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Showing posts with label buddha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buddha. Show all posts

Sunday, May 25, 2025

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.

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

The limited and conditional mind perception of a subjective personal reality

None can argue with one another about the mind perception of a subjective personal reality that is unique and different from one another.

All minds have their own unique and different personal reality in certain way, perceived through the limited and conditional function of the senses via the sense organs, based on the personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, or desires and doesn't desires, under the influence of the limited and conditional personal way of thinking, belief, reasoning, understanding, values, practices, actions, reactions, way of doing things, desires and aspirations.

There is neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, in all the different minds perceiving their own different personal reality.

The different mind perception of different personal reality are not necessarily the truth of what things are, but it is still the truth of a personal reality for each mind, as that is what and how the mind perceives everything through the limited and conditional senses of the sense organs.

None can argue about what they see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and feel with their own eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin that are limited and conditional, where the same sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations can appear to be different for one another. Upon looking at the same object, at the same time, from the same angle, different minds perceives the object differently from one another. The different perceptions towards the same object might not be the truth of the object, but it is still the personal truth for each different mind.

That is what the mind perceives, sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, feels, thinks, recognizes, reasons, and understands, even though it is being perceived differently from all the others.

That is what the mind thinks and believes what things are, even though it is being perceived differently from all the others.

Whenever the mind perceives and recognizes 'this is good' or 'this is bad', 'this is positive' or 'this is negative', 'this is right' or 'this is wrong', 'this is beautiful' or 'this is not beautiful', 'this is pleasing' or 'this is disgusting', 'this is meaningful' or 'this is meaningless', 'this is joyfulness' or 'this is joylessness', 'this is auspiciousness' or 'this is inauspiciousness', 'this is pleasurable enjoyment' or 'this is painful suffering', and so on, it is not the truth of what things are.

All and everything are just what they are, and all are selfless and impermanent.

There won't be any problems if the different minds understand and respect that all minds have their own unique mind perception towards everything of a subjective personal reality that is different from one another.

Different minds see things differently. Different minds understand things differently. Different minds behave, act, and react differently.

There will be unnecessary problems and conflicts when the minds think and believe that their own personal reality deriving from perceiving or experiencing the world of names and forms via specific limited and conditional 'lenses' under the influence of specific way of thinking, belief, reasoning, understanding, values, ideas, desires, and aspirations, is all true, correct and right, or it's the truth of everything, while thinking and believing that the other different personal realities of the other minds, that are different from their own personal perceived reality, are untrue, incorrect and wrong, or it's not the truth of everything, and they have the desire and aspiration of want to prove to the world that their perceived personal reality is all true, correct and right, while all the others are untrue, incorrect and wrong, where they want to interfere with the others, under the intention or desire to convince, or convert, or change the others to have the similar perception of everything as one's own perception towards everything.

Inquire the truth of everything, including the existing belief, understanding, ideas, values, desires, inspirations, aspirations and practice in this mind, as well as upon coming in contact with all kinds of teachings of yoga and/or buddhism coming from anyone and everywhere, including all and everything that is here.

Inquire towards "Why did Siddhartha Gautama Buddha insisted on not having the dhamma or his teachings to be 'recorded' or 'preserved' in any forms, and to have the term of 'Thus have I heard' (如是我聞) in the beginning of all kinds of buddhism related teachings or dhamma that 'claimed' to be coming from him authentically, reminding that all kinds of 'buddhism related teachings' or 'dhamma' that the mind comes in contact with are not necessarily 'what they are' or 'as it is', where all and everyone must perform self-inquiry to inquire the truth of everything to attain direct self-realization, without blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing and blind-propagating, including all kinds of 'buddhism teachings' or 'dhamma' that the mind comes in contact with, where his teachings or the dhamma is based on impermanence (無常) and selflessness (無我), as well as he never commented on 'the creator of the universe/world' (創世者) or 'the soul' (靈魂)."

The highly importance of the term "Thus have I heard" -

This 'buddhism teaching' or this 'dhamma' is what I have heard, or read, or learned from someone or from somewhere, but it is not necessarily the buddhism teachings or the dhamma as it is. One must inquire the truth of everything and attain direct self-realization towards the truth of everything, including all kinds of buddhism teachings or dhamma in any forms, even if it was authentically coming from Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, as it is, no more and no less.

Even when Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was in front of a mind and expounding his teachings or the dhamma as it is to this mind directly, this mind also must not blind-agreeing, blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating, and must perform self-inquiry to inquire the truth of the teachings or the dhamma coming from Siddhartha Gautama Buddha himself personally and directly, and to attain direct self-realization towards the teachings or the dhamma as it is - 

All are selfless and impermanent. Ignorance (not knowing the truth of selflessness and impermanence), that gives rise to the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities and restlessness, is the root cause of suffering. The only existence of any names and forms is in this present moment now, either had existed and ceased existing or have been existing and will be ceased existing, and it's impermanent and selfless, where there is no 'I' in any existing names and forms to be undergoing impermanent changes. There is neither suffering nor the end of suffering upon the annihilation of ignorance, or the idea of 'I', or grasping/attachment, or the desire of craving and aversion.

The dhamma is not limited by time (during the life existence of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha), space (where Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was and had been to) and causation (The arising/changing/passing away of the body and mind of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and his selfless dissemination of the dhamma), or only to be found or seen in a particular 'auspicious' time/space/causation (enlightened beings/minds, temples, dhamma sutras, statues/images/drawings of buddhas, symbols of buddhism, dhamma/buddhism related books or recordings, and etc), or only accessible/available to particular being of specific names and forms. It is not limited by any names and forms.

The dhamma exist in all and everything. It is right here, right now, and it can be seen in everything that are selfless and impermanent, in both the perceiver and the perceived names and forms. The minds just need to reflect upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence, by observing the selfless impermanent changes in all kinds of names and forms in the present moment now, under an open, non-grasping/non-attaching, purified, disciplined, and quiet mind.

The dhamma is nothing to do with 'sacredness', 'auspiciousness', 'mystic', 'miracle', 'superpower', 'the honourable', or 'the untouchable'. It is merely the truth of what everything are - selflessness and impermanence. It is anywhere and everywhere. It is not difficult to reflect upon and see the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, however, the contamination of worldly passionate egoistic way of thinking, beliefs, ideas, values, desires, and practices deriving from ignorance and egoism in the minds that give rise to all kinds of attachments, identifications, desires of craving and aversions, judgments, expectations, impurities, and restlessness, hinder the minds from seeing the truth as it is.

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and all the other enlightened buddhas/beings/minds, didn't/don't need or request anyone to praise and glorify them, or bow and pray to them, and/or the buddha/dhamma/buddhism related statues/images/drawings/symbols/objects/writings/sutras/books/temples. Coming in contact with, possessing, praising, glorifying, bowing, and praying to all those names and forms, or memorizing and chanting all kinds of sutras and mantras, or performing all kinds of rituals/offerings, or sitting in meditation posture non-moving, non-sleeping, and non-eating/drinking for many hours/days, without reflecting upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence, don't remove the ignorance and its consequences in the mind.

All students/practitioners of buddha/dhamma/buddhism reflect upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of names and forms, including all kinds of buddha/dhamma/buddhism related statues/images/drawings/symbols/objects/writings/sutras/books/temples, and etc, without blind-agreeing, blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating.

The belief/superstition/practice about "Pointing the feet/finger/buttocks towards, or non-bowing towards, or stepping over, or sitting on top, or exhibiting any kinds of 'inappropriate' or 'disrespectful' gestures/actions/behaviors in front of and unto, or throwing away/destroying/burning, or a female during menstruation coming in contact with, or using the left hand to be touching or holding the buddha/dhamma/buddhism related statues/images/drawings/symbols/objects/writings/sutras/books/temples, and etc, is being referred as something offensive/disrespectful/bad karma/sinful/punishable, and so on," is nothing to do with the buddha/dhamma/buddhism.

All minds, regardless of how ignorant and impure are the minds, can be free from ignorance, if there is determination and perseverance to inquire the truth via self-effort and self-inquiry, to know what is the 'I' that the thinking mind thinks and believes and identifies as 'I'.

Thursday, October 12, 2023

The selfless mind is still the same selfless mind while under going self-transformation and upon self-realization

In the teachings of yoga, all kinds of teachings and practice served the purpose of enabling the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind to be free from the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, to realize the truth of selflessness and impermanence, to know itself, and thus, be free from the suffering deriving from ignorance and its by-products.

That transformative process is being referred as self-transformation or self-evolution, however, the mind is still the same mind, it doesn't change into something else that it is not, even having under going many transformational modifications or changes. The mind might be thinking, understanding, feeling, desiring, behaving, acting and reacting differently from before, the states of the mind is never the same from moment to moment, the modifications of the mind is constantly changing, but it is still the same selfless mind existing and functioning selflessly and momentarily under the selfless impermanent existence and function of the same selfless physical body that is constantly changing, where the selfless physical body is not the same appearance or condition from moment to moment, but it is still the same selfless physical body.

There's neither right nor wrong when the different minds understand that "It's not the same body (in terms of appearance and condition) and mind (in terms of the states of mind and behavior pattern) every moment because of selfless impermanent changes" and "It's still the same body and mind even though it's under going ceaseless selfless impermanent changes, transforming into different physical appearance and condition, and transitioning in different states of the mind and behavior pattern, from the moment it exists until it ceased existing." Both are equally correct under different points of view. It's nothing contradicting at all. But regardless of the different understanding due to the different points of view, the body and mind is selfless and impermanent is the inevitable truth, where there is no permanent independent individual infinite existence of 'I' existing in the selfless impermanent mortal body and mind that is constantly changing, decaying and disintegrating.

The car is still the same car, even if it's under going ceaseless impermanent changes of decaying, and eventually, it will be retired and ceased functioning, where the exterior appearance and the interior compartments and decorations, might have been being modified or replaced in countless times that it is not the 'same' car every moment, even if it has been going through changing owners and/or registration plate number.

Some minds might be confused towards how come the mind is still what it is, that the mind is still the same mind, even when it is under going all kinds of practice to be modifying itself, experiencing self-transformation, and attaining self-realization? Such as quite many 'buddhists' would think that one will become a 'buddha' upon enlightenment, where 'buddha' is someone or something that is superior, being separated or distinct from an inferior mind, or person, or living being that is ignorant, selfish, evil, greedy and impure.

One doesn't perform certain practices and become a 'buddha', or one doesn't become 'selfless' and 'compassionate'. All and everything are 'buddha', all are selfless and compassionate, regardless of whether one performs or doesn't perform certain practices, knows or doesn't know that, realizes or doesn't realize that, and attaining enlightenment, or not.

No doubt that there are certain gross and subtle changes or transformations happening to the selfless function, or modification, or state of the mind, while the mind is performing certain practices that served the purpose of disciplining the mind, purifying the mind and quieting the mind, in order to be eliminating the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

However, the mind is still the same mind, it is still what it is, being selfless and impermanent, it doesn't change into something else that is not what it is, regardless of whether all these modifications, changes or transformations are happening, or not.

The only difference is, when this selfless mind is functioning under the veil of ignorance and its by-products, it doesn't know or doesn't understand itself, or what is going on in itself, or why it perceives suffering, or what is suffering, or what is the cause of suffering, and hence, it might think, reason, understand, feel, desire, behave, act and react in the way that hurt itself and others and the surrounding environment due to being ignorant, or it is functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance and its by-products.

Upon the annihilation of the veil of ignorance and its by-products, or upon self-realization towards the selflessness and impermanence in itself and in all kinds of perceived names and forms, of knowing Thyself, of knowing the truth of names and forms, the mind wouldn't be thinking, reasoning, understanding, feeling, behaving, acting and reacting in the way that hurt itself, or others, or the surrounding environment.

The selfless existence and function of the selfless mind and the selfless physical body doesn't change into something else. It doesn't become selfless. It is selfless, regardless of whether the mind knows or doesn't know about it's existence and function is selfless. It doesn't change and become something permanent, or immortal, or infinite. It is either being restless, or being less restless and more quiet, or resting in silence, during its selfless impermanent existence and function. It is the same selfless and impermanent before, during and after the transformation and upon self-realization, even though it keeps under going ceaseless selfless impermanent changes or transformations until it ceased functioning and ceased existing.

Selflessness isn't something saintly, sacred or mystical. Selflessness is not something to be attained and becoming. Selflessness doesn't only present in the enlightened buddhas, gurus, saints and sages, or is absent in the non-enlightened ignorant, selfish, impure and suffering beings. Selflessness in not about unselfishness. Selflessness is not the opposite of selfishness. All and everything don't attain selflessness and become selfless. All and everything are selfless, regardless of what.

Selflessness is there is no existence of an individual permanent independent existence of 'I' in all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms.

It's whether the mind realized selflessness under the absence of the idea of 'I' and ignorance, or hasn't realized selflessness under the presence of the idea of 'I' and ignorance.

And thus, "All and everything is dhamma. All and everything are buddha." - Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

Selflessness.

Impermanence.

Non-duality.

Non-discrimination.

Non-separateness.

Oneness.

Fearlessness.

Void of 'I'.

Void of grasping.

Void of desire.

Void of ignorance.

Void of suffering.

Void of restlessness.

Unconditional peace.

Timelessness.

Silence.

There's neither past nor future, there's only now.

It's merely selfless impermanent names and forms arising, changing and passing away, inter-depending and inter-influencing among one another selflessly, governed by cause and effect, influenced by actions and consequences of actions, under the support and influence of different selfless elements and selfless energy that are also inter-depending and inter-influencing one another selflessly.

All these different terms are one.

Dhamma, or the truth of selflessness and impermanence, is neither sacred nor non-sacred. It is what it is. It is what all and everything are. It cannot be changed, be contaminated, be hurt, be disrespected, be humiliated, be offended, or be destroyed.

Regardless of the absence and presence of ignorance, the different degrees of ignorance, the different types and degrees of suffering, the different states of mind of interchanging in different realms, the different qualities of different names and forms, the different thinking, beliefs, understanding, desires, behaviors, actions and reactions, and the different consequences of all that, all and everyone and everything is selfless and impermanent.

What doesn't change, that is permanent, that is infinite, that is timeless, is the truth of selflessness and impermanence.

Because all are selfless, there's not a permanent independent infinite 'I' existing to be identifying as "I am this" or "I am that", or "I am neither this nor that", or "I am under going selfless impermanent changes", or "I am under going the infinite restless loop of ceaseless births and deaths", or "I need to be free from all that". It doesn't mean that all these don't exist, or there's no selfless impermanent changes, or there's no restless ceaseless births and deaths, or there's no perception of suffering deriving from being ignorant.

The selfless physical body that comes with the selfless thinking and acting faculty exists selflessly and momentarily. All kinds of selfless names and forms exist selflessly and momentarily. The selfless impermanent changes are happening ceaselessly. The ones that are under going restless ceaseless births and deaths is every single selfless neutron, cell and atom in the selfless physical body, and every single selfless thought arising, changing and passing away in the selfless modification of the selfless mind. The different realms are the different states of the mind. The one that is transitioning in between the different realms is the selfless thinking faculty. Cause and effect exists. Actions and consequences of actions exists.

The one that performs actions through the selfless organs of actions, and either enjoying or suffering for the consequences of actions, that affects the selfless physical body and the selfless states of the mind in certain way, is the selfless thinking faculty. The one that is happy or unhappy, kind or unkind, ignorant or wise, selfish or unselfish, is the selfless thinking faculty.

The one that is not free, that is restless, that is in painful sorrow and suffering, being bound by selfless impermanent changes governed by cause and effect, influenced by actions and consequences of actions, as well as perceiving or experiencing suffering deriving from ignorance, is the selfless thinking faculty functioning under the presence of the veil of ignorance and its by-products.

The one that has intense yearning towards liberation, that has certain degrees of awareness and will power/freewill to be performing certain practices to be free from all that, is the selfless thinking faculty.

The one that can free the selfless thinking faculty from ignorance, is the selfless thinking faculty itself.

It's not even "I am selfless", or "I am That, which is selfless, infinite, unlimited, unconditional, beginningless, endless, birthless, deathless, timeless and changeless," as even That, is also selfless, that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, that doesn't possess or own anything, that doesn't control anything, but all and everything are arising, changing and passing away upon it, under their own cause and effect.

If something that exists infinitely is not selfless, is something sentient, that has been witnessing all kinds of names and forms arising, changing and passing away governed by cause and effect, and witnessing all kinds of painful sorrow and suffering in all kinds of sentient living beings functioning under the veil of ignorance, then that is the greatest suffering in the entire universe of all time, as that is permanent and infinite.

Just as the selfless physical body doesn't exist or function without the selfless neutrons, cells and atoms forming the entire complex selfless physical body with the function of the selfless thinking faculty, supported by the selfless elements and selfless energy, where all these are inter-depending and inter-influencing among one another to be what they are. While each selfless element, energy, neutron, cell or atom doesn't belong to the selfless physical body, and vice versa. Each selfless element, energy, neutron, cell or atom doesn't have an existence of 'I' to be identifying as "I am element/energy/neutron/cell/atom" or with the selfless physical body. And the selfless physical body doesn't have an existence of 'I' to be identifying with the selfless elements, energy, neutrons, cells and atoms.

Go beyond all kinds of identifications. Go beyond "I am That", "I am infinite", "I am all compassionate", "I am all wise", "I am all powerful", "I am all existence", "I am all knowledge", "I am strong", "I am positive", "I am happiness", and so on.

What is selfless, it doesn't have an existence of 'I' to be what it is, to be identifying with anything, to be possessing/owning anything, or to be belonging to anything.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Ignorance in the world of yoga and buddhism

Many people don't really know or understand what is yoga and the yoga practice, even after many years of practicing and/or teaching 'yoga'. There's nothing wrong or abnormal, because that is what ignorance is about.

It's understandable, because the 'yoga' that many people see or practice in this world are the 'yoga' being practiced and taught by those who don't really know what is yoga, and there are many people are learning and practicing 'yoga' by attending ongoing 'yoga classes' that are being conducted by many 'certified' and 'qualified' yoga teachers that also don't really know or understand what is yoga and the yoga practice.

Similarly, in the world of buddhism, there are many people who think they are the disciples of Buddha, but they don't really know or understand what is buddha, buddhism, the teachings of buddha or the dhamma, and the practice.

Everyone takes their own effort and pace to realize what is yoga or buddhism, the teachings of yoga or the teachings of buddha, or the dhamma and the practice.

And it's okay, if the minds still haven't realized the dhamma by the end of this selfless impermanent life existence, after have been performing so many kinds of yoga practice or buddhism practice, under the idea of "I am a yogi who practice yoga," or "I am a Buddhist who practice Buddhism."

The only difference is that, if more minds are free from ignorance and egoism while being here momentarily in this space of the universe that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, there will be less unrest and disharmony or damaging effects being generated into this world, unwittingly, and vice versa.

Under the veil of ignorance and egoism, the selfless impermanent minds are not any different from all kinds of momentary natural disasters that come with the selfless intentionless damaging power that destroy many lives, objects and the surrounding environment, even if these natural disasters are only existing for a few moments, not to say, many minds are existing for quite a long while in this world, that keep contributing unnecessary unrest, disharmony and damaging effects into the world, either wittingly or unwittingly, during their momentary selfless impermanent existence in this world.

The minds that understand, they won't be offended by this.

The minds that would be offended by this, they don't understand.

Many years ago, in an ashram in India, there was a very old yoga teacher told this mind that he was still 'in doubt' after practicing and teaching yoga for many years. That had actually empowered the intense yearning towards liberation in this mind, to be determined to be free from ignorance, not just doing some form of yoga practice regularly, and hence, initiated the observation of renunciation from the world of passionate egoistic social and cultural affairs, connections, interactions and activities. He was indeed a great teacher.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Go beyond auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, positiveness and negativeness

There's nothing wrong with some minds strongly believe in auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, and be determined or disturbed by the absence of what they believe as auspiciousness or the presence of what they believe as inauspiciousness. Similarly, some minds also strongly believe in positiveness and negativeness, and be determined or disturbed by the absence of what they believe as positiveness or the presence of what they believe as negativeness. These minds have the urge or need to be performing certain actions/rituals, or possessing certain objects such like specific accessories, decorations, objects or plants of particular shape, colour, smell, sound, texture and material to be keeping closely on one's physical body or in one's living space and surrounding environment, to be evoking or attracting what they believe as auspiciousness and positiveness, while avoiding or getting rid of what they believe as inauspiciousness and negativeness.

This is merely because the minds are still functioning under the influence of ignorance, being conditioned by the perceived duality in all kind of names and forms, where the minds are still being the slave of the desire of craving and aversion unwittingly, there's craving towards what the minds believe as goodness, and there's aversion towards what the minds believe as badness, as the minds haven't attained direct realization towards non-duality, oneness, non-separateness, or selflessness, namelessness, formlessness and attributelessness.

It's neither right nor wrong, just that the minds are not free.

Inquire towards the essential teachings of yoga and buddhism about simplicity.

Why did Siddhartha Gautama Buddha reject the gift of something that was made and decorated with the top quality 'majestic' and 'luxurious' materials, accessories and decorations that the minds think and believe as representing something highly auspicious and grand that would portray and glorify the majestic nobility of someone and something like the enlightened buddha and the dhamma, that the minds think and believe as someone and something that deserve such majestic, luxurious or auspicious presentation, acknowledgement, glorification, appearance, image, or housing?

Just as there are still many so called buddhist associations or organizations in the world run by minds that are still under the influence of ignorance and egoism would keep asking for public donations to support their vision and ambition to build more and bigger buildings that would be decorated with gold and some other 'luxurious' or so called 'auspicious' accessories and decorations that they think and believe as something representing, or portraying, or glorifying the majestic auspiciousness of the enlightened buddhas or the precious dhamma, where certain 'names and forms', or 'behaviors', or 'words', or 'objects' that the minds think and believe as something 'inauspicious', or 'belittling', or 'disrespectful', or 'offensive' towards the buddhas or the dhamma, are strictly prohibited within the compound of those buildings where they host many statues of different buddhas that are being decorated with either gold or some other kind of 'luxurious' or 'auspicious' materials, as well as to host many buddhism or dhamma books and related materials. They encourage the mass to give donations under the good intention of accumulating merits and virtues or good karma for oneself and one's loved ones as well as the next generations, which is nothing but empowering ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, the desire of craving and aversion, and expectation.

A liberated being or mind, that has attained realization towards selflessness, namelessness, formlessness and attributelessness, that is void of ignorance and egoism, that is void of pride, desire, craving, aversion, greed, fear, intention, and etc, where nothing can hurt or destroy that which is selfless, nameless, formless and attributeless, doesn't need anything to represent, or portray, or acknowledge, or maintain, or protect, or empower, or glorify itself or the dhamma, being what it is.

What is auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, or positiveness and negativeness, for the liberated minds that are void of ignorance and egoism?

The dhamma, will always be there as it is, nameless and formless, attributeless and changeless, beyond time, space and causation, which can never be hurt, disrespected, offended, manipulated, or destroyed.

It's merely the ignorant ego or idea of 'I' in the mind, that needs to be empowered, acknowledged, respected, glorified, maintained and protected with what the mind thinks and believes as something respectful, luxurious, auspicious, positive, glorious, or majestic, while justifying that it's for protecting and propagating buddhism and the dhamma, attracting more minds to be learning and practicing buddhism or the dhamma, even when the essential teachings of buddhism and yoga, is about all is impermanent, including the limited form of dhamma that exists under certain names and forms, will also subject to impermanent changes and can be manipulated and destroyed, even though the nameless and formless dhamma as it is, is infinite and changeless, that never increase or decrease, that can never be hurt, or manipulated, or destroyed by anything.

Just as there are minds have the great desire/aspiration/ambition to go against, or slow down, or delay, or prevent, or reverse impermanent changes of the limited selfless impermanent physical body, by thinking optimistically, living positively and eating healthily. It's neither right nor wrong. It's their freedom of thinking, desire and action. Just that it doesn't change the truth of selfless impermanence in all kind of names and forms, of decaying, and eventually, disintegrating.

Yoga or buddhism practitioners also can be thinking optimistically, living positively and eating healthily if they want, if possible, to minimize or lessen unnecessary physical and mental suffering for oneself and others, however, it's not because of aversion towards impermanent changes and desiring to fight against impermanent changes, but respecting the impermanent changes as they are, without attachment or identification.

Such as one knows that if over-eating any type of food will cause indigestion, discomfort or even sickness to the physical body, one has the awareness and self-control not to be over-eating any kind of food, so that it doesn't cause unnecessary inconvenience or suffering to oneself as well as to those who have to be looking after oneself if oneself is down with certain sickness due to over-eating certain type of food. But it's not because "I don't want to be fat," or "I don't want any sickness or suffering."

Realize this, and be free.

Thursday, April 8, 2021

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and non-interference towards the law of nature

While Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was still a prince who had never come in contact with any suffering before, he went outside the palace one day and had the great opportunity to witness the law of nature, of selfless impermanent changes of illness, old age and death, as well as the suffering of hunger and thirst, or survival instinct in all beings, and this experience had ignited the intense yearning for knowing the truth of existence or the yearning for liberation in him, which led to his renunciation from worldly life, learning from different teachers experiencing different paths, and found the middle path and attained enlightenment.

Knowing and respecting the law of nature, he never interfered with the law of nature, even though one of his teachings is about loving kindness, or non-violence, or non-killing. The non-interference towards the law of nature, observing all and everything arising, changing and passing away at their own cause, is indeed non-violence/loving kindness/compassion, which it's not easy for many sympathetic/empathetic minds to grasp.

Upon seeing the suffering of hunger and thirst, of the survival instinct in all beings, where the insect was being hunt and ate by a lizard, and then the lizard was being hunt and ate by a snake, and then the snake was being hunt and ate by a bird, and then the bird was being hunt and ate by a hunter, and then the hunter will eventually meet his own death and be eaten by worms and insects and animals, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha couldn't and didn't interfere with the law of nature.

Although he was deeply disturbed and grieving out of his nature of non-violence and loving kindness, he couldn't and didn't interfere towards nature. He didn't aspire to stop the hunter from hunting the bird, or stop the bird from hunting the snake, or stop the snake from hunting the lizard, or stop the lizard from hunting the insect, and so on.

When people who were in painful suffering came to him asking to be freed from sickness, to escape old age, and to bring back the dead, he didn't perform 'miracles' to remove all kinds of sickness, old age and death from anyone, for anyone. One can do one's best to stay away from sickness, to be cured from sickness, to stay young as much as possible, to save lives if possible, and to live as long as possible, but without attachment towards the fruit of action being what it is according to the law of nature, after doing one's best.

He let everyone to purify and discipline their own mind to see the truth of the existence of a selfless impermanent body and a selfless perceptive/cognitive mind governed by the law of nature, of cause and effect, of actions and the consequences of actions, or the restlessness of selfless impermanent changes of decaying, of selfless transitions of birth, old age, illness and death/disintegration, and be desireless and unattached towards the mind perception of a selfless impermanent life existence.

Decay/death/disintegration is not something terrible or negative.

It is the inevitable truth of everything - of living and non-living objects.

Regardless of being wise or unwise, kind or unkind, pleasant or unpleasant, selfish or unselfish, healthy or unhealthy, rich or poor, knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, good or bad, right or wrong, agreeable or disagreeable, short lived or long lived, easy condition or difficult condition, all are subject to selfless impermanent changes of decaying, old age, illness and death.

He never mentioned or commenting about 'God existence', 'Soul or Spirit', 'Heaven and Hell'. He let everyone to purify and discipline their own minds, to quiet the modification of the mind, to inquire towards the truth of everything and attain self-realization towards the truth by oneself.

He didn't tell anyone what/how to think, what to believe and how to behave, or not. He let everyone to practice, or not, about the Noble Eightfold Path in order to purify, discipline and quiet the modification of the mind, to free the mind from ignorance, to know Thyself - the truth of Selflessness and Impermanence.

He didn't aspire to change the world to be something else that it is not.

He didn't aspire to stop the world from selfless impermanent changes governed by the law of nature, of cause and effect.

He didn't aspire to save the world from 'destruction' or 'extinction', or to free the world from 'painful suffering', 'evilness', 'wrongfulness'.

He didn't aspire to stop the teachings from changing into something else and disappearing from the world.

He didn't fight against anyone who act and react under the influence of ignorance or anything born out of ignorance.

He didn't desire or expect anyone or anything to change to be something different from what they are and are not. Everyone and everything will be changing as they are, governed by the law of nature, cause and effect.

He didn't judge or punish anyone or anything.

He wasn't a leader leading a group of followers. He wasn't a belief creator hoarding a group of believers. He was merely disseminating the Dhamma as it is, and let everyone whether to practice and liberate themselves from ignorance, or not.

His teachings and practice emphasize on - The Middle Path of respecting the nature of everything, or the truth of Impermanence and Selflessness, through Non-interference/Non-attachment/Desirelessness/Non-craving/Non-aversion towards the mind perception of names and forms (pleasurable enjoyment and painful suffering), and attaining Silence/Nibbana/Nirvana, or Annihilation of the modification of the mind.

He realized suffering isn't caused by the perceived names and forms being what they are, impermanently and selflessly changing. Suffering arise is due to ungratified desire deriving from attachment and desire of craving and aversion being generated towards the perceived names and forms, while attachment and desire of craving and aversion are the by-products of ignorance, being ignorant towards the truth of names and forms, of both the perceiver and the perceived.

Some people might mistaken Nibbana (in Pali) or Nirvana (in Sanskrit) - Void of the modification of the mind, as 'Heaven', one of the realms or states of mind that is still within the restless wheel of births and deaths governed by the law of cause and effect. The realm of 'Heaven' or 'State of supreme pleasurable enjoyment' is not ultimate liberation from the suffering of restless transition of realms, of the selfless cognitive mind perception of ceaseless impermanent changes of births and deaths (restless modification of the mind).

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

The suffering minds don't really need love, but Dharma / Dhamma

This teaching isn't opposing 'love' or 'loving kindness' among all and everyone.

It's about how to truly help the suffering minds to be free from suffering efficiently, where they are receiving the gift of Dharma or Dhamma, that allows them to be free from suffering by removing the root cause of suffering, by themselves.

There's no suffering even if 'loving kindness' from some others is not available for some reasons. There is no need to receive 'loving kindness' from anyone, in order to get momentary relief from suffering, as there's no suffering upon the removal of the root cause of suffering. Although there's nothing wrong with 'loving kindness' exists in the world, and it's better than the existence of 'selfishness, anger and hatred' in the world.

By showing loving kindness to the suffering minds will definitely help to relieve certain amount of suffering, but suffering will always be there, if the root cause of suffering is not being removed.

There's nothing bad or wrong to get momentary relief from suffering by receiving loving kindness from some others as well as receiving certain medical treatment that might also give momentary relief from certain suffering, but then, suffering will always be there because the root cause of suffering is still there, if the minds don't know what is the root cause of suffering, and don't know how to be free from the root cause of suffering.

No Guru, or Buddha, or doctor, can remove the root cause of suffering in anyone else, but only by oneself. While the success of those who attempt to remove the root cause of suffering is very much influenced by their own will-power, determination and perseverance.

It's everyone's freedom whether they just want to get some momentary relief from suffering, but suffering is always there, or they want to be free from suffering by knowing what is the root cause of suffering and how to be free from the root cause of suffering.

Those who are interested in realizing and eliminating the root cause of suffering, can take a look these blog posts and see if it can give some reflection to be reflecting upon -

https://mengfoonglai.blogspot.com/2018/09/love-upon-realization-of-selflessness.html

https://mengfoonglai.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-importance-of-renouncing-worldly.html

Saturday, June 6, 2020

Positive thinking vs dispassion and non-attachment

Positive thinking might be able to make the mind feels a little bit better momentarily, but it's not the end of practice, as it doesn't really help the mind to transcend ignorance and be free from suffering, as the mind is still being determined by the qualities of names and forms, where there's craving/clinging/grasping towards the quality of names and forms that is likable, agreeable, pleasing and desirable for the mind, and there's aversion towards the quality of names and forms that is dislikable, disagreeable, unpleasing and undesirable for the mind. There's intentional egoistic tendency of changing something that the mind doesn't like into something else that is less dislikable for the mind, as the mind is being affected/determined/disturbed/influenced by the quality of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses. This mind is not free, even though by thinking positively might give momentary relief to the mind from continuously drowning in negative thinking.

While dispassion and non-attachment would allow the mind to transcend ignorance and be free from suffering, being aware of the mind perception of different qualities of names and forms regardless of what the worldly minded perceived or recognized as good/bad/positive/negative quality of names and forms, but without being affected/determined/disturbed/influenced by any quality of names and forms, going beyond all the pleasant/unpleasant and desirable/undesirable or good/bad and positive/negative qualities of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses of a worldly life existence.

By telling worldly egoistic passionate people to think positive in the midst of pandemic, lockdown, political tension, economy downturn, discrimination, fear, hatred, violence, unjust, corruption, worry and uncertainty, would most probably inflict further disappointment and frustration in the passionate egoistic minds that are being affected/determined/disturbed/influenced very much by the quality of names and forms or the unpleasant/undesirable condition and situation in the world. Such as "Things will get better for sure." or "Everything will be fine in the end. Don't worry." or "We are good people. God will take care of us. Nothing bad is going to happen to good people like us."

In yoga or Buddhism, it's okay even if everything is not going to be fine in the end, and regardless of whether one thinks and believes oneself is a good person or not, whether one believes or disbelieves in God, it still doesn't change the truth of impermanence and selflessness.

While the practice of dispassion and non-attachment is about seeing the truth of things as it is, even if it's something really bad and terrible for the worldly egoistic passionate minds, without intentionally denying, or pushing away, or trying to change the unpleasant/undesirable condition or situation of the world, although one can perform kind and beneficial compassionate actions for oneself and/or others in the world selflessly at anytime and anywhere, but without expecting everything will be good and nothing bad, or expecting more good and less bad, knowing clearly that all is impermanent and selfless, without attaching onto the impermanent and selfless function of the body and mind or the perception of a worldly life existence of all kinds relationships and experiences that is being conditioned by actions and the consequences of actions, and hence, the mind is not being affected/determined/disturbed/influenced by it, remain equanimous and at peace as it is, even when disaster and death is approaching. This mind is free as it is, it doesn't need to think positive at all, to be hopeful, wishing everything will be positive and good the way that the mind would like it to be.

It's okay and there's nothing wrong to react and feel negative, depressed, sad, angry, dissatisfied or disappointed towards the worldly condition and situation that the mind perceives and recognizes as unpleasant/undesirable/bad/negative, allowing the mind to react and feel as it is, but the mind knows clearly that even this feeling is impermanent and selfless, it's not 'I'. Need not be influenced or over-powered by this feeling to perform more actions that would most probably bring further unpleasant/undesirable consequences of actions.

Positive thinking is like leadership or having a leader, regardless of good or bad leader, who is being given the responsibility or power by a group of people (or the majority of the people under the system of democracy) to lead them, where these people need a leader to decide for them what to think and what to do, and be responsible for all the actions and the consequences of actions, as they are unable to think and act independently and incapable to take responsibility for performing action and the consequences of their action fearlessly. But, that is not a solution to all the problems in the world. Or else, the world would already be free from all kinds of problems since long time ago when leaders started to be existing in the world to lead a community or nation, if by having leader to lead a community is the way to a better world.

A really efficient community of the world doesn't need any leader at all, not even a good leader, as everyone can think and act independently, wisely and responsibly, being free from ignorance, petite mindedness, separateness, discrimination and fear.

The teaching and practice of yoga doesn't propagate leadership, or to create and train good/magnificent leaders that lead a group of followers who are dependent on the leader to give them a set of rules and regulations on what or how to think and act, or to live life and behave. It emphasizes on training/practice that would allow each and everyone to be able to be thinking and acting independently, wisely and responsibly, where none needs any leader or a set of rules and regulations to tell them what to think and act, or how to live life and behave, being free from ignorance, petite mindedness, separateness, discrimination and fear, by realizing selflessness, oneness, namelessness, formlessness, attributelessness.

Somehow, most of the worldly education/cultural/social/political system emphasized on producing great leaders to lead a bunch of followers to create a world that they think how it should be. While a very rare good and wise leader might bring some goodness to its community, but for how long this good leader can serve the community? What happen when this good leader is gone? Unless this good leader abandons leadership and transforms into a great teacher that would teach and train all and everyone to be independent, wise and responsible.

A truly great teacher never try to be a leader who leads a group of followers of a community and receives the power to hoard/guard/guide/protect that particular community. He or she will teach and allow all and everyone to become independent and wise, and be responsible for their own action and the consequences of action, to be free from ignorance and egoism, to be free from suffering and the cause of suffering.

Some would argue that there are too many people who are under the influence of ignorance, and hence, there is an inevitable need to have wise leaders to lead the huge amount of ignorant people. Just like many people emphasize on the importance of cultural/religious/community dependence and support, where many people believe that people would be lost and can't live without depending on a particular culture/religion/community support. There's nothing wrong with that, but even the enlightened Siddhartha Gautama Buddha never intended to be a wise leader leading a group of ignorant followers (as that would be so exhausting, going everywhere to help to solve everyone's never ending problems due to ignorance.) He taught all and everyone about how to be free from ignorance and be independent, even though not all and everyone would attain success. Just like an ignorant leader can't do anything to influence a group of wise people, a wise leader also can't do anything to influence or change a group of ignorant people, not to say to take away or remove other's ignorance. It has to come from each and everyone to be aware of ignorance and be self-initiated to be free from ignorance.

When someone fell and got hurt, a Buddha, or a great teacher, doesn't go and comfort this person, "Oh no! Poor you. Such a bad thing happened to you. You don't deserve this. But hey, I'm here for you. I will heal you and make you feel better." Instead, they suggest, "If you want, you can see the truth from this experience. Falling and wounded is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative. Look into the action and the consequence of action. You fell, and there's a wound, and there's painful sensation. And look at the impermanence and selflessness of it, regardless of whether you like it, or not." and "Whether you think and feel it's okay or it's not okay, of how you react towards this experience, it's your own responsibility. It's nothing to do with what you think and believe as right or wrong, or who's responsible for the fall and the wound." And this is true compassion, but most people would prefer the first version than the later one.

One can be living closely with a wise man for many many years, obeying and following the guidance/discipline of the wise man about how to think and act, live life and behave, but oneself never investigate the truth and is being comfortable with somebody else being there to tell oneself what to think and act, or not, but still one is not free from ignorance, where one doesn't know what to think and act, how to live life and behave independently once there's no more guidance/discipline from the wise man, unless one realizes ignorance in oneself, investigates the truth of everything, realizing the truth of things and eliminating ignorance through one's own effort, and becomes independent.

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About Yoga

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

About Meng Foong

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