The common worldly empowerment towards all kinds of personal and group attachment and identification

Renunciation and the observation of silence (Mauna), is the basic essential teaching, observation, and practice of yoga and/or buddhism,

- To renounce or let go all kinds of worldly egoistic personal and group physical/mental/emotional attachment and identification,

- To move away from the engagement in restless worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, practices, rituals, ways of living, aspirations, affairs, ties and connections, communications, activities, and interactions,

- To be restraining, minimizing, and cutting-off all kinds of worldly egoistic conscious/semi-conscious/unconscious boundless inputs and outputs completely or as much as possible, to practically and effectively purify and quiet the conditional restless egoistic impure modification of the mind physically/mentally/emotionally,

- To turn the common outgoing tendency of the mind inward, to withdraw the senses from the objects of the senses, to focus within,

- To develop self-introspection to know what is going on in the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence and function of the physical body that comes with the perceptive thinking mind under different states of consciousness, to know Thyself, that leads towards self-inquiry and self-realization towards the truth of everything, 

- To develop and empower and attain mental and emotional independence through non-grasping and letting go, not being determined by all kinds of duality, or the perception of sight, smell, taste, sensation, feeling/emotion, thought/idea/desire, remembrance towards this and that, wild imaginations, and dreams, or all kinds of experience/affair/ties and connection/relationship/interaction/condition/situation that are pleasant and unpleasant, agreeable and disagreeable, desirable and undesirable, or enjoyable and non-enjoyable or even painful.

- To change the conditional restless egoistic impure thinking and behavior pattern that is being conditioned by internal genetic inheritance and external conditions and ceaseless inputs that are being empowered by ceaseless outputs/reactions under the influence of ignorance, either consciously, or semi-consciously, or unconsciously,

- To annihilate the veil of ignorance that is naturally manifested or formed under the presence of the ego or the idea of 'I' (conscious and semi-conscious self awareness or self acknowledgement under the presence of conscious and semi-conscious awareness) that gives rise to the natural by-products of egoism of attachment/identification/craving and aversion/comparison/judgment/expectation which also feed and empower the idea of 'I', all kinds of impurities, and restlessness (restless modification/thought current/thought process/state of the mind a.k.a the veil of ignorance, where the veil of ignorance vanished upon silence or cessation of the restless egoistic impure modification of the mind, or upon the state of clarity), upon the activation of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional function/mechanism/modification of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional self-acknowledging thinking and acting mind under the different states of consciousness, that is existing and functioning being part of the many different components/systems/mechanisms of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional physical body, where all that is non-self, where the momentary finite existence and function of the mortal body and mind doesn't even belong to the body and mind itself, not to say, nothing belong to anyone or anything,

- To perform self-inquiry to be inquiring towards the truth of everything, particularly what is the 'I' that the mind perceives/thinks/believes/acknowledges/identifies as its own infinite permanent independent self existence as an immortal individual being/identity/consciousness/soul/spirit that is permanent and independent (that doesn't exist at all), that belongs to itself, that is residing in the mortal finite physical body, where the thinking mind thinks and believes and desires, "The body is mortal, impure, impermanent, limited, conditional, finite, and imperfect. I am immortal, pure, permanent, unlimited, infinite, and perfect,"

- To attain direct realization towards the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self,

- To realize unconditional peace,

- To have clarity of thinking and correct understanding (absolute knowledge or wisdom),

- To cease harming oneself and others and the surrounding environment (unconditional indiscriminate kindness),

- To perform selfless actions that are possible within one's ability and limitation, including certain existing worldly duties and responsibilities towards looking after oneself and others and the surrounding environment, that benefit oneself and others and the surrounding environment that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, out of compassion - the selfless indiscriminate power of creation/action/activity, that can be constructive or destructive, depending on the different states of mind under different intentions and understanding. All actions are selfless actions, regardless of whether conscious or unconscious, intentional or intentionless, constructive or destructive. Perform possible actions that are benefiting all and everyone and everything unconditionally and indiscriminately, without forcing, without grasping, devoid of the idea of 'I' and egoism, under the presence of conscious awareness.

All kinds of autonomous/absence of conscious freewill/involuntary ceaseless selfless physical and mental activities for life maintenance throughout the entire physical body where all the different bodily systems/components/mechanisms/each and every single individual cells/neutrons/protons/neurons/atoms are all selflessly performing their own respective duty/function as well as communicating and responding among one another throughout all states of consciousness, are all selfless actions and selfless actions performers, not to say, all that are happening devoid of the idea/thought/notion of 'I' (the ego) and egoism, that only exists selflessly, impermanently, limitedly, and conditionally in the restless egoistic impure modification of the mind upon the presence of conscious and semi-conscious awareness during the states of consciousness and semi-consciousness.

All these ceaseless selfless physical activities are being performed/operated by all these selfless different bodily systems/components/mechanisms/each and every single individual cells/neutrons/protons/neurons/atoms throughout the entire physical body and throughout all states of consciousness/semi-consciousness/unconsciousness, under the selfless support of the selfless supportive energy and elements, until they completely breakdown and ceased functioning/operating eventually, regardless of whether there is presence or absence of conscious awareness in the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind during the different states of consciousness/awake, semi-consciousness/semi-awake/semi-asleep/dreaming, and unconsciousness/deep sleep/coma.

Many minds that are operating/functioning consciously/semi-consciously during the state of consciousness/semi-consciousness are not aware of or are ignorant towards the function/modification of themselves are being over-powered by the existing conditional thinking and behavior pattern under the influence of genetic inherited condition, and even more so, the influence of external conditioning inputs/influences/adopted egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices, to reason/understand/judge/feel/desire/behave/act/react spontaneously in certain way, that impact oneself and others and the surrounding environment in certain way.

The momentary existence and function of the body and mind is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, however, under the selfless impermanent intentionless manifestation of the veil of ignorance that naturally manifests as it is upon the rise of the continuous stream of the idea/thought/notion of 'I' (the ego/self acknowledgement/the illusive existence of a permanent independent individual self) that also gives rise to egoism, that gives rise to all kinds of impurities (restless modification of the mind/the turbulent state of mind/the veil of ignorance/the absence of clarity), under the presence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness during the states of consciousness and semi-consciousness, the mind is naturally being ignorant towards the truth of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function of itself, that is non-self, that doesn't even belong to itself, that itself is merely a selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary continuous stream of idea/thought/notion that appears (birth/arising) under the presence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness and that disappears (death/passing away) under the absence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness, that manifests/changes under different shapes and qualities (selfless impermanent changes) between appearance (arising) and disappearance (passing away), that is being powered as well as over-powered by egoism and impurities, or restlessness, or ignorance, where the selfless impermanent limited and conditional thinking is wishfully thinking and believing and desiring itself is and/or has an all time, all perfect, all knowing, all pure, and all powerful infinite immortal permanent independent existence.

The yoga and buddhism teachings and practice is all about the annihilation of the veil of ignorance, that naturally enables the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind/the knower/the experiencer/the thinker/the action performer to know Thyself, that is nothing to do with trying to find out and reconnect with an original, ancient, all time, all pure, all perfect, and all powerful permanent independent infinite immortal individual identity/existence/consciousness of a real I/self, that many minds interpreted and referred as "who I really am", that doesn't exist at all.

While the all time infinite selfless attributeless changeless universal consciousness (that is unborn/non-manifested/beginningless and endless/causeless, that doesn't increase nor decrease, that isn't pure nor impure, that pervades all and everything within and without, that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, that enabling the selfless manifestation of all and everything to be what they are, as they are, governed under the nature's law of cause and effect, under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, where all and everything selflessly arising, changing, and passing away impermanently/limitedly/conditionally/momentarily upon the selfless universal consciousness, at particular cause and pace) doesn't have such identification with anything, not even, "I am the all time infinite selfless attributeless changeless universal consciousness."

That is why, the selfless mind that realizes this, is silent.

There is not even "I am THAT (that is infinite, immortal, permanent, unlimited, unconditional, all time, all pure, all knowledge, all powerful, all perfect, causeless, changeless, birthless and deathless, beginningless and endless existence)," or "I am selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, that is impure, finite, and mortal."

There is neither permanent I (the truth of selflessness) nor impermanent I (the absence of the selfless impermanent, limited, and conditional ego/idea/notion of 'I') existing to be identifying with something that doesn't exist.

There is no I existing to be identifying with something that is not I.

The selfless plant doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless plant." 

The selfless cell doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless cell."

The selfless element doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless element." 

The selfless infinite attributeless universal consciousness doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless infinite attributeless universal consciousness."

But under the influence of the veil of ignorance upon the rise of the continuous stream of the selfless idea/thought/notion of 'I', the selfless human minds think/believe/acknowledge/attach unto/identify themselves as, "I am this and that," or "I am not this and not that," under the presence of selfless conscious/semi-conscious awareness, that can only be existing and functioning momentarily under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements.

 

Meanwhile, the yoga and/or buddhism practitioner that encounters some obstacles or difficulties on the path of yoga and/or buddhism while observing renunciation and silence in solitude and seclusion away from the distractive worldly passionate egoistic impure ambitious restless minds (Kutsanga - ignorant company that empowers ignorance, that inflicts unnecessary problematic disturbance, affairs, situations, and conditions unto oneself and others), may seek the advice or guidance from Satsanga (wise company that empowers wisdom) if there is availability, where it is

- Not only about the coming in contact with the dispassionate minds that have either attained direct self realization towards the truth of Selflessness, Impermanence, Limitation, Conditional, and Non-self, that are resting upon unconditional peace, or the dispassionate minds that haven't yet attained direct realization towards the truth of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence of all kinds of names and forms, but have been established firmly in the basic essential observation and practice of dispassion and renunciation, solitude and seclusion, and silence, that have attained certain degrees of correct understanding and mental and emotional independence, that have intense yearning towards liberation from ignorance and suffering, that have immovable determination and perseverance on the path of self-inquiry and self-realization, that can guide the yoga and/or buddhism practitioner towards the direction of self-realization.

- But also, the coming in contact with or the engagement in beneficial uplifting inputs/conditions/influences/physical and mental activities, such as regular yoga asana and pranayama practice, energy consumption choices and regulation (that might be different for the different bodies under different conditions and different states of mind, depending on the current predominant energy field (Gunas) - Rajas/Tamas/Sattva), concentration and meditation practice, studying the uncontaminated genuine scriptures/teachings/dhamma, balance in between activity and inactivity/work and rest/eating and fasting/awake and asleep/physical and mental activity (the middle path), and etc, that are conducive and supportive towards the activation of the conscious mind evolution process, of changing/modifying/conquering the hard-wired conditional egoistic impure restless thinking and behavior pattern, towards the thinning-out and annihilation of the veil of ignorance, a.k.a. the idea of 'I' (the ego), egoism, impurities, restlessness, and all kinds of disturbance, or affliction, or violence deriving from all that, and not towards the empowerment and stimulation of all that.

- If wise company is not available, then Asanga (devoid of company - solitude and seclusion in silence, not reading, not studying, not looking out) is absolutely fine, and even better, as the mind has no choice but to turn inward for seeing/knowing the absolute knowledge that is always there, that will clear all doubts, or obstacles, or difficulties.

All these teachings and observation or practice appeared to be 'opposing', 'detrimental', and/or 'destructive' towards all kinds of worldly passionate restless egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, affairs, activities, ways of living, ways of conduct, connections, and relationships, and hence, it is common and normal that the worldly restless egoistic minds, including some yoga and buddhism enthusiasts/practitioners/teachers, don't like and don't agree with and have intense rejection and aversion against all these basic essential teachings and observation or practice of yoga and/or buddhism, that the passionate egoistic minds perceive/recognize/categorize as a form of destructive intimidation and threat towards the existence and empowerment of their particular passionate egoistic inherited/adopted/created traditional or non-traditional ideas, beliefs, values, practices, desires, aspirations, ambitions, and visions of building a relationship, or a family, or a community, or a world that they desire it to be.

Yoga and/or buddhism teachings and practices is not at all about building a world to be in certain way and not in certain way, even if it is about promoting peace and harmony in oneself that would also naturally contributing peace and harmony into the world. There is no control or expectation towards the others or the world of many diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, has to be in certain way or not in certain way, or it has to be all perfect, agreeable, desirable, peaceful, and harmony without any imperfection, disagreeable, undesirable, unrest, and disharmony. That is not the same as the many different minds/individuals/communities having different visions, or aspirations, or ambitions, to control/possess/influence/change/build a world that is in accordance to the different desires of the many different minds/individuals/communities under many different ideas, beliefs, values, practices, desires, aspirations, ambitions, and visions.

What is wholesome and unwholesome, or what is constructive and destructive, is different for the minds (most minds) that are being ignorant towards the veil of ignorance in oneself, that are functioning under the influence of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness, while wittingly and unwittingly empowering the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness in oneself and others, and the minds that are aware of the existence of the veil of ignorance in oneself, that are aware of the destructive and harmful side-effects of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness, and have intense yearning towards thinning-out and annihilating the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness in oneself, while initiate and promote such awareness to all the other minds in the surrounding environment, to also be free from the influence of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness out of their own conscious freewill and effort, to promote more peace and harmony among the many diversities in the world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, to have less minds that ceaselessly and ignorantly generating destructive hurtful and impactful behavior/action/reaction/activity that hurt oneself and others and the surrounding environment repetitively, out of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, either intentionally or unintentionally, wittingly or unwittingly, deliberately or randomly, consciously or unconsciously.

The empowerment of all kinds of egoistic attachment and identification towards all kinds of worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, practices, rituals, ways of living, aspirations, visions, affairs, ties and connections, communications, activities, and interactions, is being seen as a form of good and righteous or positive and meaningful thing/action/activity to be promoting patriotism, loyalty, prosperity, and higher quality of living (economic growth and wealth accumulation to attain easier and enjoyable living condition) by empowering all kinds of personal and communal/social/national/political/commercial/philosophical/cultural/spiritual/religious/traditional/non-traditional/new age attachments and identities, that gives rise to and empowers boundless desires/ambitions/aspirations/visions towards building a world that each and every different community/group desires differently, either to be achieving and possessing endless power of control and manipulation, achievements, possessions, and pleasurable enjoyments, or the complete opposite of that (extremism/dualism/the opposite of one another), for the many minds that are being conditioned to think and believe, evaluate and aspire in certain way and not in certain way, which only gives rise to momentary fleeting sense of satisfaction, goodness, righteousness, and meaningfulness for oneself and/or one's particular family and community under a particular way of thinking, belief, values, practices, desires, aspirations, and visions, selfishly and possessively, but then that would also gives rise to many unnecessary evitable destructive harmful side-effects that impact oneself and one's particular family and community, as well as all the others and everything in the surrounding environment for an extensive duration.

Under the influence of ignorance, some minds might argue that "Respect nature while not going against nature," is about allowing as well as empowering all kinds of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance to be there as they are, as ignorance is also part of nature, or a natural manifestation in all minds, and hence, none should be doing anything to be eliminating ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in oneself or in anything, even if they are the root cause of many destructive hurtful behaviors/actions/reactions/ideas/desires/affairs/ties and connections/activities that give rise to many unnecessary evitable painful suffering in the world of many diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything. It is like saying, one shouldn't do anything constructive and beneficial even if it is possible, in order to promote and improve over-all physical and mental well-being and better living condition while generate less evitable problematic affair, activity, interaction, relationship, condition, and situation in anyone or anything or anywhere, under the presence of correct understanding and absolute knowledge.

Many minds also argue that "To practice non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-expectation, silence, and respecting the nature's law of cause and effect, being undetermined and undisturbed by all kinds of unpleasantness, undesirableness, disagreeableness, and non-enjoyable painful suffering/conditions/situations/hardships/difficulties/ties and connections/relationships," is about needless to do anything (to learn, to know, to understand, to find solution, to improve, to be happy, to have peace, to have less evitable illness and injury, to avoid any kind of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, to avoid preventable accidents or direct impact from natural disasters, to seek available medical help if needed, and so on), just wake up, eat, drink, shit, pee, generate rubbish, procreate, sleep, and repeat, until the body rots and dies, where all and everyone should silently accept all kinds of ignorant violent hurtful bullying ill-treatments/behaviors from anyone, where none should be learning and improving about anything consciously.

Many minds would also think and believe that if all kinds ancient traditional ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices are not necessarily all true and beneficial, then naturally, any kind of non-traditional or new age ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices that are different from all those previous old ones must be well-improvised and more true and beneficial. Or, any non-traditional/new age/newer ideas, beliefs, values, and practices are inauthentic, and must be less good, or less efficient, or inferior than the ancient traditional or older ideas, beliefs, values, and practices, that are authentic, and are better, more efficient, and superior than any newer ones. Or, if one is older and has been accumulating more experiences than the others that are younger and has less experience than oneself, then the older one must be more wise and efficient than the younger one. Many minds would also relate and categorize the existence of yoga and buddhism as non-traditional/new age/newer ideas, beliefs, values, and practices to rebel towards or go against the ancient traditional older cultural/spiritual/religious ideas, beliefs, values, and practices. Many people also think and believe that the newest or latest inventions must be better or more efficient than the older inventions. But all these understanding are not necessarily correct.

Such is the thinking, reasoning, and understanding in the mind that is functioning under the influence of ignorance.

The yoga and/or buddhism teachings and practices is not about being different from, or going against, or being improvised from the ancient traditional ideas, beliefs, values, and practices.

It is about going beyond, or transcending, or not being conditioned by all kinds of ancient traditional egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, and practices as well as all kinds of non-traditional/new age/newer egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, and practices that were/are being created to go against or rebel towards the ancient traditional older ones, where both traditional and new age ideas, values, and practices are all the creations of the minds that are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance, that are ingrained in dualism and that feeds or empowers duality, that is what hinders the mind from knowing Thyself, to realize the existence and function of itself and all and everything that it perceives in this world of diverse names and forms, is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

Yoga and/or buddhism is not part of any worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/national/regional/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas and practices that were/are being created by the egoistic minds for their respective propaganda/agenda/purposes, but it is the direct realization by the conscious perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting minds and any minds from any era of any background and condition (that had/have been being conditioned by any ancient traditional or new non-traditional ideas/beliefs/values/practices to think and live life in certain ways or not in certain ways) towards the all time universal dhamma, a.k.a. the truth or the science of what things are, as they are, where all and everything are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, regardless of who, what, how, where, and when, regardless of what type of thinking and behavior pattern or state of mind.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Inquire towards the relationship between respect and discrimination

In the worldly egoistic human's cultural and social belief, values and practice under the influence of ignorance, respect is a form of discrimination towards who deserve or don't deserve respect and who deserve more or less respect from some others, based on the inheritance, lineage, family background, age, gender, sexual orientation, colour, shape, appearance, title, ranking, social status, financial status, position, level of education and certification/qualification, type of work, religion, ethnicity, nationality, behavior, achievement, contribution, and so on.

In nature, all and everyone exist as they are, without superiority or inferiority, without respect deserving or non-respect deserving.

All are existing and governing by the law of nature, of cause and effect.

All are selfless and impermanent.

All are subject to decay and the fundamental suffering of restless hunger and thirst, and selfless impermanent changes.

Regardless of educated or non-educated, majority of the human beings are being conditioned by the worldly cultural and social belief, values and practice influenced by ignorance that emphasized on giving and receiving discriminative respect towards all and everyone based on the different qualities of names and forms to judge all and everything as (more or less) respect deserving, or not, where there is discrimination of superiority and inferiority, and most people are looking forward to somehow be eligible to fit into the category of superiority, either being motivated by themselves, or their parents, or their friends, or their community, or their teachers, or their leaders, or their government body/authority.

Some countries even put it into their law of constitution where people would be prosecuted by law for 'disrespecting' something or someone that the people think and believe as 'higher or highest' respect deserving. People are living under fear towards 'the superiority', or 'the authority', or 'the leader', or 'someone on the top' that is being 'acknowledged' with the 'status of superiority' or 'status of power' by themselves and/or the people, where in certain countries, people who are 'involving' in running the government body, who hold certain 'position' or 'title', would think and believe that they somehow deserve higher respect than anyone else by social cultural belief and practice, and 'by law'.

While within the community, people would think and believe that those who are higher educated deserve higher respect than anyone else, and people who have higher title/class/social status/financial status deserve higher respect than anyone else. Most parents would teach and motivate their children to do their very best to attain the eligibility to fit into the superior status, to gain respect or higher respect from some others who are inferior or less superior than them.

Those who want to practice and realize yoga, must free their minds from such thinking, belief, values and practice. Under the influence of ignorance, quite many yoga practitioners or enthusiasts are still very much being conditioned by such worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, even if they have been doing some kind of yoga practice regularly for many years, where they still think and believe that 'someone' or 'something' deserves upmost respect or higher respect than the others, and would be disturbed, offended or insulted if someone 'failed' to show 'deserving (higher or upmost) respect' towards that 'someone' or 'something'.

Under the law of nature, there's neither 'respect' nor 'non-respect', there's neither 'respect deserving' nor 'non-respect deserving'. If we want to show respect, we respect all and everyone the same regardless of the different qualities of names and forms, free from being conditioned by the worldly thinking and belief towards what is 'good or bad', 'right or wrong', 'deserving or don't deserving', respecting all and everyone possessing different qualities of names and forms as they are, and all are impermanent.

The thinking and belief of 'who and what' deserve or don't deserve respect and 'who and what' deserve more or less respect from some others, is like the invalid non-existing judgment of 'who and what' deserve or don't deserve to be subject to selfless impermanent changes, decay and disintegration under the law of nature.

The ignorance in the world would eventually leading the world of civilization towards the ridiculousness of "Who is allowed or disallowed to breathe, to think, to believe, to feel, to laugh, to cry, to speak, to see, to sneeze, to fart, to shit, to love, to be kind, and so on, under the law of constitutions of certain countries" run by human beings under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Inquire towards culture

Culture is a name and form represents human beings particular way of thinking, conduct and living under a particular belief, values and practice. Everyone has their own particular personal culture along with a family or community culture that one attaching onto and identifying with. Even if someone intentionally not following or practicing any particular family or community culture in the world, one is still thinking, behaving, doing things and living life in one's own way of one's particular personal culture.

Just like all kinds of impermanent names and forms, culture is just what it is. It serves a purpose for most people in this world of impermanence to live life and do things in certain way, dealing with desirable and undesirable events and experiences. It's neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong. Although some people might be disturbed or offended by some other people's particular culture, or be offended by how other people perceive and react towards one's particular culture that is not perceiving and reacting in the way that one would like it to be.

For many people, life appears to be more meaningful and less depressing if they live life according to their specific culture.

Most cultures involve certain celebrations/ceremonies and have certain ritual practices. There is particular type of food consumption for everyday life and particularly in certain ceremonies, following a particular way of gathering, storing, preparing, cooking, serving and eating food. It can turn into a form of OCD if people overly attached onto a particular way of doing things and living (a form of ritual relates to appropriateness/disappropriateness and auspiciousness/inauspiciousness), where people would feel disturbed or unrest if for some reasons they are unable to follow or accomplish every details of their particular cultural practice. There are many do(s) and don't(s) in everyday life, particularly during particular celebration, ceremony, or funeral.

Some people don't need to celebrate any kinds of celebrations and don't need to have any ritual practice, or don't need to have specific type of funeral arrangement after death. That itself is a form of culture of their own.

Intentional simplicity or minimalism, is also a form of culture. Spontaneously allowing everything to be what they are, without intention to be simple or not simple, without any superstitious belief and ritual practice is also a form of culture of its own.

Some cultures might create more inconvenience and restriction in life for oneself and/or others, while some cultures provide more easiness and freedom in life for everyone.

Some people are proud of their inherited culture, while some people want to runaway from their inherited culture. Some cultures advocate discrimination and violent abusive treatment towards certain gender, sexual orientation, skin tone, body shape, facial features, behavior, way of life, way of doing things, body or mental limitation/disability, or even bodily functions such as women's menstruation, and etc.

The many different types of culture in the world were being gradually developed under the influence of certain areas, climates, ethnicities, beliefs, values and practices, that influence people's way of thinking, conduct and living, is something common and a necessity for the majority of the worldly society. While some people live life as it is, do what is possible and let go what is impossible in the present moment that is subject to impermanent changes of the condition and situation in life, without has to be following any particular culture/ritual of particular thinking, belief, values and practice.

For many people, their particular family and community culture that set as a guideline for them and their future generations to think, do things, behave and live life in certain way is something very important for them, where they want to maintain and strengthen the connection and support among one another within the family or community via empowering their particular culture. Keeping their specific culture alive and strong for as long as possible, is part of the human's nature of survival instinct, as well as 'the urge to control everything to be in certain way according to my desire'.

Cultures are subject to impermanent changes and extinction, and are constantly evolving influenced by the present changes in the world, particularly due to the exposure of education and science that debunks many types of superstitious beliefs and practices, but also due to the existence of political authoritarianism in certain countries that advocates protection towards self-interest and control via discrimination, interference and oppression.

While certain cultures would still retain certain values and practices from the very beginning of its forming, even though certain values and practices might be irrelevant or ridiculous under the knowledge of science, but somehow, the minds might find certain comfort in those values and practices.

The survival of any existing culture needs the support and engagement of a group of people as many as possible. Without people supporting, practicing or propagating a particular belief, values and practice, that particular culture will disappear or doesn't exist.

Someone might live life in one's own way that might be distinctive from all the others, then that specific way of living will be gone upon the end of this person's life. Or, maybe some others who happen to know this person's specific way of living, and they would like to learn and adopt this person's specific way of living, then this particular culture of a specific way of living might go on, or even expanding, and could be evolving into some other forms of culture.

Certain cultures are eventually disappearing from the world when less and less people following, practicing and propagating a particular culture. Certain cultures are being manipulated into something different from its origin. Meanwhile, mix cultures or new cultures will constantly cropping up in the world. Some last longer, while some last for a short while. Some cultures were gone for some time, but are being revived by certain people.

Certain people welcoming certain new cultures or mix cultures, while certain people don't like the idea of mix cultures or new cultures that they think is a form of threat or contamination towards their particular culture, where they have fear towards the extinction of their own particular culture as well as fear towards the threat or contamination from other existing cultures or any new cultures that they feel are intimidating the existence and authenticity of their particular cultural belief, values and practice.

Something that needs to be maintained, that is impermanent, that will change, is considered 'unreal' under the teachings of Yoga and Buddhism.

In certain society, without following any particular cultural belief, values and practice that they know, is unthinkable or unlivable for them.

Most people want their own particular culture to be preserved and be respected by all the others. People would feel very disturbed or offended if their culture is under what they think is a threat, or what they think is being disrespected or insulted by some others, either intentionally or unintentionally.

As yoga practitioners, we respect everyone's different cultures without interference. Understanding that everyone has their own freedom to follow or adopt any kinds of culture that they want to follow and practice, that guides them to live life or do things in a particular way that make them feel most comfortable.

Yoga practitioners also can follow and practice a particular culture that they inherited, or adopted, or invented, but without attachment and identification with that particular culture.

Any forms of culture is just a way of living and doing things in life, it's not who or what 'I' am.

Only through non-attachment and non-identification towards any particular culture, belief, values and practice, the mind can be open to inquire the truth of everything, including one's particular culture. Being free from egoistic pride and protectiveness, the mind is undisturbed by all the impermanent changes in the world, as well as how others perceive or react towards one's particular culture of particular way of living and doing things.

Just like having its influence in everything else in this world, commercialism has its strong influence in all kinds of different cultures, promoting or even inventing all kinds of cultural celebrations, festivals and ceremonies that highly supporting the world of commercialism, creating 'jobs' and 'business' for different people, or under the name of supporting and empowering 'The Economy'.

Living under certain cultures and in certain countries can be so stressful. It's like someone needs to be skillfully walking on eggs all the time, where one has to be very careful not to do or say many things that are being perceived as offensive towards certain culture, or it's an offense towards the law and orders of the country.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

The world doesn't belong to anyone

Everyone think and say that they love the world.

People love the world so much that everyone want to 'control' and 'protect' the world to be in certain way that they think it's the best way, according to their particular likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, based on their particular social/cultural/religious/spiritual/political/commercial thinking, belief, values and practice.

Different groups of people representing different types of nationality/ethnicity/culture/religion/spirituality/politic/commercial are fighting and hurting one another to 'control' and 'protect' the world to be the way that each group wants it to be.

People think they love the world so much, and hence, they need to protect the world, but it's not.

People just want to possess and control the world to be theirs, to be the way that they desire it to be.

The world doesn't belong to anyone.

The world is selfless, impermanent and non-discriminative.

Nature will provide sufficient needs for all and everything existing in the world, even if it's just ceaseless momentary existence coming and going.

Unfortunately, the world is occupied by such human beings that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, who think they love the world very much and they need to be doing something to 'protect' the world, but they are hurting the world, out of selfish desire, boundless greed and survival instinct, but they claim it's love and protection towards the world.

It's the same in the body and the mind.

The body and the mind doesn't belong to anyone, but there's an idea of 'I' claims ownership over the body and mind, and thinks that 'I' love my body and my mind, and 'I' need to do something to 'control' and 'protect' my body and my mind to be in certain way, that 'I' think and desire how it should be.

It's the same in human relationships with each other.

People think and say that they love some others and their relationships with some others, and they need to do something to 'control' and 'protect' those whom they love and their relationships, so that everyone and everything will be good the way that they think how it should be.

It's the same in a country.

The government and the politicians say that they love the citizen and their country, and they need to do something to 'control' and 'protect' the citizen and the country.

It's the same in religion and spirituality.

The religion and spirituality people say that they love their religion and spirituality, and their believers and followers, and they need to do something to 'control' and 'protect' their religion and spirituality, and their believers and followers.

It's the same in any ethnicity and culture.

It's the same in any family, group, society and community.

Human beings just keep hurting all and everything in the world, out of what they think is 'love'.

This 'love' is not about loving the object of love unconditionally and non-discriminatively as it is, but it's loving one's desire towards all and everything should be in certain way that one likes, wants and agrees with.

Don't love the world.

The world doesn't need to be loved.

Don't love anyone and anything, if we would hurt everyone and everything that we think we love very much.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, and be free.

How to break free from fear towards letting go certain thinking and belief?

There's no comment/judgment towards any thinking and belief as true or untrue. Learn to see things as they are. Need not judging or categorizing everything into 'this' or 'that'. Everything is just what it is. Neither good nor bad. Neither right nor wrong. All are impermanent and selfless. Whatever being perceived through the mind in this worldly life existence of names and forms, are all subject to impermanence and selflessness, including all kinds of thinking, beliefs, values and practices.

All kinds of thinking and belief existing for their own reason, for the minds that are under the influence of egoism and impurities to hang onto, to have a sense of direction, while navigating their way in the worldly life existence that is subject to uncertainty, impermanence and selflessness.

It's all about whether the mind is free from egoistic attachment and identification, or not. It's not about which thinking and belief is true or untrue, or which is truer and better than all the others.

Asians are bound by Asian cultural thinking and belief, but are not being bound by the western cultural thinking and belief to live life and behave in certain way. Westerners are bound by the western cultural thinking and belief, but are not being bound by the Asian cultural thinking and belief to live life and behave in certain way. Though both can respect each other's different ways of life and behavior due to the influence of different cultural thinking and belief.

The mind took up and attached onto Christianity or Hinduism thinking and belief and practice, and identifying itself as a 'Christian' or 'Hindu', or as a 'follower' of 'Christianity' or 'Hinduism'. Christians are bound by Christianity thinking and belief and practice, but are not being bound by the Hinduism thinking and belief and practice. Hindus are bound by Hinduism thinking and belief and practice, but are not being bound by Christianity thinking and belief and practice.

Christians have no fear of 'not following' Hinduism thinking and belief and practice at all, but there's fear of 'unfollow' Christianity thinking and belief and practice, fear of sin and punishment and 'The hell for (bad) Christians'. Hindus have no fear of 'not following' Christianity thinking and belief and practice at all, but there's fear of 'unfollow' Hinduism thinking and belief and practice, fear of sin and punishment and 'The hell for (bad) Hindus'. Though both can respect each other's different way of thinking and belief and practice, and their respective 'Hell for their (bad) followers'.

Without taking up or without attachment and identification towards any particular thinking and belief and practice, there's no binding by any thinking and belief and practice, and there's no need of 'unfollow' any thinking and belief and practice, as there's no particular thinking and belief and practice that need to be 'unfollowed'. What is fear of 'unfollow' any thinking and belief and practice?

Those who were never being exposed to or never picked up any particular thinking and belief and practice, or those who have no attachment and identification towards any particular thinking and belief and practice are not being bound by any particular thinking and belief and practice, to live life and behave in certain way. The notion of 'unfollowing' or 'letting go' or 'abandoning' certain thinking and belief and practice doesn't exist at all. Though one can respect all the others with their particular thinking and belief and practice, to live life and behave in certain way, as most egoistic minds/people need to hang onto certain thinking and belief to have a sense of direction in life, but it's unnecessarily for the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism.