and passing away. It's merely selfless elements and energy forming, changing, and disintegrating, as well as transitioning/transforming/reincarnating into some other forms, upon the selfless universal consciousness, selflessly and ceaselessly.
All and everything exist, change, and pass away in this 'space'. Without this 'space', all and everything don't exist. This endless 'space' is untouched by all and everything being what they are. Without the support from the selfless elements and energy, 'the body and mind', 'the orange', or 'the tree', cannot and/or doesn't exist. Even so, the selfless elements and the energy don't own 'the body and mind', 'the orange', or 'the tree', and vice versa. The 'space' doesn't own all and everything, and vice versa. The 'space' is limitless, timeless, and changeless, even though all and everything ceaselessly arising (a beginning), changing, and passing away (an end) upon it. Time is merely the reflection of ceaseless impermanent changes in the names and forms that are arising, changing, and passing away in this 'space'.
The body and mind is not 'I'. 'I' am not the body and mind. The elements and energy is not 'I'. 'I' am not the elements and energy. There is no 'I'.
Because it's selfless, there is not even 'I am That', or 'I am infinite', or 'I am all pervading', or 'I am all existence', or 'I am all bliss', or 'I am all powerful', or 'I am all wise', or 'I am all compassionate', or 'I am selfless', or 'I am that I am', or 'I am the higher consciousness', or 'I am the pure consciousness', or 'I am identical with the selfless universal consciousness', and so on.
This is not about challenging certain egoistic beliefs, values and practice, but merely for the mind to reflect upon, and inquire towards the truth of everything under an open, calm, and purified mind, to be free from ignorance and the suffering deriving from ignorance.
The minds that realize this, are resting in silence and unconditional peace, witnessing ceaseless selfless impermanent changes, being undetermined and undisturbed by the selfless impermanent mind perception of all kinds of names and forms arising, changing, and passing away.
'Selflessness', 'impermanence', 'uncertainty', 'unknown', 'old age', 'death', 'illness', 'weakness', 'injury', 'limitation', 'disability', 'separation from the loved ones', 'coming in contact with the disagreeable ones', 'undesirable and unpleasant conditions and situations', 'undesirable and disagreeable experiences', 'failure', 'solitude', 'renunciation', 'dispassion', 'simplicity', 'poverty', 'illiteracy', 'mental and emotional independence', 'responsibility', 'non-attachment', and so on, are painful sorrow and suffering to the minds that don't realize this.
'Ignorance' is widely being misinterpreted as illiteracy, uneducated, low intelligence, as well as not experiencing or not knowing many things in this world, but all these don't really indicate or determine the presence or absence of ignorance in the mind. One can be highly literate, highly educated, highly intelligent, as well as has been experiencing or knowing many things in this world, but still, the mind can be functioning under the veil of ignorance, being over-powered by the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities and restlessness, having corrupted thinking and behavior, as well as perceiving disturbance, hurt and the suffering deriving from all that. One can be illiterate, uneducated, low intelligence, as well as not experiencing or not knowing many things in this world, however, the mind can be peaceful, wise and compassionate, is free from ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities and restlessness, or is void of corrupted thinking and behavior, disturbance, hurt, or the suffering deriving from all that.
There is nothing magical or mystical. There is no need miracle. There is no super extra ordinary power that can alter or change the truth of selflessness and impermanence.
Suffering arise upon the presence of attachment or grasping, upon the presence of ignorance. There is no need to be liberated from suffering as there's no suffering upon the absence of attachment or grasping, upon the absence of ignorance.
Do not blind-agreeing/disagreeing, blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating, including all the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism, coming from anyone or anywhere.
Inquire towards the truth of everything.
Posts
