Selfless conscious actions and the nature's law of cause and effect

There are many minds that think and believe and identify themselves as yoga and/or buddhism followers/disciples/practitioners/enthusiasts would use the term of 'cause and effect' that they have been referring as 'karma' (因果報應/因果循環) to warn/threaten/intimidate/bully/manipulate/influence/exploit/lure/oppress/control the others to behave in certain way and not in certain way, which is not what yoga and/or buddhism teachings and practice is about.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

 

Cause and effect is like object and the shadow.

Effect is the shadow of cause.

Each object has its own shadow. 

Each cause has its own effect.

Without such cause, there is no such effect.

Without such object, there is no such shadow.

But more importantly,

Without light, there is no shadow of any object. 

Cause (object) is fixed. The cause doesn't change into something else. It is what it is.

Shadow (effect) is not fixed, having countless possibility of manifestations, depending on the condition and position of light and/or the object, manifesting under different shapes and sizes.

The supportive elements/conditions that are influencing the effects being in certain way or not in certain way, is like the light that influence the shadow being what it is.

Without proper supportive elements/conditions, the cause doesn't give rise to effect. It is like a seed that doesn't grow into a plant, or a plant that doesn't give flowers and/or fruits under the absence of proper supportive elements/conditions.

Just like all kinds of names and forms, the nature's law of cause and effect is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither constructive nor destructive, neither meaningful nor meaningless, and that neither gives rise to enjoyment nor suffering. 

The nature's law of cause and effect is just what it is. It is part of the intentionless indiscriminate power of nature that governs/influences/directs the selfless impermanent limited and conditional finite momentary existence, changes of regeneration/decay/disintegration, and ceased existence of all and everything.

Just like all kinds of names and forms, the nature's law of cause and effect is also limited and conditional.

All kinds of actions/activities give rise to respective causes that will turn into effects (consequences of actions/activities).

And hence, actions/activities are more powerful/dominant than the nature's law of cause and effect.

By understanding this, one will know that it is the boundless selfless conscious/semi-conscious/non-conscious actions/activities (the selfless power of creation) that are determining the different types of causes and effects ceaselessly, either wittingly or unwittingly, intentionally or unintentionally, constructively or destructively.

No doubt that causes are what they are, but the selfless impermanent limited and conditional effects can be influenced/determined/dominated by the ceaseless actions/activities, particularly the selfless conscious actions/activities that are being generated under the presence of conscious awareness, and more importantly, under the presence or absence of correct understanding and/or incorrect understanding.

A non-living object doesn't have the organs of perception/cognition or the organs of action. Such as a rock.

The rock under different shapes and sizes and consistencies has no intention of being constructive or destructive, or it has no power of construction or destruction. It is just being what it is. It is also subject to selfless impermanent changes under the presence or absence of certain limited conditions, internally and externally.

It can be transformed or mobilized involuntarily either by nature (such as the impact of sunlight, heat, humidity, volcanic activity, wind, water, rain, lightning strike, current, river, ocean, gravity, and movements of the earth), or by the living organisms that come with the organs of perception/cognition and the organs of action for something constructive or destructive, regardless of whether consciously or unconsciously, voluntarily or involuntarily, deliberately or autonomously, wittingly or unwittingly, intentionally or unintentionally.

It can be used to build shelter, or path, or bridge, or ornament, or tool that cut something, or tool that break/crack open something, or for any constructive purposes.

It can also be used as a weapon to cause damages or injuries unto the physical structures of anyone or anything, or for any destructive purposes.

The different effects, or changes, or transformations, as well as the constructive or destructive possibility/purpose/utilization of the rock are influenced by both internal and external actions/activities involuntarily.

For example, there is a sharp object being there on the path. It doesn't have any intention to be something constructive or destructive for being what it is, where it is, and how it is.

Some conscious living organisms under the presence of conscious awareness/perception/cognition might be aware of it or see it, while some living organisms might not be aware of it or don't see it.

The conscious living organisms that are aware of it, might or might not avoid stepping/leaning on it, might or might not reflect upon the many possible effects of a sharp object being on the path, might or might not pick up or move the sharp object out of the path, and might or might not utilize/transform the sharp object for any purposes, under the presence or absence of different experiences, knowledge, understanding, and intentions.

Under the presence of conscious awareness being aware of the presence of a sharp object being on the path, and under the presence of reflection under the presence of certain experiences, knowledge, and correct understanding, some living organisms would move the sharp object away from the path to avoid any unnecessary damages or injuries unto oneself and/or others, or the tyres of some vehicles, and even many other possible side-effects that might arise from that.

Some living organisms might not have such similar reflection and action taking of avoiding unnecessary evitable damages or injuries unto oneself or others or anything, but they might have the similar desire, intention, and understanding of utilizing/transforming the sharp object for different purposes, and vice versa.

The conscious and unconscious power of creation/action/activity that exist in all and everything, regardless of living organisms that come with the conscious/semi-conscious/unconscious perception/cognition/the presence and absence of freewill and the organs of action/activity/mobility (inputs - thought processing - outputs/responds, consciously/voluntarily or unconsciously/involuntarily), or non-living objects that don't have conscious perception/cognition/freewill and with or without components for action/activity/mobility (non-living objects such as the creations/inventions of clock/all kinds of machine/vehicle/computer/TV/AI programming/robot/toy, and etc, have no conscious perception/cognition/freewill, but there are certain components/functions that enable certain involuntary mechanical action/activity/mobility), is influencing the effects or impermanent changes of the existing causes, while the conscious power of creation/action/activity can be more dominant than the unconscious power of creation/action/activity, and vice versa.

And more importantly, the presence and absence of the clarity, calmness, and efficiency (wisdom/absolute knowledge and precise functionality) or the murkiness, restlessness, and inefficiency (ignorance/corrupted knowledge and faulty functionality) of the selfless functions of the conscious perception/cognition/intellectual reasoning/understanding/desire/behavior/action/activity in the conscious living organisms that are functioning under the presence of conscious awareness, under the state of consciousness/semi-consciousness, has the influencing power that can be influencing/determining what type of conscious creations/actions/activities, that is also conditioning/influencing/determining whether the conscious or unconscious creations/actions/activities is being more dominant, that is influencing the conscious/semi-conscious and unconscious changes/effects of the existing causes in certain way or not in certain way, up to a certain extend, where there is certain inevitable limitation in all and everything.

Such as all and everything has limited duration of existence and function that need constant maintenance under the availability of the selfless supportive energy and different elements/conditions, while all and everything are subject to decay and disintegration.

By understanding this, one will know that under the presence of conscious and semi-conscious awareness during the state of consciousness and semi-consciousness, there is conscious/semi-conscious freewill to influence/determine the states of mind throughout the different states of consciousness, that also influences/conditions/determines the conscious/semi-conscious/unconscious creations/actions/activities (The process of conscious mind evolution and conquest - what yoga and buddhism teachings, observations, and practices is all about), although it takes ceaseless perseverance and determination or continuous effort, not just to attain but also to maintain the clarity and efficiency of the mind under the different states of consciousness, that is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, even after the direct glimpse or realization towards the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self in all kinds of names and forms, until Silence/Samadhi, or the complete annihilation of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional modification of the mind takes place, but more importantly as well as upmost liberating, is that, all THAT (Ignorance/Restlessness/The conscious and unconscious power of creation/action/activity and The annihilation of ignorance/restlessness, or Silence/Samadhi - The absorption/non-activation of MAYA, the power of creation/action/activity) are non-self.

It is absolutely possible to be free from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance.

It is absolutely possible to change and/or conquer the conditional restless egoistic impure thinking and behavior pattern of oneself throughout the different states of consciousness, that hurts oneself and others and the surrounding environment, either wittingly or unwittingly, intentionally or unintentionally, even if all and everything are selfless and impermanent, that only exist and function momentarily for a limited duration.

The mind just need to initiate the conscious evolution process under the presence of conscious awareness, out of its own conscious perception/cognition towards the restlessness/impurities/doubts/suffering and fleeting impermanent changes in itself and of everything that it perceives, under its own conscious freewill, desire, yearning, effort, perseverance, and determination to be free from all that, even if it is just the rise of a fleeting conscious/semi-conscious/unconscious thought, or idea, or desire (planting a seed wittingly/consciously or unwittingly/unconsciously, that requires ceaseless effort/action for nurturing) to be free, to be happy, to be peaceful, to know and understand, to be suffering free, to stop hurting oneself and others, or to be liberated from ignorance, under the presence of any kind of impurities, unrest, fear, insecurity, doubt, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, pain, sorrow, violence, suffering, or the notion/idea of "I am not free".

The cause (any seed), whether being nurtured to becoming a matured plant that bears flowers and fruits, or not, is also subject to selfless impermanent changes of growth/transformation or decay and disintegration. Just as a seed that isn't being nurtured into becoming a plant, is rotting/decaying at its own pace, and will eventually disintegrated/decomposed, not to say, the seed isn't a seed anymore, upon the initial moment of being nurtured that turns into a shoot, that might or might not eventually becoming a matured plant, that might or might not give rise to flowers, that might or might not turn into fruits, that might or might not be consumed by something or someone.

Sankalpa - The initiation/planting of the seed of wisdom/liberation/peace consciously and unconsciously, has been widely misused by the yoga practitioners/teachers/enthusiasts in the yoga practice or in the beginning and/or the end of the yoga class, as 'the mystical super mind power' to make all kinds of wishes/desires/dreams come true, which not only doesn't thin-out and eliminate the veil of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism of attachment and identification, desire of craving and aversion, longing, clinging, expectation, duality, passion, greed, and restlessness, but instead, it is augmenting and empowering all that.

The yoga teachers tell the yoga students in the yoga class to think about something or anything that they want to do and achieve or have, and that by thinking of that particular desire/goal (those many different desires/goals) consciously under intense focus, and all their desires/wishes/goals/dreams will come true or be materialized. It doesn't. It is the ceaseless physical effort/action/activity under the presence of specific or respective knowledge and understanding, under the presence of possibility and opportunity, and under the availability of the selfless supportive energy and elements/conditions, on top of immovable perseverance and determination, that determines whether one will be successful doing and achieving something that oneself wanted to do and achieve, up to certain extend under certain limitation.

If it is merely a thought/desire arising in the mind, but if there is no prompted follow-up continuous physical effort/activity to materialize the thought/desire, or it doesn't turn into physical action/expression/speech, then it is just a selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary thought that arising and passing away (a seed that doesn't turn into a plant), regardless of whether the thought is something pure or impure, positive or negative, good or bad, constructive or destructive, wholesome or unwholesome, and etc.

While most of the minds are still functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance, what the minds (being conditioned and influenced to) think and believe and understand, or reason and evaluate and discriminate, or judge and recognize towards what is good or gad, what is right or wrong, what is positive or negative, or what is constructive or destructive, or what is wholesome or unwholesome, and etc, are not necessarily the truth of what things are.

And hence, the highly importance of the practical and efficient initial mental observation/practice of non-grasping, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, and non-expectation towards the rise of any kind of thoughts/desires, to be observing or aware of the ceaseless thoughts/desires arising and passing away, without generating any physical effort/activity/action being prompted by the selfless impermanent limited and conditional fleeting thoughts/desires, the presence of countless seeds don't turn into any plant (the arising and passing away of countless causes doesn't lead to effect).

Upon the annihilation of the veil of ignorance, or upon the presence of clarity, absolute knowledge, and correct understanding, the mind can choose whether to perform or not performing certain action/activity that are beneficial for oneself and others and the surrounding environment, selflessly, indiscriminately and unconditionally.

Without thinking about or focusing towards achieving anything specifically, but just by performing certain actions/activities under the presence of specific knowledge and understanding, possibility and opportunity, perseverance and determination, and the availability of the selfless support of energy and elements/conditions, and one might achieve good health, good fortune, unlimited wealth, happiness, everything desirable and nothing undesirable, youthfulness, and longevity, and even so, it still doesn't change the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, non-self, and the inevitable decay and disintegration, or mortality in all and everything.

Just by ceaselessly 'thinking' about or 'focusing' towards 'being at the mountain top', it doesn't transport oneself physically and practically to be on the mountain top, it is the continuous physical effort of physical movements/actions/activities internally and externally that bring oneself to be at the mountain top physically and practically, eventually.

The Sankalpa that is stated in the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism, is merely about the seed of dhamma that might or might not lead to the liberation from all that depending on the presence and absence of effort/action taking, where it is not even "I want to be free, be happy, be peaceful, be liberated," under the presence of the idea of 'I' and egoism, but it is, "May all be free, be happy, be peaceful, be liberated," indiscriminately and unconditionally, dropping of the idea of 'I' and egoism, devoid of the sense of separateness/duality of 'I' and 'not I' or 'others', and without egoism of grasping, attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, but only through ceaseless effort, action, activity, observation, or practice, under intense perseverance and determination, one will eventually attain direct self realization towards the truth of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional finite momentary existence and function of all and everything, that are non-self, and be free, be happy, be peaceful unconditionally.

Such as, without telling/asking/guiding/instructing the yoga students to deliberately setting any kind of intention before/during/after the yoga class/yoga practice, but just by indiscriminately disseminating the dhamma, or the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism as it is, in the yoga class, regardless of whether the yoga students are paying attention (receiving inputs consciously) or don't pay attention (receiving inputs unconsciously) onto the dhamma dissemination, whether they understand or don't understand, agree or disagree, like or dislike, desire or don't desire, and practice or don't practice the dhamma/the teachings as it is, but that is already what Sankalpa is about. An intentionless seed of wisdom is being randomly planted into the minds of the yoga students either consciously or unconsciously (the gift of dhamma). But then it is up to the effort of the yoga students whether to embark onto the journey of self-inquiry and attain self realization, or not, a.k.a. whether to continuously nurture the seed until it becomes a matured plant that bears flowers and fruits, or not.

That is also why the highly importance of the observation of renunciation, solitude, and seclusion to not just mentally but also physically move away from all kinds of conditional highly influential worldly egoistic conscious and unconscious inputs/influences/ideas/affairs/beliefs/values/practices/rituals/behaviors/activities/interactions/communications/ties and connections, that is absolutely practical and efficient for the minds that genuinely and eagerly want to attain direct self realization towards knowing Thyself, or knowing the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self in all and everything.

Conscious and/or unconscious thought/intention/desire (Sankalpa) is nothing or powerless, if without continuous physical effort/action/activity (which includes mental activity, that is also part of the physical activity. Without the physical structure and activity, there is no mental activity) under the presence of respective knowledge and understanding, possibility and opportunity, perseverance and determination, and the selfless support of the supportive energy and elements/conditions.

There is nothing super extraordinary, or mystical, or transcendental, or miraculous in the teachings, observations, practices, and realization of yoga and/or buddhism. It is merely the truth of everything, as it is. However, under the influence of the veil of ignorance, it is common and natural that there are many existing 'teachings, observations, practices, transcriptions, translations, and understanding' of yoga and/or buddhism have been contaminated by the many different worldly egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, and practices. And hence, the highly importance of "Inquiring the truth of everything to attain direct self realization," as stated in both the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism.

One doesn't necessarily need to learn, read, hear, study, know, or memorize about many teachings of yoga and/or buddhism, but only need to know and inquire about, "Silencing and withdrawing the restless outgoing mind and performing self-inquiry to be inquiring towards the truth of everything to attain direct self realization." One needs to inquire why is that highly important, what is and how to silence and withdraw the restless outgoing mind, what is/why and how to perform self-inquiry to be inquiring towards the truth of everything to attain direct self realization?

The mind that knows this, is free from all kinds of worldly egoistic superstitious mystical spiritual/religious/cultural beliefs, values, and practices, as well as the unnecessary fear and many obstacles or inconveniences deriving from all that. Such mind cannot be threatened/intimidated/bullied/manipulated/influenced/lured/exploited/disturbed/offended/hurt by anyone and anything.

Yoga and/or buddhism is the science of the mind.

Inquire the truth of everything.

The bondage chain of thought, attachment, desire, action and consequence of action

A thought arise.

Followed by attachment.

Desire of craving or aversion arise towards the thought.

Gratification of the desire of craving or aversion gives rise to action and consequence of action.

Forming the bondage chain of cause and effect, birth and death.

A thought arise.

Stand as a witness.

Witnessing thought after thought, arising and passing away.

Without attachment or grasping/clinging onto the thought (modification of the mind).

Free from desire of craving or aversion.

Transcending the bondage chain of action and consequence of action, cause and effect, birth and death.

This is the open teaching of Yoga and Buddhism.

No shortcut.

No supernatural power.

No fairy tale.

No mystical story.

Just keep purifying, cleaning, clearing, silencing, annihilating the modification of the mind, the idea of 'I'.

Changing the conditioned thinking pattern of the mind

The thinking pattern of the untrained minds is unwittingly being conditioned by certain worldly social cultural or religious/spiritual thinking/belief/disbelief/ideas/values/practice, including the minds that think and believe that they are 'good minds' or 'good beings' with 'good ideas', 'good merits', 'good virtues', 'good belief', 'good conduct', 'good personality', or 'good characteristic', that identify themselves as 'good people' with 'good and righteous behavior' in the world, or the minds that think and believe that they are not 'good enough' and they aspire to be 'good enough' to be identified/recognized/acknowledged as 'good minds', 'good beings', or 'good people with good and righteous behavior'.

Not that 'being good' or 'doing good' or 'good behavior' is something bad or wrong, but the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, are free from such identification/recognition/acknowledgement attached onto any quality of names and forms complying to certain worldly/social/cultural or religious/spiritual thinking/belief/disbelief/ideas/values/practice about what is good and bad, right and wrong, positive and negative, or meaningfulness and meaninglessness.

Those who sincerely want to transcend the modification of the mind, who are determined to free the mind from ignorance and all kinds of suffering that derived from ignorance, need to work diligently on changing the thinking pattern of the mind, freeing the mind from such conditioned thinking/belief/values/practice/identification.

Those who just want to do some yoga practice regularly to attain some impermanent physical and mental health and fitness benefits, as well as those who just want to be good and do good to accumulate good karma/virtues/merits as much as possible hoping to have a better next life 'transition/incarnation' or entering 'blissful heaven', they don't need to inquire into this basic yet important teaching and practice of yoga.

The untrained ignorant egoistic minds are like a 'sponge' that absorbs everything that is possible whether wittingly or unwittingly, while thinking and believing and identifying itself as 'the sponge that filled with whatever it absorbs/contains/holds', such like, 'I am a good sponge that absorbs/contains/holds all the good elements' or 'I am a bad sponge that absorbs/contains/holds all the bad elements'.

The selfless minds are free from such thinking/belief/identification.

Contemplate on this, and be free.

Go beyond the ego and its good and bad intention, and be free...

The ego is neither good nor bad. It's just being what it is, constantly acts and reacts upon the perception of names and forms of what the mind sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks.

Both good and bad intention that leads to good and bad actions is coming from the ego.

To go beyond the ego and its plays, we free the mind from both good and bad intention.

Contemplate what is intentionless. As when the ego is eradicated, there's no intention to be the cause of action. Actions are being performed out of compassion.

Actions that derived from good or bad intention bind us to good and bad karma.

Actions that are free from intentions, are not different from inaction, they do not generate good or bad karma.

Contemplate on this :-

Does the water bound by good karma, when we enjoy and consume the water for survival, drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning, gardening, and etc? Does the water bound by bad karma, when properties and lives are lost or damaged by flood, or tsunami?

Does the air bound by good karma, when we utilize the wind for generating electricity, and breathe in oxygen for survival? Does the air bound by bad karma, when properties and lives are lost or damaged by hurricane or tornado?

Does the earth bound by good karma, when we live on it, build home on it, and harvest minerals out of it? Does the earth bound by bad karma, when properties and lives are lost or damaged by earthquake or land slide?

Same as the sun and the space. Do they bound by good and bad karma while performing ceaseless contributions or actions of giving, providing and supporting everything to be existing, while somebody or something is damaged or destroyed by all these elements?

Nope.

Why? It's because they have no intention to be good or bad, they have no intention to be doing something good or bad.

They exist for everything to be exist. Everything will also cease existing because of them. It's just the law of impermanence of existence.

There's no good or bad karma.

And why are we, human beings with the thinking mind, with the egoism, are bound by good and bad karma coming from our actions? It's because we perform all our actions out of intention, or actions are being performed out of good or bad intention, to be getting something that we desire, or do not want to get something that we don't desire.

No one can give us an answer that will clear our doubts or ignorance, and free us from the binding of karma.

Contemplate and find the answer from our own self-realization.

Realize the truth, perform all actions out of compassion, without attachment towards the actions and the fruit of actions.

Be free.

Om shanti.

Neither aggressive nor submissive...

Neither aggressive nor submissive... Remove the 'I', 'my' and 'I am'. Remove all the identifications with different qualities of names and forms. Realize selflessness or oneness. Perform actions without attachment and renounce the fruit of actions. Actions are being performed from a mind that is free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, craving, aversion, desire or intention, judgment, expectation, fear and worry.

Om shanti.

Freedom, peace and happiness is in this present moment now, it's not in the future after death...

"If the people who do a lot of good actions and they will go to heaven after death, and the people who do a lot of bad actions and they will go to hell after death, then where will the people go after death, if they do equal amount of good and bad actions? It seems like these people are not qualified for heaven or hell... And if according to the teachings in certain religions, that if their followers have not perfected themselves in accordance to the religious teachings, or they abandon or stop practicing the teachings of their religion, then they will be judged as sinful beings, and will be punished in this life time by their religion authorities, as well as they will be condemned to hell after death, then why do people still want to get involve in these religions and be 'conditioned' and 'restricted' in such religious teachings?"

If anyone takes up Buddhism or Yoga practice, and then abandons the practice, or has not attain perfection or success in the practice, or is not behaving in accordance to the observances in the teachings of Buddhism or Yoga, there is no such judgment of being sinful, nor there will be punishment from any 'authorities', as there is no 'authority' in Buddhism and Yoga practice. If there is an authority that will be there to punish us for behaving 'badly' under the Buddhism or Yoga practice, then this person will be our own self. We are the witness of the consequences of our own actions, that's all.

The only common thing is that there will be pleasant and unpleasant consequences of actions, it doesn't matter if we are having a religion or not, or whether we are practicing the teachings of Buddhism and Yoga or not, or whether we perform all these practices correctly or not. But the consequences of our actions are not necessarily based on the standards coming from our mind about what are right and wrong actions, good and bad actions, as what our mind believes what things are, is not necessary the truth of what things really are.

When we expect to receive certain pleasant consequences coming from our 'right' and 'good' actions, but then what we actually experience are really unpleasant consequences, then know that either it is because what our mind believes what is right and good is not necessarily the truth of what things really are. It is not because the law of Karma or cause and effect is not true. Or it is because the real consequences or the end result have yet to be ripened. Be patient to see the end result of our actions.

The point is, if we are practicing Buddhism or Yoga, we do not attach to our actions, nor have any expectation towards the result of our actions, but to allow the result or the fruit of actions to be what they are. It is about perform all our actions without attachment towards our actions and the fruit of our actions.

Freedom, peace and happiness is in this present moment now, it is not in the future after death, whether we will go to heaven or hell according to our behavior in this life experience. As freedom, peace and happiness is nothing to do with being in heaven or hell, or "somewhere in between" after death. It is in this present moment now, whether we are free from egoism and ignorance, or not.

May all be free.

Om shanti.

Perform actions with maximum attention, be free from fear and worry...

Every actions or decisions that we make, there will be some 'risks', whether little or a lot. If we pay attention onto whatever we are doing, the 'risks' can be reduced to a minimum or none at all.

If we don't pay attention onto what we are doing, even the 'very low risks' actions also will be encountering some 'unexpected' difficulties, loss, damages or injuries.

Just like having a walk on the beach, we don't really pay attention onto our steps as we think it is a 'very low risks' action, and busy looking at the scenery or talking with somebody, and we might step onto some sharp objects and hurt our feet, and suffer pain for a few days.

But if we think having a walk on the beach can be quite risky, and generate a lot of fear and worry in the mind while walking on the beach, then we can't enjoy the walk at all, but instead we will build up so much unnecessarily tension into the body and mind.

If we can pay maximum attention onto what we are doing with a calm and clear mind, being free from fear and worry while we perform certain actions that we think can be quite risky, then all the possible risks of difficulties, loss, damages or injuries can be reduced to none at all.

Whether low risks or high risks actions, let us perform all actions with full attention, and with a calm and clear mind that is free from fear and worry. As fear and worry won't remove any possible risks, but will only intensify the existing 'risks'.

Such like performing headstand in yoga asana practice. Some people think and believe that headstand is a 'high risks' action and they have a lot of fear and worry towards practicing headstand. Even some yoga 'teachers' also think and believe that headstand is a high risk exercise and have fear of practicing headstand themselves, or teaching headstand to the students.

Actually, there is minimum or none 'injuries' if we are able to perform headstand with attention and the correct technique in a relaxed manner under a calm and clear mind. If we are full of fear and worry towards certain possible risks of injuries, then it is better not to practice headstand. As even though performing headstand won't be causing any injuries at all if we perform it with attention and the correct technique in a relaxed manner under a calm and clear mind, but due to intense fear and worry, we actually build up so much unnecessary tension into our body and mind, and causing unnecessarily muscle tightness or headache during and after the practice. And it's not necessarily that we have to be able to perform headstand to realize unconditional peace and love.

Learning to do the headstand is not about whether we can perform the headstand or not, but it is about confronting with fear and worry, and letting go of fear and worry.

Do our best in performing all our actions by paying attention or concentrate our mind onto what we are doing, but be free from fear and worry towards any possible 'risks', let go of the result of our actions, is our yoga practice in everyday life.

Om shanti.

Why being determined by life when we can make good use of life existence for benefiting ourselves and others?

Why being determined by life when we can make good use of life existence for benefiting ourselves and others?

It doesn't matter our life condition is 'good' or 'not so good', or whether it is the way that we like it to be or not, we don't have to be determined by it to be peaceful or not.

When our life is in 'good' condition, we take the advantage and opportunity to make good use of it for benefiting ourselves and others, without feeling proud and arrogant. Knowing that even this 'comfortable' condition will change and pass away.

When our life is in 'not so good' condition, we allow ourselves to accept the reality as it is, allow ourselves to be temporary excused from certain duty and responsibility, without feeling guilty, depressed or unhappy. Knowing that even this 'difficult' condition will change and pass away. We also allow other beings to show loving kindness and develop compassion towards those who are in 'not so good' conditions, and to be grateful and appreciate the 'good' condition that they have.

Appreciate this life existence, this body and this mind, and the time being, to do something beneficial and meaningful for ourselves and others. Such like, love ourselves and accepting ourselves as we are, stop criticizing ourselves and stop hurting ourselves with anger and hatred, fear and worry. And do the same towards other beings.

Time doesn't really exist in reality. It is just the perception of the mind perceiving changes of the qualities of names and forms that is subject to impermanence. Time exists in the mind, but it doesn't belong to the mind, or who we think we are. There's no such thing as 'my time' or 'wasting my time'. But then it seems like in this moment there is 'time' for us to spend freely to be doing something (performing beneficial actions that will promote harmony in ourselves and others) or doing nothing (refrain from performing harmful actions that will promote disharmony in ourselves and others).

Make good use of the thinking and reasoning power of the mind, the hands, the feet, the speech organ and the hearing organ, for ourselves and others.

When there are moments that we need to take a break from doing something, we enjoy doing nothing (such like when we don't have any specific duty or responsibility to be carried out, or when our body experiences some illness or injuries, or any degeneration or malfunctions of the body and mind).

When we have the potential and opportunity to make use of this body and mind to do something good for ourselves and others, we perform all our actions with gratitude and joy, but without attachment or expectation towards the result of our actions. Be grateful that we are being given the opportunity to use the thinking mind, the creativity, the ideas, the hands, the feet and the speech organ for doing something good or nice for ourselves and others.

Do not let the life conditions, the body and the mind to determine us, or to 'influence' us to be peaceful or not, or to be 'used' by the ego to magnify its false existence as 'I'. Instead, we make use of them to do something that is beyond our own belief, thinking or imagination of what we can do with this life opportunity.

When we perform actions with expectation, we are bound by our actions, and be determined by the result of the action. We are not free. This life existence is being used by the ego to accomplish its desires of craving and aversion.

If we know how to perform all actions whether it is for ourselves or for others, without attachment or expectation towards the result of the action, we are free. This life existence is being used for something beneficial for all beings.

When our mind starts to expand by cultivating compassion towards other beings and performing all our actions to benefit all beings, it will stop focusing on personal life problems. Personal life problems are still there, but it will become less and less important until it vanished from the mind. There's no problem or unhappiness at all, even though there are ups and downs, and obstacles in life.

Om shanti.