Renunciation and dispassion

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha let go or renounced the family life and the worldly way of living, and the title, power, wealth, easiness, enjoyment, or comfort of being a prince as well as the future ruler of a kingdom that he inherited from birth.

Swami Sivananda also let go or renounced the family life and the worldly way of living, and the title, power, wealth, easiness, enjoyment, or comfort of being a Brahmin that he inherited from birth, as well as the worldly profession of a medical doctor that he achieved through academic education, although he continued to provide charitable medical consultation/dispensary to the public throughout his lifetime.

Upon attaining self-realization (after a prolonged duration of retreating into solitude and seclusion), they came back to the world to disseminate the dharma into the world selflessly, until the end of their life existence.

Renunciation from worldly life, retreat into solitude and seclusion, is an inevitable important observation that allows the mind to be engaging in the mind purification and silencing process effectively under right attitude, right attentiveness, and right effort via the middle path, that enables the annihilation of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness from the selfless modification of the mind effectively, where the selfless thinking and acting mind knows Thyself, and transcends the selfless impermanent existence and function of itself, transcending the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, or the selfless impermanent limited and conditional worldly life existence.

Under the presence of the wise companies, Satsanga, one also needs to retreat into solitude and seclusion (Asanga - the absence of Satsanga and Kutsanga) for certain extended duration (minimum 5 to 6 years, or even longer) to be observing complete silence of physical and mental activity, including both worldly and spiritual activity (The absence of attachment, clinging, longing, and craving towards the presence of goodness, kindness, easiness, joyfulness, meaningfulness, agreement, love, support, acknowledgement, interaction, companionship, or Satsanga), not to say, under the presence of Kutsanga (Being surrounded by the worldly passionate impure egoistic minds and engaging in the worldly passionate impure egoistic affairs, activities, ties and connections, communications, and interactions), that are draining one's energy, and pulling/distracting oneself away from the highest duty of mankind to be looking after one's over-all physical and mental well-being, to attain direct experience and self-realization towards Selflessness and Impermanence, to stop hurting oneself and others and the surrounding environment out of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance.

There is the inevitable necessity of renouncing family and community life/affairs/activities/interactions/communications/ties and connections to be observing complete silence in solitude and seclusion even when the family members and the surrounding community are like-minded and agreeable as well as uplifting with correct understanding (Satsanga), not to say, when the family members and/or the surrounding community (Passionate egoistic impure worldly minded Kutsanga) are ceaselessly draining one's energy and pulling/distracting oneself away from the highest duty of mankind.

None can tell another about what they should do or shouldn't do, or how they should live their life.

None can tell another, "Your daily 'normal' way of life of engaging in family ties and social connections, communication, interaction, affair, and activity with your direct and indirect family ties and connections and the worldly community are the main reason why you didn't make any progress on the path of self-inquiry and self-realization (even when you practice some kind of yoga and meditation practice from time to time or regularly, and that you have the great aspiration towards (and have been) observing a 'healthy and simple' way of living, 'high and positive' thinking, 'good and righteous' conduct, and 'clean and pure' eating), however, you are still very much unwittingly being the slave of ignorance, the idea of 'I'/the ego, egoism of attachment/identification/craving/aversion/comparison/judgment/expectation, worldly and spiritual passionate desires/inspirations/aspirations/ambitions, worldly and spiritual knowledge and achievement, physical/mental/emotional inter-dependence and comfort, pleasurable enjoyments of the senses, the sense of pride/self-esteem/self-worth/goodness/righteousness/joyfulness/positiveness/meaningfulness/accomplishment, all kinds of impurities, and restlessness, while you strongly think and believe that you are the victim of the imperfect physical/mental/emotional genetic inheritance from your parental ancestry lineage, that you are the victim of other people's bad and wrongful behavior and undeserving ill treatment, and that all kinds of bad/unfair/wrongful/hurtful/disagreeable/unpleasant/disappointing affairs in the family/relationship/community/country/world, and all kinds of undeserving experiences or ill treatments from others are the cause of all your unhappiness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, disturbance, resentment, bitterness, hurts, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, selfishness, shortcomings, failures, painful suffering, as well as your own disturbing hurtful behavior/action/reaction unto yourself and others out of the disturbed unhappy restless state of mind."

None can tell another, "Your ignorant egoistic impure restless way of thinking and behavior pattern that is constantly hurting yourself and others, is no doubt being conditioned and influenced by your family ancestry genetic inheritance, but even more so, by your continuous engagement, connection, communication, activity, and interaction with your family ties and connections that are under such ignorant egoistic impure restless mind thinking and behavior pattern that is highly detrimental to your physical/mental/emotional well-being. You can't change your family ancestry genetic inheritance that gives rise to a particular mind thinking and behavior pattern that are under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, but you have the conscious choice of moving away from such conditioning influential surrounding environment, in order to not continuously empowering such ignorant egoistic impure restless mind thinking and behavior pattern in yourself, but even more importantly, to be determined to purify, modify, and change such ignorant egoistic impure restless mind thinking and behavior pattern via many different types of methods or techniques."

None can tell another, "The worldly passionate egoistic thinking/belief/idea/values/practice about 'I need to be proud of myself' and 'I need to make others to be proud of me' and 'I need to be able to be good enough to be qualified/deserving to attain love/attention/encouragement/support/agreement/approval/acknowledgement/recognition/praise/compliment/acceptance/respect from myself, my family, my parents, my siblings, my relatives, my friends, my spouse, my children, my teachers, my students, my employers, my colleagues, my community, my leader, my followers, my country, my authority, and the world' are the cause of why you are what you are (devoid of peace and freedom), or why you are thinking, feeling, and behaving in the way that you are, ceaselessly longing/craving/missing/chasing after towards the gratification of the desires of craving (wants) towards the presence of love, support, accomplishment, acknowledgement, recognition, agreement, approval, acceptance, praise and compliment, understanding, happiness, goodness, positiveness, joyfulness, meaningfulness, easiness, or the pleasurable enjoyment of the body and mind/the senses, and towards the gratification of the desires of aversion (don't wants) towards the absence of all those agreeable and desirable names and forms, as well as the presence of the opposite of all that."

It has to come from the selfless thinking and acting mind itself, having the precious self awareness and basic understanding, to be self-initiative to be renouncing all that, to initiate both conscious and unconscious evolution of the conditioned and limited mind thinking and behavior pattern to be directed towards particular direction, towards attaining liberation from ignorance and the ignorant way of thinking and behavior pattern deriving from ignorance, of the path of wisdom and compassion, under intense will power and determination.

There is needless of renunciation, solitude, and seclusion, if the mind is devoid of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, where the mind is okay and free as it is, regardless of what it perceives/experiences/knows and doesn't perceive/experience/know, under any condition and situation, that it doesn't hurt itself and others and the surrounding environment, that it is uninfluenced and undetermined (not being over-powered) by all kinds of names and forms that it perceived through the senses or physical/mental inputs.

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The realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence, is not depressive at all.

If the mind thinks and believes that it has attained self-realization, or, it thinks and believes that it knows what is selflessness, impermanence, non-self, or cause and effect, but then, it becomes highly depressed, and reluctant to perform any wholesome action, or even, it deliberately performs all kinds of unwholesome actions, as it perceives and understands that, "All and everything are meaningless, life existence is meaningless, because there is no freewill, because there is no 'I' existing to be in control of anything, where it is meaningless of trying to make any effort to be performing any actions to direct selfless impermanent changes/evolution of the body and mind in certain way, as everything is already destined to be and not to be in certain way, as well as to evolve and not evolving in certain way, governed by an existing cause that came into effect. This body and mind and its behavior/action/reaction influenced by a limited and conditional mind thinking and behavior pattern, is being conditioned and determined by inevitable ancestry genetic inheritance to be in specific condition/traits, and being influenced and determined by all kinds of physical/mental inputs that is not in the control of anything, for the mind to think, feel, desire, and behave/act/react in certain way, as well as to be experiencing or not experiencing this or that from the beginning to the end of this life existence, of every single event and happening and relationship, are all fixed and destined. I am a person that I am, of how I think, feel, desire, and behave or not, regardless of whether I am good or bad, happy or unhappy, healthy or unhealthy, fit or unfit, lazy or not lazy, selfish or unselfish, wise or ignorant, peaceful or not peaceful, I have no choice, it's not my choice, as I don't have freewill to make any choices, and I have no responsibility or control towards anything, because it is in my genes and determined by all kinds of existing or non-existing elements. I am changing into a different person also it is because of my genes is evolving in certain way accordingly under the existing cause. There is no freewill to direct the evolution of anything in certain way, because everything is selfless, inter-dependent, limited, and conditional." That clearly indicates that the mind hasn't attained self-realization yet.

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Regardless of whether existing and living (as well as travelling and migrating) in any where in this world, all and everyone have been brought up, or told, or educated, or tempted, or threatened, or oppressed, or being influenced and conditioned throughout their entire life existence about how human beings under specific gender/heritage/tribe/caste/sect/title/social class/financial status/spirituality/religion/culture/nationality should or shouldn't live life in certain way, think or shouldn't think, believe or shouldn't believe, give specific value or give no value, appreciate or shouldn't appreciate, practice or shouldn't practice, should and shouldn't behave/act/react/feel/desire in certain way or not in certain way, of complying to a particular way of living/thinking/reasoning/vision/behavior/inspiration/aspiration, being conditioned not only by a particular family ancestry genetic inheritance (inevitable internal biological influence), but even more so, being conditioned largely by parental upbringing, childhood growing up environment, personal life experiences coming in contact with different experiences, events, conditions, and situations, family/community/tribal/social/national/regional/global affairs, engagements, activities, and interactions, ties and connections, friendships and relationships, cultural belief and values, spirituality and/or religion belief and practice, educational system influence, political and economical system influence, commercialism influence, philosophical influence, story telling/fairy tales/fictions/science fictions/movies/TV series/all kinds of lies and false information influence, as well as higher advanced technology inventions, public and social medias influence, of all kinds of evitable external influence,

where life existence of human beings is all about 'I', me, my self, my existence, my body, my mind, my soul, my look, my appearance, my family, my parents, my siblings, my relatives, my pets, my children, my grand children, my next generations, my friends, my community, my origin, my ancestry, my lineage, my heritage, my culture, my belief, my values, my spirituality, my religion, my ideas, my thinking, my feelings, my survival, my career, my ability, my limitation, my past, my future, my hard-work, my dedication, my contribution, my home, my country, my birth place, my nationality, my world, my pride, academic education, studying, working, eating, sleeping, playing, gathering, flirting, procreating, celebrating, mourning, gossiping, slandering, back-biting, complaining, moaning, arguing, fighting, hurting, intimidating, boasting, pretending, comparing, competing, admiring, envying, story telling, fairy tales, socializing, grouping, plotting, expectation, success, higher success, achievement, more achievement, possessions, ownership, status, title, power, wealth, endless accumulation of wealth, security, control, authorization, rules and regulations, documentation, discrimination, approval, recognition, qualification, acknowledgement, ambition, vision, inspiration, aspiration, meaningfulness, joyfulness, goodness, righteousness, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, holding onto the past, projecting into the future, stimulation and entertainment, endless higher stimulation and entertainment, enjoyment, more enjoyment, higher enjoyment, endless enjoyment, fear, worry, guilt, regret, resentment, endless desire, craving, longing, and clinging, endless disappointment, and endless dissatisfaction.

An extremely limited freedom of existence/being/evolution.

Being a plant/insect/bird/animal/uncultured human being in the wild, has a lot more freedom of existence/being/evolution than being any 'cultured' human being that exists and lives among the 'conditioned' community of so called 'cultured' human beings.

Upon the absence of all or some of those physical/mental/emotional affairs/activities/connections/interactions/stimulation/entertainments/enjoyments, the mind perceives the sense of loneliness and meaninglessness.

The minds are being conditioned by all those passionate egoistic affairs/activities/connections/interactions/stimulation/entertainments/enjoyments in the 'normal' way of living, to think and believe that all human beings need to find out the meaning of life in order to have the sense of meaningfulness that keeps them motivated in life, where they need to depend on something that make them feel nice, enjoyable, deserving, accomplished, proud, good, positive, happy, joyful, and meaningful, in order to be motivated for anything, or else, life is meaningless.

Life is not meaningless, and it doesn't have to be meaningful either. Under the different states of mind under the different impure incomplete understanding (under the presence of ignorance and its by-products), there are many things appeared to be meaningless and there are many things appeared to be meaningful, based on the different thinking, beliefs, values, desires, and practices in the different minds or community. And regardless of whether they appeared to be something meaningless or something meaningful, they all are selfless and impermanent.

If the mind truly understands that (under the absence of ignorance and its by-products), it will be free from the sense of meaningfulness and meaninglessness. It doesn't need to have the sense of meaningfulness to chase away or get rid of the sense of meaninglessness. It doesn't need to chase after and hold onto what appeared to be meaningful, and it doesn't need to be disturbed by what appeared to be meaningless. It is not being determined by something appeared to be meaningful or meaningless, where all are impermanent, all will change and pass away.

Life is neither meaningful nor meaningless. Life is just what it is. Similarly all kinds of names and forms are neither meaningful nor meaningless. All and everything are just what they are.

It depends on the state of the mind (under the presence or absence of ignorance and its by-products) and how the selfless thinking and acting mind makes use of its selfless impermanent existence and function in the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence of the selfless impermanent mechanism of a body and mind existing and functioning under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, where some minds contribute many constructive and beneficial ideas and activities, while some minds contribute many destructive and harmful ideas and activities, both consciously and unconsciously, wittingly or unwittingly, intentionally or unintentionally, into the surrounding environment or the world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

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Ignorance and the ignorant thinking and behavior is not something that can only exist in human beings that are uncivilized and non-educated, that are living in an area that is not being developed, but it also exists in the minds of the human beings that are highly civilized and educated, that are living in an area that is highly developed. Undeveloped poor countries have their own problems deriving from ignorance and its by-products, and highly developed rich countries also have their own problems deriving from ignorance and its by-products. It is not about the different degrees of civilization and education/development and wealthiness of the country. It is about whether the minds of the human beings are functioning under the influence of ignorance and its by-products, or not.

Upon experiencing great physical/mental/emotional painful suffering, disappointment, physical/mental/emotional fatigue, hurts, or despair, some minds might not know what to think or do anymore, and might turn to intoxicants or substances for getting a momentary relief, but that would inflict further physical/mental damages. That is their freedom of choice.

Or, the experience of great physical/mental/emotional painful suffering, disappointment, physical/mental/emotional fatigue, hurts, or despair, especially when the mind thinks and believes that it can't deal with life anymore, that it can't deal with any physical/mental/emotional stress and problems anymore, and that it cannot trust anyone or anything anymore, that can be the precious moment that ignites the intense desire towards liberation in the mind, where it can choose to step back from all those worldly egoistic impure affairs, ties and connections, communications, interactions, and activities, to focus fully onto itself, to be looking after its physical and mental well-being, and embarks on the path of self-inquiry and self-realization. That is not selfishness. That is the highest contribution to the world, the community, the parents, and the family.

Selflessness, where there is no permanent independent self existence of 'I' existing in the body and mind, and non-self, where all and everything are governed by the nature's law of cause and effect, it doesn't mean that there is no freewill of conscious choice making in the selfless thinking and acting mind to direct the selfless impermanent changes or evolution of the selfless impermanent body and mind, or the selfless impermanent life existence towards certain direction.

The cause (action) in this present moment now, that will give rise to effect (fruit of action), is determined by the constant conscious choice making in this present moment now. The past cannot be undone (the seed is fixed) and it influences the present in certain way, but the impermanent changes/evolution in the present can be influenced by the conscious choice making and action in this present moment now (the fruit is what it is, that it doesn't change into another different type of fruit, but the impermanent condition of the fruit is conditional, or not fixed).

The constant choice making in the present moment now, is influenced by the presence or absence of ignorance and its by-products.

Ignorance and its by-products can be present or absent. It can be manifested/formed/existing (non-self, not by conscious choice of the selfless thinking and acting mind), empowered and sustained (by the selfless thinking and acting mind, keeps feeding ignorance out of ignorant choices and actions consciously and unconsciously), or it can be weakened and thinned-out (by the selfless thinking and acting mind, stops feeding ignorance under conscious choices and actions), and be annihilated at its own pace (non-self, upon the absence of elements that give rise to ignorance). Just as a fire dies out itself eventually upon the absence of the elements that give rise to fire.

The selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function (mechanism) of the selfless body and the selfless thinking and acting mind is depending on the availability of the selfless support of the selfless intentionless attributeless energy and/or the elements of air/water/nutrients/minerals to be existing and functioning, where the condition of the body (low energy or high energy, and etc) and the selfless impermanent states of the mind (calmed or agitated, and etc) is influenced by the level of energy and the types of influential elements (the fuel and the physical/mental inputs/activities of the body and mind), which can be navigated or influenced by the conscious choice making and action in the present moment now.

The type of food/fuel consumption and the type of physical/mental/emotional inputs and activities is influencing the condition of the body and the states of the mind, but the selfless thinking and acting mind has the conscious choice making of choosing what type of food/fuel consumption that it takes or doesn't take, and choose what type of physical/mental/emotional inputs and activities that it wants or doesn't want to be engaging with.

Poison is just what it is, neither good nor bad, but it can give rise to certain harmful effect. Having the conscious awareness and knowledge or direct experience towards the harmful effect of the poison, one has the conscious choice making of whether to consume it or to stay away from it, unless one is ignorantly consuming the poison unintentionally, or it is being forced feed the poison by some others either randomly or deliberately under the influence of ignorance.

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How the selfless thinking and acting faculty of the selfless body wants to live and make use of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence, is at its own choice. The mind that strongly thinks and believes that, "There is no freewill of choice making, that all and everything are destined to be in certain way by the existing cause and effect, and whatever happens it is not my responsibility," is due to ignorance towards Selflessness and Non-self and cause and effect, but also due to the fear of taking the responsibility towards making the wrong choice that lead to worse, unpleasant, painful, and undesirable consequences, which that itself is also one of the by-products of ignorance.

The mind thinks and believes that, "I would like to live life and behave in my own way, but, my parents and my community want me to live life and behave in their way that is not what I want. I don't want to upset them. I should live life and behave according to the wish of my parents and my community." That is its own choice. Or, "I have no choice but I am 'being threatened and forced' to live life and behave in the way according to the wish of my parents and my community because I do not want to undergo painful punishment being punished by them if I don't live life and behave in the way that they want me to live life and behave." That is also its own choice.

The parents and/or the community that will inflict any kind of painful punishment unto those who don't comply to their wish/desire/command/expectation/control/authorization, are mentally sick, functioning under the influence of ignorance and its by-products. The parents and the community that are not mentally sick, that truly love others whom they love very much, will not inflict painful punishment unto those whom they love upon non-complying to their wish or desire, as there is absence of command/expectation/control/authorization in those who are mentally healthy, and who truly love others, where they will love others as they are, and they will not hurt themselves and others.

If someone will hurt some others physically/mentally/emotionally, either directly or indirectly, out of ungratified desires/dissatisfaction/disappointment/humiliation/anger/jealousy/resentment/bitterness/lust/possessiveness/annoyance/disturbed state of mind, while telling them, "I love you very much. I am doing this to you is for your own good. I want you to be good. Don't make me hurt you. I don't want to hurt you. So, please be good. Just listen and obey to my command. Please do as I wish and desire. Or else, I have no choice but to punish/hurt you. I don't want to hurt you, but it's you that made me hurt you." That is seriously mentally very sick. How many minds are thinking and behaving like that in this world of ignorance? Plenty. In family, in relationships, in community, in schools, in work place. Including some, or even many of those who have high level of power that can make crucial decisions and perform actions that impact the physical and mental well being of all and everyone and the surrounding environment in this world that doesn't belong to anyone and anything.

Just as many kinds of physical sickness, mentally sick or the corrupted mind thinking and behavior pattern functioning under the influence of ignorance and its by-products, is not something terrible, bad, wrong, or humiliating, although one can be constantly hurting oneself and others and the surrounding environment out of ignorance, and more importantly, one can do something about it, to be free from ignorance and its by-products, all by oneself, via one's effort and determination, before it becomes too difficult to do anything about it.

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The states of mind is selfless and impermanent, constantly changing. It can be calmed or agitated. It can be positive or negative. It can be happy or unhappy. It can be active/hard-working or idle/lazy. But the selfless thinking and acting faculty that is aware of the selfless impermanent states of mind under the presence of the selfless conscious awareness can be consciously aware of the selfless impermanent changes of the states of mind without egoistic association, attachment, identification, judgment, or expectation towards the selfless impermanent states of mind, as well as can be influencing and modifying, purifying and silencing the states of mind under certain conscious choice making and action.

The selfless conscious awareness that comes from the selfless universal consciousness, that enables the selfless thinking and acting faculty of the selfless body to be functioning as what it is, to be conscious, to be aware, to perceive, to know, to experience, to learn, to reflect, to inquire, to reason, to understand, to remember, to think, to feel, to desire, and to act/react consciously and unconsciously, is unaffected, undetermined, undisturbed, unchanged, uncontaminated, unhurt, or undamaged by the objects of awareness, or the selfless impermanent limited and conditional names and forms, of the perceiver and the perceived, or the senses and the objects of the senses, or the thinker and the thinking, or the knower and the knowledge, or the experiencer and the experiences. All these names and forms are merely some non-conscious names and forms, or they don't function as what they are, if without the selfless conscious awareness coming from the selfless universal consciousness.

If there is no consciousness or conscious awareness in anything, even if there is the selfless manifestation of all kinds of names and forms (non-conscious living organisms and non-living objects, where there is only unconscious evolution and absolutely no conscious evolution) in this space of the universe under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements governed by the nature's law of cause and effect, then what is the world and worldly life existence?

What is cognition, intellect, emotion, thinking, knowledge, experience, understanding, and desire?

What is ignorance, the ego/the idea of 'I', egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison, and expectation?

What is 'I', 'my', and 'mine'?

What is father, mother, brother, sister, friend, community, country, nationality, authority and authorization, oppression and control, rules and regulations, legality and illegality, prosecution and punishment?

What is culture, belief, values, or practice?

What is good or bad, right or wrong, kind or unkind, positive or negative, meaningfulness or meaninglessness, joyfulness or joylessness, superiority or inferiority, pride or shame, selfishness or unselfishness, happiness or unhappiness, appropriateness or inappropriateness, praise or criticism?

What is purity or impurity, strength or weakness, beautiful or ugly, ordinary or extra ordinary, standard or non-standard, acceptable or non-acceptable, deserving or non-deserving, wholesome or unwholesome, constructive or destructive, progression or regression, civilized or uncivilized, cultured or uncultured?

What is easiness or difficulty, painful suffering or pleasurable enjoyment?

What is possessiveness, ownership, discrimination, separateness, exploitation, cruelty, violence, argument, fighting, or wars?

What is dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, hurt, resentment, bitterness, greed, offensiveness, defensiveness, fear and worry?

What is truthfulness and untruthfulness, lies and betrayal?

What is limitation and disability?

What is permanence/infinite and impermanence/finite?

What is freedom and peace, or the absence of freedom and peace? What is the yearning towards freedom and peace? What is doubt, inquiry, and realization?

What is the presence and/or absence of freewill?

What is actions and consequences of actions?

What is existence and ceased existence, or momentary finite existence and permanent infinite existence? 

What is conscious evolution?

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Selflessness in all kinds of living organisms (and non-living objects), where there is no existence of a permanent independent infinite self existence/identity of 'I' existing in all and everything to be experiencing life existence and undergoing selfless impermanent changes or evolution that are non-self, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect, and depending on the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements to be existing and functioning, it doesn't mean that there is only unconscious physical and mental activities (absence of conscious freewill/choice/action/desire), or there is no selfless conscious awareness for each selfless mind to be perceiving, knowing, processing, understanding, learning, thinking, feeling, desiring, acting, reacting, and evolving consciously and individually in certain way or not in certain way (presence of conscious freewill/choice/action/desire), that can also influence the unconscious evolution.

Regardless of the presence or absence of ignorance and its by-products in the modification of the mind, regardless of the different pleasant or unpleasant states of the mind, the selfless universal consciousness that gives rise to the selfless conscious awareness, is still what it is. There might be impermanent different elements/qualities of goodness or evilness arising, changing, and passing away in the modification of the mind that influence the personality, the thinking, the feelings and emotions, the desires, and the behavior/action/reaction of the mind, but the selfless universal consciousness that gives rise to the selfless conscious awareness for the selfless thinking and acting faculty to be conscious/aware of the arising, changing, and passing away (the impermanent manifestation) of all kinds of impermanent qualities/elements of goodness and evilness in the modification of the mind, is unaffected, undetermined, uncontaminated, unhurt, or undamaged by all that.

There might be good or bad personalities/qualities/elements/traits/ideas/desires/behavior, there might be good mood or bad mood/happy or unhappy feelings, there might be kindness or cruelty, there might be selfishness or unselfishness, there might be wisdom (correct understanding) or ignorance (corrupted understanding), and so on, in the many different minds, but the selfless conscious awareness that enables the mind to be conscious/aware of all that, is neither good nor bad, neither happy nor unhappy, neither kind nor cruel, neither selfish nor unselfish, neither wise nor ignorant, and so on.

Regardless of whether the selfless mind is in the state of awake, semi awake/sleep, asleep, dreaming, or deep sleep, regardless of whether the selfless mind is fully conscious/aware, or semi-conscious/aware, or unconscious/unaware, being fully/partially connected to or disconnected from the selfless conscious awareness, the selfless universal consciousness is still there as it is, neither appear nor disappear, neither increase nor decrease.

The personality and/or the mind thinking and behavior pattern of the selfless mind is the reflection of the modification/states of the mind, and vice versa. Everyone has different states of mind, or different personality and mind thinking and behavior pattern, and has different personal experiences as well as different collective group experiences. The modification/states of the mind is ceaselessly changing, significantly or insignificantly. People's personality/thinking/desire/feelings/emotions/behavior/action/reaction are ceaselessly changing, significantly or insignificantly. The personal experiences and collective group experiences are ceaselessly changing, significantly or insignificantly. But, the selfless universal consciousness that gives rise to the selfless conscious awareness in all and every different minds that come under each of their own particular different personalities, different mind thinking and behavior pattern, different personal and collective group experiences, and different modification/states of mind, regardless of low or high energy level, and regardless of being influenced by what type of food consumption (fuel)/elements/qualities/inputs/activities, is the same, and unchanged.

The selfless existence and function of the selfless body and mind is limited, conditional, impermanent, and momentary. But, the selfless attributeless nameless formless timeless changeless thoughtless intentionless actionless universal consciousness (the selfless silent witness) that gives rise to the selfless intentionless attributeless conscious awareness in the countless different selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting minds of the many different personalities/traits/characteristics/thinking/desires/behaviors/actions/reactions/experiences, is unlimited, unconditional, permanent, and infinite. It is neither 'I', nor 'you', nor, 'us', nor 'them'. It doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

The 'I', 'you', 'us', and 'them', are merely some momentary selfless impermanent limited and conditional adjuncts or mechanisms (names and forms) that inter-dependent on the many different selfless cells/systems/organs/bodily structures/duties/responsibilities and etc, to be working together selflessly under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, in order to be existing and functioning as what all and everything are. There is neither superiority nor inferiority.

The selfless universal consciousness isn't something that 'contained' in the names and forms, just as the space. Everything manifested under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, where all and everything formed/existing, constantly changing, and passing away in the space, but all that doesn't affect, determine, contaminate, hurt, damage, increase, or decrease the attributeless infinite space.

The selfless universal consciousness 'doesn't control' the selfless impermanent changes in all kinds of selfless names and forms that ceaselessly arise, change, and pass away upon it, and it doesn't initiate conscious and/or unconscious evolution of the living beings/organisms to be or not to be in certain way. It doesn't give rise to the survival instinct in all kinds of living beings/organisms for life maintenance, or the presence and/or absence of ignorance/the idea of 'I'/egoism/impurities/restlessness in the minds. It doesn't create or responsible for the existence and ceased existence of all kinds of names and forms, or the different personalities, qualities, traits, conditions, mind thinking and behavior patterns, desires, actions/reactions, experiences, and the consequences of all that (selfless impermanent limited and conditional conscious and unconscious evolution) in the different selfless thinking and acting minds.

It is coming from each and every single thinking and acting mind itself, having the 'intentionless gift' of the selfless intentionless attributeless actionless changeless conscious awareness coming from the selfless universal consciousness, being conscious/aware, perceiving all kinds of qualities of names and forms consciously and unconsciously, to be experiencing, learning, reasoning, understanding, thinking, feeling, desiring, acting, reacting, and evolving consciously and unconsciously in certain way or not in certain way, influenced by the ceaseless cause or ceaseless conscious and unconscious actions that are being generated by each and every mind themselves.

Unless there is certain deformation, or malfunction, or dysfunction, or damage, or injury in the physical body, especially in the brains and the central and peripheral nervous system (the hardware of the thinking and acting faculty of the physical body that receive and process inputs/information, and give command/signal to the organs of actions for performing actions), where there is absence of conscious awareness, even though there might be some unconscious physical and mental bodily systems/activities ceaselessly happening operated under the selfless intentionless survival instinct, under the presence of the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, then there is completely no freewill of conscious choice making/action performing of the selfless thinking and acting mind to navigate/direct/influence the selfless impermanent changes of the physical body and the conscious evolution of the selfless impermanent modification of the mind or the mind thinking and behavior pattern in certain way or not in certain way.

The selfless universal consciousness/awareness doesn't perform actions.

The selfless impermanent limited and conditional physical body with the conscious thinking and acting mind has the selfless function of performing both conscious by choice (wittingly) and unconscious non by-choice actions (unwittingly) via the organs of action (under the presence of the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements), that are influencing the conscious and unconscious evolution of the existence (duration of existence/life span), condition, and function (mechanism) of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional body and mind in certain way (effect of the cause, of the conscious and unconscious actions after the body and mind is being formed/existing and functioning).

Regardless of the absence or presence of the different degrees of ignorance, regardless of what are the different personalities/qualities/traits/characteristics/conditions/ways of thinking/beliefs/understanding/desires/behaviors/actions/reactions/states of mind, as long as the selfless organs of perception/cognition/intellect/emotion/thinking/acting, the organs of the senses, and the organs of actions are existing and functioning as what they are, as long as one has the basic function or ability of to be conscious/aware, to be consciously perceiving names and forms through the senses, to experience, to know, to learn, to reason, to inquire, to understand, to think, to feel, to desire, to act and react, and to be performing actions via the organs of actions, then there is the freewill of conscious choice making and action performing to navigate/direct/influence the conscious and unconscious evolution in certain way, under the presence of the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements (non-self, not in the control of anyone or anything).

Just as fire exists under a cause (the presence of certain elements that give rise to fire), and it will die off of by itself eventually upon the absence of the elements that give rise to fire (non-self). But one who has the conscious awareness and the organs of actions can perform certain action under the presence of certain knowledge and understanding, that can keep away unnecessary fire as much as possible. And if one is aware of there is the existence of fire that doesn't need to be there, that can damage the surrounding environment, lives, and objects, one can have the conscious awareness/choice/action to do one's best to put out the fire by performing certain actions before the fire becomes uncontrollable and cause serious damages unto the surrounding environment, lives, and objects, where the fruit of action (whether the fire will ceased existing at certain timing, or not, after actions are being performed to put out the fire) is not in the control of the performer of action. The action is being performed out of one's conscious awareness/choice/effort/desire (freewill), but the result/fruit of action is what it is (non-self, not in the control of the performer of action).

One can do one's best to perform actions/practices to be purifying and quieting the restless modification of the mind, out of conscious awareness/choice/action/freewill, diligently and determinedly, but the fruit of action/practice will be there as it is, at its own pace (non-self).

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x 

A seed needs to be planted either wittingly or unwittingly, in order to have the existence of a matured plant that gives specific type of fruit of that particular type of seed, and how the seed is being nurtured to become a matured plant that gives fruits, can influence the entire condition of the plant and the fruits to be in certain way. If no seed is being planted, there is no plant or fruit. If the seed is damaged or already dead, it won't grow and turn into a plant no matter how much proper care is being given to it. Or, a healthy seed is being planted, but it is not being nurtured properly to become a healthy matured plant of the best condition that gives fruits of the best taste.

How one wants to live life and behave, and what one wants to do with the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence, it is at one's own conscious choice/freewill (the ceaseless cause in the present moment), while allowing life to be what it is (the effect of cause), evolving at its own pace, under the seeds and nurture (the cause or the conscious and unconscious choice/action in the present moment) that one has been planting and nurturing throughout one's selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence.

Existence is only in NOW. There is only NOW. There is neither past nor future in NOW. While everything in NOW, is ceaselessly changing. Time is merely the reflection of impermanent changes and movements. Day and night and year is merely the ceaseless movements of the earth in itself, and around the sun. Age is merely the impermanent changes of the physical body. Timelessness doesn't mean that history didn't exist, and the effect of the history is still lingering in this world in NOW. It doesn't mean that memories of what have been happening/experiencing don't exist. It doesn't mean that everything and everyone before NOW, didn't and don't exist. But, none can undo or change what had happened. Let it go.

Meanwhile, all and everyone can learn from what have been happening and experiencing, and have the conscious choice to be performing actions in NOW, that would lead to constructive consequences, that would help the world to have more peace and kindness and correct understanding, and less unrest/cruelty/fear/suffering/violence.

Inquire what is the 'I' that the thinking in the mind that thinks and believes and identifies as 'my individual independent self existence', and attain direct self realization towards Selflessness and Impermanence (Timelessness), one will be free from doubts and fear, and all kinds of superstitious beliefs, or the many contaminated corrupted incorrect misinterpreted information about this or that in this worldly life existence of selfless impermanent limited and conditional names and forms.

Do not blind-believe, blind-follow, blind-practice, or blind-propagate anything from anyone and anywhere, including all that is here.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Turning the mind inward and quieting the restless thought current

To initiate the process of quieting the restless thought current, the selfless mind (the selfless perceiver/the selfless knower/the selfless experiencer/the selfless thinker and action performer) first needs to know what is non-attachment and non-identification, a.k.a. non-association, or standing as a witness, which then allows the mind to look at the selfless modification of the mind, to find out, or inquire towards what is the thought current, and why it is restless, or what is the cause that gives rise to restlessness, without craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation.

The process of turning the mind inward, is about gathering the random outgoing and wandering point of focus/attentiveness/awareness, that moves rapidly among the countless random objects of the senses (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations), and channel the gathered point of focus inward, where the mind gives full attention towards observing what is going on in the selfless modification of the mind, or to be aware of the selfless thought process, or the selfless thought activities, or the mind thinking and behavior pattern, of ceaseless mental actions/reactions/ideas/feelings/emotions/inspirations/aspirations/desires/anticipations/imaginations/memories, of all kinds of impurities, that keep arising, changing, and passing away (Restlessness - ceaseless selfless impermanent changes - ceaseless births and deaths of endless random thought after thought).

The entire process is being activated under the presence of non-violence or gentleness, without forcing/violence/aggressiveness. As the presence of forcing/violence/aggressiveness hinders the process of quieting the restless thought current to be happening. It is like the pool of water can never be calmed and still, if someone keeps hitting and stirring the water with something repeatedly and aggressively.

The absence of forcing/violence/aggressiveness, is possible under the presence of non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, on top of patience, forbearance, perseverance, determination, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, and accommodation.

That is why the basic yoga and/or buddhism practice is not so much about learning and performing the different types of yoga asana practice, pranayama practice, concentration practice, meditation practice, chanting (sound vibration and/or devotional/sentimental approach), kriya (cleansing), or any kind of practice, under the many different lineages and techniques, but, it is more about during the entire process of learning and performing all that, the practitioners (the selfless minds) are developing and empowering non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, as well as developing the elements of patience, forbearance, perseverance, determination, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, and accommodation, that give rise to the presence of kindness, or non-forcing/non-violence/non-aggressiveness in the entire practice as well as in everyday life affairs, that will influence and change the conditional habitual mind thinking and behavior pattern, consciously and unconsciously, that naturally activates the conscious and non-conscious evolution of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence, where the mind can know itself, attaining direct realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence, and be free from ignorance and the suffering deriving from ignorance.

The mind will stop hurting itself and others or the surrounding environment under the presence of correct understanding and peace, under the presence of wisdom and compassion, devoid of ignorance, restlessness and violence.

Everything will eventually fall into its place naturally, upon the initial activation of conscious evolution, that will also influence the unconscious evolution, even if it's not significant, and either wittingly or unwittingly.

Just by closing the eyes, and turning the focus/attention or the conscious awareness inward and within, even if it's just for a few moments, is already initiating the process of quieting the restless thought current.

For most minds, they can begin with the process of observing the natural breath coming and going. In the first few practices, it's only for a few seconds. And then, prolonged that process of observing the natural breath for a few minutes, and then gradually extending the process for as long as possible, without struggle/forcing/violence.

Keep practicing, without judgment or expectation.

Just watch the impermanence of the breath and the wavering attentiveness, where sometimes the mind is attentive, calmed, and quiet effortlessly, while sometimes it is agitated, distracted, and wavering randomly back and forth between here to there.

The point is not about whether the mind is attentive or inattentive. But it is about there is this selfless awareness that is being aware of the impermanent attentiveness and inattentiveness of the selfless mind, without association, attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation.

The conscious awareness is not being determined, or affected, or contaminated, or damaged by the presence and absence of attentiveness or inattentiveness, calmness or agitation, of all kinds of impurities and restlessness in the selfless modification of the mind.

As the mind keeps practicing under the presence of non-association, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, under the support of patience, forbearance, perseverance, determination, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, and accommodation, regardless of whether the body and mind can perform all kinds of practices perfectly or imperfectly (not important at all), then naturally and effortlessly, the restless thought current will become less and less violent/agitated/restless, and will come to a point of stillness or clarity, even if that is also impermanent and momentary.

But that tiny impermanent moment of stillness or clarity, is extremely precious for a glimpse towards the selfless unconditional unlimited attributeless/nameless/formless/actionless/changeless/timeless/birthless/deathless universal consciousness that allows all kinds of manifestations to be what they are, that enables the selfless perceptive thinking and acting mind to be what it is, to be consciously perceiving/experiencing/knowing/thinking/feeling/sensing/reasoning/understanding/acting/reacting towards all kinds of names and forms during the momentary selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, where the mind knows Thyself, of its selfless impermanent momentary limited and conditional existence and function, and hence, effortlessly resting upon the selfless universal consciousness, a.k.a. timelessness/changelessness/desirelessness/actionlessness/attributelessness/namelessness/formlessness/birthlessness/deathlessness/unconditional peace, even if there are necessary physical and mental activities for maintaining life existence, while making use of this selfless impermanent momentary life existence for performing selfless service (evoking the dharma that is already there in the minds, consciously and unconsciously) that help to promote and maintain peace and harmony among the many diversities of different names and forms in this world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, without attachment/identification/intention/expectation. Just like the sun, the air, the earth, the water, and the space.

The dissemination of dharma or the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism is highly important, even if it's merely the repetition of the same few words such as Selflessness and Impermanence, Non-attachment and Non-identification, Non-craving and Non-aversion, Non-judgment and Non-expectation, Kindness and Letting go, or Self-inquiry and Self-realization, either in the form of any written and/or spoken language, allowing the minds to have the opportunity to come in contact with these essential words/teachings/dharma, both consciously and unconsciously, regardless of whether the minds comprehend the meanings of these words/teachings/dharma, or not, especially in the beginning, it really doesn't matter.

Such as upon the teacher is disseminating the dharma/teachings in the yoga class, without any intention or expectation, there are some students are coming in contact with and processing all these dharma/teachings wittingly and consciously, that lead themselves towards self-inquiry and self-realization, while there are also some students coming in contact with and absorbing all these dharma/teachings unwittingly and/or unconsciously, either they are not listening at all being distracted by something, or they are listening but they don't really know what the teacher is talking about (language barrier or intellectual barrier), or they are not interested at all to be listening to all that, or they have intense disagreement or aversion reacting towards the dharma/teachings, or they are falling asleep during the class especially during the relaxation, however, it will still lead them towards self-inquiry and self-realization, eventually. They will recall all these from within, both consciously and unconsciously, when there is the moment when they are in need of all these dharma/teachings.

It really doesn't matter.

Because all these dharma/teachings are already there within all minds. The teacher doesn't give them the dharma/teachings, but only served as a tool that evokes the dharma/teachings that is already there in all and everyone (however, the minds don't know or couldn't see it being hindered by the veil of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness,) that allows the minds to develop the basic foundation of certain essential correct understanding and attitude, that enables the minds to have some guidelines for them to perform certain practice effectively, that will lead them towards realizing all that by themselves, through their own effort and determination.

That is also why activating the mind purification process is highly important, same as the observation of dispassion, renunciation, solitude, seclusion, silence, Satsanga (if there is wise company) and Asanga (if there is no wise company), or mental and emotional independence. This is to limit and minimize both conscious and (especially) unconscious ceaseless mind inputs that are feeding and empowering ignorance and its by-products, which is a huge obstacle for mind purification process, self-inquiry, and self-realization.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Show kindness towards those who are unkind

Many of the worldly egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, and practices might teach people about "An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth."

Or, "If someone hits you on one side of the face, you should ask them to hit the other side of the face as well."

These two extremities of 'understanding/action/reaction' are deriving from egoism as well as empowering egoism.

Meanwhile, the teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism is not about that, as by doing so, it doesn't help the minds to be free from ignorance and the ignorant thinking and behavior, but it is empowering the ignorance and the ignorant thinking and behavior in oneself and in others.

It's about -

Show kindness towards those who are unkind.

Show unselfishness towards those who are selfish.

Show generosity towards those who are stingy.

Show openness towards those who are closed-minded.

Show contentment towards those who are discontented.

Show accommodation towards those who are non-accommodating.

Show calmness and gentleness towards those who are agitated and violent.

Show respect towards those who are disrespectful towards others.

Show patience towards those who are impatient.

And so on.

This is the middle path of selfless wisdom and compassion.

The minds that are unkind, selfish, stingy, closed-minded, discontented, non-accommodating, agitated and violent, disrespectful towards others, or impatient, is because they don't know how to be kind, be unselfish, be generous, be opened, be contented, be accommodating, be calmed and gentle, be respectful, and be patient, and that is because they don't know what is kindness, unselfishness, generosity, openness, contentment, accommodation, calmness and gentleness, respect, and patience.

By showing them all these qualities can allow them to have all these qualities (reflection) to be reflecting upon, either wittingly or unwittingly.

Without attachment, judgment, intention, or expectation.

Let the minds to be what they are, regardless of whether they will reflect upon all these qualities, or not, whether they want to be kind, be unselfish, be generous, be opened, be contented, be accommodating, be calmed and gentle, be respectful, and be patient, or not.

All that (conscious and unconscious constructive evolution) can only happen, when the mind knows how to be kind, be unselfish, be generous, be opened, be contented, be accommodating, be calmed and gentle, be respectful, and be patient towards itself.

The mind doesn't know how to be kind, be unselfish, be generous, be opened, be contented, be accommodating, be calmed and gentle, be respectful, and be patient towards others, is because it doesn't even know how to be kind, be unselfish, be generous, be opened, be contented, be accommodating, be calmed and gentle, be respectful, or be patient towards itself.

Coming from the mind itself, learning how to be kind, be unselfish, be generous, be opened, be contented, be accommodating, be calmed and gentle, be respectful, and be patient towards itself, towards its own selfless and impermanent, limited and conditional existence and function.

Only when the mind knows how to be kind, be unselfish, be generous, be opened, be contented, be accommodating, be calmed and gentle, be respectful, and be patient towards itself, then naturally and effortlessly, it will also know how to be kind, be unselfish, be generous, be opened, be contented, be accommodating, be calmed and gentle, be respectful, and be patient towards all the others.

More importantly, regardless of whether the minds are wise or ignorant, kind or unkind, selfish or unselfish, generous or stingy, opened-minded or closed-minded, contented or discontented, accommodating or non-accommodating, calmed and gentle or agitated and violent, respectful or non-respectful, and patient or impatient, all are selfless, all are impermanent, all are merely momentarily existing, ceaselessly changing, and eventually ceased existing in this space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

All those agreeable or disagreeable qualities, are also selfless and impermanent, limited and conditional.

They are not the goal of the yoga and/or buddhism practice.

However, the quality of kindness, unselfishness, generosity, openness, contentment, accommodation, calmness and gentleness, respect, and patience, are important elements that can help to quiet the restless impure modification of the mind on the path of self-inquiry and self-realization.

It is not 'I', and there is no 'I'.

Transcending, or going beyond all kinds of agreeable and disagreeable qualities, will enable the mind to realize selflessness, to realize what is ignorance and suffering, to know Thyself, and be free.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.