The mind only knows what it knows, or the accumulated knowledge and information that it has been coming in contact with, learning, studying, researching, and accumulating as well as memorizing.
The mind doesn't know what it doesn't know (yet).
The teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism is not a belief.
The truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of names and forms, regardless of whether living organisms or non-living objects, as well as the nature's law of cause and effect, is not a belief.
Science, or "what things are, as they are", is not a belief.
If a mind thinks and believes, and says, "I believe that the universe is like this, or the human minds are like that, based on my conclusion coming from my own dedicated research on top of studying other people's research for many years," while denying certain knowledge/information/understanding that is different from its own understanding/conclusion based on its own accumulated knowledge and some others' accumulated knowledge, then it indicates that this mind only knows what it knows. It shows that this mind is still functioning under the veil of ignorance and egoism, even if this mind is the most knowledgeable mind among all minds in this world.
It doesn't mean that the knowledge/information or the understanding of this mind is wrong or incorrect, however, it is not the absolute knowledge or complete understanding. It's merely the partial knowledge/information/understanding that would lead the mind towards the absolute knowledge or complete understanding, provided if this mind knows how to go beyond or unattached towards what it thinks it knows, of all its accumulated knowledge/information and the current understanding/conclusion.
Such as there is nothing wrong and it's correct about "You are what you eat", "Develop positive thinking to overcome negative thinking", "Do good, don't do bad", "Treat others the way that yourself want to be treated by others", "Love yourself", "Be grateful and thankful", "The state of mind is being influenced by the energy field that is influenced by food consumption, substances or drugs, all kinds of positions and activities, the surrounding environment, or all kinds of physical/mental/emotional/sensory inputs and activities", and/or "I am That," however, that is not the absolute knowledge or complete understanding, or the goal of the teachings and practice. That's why there are many different types of initial practice and observation that served the purpose to render the state of mind in certain way, which is also impermanent, and it's not the goal of the teachings and practice, but it can prepare and lead the mind towards some other forms of practice for transcending all that.
Such as it's correct about "All minds are functioning under the veil of ignorance, and all are ignorant," but it's not complete. The veil of ignorance can be eliminated via self-effort and through persistence and determination. It is not easy, but it is absolutely possible to be free from ignorance.
Such as it's correct about "The behavior/action/reaction is being conditioned/influenced by the mind behavior pattern," but it's not complete. The mind behavior pattern is also limited and conditional, where it can be modified or changed. That's why there are many different types of practice that are available for initiate the process to modify or change the conditional mind behavior pattern.
Such as it's correct about "The past generated cause and effect cannot be undone," but it's not complete. How the mind acts and reacts in this present moment now towards the past generated cause and effect that cannot be undone, can determine the fresh cause and effect being generated in the present moment.
Such as it's correct about "There is no 'I' existing in the selfless body and mind to be in control of its own selfless and impermanent function and existence," but it's not complete. As long as the selfless body and mind is still existing and functioning under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements in this present moment now, it can develop willpower and self-control, or non-attachment and correct understanding, it can choose what type of 'minds'/'activities'/'connections' that it wants or doesn't want to get involve with, and it can choose to perform or not performing certain actions that can influence the selfless impermanent changes or the surrounding environment in certain way, in the present moment now, while respecting or allowing the fruit of its action or inaction to be what it is.
The selfless mind can choose and perform action to free itself from ignorance, or not, while allowing the fruit of choices/actions to be what it is. The mind can choose whether it wants to be kind or unkind. The mind can choose whether it wants to realize unconditional peace, or not. The mind can choose to let go, or not. The mind can choose whether to believe or disbelieve in something or anything. The mind can choose to be happy or unhappy, regardless of whether it is experiencing something painful or difficult, or not. There are autonomous functions/activities/actions/reactions in the selfless bodily system to maintain life existence, and there are non-autonomous freewill by choice activities/choices/actions/reactions/desires coming from the selfless thinking and acting mind, either under the presence of ignorance or under the absence of ignorance.
Knowing that this is poison, the mind can choose whether to consume the poison, or not. If knowing that this action will inflict damage or suffering unto oneself and others, and the mind still wants to do it, that is ignorance, that is nothing to do with selflessness (there is no 'I' existing in all kinds of names and forms). All are selfless. The only difference is whether the selfless mind is functioning under the influence of ignorance and its by-products, or not.
If the mind truly understands, it won't think and believe in such way, or debate and argue to justify and prove that "this is right and that is wrong" or "I am right and you are wrong".
The mind that understands "I only know what I know, and what I don't know, I don't know," is not free yet, but at least, it is on the way towards transcending the idea of 'I' and what it thinks it knows and doesn't know (yet).
The mind that thinks and believes, "I know a lot. I know more than the others. My knowledge/research/understanding is correct or more accurate than some others' knowledge/research/understanding that is different from mine," and justify, "My knowledge/research/understanding is correct/true, and other knowledge/research/understanding that is different from mine is incorrect/false," is currently stuck in its own thinking and accumulated knowledge/research and partial incomplete understanding.
And there is neither right nor wrong, and it's neither good nor bad, about all that. It's the freedom of thinking and understanding of all and everyone.
"All are selfless and impermanent. All are limited and conditional," is both restricting as well as liberating.
A mind that was very violent and hurtful can also change and become less violent and less hurtful, or even, non-violent and non-hurtful, or vice versa, if it (really) wants to change.
That's why the highly importance of self-inquiry towards "Who am I?", or more specifically, "What is the 'I' that the thinking in the selfless thinking faculty of the selfless human body that thinks/believes/acknowledges/identifies as I, or me, or my independent and infinite individual self existence?"
That's why the highly importance of Self-realization, of knowing Thyself, or more specifically, knowing what is the restless modification of the selfless impermanent perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind? or what is ceaseless births and deaths, or what is the ego and egoism? or what is ignorance and suffering? or what is Selflessness and Impermanence? or what is 'That'? or what is transcending time, space, and causation? or what is transcending the modification of the mind/the state of mind/restlessness/suffering or all kinds of thought activities/feelings/emotions/ideas/beliefs/values/desires/duality/likes and dislikes/agreements and disagreements? or what are all those influential and conditional teachings/beliefs/ideas/philosophies/knowledge/values/practices/inspirations/aspirations coming from all and everyone and everywhere?
That's why the highly importance of open mind, non-grasping, self-effort, self-reliance, dispassion, renunciation, solitude, seclusion, the observation of Mauna, desirelessness, mental and emotional independence, mind purification process, regular persistent concentration and meditation practice, turning the outgoing tendency of the mind inward for self-introspection, sharpening and purifying the intellectual reasoning power not to be influenced by worldly egoistic ideas/beliefs/values/practices/desires, intense yearning towards liberation, and thinning-out/starving/eliminating the idea of 'I' and egoism, a.k.a. activate the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, that prepare the mind to perform inquiry towards all and everything, including all kinds of 'scientific' research, all kinds of ideas/beliefs/philosophies/teachings/values/practices/desires/inspirations/aspirations, and all the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism from anyone and everyone, or from anywhere and everywhere.
Inquire the truth of everything.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment