Be free from attachment and craving towards love and acknowledgement

Many unnecessary sufferings in the world are due to the minds are not free from the passionate egoistic attachment towards love and kindness, there’s desire of craving towards receiving love and kindness from others, or longing to be loved and acknowledged by others, or there’s expectation towards how all and everyone should and shouldn’t act and react and feel.

Many minds think and believe and propagate that all and everyone, including plants and objects, deserve and need love, or be loved by some others, or else, it’s bad, wrong, terrible, sorrowful, pitiful, joyless, meaningless and suffering, if without love.

That is everyone’s freedom of thinking and belief, desire, action and reaction, however, it doesn’t free the mind from perceiving suffering. The mind is still being conditioned by duality and the passionate egoistic attachment towards what the mind thinks and believes is love, good, right, positive, joyful and meaningful.

There is nothing wrong, and it’s very good about the presence of loving kindness among one another in the world of diversity where many minds are under the influence of ignorance and egoism. It’s better than the presence of hatred and cruelty among one another. But this loving kindness that is unconditional and non-discriminating, is beyond personal passionate feeling of love and affection that is conditional and discriminating.

The minds are not free from suffering under such thinking and belief, or understanding about all and everyone deserve and need love, regardless of whether it’s the presence of the personal passionate feeling of love and affection, or the unconditional non-discriminating loving kindness. By receiving love and kindness from others can only give certain degrees of momentary sense of happiness and meaningfulness, or momentary relief from what the minds think and believe as unhappiness, meaninglessness, or suffering, but it doesn’t free the minds from the root cause of unhappiness, meaninglessness, or suffering.

Treating or looking after all and everything with care and appreciation might can help to maintain or prolong their good condition up to certain degrees, but still, all are impermanent. Caring and appreciative towards all and everything doesn’t have to be related to passionate feeling of love and affection. One doesn’t need to have passionate feeling of love and affection, or attachment, towards certain things in order to show care and appreciation towards them, while respecting all and everything are impermanent. There’s no disappointment, painful sorrow, unhappiness, meaninglessness or suffering arise upon impermanent changes.

If the minds are being conditioned by the thinking and belief that all and everything need and deserve love and kindness from others, and are craving for love and to be loved by some others, while expecting all and everyone should show love and kindness towards all and everyone, or shouldn’t be unloving and unkind, regardless of whether they are the family, parents, siblings, friends, partners, children, or the communities in the world, they will be suffering upon thinking that they are not loved by others, or those whom they want and expect them to love and be kind to them, but they don’t love or be kind to them, or expecting that all and everyone should be loving and kind to one another, but they don’t.

The minds are craving for love and to be loved by some others, and have expectation towards how others should and shouldn’t act and react and feel, is merely because they are under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

What all and everyone truly need, for peace in oneself and in the world, is to be free from ignorance and egoism.

If the minds are free from ignorance and egoism, they will realize selfless compassion.

Once they realized selfless compassion, they will understand.

It’s everyone’s freedom for how they think, act and react and feel, of whether they love others and want to be kind to others, or not.

They don’t need to please or impress anyone in order to attain love and affection, or acknowledgement and validation from others.

They don’t need others to love or be kind to them.

They don’t need family, parents, siblings, friends, teachers, students, partners, children, communities, animals, plants, nature, objects, or the universe, to love them, or more precisely, to love them in the way that they think how it should be.

They don’t need to be loved by anyone.

They don’t need love and affection.

They don’t need acknowledgement and validation.

None can help or make them to realize that, but the mind itself.

Once they realized that, once they understood that, they are free.

They will never feel lonely.

They will never feel unloved.

They will never feel intimidated.

They will never feel hurt or disappointed.

They can love or don’t love anyone.

They can be kind to everyone, if they want.

They can appreciate the presence of love and kindness from others unto them, but they don’t need anyone to love and be kind to them, and they don’t expect all and everyone should be loving and kind, or shouldn’t be unloving and unkind.

They will allow and respect everyone whether they want to love and be kind to others, or not, even though they might not agree with, encourage, or support unloving and unkind behaviors in the world.

If they are suffering, it’s not because others don’t love them, or don’t want to love them, or some others are being unloving and unkind to them or others.

They are suffering, is because they don’t allow everyone being what and how they are, whether they love others or want to be kind to others, or not.

They are suffering, is because they want to be loved and acknowledged by others, there’s craving and expectation towards receiving love and acknowledgement from others, and there’s expectation towards how everyone should and shouldn’t behave, but that desire of craving and expectation is not being gratified.

And hence,

How to be free from such unnecessary suffering deriving from ignorance and egoism?

Just let go the passionate egoistic thinking and belief that is conditioning how the mind understands and judges everything, influencing how it acts and reacts and feels, and how it expects others about how everyone should act and react and feel.

No doubt that for promoting peace and harmony among all and everything, none should be unloving or unkind towards anyone or anything, however, it’s everyone’s freedom, whether they want to be loving and kind to others, or not, even if they are one’s family, parents, siblings, friends, partners, children, or community.

There's nothing wrong with the minds don't feel love towards certain names and forms that they dislike and disagree with. It's okay if the mind doesn't want to love someone or something, with or without any reason. The mind might not love, like and agree with everything, but it doesn't necessarily has to be hating or being cruel towards something that it doesn't love, doesn't like, or doesn't agree with. The mind that would react with hatred and cruelty towards something that it doesn't love, doesn't like or doesn't agree with, is ill, or corrupted.

It is everyone’s freedom for being ignorant and egoistic, or not.

It is everyone’s freedom if they feel lonely, unloved, intimidated, disappointed, hurt, joyless, sorrow, or meaningless.

It is also everyone’s freedom whether they want to be free from the unnecessary suffering deriving from ignorance and egoism, or not, and whether they want to let go, or not.

The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, they are peaceful and free as they are, regardless of whether they have many friends, or have very few friends, or have no friend at all, to play with, interact with and share with, and whether their family/parents/siblings/friends are being loving and kind to them, or not. They allow everyone and everything to come and go as they are. The sense of loneliness, hurt, guilt, regret, sorrow, fear and meaninglessness doesn't exist in such minds.

Be free.

Love without attachment and possessiveness

"How can a person being engaged in any kind of relationship with someone, and appreciates and loves that person sincerely, but then at the same time, one is not being determined by the absence and presence of agreeable and disagreeable, desirable and undesirable, pleasant and unpleasant interactions and events that occur in any form of human relationship, regardless of whether it's relationship with family, friends and lover or spouse?"

The passionate minds that are being conditioned by worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, would have great difficulty in understanding towards "One can love and appreciate some others in different type of relationship in life very much, but won't be feeling "losing/missing someone or something that oneself loves and appreciates very much" upon the absence of that person and/or the relationship."

The passionate minds think and believe that, all kinds of love, can only exist along with attachment and possessiveness/the sense of belonging, where the amount of love is being determined or measured by the degrees of attachment and possessiveness in any kind of relationship.

The minds that truly understand towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, would understand that there's nothing or none belonged to anything or anyone.

One knows how to love all and everyone without attachment and possessiveness, where one doesn't own any kind of existing relationship as well as the person(s) in the relationship with oneself.

Without attachment and possessiveness towards the relationship and the person(s) in the relationship with oneself, it doesn't mean that one doesn't care about or doesn't take the relationship and the person(s) in the relationship with oneself seriously.

One appreciates all the different kind of human relationships existing in the present moment now, as they are, not necessarily all desirable and agreeable, as well as loves the person(s) in the relationship with oneself unconditionally as it is, without the idea of "You are my family," or "You are my friend,", or "You are my lover/spouse," or "You belonged to me," or "You are mine," or "This is my family/my friend/my lover/my spouse/my relationship." And hence, one doesn't loose anything and/or anyone, upon the absence of the relationship and/or the person(s) in the different type of relationship with oneself, upon impermanent changes that are not necessarily being the way that how everyone would like it to be. Upon the realization of selflessness, there's no 'I' being there to be claiming, "I am losing something or someone," or "I don't want to loose something or someone that is upmost important to me," as well as, there's nothing or none to loose, as nothing/none belonged to anyone.

"Loving others unconditionally, as they are" doesn't mean that one should be blindly agreeing with everything and saying "yes" to everything, or one wouldn't be having any dislike or disagreement towards any kind of ignorant thinking and behavior, or shouldn't be saying "no" to any kind of demands, or allowing oneself to be mistreated or abused by other people's ignorant hurtful behavior repeatedly, encouraging and empowering such ignorance. However, one is not being determined by the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, and pleasant or unpleasant affairs and events that occur in any kind of relationship. One can choose to move away from such ignorance, if necessarily, if possible, not to be encouraging and empowering such ignorance.

The passionate minds would react and feel disappointed and dissatisfied, upon one's desires/demands/cravings are not being gratified, as well as would react and feel disappointed, confused and hurt, if someone in any kind of relationship with oneself telling oneself about, "There's nothing to loose in any kind of relationship with anything and anyone," or "You are free to love me, or not, and you are free to stay or leave as you wish," or "I love you as you are, even if you don't love me and/or are not in a relationship with me," as they would interpret that as "You don't love me. You don't appreciate me or our relationship. I mean nothing to you. I am not important to you. Our relationship doesn't mean anything to you," not understanding that, that is unconditional non-possessive type of love.

The minds that feel disappointed and hurt by someone in any kind of relationship because one's desires/demands/cravings are not being gratified by those in any form of relationship with oneself, would react in the way that would hurt oneself and those in certain type of relationship with oneself, out of disappointment, resentment, or rebelliousness. Such minds don't even love themselves, not to say, they don't really love those whom they think they love very much, as they would do things that would hurt anyone, including themselves, upon not getting what they like and want, and/or are getting what they don't like and don't want. They only love their desires of what they like and want.

The minds that know how to love themselves and others unconditionally won't do anything that would hurt oneself and/or others deliberately, out of disappointment, resentment, or rebelliousness, upon the non-gratification of their desires or demands. Such as when the parents reject their children's demands for something, the children might react and behave in the way that would hurt themselves and their parents deliberately, out of disappointment, resentment and rebelliousness. Or, one would react and behave in the way that hurt oneself and the partner/spouse intentionally, out of disappointment, resentment and rebelliousness, upon one's demands towards the partner/spouse and the relationship are not being gratified.

Most minds don't appreciate such unconditional non-possessive type of love, instead, they would rather be chasing after passionate possessive type of love, where there is intense attachment, identification, possessiveness, clinging and craving towards one another, to receive attention, love, care, support, comfort, encouragement, companionship, interaction, acknowledgement, agreement, appreciation, praise and compliment from one another, to boost the sense of self-esteem, goodness, happiness, accomplishment, positiveness and meaningfulness.

The minds that realized selflessness and impermanence transcend all these names and forms, not being determined by all these names and forms to be 'I', transcending the sense of self-esteem, goodness, happiness, accomplishment, positiveness and meaningfulness, where they don't need to feel confident, good, happy, accomplished, positive or meaningful at all, not to say, to be building and boosting the sense of self-esteem, goodness, happiness, accomplishment, positiveness and meaningfulness out of all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms, being determined and empowered by passionate egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation.

Many minds would think and believe that, "Good friends, or friends, are those who regularly meet up with one another, visit each other, spend lots of time together and doing something together, or keeping in touch, talking to and sharing with each other all the time. Otherwise, they are not good friends, or they are not my friends at all." These minds cannot understand that, "True friends are not necessarily have to be regularly meeting up with one another, visiting each other, spending lots of time together and doing something together, or keeping in touch, talking to and sharing with each other." They cannot comprehend that, "friends" are those who will always be a friend even after many years not meeting up with one another, not visiting each other, not spending lots of time together and not doing something together, or not keeping in touch, not talking to and not sharing with each other, either with or without any reasons.

Most passionate egoistic minds have no such understanding, and they would feel disappointed, unhappy or lonely, if they think they don't have any friends to interact, socialize, share and play with, then know that it's due to the attachment and possessiveness towards 'friends' and 'friendship', as well as the craving towards the presence of friends with the interactions and activities, and the aversion towards the absence of friends and the interactions and activities, are not being gratified.

To truly understand this dispassionate unconditional non-possessive type of love, one must perform self-inquiry towards what are "selflessness in all and everything" and "attachment and possessiveness", as well as what is "love without attachment and possessiveness" or "dispassionate unconditional love," to attain direct realization towards all these terms.

"Love without attachment and possessiveness" is nothing to do with the passionate engagement in multiple intimate love affairs or relationships with many different people/lovers/partners on different timing or at the same time, while thinking and believing that that's what unconditional love and care towards all and everyone is about.

Non-attachment and non-possessiveness is nothing to do with non-commitment, or non-seriousness, or non-appreciative, or irresponsibility towards any kind of human relationship. One can be seriously and genuinely engaging in as well as being responsible and appreciative towards all kind of human relationship, as well as being contented with having one single committed intimate love affair or relationship with someone, but without any attachment or the sense of possessiveness, respecting all kind of impermanent changes as they are.

However, unconditional love that is void of attachment and possessiveness is highly being misused by the passionate minds, including some yoga practitioners or yoga teachers, as the 'spiritual' excuse to justify one's irresponsibility towards one's existing relationship with family, friends or lover/spouse/partner, or to justify one's greedy discontented lustful desire to be enjoying or engaging in "many different intimate love affair/relationship with different people at different timing," or "multiple committed/uncommitted intimate love affairs/relationships with different lovers/partners at the same time," or "any kind of sexual misconduct," using the excuse of 'love sharing' or 'spiritual healing' to be engaging in intimate love/sexual affair/relationship with the disturbed minds that are longing to be comforted, loved or healed by some others, while thinking and believing and propagating that, "unconditional love without attachment and possessiveness" means "I have so much love and care (lust) that needed to share with as many people as possible, without being limited by any commitment or responsibility," as well as, using the excuse of "unconditional love without attachment and commitment" to be expecting one's lover/spouse shouldn't be disturbed or hurt by one's greedy lustful desire that needed to be shared with many other different lovers/partners, thinking and believing that it's what unconditional love is about, but not really. That's their freedom of thinking and behavior, however, it's completely nothing to do with yoga.

One can be loving one's lover/spouse unconditionally, but it doesn't mean that one should be encouraging or empowering such ignorant thinking and behavior of the lover/spouse that is over-powered by greedy lustful desires, where one can let go such "relationship" without any disappointment or resentment, loving the lover/spouse as he/she is, being ignorant and behaving ignorantly, thinking and believing that he/she loves his/her lover/partner/spouse very much, but he/she would do things that hurt those whom they think they love very much out of greed, discontentment and lustful desires, or out of disappointment, dissatisfaction, resentment or rebelliousness, due to ungratified desires. One doesn't need to stay in such relationship, but more importantly, one is not being determined or bothered by such ignorance and ignorant behavior of the lover/partner/spouse that is being ignorant towards his/her own ignorance and ignorant behavior. It's only due to the presence of attachment and possessiveness as well as the desire of craving and aversion, most people can't let go and would feel disappointed, hurt and disturbed for being in any relationship with anyone that is under the influence of ignorance with the presence of ignorant behavior, but then oneself also reacting and behaving in the way that would be hurting oneself and those in the relationship with oneself, intentionally, out of resentment and rebelliousness.

"You hurt me, I'll hurt you back" is not love at all.

Some people might not be doing anything hurtful directly to the lover/partner/spouse, refuse to communicate and have better understanding among one another, but then would go behind their back saying and doing many things that would hurt them. That is more evil and hurtful than those who express their disagreement directly to their lover/partner/spouse to communicate about any issues or misunderstanding. However, it seems to be part of certain cultural practice to not express any disagreement directly with the person involved, but to go behind people's back to complain, bitching and hurt the person, to seek support and agreement from other people towards one's disagreement towards the lover/partner/spouse, to relieve one's dissatisfaction and unhappiness. By complaining and bitching about one's lover/partner/spouse whom oneself dislikes and hates so much, with or without the intention of getting other people's support and agreement towards oneself, so that other people will also dislike and hating one's lover/partner/spouse for something that oneself dislikes and disagrees with, while thinking that oneself is a 'victim' of the bad behavior of one's lover/partner/spouse, it only shows that oneself doesn't love the lover/partner/spouse at all.

Yoga practitioners need to stay away from such ignorant thinking, belief, values and practice, while not encouraging or empowering such ignorance.

Many yoga teachers might think and believe that they are doing the right thing or the compassionate action to be 'helping' and 'comforting' other people's unhappy mind by being a sympathetic/empathetic listener and supporter to other people who need to be complaining about what they think and believe is their relationship problem and unhappiness, not being aware of that is actually empowering the ignorance in such minds. These minds themselves don't really love themselves, not to say, they don't love their lover/partner/spouse at all, but they only love their selfish desire and expectation towards their lover/partner/spouse and their love relationship to be in certain way, and out of one's dissatisfaction and disappointment, when they don't get what they like and want, and are getting what they don't like and don't want, upon the lover/partner/spouse and the relationship is not being the way that they expect and desire it to be, they felt 'disappointed', 'unhappy' and 'hurt', and need to be complaining to other people about all kinds of bad and terrible things about their lover/partner/spouse, while thinking and believing that they love their lover/partner/spouse very much, but they are being 'disappointed', 'disturbed' and 'hurt' by their lover/partner/spouse who is bad and terrible, "Oh, I love him/her so much, but he/she is so bad and terrible. I am a victim of his/her bad and terrible behavior, but I can't, and I don't want to let go this relationship because I love him/her so much. I feel so hurt and unhappy because of this bad relationship, and I need sympathy, empathy, comfort and support from other people, acknowledging that my hurt and my unhappiness is due to my lover/partner/spouse is so bad and terrible."

The minds that understand, if one truly loves someone, there's no hurt or disappointment arising in oneself regardless of all kinds of undesirable and disagreeable interactions and happenings in the relationship, and there won't be such 'need' to be complaining to other people, to be seeking sympathy, empathy, comfort and support from some others to justify about "I am loving, good and right, while he/she is unloving, bad and wrong." One can choose to remain in the relationship that is not all desirable and agreeable, or let go any relationship that involved ignorant and hurtful behavior that keep hurting oneself and those in any kind of relationship with oneself out of ignorance, without disappointment or resentment.

If yoga teachers truly want to help the disturbed suffering minds that are under the influence of ignorance to be free from all kinds of disappointment, disturb, hurt and unhappiness due to ignorance, it's not by comforting and supporting their ignorant thinking or incorrect understanding, to be encouraging and empowering their ignorance, but it's guiding and allowing them to see the ignorance in themselves that give rise to such disappointment, disturb, hurt and unhappiness. Even though it's an unpleasant process, and most minds don't like such confrontation to be seeing and acknowledging the ignorance in themselves as well as all kinds of incorrect thinking and understanding that hurt themselves and those whom they think they love very much, but that's liberation for oneself and those in any kind of relationship with oneself.

Sincere yoga practitioners who really want to practice yoga and realize yoga, need to have the basic wisdom to inquire towards the truth of everything, and not being conditioned by any kind of passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice in the world of ignorance and egoism, as well as not being 'deluded' by any kind of impure understanding and intention that exist in the world of yoga.

Learn how to love oneself selflessly before anything else

Love that comes with attachment, craving and expectation will only bring pain to oneself and those whom one thinks one loves very much, but not really.

Love that is free from attachment, craving and expectation will bring peace to oneself, regardless of whether others love oneself, or not.

Only those who know how to love oneself selflessly, know how to love others selflessly.

Only those who are free from attachment, craving and expectation towards oneself, know how to love others without attachment, craving and expectation.

Those who love oneself and others selflessly don't need to receive love, acceptance, acknowledgement, appreciation and companionship from others to feel good and meaningful about oneself and everything. They don't need others to love them for them to love others.

They love themselves and others as they are.

Those who don't know how to love oneself will try to do many things in order to please others, with craving and expectation towards giving and receiving love, acceptance, acknowledgement, appreciation and companionship to and from others, in order to feel good and meaningful about oneself and everything. But then one will feel bad and meaningless about oneself and everything when all these names and forms are absent.

Those who know how to love oneself and others selflessly maybe doing many things for oneself and others, but it's not about pleasing oneself and others, so that oneself and others will feel good and meaningful through giving and receiving love, acceptance, acknowledgement, appreciation and companionship among one another.

This is the yoga practice, to realize selfless loving kindness beyond chemistry influenced conditional passionate sensual feelings of love.

Those who know this, are free.

Be free from gross and subtle attachment, clinging and craving

This teaching is more suitable for those who are endowed with intense yearning for liberation, who are aware of ignorance and egoism and the consequences of it.

 

Those who are not interested in transcending the mind perception of a worldly life of names and forms, but merely interested in doing certain favorite yoga asana and breathing exercises of particular style and brand to attain some health and fitness benefits, to attain momentary physical/mental/emotional relief, pleasantness and calmness deriving from performing the different types of yoga and meditation practice, while enjoying all kinds of worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity with other people/beings who are like minded, whom one perceives as one's family, friends and relatives, that give rise to the sense of meaningfulness, satisfaction and fulfillment, to chase away the sense of dissatisfaction, meaninglessness and loneliness, they don't need to practice the teaching of yoga about renunciation, solitude and seclusion, to renounce all kinds of worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity, to efficiently free the mind from both gross and subtle attachment, clinging and craving towards desirable/agreeable relationships, connections, interactions and activities that gives rise to the sense of meaningfulness, goodness and fulfillment.

The worldly passionate mind would perceive discomfort/unrest/suffering/unhappiness/meaninglessness/loneliness/emptiness when it is being cut off from the familiar worldly relationships, connections, interactions and activities for a certain period of time. People, including mental health professionals, think and believe that people will be mentally and physically sick and die due to loneliness, emptiness and meaninglessness, if without connecting, contacting, communicating and interacting with some other human beings. That's their freedom of thinking and belief. And hence, the practice of renunciation, solitude and seclusion is definitely not for them, as they will be crazy, sick and die due to being over-whelmed by the sense of loneliness and meaninglessness deriving from practicing renunciation, solitude and seclusion, as it's too painful, difficult, terrible, guilty and depressing for them to be without worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity.

Only those who are determined to transcend the worldly life of impermanent selfless names and forms, who are endowed with the intense yearning for liberation, even when life experience and condition is rather good and comfortable, knowing that all is impermanent and selfless, would be interested in the practice of renunciation, solitude and seclusion, being dispassionate towards the fleeting worldly life of names and forms, of worldly affair and condition that are being limited by cause and effect and impermanence, powered by ignorance and egoism, and hence, they could renounce all kinds of worldly connection, relationship, interaction and activity, without much difficulty, allowing the mind be able to be free from not just gross but also subtle attachment, clinging and craving towards worldly connection, relationship, interaction and activity.

Those who chase after the sense of meaningfulness, goodness and fulfillment deriving from being passionately engaging in worldly social and spiritual connection, relationship, interaction and activity, where they think and believe that the attainment/presence of the sense of meaningfulness, goodness and fulfillment is the meaning of life existence, or the highest achievement of their spiritual practice, or the goal of yoga and meditation practice, they would perceive the teaching and practice of renunciation, solitude and seclusion as something out of date, absurd, abnormal, negative, selfish, meaningless, or even useless.

 

In the many social cultural belief and practice, renouncing worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity are being perceived as unacceptable inappropriate wrongful way of being. People would be criticized and condemned by the passionate egoistic family, friends and relatives, if they don't engage in family, relative and friends social visit/meet up/get together/celebration, not to say, completely cutting off all kinds of contact and communication. There's nothing wrong with that, as it's everyone's freedom for what they think and believe as well as what they want to do and don't do with their life. These minds are not free, as they would loose the sense of meaningfulness and goodness, if for some reasons, desirable/agreeable worldly connection, relationship, interaction and activity are unavailable, especially for a prolonged period of time, that give rise to the sense of meaninglessness, emptiness, uselessness and loneliness to the mind.

The gross and subtle attachment/clinging/craving towards all kinds of relationship, connection, interaction and activity is one of the greatest obstacle for many yoga practitioners, including so called 'yoga teachers'. The great spiritual ambition/aspiration to be connected with people/other beings/nature, or fellow yoga community/family as much as possible, to be as meritorious and virtuous as much as possible, desiring to be transitioned towards better or higher realm of existence, to create/build yoga community, yoga school and/or yoga ashram, to hoard 'family/friends/brothers/sisters', 'students', 'disciples' and 'followers', under the 'good intention' to share 'yoga' or 'love' with as many beings as possible, are indeed the sign of subtle attachment/clinging/craving that the mind doesn't even aware of. All these names and forms of relationship/connection/interaction/activity/merit/virtue/better or higher realm or transition/the sense of meaningfulness, goodness and fulfillment deriving from spiritual aspiration, achievement, contribution, action and interaction, don't exist for the silent mind.

 

Though renouncing worldly relationship, connection, interaction and activity, the dispassionate minds can still be performing actions that would be beneficial towards oneself and the world, but it's free from any 'ambition', 'aspiration', or 'intention', without expecting life or the world has to be in certain way according to particular desire, thinking and belief, but allowing life and the world being what it is. This 'intention-less action' is unthinkable for most passionate egoistic minds that believe in all actions must be inspired by and performed out of intention/aspiration and motivation to bring out certain result/success/achievement that they expect how it should be. These minds need to be driven by certain intentional motivation/expectation as well as certain result/achievement/recognition/acknowledgement/accreditation/appreciation/compliment/encouragement to perform all kinds of action.

It's everyone's freedom for what they know and don't know, what they understand and don't understand, and what they think and don't think.

Hugging and touching?

In this era of the so called modern and highly developed society, most people believe and observe the practice/habit/culture of 'hugging' and 'touching' as a form of showing love, acceptance and friendliness among beings, while they would feel awkward, bad and wrong, or even be offended, if some people don't have or don't observe the practice/habit/culture of hugging and touching.

Many yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers might also think and believe that 'open mind' and 'loving kindness/warmness' means people need to be affectionately hugging and touching one another physically to be showing non-discrimination, non-separateness, non-intimidation, love, acceptance and friendliness towards all beings, while the absence of such hugging and touching is being perceived as 'closed mind' and 'unloving-kindness'/'coldness' that portrays the quality of discrimination, separateness, intimidation, lovelessness, non-acceptance and unfriendliness. Many also believe that the lack of physical hugging or touching by another being is highly detrimental to physical, mental and emotional health. They expect all beings, especially yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers should be constantly and actively hugging and touching all other beings that they come in contact with, to show that they are genuine yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers who embrace loving kindness, who are open minded and compassionate beings, while they would be puzzled by the very few of the yoga practitioners who don't have or don't observe such hugging and touching habit/culture.

For yoga practitioners who truly want to open their mind, is about to be free from being conditioned by such worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, where the mind understands that 'the existence and non-existence of open mind and compassion' is nothing to do with 'the presence and absence of physical hugging and touching another being', where it's nothing bad and there's nothing wrong with the society having and observing the hugging and touching habit/culture, especially if the minds are pure and desireless, and it's also nothing bad and there's nothing wrong with those who don't have or don't observe the hugging and touching habit/culture either. Accepting all and everyone as they are, even though certain people behave in the way that goes against the thinking, belief, values and practice of the majority of the society.

Hugging and touching or not, doesn't really determine the presence and absence of the quality of 'non-discrimination', 'non-separateness', 'non-intimidation', 'love', 'acceptance' and 'friendliness', while the quality of non-discrimination, non-separateness, non-intimidation, love, acceptance and friendliness aren't necessarily have to be shown/portrayed by physical contact of hugging and touching one another.

Most people would feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely and meaningless upon the absence of physical/mental/emotional interaction of hugging and touching from some other beings. And hence, many people would think and believe that the solution is to be actively giving and receiving affectionate hugs and touches among beings.

It's the ignorant egoistic passionate mind that has attachment and expectation towards the appropriateness and disappropriateness in social behavior and interaction that would feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely, meaningless, piteous or offended upon the absence or the lack of love and affection in the form of hugging and touching from other beings.

Contemplate upon why the ancient teachings/practice of yoga emphasized on the important observation of solitude and seclusion of non-physical/mental/emotional contact and non-physical touching with any other being, where yoga practitioners and spiritual seekers were being advised to observe solitude and seclusion for a prolonged period of time, to free the mind from the worldly habitual passionate desire of craving and clinging towards physical/mental/emotional love and affection, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to silent/annihilate the modification of the mind.

One of the common practice/observation in the Ashrams is about none should be physically touching one another regardless of among the same or different gender, especially among the swamis, monks and nuns, and between them and the householders. But, nowadays, in many of the ashrams, even many 'modernized' swamis, monks and nuns also don't observe this practice anymore, and they mingling intimately with one another and the people who come to the ashrams, not to say many of the householders who identify themselves as 'yoga practitioners' or 'yogis'. Many 'yoga teacher training courses' also emphasize on the physical hands on adjustment, where the many graduated 'certified yoga teachers' think and believe that it's what a good and professional yoga teacher should be doing/practicing while teaching classes and while socializing/mingling with the students or the yoga community outside of the classes to develop stronger connection and relationship among one another, with the intention of sharing love.

There's nothing wrong with the worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice that propagates widely about "Everyone needs love, affection, hugs and touches." But that is not yoga practice at all, as that is indeed empowering ignorance and egoism. It's not any different from keep feeding sugary drinks to the children or keep providing drugs to the people to make them feel 'happy and good' from the momentary effects of sugary drinks or drugs, and from the gratification of desires by giving people what they like and want. The yoga practice is to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to realize selflessness/oneness/non-separateness, where there's absence of the desire of needing/craving/clinging towards physical/mental/emotional love, affection, hugs and touches from other beings. There's no need of developing stronger connection or relationship between 'I' and 'the others' in selflessness/oneness/non-separateness, as connection or relationship doesn't exist in selflessness/oneness/non-separateness. There's neither 'I' nor 'the others'. There's no 'I' existing that needs to be healed by 'spiritual healing hugs and touches'.

A truly 'healthy and compassionate' society exists along with the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism. Everyone can be kind and loving towards one another out of selfless compassion (not necessarily through physical/mental/emotional interaction), not because everyone 'needs' to give and receive love and affection to and from one another through certain action in order to make the egoistic minds feel good, happy, love and meaningful, or not to feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely, meaningless, piteous or offended upon the absence/lack of love and affection through certain physical/mental/emotional interaction with other beings, as the ignorant egoistic minds think and believe that it's so bad and terrible if there's absence/lack of any form of love and affection among one another.

Many passionate minds couldn't understand or agree with this teaching, and that's their freedom of thinking, understanding, action and reaction.

 

Be free.

Learn how to free the mind from all kinds of disturbs or hurts

When a mind/person feels disturbed, unhappy, angered, disappointed or hurt by something, usually the impulsive reaction will be expecting some kind of sympathy or empathy from other minds/people, and looking forward to be comforted, loved, looked after, acknowledged, or supported by other minds/people. And most minds/people would also think and believe that that is how people should react towards other people's state of minds that are disturbed, unhappy, angry, disappointed or hurt, to be there to be listening to what they think is disturbing their minds and comforting these suffering minds/people by showing them love, care, acknowledgement and support, to be sharing and lessening their 'unhappiness' or 'suffering', in terms of generating a 'loving kindness' society/community. There's nothing wrong with that and it might give the troubled/disturbed/unhappy/angry/disappointed/hurt minds certain degrees of relieve, to feel better, but it doesn't help them to be free from the root cause of the suffering from disturbs, unhappiness, anger, disappointment, or hurts. Instead, most probably it might be unintentionally empowering or feeding the attachment, clinging, craving or expectation in people’s mind.

Just like giving sugary fizzy drinks to the unhappy kids might make them feel happy, but they would crave for more sugary drinks to make them feel happy. As once the craving is being gratified, it would only intensify the craving. And if their craving is not being gratified, they would be more unhappy. That's not freedom at all.

There's clinging, craving and expectation towards receiving sympathy, empathy, love, affection, care, acknowledgement, or support from others, even though there's nothing wrong with receiving sympathy, empathy, love, affection, care, acknowledgement, or support from others, as this is what most worldly minds/people believe and expect the society/community/family/relationship/friendship should be, but the mind is not free. If for some reasons, the mind doesn't get what it thinks and believes it deserves to be getting from others, it will be more disturbed/unhappy/angry/disappointed/hurt and would do things that would hurt itself and/or others. This is not freedom.

As well as most egoistic minds would want to feel that they are needed by others to feel good and meaningful about themselves and their life existence, that they are capable to give and show love, care, affection, sympathy, empathy, acknowledgment and support to others who 'need' them. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, just that these minds would feel bad or meaningless if for some reasons they think that they are not needed by some others, or when they think that other people do not appreciate what they give. This is not freedom.

Only those who can go beyond worldly thinking and belief can penetrate the real meaning of this teaching and practice. It doesn't mean that everyone in the society will become 'cold', 'heartless' or 'lack of sympathy/empathy', but the minds are free from clinging, craving or expectation towards receiving the 'deserving' love, care, affection, sympathy, empathy, acknowledgment and support from others to feel loved, cared, worthy, comforted, acknowledged or supported, to feel good and meaningful, by knowing what is going on in the mind and be free from ignorance and egoism, and thus, be free from all kinds of disturbs, unhappiness, anger, disappointment, or hurts. One doesn't need anyone to be there to be listening to one's 'troubles', 'unhappiness' or 'hurts', to be 'comforted', as there's no trouble, unhappiness or hurt existing in this liberated mind. One also can give and show sympathy, empathy, love, care and support to others without the attachment, identification, craving, intention or expectation in order to attain good and meaningful feelings towards oneself or one's life existence. That is true freedom and compassion.

Yoga practice such like cleansing technique, breathing exercises, yoga asana exercises, chanting, prayer, or concentration practice, can also give the effects of relieving certain degrees of disturbs, unhappiness, anger, disappointment or hurts in the minds, but again, it doesn't stop the mind from continuing be disturbed, unhappy, angry, disappointed, or hurt by something that they don't like, don't want and don't agree with, that they think is bad, wrong, disturbing, unhappy, frustrating, disappointing, or hurtful, if the mind is not free from ignorance, egoism and impurities.

Those who truly want to learn and practice yoga, it's not about doing some forms of yoga practice to be getting some conditional and impermanent physical/mental/emotional benefits or getting some momentary relief from what they think is painful suffering, but they learn how to free the mind from the root cause of all kinds of suffering, of disturbs, unhappiness, anger, disappointment, or hurts.

Naturally, the society will have more physical/mental/emotional healthy minds/people, where the minds/people realized unconditional love from within, know how to look after themselves and love others unconditionally, being free from clinging, craving, aversion or expectation.

But not many minds/people would understand and appreciate the greatness of this freedom. Most minds/people believe in and want a society/community/family/relationship/friendship that builds on 'needing each other' all the time to feel love, good, happy and meaningful, and to feel less lonely or to escape loneliness. That's how people are being taken advantage by others who have selfish intention being in a relationship or friendship. Even in the world of yoga, some yoga teachers or so called 'gurus' take advantage of the yoga students for their vulnerability when the students longing or expecting to be receiving comfort, sympathy, empathy, kindness, love, care, affection, acknowledgment, or supports from the yoga teachers or 'gurus'.

It's everyone's freedom for what they think or don't think, believe or disbelieve, want and don't want. People don't have to practice yoga of freeing the mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, but just want to do some yoga practice regularly and engaging in social/community activities, to attain some momentary physical/mental/emotional benefits or relief, to attain some kinds of conditional and impermanent good, positive, loving, happy and meaningful feelings.

Work diligently to free the mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, if one wants to attain or realize this freedom.

Subtle greed towards developing connections

There is this teaching that some yoga practitioners/teachers might have neglected -

不要攀缘 也不要贪缘

It means - Do not greed for developing or building connections

Because 'developing or building connections' with as many beings as possible or 结缘 is being perceived in the world as something good and righteous, such as 'performing good actions' and 'sharing something good with others' will bring friendship, love, support, help, happiness, prosperity and meaningfulness in return, quite many yoga practitioners/teachers are not aware of the subtle greed towards developing or building connections with as many beings as possible for many 'good reasons'.

In the world of business, career or entertainment, people have the need to develop or build as many 'good connections' or 'friendships' as possible in order to attain the highest success in life, career or business. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Just that it can become an obstacle on the path of yoga towards the annihilation of ignorance and egoism. Some yoga practitioners/teachers are not aware of the mind is being over-powered by the subtle spiritual greed to build 'yoga schools', or 'yoga centres', or 'yoga ashrams', or 'yoga empire'. The mind would think that it's for the sake of 'sharing yoga' with as many people as possible. It's a great teaching why Swami Sivananda mentioned that - "Do not build ashrams. Do not hoard disciples. Do not associate. Live alone. Walk alone. Eat alone. Meditate alone."

"I am kind to others so that they will also be kind to others." This is not yoga, even though there's nothing bad or wrong with that. There's egoism of attachment, identification, desire and intention or expectation towards something that the mind perceives as 'good' and 'right'. The mind is not free.

Contemplate on this teaching and be free from the subtle greed towards connections building. Be free from the longing for friendship, love, support, help, happiness, prosperity or meaningfulness deriving from 'performing good actions' and 'sharing something good with others'. Be free from intention or aspiration. One might be 'performing good actions' and 'sharing something good with others', but all actions are intention-less. It's free from the subtle/hidden greed or craving towards developing or building 'good connections' with as many beings as possible.

Just be kind to others. Whether other people want to be kind to others, or not, that's their freedom.

Just do good in the world. Whether the world will be good, or not, allow it to be what it is, as it is.

Love, upon realization of selflessness and compassion

Upon realization of selflessness and compassion, the craving for love disappear.

There's no 'I' desire to love and there's no 'I' desire to be loved.

There's needless to give love or receive love, as all beings are love itself.

It's ignorance and egoism that hindering the minds to realize all are love, and hence, there's desire to love and be loved. There's craving for love and clinging onto love.

Everyone just need to realize that, and be free from the craving for love and clinging onto love.

Even though there's none to give love and none to receive love, but the whole world is full of 'beings of love'.

Those who don't realize this, they think and believe that "All beings need love. To be able to give love and receive love among one another is the most meaningful and important thing in life." They think and believe that the world will be loveless if none give love to another and receive love from another.

Those who realize this, "Freedom from craving and clinging towards love is great liberation." All beings are love, but yet to be realized upon annihilation of ignorance and egoism.

When everyone is free from craving and clinging towards love upon realization of selflessness and compassion, there's no need anyone there to give love to another, as there's none need to receive love from another. Everyone can be compassionate and nice towards one another unconditionally, without desire to love or be loved, without craving for love or clinging onto love.

Be free.

Missing someone or something or somewhere that we like and love?

The mind that is practicing yoga is free from attachment, clinging or craving, it doesn't miss anyone or anything or anywhere.

Yoga practitioners who still always or occasionally feel missing someone or something or somewhere that they like and love very much, that is not here or unavailable or absent in the present, know that it's a by-product of egoistic passionate desire of attachment, clinging or craving.

Miss seeing or being with someone. Miss doing something. Miss having something. Miss being somewhere. Miss seeing something. Miss hearing something. Miss smelling something. Miss tasting something. Miss feeling something. Miss thinking something.

Many people, including yoga practitioners, would think that yoga is about love, and believe that if we like and love someone or something or somewhere, if we appreciate someone or something or somewhere, we should feel that we miss them when they are in a distance, or out of sight, or unavailable, or absent, that we should think about them a lot, and we would worry about people and things and places that we like and love very much. We would wish to see or be with those whom we miss, or have the thing that we miss, or do the thing that we miss, or be at the place that we miss. That is what most minds that are full of passion, enthusiasm and love, do naturally. There's nothing wrong with that, just that it's not what yoga and yoga practice is about.

The love that is mentioned in the teaching of yoga, is unconditional love, or compassionate love, or love without attachment, that is free from attachment, clinging or craving and 'missingness'.

Missing someone or something or somewhere is the manifestation of attachment, clinging or craving towards what the egoistic mind likes and wants, it's nothing to do with being kind and compassionate towards all living beings and non-living objects that are impermanent.

So, next time if we feel missing someone or something or somewhere that we like and love, then know that it's just a manifestation of egoistic desire of attachment, clinging and craving. If we don't get this or don't understand this, then we are not practicing yoga even though we might be doing or teaching yoga everyday for many years. If we got this or understood this, then without judgment, we start practice letting go of attachment or practice detachment.

Doesn't miss anyone or anything or anywhere, doesn't mean that we don't like or don't love or don't appreciate anyone, or anything, or anywhere. Just that our liking and love and appreciation towards everyone, everything and everywhere is without attachment, clinging or craving.

Contemplate on this and be free.

The importance of renouncing worldly life for those who want to realize yoga

Renunciation is an important part of yoga sadhana for those who are aware of the consequences of ignorance and egoism in oneself, who sincerely want to realize yoga to be free from ignorance and suffering. Those who just want to do some yoga exercises to gain some benefits to look good and feel good about oneself, who enjoy being passionate towards worldly life and social activities, who think ignorance doesn't exist in them, they don't have to follow the path of renunciation.

After learning and practicing yoga for some years having developed a certain degrees of non-attachment and correct understanding towards the teachings and practice of yoga, yoga practitioners who want to realize yoga will have to eventually renounce the worldly life, and retreat into solitude and seclusion for a prolonged period of time.

This is not about going for a short term of a few days or few weeks of yoga retreat holidays where people indulge in yoga related activities that they enjoy doing, that make people feel good and meaningful, spending time being with people who are like-minded, connecting and interacting with people who share the same ideas and values, while being able to stay connected and interacting with family and friends and the world, giving and receiving love and support, praise and encouragement to and from one another, but it's about renouncing the worldly life of all sorts of relationships with people or animals or things and social activities, and retreating into solitude and seclusion for at least 5 - 6 years. Allow everyone and everything to be what they are, as they are, without interference with anyone or anything expecting/wishing them to be the way that we think they should be.

Renunciation from worldly life or retreating into solitude and seclusion for a prolonged period of time might be perceived by many people, including those who think they love yoga and are practicing yoga, as 'running away from life or the world', or 'being selfish, abandoning and uncaring' towards family, friends and the society, as most minds are being conditioned by worldly thinking and belief of a strong attachment and identification towards certain values of life consisting of family and friends, community, social interactions and worldly affairs.

Our worldly life consists of all relationships and things and activities is what we think is what we are, and we take all these names and forms to be the highest value/meaning of life existence (family and friends, culture and spirituality or religion, what we do or don't do, what we have or don't have, what we achieve and don't achieve, and what we contribute or don't contribute to the society). For many people, it's 'wrong', 'bad', 'inappropriate', 'inhuman', 'selfish' and 'crazy' to not connecting or interacting with family and friends, or the society. And it's okay. Everyone has the freedom for how they perceive and understand, judge and think about everything.

But this is also why people perceive/experience all kinds of suffering in this worldly life existence. And it's okay, because people rather choose to go through suffering than to find out how to be free from suffering.

We might not like suffering and we don't want suffering or what we think and believe as 'wrong' and 'bad' or 'hurtful' and 'undeserving', but we are not aware of the root cause of all suffering, and we don't like or disagree with the teaching/practice that will lead the mind to realize the cause of suffering and how to be free from suffering, due to deep rooted ignorance and egoism.

At one moment, we feel good, happy, meaningful and contented when things are the way that we like it to be or how we think it should be, when our wishes and desires are being gratified. At another moment, we feel hurt, annoyed, frustrated, agitated, disappointed, dissatisfied, upset, unhappy, angry, hating, fear and worry when things are not the way that we like it to be or how we think it should be, when our wishes and desires are not being gratified. And we tell ourselves and others that this is life, this is human nature, this is normal for all human beings. But then, whether intentionally or unintentionally, we constantly do and say things that would cause damage and disharmony in oneself and in the world, out of hurt, annoyance, frustration, agitation, disappointment, dissatisfaction, upset, unhappiness, anger, hatred, animosity, fear and worry.

Whether we like and agree with it, or not, the entire practice of yoga is about the annihilation of egoism of attachment, identification and the desires of craving and aversion, to free the mind from impurities arising from its own egoistic action/reaction, to be free from ignorance, to transcend suffering.

Although one has been doing yoga practice for a long time and has heard about selflessness, but one cannot realize yoga (selflessness), if one doesn't work on freeing the mind from the egoistic attachment and identification towards the worldly life existence as 'I', 'This is who and what I am', 'This is my body', 'This is my mind', 'This is my thinking/belief/culture/religion/ethnicity', 'These are my values', 'These are my achievements and contributions', 'This is my life', 'This is my family', 'These are my children', 'These are my friends', 'These are my brothers and sisters', 'This is where I belonged', 'This is my country', and 'This is my world'. All these names and forms are just what they are, they are impermanent, they don't belong to 'I', and they are not 'I'.

The ego constantly straining the body and the mind expecting the body and mind to be like this or like that, to be able to do this or that, to be able to achieve what 'I' like and what 'I' want. 'I' want my body and my mind to be like this, 'I' don't like them to be like that. 'I' want my body and my mind to be able to do this and achieve that. And we think we love our body and mind, but we don't. We just want the body and the mind to be capable to gratify all my desires or wishes of what I like and what I want.

When one realized yoga or selflessness, there's no separateness of 'I' and what the mind perceives as 'my family', 'my friends', 'my brothers and sisters', 'all the others', and so on. There's no 'We are one big family', 'We are all human beings', or 'We are connected together'. There's no 'we'.

Connection exists only when there is still the perception of separateness of different individuals, that two or more separate objects/particles/souls/beings connect together. Connection doesn't exist in oneness, or non-separateness. When there is connection, there is disconnection. It is still within the perception of duality. And the main teaching and practice of yoga is to realize non-duality, or oneness, or non-separateness. One doesn't need to stay connected with any other beings to feel that we are connected to each other.

Those who really want to know what is yoga, they will realize it when the mind experiences complete silence being in solitude and seclusion, being cut off from the worldly life of all relationships with everyone and everything, and worldly objects and activities that the mind loves and familiars with, for a prolonged period of time.

We like to say we love yoga and we think we have been practicing yoga for a long time, and we feel satisfied, confident, good and happy when our body becomes stronger and more flexible and is able to do many of the yoga asana poses that we want to be able to do, but then we would give ourselves many 'reasonable' excuses about why we don't need or don't want to renounce worldly life to cut off all the tendencies of all kinds of attachment, clinging, longing and craving.

Some yoga practitioners would have no difficulty to perform their daily routine of yoga asana and pranayama practice regularly, and gaining great improvement in physical health and fitness level, strength and flexibility and skill to perform many of the yoga asana poses for some years, and attaining momentary good and happy feelings, sense of self-worth, confidence and meaningfulness in the mind due to the effects and achievements from performing the yoga practice regularly and/or from teaching and sharing the yoga practice to others, being able to live the life that they want, but not many are interested in observing complete silence in solitude and seclusion for a prolonged period of time, to be isolated from people and things that they love and the worldly life and activities that they are familiar with. The ego needs to feel loved and be connected with the world, to feel good, happy, confident, or meaningful.

Some people will have no difficulty to go into a silent retreat centre for a few weeks, and stop connecting and interacting with other people and stop doing the activities that they like to do for that few weeks, as they know this is just a very short term restriction, but when the mind has to go through a prolonged period of time being cut off from people and things and activities that they love and like, there will be pain/suffering arise in the mind.

Meanwhile, some people might think that they have developed a good foundation of non-attachment and detachment, because they can let go certain things in life, but most probably that is because the mind has found some other new attachment to cling onto, such like new friends, or new relationships, or 'new toys' to play with, or new activities to do in life.

While some people love to go for weeks and months of 'yoga retreat', but know that most of the yoga retreats in the world are not about silencing the mind, but it is about living with a community that are like-minded, doing activities and interacting with other people who share the similar ideas and values, which makes the ego feels comfortable, good, happy and meaningful, but this doesn't help the mind to be free from ignorance and egoism.

Only when the mind can live in solitude and seclusion for a prolonged period of time, when the mind no longer needs to attach onto any beings or objects or activities to feel loved and connected, to feel good, happy, confident and meaningful about itself and life existence and the world, then this being can live and mix freely in the society, love everyone and everything unconditionally, care for humanity and benefit the world efficiently. There's no loneliness, boredom, longing, clinging, craving, dissatisfaction, incompleteness, emptiness, void, meaninglessness, or fear in this mind.

"Do good to others, help others, give love and care to others, because it is meaningful and it makes us feel good and happy for being able to do good and give help, love and care to others." - This is not the teaching of yoga at all. This is the ego needs to attach onto certain qualities of names and forms to feel good and happy and meaningful about itself and life existence. This is empowering the ego. It's not freedom. The one who is free from the ego, simply just do good, just give help, love and care to others, NOT because 'I' want to or need to feel good and happy and meaningful about myself and my life for being able to do good, to give help, love and care to others.

The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism remain equanimous, peaceful and kind towards all beings without discrimination under any difficult conditions, situations and circumstances. These minds don't need to renounce worldly life to retreat into solitude and seclusion, as they are free from egoism of attachment, identification, desires and impurities, and they are undisturbed/undetermined by all the perceptions of good and bad qualities of names and forms, and hence being free from all kinds of disturbs or suffering. These minds don't need to display any yoga asana poses through the physical body or performing certain external practices under certain names and forms to show that they are practicing yoga.

Be free.

Addicted to anger and bitterness...

Some people don't like to be angry and bitter, and want to be free from anger and bitterness.

While some people seem to enjoy being angry and bitter from time to time, and have no interest to stop being angry and bitter.

Anger and bitterness can be addictive. Just like most minds are addicted to being busy seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching and thinking, they have to be engaging in some sorts of mental or physical activities, or else they will feel very uncomfortable and irritated. Like fish out of water. After being in a silent meditation retreat for a few days observing all the disciplines of the silent retreat, the mind will want to runaway, thinking "What am I doing here? Wasting my time. I better off going back to the outside world doing something that I like to do..."

Some people don't feel good or comfortable, if their minds are not having certain degrees of tension for some time.

The mind is already used to certain degrees of tension occupying the mind. The mind feels comfortable having certain degrees of tension that it familiars with.

The mind doesn't know how to allow itself to be in a relaxed state, without any tension arise in the mind. The mind identifies the relaxed state of mind without any tension as boredom or void. And this makes the mind feels anxious, or out of control about everything and whatever situation that it is encountering. The mind prefers to be in a state of tension as it makes the mind feels safe and comfortable, or be in control and feels good about itself.

By being angry and bitter can generate a particular type of sensation/tension which the mind is craving for, or addicted to.

Due to impermanence, when the anger and bitterness towards something or someone is lessening or fading away from the mind, the mind will start looking for some other objects to be the target for the mind to be angry and bitter at. The mind doesn't feel comfortable if anger and bitterness is absent in the mind. This behavior pattern of the mind exists in those who have the habits of fault finding, moaning, grumbling, back-biting, arguing, criticizing and condemning.

The mind actually takes pleasure in the tension or sensation that come from anger and bitterness. Just like certain people take pleasure in self-harm, and they won't feel good and satisfied unless they induce self-harm onto themselves.

If we are aware of our mind keeps falling into a state of anger and bitterness quite frequently from time to time, while knowing that anger and bitterness is unhealthy for the body and mind, but still it wants to be in a state of anger and bitterness, then know that our mind could be addicted to anger and bitterness.

We think that there is something or someone that we don't like or disagree with that inflicts the anger and bitterness in us. We think that our existing life problems and unhappiness are the responsibility of something or somebody, but not 'I'.

Actually it's our own mind finds pleasure in anger and bitterness, and keeps looking for something and someone to be a target for the mind to express anger and bitterness to satisfy the craving for certain tension or sensation.

No one can free another being from this ignorance and suffering. It has to come from self-realization of what is going on in the mind and understanding the behavior pattern of the mind, and willingly want to get out from the behavior pattern of the mind, or stop all the madness.

Om shanti.

Where does happy feeling or sensation comes from when we feel happy?

When the mind is being one-pointedness being in the present moment now, at that moment the mind is free from the past experiences/memories and free from the future projections/imaginations/anticipations. And thus, there is no judgments, comparisons and expectations, free from duality of good and bad, positive and negative, pleasantness and unpleasantness. And thus the mind is free from craving and aversion, doubts, fear and worry... At that moment, peace is there. Blissful feeling of happiness is there...

The truth is, it is not the objects or happenings out there that give us the state of mind of peace and happiness. It is not what we do or don't do that make our mind feel happy or unhappy.

All the objects, happenings, names and forms (sights, sounds, smells, taste, touch, thinking/thoughts) out there, they have no qualities or intentions to make us happy or not happy, peaceful or not peaceful. It is the one-pointedness state of the mind that is free from craving and aversion, free from greed and dissatisfaction when we do the things or get in contact with the things that we like and want, that generates the (momentary) peace and happiness in the mind. When the mind loses it one-pointedness due to impermanence or disturbance from other objects, names and forms, that momentary peace and happiness will be disturbed and fade away. Emptiness or dissatisfaction/greed/craving for some other satisfaction and happy feelings immediately take over the experience of momentary contentment, peace and happiness that comes from one-pointedness or concentration of the mind.

That's why different people find (momentary) peace and happiness in many different ways by doing the things and getting the objects that they like and want. Some people feel good from doing good actions and enjoy doing good actions. Some people feel good from doing evil actions and enjoy doing evil actions. It is not the good actions or the evil actions that give us the good and happy feelings. It is the one-pointedness state of mind while doing any actions that gives us the momentary state of satisfaction and happy sensation in the mind.

We often hear people say that there are many different ways or methods of how to be happy in life. There's nothing wrong with this saying. We do get (momentary) happy feelings or sensations when we are able to do the things that we like to do, when we can get the things that we like, when we can enjoy some precious moments with our family and friends, when we can do some charity works helping other beings, when we can contribute to the society and the world through many ways, when we can live a good quality and healthy lifestyle, when we can enjoy active social life and interactions with one another, when we can live our life meaningfully by doing the things that we like to do and want to do, achieve our goals and dreams, or attain some sort of power, material belongings, name and fame, and etc...

Definitely, there will be momentary happy feelings and satisfaction coming from doing or attaining all the things being mentioned in the above. In the teachings of yoga and meditation, this type of momentary happy feelings and satisfaction is called conditional happiness and satisfaction that is conditioned and determined by the qualities of the external objects, happenings, names and forms. It will be disturbed by some other objects, greed, dissatisfaction, craving and aversion, and it will fade away. This momentary satisfaction and happy feeling is conditioned and determined by what we like and dislike, want and don't want, and what we agree and disagree with. When our craving for certain things is being gratified, our mind experience contentment and feel good. And when the craving is not being gratified, the mind experience discontentment and doesn't feel good.

There is no doubt that there are many ways and methods to be happy in life, but what really generates the happy feelings or sensations in us is because of the mind is being in the present moment, free from the past or the future, free from craving and aversion for that time being when the momentary satisfaction arise due to we are able to do and getting the things that we like and want, or when we come in contact with the objects that we agree with.

This type of momentary conditional happiness is not the unchangeable real happiness that the teachings of yoga and meditation talk about. Those who really practice yoga and meditation will not waste energy in chasing after all these momentary happiness and satisfaction that are impermanent, changeable, dissatisfying, and are conditioned and limited by the different qualities of names and forms. The real peace and happiness is already there within us, never increase nor decrease, never disappear, undisturbed or unaffected or undetermined by impermanent conditional external objects, happenings, names and forms. We just need to purify our mind to remove impurities and ignorance, calming the restless agitated state of mind, and we will realize this true and eternal peace and happiness that is always there with us and never leave us.

Realize this Truth, we will stop looking out for momentary peace and happiness and we will rest in peace and happiness that is already there in us that is unconditional, unlimited and undisturbed by any external objects, happenings, names and forms.

It also means that, no matter what is the condition of our body and the mind, or the condition of our life, the environment and the entire worldly existence, we will always rest in peace in our true Self or true nature. That is the means of yoga and meditation practice...

All the names and forms are just being what they are. They are not something good or bad, positive or negative, happiness or suffering...

The pure and calm mind that is free from the influence of the ego and the intellect (being free from selfish intentions, judgment, comparison, expectation, craving, aversion, dissatisfaction, greed, pride, arrogance, anger, hatred, jealousy, fear and worry, and all sorts of impurities) will be able to perceive the reality of everything as it is, not necessary the way that we want it to be or the way that we think it should be...

There is no craving for something that is being categorized by the intellect as good, positive and happy. There is no aversion towards something that is being categorized by the intellect as bad, negative and suffering.

Suffering disappears. Unhappiness disappears. Fear and worry disappear.

When there is no suffering, unhappiness, fear and worry, there's no need to looking for peace and happiness, because peace and happiness is already there...

The moment when the craving for peace and happiness, as well as the aversion towards unpeacefulness and unhappiness stop, that moment is peaceful...

Peaceful feeling or sensation that comes from being with the people that we like and agree with, by getting or coming in contact with the objects that we like and want or desire, and being in a pleasant environment, it's conditional, it's limited, it's impermanent. It will change, be disturbed and disappear. It is dissatisfying in its nature.

When we stop attaching to this peace and happy feeling or sensation that are conditioned and limited by external objects, happenings, names and forms, we will rest in the unconditional and unlimited peace in our true nature.

If we depend on certain good conditions or objects to feel peace and happiness, then very soon we will be disappointed and being unhappy when impermanence strikes.

The essential teachings in yoga and meditation is to realize the Truth about we are not the body, we are not the mind. This body and this mind don't belong to us, and they are not us.

There is not a thing that is "I". There is no "I" am performing some actions or not performing any actions. There is no "I" there to go through birth, growth, decay, old age, sickness, and death. There is no "I" there being happy or unhappy.

It is just the body and mind being existing, changing and eventually will stop existing.

There is no "I" there to experience all the perceptions of sights, sounds, smells, taste, touch and thinking/thoughts. It is just the body and mind experiencing all these impermanent names and forms.

There's no "I" there to experience all sorts of emotions, feelings and sensations, pleasant and unpleasant experiences.

There is no "I" being good or not good.

There is no "I" there to have fear, worry, doubts, dissatisfaction, craving, aversion, pride, arrogance, to be happy or sad, to be praised or censured, to be positive or negative, to be healthy or sick, to be strong or weak, to experience success or failure, respectful or disrespectful, auspiciousness or inauspiciousness, completeness or incompleteness, and to be loved or to love...

All the qualities, dualities, names and forms disappear.

There is no arguments, criticisms or justifications.

The mind is resting in silence...

That is when we realize the Truth of ourselves and the entire worldly existence...

Om shanti.

No matter what we do or don't do to find peace and happiness in life, true and lasting happiness is there when we are free from being conditioned and determined by all the external objects of names and forms, and when we are free from being determined by judgment and expectation coming from our own self and other people, and when we are free from the attachment towards our actions and the fruit of our actions...

Swami Sivananda's words of wisdom - Essence of Vedanta

Stop, O mind, thy plannings! Enough, enough of thy cravings for the body and for the intellect. Make good of every minute that is at thy disposal. Time is a rat that slowly cuts the thread of life. It may break at any moment. Believe not that you will be living to enjoy the objects of life. Death may lay his icy hands on this body and shatter it at any time. Cherish not objects of the world. Wish not for glory in life. Plan not to immortalize thy name in the world, lest thou wilt be immortalizing it in vacuum. Speak not to people, lest thou wilt be speaking to the skies. Beat not space thinking it is a drum. Stop imagining. Stop scheming.

停止，啊 意识，你的计划！足够了，你对身体和智力的欲望已经足够了。好好的利用任你处置的每一刻。时间就是好比一只老鼠在慢慢的咬切你的生命线，它随时可能会中 断。不要去相信，你将会活着，是为了去享受生命中的物质。在任何时候，死神随时会用他的冰冷之手去碰触你的身体，把它粉碎。不要去贪爱世界里的物质。不要希望从生命中得到荣耀。不要计划在世界上永恒保存你的名字，否则就好像要把你的名字保存在真空之中。不要对任何人说话，否则你就好像在对天空说话。不要去 敲打空间，把它设想成是一个鼓。停止幻想。停止策划。

- Swami Sivananda

Thoughts sharing about the wheel of birth and death...

This is a response from the previous blog Cry for the dead? Cheer for the new born?

"Our True Self Nature and oneness with Ultimate Reality is all that matters in the end. Whatever this body of compounded aggregates does in this mind created world and reality is insubstantial after all, and only perpetuates the cycle of Life, Death and Rebirth. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really matter if you are doing this in a “happy mode” or not. The end result: old age, disease and death is always the same for all of us and regardless of our State of Mind in this world during our current life. I would therefore promote to read and practice the Tibetan Book of the Dead every day and in order to exit this reality altogether… “Love and Peace to all” alone is not going to save us but perpetuates “Love and Peace to all” in just another cycle of Life, Death and Rebirth… and another… and another… forever!" -Elk Arne Clausen

"Yes, to exit from this tiring and meaningless cycle of birth and death is the ultimate path.

But while we are sincerely “trying” to get out of this cycle of birth and death, we can choose to live our life in a negative way or positive way, in depression or cheerfulness, remain inaction or we can make good use of this “suffering body” to perform some actions selflessly that can bring some love and peace to other “suffering beings” and to evolve together in the path of transcending the wheel of birth and death.

Lots of enlightened beings chose to continue the cycle of birth and death to be here to help other “suffering beings” to be saved from the cycle of birth and death.

The suffering of this mortal body means nothing to these compassionate beings (Bodhisattva)." - Meng Foong

"it definitely is important to maintain a positive outlook and emanate compassion throughout our mortal lives because when this is practised diligently, it also becomes our second nature and preps us for the moment of death. yes, no doubt no one (neither murderer nor holy man) can escape the wreaths of old age, disease and death, but what matters is the mind state we are in when approaching these different stages of life. how we experience the process of dying itself will determine and shape our next life. if we had lived a life full of regret and negativity the mind will create terrifying demons that escort us through the bardo state and eventually lead us into an unfavourable rebirth. if we had lived a life full of pure heart and pure intentions, the journey to our next life will be a pleasant and illuminating one." - Yoga Hui


"I completely agree with the ideal of leading a happy and positive life as long as we are not quiet sure we are able to exist this time around. Reading, the Tibetan Book of the Dead almost every day, I am almost certain I am not quiet ready for the Intermediate State of Reality… or Rebirth. But I do also think that to prep myself for “the next life” should not be my priority in this life. The priority should be to exist altogether and there are basically two paths we can follow, the one of the Arhat or the Bodhisattva… difficult choice since the later almost certainly leads to more of this reality…" - Elk Arne Clausen

"Yes, live at the present moment now, not being disturbed by the past, not worrying for the future, not anticipating anything, taking care of the present moment now, the future will take care by itself.

To know our past, just look at ourselves now. To know our future, also look at ourselves now.

This is what Buddha taught us, to live at the present moment. The only reality is “now”, the past and the future doesn’t exist. Observe the reality as it is, accept the reality as it is, transcending the duality of good and bad that comes from all the names and forms. Not generate craving nor aversion, remain equanimous not being disturbed nor affected by whatever the mind perceives through the senses… (nameless and formless meditation – not attach to the mind and observe the mind as it is)

Stop doing bad.
Do good.
Purify the mind.
(without expectation for the result)

Transcending the craving or aversion towards birth or death, happiness or suffering. Some people are craving for birth and averse towards death. Some people are craving for death and averse towards birth. Some people are craving for neither birth nor death. And all are still forms of craving (both wants and don’t wants). The craving is still there. It is this craving that had started all these endless cycles of birth and death. To stop this cycle of birth and death, is to annihilate this craving of “wants” and “don’t wants”…

No craving towards pleasant sensations and good feelings, no aversion towards unpleasant sensations and bad feelings, remain equanimous undisturbed and unaffected by whatever the mind and the body is experiencing at the present moment now. Treat all the duality of names and forms equally.

Knowing that all these sensations and feelings are not us, they don’t belong to us, and they are impermanent. They arise, they stay, they change and they will pass away eventually. If we just observe and are aware of all these sensations and feelings and not generate reaction of craving and aversion, remain equanimous, all the existing good and bad karma will be depleted as well as all the accumulated past good and bad karma also will come up to the surface to be purified, until there is no cause for birth, and thus there will be no growth, no old age, no illness, no decaying and no death. It doesn’t matter if it takes many life times to deplete/purify all the accumulated karma.

These are the practice that we are practicing unceasingly whether we are awake, asleep, lying down, standing, walking or sitting, without any expectation for the result. Being mindful of our thoughts, actions and speech without attachment.

Out of compassion, we perform all these practices selflessly.

Stop generate “bad” karma by stop doing bad.

Stop generate “good” karma by not identify as the doer of good actions (intention-less, compassionate and selfless actions) and not craving for good karma in return (renounce from the fruit of actions). All good actions for ourselves and for other beings are being performed out of compassion.

Keep purifying the past accumulated karma which will be continuously manifesting in the body and the mind and will also dissolve in the body and the mind, and not generate anymore reactions of craving and aversion that will create the chain reaction of cause and effect.

If there is attachment (being affected by good or bad karma and generate reaction of craving and aversion), we are not practicing dhamma nor are meditating. When we are free from attachment (not being affected by good or bad karma and not generate reaction of craving and aversion), we are practicing dhamma or are meditating whether in action or in inaction (with form or formless).

Not longing to have birth, and not longing to have no birth either. Accepting the reality as it is from moment to moment…

The world is just being what it is. It is not something good nor bad.

If we attach to all the transitory names and forms that keep arising and passing away, then the world that we perceive is being projected as good or bad. If we do not attach to any names and forms, then the world is just being what it is. It is neither good nor bad…

Heaven and hell is right here, at this present moment now, in our own heart… Either we are detached from names and forms, and are free from craving (heaven). Or we are attached to names and forms, and are full of craving (hell)…

If we want to have a good life in the future, we perform good actions and stop performing bad actions. If we want to have a bad life in the future, we perform bad actions and stop performing good actions. If we don’t want to have any future lives (good or bad), we transcend all the duality of names and forms without attachment to neither good nor bad…

This is what I learned from Buddha’s teaching of how to transcend birth and death, and to transcend the suffering that arise due to the cycle of birth and death, and the existence of the mortal body with the functions of the senses which has a thinking mind with the function of the selfish ego that is full of craving and aversion.

At the end, when one has transcended all names and forms, there is no difference between the path of Arhat or Bodhisattva.

I’m open to learn more from all wise beings (with form and formless) who had fully transcended this body and mind, and the suffering that arise from the body and the mind." - Meng Foong

Thank you for the sharing...

Link to the original comments on Yoga News, http://yogamalaysia.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/cry-for-the-dead-cheer-for-the-new-born/#comment-139

Why is it so hard to let go?

A student asked me this question after the class with tears in the eyes.

"Why is it so hard to let go?"

I replied, "Ignorance..."

"Why are we ignorant?"

I replied, "Not knowing the truth of things due to the absence of wisdom..."

"Why???"

I replied, "It's because we are being over-powered by the modifications of the mind which is full of impurities, attachment, identification, craving and aversion..."

"Why???"

I replied, "It's because there's strong attachment from the thinking mind identifying with the ego as 'I'..."

"Why???"

I replied, "Being ignorant...not knowing who we really are (what is 'I') and not knowing what is real and unreal."

* * * * * * * * * * *

For somebody who had never tasted what is saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness or spiciness, none can describe to them how are these tastes taste like. They have to taste them by themselves, only then they will know what the tastes really are.
 

Under the absence of wisdom, we are ignorant about the truth of things and we will be attached strongly to everything that we come in contact with under the perception of the mind. And thus it is very difficult for us to let go of all the names and forms with different good and bad qualities that the mind perceives through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think.

We attached strongly to the good and bad feelings, positive and negative thoughts, pleasant and unpleasant sensations, and all the impurities (ignorance) in the mind such like ill-will, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration, irritation, anxiety, depression, fear, worry, excitement, agitation, aggressiveness, passion, and etc.

We also attached strongly to the likes and dislikes, craving and aversion that come from the egoistic impure self. We are constantly being affected or influenced by all these impurities in the mind and couldn't help ourselves due to strong identification with the mind under the function of the intellect and the ego. We feel so difficult to let go of any so called "negative" and "bad" emotions and feelings. But we didn't think that attachment towards "positive" and "good" qualities, conditions, emotions and feelings will also give us frustration and suffering.

If we want to be truly free from suffering or unhappiness, not only that we don't attach to "negative" and "bad" feelings and let them go without generate aversion and reaction, but we also cannot attach onto "positive" and "good" feelings and let them go as well, without generate craving and reaction.

It's because by attaching onto "positive" and "good" feelings will make us want to retain these good feelings and we will crave for more of these similar type of feelings, when these feelings had changed, passed away or disappeared. This will create dissatisfaction, frustration, unhappiness, fear and worry in us. We don't want these good feelings to change or fade away (which is impossible because everything are subject to impermanence), and we want to continue to possess those good feelings, don't want to lose them.

True happiness is beyond these impermanent "positive" and "good" feelings. Go beyond these momentary pleasant feelings. Stop craving for these "positive" and "good" feelings. Enjoy and appreciate these "positive" and "good" feelings while they appear in the mind, but without attachment, without clinging and craving, and let them go when they change and fade away from the mind.

Such like, good and calm feelings that come from doing yoga practice (asana practice, pranayama, chanting and meditation), are still subject to impermanence. We cannot attached to them. If we attached to them, we will be craving for these momentary pleasant feelings and sensations in the body and mind from doing yoga practice. And if we don't get the same pleasant feelings and sensations after the yoga practice, or if we don't get to do some yoga practice due to we are busy doing some other things in life, or if we couldn't perform yoga practice due to certain physical illness, injuries or limitation, we will be so frustrated and will crave for these pleasant feelings and sensations that derive from doing yoga practice.

All these craving for pleasant feelings and sensations are nothing wrong. As well as aversion towards unpleasant feelings and sensations is nothing wrong either. It is something very normal that is happening in all minds under the influence of the ego. The only disadvantage is, we will fall into unhappiness, frustration, disappointment, dissatisfaction, anxiety, fear and worry continuously as long as we are still being influenced and determined by the likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants, craving and aversion from the ego.

Yoga asana practice, pranayama, chanting and meditation are there to render the mind calm and clear from impurities, so that wisdom will arise within us. And with the presence of wisdom, ignorance will disappear and we will know the truth of ourselves, life existence and everything else. By knowing the truth, we are able to accept the reality as it is without craving and aversion, and are able to let go of all the qualities of good and bad from different names and forms. Remain undisturbed, and at peace.

The purpose or meanings of all our yoga practice doesn't stop at attaining pleasant and peaceful feelings and sensations, and state of calmness that come from doing yoga practice. These pleasant feelings and sensations, and state of calmness are just the by products of the yoga practice. Go beyond these by products without attachment, clinging and craving towards these by products, and attain true and lasting happiness by realizing the wisdom in us, by realizing who we really are and the truth of everything.

The intellect is there to analyze the qualities of all the names and forms. The ego is there to assert like and dislike, want and don't want.

When the mind comes in contact with the objects that the ego doesn't like and doesn't want, the mind and the body will experience negative thoughts, bad feelings and unpleasant sensations. And the mind will generate aversion towards this unpleasant state of mind.

When the mind comes in contact with the objects that the ego likes and wants, the mind and the body will experience positive thoughts, good feelings and pleasant sensations. And the mind will generate craving towards this pleasant state of mind. All these reactions of craving and aversion in the mind are happening unceasingly.

If we attached to the mind and identified with the ego, we will be constantly being in a state of disturbance, not at peace. Sometimes we feel good and some other time we feel bad. Sometimes we feel happy and some other time we feel unhappy. We are lost in the craving and aversion in our own mind.

This is something very normal happens to everybody. Just like we cannot control the mind only to have positive thoughts, good feelings, or to control the body only to have pleasant sensations, and not having negative thoughts, bad feelings in the mind and unpleasant sensations in the body.

When the mind or the ego feels good and happy, it will naturally crave for more of the similar pleasant thoughts, feelings and sensations, and it will want to retain that pleasant state of mind. When this craving is not being gratified, and when the pleasant state of mind is being disturbed or disappeared, the mind or the ego will be so frustrated and unhappy.

When the mind or the ego feels bad and unhappy, it will naturally having aversion or reject the similar unpleasant thoughts, feelings and sensations, and it will want to get rid of that unpleasant state of mind. When this desire of not want to have unpleasant state of mind is not being gratified, and when the unpleasant state of mind is still there, the mind or the ego will be so frustrated and unhappy. Aversion is the desire of not want to have. It is one form of craving.

Either the pleasant state of mind or the unpleasant state of mind, both will generate craving and aversion that will cause the frustration and dissatisfaction to arise in the mind. We will fall into excitement and depression back and forth unceasingly.

We will be feeling restlessness, helplessness and meaninglessness. We think we have gone crazy or are having mood swing from good to bad and from bad to good, unceasingly. It is so tiring and depressing.

Both excitement and depression are not something bad. It is something very normal that is happening in every being who has a mind and the ego. It's just that when we don't know what is really happening, and are identified with the mind or the ego, we will being influenced by the states of the mind to react constantly, through thoughts, actions and speech, which will create other consequences that will bring continuous chain reaction of good and bad karma deriving from all our thoughts, actions and speech that are causing the cycle of birth and death (life existence to reap the existing accumulated karma) to take place, never ending.

If there's no attachment arise in the mind and there's no identification with the ego, the mind will be free from being controlled by the impermanent states of the mind, the egoistic likes and dislikes, the wants and don't wants, the craving and aversion, the good and bad feelings. The mind will be free from generating unnecessary egoistic reactions. All our actions are out of selflessness and compassion, not being influenced by the selfish egoistic wants and doesn't want. The selfless actions are free from the binding good and bad karma.

This is the way out from the cycle of emotional turbulence or suffering. Yoga and meditation can help us to know or understand the mind and learn how to not being attached to the modifications of the mind, or not being disturbed, affected and influenced by the activities in the mind.

Yoga and meditation are not separated. They are not different things. Yoga is meditation. Meditation is yoga. Without meditation, there is no yoga. Without yoga, there is no meditation.

Yoga and meditation is a purification process to thin out the ego and to eliminate impurities or ignorance. They are there to render the mind calm and still, and free from impurities, so that wisdom will arise. Wisdom will remove all the doubts and ignorance in us.

It is transcending the chain reaction of karma through purifying the impurities in the mind (thinning out the veil of ignorance) so that we can have a glimpse of the wisdom within us which will allow us to develop further essential qualities that will help to eventually be free from any attachment or identification towards the body and the mind, and towards the different qualities of all the different names and forms.
 

Essential qualities such like thoughtfulness, chastity, faith, self-control, self-independence, self-discipline, concentration, humility, simplicity, gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, generosity, openness, truthfulness, straightforwardness, patience, perseverance, determination, will-power, courage, positive thinking, cheerfulness, forgiveness, tolerance, forbearance, adjustment, acceptance, adaptation, accommodation, equanimity, loving kindness, non-discrimination, non-judging, non-comparing, non-competing, non-expecting, intention-less, and etc. Eventually all these divine qualities will lead us to non-attachment, fearlessness, worry-less, selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, purity, compassion and wisdom. This will eventually lead us to attain self-realization towards SELFLESSNESS, or NON-SEPARATENESS, or ONENESS, and be free from the suffering due to ignorance.

While purifying the impurities or ignorance in the mind through developing essential qualities, we also practice letting go of the craving and aversion of likes and dislikes. At the beginning, we might be over-powered by the strong desires in the mind of having craving and aversion towards the things that the ego likes and doesn't like. But as we develop stronger will-power, we can over-power the craving and aversion, and eventually be free from craving and aversion.

When the mind is free from craving and aversion, when we are able to observe the modifications of the mind as it is, being at the present moment from moment to moment, it will come to a state of calmness and stillness, neither elevated nor depressed. With this calmness and stillness of the mind, with the pure mind, we will see the truth of things and are able to accept the truth as it is, and let go, not attach onto any names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think (past memories, future imaginations and anticipations which create fear and worry, craving and aversion in us).

When the mind is clear, calm and still, it acts as a mirror for us to reflect on the selfless nature of the mind and to know Thyself.

The nature of the mind is beyond all the pleasant and unpleasant experiences, beyond all the happy and unhappy perceptions, beyond all the positive and negative energy, and beyond all the craving and aversion. It is beyond all states of the mind (agitation, depression and calmness), and are free from all the good and bad qualities of different names and forms.

When we say, "It is so difficult to let go of feelings and not attach to the mind." This is because there's strong identification identifying with the modifications of the mind.

When the mind is in happy state, we will think that we are happy and say, "I am happy."

When the mind is in unhappy state, we will think that we are unhappy and say, "I am unhappy."

But the truth is we are not the mind and the mind is not us, and it doesn't belong to us. It is not in our control towards how the mind wants to feel and wants to think. We can be observing or witnessing what the mind is experiencing at the present moment now. We know or are aware of how the mind feels and thinks, but we are not whatever that are happening/manifesting in the mind, and we don't have to be disturbed by whatever the mind feels and thinks (good or bad, positive or negative, pleasant or unpleasant, likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants).

Stop identifying with the modifications of the mind and rise above the ego. We will be free from all the happy and unhappy feelings, craving and aversion, and be at peace all the time.

 

The mind is not 'I'. There's no 'I'. All and everything are selfless/'I'less.

Be patient. Be persistent. Be persevere. Be kind to ourselves and others. Be forgiving and accommodating. Be cheerful and uplifting. Accept ourselves as we are at the present moment now. Keep practicing non-attachment and letting go until we attain self-realization. Never give up.

Be happy and be free.