When the mind is lost and doesn't know what to think or do

In this present moment

Either standing, or sitting, or lying down, or being in any position that is comfortable

Closing the eyes gently

Staying still for a few moments

It's okay, if the body needs to move and change position

Focus on the space below the nostrils above the upper lip

Be aware of the breathing

Be aware of the air coming in and going out

The air coming in is slightly cold

The air coming out is slightly warm

The mind might wander away

It's okay

Gently bring the mind back onto the breath

No matter how many times the mind wanders away

Gently bring the mind back onto the breath

If the breath is slow, let it be slow

If the breath is fast, let it be fast

If the breath stops coming and going, let it be

Allowing the breath to be what it is

Allowing the mind to be what it is

No judgment

No expectation

It's okay, if the mind is lost in this present moment

It's okay, if the mind doesn't know what to think or do in this present moment

All and everything are impermanent

The breath is impermanent

The calmed or disturbed state of mind is impermanent

The comfortable and uncomfortable sensations are impermanent

The positive or negative thinking is impermanent

The pleasant or unpleasant feelings and emotions are impermanent

The good and bad experiences are impermanent

No clinging towards what is here, that is pleasant and agreeable

No aversion towards something that is here, that is unpleasant and disagreeable

No craving towards something that is not here

Even this, is impermanent.

Be free from fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity through understanding

Just like all the other kind of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity are selfless and impermanent.

All kinds of impurities or thought activities are not 'I', and they are impermanent.

All kinds of impurities or thought activities are just what they are. They are neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, and neither right nor wrong, especially if there is certain degrees of self-awareness, correct understanding, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation in the thinking mind, where the mind is aware of all these impurities or thought activities (regardless of whether they are pleasant or unpleasant/desirable or undesirable) arising, changing, and passing away in the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation towards all kinds of impurities or thought activities that are selfless and impermanent.

Such minds have self-control of not being over-powered by any kinds of impurities/feelings/emotions/ideas (thought activities) that ceaselessly coming and going in the mind, and not generating any actions/reactions/speech/expression under the influence of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind that are selfless and impermanent, that would hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment.

It is only when the mind is functioning under the veil of ignorance and egoism, where the mind doesn't know what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, and hence, the mind is being determined and over-powered by all kinds of impurities or thought activities, and would generate actions/reactions/speech/expression under the influence of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, that might hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment.

Like all kinds of impurities/feelings/emotions/ideas (thought activities) in the mind, the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity in the modification of the mind is something normal and common in most minds. However, if without correct understanding, self-awareness, and self-control, the mind will be over-whelmed and over-powered by the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, that gives rise to all kinds of unnecessary unrest, violence, and cruelty in the world of diversity that doesn't belong to anyone, that is related to selfishness, pride, possessiveness, hoarding, greed, separateness, discrimination, anger, hatred, offensiveness, defensiveness, and so on.

Many minds would think and believe that by acquiring and possessing success and wealth will chase away fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, but it doesn't.

If without correct understanding, even the wealthiest and most successful or powerful people in the world are also being over-powered by fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, being the slaves of all kinds of impurities. Those that are free from fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, they are devoid of discontentment and greed, and they wouldn't be hoarding wealth that gives them the status of wealthiness, that they don't need at all, even if they are highly successful and capable of generating abundant wealth, but they would be using their generated wealth to benefit all the others. However, most minds in the world are not in having such understanding. That's why the world is being what it is, full of all kinds of unnecessary selfishness, discrimination, hatred, unrest, corruption, violence, and cruelty.

The minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that are being over-powered by all kinds of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, would attack and hurt some others out of selfishness, pride, possessiveness, hoarding, greed, separateness, discrimination, anger, hatred, offensiveness, defensiveness, and so on, under the presence and influence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, even when others have no intention to hurt anyone or anything.

The minds that have correct understanding towards the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, they understand that fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity towards certain outcome or reality that might be unpleasant or undesirable don't and won't change the outcome or reality being what it is, but they are the unnecessary hindrance that would affect/impact/disturb/limit/oppress/reduce the performance of the body and mind while performing certain actions or activities, which definitely will hinder the body and mind to perform at its highest and possible ability, that would affect and determine the outcome/the result/the fruit of action/the reality.

Since fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity doesn't change the outcome/reality to be something else that it is not, or it doesn't help to make the outcome/reality to become better than what it is, but it would definitely affect/impact/limit the action in the present moment to be less efficient/productive than what it could be, that influences and determines the outcome/reality to be less efficient/desirable than what it could be, and hence, why still entertain and empower the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, allowing fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity to affect and over-power oneself and one's performance? Under such understanding, the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity will become less and less, and eventually, it will vanish from the modification of the mind.

All types of yoga practice require attentiveness. Being attentive and careful while performing any actions, duties, and responsibilities will minimize or avoid many unnecessary energy wasting, mistakes, damages, or injuries. Fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity doesn't and cannot exist upon the mind is being fully attentive/focused/concentrated towards what is in now, in the present moment.

Fear and worry doesn't exist in the mind that knows and respects the truth of selflessness and impermanence, where there is no past or future, there is only now. One can do one's best in whatever one is doing, while allowing the fruit of action being what it is. There is no attachment or identification towards the action and the fruit of action. That is freedom.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

The absence of fear vs the presence of courage

There's neither right nor wrong with the many different 'approaches' for the different minds functioning under different degrees of understanding towards oneself, or towards the selfless modification of the mind, in order to deal with certain things in the body and mind, or in life, that are not necessarily the way that they would like it to be.

Many positive empowerment training workshops in the world is about countering what the minds perceived and recognized as fear/weakness/negativity/inferiority/dissatisfaction/unhappiness/low self-esteem/lack of confidence/non-accomplishment/meaninglessness with developing/empowering/achieving/possessing the opposite of that, a.k.a. courage/strength/positivity/superiority/satisfaction/happiness/high self-esteem/high confidence/accomplishment/meaningfulness.

That might give the mind some momentary relief from certain states of the mind or conditions/limitations/shortcomings that are not how the mind would like it to be, but that doesn't really free the mind from continuously be determined/conditioned by the mind perception of duality, or the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, to be identifying as who/what they are.

As even all kinds of so called 'good', 'positive', 'righteous', or 'superior' qualities, are also conditional, and impermanent, that will increase or decrease being conditioned/influenced by the different experiences, situations, or physical/mental conditions that are impermanent.

The presence/development/empowerment/possession of high degrees of courage doesn't necessarily correlate with the absence of fear.

The teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism, is to free the mind from all that, or to free the mind from being determined/conditioned/limited by the mind perception of duality or the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, by going beyond or transcending all kinds of duality via non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation.

It's not about the presence/development/empowerment/achievement/possession of what the passionate egoistic minds perceived and recognized as courage/strength/positivity/superiority/satisfaction/happiness/high self-esteem/high confidence/accomplishment/meaningfulness.

It's about the absence of attachment/identification/craving towards all those 'good'/'higher'/'superior'/'top' qualities that most minds like and desire to be identifying as who/what they are, as well as the absence of attachment/identification/aversion towards what the mind perceived and recognized as the opposite of all that, a.k.a. fear/weakness/negativity/inferiority/dissatisfaction/unhappiness/low self-esteem/lack of confidence/non-accomplishment/meaninglessness, that most minds don't like and don't desire to be identifying with as who/what they are.

Courage is useless or needless, upon the absence of fear. So as positivity and the sense of meaningfulness is useless or needless, upon the absence of negativity and the sense of meaninglessness.

All that can be eliminated from the selfless modification of the mind via the annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', and egoism.

Upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, devoid of the idea of 'I', attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, or upon the mind transcends all kinds of duality or the mind perception of selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, there is no need to have the presence of something good/positive/superior to counter something bad/negative/inferior that doesn't exist in the mind at all. Such mind doesn't need to be empowered, to be strong, to be positive, or to be confident.

Even when the selfless modification of the mind is still not yet completely be free from being determined by duality or the mind perception of names and forms, where there is fear, or some other kind of impurities arising and occupying in the mind, from time to time, that's okay too, as the mind that has certain degrees of correct understanding towards itself, or towards the selfless modification of the mind, where the mind is endowed with certain degrees of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, this mind will be aware of what is going on in the modification of the mind, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, while allowing the thought activities (regardless of what the mind perceived and recognized as something good or bad/positive or negative/superior or inferior/agreeable or disagreeable) to be arising, changing, and passing away, as they are, without being over-powered by all these selfless impermanent thought activities of different qualities of names and forms arising and passing away, knowing that all these desirable and undesirable, or pleasant and unpleasant different qualities of names and forms in the mind, are all selfless and impermanent. All these different qualities of names and forms are not 'I', and there is no 'I'.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

Developing correct understanding

Developing correct understanding towards the relationship between identity, separateness, possessiveness, selfishness, fear, greed, desire, anger, hatred, discrimination, unrest, and violence.

All these terms are inter-related or 'good friends' to one another.

All these names and forms are the products of ignorance, the idea of 'I', and egoism.

The presence of the idea of 'I', and egoism, gives rise to individual, family, social, community, and group identity, attaching towards certain similar qualities of names and forms to be identifying as 'I' and 'us'.

The presence of identity gives rise to separateness between 'I' or 'us' and the others that are 'not I' or 'not us'.

The presence of separateness leads to possessiveness towards names and forms that don't belong to anyone as 'my' and 'our', or to be 'mine' and 'ours'.

The presence of possessiveness gives rise to selfishness (these are mine or ours), fear (of losing the possession), and greed (towards possessing more and more possession, and there are endless desires and ambitions).

The presence of selfishness, fear, and greed gives rise to self-protectiveness, defensiveness, offensiveness, dissatisfaction, anger, hatred, intimidation, invasion, occupation, oppression, and discrimination towards ideas, values, practice, activities, affairs, or those that are detrimental to or going against 'my' or 'our' desires and ambitions.

The presence of dissatisfaction, anger, hatred, intimidation, invasion, occupation, oppression, and discrimination leads to unrest and violence, a.k.a. devoid of peace at all levels.

Devoid of peace, or the presence of unrest and disturbance feeds ignorance that fuels the idea of 'I' and egoism.

To be free from all that - Annihilate the veil of ignorance.

To annihilate the veil of ignorance - Attain self-realization, or know Thyself.

To attain self-realization - Perform self-inquiry towards what is 'I', or towards the truth of names and forms (selflessness and impermanence).

To perform self-inquiry towards what is 'I', or towards the truth of names and forms - Purifying the intellectual reasoning and understanding, calming and quieting the restless thought-wave, or thought-current, or thought activities, or annihilating the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind.

To purify, calm, quiet, and annihilate the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind - Annihilate or let go the idea of 'I' and egoism.

To annihilate or let go the idea of 'I' and egoism - Stop feeding or fueling the idea of 'I' and egoism.

To stop feeding or fueling the idea of 'I' and egoism - Freeing the mind from attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, by developing non-attachment, non-identification, desirelessness, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation.

To facilitate or implement all that - Observe or practice dispassion, renunciation*, seclusion, solitude, mental and emotional independence, simplicity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, contentment, gratitude, generosity, non-possessiveness, non-hoarding, non-greed, kindness, non-violence, non-blind believing/disbelieving, non-blind agreeing/disagreeing, non-blind following, non-worshiping, non-glorifying, non-blind practicing, non-blind propagating, mental strength and stamina (patience, forbearance, perseverance, determination), mental flexibility (acceptance, adaptation, adjustment, accommodation, forgiveness, cheerfulness), mental skill (openness, intentionlessness, desirelessness, correct understanding, right discrimination, right attitude, right effort, right focus, self-discipline, self-control, reasoning, inquiring the truth of everything), Yama (Restraint), Niyama (Observation), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (withdraw the senses from the sense objects), Dharana (concentration, or being in the present moment), Dhyana (meditation - prolonged concentration/non-grasping/non-association), Samadhi (silence/stillness/timelessness/non-separateness/devoid of 'I' or separateness), the middle path (moderation/balance), self-introspection, and self-inquiry.

Inquire the truth of everything.

*Renunciation - It's nothing to do with becoming a monk or nun living in a monk or nun community. It's about giving up, or letting go, or renouncing the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, restlessness, the fruit of action, worldly passionate egoistic way of living, identities, titles, status, desires, inspirations and aspirations, ambitions, ideas, values, beliefs, superstitions, practices, affairs, ties and connections, social interactions and activities, glory and fame, pride and arrogance, superiority and inferiority, authoritarianism, grouping, power and control, the sense of belonging, self-esteem and self-worth, guilt and regret, fear and worry, grief and sorrow, clinging and longing, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, positiveness and negativeness, goodness and badness, appropriateness and disappropriateness, accomplishment and non-accomplishment, self-righteousness, possessiveness, separateness, discrimination, prejudice, ill-will, offensiveness, defensiveness, day dreaming, building castle in the air, wild imagination, the past and the future, pleasurable enjoyments of the senses, luxurious indulgence, wealth hoarding/accumulation, extreme hardship, hypocrisy, story telling, fairy tales, lies, slandering, back-biting, gossiping, vain talk, self-glorification, boasting, attention/praise/compliment fishing, lust, jealousy, anger, hatred, feelings of hurt, dissatisfaction, disappointment, resentment, bitterness, vengeance, cruelty, violence, fighting, conflict, debate, argument, justification, selfishness, petty-mindedness, stinginess, corruption, bribery, blaming, competition, comparison, judgment, expectation, intention, interference, self-blame/self-harm/self-torture, extremity, intoxication, obsession, physical and mental addiction, under-active, over-active, over-eating, under-eating, over-sleeping, under-sleeping, mental and emotional dependence, blind faith, blind believing, blind agreeing, blind following, blind worshiping, blind practicing, blind propagating, glorification, admiration, love seeking, praise seeking, acceptance seeking, approval seeking, recognition seeking, agreement seeking, and etc.

It has to come from the mind itself to let go and be free

If all minds can let go all kinds of attachment, identification, desire, possessiveness, or the past, there will be peace in the world.

It's not about eliminating ignorance, egoism, impurities, selfishness, greed, fear, anger, hatred, resentment, vengeance, or violence in the world. It's impossible.

Peace in the world is the reflection of peace in the minds.

It has to come from each and every mind themselves, to let go and be free from the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, and have peace.

None can tell or advise another mind to let go and be free.

It has to come from the mind itself to let go and be free from all kinds of attachment, identification, desire, possessiveness, or the past.

All kinds of fear, anger, hatred, resentment, vengeance, or violence don't exist in the mind that doesn't hold onto any attachment, identification, desire, possessiveness, or the past.

Whatever happened and is happening in the world, especially under the era of higher and higher advance science and technology, it only indicates how much unnecessary destruction and suffering that the human minds can generate into the world under the influence of the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

Inquire the truth of everything, and have peace in oneself, regardless of all kinds of madness in the world of ignorance and egoism.

The practice of being in the present

In this present moment, focusing on what is here now, or what is needed to be done now.

If the body and mind is at work, the mind focuses on what is here at work.

If the body and mind is at home, the mind focuses on what is here at home.

If the body and mind is having a meal, the mind focuses on having the meal.

If the body and mind is performing some yoga practice, the mind focuses on performing the yoga practice.

If the body and mind is having an interaction with another, the mind focuses on the interaction with another.

If the body and mind is driving a car, the mind focuses on the driving.

If the body and mind is here doing some reflections about something, then be attentive towards the reflections in this present moment, and not while doing something at work, or doing some housework, or having a meal, or performing some yoga practice, or interacting with someone, or driving, and so on.

The mind doesn't think, anticipate, fear and worry about something else at somewhere else, but being attentive to what is here now, or what is needed to be done now. If there are a few things that needed to be done, then focusing on one at a time, even if it is needed to be done as fast as possible. Paying full attention towards what we are doing, doesn't necessarily mean doing everything very slowly.

It's something in common among many minds that the mind doesn't focus on what is here now, or what is needed to be done now, and keeps wandering here and there and everywhere while doing something in the present moment, that give rise to many unnecessary disturbance, anticipation, imagination, fear and worry, and even mistakes, injuries or accidents that could have been avoided.

By having disturbance, fear and worry in the mind towards something or anything regardless of it's here or somewhere else, regardless of it is something that had happened, or is happening, or not yet happening, it doesn't change the things being what they are.

If there are certain necessary actions that needed to be done in this present moment to be dealing with something or anything that is here or somewhere else, then just focus on whatever that are needed to be done in now, without anticipation, imagination, fear and worry.

Actions that are being done under a disturbed state of mind being distracted by fear and worry wouldn't be as efficient as being done with full attention without fear and worry.

There's no fear and worry, if the mind knows how to be in the present, and hence, the actions that are being done with full attention in this moment void of fear and worry will be more efficient.

That's why the practice.

Inquire the truth of everything.

There's no fear, guilt or regret upon the absence of ignorance

Fear, guilt and regret only exist in the minds under the presence of ignorance.

There's no fear, guilt or regret in the minds upon the absence of ignorance.

Those who want or have the need/urge/instinct to bully, manipulate and control some others through instilling fear, guilt and regret in others, they don't like to hear about mental and emotional independence, or freedom from ignorance and egoism, because then they can no longer bully, manipulate or control towards those who are mentally and emotionally independent, who are free from fear, guilt or regret, upon the absence of ignorance and egoism.

Bully, manipulation and control through instilling fear, guilt and regret in the minds, is something very common in many minds, in family, in parenting, in love relationships, in friendships, or in the community under certain cultural, spiritual, religious, political or national belief, values and practice.

The minds want to bully, manipulate and control other minds is due to fear exists in themselves. Those who are free from fear, they don't need to bully, manipulate or control anyone.

The world of human beings under the influence of ignorance and egoism, being the slaves of ignorance and egoism, causing lots of suffering in themselves and unto others, is not just madness, but also ridiculously amusing or hilarious.

The mind that is free from ignorance transcends all kinds of superstitious belief and practice. There's no magic. There are only tricks or hypnotism. If superstitious belief is true and powerful, if magic is real and powerful, and if hypnotism is so powerful, the world would be free from all kinds of suffering already, where all and everyone can attain liberation from ignorance and egoism instantly through superstitious belief and practice, magic or hypnotism. Instead, all these belief and practice are being used to be empowering ignorance and egoism for gratifying passionate egoistic greedy ambitious selfish desire and aspiration.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, and be free.

Fear or aversion towards losing something?

The one that has fear towards losing something loses everything

Those who have certain position and power to be making crucial decision that could impact the general welfare of a particular area in the world, as well as be given the precious opportunity to be igniting certain awareness in the ignorant minds towards the ignorance in themselves, even with the initial good will of trying to do something right for oneself and many others, hoping for a less corrupted world deriving from corrupted thinking, belief, values and practice, which led them to be gaining that position and power by fighting very hard against corruptions, however, due to fear towards losing that position and power, they are reluctant to be doing the right thing, in order to harvest more support to keep that position and power, and even if they get to keep that position and power by not doing the right thing, they will still be losing everything, in the end, being the 'slave' of those who don't support those who would do the right thing due to ignorance, while forgot about all the others majority who had been supporting those who would do the right thing, which led them gaining that position and power in the first place.

There should be no fear of losing any position or power, for those who truly want to do something right for themselves and for the world.

It's about making good use of that 'impermanent' position and power to be doing the right thing as much as possible, particularly the upmost important thing to do with that position and power, is to be igniting awareness in the minds that are under the influence of ignorance to be aware towards the ignorance in themselves, which is the main reason why there are so much corruptions existing in that area. The only way to reduce or eliminate corruptions in an area effectively, is by igniting awareness in the minds to be aware of the ignorance in themselves. Just by criminalizing, prosecuting, punishing and imprisoning those who are corrupted, doesn't help the area to have less corruptions, as the root cause is still there.

Corruptions or impurities are like the countless leaves that keep falling down from a tree to the ground that will never come to an end. One will be restlessly cleaning up everyday and leaves will still be falling down everyday. There's no need to keep cleaning up the area full of 'corrupted leaves' by uprooting the entire corrupted tree from the root. There's no longer a 'corrupted tree sprung from corrupted root' that generates 'corrupted leaves' endlessly. And that root of all kinds of ignorance and corruptions in the society, is in the minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

The only one that can uproot the root of ignorance from the minds, is the mind itself through self-awareness being aware of the ignorance in itself, and many minds might not have that tiny little bit of self-awareness to be aware of the ignorance in themselves under the thick layer of ignorance being conditioned by ignorant egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, however, under the help of a selfless reflector, awareness can be ignited or reflected in such minds, regardless of how thick layer is the veil of ignorance, as even that layer of ignorance is conditional and impermanent. Ignorance is conditional because it can be increased or reduced, and even be annihilated, depending on the many factors that can be influencing the degrees of ignorance.

But, the reflector, especially a clear one, not a dusty and shattered one, needs to be available. All kinds of leaders in the world, are unintentionally a reflector for the mass that are under the influence of ignorance. That's why they need a leader that make decision for them as they can't make decision for themselves, that tell them what they should do and shouldn't do. Those who are free from the influence of ignorance, they don't need a leader to lead them. These world leaders can be a corrupted reflector selfishly and ignorantly, or they can be a clear reflector, if they want.

Unless they are completely selfish and ignorant, the leaders in the world, who have a little tiny bit of self-awareness, who don't just want to make a successful career out of that position and power, but with a tiny little initiative or goodwill to help the world to be less corrupted, to have less corruptions, they must make use of that precious opportunity to be igniting awareness into the minds that are lost in ignorance.

Such position and power loses its meaning and power, even if one gets to keep that position and power, by being a 'slave' of the ignorant ones in order to keep that position and power, empowering ignorance in the minds. One will be swallowed by that position and power, in the end, by empowering the ignorance in the people, that is similar to be breeding a large group of uncontrollable monsters in one's home.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Nothing to loose

Because of fear towards loosing something, one is not free, and would surrender oneself towards any bullying, intimidation or threat coming from somewhere and someone.

Those who have nothing to loose, they are fearless, and there's none and nothing can bully, intimidate or threaten them for anything.

The difference between the two, is the presence or absence of attachment.

Void of ignorance and egoism vs controlled by fear towards God, punishment or hell

If the mind is wise and compassionate being free from ignorance and egoism, then this mind won't be performing actions and generating reactions that would induce harmful consequences and disharmony in oneself and/or others, without the need of 'self-control' or 'controlled by others' or 'fear towards God, or punishment, or hell'. There's even needless of 'self-awareness' or 'self-control' to 'restrict' one's behavior to be or not to be in certain way.

If the mind is not free from ignorance and egoism, it's void of wisdom and compassion, then even though there are many teachings from different social/cultural/religious belief and practice that emphasize on 'fear towards God', or 'fear towards law and punishment', or 'fear towards hell', in order to 'control' people's behavior to be and not to be in certain way, it won't and doesn't stop the mind from performing actions and generating reactions that would induce harmful consequences and disharmony in oneself and/or others out of ignorance and egoism.

Human's behavior cannot be under 'controlled' by 'fear', 'law', and 'punishment'.

The world would never become a better place if people think and believe that there's a need to 'control' people's behavior to be or not to be in certain way by implementing 'control' through 'fear', 'law' and 'punishment'. The history has been teaching human beings that 'fear', 'law' and 'punishment' didn't and don't work. Unfortunately, most human beings are still under the influence of ignorance very much.

Even if there is self-awareness and self-control in oneself to be restricting oneself from performing actions and generating reactions that would induce harmful consequences and disharmony in oneself and/or others, it is not because of 'fear towards God, law and punishment, or hell'. If there's 'fear of something' to motivate or demotivate oneself from performing or not performing certain actions, this mind will never be free from all kinds of suffering deriving from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.

Why does anyone 'need' to be fearful towards a 'God existence' that is 'supposedly' almighty, that represents unconditional non-discriminative loving kindness, unless that 'God existence' is not almighty as it is not unconditional and non-discriminative loving kindness at all, but only full of condition, discrimination, anger, hatred and violence?

While the teachings of yoga and Buddhism is about be free from fear to realize fearlessness through the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, and realizing selflessness, wisdom and compassion.

It's everyone's freedom whether they want a 'better' world under the 'control' by fear, anger, hatred and violence, or they want a 'better' world that is free from fear, anger, hatred and violence.

Most social/cultural/religious belief and practice talk about 'peace', but how can peace be present or available when there's so much compulsory 'fear'?

Inquire the truth of everything.

Self-Inquiry - Try contemplate upon "What is this (I)?" instead of "Who am I?"

For those who are interested in the teaching and practice of Yoga or Buddhism, the main similar practice is about self-inquiry, to inquire the truth of individual being existence by contemplating upon "Who am I?", where most people interpreting as "Knowing who we really are, or who is the real 'I'."

Because of the literal meaning of the words being used in the question of "Who am I?" regardless of being translated into whatever languages, the mind takes it as there is a permanent self-existence (of who I really am) undergoing the process of reincarnation of being born in countless different life existence/transformation existing as different individual being under different names and forms, and I am trying to filter and drop off all kinds of imperfect momentary identity of different names and forms in order to uncover and reconnect with my real identity of who I really am, where many minds believe and desire that "who I really am" or "the real I" is something 'spiritual', 'pure' and 'perfect' that is imperishable, indestructible, unchangeable, permanent, absolute and infinite, with some kind of 'transcendental superpower' where all kinds of 'miracles' happen under my command/wish, having all my desired imaginations/wishes come true, where everything will be exactly the way as I wish, with absolute unlimited freedom to be whatever I want to be, being with those who I want to be with, go wherever I want to go and do whatever I want to do, where there's no limitation of hunger, thirst, old age, weakness, injury, sickness, death or suffering, but only desirable pleasant enjoyment.

And hence, the mind is 'stuck', couldn't go beyond what it thinks it knows, where the mind is unable to transcend the selfless modification of the mind perceiving all kinds of names and forms of a worldly life existence, couldn't go beyond the idea of 'I', where the mind thinks and believes 'I' exists as an individual being, hoping/desiring to have better transformation in better world, hindering the mind from self-realization, to realize selflessness, or 'I'lessness, or egolessness, to be free from the ego, or the idea of I of the existence of an individual being existing and experiencing (different) life existence or impermanent transformation.

Self-inquiry is more about contemplation upon "What is this 'I' that 'I' think and believe as an individual being existing and experiencing a worldly life existence that is comprised of all kinds of duality, where (I think) I experience desirable and undesirable experiences, where (I think) I feel happy/satisfied and unhappy/dissatisfied, where (I think) I try to learn many things to be able to survive and satisfy my desire of craving and aversion, to find and achieve the meaning of my life existence, to set goals/directions for my life, where (I think) I was born, where (I think) I live a life, where (I think) I have many different kinds of happy/unhappy relationship with different individual beings, where (I think) I enjoy and suffer, where (I think) I will die, and where (I think) I will be transforming into another name and form either in the same world or in a different world according to the good/bad deeds that I have been doing and accumulating."

If the mind replaces the inquiry of "Who am I?" with "What is this 'I' that 'I' think is 'me' or 'myself', whom 'I' think and believe is existing as an individual being experiencing this life existence of happiness and unhappiness, who is doing all these thinking, who performs actions and enjoying the fruit of actions?", then this will allow the mind to 'look at' or investigate 'itself' from a different perspective, sort of like a (non-existent) third party to investigate/inquire the modification of the mind, or what the ignorant egoistic mind thinks and believes is the existence of an individual being perceiving/experiencing this and that, and without attachment and identification towards the selfless and impermanent modification of the mind perceiving names and forms of a worldly life existence, and be able to eliminate the ego/the idea of 'I' and egoism, where the mind can be free from the idea of 'I' and egoism, and absorbed into Silence/Samadhi (The annihilation of the modification of mind), transcending names and forms, births and deaths, actions and the fruit of actions, enjoyment and suffering.

There's no 'I' existing. There's no 'I' am selfless, or I am performing selfless actions. There's no 'I' am selfish or unselfish. There's no 'I' am good or bad. There's no 'I' am transforming into this or that. There's no 'I' am enjoying or suffering.

The mind (or the thinking faculty as part of the function of this physical body,) is functioning and perceiving all kinds of names and forms in this present moment, restlessly acting and reacting, generating ceaseless actions that bring along pleasant/unpleasant consequences of actions, and that's all. The modification of the mind, or the thought currents, or the thought activities, ceaselessly arising and passing away selflessly, countless births and deaths of different 'states of mind/worlds' happening, in this present moment. Neither it's 'I' nor there's 'I'. There's neither past nor future. There's neither performer of actions nor the enjoyer of the fruit of actions.

Contemplate upon the teaching of "The world of names and forms is the by-product of the modification of mind. There is no perception of the world or life existence (in Silence/Samadhi/Annihilation of the modification of mind)", along with the process of performing self-inquiry.

Fearlessness and desirelessness are 'the two sides of a coin'. Similarly, selflessness/oneness/non-separateness/attributelessness/namelessness/formlessness/birthlessness/deathlessness and fearlessness/desirelessness are 'the two sides of a coin'.

As long as there is still the ego, or the idea of 'I' exists along with the modification of the mind, there's ceaseless births and deaths (in this present), there's an 'individual being' existing and experiencing the world of a worldly life existence being satisfied or dissatisfied about this or that, there's egoism of attachment/identification/craving and aversion/judgment/comparison/expectation, there's survival instinct, there's separateness, there's desire and fear, there's possessiveness and protectiveness, there's ceaseless actions and the fruit of actions, which gives rise to endless births and deaths (in this present) within the modification of the mind.

As Swami Sivananda mentioned in his teachings, "Kill the mind," or in another term, "Annihilate the modification of the mind," if the mind thinks the word 'Kill' is inappropriately used as the mind believes it's representing the quality of violence, non-compassionate, unkind, unloving, negative, bad and wrong. This is nothing to do with 'killing', 'changing', 'controlling', 'over-powering', 'influencing', 'uplifting' or 'inspiring' other minds. It's about this mind silencing its own modification, attaining Silence/Samadhi.

Frustration and disappointment due to lockdown?

During this global epidemic situation in the world, other than anxiety of fear and worry towards contracting illness and confronting death as well as uncertainty towards the aftermath if one survives this epidemic, many people are getting frustrated and disappointed due to the unpleasant/undesirable social/physical distancing or movement restriction undergoing the upmost important process of lockdown for a prolonged period of time to help to contain the epidemic efficiently. Some worry about their family and friends, some worry about their future, some worry about the economy going down and many other things.

There's neither right nor wrong. It's just how different minds think, feel, act and react or behave differently. Everyone has the freedom for how they think, feel, act and react.

The worldly egoistic minds are getting frustrated and disappointed is due to they are unable to be as free as they used to be, to go wherever they want to go, to do whatever they want to do, to eat and play at anytime and anywhere as they like, or to enjoy what they want to enjoy. And they have the rights to feel frustrated and disappointed as much as they like. Some even get angry/furious for certain 'reason' that they think and believe as the cause of this epidemic, blaming this and that for causing them many inconvenience, loss and suffering.

This modification (behavior/reaction) of the mind is merely the reflection of the untrained/undisciplined minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism where the minds are being over-powered by egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion and expectation. It's normal that the untrained egoistic minds don't like discipline/restriction or be disciplined/restricted.

The frustration and disappointment that exists in many people is due to their 'normal' habitual routine of constantly gratifying the gross and subtle physical/mental/emotional desire of craving and aversion, whether consciously or subconsciously, is being disrupted mildly or heavily, but also more angry particularly when they think and believe that 'the disruption' is caused by other people and happening that has nothing to do with them. The mind (the ego) doesn't like it and doesn't want this. And that's their freedom of thinking, feeling, action and reaction.

There's no frustration and disappointment, or anxiety of fear and worry towards contracting illness and confronting death, or uncertainty towards the aftermath if one survives this epidemic in the minds that have been well-disciplined, being free from egoism and ignorance, being free from attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion and expectation, being in the present moment, being aware of the mind perception of a worldly life existence of impermanent and selfless names and forms powered by cause and effect.

One just do one's best to observe this process of lockdown to help to contain this global epidemic, without attachment, identification or expectation, regardless of if there are some others who don't understand the importance of this process and behaving in the way that they behave, while some others are merely being rebellious disrespecting the process of lockdown or quarantine, and some others might think and believe that they are being 'caring and loving' insisting to go visiting their family and friends, especially those who are elderly and lives alone, whether intentionally or unintentionally, under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Welcoming changes towards unlimited unthinkable opportunities

Most minds will tend to have fear and worry towards changes, especially letting go a familiar living environment and family/friends/social circle, as well as letting go job or business that provides 'stable' financial support for living, unless they have no other choices but they have to find another living environment elsewhere and to find some other job or business due to unforeseen circumstances, such as losing their beloved home or job/business unwittingly due to natural disaster, bad economy, accident, war, and etc.

This fear and worry is the instinctive fear towards the unknown/uncertainty and fear of making the wrong decision to be losing the good and comfortable condition that one has been familiar with, which one loves/enjoys very much.

Whether we are aware or unaware of it, stability is always the main element and attachment in everything in life, even though the nature of everything is impermanence. Impermanence exists even in so called 'stability'. Most minds would think and believe that they are embracing impermanence, but most probably only embracing towards changes of improvement, while there's great aversion towards changes of deterioration. But deterioration is the ultimate truth of everything that exist under certain name and form.

Only when the mind learns how to embrace the nature of impermanence regardless of improvement or deterioration, there's no fear towards changes or decisions making that actually would lead towards unlimited possible opportunities that are unknown to the mind until the mind sees them upon letting go/abandoning the little box of a familiar life that the mind lives in, when the mind starts to allow itself to be opened towards all the unknown/uncertainty without fear or regret, but with great welcome.

This is also similar to the teaching of yoga about surrendering. It's not about 'letting God to lead life and God will look after life for us', but it's about letting go the attachment/identification/clinging/expectation towards 'the existing comfort that gives rise to the sense of meaningfulness derived from particular way of living and activities that the mind enjoys very much' and letting go the fear towards losing or no longer having 'this comfort and the sense of meaningfulness that it has been attaching or clinging onto'.

Most people will think and say, "Unless we have to, why do we want to let go something that is good and meaningful which we love very much that is still available to us now?"

There's nothing wrong with that, as people don't really need to let go anything (especially 'goodness' that gives rise to the sense of meaningfulness) until they have to. People like to hear and say, "Appreciate all the good things until they are no longer available." That's very good. But for the truth seekers, the attachment/clinging towards 'goodness or comfortable good condition that give rise to the sense of meaningfulness' is indeed one of the great obstacles towards liberation that most minds don't realize.

For the minds that are in searching for 'the truth' or 'liberation from ignorance', or 'selflessness/namelessness/formlessness/attributelessness/beginninglessness/endlessness/birthlessness/deathlessness/changelessness', there's no waiting, as this life existence, regardless of 'good and comfortable life' or 'bad and challenging life', is passing away.

For some who believe in one life, they might think and say, "Ah! there's only one life, why bother about anything? Enjoy as much as possible while it's available."

For some who believe in many continuous lives, they might think and say, "Ah! there's so many lives, need not hurry for anything. Enjoy as much as possible while it's available."

For the truth seekers, "It's NOW, and there's only NOW." regardless of it's good and comfortable life or bad and challenging life, or one life, or many continuous lives, or the beginningless/endless/birthless/deathless infinite Sat-Chit-Ananda.

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.

Freedom in all kind of relationships

Some minds are troubled/disturbed by the existence of relationships that are not the way that they would like it to be, and some minds are troubled/disturbed by the past relationships that were not the way that they liked it to be, while some minds are troubled/disturbed by the absence of relationships that they would like to have. The ever-restless clinging mind is always looking forward for 'something' that isn't here, or a 'reality' that is not what it is in the present. There's nothing wrong with that, as it is the nature of the impure egoistic mind, just that the mind is not free.

The minds that don't know and the ones who think they know but they don't really know what is going on in the mind of attachment and non-attachment, there is no peace or freedom regardless of whether they have a few or many relationships, or don't have any relationships. The minds are being determined by the existence and non-existence of relationships, the quality of the relationships and the impermanent changes of the relationships. The minds are not being in the present, being determined or disturbed by the past pleasant and unpleasant experiences/memories and future anticipations/non-anticipations, as well as being determined by the perceived reality in the present.

The minds that attached onto worldly passionate thinking and belief in search for the sense of self-esteem, confidence, fulfillment, happiness and meaningfulness in the qualities of names and forms or relationships are not free from the impure modifications/reactions of the mind perception of dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hurts, regret, guilt, loneliness, boredom, meaninglessness, fear, worry, grief, painful sorrow and suffering, and be disturbed upon coming in contact with the names and forms or relationships that are not the way that the minds like, agree with and desire.

The minds that know what is going on in the mind of attachment and non-attachment, they are peaceful and free as it is, regardless of whether they have a few or many relationships, or don't have any relationships. They are not determined by the existence and non-existence of relationships, the quality of the relationships, or the impermanent changes of the relationships. The minds are being in the present without being determined or disturbed by the past pleasant and unpleasant experiences/memories and future anticipations/non-anticipations, and being undetermined by the perceived reality in the present.

They love, unconditionally/compassionately. They don't fall in/out love. They love all and everything as they are, as it is, without expecting or interfering with all and everything have to be in certain ways.

They are free to give, or not. And when they give, they give their best within their ability and capacity of what is possible and available in the present, without attachment towards the actions or the fruit of actions, being free from discrimination, identification, intention, expectation, greed, possessiveness, clinging, craving and aversion, and allowing others whether to accept, receive, appreciate and be thankful towards what they give, or not, and thus being free from dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hurts, regret, guilt, loneliness, boredom, meaninglessness, fear, worry, grief, painful sorrow and suffering, and be undisturbed upon coming in contact with the names and forms or relationships that are not necessarily the way that most mind would like, agree with and desire.

There's no judgment and expectation towards others for how others think, believe, behave, act and react, desire and don't desire. There's no 'should' or 'shouldn't'. There's only actions and the consequences of actions.

All kinds of violence/conflicts start from "Desire of expecting, interfering, changing, controlling, over-powering and oppressing others' thinking, beliefs, behaviors, actions and reactions to be the way that 'I' think and believe it should be."

There's neither right nor wrong when the dispassionate minds don't perceive sadness or grief towards the dead ones while the passionate minds perceive sadness and grief towards the dead ones. It's just the different modifications of mind perception/reactions functioning either under the influence of ignorance, or free from ignorance.

These dispassionate attachment-free minds are being perceived by the worldly passionate minds, including many of the 'yoga practitioners' and 'yoga teachers' in the world as 'wrong', 'negative', 'heartless', 'feelingless', 'cold', 'selfish', 'self-centered', 'uncaring', 'unloving', 'unsympathetic', 'inhuman', 'madness', 'weird', 'abnormal', and so on. All these judgments/labels derived from the worldly passionate minds don't affect or disturb the dispassionate minds being peaceful and free as it is. It's everyone's freedom for how they perceive, act and react, judge and expect, or seeing what they want/like to see and not seeing what they don't want/like to see.

"How can a 'normal' human being don't feel sad or grieve for the death of another being, especially someone who loved you and whom you love and related to you dearly? It's so wrong and inhuman."

Indeed, that's how most minds think, believe, behave, act and react - 'Normal' human beings should behave, act and react in 'certain ways' and shouldn't behave, act and react in 'certain ways' based on the worldly thinking and belief about what is 'right and wrong', 'should and shouldn't'.

For the minds that know, there's nothing 'wrong' with all the different kind of mind perceptions, way of thinking, belief and disbelief, behavior, actions and reactions. It's just the minds that don't know what is going on in the mind, they are functioning under the influence of ignorance, while being ignorant towards ignorance, and thus, being disturbed by the modifications of the mind perception/reaction towards all the perceived agreeable/disagreeable names and forms, and all kinds of dissatisfaction, disturbance, hurts, restlessness and suffering arise in the mind. There is a desire/need of receiving kindness, interaction, understanding, acceptance, appreciation and acknowledgment, and there's perception/reaction of hurts and the desire/need to be healed from hurts.

It's like when the ignorant mind experiencing something that it perceives/recognizes as 'hurtful' and 'wrongful', it feels hurt and angry about something, and there's a desire/need to be healed from 'hurts' and 'anger'. But when the mind sees the truth of 'hurt' and 'anger', being free from ignorance, the mind no longer perceives/feels hurt or angry about anything. There's no desire/need to be healed from anything.

Be free.

Self-impose imaginary imprisonment of fear

Most minds appear to be calmed and relaxed when they are being in a space or environment that is within their comfort zone and familiarity. But once they are out of their comfort zone and have to confront with a space or environment that is unknown or unfamiliar to them, and dealing with the condition and situation that is not the way that they like it to be, all kinds of fear will over-powering the mind in the form of imagination, anticipation, speculation and projection. They are no longer calmed or relaxed being outside of their comfort zone.

Yoga practice isn't limited to be performing some yoga practice in a calming, relaxing and hassle-free environment, that make the mind feels safe, convenient, good and comfortable, but, yoga practitioners should learn how to confront with condition and situation that is not necessarily the way that they would like it to be, that is outside their comfort zone, and still be able to be calmed and relaxed outside their comfort zone.

Most minds feel good, calmed and relaxed when they attend a retreat in a 'safe', 'hassle-free', 'protected', 'convenient' and 'enjoyable' environment. But then the minds will not progress further in yoga, if they prefer not to step outside their comfort zone, and didn't learn how to be 'okay' under challenging condition and situation that is outside their comfort zone and familiarity.

Fear towards the unknown, unfamiliarity and what the mind categorizes as 'unsafe' environment is indeed a self-impose imaginary imprisonment from the mind to itself, even when there's nothing 'fearful', 'bad', or 'dangerous' really happening in the present moment.

Even though the minds might feel calmed and relaxed performing the yoga practice and be able to perform the yoga practice nicely and effortlessly, and feel 'safe' and 'comfortable' being in a space within their comfort zone and under a 'safe' environment, but the minds are not free at all, as the minds won't be calmed and relaxed anymore once it's out of their comfort zone having to deal with condition and situation that is not necessarily the way that they like it to be.

Those who are free from being over-powered by fear of all kinds of fearful imagination, they deal with whatever needs to be deal with that is existing in the present moment, calmly. The mind is free from all kinds of 'fearful' imagination, anticipation, speculation and projection towards something that isn't existing in the present moment.

People who really want to practice yoga and know what is yoga, must allow themselves to step outside their comfort zone, to confront with condition and situation that they don't feel comfortable with, that they aren't familiar with, and learn to be 'okay' outside their comfort zone and familiarity. Though there's nothing wrong if people reluctant to step outside their comfort zone. Be happy.

Expectation

Though it's just a simple word, 'expectation' is one of the greatest influence in the human minds towards almost all and everything in the impermanent and selfless life existence. It gives motivation, hope and the sense of achievement and meaningfulness to many people.

Expectation from oneself towards oneself, towards the physical and mental ability or achievement, one's effort and the outcome of one's effort, and all kinds of relationship/connection with different beings and things.

Expectation from oneself towards other people, the society, the environment, or the world, to be the way that how one would like it to be, that one thinks and believes how it should be, and not to be the way that one thinks it shouldn't be.

One might also being bound/determined by expectation from other people/the society towards oneself and unwittingly want to meet up with the expectation from other people/the society towards oneself, in order to earn liking, love, attention, respect, praise, compliment, agreement, acknowledgement, validation, glorification, admiration, support, friendship, companionship, and etc, from other people/the society.

To many people, 'expectation' is a positive necessity or important motivation for making progress/improvement or to excel in the life of human beings. People think and believe that human beings need to have certain degrees of expectation from oneself and/or others to push oneself and/or other people around to progress, improve or excel in everything of life, throughout the different life stages of childhood, adulthood, parenthood, middle age, old age, education, learning, building social network, friendships, relationships, career, family, or contribution towards the society, the world, or life existence, and so on.

To those who see the truth of the mind perception of a worldly life existence that is impermanent and selfless, 'expectation' is unnecessary when the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, as 'expectation' is merely part of the egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and comparison that relates to restlessness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, frustration, anger, hurt, greed, fear and worry, which leads to the accumulation of physical and mental tension that gives rise to unnecessary tension/stress related physical and mental illness, unnecessary injury, abusive behavior towards oneself and others, family and relationships problems, social problems, and etc.

Those who have some basic correct understanding towards life existence that is impermanent and selfless, who know the ability and limitation of their body and mind, who are endowed with dispassion, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving/aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison and intentionlessness, being unattached towards the actions and the fruit of actions, they don't need any 'expectation' from oneself and/or others to motivate or push them to perform necessary and wholesome actions, to do good or improve.

They don't have expectation towards other people, life, the society, or the world, 'hoping' or 'expecting' that everyone and everything to be in certain ways, but they just do their best according to the ability and limitation of the body and mind, make use of the available knowledge, skill and opportunity to perform necessary and wholesome actions through the body and mind for the well-being of oneself and/or others, but they allow the result of their actions or efforts to be there as it is, being undetermined by their actions/efforts or the fruit of their actions/efforts.

In the worldly egoistic thinking and behavior pattern, there is intention to inspire or motivate one to perform actions, then expectation towards the fruit of actions comes along. If the mind can realize the truth and be free from this worldly egoistic thinking and behavior pattern, that's a great liberation, even though the life existence of the body and mind is still bound by the law of nature - Cause and effect, impermanence and selflessness. If the mind doesn't realize this and is determined by this worldly egoistic thinking and behavior pattern, then one is not free, even though one can attain all the relationships and things that one would like to have in life, as one will always be disturbed/dissatisfied/disappointed by something that is not the way that how one thinks it should be, that one doesn't like, doesn't want and doesn't agree with.

Ask ourselves honestly about what is the motivation/intention that makes us think and feel that we need to have 'something' or 'someone'. And once we have that 'something' or 'someone', naturally we have expectation towards that 'something' or 'someone' to 'deliver' what we expect to be 'getting', to 'fulfill' or 'gratify' the motivation/intention/reason/desire of why we need or want to have that 'something' or 'someone'. What are we so afraid of if we don't have that 'something' or 'someone' being there existing in our life, or if we lose that 'something' or 'someone'?

"Do good, because it makes you feel good and happy."
"Give, and you will receive more in return."
"Do good, and goodness will return to you."
"Be nice to other people, other people will be nice to you too."
"I did this for you/I gave you this/I helped you, you should be grateful and thankful."
"I help you, you help me too."
"Be generous and help other people, and people will return your generosity and help."
"Pray to God, and God will bless you with what you desire."

"I like to help other people and contribute to the world, because it makes me feel that I am needed by other people, and that my existence as a human being has some usefulness and is meaningful."

Why not just be kind, be friendly, be generous, be helpful and be supportive, or just pray to God, without any intention/motivation/expectation?

Those who know, they will be kind/friendly/helpful/supportive towards all and everything according to one's ability, without discrimination of 'friends' or 'not friends', and there's no motivation/intention/expectation to be receiving something desirable/help/support/kindness/goodness/friendliness/friendships in return for being kind/friendly/helpful/supportive.

Those who don't know, there is fear. Fear of not getting what they want and fear of losing what they want or getting what they don't want. Fear of the unknown, nothingness, hardship, difficulty, boredom, loneliness, meaninglessness, helplessness, unloved, left-out, companionless, non-acknowledgement, and so on. There's is this idea or thinking - "I deserve this and that in return for my efforts/kindness/helpfulness/friendliness/generosity/contribution."

"I want to be good enough for myself and other people. I want to be able to accept myself being the way that I want myself to be, and I want other people to accept me being the way that they want me to be." But why do we think that we need to be good enough/be in certain ways in order to be accepted by ourselves, or other people, or the society, or the world? We don't have to.

Those who know the truth, who realized unconditional love and peace, being free from ignorance, egoism and impurities, or being free from attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, longing, judgment, comparison, expectation, boredom, loneliness, meaninglessness, depression, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness or suffering, they don't need to do something, or be someone, or have something, to make them feel good, happy, confident, meaningful, thankful or grateful. All their actions are pure actions being performed out of compassion and selflessness.

Be free.

Untruthfulness and dishonesty

Whether we like it or not, most people have been being untruthful or dishonest every once in a while or regularly. It's a habit that has been building up since childhood where the children are being brought up by their parents or elders with the habit of fictional and fantasized stories making and telling (untrue), joking (untrue), white lies (untrue), hypocrisy (untrue), boasting (not necessarily true), pleasing (most probably untrue), or acting (untrue) as something 'normal', 'appropriate manners' or 'play safe' to be interacting with other people in the family, in the relationships, in the society, in the social media, in the politics.

The children are being taught to be untruthful, dishonest and hypocrite by telling (white) lies, boasting, joking, pleasing or acting so that they do not upset or offend other people, or they should please other people, as one of the manners/politeness/appropriate behavior in their cultural and social practice.

A lot of time, untruthfulness and dishonesty is the by-product of fear.

Whenever the children are being aware of they might have done something they shouldn't be doing that they think it would upset their parents or their friends, and most probably, out of fear of being criticized, or scolded, or punished, or unloved by their parents or their friends, and fear of losing the supportive treatments from their parents or their friends, children would tell lies to hide the truth, being untruthful or dishonest. And this untruthful and dishonest behavior becomes a natural habit to 'play safe' and to 'please other people' in their childhood and continue to follow them into their adulthood.

When the children have the initiative to tell the truth or admit to their parents that they might have done something that they think it might upset their parents, and if the parents react with anger and aggressiveness towards the children or the incident, or inflict punishment onto the children, the children will tend to be untruthful or dishonest from then on. Instead, if the parents react with calmness, acceptance, forgiveness and letting go, knowing that by getting upset and angry won't undo what had happened, then the children will tend to be truthful and honest from then on. It also allows the children to learn to appreciate truthfulness and honesty, and learn about acceptance, forgiveness and letting go. Children making mistakes is a great learning process for both the parents and the children, to become responsible compassionate people, who accept and love themselves and other people as they are, even though they are not perfect.

Truthfulness and honesty is one of the important basic practice in yoga. Without it, numerous of other yoga practice are meaningless. But for many people who grew up under that kind of parenting or upbringing to behave 'appropriately' and 'politely' in their relationships with everyone, in the family, in the school, in the workplace, or in the society, being untruthful and dishonest is something 'right' and 'good', while being truthful and honest is something 'wrong' and 'bad'. They think that it's needless to abandon untruthfulness and dishonesty when they take up yoga practice, thinking that it's the 'normal' and 'correct' way of living and interacting with everyone in the society in order to have 'healthy' and 'happy' relationships with everyone.

How many conversations between people don't contain any untruthfulness or dishonesty?

Many people who are under the influence of the ego are either don't like the truth or being afraid of the truth. As most of the time, the truth is something difficult or unpleasant or painful for the untrained minds.

When people try to tell the truth of a 'good son' to his parents that their 'good son' isn't really good, the parents say, "No. Don't tell us (the truth). We don't want to know about it. Our son is all good. We brought him up to be good. He is a good boy."

People can't live and interact with other people 'normally' in this world without being untruthful or dishonest a little bit here and there.

While yoga is about the truth. No matter how difficult or unpleasant or painful is the truth, one has no fear of the truth.

And hence, those who truly practice yoga, they stay away from the society and observe seclusion and solitude, to avoid unnecessary untruthfulness and dishonesty.

Allowing the mind to see the truth as it is

Disregards what are the different qualities of names and forms that we think and believe and identify as 'I', or THIS is who I am, even when we think we are bad or not good enough or we think other people are bad or not good enough, all minds can be free from ignorance and suffering, and realize unconditional peace and love. We just need to know how to allow the mind to see the truth of all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses as it is, be free from ignorance, and thus be free from suffering that arise due to ignorance.

Open mind is when the mind is uninfluenced by or unattached onto any particular thinking and belief and egoistic likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, being free from judgment and expectation, to just see the truth of names and forms as it is.

Minds that attached/identified strongly onto certain cultural, social, spiritual, religious or superstitious thinking and belief, it's not easy for them to see the truth as it is, unless they willingly to let go attachment and identification, and be opened. These minds recognize, analyze, judge, and generate likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements onto all the names and forms that the minds perceive through the senses of what they see, hear, smell, taste, touch/feel and think, and expect all the names and forms to be the way that they think it should be, based on the thinking and belief about what is good and bad, right and wrong, should and shouldn't, positive and negative, happiness and unhappiness, appropriateness and disappropriateness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, and so on.

The mind that is opened, it stands as a witness towards all the names and forms as they are, respects everything as they are. Just like the sun, the wind, the water, the earth and the space, they have no egoism of attachment, identification, craving, aversion, pride, superiority, separateness, judgement, discrimination, intention, or expectation. Just like all the cells, internal organs, sense organs and life supporting systems, they have no egoism and ceaselessly performing action to support this body and mind, until they ceased functioning.

The mind that is under the influence of the ego doesn't want to let go all the perceived names and forms, but it determines to interfere with everything that it perceives through the senses, applies judgment of good and bad, positive and negative, right and wrong, enjoyment and suffering, and generates craving and aversion towards all these names and forms, and desires to possess names and forms that it likes, and desires to destroy or get rid of names and forms that it doesn't like. If it doesn't get what it desires, if it gets what it doesn't desire, it gets dissatisfied, disappointed, annoyed, furious, unhappy, angry, hating, and violent.

The egoistic mind thinks and believes that "(I) am more superior and important than other beings, and (I) deserve and have the rights to do and say what (I) like to do and say, but (I) don't allow other beings who are different from (I), to do and say what they like to do and say, which (I) don't like and don't agree with. (I) am right and good. You are different from me. You are wrong and bad. (I) deserve to live and be here. You don't deserve to live and be here. (I) can do what I want to do. You cannot do what you want to do. Just because (I) am more superior and important and deserving than you."

Even the richest person, or the most beautiful person, or the most intelligent knowledgeable person, or the most powerful influential person, or the most healthy illness-free person, or the most religious person, or the most compassionate and wise person, or the oldest person in the world will also have to go through changes, decay, weakness, aging and death, just like everyone else. What is superiority, pride and arrogance? It's merely the ignorant and selfish ego.

Some people have fear towards 'open mind', as they have been told or informed by 'somebody' that open mind is something 'evil' and 'wrong', that their souls might somehow 'float away' and don't know how to 'come back' into the mind or the body, and that they might be inviting or allowing 'evil spirits' to come into the mind and take over the mind.

Those who have the greatest fear towards open mind are not the people who were being told to be fear of open mind, but they are those who try to induce or provoke fear in the people towards open mind, as they can no longer be able to 'control' or 'influence' these people to 'manipulate' them, in order to achieve their own selfish desires and personal agenda. It's because once people allow their minds to be opened and see the truth as it is, being free from ignorance, they won't be influenced or manipulated by anyone or anything.

The people who have selfish desires and personal ambitions make use of the ignorance, egoism, feelings and emotions in other people to manipulate them to 'involuntarily' helping them to achieve their selfish desires and personal ambitions, through provoking fear, or anger and hatred, or racism, or separateness, or intolerance, or violence, and etc, in the people's mind to make people go against each other, to have fear towards each other, to cause unrest in the society, so that the people are too busy dealing with fear, anger and hatred, and won't have time and energy and attention to be aware of what is really going on behind all these unrest, so that the people won't unite together to hinder the selfish people from achieving their selfish desires and personal ambitions.

Some people might also 'misinterpret' open mind as to experience and try everything that they come in contact with, without any self-control or hesitation or responsibility, it doesn't matter if these ideas, things and activities would be harming themselves and others, to prove to themselves and others that they are 'cool' and 'fearless' and 'different' and 'special', that they are 'in-control' of themselves, that they are not conformed to the 'normal' behavior of the society. What they don't realize, is that they are already being 'influenced' or 'controlled' by the idea of want to be disobedient and want to be 'cooler' than others and 'different' from others. This is not what 'open mind' is about. This is not freedom.

Open mind is not about trying to be good or to be the opposite of good.

Either we think we want to be different and special, or we want to be all same and equal, we are not free. As long as there is clinging and craving towards something or idea that we like and agree with, and aversion towards some other thing and idea that we don't like and don't agree with, we are not free, even if we think and believe that our thinking and belief is the best, all good and perfect. Be free from anger and hatred towards something or someone that we think and believe as bad, wrong and evil. If we don't like haters who hate us, don't be one.

Allowing all the different names and forms to be what they are, as they are, without attachment or identification, craving or aversion towards all these names and forms, without trying to change the names and forms to be the way that we like it to be, or the way that we think it should be. Being undisturbed by all the different qualities of names and forms being perceived through the senses, and that is freedom.

Be free.

When there's doubt whether in the yoga asana practice or in life

When there's doubt whether in the yoga asana practice or in life, especially in relationships, we learn to take responsibility to make decision for ourselves, either we go beyond the doubt and endure whatever difficulty or challenge that we think we are dealing with, and make some adjustments to adapt and accommodate whatever difficulty or discomfort, proceed with what we want to venture, or, if we think we can't go beyond the doubt, we can let go what we would like to do or have, without regret or guilt towards the decision that we made, no matter what is the outcome or consequences of our decision made.

When we attempt to perform certain yoga asana poses that we are not familiar with and there's doubt towards our physical ability or fear of the risk of injury, we learn to take the responsibility to make decision for ourselves, either we go beyond that doubt and proceed with the attempt to perform the yoga poses without tension or fear or struggle or pushing the body beyond its limitation, especially when the body is capable and is ready to do the poses, but the mind has doubt and fear, and it doesn't matter if we still can't do the yoga poses after we have tried our best, or if we think we can't go beyond that doubt, we think and believe that our body is not capable or is not ready to do the poses, we can let go of trying to perform those yoga poses in this practice session. There's no regret afterwards towards the decision that we made for ourselves.

It's really not important whether we can perform all the yoga poses, or not. It's about learning how to deal with fear and doubt while we perform the yoga asana poses. It's okay if we can't go beyond the fear or doubt in this present, but we can try again in the next practice, or the next next practice, it doesn't matter if one day finally we can perform the yoga poses without fear or doubt, or we still can't do them even after many attempts for many years. It's really not important and it has nothing to do with the realization of unconditional love and peace.

It's the same as in life situations, especially in relationships. When there's doubt in a relationship and we are not sure whether we want to continue to be in the relationship, or not, we can either go beyond the doubt and do our best to develop unconditional love, patience, tolerance, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation and accommodation to over-come whatever difficulties that we think we are encountering in a relationship, or if we think we can't go beyond the doubt, if we think we can't have the unconditional love, patience, tolerance, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation and accommodation to continue the relationship that is challenging for one or both parties, we can just let go of the relationship, even though we think we love the person in the relationship with us, as loving someone doesn't mean that we have to be in a relationship with that person, to 'keep' the love, the person and the relationship to be mine and ours.

Sometimes we have to let go a relationship out of love, real love. As loving each other doesn't necessarily mean that two people are suitable to be sharing a life together in a relationship or living together under the same roof.

It's okay if we are aware that we are not as loving or kind as what we would like us to be. We don't have to love anyone, because most of the time, we don't even love ourselves, we only love what we like and what we want. And it's okay if we don't love anyone or ourselves, as long as we are aware of it. It's okay if we realize we don't really love the person in the existing relationship with us. And it would be better to be aware of "I don't love you" than to think or believe that "I love you", but at the same time "I'll do and say things that would hurt you and our relationship, because I don't really love you, but I only love what I like and what I want. And I am unhappy or feel disappointed, angry and hurt when I don't get what I like and what I want in this relationship with you."

There's neither regret nor guilt, once we made a decision and we take the responsibility for the consequences of our decision made.

Some people do not want to make decision for themselves and ask other people to give them advice and make the decision for them, so that, if the consequences of the decision made turn out to be good, everyone will be happy, and if the consequences of the decision made turn out to be bad, they can blame other people for it.

Be free.