Inquire towards most advocacy or empowerment in the world of modernization and higher technology

There are many different types of advocacy or empowerment in the world of modernization and higher technology, such as women empowerment, youth empowerment, educational and creativity empowerment, career empowerment, entrepreneurship or business empowerment, health and fitness and beauty empowerment, organic living and eating empowerment, lifestyles empowerment, cultural and ethical empowerment, mental health empowerment, positive thinking empowerment, success and wealth empowerment, patriotism and nationalism empowerment, spiritual and religious empowerment, personal and group identity empowerment, professional image empowerment, self-esteem and confidence empowerment, and so on.

One can also say that the selfless work of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, Swami Sivananda and Ajahn Chah is sort of similar to the many existing advocacy or empowerment in the world of modernization and higher technology to be promoting certain cause and motivating the minds to be making an effort to be achieving certain goal, however, their selfless work are indeed the contrary of all those advocacy and empowerment.

Most of the advocacy and empowerment nowadays are mainly to be supporting and empowering the world of greed, possessiveness and selfishness, attachment and identification, desire of craving and aversion, birth origin/citizenship/nationality/the sense of belonging, separateness and discrimination, commercialism/capitalism/industrialization/business investment and exploitation, success and wealth accumulation/hoarding, social status and title, personal and group identity, physical appearance and body image, physical and mental ability and achievement, name/fame/glory/pride, acknowledgement and recognition, superiority and inferiority, passionate desires and pleasurable enjoyment of the senses, and so on, being empowered by ignorance and egoism and restlessness, that might give rise to certain degrees of momentary sense of pride, confidence, satisfaction, success, goodness, happiness and meaningfulness that doesn't remove ignorance and egoism, and the suffering deriving from ignorance and egoism, but then are harming the surrounding living environment to the maximum, and eventually damaging the overall well-being of all and everyone in many ways, physically and mentally, that promotes and contributes to unrest and disharmony in the world of diversity.

While the work of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, Swami Sivananda and Ajahn Chah is all about to be reversing, or renouncing, or moving away from all that.

It's about realizing the unlimited unconditional peace deriving from the effort towards the annihilation of such ignorance, egoism, impurities and restless modification of the selfless mind, powered by intense yearning towards liberation from all kinds of madness and suffering deriving from the world of ignorance and egoism.

The higher technology itself is neither good nor bad. It can be utilized for promoting wholesomeness or unwholesomeness, however, what is wholesomeness and unwholesomeness can be very different for most of the minds functioning under the influence of ignorance, egoism and restlessness. Similarly, there's neither good nor bad about education, where right education that would lead the mind to be free from ignorance and egoism, would be benefiting all and everyone in the world in many ways, however, most education in the world are under the influence of ignorance and egoism that are empowering ignorance and egoism in the minds.

There's nothing wrong and it's very good about the advocacy for looking after the physical and mental health of individual and/or the entire community, especially if without attachment and identification towards the impermanent physical conditions and the impermanent states of the mind, as well as towards the physical and mental ability/disability/limitation/achievement/non-achievement, however, most of the advocacy for looking after the physical and mental health is unwittingly empowering the ignorance and egoism in the minds, empowering passionate egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation, attaching towards the actions and the fruit of actions in the process of looking after the physical and mental well-being, in order to attain the momentary sense of well-being, satisfaction, confidence, goodness, healthiness, positiveness, happiness and meaningfulness.

Most of the mental health treatment is more about controlling the symptoms via certain medical treatment with drugs, and through empowering the momentary sense of well-being, goodness, happiness and meaningfulness being determined by the presence and absence of certain qualities of names and forms, which doesn't really help to lessen the increasing and yet avoidable mental health problems in the world, that are very much related to the over-all physical and mental well-being in all and everyone, the general welfare of the living condition and the surrounding living environment, and the peace and harmony in the society, that are being impacted largely by the existence of many kinds of selfishness, ignorance, incorrect understanding, corrupted thinking and behavior, petite mindedness, self-righteousness, discrimination, prejudice, violence, hurtful behavior, bully, exploitation, abuse, oppression, invasion, control, anger, hatred, fear, anxiety, stress, conflict, unrest and disharmony deriving from the minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, in all levels, at home, in family, in personal relationship, in social interaction, in the community, at school, at work place, in the public space, in the world, and so on.

Inquire the truth of everything.

None need more than sufficient basic needs to live a simple happy peaceful life

A simple happy peaceful life doesn't mean living under insufficiency of lacking the basic needs for life maintenance.

A simple clean and tidy living and resting space or shelter as well as enough basic clothing that protect the physical body from the impact of harsh weather, injuries, insects and wild animals in a healthy natural non-polluted surrounding environment, clean air, adequate simple nutritious food consumption that generates enough energy and nutrition for maintaining the basic function of the physical body and the thinking faculty, clean safe drinking water, basic hygiene and sanitation, certain indoor or outdoor physical and mental activities that don't require any additional equipment or gadget, basic living skills, basic correct understanding or universal conscience with basic common sense, openness, self-control, self-reliance, self-effort, self-inquiry, self-realization, contentment, and certain degrees of mental and emotional independence, are all the basic needs for maintaining a wholesome selfless impermanent life existence of the selfless physical body and the selfless thinking faculty.

There are boundless different kinds of unnecessary commercial ideas, products and activities, food productions, dining options, entertainments, fashions, accessories, gadgets, lifestyles, beliefs, values, practices, physical and mental leisure activities that require certain space, equipment or gadget, varieties of furniture, luxury accommodations, home decorations, pets decorations, toys, commercialized sports activities related commercial products, theme parks related commercial products, tourism related commercial products, celebration days, cultural, spiritual and religious events with their respective rituals or objects for different occasions, health and fitness products, beauty cosmetics products, skin care/body care/facial care/hair care products, spiritual healing related products, health food products, health care products, slimming products, anti-aging products, luxurious pleasurable material and sensual enjoyment of the senses for the body and mind, tourism holiday activities, and etc, where all these ideas, products and activities beyond basic needs for life maintenance are deriving from the intention of empowering wealth generation and accumulation through business investments, property investments, productions, tourism, commercialism and capitalism, under the creativity of the creative minds utilizing the many different technologies and higher technologies designing for catering the 'inspired' and 'empowered' desires and ambitions beyond basic needs for life maintenance of the ever restless discontented ambitious passionate minds under the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

The existence of all these unnecessary ideas, products and activities are exploiting the nature and natural resources to the maximum to the point of destruction, while generating lots of unnecessary inevitable rubbish or pollution into the world, and give rise to so much exploitation and corruption that lead to many unnecessary damages and suffering in the world under such greedy ambitious inspirational aspirations and desires of the restless passionate egoistic minds functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

The buddhas and gurus foreseen all kinds of alarming damaging effects in the world deriving from such ignorance, egoism, restlessness, discontentment, dissatisfaction, greed, desires, aspirations, ambitions, success, wealth, status, indulgence, possessiveness and pride, that give rise to so much unnecessary damages to the natural environment, unrest, separateness, discrimination, selfishness, exploitation, corruption, unequal basic needs availability and distribution, unbalanced between abundance and insufficiency, desperation, suffering, hunger, violence and war in the world, and hence, the existence of the basic and yet essential teachings and advice of living a life of simplicity and contentment, dispassion and renunciation.

None need more than sufficient basic needs for life maintenance to be living a simple happy peaceful life in this world.

None need the additional ongoing stimulation of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, imaginations, visualizations, feelings, and etc, to be pleasing the ever discontented boundless passionate desires, to live a healthy happy life, physically, mentally and emotionally.

There will be minds that disagree with this and don't like to hear this, while thinking and believing that "There's nothing wrong or damaging to be enjoying whatever that is available to us, as long as it's not hurting oneself. Life is too dull and boring without some pleasurable entertainments and enjoyments. The global and local economy depends solely on the boundless desires and aspirations of consumerism inspired and empowered by all these business capital investments, property investments, productions, tourism, commercialism and capitalism, or else, the economy will collapse, there will be no jobs, and everyone will be suffering. But, at least those who have the opportunity and motivation and are capable of making a success out of all these to be generating and accumulating wealth won't be suffering so much. Life still goes on for those who achieved such success and wealth regardless of many others who are being exploited and living in poverty because they don't have the credibility or motivation to achieve success to get out of such desperate situation that exists under exploitation by those who are smart and credible, and those who are smart and successful deserved all kinds of abundance, enjoyments and comforts because it's their own ability, effort and aspiration. There's nothing wrong with smart people who work smart accumulating wealth and enjoying life to the maximum by exploiting the nature and the non-smart people who have to work hard and still not making enough for living. Be smart. Be inspired, and be empowered to be smart and achieve limitless success and wealth."

That's right. Keep inquiring towards what's wrong with this thinking or understanding, for the minds that think and believe that there's nothing bad or damaging with a little bit of extra desires, ambitions, success and enjoyments in life. Unfortunately, very few minds would see what is the 'problem' with this 'system' of a new modern society of 'empowerment towards achieving success and wealth and pleasurable enjoyment' as well as no limit of 'higher success, higher wealth and higher pleasurable enjoyment'.

That's why by being inspired and empowered to be having higher education, higher intelligence, motivation, ambition and the accumulation of knowledge, achievement, success and wealth, doesn't guarantee that the mind will have correct understanding, or is free from the influence of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

It's the freedom of all and everyone for their understanding and desire and don't desire, as well as dealing with the consequences of the understanding and the desire and don't desire.

When the climate eventually collapsed, followed by the food production collapsed, where there's very little livable condition left on earth, when hunger, desperation, violence and wars are everywhere, then we will see if the minds still think and believe that they and their next generations won't be affected by the consequences of their 'nothing wrong' greedy boundless desires and aspirations.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Minimalism vs Simplicity

People might relate minimalism with simplicity.

Minimalism does not necessarily mean simplicity.

In fact, there's a huge difference between them.

Minimalism is a form of trendy lifestyle that is linked to 'de-cluttering' from time to time.

In minimalism, people might be continuing buying many different things of the latest trends or products from time to time, as they need to decorate or redecorate their home and their physical appearance with different looks or styles from time to time, and they will need to 'de-clutter' their 'possessions' from time to time, to let go their 'used' things in order to create space for their 'new' things, so that they aren't accumulating too many things in their living space, in order to be qualified as a 'minimalist' who is living a 'minimalism' lifestyle, where people live with very few possessions at one time, which is nothing to do with simplicity at all.

There is no need of 'de-cluttering' in those who truly live a life of simplicity.

In simplicity, people not just don't keep too many things beyond what they need to live everyday life, but they will keep using the same few things for very long time until they are completely worn out, where they don't need to keep buying new things of the latest trends or products to replace the things that they are using, because they don't need to decorate or redecorate their home or their physical appearance with many different looks or styles from time to time, and hence, there's no need to 'de-clutter' their 'possessions' from time to time in order to create space for new things.

Minimalism is very welcomed by the world of capitalism and consumerism.

While the world of capitalism and consumerism might not like simplicity at all.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Compassion is free from exploitation of sympathy and empathy

People might be aware of there are many kinds of exploitation existing in the world, but not everyone are aware of the existence of the exploitation of sympathy and empathy. Even when people hear that, people would be offended and deny such saying, thinking that the world need more sympathy and empathy. That's their freedom of thinking.

The world do need more compassion that is nothing to do with sympathy and empathy.

In the world of capitalism and consumerism, except for the tiny fraction of the super rich community who would just spend on anything for nothing just because they can, the majority of the low income people would need to be calculative and careful on spending where the cost of living will only get higher and higher. Many people who have low or very low income want to spend as little as possible on the things/products/labour/work/services/resources and etc that they want to get, other than getting the essential things for survival, as that is what they can afford with their underpaid income barely enough for short term survival. There are also some people who manage to make reasonable higher income but they want to spend as little as possible on certain things that they want but are less priority to them, so that they can spend more on some other things that are more priority to them, and they have some 'spending power' to buy things/property with the money that they don't really have but 'borrowed' from bank loan or credit, and hence, this 'normal' human spending behavior is indeed fueling/empowering the loop of exploitation. 

Out of desperation for survival and struggling to make a living, as well as there might be many desires/ambitions waiting to be fulfilled/gratified, everyone is being exploited while working for underpaid income whether wittingly or unwittingly, and everyone is also exploiting others when spending their underpaid income coming from being exploited, while some people exploiting others when spending their sufficient income in order to use 'the saved money from exploiting others' on some other priorities.

"I know you are desperate for income. I can help you by offering you a job. But I only want to pay you this little in return for your labour and service. If you don't want, many other people will want it."

"Oh! I'll take it. A little of income is better than no income at all. I will be grateful for this job. Thank you very much."

This is the beginning of exploitation and how exploitation is being empowered and supported, but out of desperation for getting income for survival or to fulfill their desire for something, many people would think and believe that is what gratefulness and thankfulness is about, and unwittingly supporting and encouraging exploitation to be happening.

Those who are free from ignorance, egoism and desires, who can withstand the worst condition, they do not 'support' or 'encourage' such exploitation to be happening under any circumstances.

In the beginning of the exploitation of underpaid work, labour and service, many people are unwittingly allowing themselves being exploited out of desperation for survival and making a living for themselves or to provide financial support for their family, and after some time, people started to get use to it, and don't see it as an exploitation anymore, but, they would think and believe that's the normal payment they should be getting in return for their commitment, time, energy, effort, attention, knowledge and skill that they put into those work, labour or service, and set it as a 'payment guideline' for doing some other work/labour/service, and would accept even lower payment for doing something that they think is requiring less commitment, time, effort, energy, attention, knowledge and skill by comparing with those work that they have been doing which is underpaid due to the exploitation in the very beginning.

Most people, especially those who are living under certain challenging condition and going through certain difficulty in life, would not like to be exploited of any kind, and some might even actively participating in protest and activism to go against exploitation of any kind in the world, and yet, whether wittingly or unwittingly, people are constantly exploiting each other.

One of the common exploitation that people aren't aware of, is the exploitation of sympathy and empathy, or taking advantage of other people's sympathy and empathy to achieve something that they want. Whether people are aware or unaware, they themselves are exploiting other people's sympathy and empathy, or their sympathy and empathy are being exploited by others.

Many people who would like to think and believe that they are compassionate beings and they want to be compassionate towards other people's suffering and difficulty, would misinterpret egoistic sympathy and empathy as compassion, and whether intentionally or unintentionally, they themselves are constantly 'encouraging' and 'supporting' the exploitation of sympathy and empathy to be happening/existing, which is not what compassion is about, but it's merely part of the by-products of ignorance.

Egoistic sympathy and empathy could easily be exploited, while compassion is void of exploitation of any kind.

For example, many people are being conditioned to think and believe that anyone who have been or is going through 'certain difficult condition, situation or experience', should be naturally 'deserved' to be receiving sympathy and empathy from other people. Whether it's oneself who has been or is going through certain challenging difficulty, and one believes oneself 'deserves' to be receiving sympathy and empathy from others, or it's other people who have been or are going through some challenging difficulty, and one expects oneself and some others should be showing sympathy and empathy towards those people who 'deserve' to be receiving sympathy and empathy from others. There's nothing wrong with that, as that is what most people think and believe that's how everyone should think and believe, act and react, or behave. Or else, it's so wrong, so terrible, so selfish, so harsh, and 'lack of compassion', if people don't think and believe, act and react, or behave like that.

For the minds that are free from ignorance, that isn't just not what compassion is about, but it's actually empowering ignorance and egoism. Being compassionate is free from such thinking, belief, actions and reactions that empower ignorance and egoism.

Those who practice yoga or Buddhism, who are truly wise and compassionate, who are aware of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, would be free from exploiting other people's sympathy and empathy under any circumstances, as well as do not get involve with any actions or affairs that are directly or indirectly encouraging and supporting such exploitation, whether it's exploitation from others towards oneself, or from some others towards other people.

Compassion is nothing to do with the idea of who and what 'deserve' or 'doesn't deserve' sympathy and empathy.

One can be unconditionally kind towards others in different ways within one's ability and capacity without the idea of 'this (being or happening) deserves kindness' or 'this (being or happening) deserves special reaction/treatment differently than some others'.

One allows others whether to show or don't show sympathy and empathy towards oneself and/or others, without the idea/intention/expectation of 'I and/or others deserve sympathy and empathy from other people'.

One can receive (or reject) certain voluntary help/assistance from others without expecting 'deserving' help/assistance under any circumstances.

It's common that some people like to use the excuse of "I have a difficult life", "I am going through many hardships", "I am a single parent", or "I have to look after my old and sick parent(s)" and so on to receive sympathy and empathy from others with the intention/expectation to get certain 'special compassionate reaction/treatment', or to get something that they want but they can't afford, or to achieve something that they want to achieve but they don't have enough ability/capacity to achieve.

The minds that are free from ignorance, egoism and desires of craving and aversion don't have the idea/intention/expectation of "I and my difficult condition deserve to receive sympathy and empathy, and getting certain 'special compassionate reaction/treatment" from others, even under great difficulty. If they really need to get help, they would try to get it, but it's free from the idea of "I and my difficult condition deserve sympathy/empathy and help". They don't have the desire to get 'something that they want but they can't afford' under any circumstances, or to achieve something that they don't have the ability/capacity to achieve, while allowing others to be sympathetic/empathetic, or not, to show kindness and provide help out of their own freewill, or not.

Exploitation of sympathy and empathy exists when people starting to use what they think and believe as less fortunate/underprivileged condition or challenging difficult situation to gain sympathy and empathy from others, in order to gratify their desires of craving and aversion, to help them to make changes for better in life, to get out of the difficult condition that they don't like, or to do/achieve something that they want to do/achieve that they can't afford or don't have the ability/capacity for doing/achieving it. If people really want to get out from such condition and situation, and want to do/achieve something that they can't afford to do/achieve under those circumstances, they can work on expanding their ability/capacity until they acquire the ability/capacity to do/achieve what they want to do/achieve through their own effort/ability/capacity, without exploiting other people's sympathy and empathy.

To stop exploitation in the world, it's not just that one doesn't exploit anyone with any kind of exploitation, but one must also stay away from being exploited by anyone for any kind of exploitation, to stop 'encouraging' and 'supporting' exploitation of any kind to be happening/existing. Unfortunately, exploitation will continue to be existing as most people can't live without supporting and being supported by the corrupted system of the world of capitalism and consumerism.

It's not about people should be contented and grateful for the exploited underpaid income that provides enough food and shelter, and living a life of 'slavery' spending all energy and effort just to make enough income for survival, to eat, sleep, work and repeat, until they die, and thus, allowing and supporting exploitation to be happening.

It's neither about people are being arrogant and discontented for being too greedy/ambitious for getting higher rewards/payment/income to have a better quality of life, not just living a life of 'slavery', everyday eat, sleep, work and repeat, and hence, people don't want to work for underpaid work, or thinking oneself should 'deserve' a higher pay.

It's definitely not about people are being selfless, desireless and compassionate, and should just work and give even without receiving any payment, not to say, they should be grateful for the 'blessing' of a little bit of payment/income, and hence, 'supporting' and 'encouraging' exploitation to be happening.

Spouses or family members doing something for each other out of love without involving 'payment/income' or 'rewards', is a complete different situation from somebody or an organization/company doing a business making a lot of profits for the owner and/or the board of share holders, but exploiting other people to work for them with the cheapest wage as much as possible, so that they can have a higher margin for profits. Even in a relationship or family, exploitation shouldn't be happening, and yet, people are taking many things for granted, whether people are aware or unaware of it.

Allowing others to exploit or take advantage of oneself and/or others is nothing to do with compassion, and it doesn't remove ignorance and the consequences of ignorance from oneself and/or others. Just as performing many offering, charity, prayers and sacrifices also doesn't remove ignorance and the consequences of ignorance from oneself and/or others.

Just as compassion is nothing to do with giving people whatever they like and desire in order to make them feel happy and satisfied, or feel less unhappy or less suffering.

If people feel under great desperation for money to feed themselves and/or their family and don't mind being exploited working with underpaid income, thinking that having a little bit of income is better than having no income and go hungry or die, that's their freedom. Out of desperation or greed, some people would lie, steal, commit crimes or hurt other people to earn a living, or to get what they desire, that's their freedom. Just as people would give in to corruption out of desperation, by receiving bribe or giving bribe to achieve what they want to achieve, to make their life easier or less hard, that's their freedom.

It's neither right nor wrong. It's just different thinking, understanding, approach, choice and action, that leads to different consequences of action.

Yoga practitioners contemplate on this and free the mind from ignorance.