Selflessness vs egolessness, or the absence of the idea of 'I'

Selflessness - There is no infinite immortal permanent independent individual self existence of 'I' existing in all kinds of names and forms, regardless of sentient and non-sentient living organisms or non-living objects

Egolessness - The absence of the idea of 'I', or 'I'lessness in the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting minds that are selfless

The ego, is merely a selfless idea or thought of 'I', or the non-self, impermanent, limited, and conditional existence of an illusive self identity/self acknowledgement under the idea of 'I' in the form of thinking/thought/idea, existing in the selfless modification of the mind under the presence of the selfless consciousness/awareness, where the selfless mind awareness is being aware of the selfless mind stuff, that gives rise to a self acknowledgement/self identity, acknowledging and identifying with the selfless existence and function of a selfless physical structure that comes with a selfless mechanism of a selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty (the selfless mind stuff), that is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, as 'I', or 'me', or 'my self'.

 

One doesn't become selfless. All are selfless.

All selfless minds can be functioning under the presence or absence of the ego, or the idea of 'I', and hence, the selfless mind can be egoistic (the presence of 'I'-ness and mine-ness) or non-egoistic (the absence of 'I'-ness and mine-ness).

The selfless mind that is egoistic, as it is functioning under the influence of the presence of the idea of 'I', can eliminate the idea of 'I', or be free from the ego, where the selfless egoistic mind can evolve/transform consciously from egoistic to become non-egoistic or egoless by eliminating the idea of 'I' and egoism.

The idea of 'I' only exists in the selfless modification of the selfless thinking faculty under the presence of the selfless conscious mind awareness, it doesn't exist in all kinds of autonomous selfless bodily components/systems/mechanisms/functions/activities that are selflessly working/functioning/inter-supporting one another ceaselessly to maintain the selfless life existence of the selfless body and mind, even under the absence of conscious mind awareness to be aware of all that.

The entire yoga/buddhism/meditation practice is all about silencing the restless mind stuff, a.k.a. the annihilation of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, restlessness, or the veil of ignorance. Upon the absence of the veil of ignorance, all and everything that the mind perceives will appear to the mind and be known by the mind, as they are, as it is.

There is nothing spiritual or mystical or supernatural about the practices and the outcome of the practices of yoga/buddhism/meditation of silencing the restless mind stuff, or the attainment of direct self realization towards the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self. It appears to be something spiritual/mystical/supernatural when the mind is still functioning under the veil of ignorance under the influence of all kinds of worldly passionate egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, desires, and practices.

In selflessness, there is no permanent independent infinite immortal I existing in anything or anyone to be eliminated or need to be liberated from suffering or limitation, as it doesn't exist at all. There is no existence of an individual existence of I that can be hurt and limited by anything, or to be liberated from anything.

In egolessness, there is the annihilation/absence of the idea of 'I' in the mind, where there is the existence of an idea of 'I' that can be and need to be eliminated from the selfless modification of the mind. The ego (the thinking that attached and identified with the selfless, impermanent, limited, and conditional life existence/function/mechanism of a mortal body and mind) can be hurt and limited, that need to be liberated from suffering or limitation.

Selflessness, is the truth of all and everything, where there is not a permanent independent infinite immortal individual self existence or self identity (the infinite immortal existence of I) existing in the momentary mortal existence and function of all kinds of impermanent, limited, and conditional names and forms that are Non-self, that don't belong to anyone or anything, that don't even belong to the names and forms themselves,

is different from 

Egolessness, the absence of a finite, impermanent, limited, and conditional existence of the ego (the finite fleeting idea of 'I') in the selfless modification of the mind, that is not the selfless body, not the selfless mind, not the selfless consciousness, not any of the selfless elements, not the selfless energy, and so on, that is merely part of the selfless thinking, or selfless thought activities, or selfless mind stuff that ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away in the selfless modification of the mind as what it is, under the selfless manifestation of countless impermanent non-independent finite fleeting ideas/thoughts of 'I' that don't even belong to each idea/thought of 'I' itself, that appears to be the seemingly ONE same continuous self identity/self acknowledgement that ONLY exists in the form of a continuous stream of ceaseless thoughts/ideas/thinking being perceived and validated by the selfless thinking and acting faculty of the selfless physical body under the presence of consciousness/awareness,

where there is the selfless conscious awareness in the selfless thinking and acting faculty being aware of a continuous stream of countless thoughts/ideas of 'I', of self acknowledgement manifesting under different impermanent forms, or qualities, or conditions, ceaselessly arising (birth), changing (impermanence), and passing away (death) under the different impermanent states/modifications of mind (manifesting/undergoing/changing/transitioning/arising and passing away in different realms/states of mind that are impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self that is all happening within the mind) in NOW, that is powered and sustained by the availability of the selfless support of the selfless energy and all kinds of selfless elements (limited, conditional, and non-self),

that gives rise to and fed by egoism, of the endless accumulation of multiple egoistic attachments and identifications towards family ties and connections and relationships, duties and responsibilities, possessions and belongings, learning, knowledge, understanding, skills, interests, belief/disbelief, values, practices, comparisons, judgments, and expectations, agreements and disagreements, likes and dislikes, desires and don't desires, pleasant and unpleasant experiences and interactions, and all kinds of actions/reactions/sensations/feelings/emotions/consequences of actions and reactions, that give rise to all kinds of impurities and restlessness, that empowers the veil of ignorance,

where all that are existing and can only be possible under the selfless existence and function of memory and memory storage for the selfless thinking faculty to be remembering/recollecting all that, being part of the different selfless functions/mechanisms of the thinking faculty and the restless mind stuff/modifications of the mind/thought activities that are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self,

that cannot or doesn't exist if without the selfless support of the selfless energy and the many different kinds of selfless elements/systems/components that all work together and inter-supporting one another to be forming and enabling the momentary impermanent limited and conditional existence and function of all kinds of names and forms to be what they are, as they are, ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away upon the selfless universal consciousness that pervades the infinite space that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, that doesn't even belong to the all pervading selfless universal consciousness.

Out of ignorance, the continuous stream of countless thoughts/ideas of 'I', or the ego, that can only exist in NOW in the form of thinking in the selfless modification of the selfless mind, that doesn't exist before and after NOW, identifies itself with the selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function of the selfless body and mind that doesn't even belong to the selfless body and mind itself as 'I', as well as claims possession/ownership towards the selfless body and mind that doesn't belong to anyone or anything as 'mine', as 'my body' and 'my mind', as well as claim possession towards all and everything that don't belong to anyone or anything as 'my energy', 'my thinking', 'my belief', 'my values', 'my feelings', 'my emotions', 'my life existence', 'my knowledge', 'my intellect', 'my memory', 'my desires', 'my effort', 'my fruit of effort', 'my ancestors', 'my family', 'my relationship', 'my community', 'my birth place', 'my land', 'my space', 'my country', 'my culture', 'my spirituality', 'my purpose and contribution', 'my abilities and disabilities', 'my qualifications and experiences', 'my achievement and accomplishment', 'my pride', 'my regrets', 'my shame', 'my good', 'my bad', 'my illness', 'my injury', 'my death', and so on.

Under the influence of the idea of 'I' and egoism in the modification of the mind, the selfless impermanent limited and conditional perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty that is conscious/aware of this and that, and remembers/recollects towards this and that under the selfless function/mechanism of the memory and memory storage proudly identifies itself as, "I am the body and mind. The body and mind is I," and also claims possession/ownership towards, "The body and mind belongs to I. The body and mind is mine," as well as under the sense of belonging, "I belong to this family, this culture, this spirituality, this belief, this community, this country, this land, and this space," as well as claims possession/ownership towards, "All these belong to I. These are my family, my culture, my spirituality, my belief, my community, my country, my land, and my space."

Where in truth, none and nothing belong to anyone or anything, and vice versa.

If without the availability of the selfless support from the selfless energy and the different selfless elements that work together and inter-supporting one another that enables and sustains the selfless manifestation of the selfless existence and function of all the countless different selfless cells/atoms/neurons/neutrons/protons that all work together and inter-supporting one another that enables and sustains the different selfless existences/functions/mechanisms/systems/components of the selfless body and mind that all work together and inter-supporting one another to be existing and functioning as what they are, and if without the selfless universal consciousness that enabling the mind to be conscious/aware of this and that, to be consciously perceiving, experiencing, knowing, learning, and remembering this and that, what are all those mind stuff, of thinking, self acknowledgement, perceptions, experiences, intelligence, knowledge, feelings, emotions, attachments, identifications, desires, possessions, and the sense of belonging/ownership towards all those names and forms?

 

All are selfless, where there is no infinite I in all and everything (sentient and non-sentient/conscious and unconscious living organisms or non-living objects), while there is only the finite illusive ego, or the impermanent fleeting idea of 'I', or 'self identity', or 'self acknowledgement' in the form of thinking/thought/idea, that ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away in the selfless impermanent limited and conditional modification of the mind that is existing and functioning selflessly and impermanently under the different selfless functions/mechanisms of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty of the selfless impermanent physical structure of the sentient conscious living organisms.

All are selfless, however, the selfless minds can be functioning under the presence or the absence of the ego, or the idea of 'I', that is impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, that gives rise to and fed by egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, that give rise to and fed by all kinds of impurities, qualities, and dualities, that give rise to and fed by restlessness of restless thought activities/thought current that manifesting the different realms/states of mind, that give rise to and fed by ignorance, that gives rise to and fed by the ego, or the idea of 'I' - The seemingly infinite loop of a chain of the veil of ignorance (endless restlessness, or impurities, or ideas of 'I', or contamination, or corruption) that hinders the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting conscious mind to perceive/know/see all and everything, of all kinds of names and forms, of the objects of awareness/perception/knowing/the senses, as they are.

 

Ignorance is merely part of the selfless natural manifestations that are impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self of the selfless impermanent mind stuff manifesting in the selfless impermanent restless modification of the mind, that is powered and supported by the selfless energy and the many different selfless elements/systems/components that enabling the selfless existence and function of all and everything to be what they are.

Ignorance is neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong, even if it brings along many by-products that bring along many unnecessary hurtful destructive consequences or evitable suffering unto the selfless mind itself and other minds and the surrounding environment.

The good news is that, like all and everything in this world of selfless impermanent names and forms that are limited, conditional, and non-self, ignorance is also impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

It is not infinite.

It is not permanent. 

It doesn't stay unchanged.

It doesn't belong to the selfless impermanent limited and conditional mind stuff, even if it exists because of the mind stuff, or it comes from the selfless mind stuff, or it is part of the selfless mind stuff.

Without the restless mind stuff, there is no ignorance.

Ignorance can be weakened, thinned-out, and even be eliminated completely, if persisted under great determination and perseverance, under correct attitude and method.

Ignorance didn't and doesn't come from 'Initial sin', or 'Initial downfall', or 'The boundless and endless bad karma accumulated from countless previous different life existences/forms' as many minds would believe and propagate in such way.

The moment the selfless mind stuff is being activated in the selfless physical structure upon coming into a selfless existence and function as what it is, or upon the beginning of thinking, or thought process, or thought activities that exist being part of the selfless manifestations deriving from the selfless mechanisms of the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty under the presence of selfless consciousness/awareness, the veil of ignorance manifests as it is, naturally, where there is the natural manifestation of an illusive self identity or self acknowledgement of the idea of 'I', that gives rise to and fed by egoism, that gives rise to and fed by all kinds of desires and impurities, that empowers and powered by restlessness or restless thought activities, that gives rise to the veil of ignorance, that hinders the mind to perceive/see/know/reason/understand all and everything as they are, that also empowers the illusive existence of a 'permanent individual self existence that doesn't exist' under the presence of the idea of 'I' that ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away (Ceaseless births and deaths of countless ideas of 'I' manifesting one after another under different forms, or qualities, or conditions, transitioning in different realms/states of mind in NOW, within the selfless impermanent restless modification of the mind), that keeps empowering egoism and impurities and restlessness, that keeps empowering ignorance, that keeps empowering the idea of 'I', in a seemingly beginningless and endless infinite loop.

Upon the annihilation of the idea of 'I', upon Silence of the selfless mind stuff or thought activities, who or what is undergoing "Ceaseless and endless wheel of births and deaths, or the infinite loop of endless reincarnations, to be reincarnating into ceaseless and countless past/present/future life existences under different forms/qualities/conditions transitioning in different realms or spheres in accordance to the past accumulated boundless 'good/bad/neither good nor bad/both good and bad' karma"?

Upon the annihilation of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind may or may not make good use of the selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self momentary worldly life existence of a selfless body and mind, to be benefiting all and everyone, unconditionally and indiscriminately, under the absence of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, under the presence of clarity, or peace, or wisdom, or correct understanding.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Attain direct self realization towards the truth of everything.

"Annihilate the restless mind stuff. Silent the restless thought current. Purify. Meditate. Inquire. Realize. The endless loop of the wheel of ceaseless births and deaths ceased existing and the world of manifestation doesn't exist in STILLNESS/SILENCE." - The teachings from all gurus and buddhas

Do not blind-believe, blind-follow, blind-agree/disagree, blind-practice, blind-propagate, blind-glorify, blind-admire anyone or anything, including all kinds of yoga and buddhism teachings and practice, coming from anyone and anywhere, including all that is here.

May all be free, be happy, be peaceful.

Selflessness - Being free from the ego (the idea of I) and egoism

The ego is the product of ignorance in the impure mind where there is an idea of 'I' exists as an individual being with certain qualities of names and forms, such like, personal worldly identity and status, personality and characteristic, thinking and belief, physical condition and appearance, gender and sexual orientation, physical and mental ability and achievement, interest and talent, knowledge and memory, aspiration and inspiration, actions and the result of actions, family and relatives, relationships and possessions, social network and interaction, and all that the mind thinks and believes and identifies as 'This is me or I'.

Selflessness is nothing to do with non-existence, as some people might 'interpret' it as non-existence. It's beyond existence and non-existence. When people 'misinterpret' selflessness as non-existence, they might perform actions that would hurt themselves and others by thinking and believing that there won't be any consequences of actions, and so, they think they can do whatever they like and want.

There is no 'I' to be existing or non-existing. There is no 'I' to be selfish or unselfish. There is no 'I' enjoy or suffer. There is no 'I' being happy or unhappy. There is no 'I' being good or bad. There is no 'I' as this or that. It's just the mind functioning and perceiving names and forms through the senses. But due to ignorance, there is an idea of 'I' arise in the mind, that ceaselessly generates attachment and identification towards the impermanent quality of names and forms, and it judges and compares, intends and expects, acts and reacts, likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees, desires and doesn't desire, creates and destroys, enjoys and suffers, aspires and inspires, being proud or humble, being happy and unhappy, feeling meaningful and meaningless, and etc.

The mind that is being free from the ego or egoism is a selfless mind or liberated mind. The entire yoga practice is MAINLY about freeing the mind from the ego or egoism to realize or attain selflessness, which is the nature of life existence. There is no ego in each individual cell in the body, or in the different life supporting systems, organs and glands, or in the sense organs and the senses, or in the oxygen, nutrients, minerals, water and energy that allowing the body and the mind to be existing and functioning, but, this ego that exists as an idea in the mind thinking that 'I' am the most important and the highest above all. "I want my body to be like this and be able to do that. I want my mind to be like this and achieve that. I want my life to be like this and accomplish that, and so on." This ego is full of desires waiting to be fulfilled, and constantly pushing, forcing and hurting the body and the mind in order to gratify all its desires via the body and the mind. When its desires are not being gratified, or there's some obstacles hindering the process of gratifying all its desires, the ego gets offended, humiliated, insulted, dissatisfied, disappointed, angry, hurt, unhappy, depressed, or suffer. And out of these impurities, the ego performs actions or inactions that would hurt the body and the mind, and/or other beings or objects.

Yoga practice is not about being able to perform this or that asana, or pose, or position, or movement, to gain health, beauty and fitness benefits, but it's to train or purify the mind to eventually drop-off this idea of 'I', through annihilate egoism and the by-products of egoism of all sorts of impurities. When the mind is free from the idea of 'I' and 'mine-ness', there's only pure awareness being in the present, being aware of all the perceptions of names and forms through the senses, and all the impermanent changes, functions and activities of the body and the mind, being free from desires of craving and aversion, selfish intention, expectation, attachment and identification.

There's no 'I' being the performer of actions or the receiver of the fruit of actions. There's no 'I' being the thinker or believer. There's no 'I' being compassionate or uncompassionate. There's no 'I' being ignorant or wise. There's no 'I' being limited or unlimited. There's no 'I' being free or not free. There's no 'I' believe or disbelieve in God. There's no 'I' am sinful or sinless.

There's neither past nor the future. There's neither good nor evil. There's neither positive nor negative. There's neither happiness nor unhappiness. There's neither enjoyment nor suffering. There's neither vegetarian nor non-vegetarian. There's neither yogi nor non-yogi.

Be free.

Who am I?

The self-inquiry of "WHO AM I?" is the main teaching and practice of yoga and Buddhism.

Some people might interpret it as about finding the true 'I', or the original 'I', with a permanent identity of a specific quality or state of being/consciousness. They understand it as about remembering or reconnecting with or going back to a true or original identity of who they really are. For example, if there is a man who was a happy person with good behavior when he was younger, but now he is unhappy and behaves badly, people who know him would say, "You have changed. This is not who you really are. Your true self/original nature is happy and has good behavior."

People think this is what "find out who we really are" is about, that there is a true self/original identity with a particular quality (that we prefer, that we think is better), but we have changed or have lost that original quality or have forgotten our root/true self/original identity, and we think that the inquiry of "WHO AM I?" means to find out or remember our root/original identity and to regain or reconnect with that identity.

For those who believe in the soul, they take the "soul" to be the real 'I'. "I am the soul. The soul is immortal. I am immortal. The soul is purity. I am purity."

Under the influence of ignorance and egoism, most people want their identity (whom or what they think is who they are) to be associated or identified with some qualities of names and forms that their minds believe as 'pure', 'superior', 'good', 'not bad', 'right', 'positive', 'strong', 'honorable', or 'acceptable' in their belief, or culture, or religion, or society, and people don't want their identity to be associated or identified with some qualities of names and forms that their minds believe as 'impure', 'inferior', 'bad', 'not good', 'wrong', 'negative', 'weak', 'dishonorable', or 'unacceptable' in their belief, or culture, or religion, or society.

In yoga and Buddhism, the inquiry of "WHO AM I?" is about realizing the truth of selflessness or 'I'-lessness or egolessness. That there is no 'I' existing as an immortal/mortal being or permanent/impermanent being. There is no 'I' to be identifying with any quality of name and form with an immortal/mortal identity or permanent/impermanent identity of "This is I" or "This is the true I" or "This is the immortal I" or "This is the permanent I" or "This is the pure I". There's neither true nor false identity. There is neither permanent nor impermanent identity. There is neither pure nor impure I. There is neither "I am suffering" nor "I am free from suffering". It's not even "I am nothingness" or "I don't exist". There is no 'I' to be this or not this. There is no 'I' to be existing or non-existing.

 

There is absolute difference between the thinking mind thinking about itself doesn't exist - (I don't exist) and the non-existence of a permanent individual identity of what the thinking mind identifies as itself - ("I" doesn't exist).

For example, someone from an Indian family with Hinduism background who was born and grew up in England is an English citizen and somehow not practicing Hinduism, those who know this person would tell this person, "Don't forget who you really are, your native country, your original culture, your true religion and your people. You are an Indian and you are a Hindu, and Indians are your real family. Any others who are not Indian are not your people or family. When other people attack India, Indians and Hindus, they are attacking you. You must stand up to protect your country, your culture, your religion and your people or family." But in truth, this person is neither 'Indian' nor 'English' or 'non-Indian', neither 'Hindu' nor 'non-Hindu'.

Some says, "We all are human beings and one same family disregards all the different backgrounds and qualities of names and forms." But, even this is not "who I really am". There's neither 'human beings' nor 'non-human beings', neither 'one family' nor 'many different families'.

It's just the mind functioning under the influence of ignorance that generates the idea of 'I' or ego of the existence of an identity which attaches to certain qualities of names and forms to be existing. The mind perceives and recognizes different qualities of names and forms, and experiences different states and takes different forms due to attachment and reaction towards all the perceptions of names and forms. When there's attachment and desires arise in the mind, the mind experiences suffering when these desires are not gratified. The mind that experiences suffering wishes to be free from suffering. The mind finds a way or path to be free from the cause of suffering. If the mind realizes the truth, being free from ignorance and egoism (the cause of suffering), and that brings to the end of suffering. The mind forms and deforms (births and deaths) countlessly in different states or names and forms, ceaselessly, and all states or names and forms arising and passing away impermanently, endlessly. In one moment, the mind is calmed, loving, contented and peaceful. In another moment, the mind is disturbed, unloving, discontented and restless. But there is no 'I'. There's no 'I' am good or bad. There's no 'I' am happy or unhappy. There's no 'I' enjoy or suffer.

People might also interpret selflessness as a quality or a state of unselfishness.

In yoga and Buddhism, selflessness is beyond the quality or the state of unselfishness. There is no 'I' am being selfish or unselfish.

Go beyond the idea of 'I'. Go beyond all the qualities of names and forms. Go beyond mortality and immortality. Go beyond existence and non-existence.

Due to ignorance and egoism, people try very hard to search for a 'true/original identity' to be identified as 'who I am' or 'This is who I really am', but they won't find it no matter how, because there's no 'I' to be identified with a particular identity as 'who I am'. Upon the realization of selflessness/I-lessness/egolessness, the mind realized the truth of 'who I am' and be free from all sorts of restlessness and suffering derived from ignorance and egoism.

Contemplate on this, and be free.

Let go all the worldly identifications that built on impermanent qualities of names and forms

Let go all the worldly identifications that built on impermanent qualities of names and forms.

Knowledge, nationality, society, community, tribe, gender, sexual orientation, race, skin colour, personality, characteristic, family background, culture, spirituality, religion, education, language, title, relationship, life condition, health condition, fitness level, appearance, feature, shape and size, thinking and belief and practices, physical and mental state, physical and mental abilities and disabilities, physical and mental transition and limitation, creativity and ideas, talents and skills, interests and habits, social interactions and activities, worldly and spiritual achievements, possessions, actions and inactions, and so on.

Inquire the truth of what or who we think is 'I'.

Realize selflessness/egolessness/'I'lessness.

There is no 'I' to be identifying with any qualities of names and forms as 'I'.

It's merely impermanent changes of countless arising and passing away of names and forms, from moment to moment.

Be free. Be peaceful.

There's no 'I' existing to be identifying with any impermanent qualities of names and forms

"There's no 'I' existing to be identifying with any impermanent qualities of names and forms."

Contemplate on this and realize selflessness, and be free.

Upon the realization of selflessness, all kinds of dualities, separateness, discrimination, loneliness, longing and fear, vanish.

All kinds of unhappiness and miseries arise due to false identification(s) with impermanent qualities of names and forms to be existing as an individual being which the mind thinks and believes, "This is I" and "This is not I."

Whenever the mind thinks, "This is me", "This is not me", or "T want to be me, the one that is who I really am", know that even what the mind think what is 'I' and what is 'not I', are not who 'I' am.

There is no 'I' existing to be identifying with any qualities of names and forms as 'This is I' or 'This is not I."

Be free.

Be free, we don't need to be someone important to be happy and peaceful...

The one who needs to be and feel 'I' am someone important, and keeps looking forward to possess certain qualities of name and form to be attached onto and to be identified as who we are, to be better and greater, to feel meaningful and happy about oneself or one's existence, is the ego.

The ego wants to be recognized, acknowledged and remembered as somebody 'important' or 'great'. Some egos want to be recognized and remembered as bad and evil. As long as we attach onto either good or bad qualities to be who we are, we are not free.

Be free from the ego. We don't need to be important or great, whether in good or bad qualities, to be who we are. It's knowing how to love and accept the impermanent body and mind as they are, without expecting ourselves to be identified as somebody whom we are not, that makes everything meaningful. It's not about 'I' want to be important, or 'I' want to do something great, or 'I' want to feel meaningful, or 'I' want my existence to be meaningful. We do our best by making use of the present condition and ability of the physical body and the thinking mind, to serve oneself and others, but without identification with all the qualities of name and form that we have or don't have, without attachment towards the impermanent condition and ability of the body and mind, what the body and mind can do and can't do, and all the past and present actions and inactions.

One can be free from the ego and still performing lots of beneficial actions in the world, for oneself and others, without identification of 'I' am good, or important, or great, without attachment towards 'I' am performing good, or important, or great actions. Without the desire or intention of 'I' want to serve humanity, or 'I' want to feel good and happy and meaningful.

Be free.

Selflessness and selfless service is not the same as self-sacrifice

Selflessness and perform selfless service is the main part of yoga practice. It's about performing action without egoism. There is no ego or 'I', and hence, there's no attachment or identification with the actions and the fruit of actions. Selflessness and selfless service is not about self-sacrifice. It's not about sacrifice 'myself' to put other beings before 'I'. They are two different things.

One can be performing many actions including yoga practice, rituals and self-sacrificed actions, but one isn't practicing yoga if one doesn't know what is performing action without egoism.

Be free from the idea of 'I' sacrifice 'myself' to put other beings and their benefits in front of 'I' and 'my benefits'. But there's no 'I' or 'my benefits' to be sacrificed for other beings. There's no separation. There's no this being and other beings. Be kind to others is being kind to oneself, and be kind to oneself is being kind to others.

There's no sacrifice.

Om shanti.

Feel disturbed for being mistreated?

If people want to be unhappy and upset when they think they are being mistreated, let them be. It's their freedom to feel how they want to feel.

Most minds are being conditioned to have expectation. They expect to be treated in certain ways and not to be treated in certain ways. They expect all beings should and shouldn't behave in certain ways, based on what they believe as the good way and the bad way, the right way and the wrong way.

Prideful mind thinks "I deserved to be treated like this, and I don't deserve to be treated like that" and feels disturbed for being 'mistreated' the way that it thinks it shouldn't be treated.

Low-esteem mind also thinks "I deserved to be treated like this, and I don't deserve to be treated like that" and feels disturbed for being 'mistreated' the way that it thinks it shouldn't be treated.

Ego-less mind lets everything and everyone to be what they are. There's no 'I' being treated nicely or badly, rightly or wrongly. There's neither 'deserve' nor 'don't deserve'. There's no right treatment or mistreatment, but only different types of treatments. There's no pride or low-esteem coming from attachment or identification with any qualities of name and form to expect to be treated or not treated in certain ways.

Go beyond all the attachment and identification with any qualities of name and form, and be free.

We are happy and peaceful as we are, regardless what types of treatment we receive from everyone. It's their freedom. But we are not determined by other people's freedom of thinking, action and speech to be happy and peaceful, or not.

If we expect other people should or shouldn't be treating us in certain ways, we will be very disappointed when we are not being treated the way that we think it should be. We are disappointed by our own expectation, it's not because other people didn't treat us nicely or rightly. We are not happy is because we are not getting the things that we like and want, or the way that we like it to be, and we are getting something that we don't like and don't want.

Even when someone gives us something that we like and want, but, not the way that we like it to be, we will not be satisfied or happy.

Om shanti.

Eliminate egoism by starving the ego, or stop feeding the ego...

As yoga practitioners, we have to remind ourselves from time to time that the yoga practice is about the annihilation of egoism.

Elimination of egoism is through starving the ego, or stop feeding the ego.

If we look at our thoughts, actions and speech in everyday life, most of them are feeding the ego.

Although we are doing some yoga practice from time to time, and convince ourselves and others that we love yoga, and we like to practice and do yoga everyday, but we don't really practice yoga if we didn't work on the elimination of egoism, but instead, in everyday life, we are empowering the ego whether intentionally or unintentionally.

It is the ego that has lots of desires of craving and aversion towards what it wants and doesn't want. Craving for qualities of name and form that our mind perceives as good, pleasant, happiness, positive and meaningfulness. Aversion towards qualities of name and form that our mind perceives as bad, unpleasant, unhappiness, negative and meaninglessness.

It is the ego that likes or loves something, even if it's something really good and right. If we truly practice yoga and meditation, there's no 'I' being here to like or love something that our mind perceives as good and right, even if it's yoga and meditation practice, or the fruit of yoga and meditation practice.

It is the ego that dislikes or hates something, even if it's something really bad and wrong. If we truly practice yoga and meditation, there's no 'I' being here to dislike or hate something that our mind perceives as bad and wrong.

It's the ego that feels good or bad, happy or unhappy, positive or negative, excited or depressed, peaceful or not peaceful, meaningful or meaningless, and so on.

It's the ego that generates likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements towards what the mind experiences through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body/skin and thinking.

It's the ego that generates attachment, identification, craving and aversion towards the qualities of name and form to be 'I', and what 'I' think is 'my' and 'mine'.

The one who wants and doesn't want to feel in certain ways, is the ego.

The one who judges, compares and expects, is the ego.

The one who admires or condemns, is the ego.

The one who feels confident and proud, or feels not confident and shameful about 'I' as somebody with or without certain qualities, abilities and achievements, is the ego.

The one who feels sad, or depressed, or angry, or hate, or jealous, or fear, or worry, or lonely, or unhappy, or neglected, or ignored, or unattended, or unloved, or embarrassed, or humiliated, or hurt, or betrayed, or insulted, or disrespected, or guilt, or regret, or dissatisfied, or disappointed, or meaningless, and the opposite of all these feelings, is the ego.

The one who is longing for approval, support, liking, companionship, association, acknowledgement, agreement, compliment, praise, appreciation, gratefulness, thankfulness from within and without, is the ego.

The one who is ambitious, who have dreams, or not, is the ego.

The one who wants to create or destroy, is the ego.

The one who wants to love or doesn't want to love, is the ego.

The ego is fed and strengthened by gratifying all its desires of wants and doesn't wants. 

Starve and eliminate the ego by free the mind from attachment, identification, desires, craving, aversion, and all the modifications of egoism.

Realize selflessness, or egolessness, or 'I'-lessness.

There is no 'I' being here to want to love or doesn't want to love.

There's no 'I' being here to hurt, or be hurt.

There's no 'I' being here to heal, or be healed.

There's no 'I' being here to be positive or negative, to be happy or unhappy, to be good or bad.

There is no 'I' being here being not free, or being free.

Om shanti.

Beyond all the thinking and feelings, action and inaction, there's no 'I', 'my', or 'mine'...

Beyond all the thinking and feelings, action and inaction

Whether it's positive or negative thinking and feelings
Whether it's good or bad thinking and feelings
Whether it's happy or unhappy thinking and feelings
Whether it's clear or confuse thinking and feelings

Beyond kind or evil, right or wrong action and inaction

There is no 'I', 'my', or 'mine'

Allow the mind to perceive all the names and forms as they are, and allow the names and forms to be what they are

There's no attachment or identification with any names and forms as 'I', 'my', or 'mine'
There's no desires, clinging, longing, craving, or aversion
There's no dissatisfaction and disappointment
There's no feelings of hurt or painful sorrow
There's no anger and hatred
There's no fear and worry

Be free

If our yoga and meditation practice doesn't bring the mind closer to peace but the opposite, constantly be disturbed, be affected, be influenced, or be determined by all the qualities of name and form of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, and thinking/memory/imagination due to the reactions of the mind towards its craving and aversion towards what it likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with, wants and doesn't wants, then let go of what we have been practicing, and start practicing again based on the basic teachings of yoga and meditation about 'I'-lessness or egolessness, or the self inquiry towards "who am 'I'/what is 'I'?", or impermanence, limitation, conditional, non-self, and selflessness.

Om shanti.

Criticism?

If what others say or criticize about us is true, why are we unhappy?

If what others say or criticize about us is not true, then we shouldn't be unhappy at all.

And so, either what others say about us is true or not true, there's no reason for us to be unhappy.

It is just a reaction coming from the egoism if the mind feels unhappy about something, it's all because it is something that the ego doesn't like, doesn't want, and doesn't agree with.

A well-trained mind free from egoism will not react the same.

Be happy.

Know what we really really want, and be free...

It doesn't matter who and what we think we are, or what we want ourselves to be, we can call ourselves 'this' or 'that', and tell ourselves and other people what type of life we want, or we can tell different things about ourselves to different people, it doesn't mean that 'this' is who we are. Only ourselves will know what is going on in our mind, and what the ego really wants to do or what it truly desires. And we can give in to the ego and let the ego leads this life existence based on its desires and craving. Or, we can be determined to develop non-attachment and self-control, and be free from being influenced or over-powered by the ego and its endless desires. There's neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong. It is about what we (the egoistic thinking mind) really want for ourselves, for this life existence. Be happy.

When we feel unhappy, troubled or depressed being disturbed by some "problems", or when there is some "difficult" decisions that we need to make, this is because we don't know what we really want, and we have fear towards taking the responsibility towards our decisions and actions, and the consequences of our decisions and actions.

 

Before we get what we think we want, and after we got what we think we want, we are still not satisfied, not happy, and have doubts, because we don't know what we really want.

It doesn't matter how we identify ourselves with certain names and forms of particular specie, gender, sexual orientation, family background, social group, race, nationality, culture, thinking, belief, religion, education, social status, appearance, living condition, life style, personality, characteristic, behavior, financial status, possession, relationship, and etc, it makes no difference when we are ignorant towards the truth of who/what is this "I" that we think is who we are, and we attach strongly onto all these impermanent qualities to be who we are, where all these different qualities of names and forms, are subject to selfless impermanent changes. And ignorance doesn't stop at the point where we identify ourselves with all these qualities to be who we are, but this life existence that built on confidence, self-esteem, self-worth, happiness and meaningfulness are also being determined by all these qualities.

For example, we are being determined by the impermanent conditions and abilities of the physical body and the mind with certain qualities of names and forms to feel good and confident about ourselves, or we are being determined by other people's judgment towards ourselves to feel good and confident about ourselves, or we are being determined by other people's liking, friendship, support, agreement, acknowledgment, affirmation and social interaction to feel good and meaningful about life and ourselves, or we being are determined by how intelligent or how attractive we are to feel confident about ourselves, or we are being determined by whether we are able to do what we like to do, and not doing anything that we don't like to do, to feel happy, or not. And so on.

There's nothing wrong with all these worldly identification, thinking and behavior coming from the ego and egoism. But we are not free, being disturbed and affected by the impermanent changes of qualities of names and forms to feel meaningful, happy and confident, or not. And this will affect our relationship with our own self and with others. As whether we will like and accept ourselves or not, and whether we will be satisfied in a single intimate relationship or not, is being affected and determined by the forever dissatisfaction towards ourselves, due to the endless craving towards possessing the qualities that we would like to be identifying with, but these qualities are not available to us in the present moment, and even after we possessed certain qualities that we want to be identifying with, they are impermanent and will change and disappear.

When we practice yoga and meditation, we are letting go of all these attachment and identification towards impermanent qualities of names and forms.

The entire life existence is free from being determined by all these impermanent qualities of names and forms to be meaningful, happy and confident, or not.

When egoism and ignorance vanished, there's no "I" existing. There's no "I" being there that needs to be identified as 'somebody' with certain qualities of names and forms, to feel good or confident about oneself, or "I". The mind is peaceful as it is, because it is no longer being determined by any qualities of names and forms that is impermanent, that is not in the control of "I", that is ever dissatisfying, that is not what it is.

Be free.

Om shanti.

Let go of I, my, mine...

Let go of all these identifications and qualities of I, my and mine,

I am good.

I perform my good actions.

I'll receive my good rewards in return.

I am a yoga teacher.

I am teaching yoga to my yoga students.

My yoga students will be benefited from my teachings.

This is my body.

My body is healthy and strong.

My body will stay healthy and strong.

This is my family.

My family is good and happy.

My family will stay good and happy.

In the kitchen,

In my garden, I collect my vegetables, and then back in my kitchen of my house, I use my hand to cut my vegetables with my knife on my chopping board, and put them into my pot, mix them with my salt and pepper, and my favorite olive oil and my homegrown organic herbs, and stir them with my spatula, and put them into my oven. I hope my guests will enjoy eating my cooking.

In truth, none of these things belong to me, they belong to their own cause and effect, belong to the elements that formed them to be what they are. They are subject to impermanence. They will change and disappear at their own cause. They are not mine, and I don't even exist.

Be free.

Om shanti.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contemplate on this :-

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

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

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

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

Nope.

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

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

There's no good or bad karma.

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

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

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

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

Be free.

Om shanti.

Worldly knowledge doesn't guarantee peace and compassion, wisdom will...

If worldly knowledge can guarantee us peace and compassion, then all the knowledgeable people on this planet will be peaceful and compassionate. But, it's not necessarily.

It doesn't matter who we think we are, or we think we know about the scientific facts about this and that, or how much knowledge that we attain from reading books and hearing from other people's research and their personal experience, it still doesn't guarantee us peace and compassion, be free from suffering and unhappiness that derived from ignorance, egoism, attachment, and impurities.

Or else, all the geniuses, scientists, mathematicians, doctors, lawyers, psychologists, physiologists, teachers, historians, geographers, engineers, economists, artists, architects, social activists, social workers, philosophers, yoga teachers, religious teachers, environmentalists, ecologists, or any fields that we think we expertise in, will be free from suffering of ignorance, hunger, thirst, changes, old age, decay, sickness, weakness, injuries, pain, death, separation from things and people that we like, come in contact with the things and people that we don't like, anger, hatred, jealousy, fear, worry, doubts, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, agitation, depression, feelings of hurts, pride, arrogance, animosity, offensiveness, defensiveness, insult, humiliation, craving and aversion, and so on.

The stronger we attached to the egoism and qualities of names and forms, the more we think we are smarter or better than other beings, and the more suffering and unhappy we will be, as we will get very impatient, dissatisfied, disappointed, frustrated, irritated, or angry with other beings whom we think and believe as less smart and less good than us.

Same as, being vegetarian or non-vegetarian, or what we eat and don't eat, also doesn't guarantee peace and compassion. Nor does being a yogi, a yoga teacher, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Christian or any names and forms that we identify ourselves with, will guarantee peace and compassion. Nor does a healthy, fit, strong and flexible physical body will guarantee peace and compassion.

As long as we attach to the egoism and all the qualities of names and forms to be who we are; We think we are good and compassionate people; We think we do many good actions; We think we don't do any bad actions (not intentionally); We attach to our actions and the result, or the fruit of our actions; We expect the world will be the way that we like it to be, or how we think it should be; We expect other people also will be as good as us; We expect cooperation and support from other human beings on this planet to make the world a better place; Then our minds won't be able to be at peace, nor are we compassionate beings as what we think we are.

Unless, our minds are free from ignorance, egoism, attachment and impurities through our personal direct realization of the truth. Being aware of the reality as it is, and able to allow the reality to be what it is, not necessary the way that we like it to be, or the way that we think it should be, based on what our minds believe what things are.

We can do our best. Make good use of the knowledge and talents that we have to be serving ourselves and others, contributing our service to the world, but be free from egoism, identification and attachment towards our actions and renounce the fruit of actions. This will allow us to have peace in oneself, and be truly compassionate towards all beings, including oneself.

Om shanti.

Selflessness?

Upon the realization of there is no "I", or selflessness in all and everything (on top of the absence of the idea of 'I' and egoism in the mind), there is no identification with any qualities of names and forms, to be proud of or ashamed of, to feel meaningful or meaningless, to be happy or unhappy. There is no fear towards uncertainty, impermanent changes, separation from the things and people whom we love, come in contact with the objects and happenings that our minds believe as "not good", old age, weakness, sickness, death, and etc...

Om shanti.

Letting go of attachment towards the thinking and beliefs in the mind...

It is not important whether the thinking and beliefs in our minds is true or not true. Or whether other people's thinking and beliefs that is different from our thinking and beliefs, is true or not true. We don't have to attach to any thinking and beliefs to be somebody with certain qualities of names and forms which we think that is who we are.

As the Truth is nothing to do with what type of thinking and beliefs in the mind. The Truth is always there as it is, whether we can see it or not. We see the Truth when the mind is free from attachment towards the qualities of names and forms, and is not influenced by dualism and egoism. We can't see the Truth when the mind is attaching towards the qualities of names and forms, and our thinking and beliefs is being influenced by dualism and egoism.

It is about letting go of attachment towards what our minds or other people's minds think and believe what things are. Allow all the different thinking and beliefs to be existing as they are, without clinging onto any of them to be who we are.

Allow the mind to be opened, to allow all the different thinking and beliefs to be what they are, allow everyone to have different thinking and beliefs from one another, without generate attachment of craving and aversion towards certain type of thinking and beliefs that our minds like and dislike, agree and disagree with.

This will lead to non-judgment, non-comparison and non-expectation. Not comparing ours and others thinking and beliefs that are different from one another. Nor judging other people's thinking and beliefs that are different from us as good or bad. Nor expect other people to change their thinking and beliefs that our minds dislike and disagree with into what our minds like and can agree with.

This is part of the purification process to free the mind from dualism and egoism which is the cause of separateness and afflictions.

Once we realize the Truth, we don't have to play the worldly game of egoism that attached to qualities of names and forms to be who we are, and be free.

Om shanti.

All paths lead to liberation when egoism and ignorance is eliminated...

Whether it is Karma Yoga, or Bhakti Yoga, or Jnana Yoga, or Raja Yoga, or any other forms of Yoga, or any types of practice, as long as it leads to the elimination of egoism and ignorance, it will lead to liberation...

Om shanti.

Yoga and world peace...

Yoga exists in the world is for the sake of world peace, as world peace has to start with individual peace and liberation in all beings.

This liberation is not about only come in contact with what we like and want, and not coming in contact with anything that we don't like and don't want. It's also nothing to do with the freedom of expression, movement, thinking, action and speech in the world. It's the liberation from egoism and ignorance.

The world is just being what it is, it is neither peaceful nor not peaceful. It is "us", who we think we are, that are responsible for generating all sorts of impure thoughts, actions and speech through the function of the body and mind, whether intentionally and unintentionally upon oneself and into the world, and thus the world appears as not peaceful. 

 

Impure thoughts, actions and speech are being generated into the world is because our impure minds are not at peace due to egoism and ignorance, where there is attachment towards the qualities of names and forms, and ceaseless reaction being generated towards names and forms that the mind likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with. And thus, the mind is constantly under the influence of impurities such like anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, pride, arrogance, intolerance, animosity, offensiveness, defensiveness, craving, aversion, fear and worry, to act and react.

We cannot make the world peaceful, but with everyone attaining certain degrees of purity and peace in oneself, it will manifest more peace and less unrest into the world.

Yoga practice if being practiced sincerely and persistently with correct attitude can allow beings (whether we think we, or other beings are good or evil) to purify the mind, to allow the mind to be free from ignorance and egoism, to transcend birth and death, or the suffering of restless and selfless impermanent changes, by realizing the truth of its own true nature, or realizing the truth of the worldly identification of "I", which doesn't exist at all.

The existence of yoga, its teachings and practice in the world doesn't guarantee peace or liberation to anyone. Just by hearing, reading, memorizing, studying and discussing about yoga, its teachings and practice, also doesn't bring peace and liberation to anyone.

We have to practically practice yoga by applying the teachings of yoga which is eliminating the egoism from our minds in every moment in everyday life, where the perception of names and forms begins, or whenever the mind comes in contact with the objects of names and forms, and having the awareness to stand as a witness towards all these activities in the mind, training the mind not to attach and not to identify with all these perceptions of names and forms, to allow the mind to be free from restlessness, being unaffected, undisturbed, uninfluenced and undetermined by all these perceptions of names and forms, and thus allowing the mind to be able to perceive the truth of everything as it is, not being influenced or contaminated by impurities and ignorance. If the mind is still under the influence of egoism and ignorance, then whatever the mind perceives through the senses will be contaminated by impurities that derived from egoism and ignorance. This hinders the mind to perceive or realize the truth of things as they are.

It is through our own effort and realization of the truth by letting go of egoism and ignorance (the attachment towards the qualities of names and forms) that will bring peace and liberation to the mind.

There is no "I" existing, nor "I am" experiencing happiness or suffering.

It is just the body and mind existing, functioning, perceiving, acting and reacting.

If "I" exists, then "I" should be the master of "myself" (who "I" think "I am"), as well as being the master of this body and mind which allows "I" to be experiencing all these names and forms. They should belong to "I", and they should be in my control on how "I" want them to be. But, this body and this mind is not in the control of "I" at all, as they don't belong to "I" who "I" think "I am existing". Every moment this body and mind is subject to selflessness and impermanence, changing and reacting selflessly, unceasingly. The existence and the function of the body and mind is solely dependent on energy and elements of fire, water, wind, earth and space to be existing and functioning. Without all these supports, there is no life, there is no body, there is no mind, there is no thinking. There's no perception of names and forms, no thinking, no acting and reacting. The "I", or the mind, that perceives, thinks, feels, acts and reacts, is just part of the thinking process of the selfless impermanent function of the mind. There is no existence of who "I" think "I am".

This "I" whom "I" think is existing as who "I" am, who is somebody or an individual that has an identity equipped with certain qualities of names and forms, personality, nationality, ethnicity, culture, gender, age, thinking, beliefs and behavior, who perceives "I" is an individual who is different and separated from other beings, who is either superior or inferior than other beings, who "I" think "I" am the one that thinks, feels, expresses, acts and reacts, enjoys and suffers, is just the mind being functioning powered by energy and elements, influenced by the nature's law of cause and effect, governed by the truth of impermanence and selflessness.

This body and mind will stop functioning and stop existing at its own causation, time and space. "I" who "I" think "I am existing" has no control at all towards the existence and non-existence of this body and mind. As even when the mind "decides" to "kill" itself, and the body stops functioning, that is also the causation for the body and mind to be stop existing according to cause and effect. "I", who think "I am existing", who should be "the master of myself and my body and mind", doesn't have anything to do with this causation for both the existence and non-existence (Or birth and death) of this body and mind.

Practice yoga, not just about getting some physical, mental and emotional benefits for the body and mind from performing the yoga practice, but practice the means of yoga about transcending egoism and ignorance. When the mind is free from egoism and ignorance, and is at peace, there is less a being contributing unrest or unpeacefulness into the world. That is a huge contribution to world peace.

Just by attaining some physical, mental and emotional benefits from regular yoga practice, feeling good about oneself by achieving the qualities that the mind likes and not coming in contact with the qualities that the mind doesn't like, doesn't guarantee peace and liberation for the mind, to be free from suffering that derived from egoism and ignorance.

For example, when we think we are happy because our physical body is having certain qualities that we like, and we will be unhappy when our body is having certain qualities that we don't like, then we don't really know how to love ourselves, as when we are over-powered by intense "love" towards the qualities of this physical body, we actually love our self-image that built on the identification with the qualities of the physical body, but we don't really love our physical body as it is. It's because if we have the desire of "aspiring" to have certain good condition and good looking physical body the way that we like it to be, and we have aversion towards certain qualities or conditions of the physical body that we don't like, we would be doing more harm to the body, as this desire of craving and aversion will generate unnecessary tension into the body system, or even worst, if we feed the body with some unnatural "stuffs" internally and externally, and straining the body by performing some over-loading physical activities, to achieve certain results that we want, or trying to make the physical condition and appearance to be the way that we like it to be.

If our mind is being influenced by egoism and ignorance, and has strong attachment and identification towards its own perceptions, points of view, thinking and beliefs, it will constantly react with dissatisfaction, disappointment, fear, anger and resentment towards names and forms that it doesn't like and disagrees with, based on its own perceptions, points of view, thinking and beliefs.

By reacting towards what our minds believe as "bad" and "evil" happenings in the world with anger and hatred, and act/react out of anger and hatred, cannot make the world to become peaceful, but will only generating more reactions of anger and hatred in the world. Unconditional love or selfless compassion is the means for world peace, by having peace in oneself when we realize selfless compassion, which is the true nature of all living beings and non-living objects.

 

The essence of 'impermanent existence of selfless names and forms' is compassion. Without compassion, nothing exist.

Discrimination of the real and the unreal (the presence of wisdom, or knowing the truth as it is, or the absence of ignorance) brings non-discrimination towards the different qualities of names and forms of what our minds believe and judge as "good and bad", "positive and negative", "happiness and suffering", "right and wrong", "meaningful and meaningless". Compassion is the nature of everything, but it's ignorant to the mind due to the veil of ignorance. It will be unveiled upon the realization of non-duality, non-separateness, attributelessness, namelessness, formlessness. And this is liberation, being free from attachment, identification and the desire of craving and aversion towards what the minds believe and judge as "good and bad", "positive and negative", "happiness and suffering", "right and wrong", "meaningful and meaningless", upon the realization of Selflessness or Compassion.

Om shanti.

A story of egoism, possessiveness, pride, authority, sacredness, language

Language is originally existing as a convenient tool for communication. We should have just leave it as simple as that.

But our ego is always greedy for authority. It takes up a particular language that it hears, learns it, speaks it, becomes familiar with it and calls it "my language", and takes pride in that language.

And then the ego has this idea and belief that no one should insult "my language" as "my language" is something sacred, and it's only entitled for sacred people like me to speak it. "My language" cannot be polluted or contaminated by some other languages that are not as sacred as "my language".

The ego identifies with this language as who "I" am. If anyone insults "my language" is insulting "I". And thus "I" get very upset and angry if anyone tries to insult or pollute "my language". Those who are not sacred beings like me, they cannot speak in "my language" as this will be polluting "my language"...

And then this ego has this idea that other languages are not as sacred as "my language". "My language" is the one and only sacred language in the world. "I" should only speak "my language" and no other languages, as by speaking those languages will contaminate my sacredness...

In the end, the ego believes itself is the most sacred being in the world and allows no one but itself to speak this language. The ego also doesn't want to speak other languages that it believes as not sacred. And thus verbal communication comes to an end for this proud ego with other people. This language has lost its simple purpose to serve as a convenient tool for communication.

In the beginning, nothing belongs to anyone. Everything exists for the convenience of everyone to be existing in this form, until the moment we start to take possession of any names and forms that we experience in this life existence and possess it as ours, such like "my body", "my mind", "my thinking", "my feelings", "my ideas", "my creations", "my achievements", "my belongings", "my family", "my parents", "my children", "my friends", "my partner", "my lover", "my pets", "my country", "my health", "my strength", "my religion", "my culture", "my race", "my ancestor", "my language", "my pride", "my contribution", "my Guru", "my school", "my yoga", "my teachers", "my students", "my reputation", or anything that we think it's coming from "I" and it's "mine", we create inconvenience, restlessness, afflictions, offensiveness, defensiveness, unhappiness, disharmony, anger, hatred, fear and worry for ourselves and others.

End of story.

Om shanti.