Focus and live in NOW

Both the teachings of yoga and buddhism emphasized on be present and focus in NOW, or living in the present moment, by letting go of the past and the future, focusing at what is here in the present moment, without attachment/identification/association or grasping, without craving or aversion, and without judgment or expectation.

Upon the mind realizes and understands towards the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self in all kinds of names and forms, or attains direct realization towards the one same universal consciousness that is timeless, changeless, beginningless, endless, attributeless, nameless, and formless beyond all kinds of names and forms, then naturally and effortlessly, this mind will be living in NOW, resting upon the selfless universal consciousness, being aware of all these while not being determined or disturbed by all these, where it is free from being determined or disturbed by the past pleasant and unpleasant experiences, towards its own imperfection/limitation and/or other's imperfection/limitation, even if it's something existing/happening in the present moment NOW, not to say, something that existed/happened in the last moment, or in the last few seconds/minutes/hours/days/weeks/months/years ago, and free from fear and worry towards the unknown or uncertainty, or the future that doesn't exist in NOW.

This mind is devoid of craving and aversion towards what it is experiencing in the present moment NOW, without attachment towards the existing pleasant and unpleasant experiences.

It is devoid of craving towards the past pleasant experiences that are not existing or don't exist in the present moment.

It is devoid of aversion towards the past unpleasant experiences that are not existing or don't exist in the present moment.

It is devoid of craving towards experiencing pleasant experiences that are not existing or don't exist in the present moment.

It is devoid of aversion towards experiencing unpleasant experiences that are not existing or don't exist in the present moment.

The past (experiences/happenings/events/affairs) cannot be undone.

The future is merely some imaginations/anticipations, that doesn't and cannot exist in NOW. 

It is always NOW. There is only NOW. And it is changing.

The mind that understands this, it will know that there is no 'previous life' and 'next life', or 'past many lives' and 'future many lives' of a permanent independent infinite individual self existence that doesn't exist.

There is only this selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence of this selfless impermanent body and mind that is undergoing ceaseless changes, that also gives rise to ceaseless new beginning of a new life of this selfless impermanent body and mind, new opportunity, and new possibility in every moment, allowing the selfless mind to be learning/inquiring/understanding towards all these selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self manifestation, in NOW.

The countless lives of ceaseless births and deaths transitioning/reincarnating in different realms are merely the reflection of the impermanent changes of the impermanent condition of the body and the impermanent state of the mind in NOW, of countless selfless cells forming, growing, ceased growing, regenerating, new cells replacing old cells, and then decaying and disintegrating, until the entire selfless bodily structure ceased functioning and existing, where there is a continuous stream of the idea of 'I' ceaselessly arising and passing away (existence and ceased existence/birth and death of every single idea/thought/feeling/emotion, and ceaselessly changing in between arising and passing away/birth and death) in the modification of the mind, under different shapes/names/forms/conditions/qualities, transitioning under different states of mind (different realms within the selfless impermanent limited and conditional modification of the mind).

Reincarnations and realms are not something that exist outside this life, this body, and this mind, or something that exist somewhere else before the beginning of this life and after the end of this life, or in some other time and space and causation, or in some other existence in some other sphere/world/universe.

Ceaseless births and deaths of countless selfless cells and ceaseless reincarnations of the countless idea of 'I' transitioning in different realms exist in NOW, in this selfless body, in this selfless mind, that is constantly changing under different conditions and states.

The life of this selfless body and mind, is only in NOW, being maintaining in NOW, constantly changing in NOW, and decaying in NOW, until it ceased functioning and existing in NOW.

That is also why this momentary life existence under the presence of conscious mind awareness that enables conscious mind evolution, is extremely precious, even though it is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, non-self, momentary, and extremely fragile. Because it can cause constructive or destructive behavior. It can contribute peace or unrest into the surrounding environment.

What the mind thinks, acknowledges, recognizes, and identifies as what and who am 'I', or the idea of 'I' identifying as this and not that, only exists in NOW, it doesn't exist beyond NOW, or before and after NOW, and there is a continuous stream of countless idea of 'I' constantly arising, changing, and passing away - impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

A happy and calmed and contented 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. An unhappy and agitated and discontented 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. An angry violent suffering disturbed 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. A peaceful and joyful 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. A kind and generous and unselfish 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. An evil and stingy and selfish 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. A prideful jealous 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. A shameful inferior low self-worth 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. An arrogant superior 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. A grieving sorrowful 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. A hurtful destructive 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. A helpful constructive 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. An offensive and defensive 'I' arising, changing, and passing away. And so on.

Endless idea of 'I' under different condition/quality/state/shape/name/form arising, changing, and passing away transitioning/inter-changing in different realms in NOW, between the realms or states of peaceful heaven (calmness and kindness/wisdom and compassion), sphere of aggressive violent Asura (violence, cruelty, jealousy, anger, and hatred), sphere of hungry ghost (discontentment, greed, possessiveness, selfishness, fear, and endless desire and craving), sphere of humanity (engagement in higher conscious evolution transcending basic survival instinct), sphere of animal (engagement in lower conscious evolution functioning under basic survival instinct), or painful suffering hell (ignorance and consequences of ignorance). All states are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, non-self, and momentary.

All kinds of reincarnations in different realms are ceaselessly manifesting/inter-changing in the selfless restless impure modification of the mind, until the annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, or complete Silence of the modification of the mind, takes place.

There is neither past continuous nor future continuous permanent independent infinite self existence of 'I'. 

There are only ceaseless momentary limited and conditional ideas of 'I' that keeps arising, changing, and passing away, that only exists in the form of thinking, or thought, or idea, in the selfless modification of the mind in NOW.

The selfless impermanent limited and conditional body doesn't belong to this idea of 'I', and vice versa.

The selfless impermanent limited and conditional mind doesn't belong to this idea of 'I', and vice versa.

The selfless impermanent limited and conditional life existence of this body and mind doesn't belong to this idea of 'I', and vice versa.

Non-self.

If it is 'I', 'I' should be able to have full control over 'I' (the thinking/the body/the mind/the life existence) to be exactly as how 'I' desire 'I' to be, but none of these is 'I', and none of these belong to 'I', as there is no permanent independent infinite individual self existence of 'I' in all these names and forms.

There is only the selfless timeless universal consciousness beyond all kinds of names and forms, that is undetermined, undisturbed, uncontaminated, unaffected, undamaged, or unhurt by the impermanent changes in all kinds of names and forms that are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, non-self, and momentary. 

All and everything in NOW is constantly changing under ceaseless activities or movements as well as under the function of memory (remembering the past) and imagination (projecting the future), generates the false impression of time, as well as the past (memories/younger/better or worst) and the future (imaginations/older/better or worst).

Live in NOW.

There is no fear and worry.

There is no anger and hatred.

There is no hurt and resentment.

There are only countless new beginnings, new opportunities, and new possibilities following each thought/feeling/emotion/understanding/experience or state of mind arising, changing, and passing away, for this selfless impermanent body and mind to be learning/inquiring/understanding/independent, or not, to be wise or ignorant, to be doing something constructive or destructive, that give rise to respective consequences of actions.

Make good use of this selfless impermanent life existence to benefit all and everyone, when the body and mind is still existing and functioning, when the conscious selfless awareness, conscious selfless evolution, and conscious selfless actions are still available and possible.

The mind will realize all these, upon the annihilation of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, or upon Silence of the restless mind, takes place.

Purify. Meditate. Inquire. Realize.

Inquire the truth of everything. Attain direct self realization.

Do not blind-believe, blind-follow, blind-practice, or blind propagating anything from anyone, from anywhere and everywhere, including all that is here.

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.

It's about be free from fear, it's never about sowing and empowering fear

The essential teachings and practices of yoga and/or buddhism is very much about peace, which is also about freeing the mind from fear, or the sense of separateness. It's never about sowing and empowering fear in the minds with all kinds of authoritarian conditions, rules and regulations, oppression, threat, intimidation, judgment, punishment, violence, painful sorrow, and suffering.

Ignorance and the idea of 'I' give rise to the sense of separateness.

Separateness gives rise to fear.

Upon the realization of selflessness and impermanence, upon the absence of ignorance and the idea of 'I', the mind that is devoid of the sense of separateness, is devoid of fear.

Peace is absence upon the presence of fear, as well as other kind of impurities and restlessness.

Peace is there as it is upon the absence of fear, as well as other kind of impurities and restlessness.

Yoga and buddhism is all about peace, or fearlessness, as well as the absence of all kinds of impurities and restlessness.

Peace is of two kinds - conditional peace and unconditional peace.

There's nothing wrong with conditional peace that is there upon the absence of unpleasant, undesirable, disagreeable, and disturbing experiences, and upon the presence of pleasant, desirable, agreeable, and soothing experiences. However, this conditional peace is still part of the impermanent manifestation within the modification/states of the mind that is determined by the mind perception of names and forms, or experiences, or the energy fields and elements, where it will change and pass away.

Just as the momentary effect deriving from performing certain yoga practice that can help to render the mind calm and quiet. It's relieving 'the symptoms', but it's not the solution of eradicating 'the cause of the symptoms'. However, the momentary conditional peace is also important as it enables the mind to have a few moments of momentary calmness that is essential for inquiring towards the truth of names and forms, that would lead to the realization of unconditional peace.

Unconditional peace, is beyond the selfless impermanent modification/state of the mind, that neither increase nor decrease, undetermined and unaffected by the mind perception of names and forms, or all kinds of desirable and undesirable experiences.

It's the realization and understanding towards selflessness and impermanence in both the perceiver and the perceived, where the selfless existence and function of the perceptive mind as well as the perceived names and forms are all selfless and impermanent, that enables the selfless perceptive thinking and acting mind to transcend the impermanent modification/state of the mind, being undetermined or undisturbed by the selfless impermanent modification/state of the mind, of all kinds of perceived names and forms ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away, of different states of the mind arising, changing, and passing away.

The names and forms, or all kinds of experiences, are just being what they are. They don't have the quality to be something pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, positive or negative, right or wrong, good or bad, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or joyless, deserving or non-deserving, and so on. It's coming from the mind itself, of how the mind reacts towards the names and forms, or all kinds of experiences, where the mind categorized this or that as pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, positive or negative, right or wrong, good or bad, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or joyless, deserving or non-deserving, and so on, based on the existing likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, desires and don't desires, under the influence of the particular thinking, belief, values, and practices in the mind.

This fearlessness, or the absence of fear under the truth of selflessness and impermanence, where the mind is resting in unconditional peace, is nothing to do with the presence of 'courage' where the mind is 'fearless' towards performing all kinds of actions and activities, ignorantly, even if it's something that gives rise to unnecessary damaging consequences or inconveniences unto oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment, regardless of whether intentionally or unintentionally.

Inquire towards all kinds of beliefs, values, and practices in the world of passionate egoism and desire, as well as certain 'teachings and practices' in the world of yoga and/or buddhism.

The mind will see that most of the beliefs, values, and practices in the world are mostly about sowing and empowering fear in the minds, while at the same time, propagating 'conditional' peace and love in the way of, "I will love you, and you will have peace, if you ..." and "I won't love you, and you will suffer (or more precisely, I will make you suffer), if you ..."

If there are certain 'teachings and practices' of yoga and/or buddhism that appeared to be sowing and empowering fear in the mind with many kinds of 'threats and punishments', then know that it's nothing to do with yoga and/or buddhism, but it's something created by the minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism, impurities and restlessness, possessiveness and desire, where those 'teachings' and 'practices' are under the influence of certain worldly passionate egoistic beliefs, values, and practices.

That's why it is highly important not to be blind-believing, blind-following, and blind-practicing, but be open-minded to be performing self-inquiry towards the truth of everything, including all kinds of teachings of yoga and/or buddhism coming from everyone and everywhere, including what is here.

If taking up and practicing certain teachings or disciplines makes life existence becoming more simple and less complicated, and renders the mind becoming more peaceful and has less fear, even if there are some inevitable struggles and challenges due the process of mind purification and changing the mind behavior pattern, but not due to fear towards the existence of certain 'authoritarian threats and punishments', then one is on the right path. And vice versa.

For the sake of looking after the well-being of oneself and/or others, to be free from ignorance and the by-products and consequences of ignorance, the mind is performing all kinds of practices or disciplines out of it's own freewill and desire, without judgment or expectation towards oneself and others, and not out of fear towards many different kinds of threats and punishments.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Before and after the mind realizes and understands towards selflessness and timelessness

Before the mind realizes and understands towards selflessness (There's not a permanent independent individual existence of 'I') and timelessness (There's no past or future. There's only the present moment now. Time is only the reflection of impermanent changes. Life is only now, and it's impermanent), the worldly passionate egoistic restless mind needs to adopt certain observation and restriction, as well as to be developing certain types of discipline through devoting or immersing into performing regular practice on the different disciplines, that help to weaken the idea of 'I' and egoism, that help to lessen impurities and restlessness, in order to prepare the mind for meditation and self-inquiry.

After the mind realizes and understands towards selflessness and timelessness via self-realization, the liberated egoless/selfless mind doesn't need to observe any observation or restriction, and doesn't need to be performing any kind of practice regularly to be developing any form of discipline, as the mind is devoid of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, where the mind is free from the suffering deriving from all that.

All kinds of yoga practice, is to be allowing the mind to see the truth of selflessness and impermanence, to attain direct experience or realization towards selflessness and impermanence. All kinds of benefits or side-effects are also selfless and impermanent. They are not the goal of the practice. No matter how fit, healthy, strong, and flexible the body can or cannot become through devoted regular practice, no matter how comfortable or uncomfortable one can be in any positions or movements, and no matter what is the state of the mind, all are selfless and impermanent, all will change.

It's the absence of the ego/the idea of 'I' and egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, that allows the selfless mind to be resting in silence, or unconditional peace, transcending the selfless impermanent states of the mind influenced by the selfless energy fields (Gunas), and all kinds of selfless impermanent changes that constantly changing, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect.

The breath (Prana) is life. Without the breath, there is no life. The breath (Life) is selfless and impermanent. The breath cannot just coming and not going, or just going and not coming, or not coming and not going for too long. The breath is still coming and going as it is, or occasionally pausing for a few moments as it is, and eventually it will stop coming and going, as it is, regardless of whether the mind is aware of the breath, or not, and whether the mind appreciates the breath (life), or not. The practice of observing the natural breath coming and going, without trying to control or change the breath being what it is, allowing the breath to be fast, or to be slow, or to pause for a few moments, is all about allowing the mind to respect impermanence, and be able to let go in peace, devoid of any desire of craving or aversion, upon the breath stops coming and going.

Similarly, the practice of doing one's best in performing all kinds of yoga practice, actions, duties and responsibilities, but without attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation towards the yoga practice/actions/duties/responsibilities and the fruit of the yoga practice/actions/duties/responsibilities, is about be kind to the body and mind by respecting the body and mind as it is, without forcing the body and mind beyond its limitation, without hurting the body and mind, and in the end, is all about allowing the mind to realize and understand that -

"The body and mind is imperfect and impermanent. Life is imperfect and impermanent. Regardless of whether good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or sorrowful, success or failure, happy or unhappy, literate or illiterate, knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable, kind or unkind, selfish or unselfish, healthy or unhealthy, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, long-lived or short-lived, spiritual or non-spiritual, religious or non-religious, and rich or poor, all and everyone will die. All are dying from the moment of being born, however, the mind that is free from ignorance and egoism, that realizes and understands towards selflessness and timelessness, will still be doing its best to live life as it is. Appreciating life, but without holding onto life, while making use of the selfless impermanent life existence to be performing all kinds of actions via the selfless impermanent physical body that would be beneficial to all and everyone, while not being determined or disturbed by selfless impermanent changes, of decay, weakness, illness, old age, discomfort, disability, limitation, pain, or death."

There is no fear and worry in such mind. Decay, weakness, illness, old age, discomfort, disability, limitation, pain, or death, is not something bad, or inauspicious, or negative, or sorrowful, or suffering, if the mind is free from ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, where the mind is peaceful as it is, regardless of all kinds of impermanent changes that is happening in the body and mind, and in the world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect.

There is no sense of superiority or inferiority in such mind. Separateness, discrimination, and desire of craving and aversion towards the different qualities of different names and forms doesn't exist in such mind.

If there is still the sense of superiority or inferiority, righteousness or wrongfulness, goodness or badness, meaningfulness or meaninglessness, joyfulness or sorrowfulness, positiveness or negativeness, and etc, in the mind towards certain qualities of certain names and forms that it perceives in itself and others, where there is still the presence of the sense of separateness, discrimination, and desire of craving and aversion towards certain 'superior' or 'inferior' qualities of names and forms in itself and others, where there is still the sense of belonging, pride, possessiveness, offensiveness, defensiveness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, greed, discontentment, fear, worry, hurt, bitterness, loneliness, guilt, regret, shame, and so on, then it indicates that the mind is still very much under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', and egoism, regardless of how long and how much the mind has been devoting most of its priority/attention/effort/energy/Prana/life into practicing and/or teaching certain type of yoga, persistently and regularly, and has been achieving extensive momentary physical and mental benefits and enhancements via the devoted persistent regular yoga practice.

There's neither right nor wrong. The mind just need to keep practicing. All minds take their own pace and cause to evolve/inquire/realize, and be free.

More importantly, regardless of whether any mind is being perceived, acknowledged and identified by itself and/or others as good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or sorrowful, success or failure, happy or unhappy, literate or illiterate, knowledgeable or non-knowledgeable, kind or unkind, selfish or unselfish, healthy or unhealthy, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, long-lived or short-lived, spiritual or non-spiritual, religious or non-religious, and rich or poor, it doesn't change the truth of selflessness and impermanence. It doesn't guarantee that the mind is, or will be free from ignorance and the suffering deriving from being ignorant, but then, all minds can be free from ignorance and suffering upon attaining self-realization towards selflessness and timelessness.

The one and only GURU is the mind itself.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Yoga is universal

Regardless of whatever the different minds want it to be, yoga is universal.

Yoga is beyond spirituality and non-spirituality. It is neither spiritual nor non-spiritual. There's neither "I am spiritual" nor "I am non-spiritual."

The minds that are sentimental or believing in spirituality, then yoga can appear to be something sentimental or spiritual for them.

The minds that are non-sentimental or non-believing in spirituality, then yoga can appear to be something non-sentimental or non-spiritual for them.

As regardless of whatever is happening within the modification of the mind, whether the mind believes or disbelieves in spirituality, whether the mind is sentimental or non-sentimental, whether ignorance is present or absent in the mind, whether the mind is intellectual or non-intellectual, whether the mind is pure or impure, or whether the mind is peaceful or non-peaceful, yoga is beyond the limited conditional selfless modification of the mind, or the different states of the mind.

Yoga of selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, or the selfless universal consciousness, is beyond the selfless impermanent existence and function of all minds, and/or beyond the mind perception of all the different impermanent qualities of selfless names and forms.

All kinds of yoga practice that served the purpose of disciplining, calming, purifying, and quieting the modification of the mind, to eradicate the idea of 'I' and egoism, is to prepare the mind for meditation, and to perform self-inquiry towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence, to attain self-realization.

Upon the attainment of self-realization, where the mind realized selflessness and absorbed in silence (the annihilation of the modification of the mind), there is neither spiritual nor non-spiritual.

Yoga is merely the selfless reflection reflecting what all and everything are, selfless and impermanent, ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away upon the changeless, timeless, causeless, limitless, nameless, formless, attributeless, actionless, birthless, deathless, beginningless, endless, selfless consciousness, that is uncontaminated or undetermined by any selfless impermanent quality, or duality, or name and form.

All minds can attain self-realization via self-initiative, self-purification, self-determination, self-independence, self-discipline, self-effort, and self-inquiry, except the minds that are expecting and waiting for an enlightened being or Guru to give them 'miracle touch' or 'mystical healing', and/or even give them enlightenment or liberation, and that's their freedom of thinking and desire.

All kinds of external teachings and teachers/gurus are merely providing some guidance to the minds for them to reflect upon, or showing the path/direction that leads the mind onto the practice, but the only teacher/guru that can free the mind from ignorance, is the mind itself. No any other teachers, or gurus, or liberated minds, can remove the ignorance in any minds, but the mind itself, alone.

The idea, or the notion, or the thinking, or the understanding, or the identification of, "I have a Guru," or "I don't have a guru," or "I am a yogi," or "I have been practicing yoga for how many years," or "I am a qualified and certified yoga teacher," or "I am advanced and highly experienced yogi/yoga teacher," or "I am an enlightened yogi/yoga Guru," or "I am a master trainer of yoga teachers," or "I am the founder/member of a yoga organization," or "Yoga came from and belongs to particular religion, country, place, community, organization, authority, and etc," doesn't mean anything. All these are merely indicating that the mind is still functioning under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', and egoism.

The mind is the one and only teacher/guru that teaches and liberates itself, by itself, alone.

Renounce the world of MAYA, of 'I'-ness, 'mine'-ness, ignorance, egoism, passion, admiration, glorification, pride, hypocrisy, untruthfulness, desire, greed, ambitiousness, restlessness, selfishness, possessiveness, discrimination, self-righteousness, blind-believing/following/practicing/propagating/worshiping, superstition, story making/telling, petty-mindedness, jealousy, anger, hatred, fear, power, and violence, is the key to self-realization.

Transcending or going beyond all kinds of so called 'beautiful', 'out of the world', 'amazing', 'magnificent', 'magical', 'mystical', or 'transcendental' mind perception of names and forms, or the play of sights, lights, colours, sounds, smells, tastes, or sensations. None can force or influence another to renounce the world. It's the mind's own self-initiative and determination.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Who or what has a permanent independent individual existence to be under going ceaseless loop of births and deaths?

Upon the annihilation of the ego, or the idea of 'I', that doesn't really exist, but only existing in the form of a continuous stream of thoughts arising and passing away ceaselessly occupying the selfless modification of the selfless mind functioning under the veil of ignorance selflessly that is existing and functioning upon the selfless support of selfless energy and selfless elements, where this idea of 'I' attaching and identifying towards the actions and the fruit of actions, or cause and effect, either enjoying or suffering, or both,

as well as,

Upon the realization towards Selflessness and Impermanence, simultaneously as well, the realization towards Timelessness, Attributelessness, Namelessness, Formlessness, Deathlessness and Birthlessness, upon the annihilation of the selfless modification of the selfless mind, in silence, in stillness, in timelessness, in selflessness, WHO, or WHAT, that has a permanent independent individual existence to be under going the ceaseless restless loop of 'births and deaths' or the restless selfless impermanent changes, in NOW?

If the selfless mind still thinks and believes that there is the existence of a WHO or WHAT that representing itself, or, it's 'I', or 'I' am THAT, that comes with an individual identity under certain attributes, names and forms, that has a beginning which will followed by an end, that has an existence which will followed by non-existence, that means that WHO or WHAT is also conditional and limited, that is subject to selfless impermanent changes, that is under going the ceaseless restless loop of 'births and deaths' governed by cause and effect. It is not real, because it doesn't has a real solid permanent unchanging independent existence.

Similarly, the one, or the selfless impermanent name and form that is under going ceaseless restless loop of births and deaths of impermanent changes selflessly, is something selfless, impermanent, conditional and limited, that is initiating and deriving from cause and effect selflessly, that which enjoys or suffers the effect of cause selflessly. It is not real, as it doesn't has a permanent independent unchanging existence.

If there is something permanent, if that something is permanent that exists independently, it is void of births and deaths, or impermanent changes. What is the ceaseless loop of 'births and deaths'? Who is under going births and deaths? Who is in painful sorrow? Who is suffering? Who is enjoying?

Inquire towards the truth of everything, and be free.

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.

Yoga is not separated from science

"Should yoga practitioners believe in science and be vaccinated, or not?"

Science is not a belief. So as yoga is not a belief. It's not about yoga practitioners should or shouldn't believe in science, and be vaccinated, or not. Just as it's not about whether someone chooses to believe in the teachings of yoga, and starts practicing yoga, and identifies oneself as a yoga practitioner, or not.

 

Yoga is about inquiring and seeing the truth of names and forms as it is. So as science.

 

The truth of things as they are, where all are selfless and impermanent, is not a belief.

The essential teachings, practice and goal of yoga, is not separated from science.

Life is science. Human's body mechanism is science. Human's behavior is science. Hormones, secretions, bodily organs and systems, cells, atoms, neurons, muscular and bone structures and etc, are science. Selflessness and Impermanence is science. How everything exist, change, and ceased existing, is science. The nature's law of cause and effect is science. Yoga of silence is science beyond names and forms.

 

There are many 'information' about the vaccines and vaccination circulating on social medias. Everyone have their own freedom of thinking, belief and choices towards any information about vaccines, especially the role of vaccination, as well as whether certain people might have certain health complications or allergies that don't allow them to take certain drugs or any form of vaccines, even if they would prefer to be vaccinated against certain diseases. Everyone have the freedom to express what they think and desire, and what they do or don't do with their body or life existence. Everyone also take the responsibility towards one's desire and the consequences of one's desire.

 

For yoga practitioners, it's not about how all the others think, believe and desire, not to say, to reason everything based on what others think, believe and desire, but one would reason and inquire what are the most beneficial actions that can be done in this present moment for helping the entire world to move forward, without being influenced by any particular existing thinking and belief in the world that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

One is fearless towards making the appropriate decision and the consequences of one's decision, uninfluenced by one's family and friends and community's different opinions about the vaccines. There's no perfection in any decision and action. There are pros and cons in any actions. The fearless beings perform actions based on what is most beneficial for the world to move forward, without attachment, identification, judgment, or expectation.

The teachings of yoga doesn't discriminate any kind of names and forms, not to say, anyone's decision towards getting vaccinated, or not, especially in a prolonged pandemic situation. The difference between yoga practitioner and non-yoga practitioner is whether one inquires the truth of everything without being influenced by any particular worldly thinking and belief that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism to judge everything, or not.

Inquire towards the ego

The ego, is the ignorant idea of the delusive existence of a non-existing individual being identifying as 'I' in the thinking mind.

The ego is the 'I' that the mind thinks and believes that it exists as an individual being.

The ego doesn't exist, it's merely an idea of 'I' born out of ignorance.

The realization of selflessness, or egolessness, or 'I'lessness, takes place upon the mind realizes the truth of there's no 'I', or ego, or an individual being, existing.

If the ego doesn't exist, then why are the teachings of Yoga and Buddhism still teach and emphasize about eradicating the ego? There's no existence of an ego that needs to be eradicated, since it doesn't exist.

That is because out of ignorance, there's a delusive individual being existence deriving from the ignorant idea of 'I', or the ego, existing in the thinking mind in the form of a continuous flow of thought process, attaching onto and identifying with certain qualities of names and forms to be 'I', where this delusive 'I' or ego generates lots of unnecessary restlessness and suffering out of egoism and ignorance, that further gives rise to countless egoistic actions and reactions, and the consequences of actions and reactions, that generates ceaseless restlessness and suffering within the modification of the function of a perceptive thinking mind. And hence, the importance of eradicating the idea of 'I', or the non-existing ego, from the thinking mind, to free the mind from such restlessness and suffering.

Some practitioners got stuck in the practice of Yoga and Buddhism about the annihilation of the ego, because out of ignorance, they misunderstand that the ego is something separated and distinct from 'I', who they think is who they are, who exists as an individual being, where there's attachment and identification in the thinking mind generated towards the modification of the mind as 'This is I'. And they think that the true identity of who they really are, or who 'I' truly am, as an existing individual spiritual being, is currently experiencing restlessness of enjoyment and suffering due to the existence of the ego in 'I'. Out of ignorance, the mind thinks and believes that "As an individual being existing in this physical body, I am performing the practice to eradicate 'the ego' from I, or myself."

There's a false self-identity existing in the thinking mind identifying as "I am experiencing restlessness of enjoyment and suffering due to the ego." Meanwhile, it's merely some selfless impermanent names and forms arising and passing away within the selfless modification of the mind.

That self-identity of 'I' is indeed the ego. It's not about "I have an ego and I need to eradicate this ego from myself." But, it's merely the mind freeing the modification of the mind from the delusive idea of 'I', or the ego. It's not "I am eradicating the ego from what I think is who I am."

There's no 'I', or ego, or an individual being, being there to experience restlessness of enjoyment and suffering.

The state of selflessness is not about 'I' realized "I am an existing individual being that doesn't have an ego and I am free from the ego."

There's no "I am aware of my ego," or "I am observing my ego reacting." It's merely the mind is being aware of the influence of an ego and the egoistic reactions.

There's no existence of an individual being of 'I' existing to be identifying as "I don't have an ego and I am free from the ego," or "I am selfless," or "I realized selflessness."

It's just the truth of the modification of the mind (Thyself) as it is.

It's the thinking mind that has a yearning to be free from suffering, that performs practice to eradicate egoism from the modification of the mind, and realizes the truth of itself, or the function of the thinking faculty of the physical body that is subject to impermanence and selflessness, where upon the annihilation of egoism, there's is no ego, or 'I', or an individual being existing. The ego is merely a delusive self-identity in the form of thinking, born out of ignorance and egoism. There's no "I have an ego," or "I have no ego," or "I am eradicating the ego," or "The ego is being eradicated from I."

It's merely the selfless impermanent modification of the perceptive thinking mind acting as part of the function of the selfless impermanent physical body, and restlessly perceiving, acting either selflessly or out of the idea of 'I' (selfless action or egoistic action), and reacting (egoistic reaction out of the idea of 'I') towards all the perceived names and forms through the function of the senses via the sense organs.

Just like all the different egoless organs and bodily systems in the egoless physical body constantly performing selfless intentionless actions being supported by energy or selfless elements from the nature that allows the physical body to be existing and functioning, and eventually ceased functioning and existing (decomposing). There's no existence of an individual being to under go 'birth' or 'death', to enjoy or suffer between the birth and death of the selfless physical body with the perceptive thinking faculty.

Out of ignorance, the mind encounters great difficulty to go beyond the delusive existence of a false self-identity of a non-existing individual being, and couldn't transcend the perception of restlessness of enjoyment and suffering (duality) within the modification of the mind, even though the mind might get to experience the state of 'I'lessness in deep silent meditation. There's still the delusive identification of "I am experiencing enjoyment and suffering," or "I am good. I am bad. I enjoy. I suffer. I aspire. I inspire. I gain. I lost. I am pleased. I am hurt."

And hence, the mind still needs to work diligently on annihilating the egoism of both gross and subtle attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation, until the ignorant idea of 'I' is completely vanished from the modification of the mind.

Upon the annihilation of egoism and the idea of 'I' from the modification of the mind, all kinds of perceived names and forms are just what they are, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither meaningful nor meaningless, neither enjoyment nor suffering, and all are impermanent and selfless.

Upon the annihilation of (the modification of) the mind, the world of impermanent names and forms doesn't exist. There's only nameless, formless, attributeless, beginningless, endless, changeless, infinite, identical, non-separate ATMAN / BRAHMAN - Brahma Satyam, Jagat Mithya, Jivo Bramaiva Naparah

The mind that truly realizes this, is fearless, even when the mortal impermanent physical body is under going impermanent changes, of decaying, aging, pain, old age and disintegration, inevitably.

Or else, as long as there are traces of ignorance and egoism, where there's still a delusive existence of an individual being, existing in the thinking mind, identifying as the one who is the doer of actions, the enjoyer of the fruit of actions, and who is the one experiencing restlessness of enjoyment and suffering, due to the gratification and non-gratification of the passionate egoistic desire of craving and aversion, the mind is not free, even though it has the opportunity of getting a glance of the state of selflessness in deep meditation.

Suffering doesn't exist for the selfless minds that know Thyself.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Everyone evolves and understands at their own pace

There's nothing to be arguing about towards the different understanding from different minds towards life existence and all the teachings and practices that we could be learning from reading, hearing and experiencing. As even what our own mind understands would be changing or evolving from time to time. It's a continuous learning and evolving process until the mind realizes the truth of impermanence and selflessness.

Everyone takes their own time to evolve and understand everything differently through different stages of practice and purification process.

It doesn't mean that we understood wrongly, even though what we understood differently on different stages wasn't completely the truth as it is before we attain the complete realization.

For the minds that have intense yearning to be free from ignorance, to realize the truth of names and forms, it might understand something differently on different stages, as one practice persistently without judgment or expectation as layer and layer of the veil of ignorance and impurities is being removed through the purification process.

It's like the eye sight. When the vision are extremely weak, the eyes are almost blind, the eyes couldn't see anything at all regardless of near and far. 

If we never initiate to improve the vision by getting certain treatment or correction, then we will never see anything at all.

If we are being initiative to improve the vision by getting certain treatment or correction, then the vision can have the opportunity to become stronger after receiving certain treatment or correction. The eyes might start to see certain shape and colour of the object in front of it that are close enough and not too far, although it might not see exactly the shape and colour of the object as it is yet, but at least it sees there's something in front of it with certain shape and colour rather blurry. If one is being contented at this stage, and doesn't continue to receive further treatment or correction to improve the vision further, then it will never see the exact shape and colour of any object, and it doesn't see what is beyond what the limited vision can reach.

If the vision gets to be receiving continuous treatment or correction until the eyesight reaches perfect clear vision, then the eyes might get to see things as clear as it can see, near and far.

During the different stages of treatment and correction, the eyes see the same object differently under different degrees of vision on the different stages, and start to see objects further and further away, until the moment it starts to see the exact shape and colour of the object as it is and can see as far as the vision can reach, upon the vision is being corrected to as perfect as it can be.

We might not see the complete truth in the beginning, but as we practice, we could attain partial understanding towards the modification of the mind, or getting a glimpse of the outline of the function of the mind, through the process of removing the different layers of impurities and calming the thought current, even though it might not be as clear as what we should be seeing when the mind is completely cleared from the veil of ignorance and impurities and restlessness, but that persistent practice, purification and inquiry, allows the mind to keep inquiring towards the truth until the veil of ignorance and impurities and restlessness is completely annihilated.

And hence, there's nothing wrong with all the different understanding throughout the entire prolong process of self-transformation or mind evolution, but at least, there's persistent practice to keep purifying, disciplining and quieting the mind, to free the mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, until it attains Self-realization, knowing Thyself.

And hence, writing a 'Sadhana' diary can also help the yoga practitioners to learn about the modification and evolution of one's mind as they practice. It's not about attaching towards the past or towards one's practice and the fruit of practice, but, it allows the mind to learn from itself by observing and studying the conditioned behavior pattern of the impure egoistic modification of the mind and through attaining all kinds of partial incomplete understanding from different stages.

The mind would see that all the partial incomplete understanding in the past is actually building up the path and leading the mind towards complete realization. There isn't anything bad or wrong in those partial incomplete understanding at all. More importantly, the continuous practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison and non-expectation will free the mind from the great obstacle of pride and false contentment that hinders most minds from continuing evolve towards the realization of selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness.

It's like seeing just the shadow of an object allows the mind to be aware of the presence of an object that is unknown to it, as it couldn't see the object directly yet due to some obstacle, but the mind will continue to strive to remove or go beyond the obstacle to see the object as it is, and not just seeing the shadow of the object. Most minds can't see anything due to the huge obstacle of deep ignorance, and are not initiated to make an effort to find out what is behind the obstacle, or to know the unknown, and even being fearful towards what is behind the obstacle, or knowing the unknown.

Without blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating any teachings and practice, but attaining direct experience and realization through inquiry towards the truth of everything, including all the teachings and practice of Yoga or Buddhism.

Be free.

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.

Living in the present

The minds that know how to 'live' in the present, time doesn't exist, but only a reflection of impermanent selfless changes. These minds are fearless and worryless being free from craving towards particular desirable/agreeable/pleasant condition and aversion towards particular undesirable/disagreeable/unpleasant condition. The function of the thinking mind or the state of the mind will go through impermanent selfless changes, but the nameless/formless/attributeless universal consciousness beyond the egoistic self-cognitive thinking mind, is birthless/deathless/changeless/infinite.

The mind can make use of the existing available condition, knowledge, talent, skill, experience and opportunity in the present moment to be performing actions looking after the well-being of one's life and/or others, without attachment towards the actions and the fruit of actions. Passionate optimistic people even propagate that people can create/develop the desirable condition, knowledge, talent, skill, experience and opportunity intentionally, if they aren't existing/available in the present. There's nothing wrong with that. The only difference is that there's no satisfaction/dissatisfaction, pleasure/disappointment, happiness/unhappiness, success/failure, pride and arrogance/shame and guilt/regret in the minds that are free from attachment towards the actions and the fruit of actions.

The minds that know this, all actions are being performed out of selfless compassion, intentionlessly. It's nothing to do with attaining the sense of goodness, happiness, righteousness, positiveness and meaningfulness or getting rid of the sense of badness, unhappiness, wrongfulness, negativeness or meaninglessness. As the minds that are free from the ego and egoism don't need to attain the sense of goodness, happiness, righteousness, positiveness, or meaningfulness, to feel good, happy, righteous, positive, or meaningful, as these minds are void of the sense of badness, unhappiness, wrongfulness, negativeness, or meaninglessness, regardless of all the impermanent selfless changes of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses. There's not even the idea of "I am a selfless compassionate being performing selfless compassionate actions that are beneficial to the world." not to say, "I want to be a kind and compassionate human being who performs kind and compassionate actions that will benefit the world."

The worldly passionate minds that are being conditioned to think and believe that all human beings need to live life and perform actions in the way that would give rise to the sense of goodness, happiness, righteousness, positiveness and meaningfulness, couldn't comprehend this. These minds are being 'troubled' by the absence of the sense of goodness, happiness, righteousness, positiveness, or meaningfulness, and would be 'disturbed' by the presence of the sense of loneliness, lovelessness, badness, wrongfulness, unhappiness, negativeness, or meaninglessness. The practice of silence, solitude, seclusion and renunciation from worldly affair and relationship is extremely painful, wrong, lonely, loveless, negative and meaningless to them.

"Being alone, living alone, without coming in contact or interacting with family and friends and the society for a prolonged period of time is something unhealthy, sad, wrong and terrible."

For the worldly minds, everyone should be physically/mentally/emotionally closely 'connecting' to one another, be able to love and care for one another, be able to give and receive love from one another, (sort of) being free from loneliness/aloneness by being with some others, to be physically/mentally/emotionally connecting and interacting with some others, is the highest meaning and the joy of life existence. There's nothing wrong, but it's not freedom in yoga.

In yoga, (regardless of whether being by oneself alone, being physically distant from any other beings and without interacting with some others physically/mentally/emotionally, or being physically/mentally/emotionally surrounded by some other beings and constantly interacting with other beings,) the realization of unconditional peace of namelessness/formlessness/attributelessness/selflessness, being free from ignorance and egoism, being free from attachment and longing towards the sense of goodness, happiness, righteousness, positiveness, or meaningfulness deriving from certain quality of names and forms of the companionship of others and interaction with some other beings physically/mentally/emotionally, is indeed a great liberation. Though the worldly passionate minds don't appreciate this liberation. For them, this is not the liberation that they want, because they think and believe life is so sad and loveless if nobody needs to depend on one another to feel love, to be giving and receiving love physically/mentally/emotionally among one another. And that's everyone's freedom of thinking, belief, feeling, action, reaction and desire.

Even many 'yoga teachers' who think they love practicing and teaching yoga would also think and believe in such way. They are not interested in dispassion, renunciation, silence, solitude, seclusion, or celibacy. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, some yoga practitioners aren't working on silencing and annihilating the modification of the mind, but they are working on empowering egoism, desire of craving and aversion, passion and lust, and stimulating the modification of the mind. There are such saying - "Change what you don't like until you are happy and satisfied."; "If you don't like how you look or how you feel, change it!"; "If you don't like your eyes or your skin colour, change it to be the way that you like!"; "If you aren't happy or satisfied with your life or relationship, change it!"; "If you don't like the world, change it and make it the way that you like and prefer!"; "Be strong! Be in power! Be in control! You deserve everything that you desire!" And that's their freedom. But that's not yoga practice.

Any tiny or huge 'amount'/'measurement' of physical/mental/emotional distance makes no difference for the mind that realizes oneness/non-separateness/selflessness. The adept yogi is never lonely even when being alone, or non-coming in contact and non-interacting with some other beings physically/mentally/emotionally for a short while or for a prolonged period of time. Those who don't know this, even after 'practicing yoga' for a long time, would feel lonely, sick, unhealthy, bad, wrong, unhappy, meaningless or depressed, when being physically/mentally/emotionally distant from some other beings for a prolonged period of time.

Many people can't live without coming in contact and interacting with some others even for a few hours/days/weeks, not to say, for months/years. They would be suffering from loneliness and sadness, because the untrained egoistic mind perceives time and separateness, where time without actions or interactions (silence), is dulled, boring, empty, lonely and meaningless. Even many medical professionals think that in order to be 'cured' from loneliness and sadness, is to be with and interacting with some other beings physically/mentally/emotionally as much as possible. Though there's nothing wrong with it, that is not yoga practice, but indeed a huge obstacle on the path of yoga towards liberation from ignorance and egoism.

Many people including some 'yoga teachers' believing in and promoting "Do what makes you feel good, happy, righteous, positive and meaningful" while encouraging people to be kind and do good by propagating "Be kind and do good or help others because it makes you feel good, happy, positive and meaningful." Though there's nothing wrong with that, but it's not yoga practice. It doesn't help the mind to be free from the ego and egoism, but actually empowering the ego and egoism. The yoga teachings taught, "Stop doing what your mind likes that makes your mind (the ego) feels good, satisfy and happy." in order to know Thyself, to realize unconditional peace as it is, which is not coming from doing/achieving something that the mind thinks it will make the mind (the ego) feels good, satisfy and happy.

Just be kind. Just do good. Just help others. Not because "I need or want to be kind and do good and help others because it will make me feel good, happy and meaningful." In yoga, that's no freedom at all.

Those who truly practice yoga, there's no need to do/achieve something to feel good, happy or meaningful, but just being peaceful as they are, being free from ignorance, egoism, desire of craving and aversion. Imagine a world where all and everyone realize this unconditional peace, in stead of thinking and believing that all beings need to attain and feel love from some other beings, longing to be loved or touched by some other beings to feel good, happy, satisfy or meaningful, and people would perceive dissatisfaction, disappointment, badness, unhappiness, sadness, loneliness or meaninglessness upon the perception of lacking love and interaction from some others. Though it's everyone's freedom for what they think, believe, feel, act and react.

For those who truly want to practice yoga, must work diligently on the elimination of the ego and egoism, removing the veil of ignorance, silencing and annihilating the modification of the mind.

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.

The mind is being bound by endless desires

Endless desires constantly arising and passing away in the impure egoistic mind, where there's an acting self cognition in the mind generates attachment or grasps onto these desires, and ceaseless actions are being performed to gratify/materialize all these desires, unwittingly being bound by or being the slave of endless desires and the ceaseless effort to be chasing after the gratification of all desires.

When one is alive, "I want to be this and that."
"I want to do this and that."
"I want to be happy."
"I want to be successful."
"I want to be positive and strong."
"I want to be healthy."
"I want to be somebody. I don't want to be nobody."
"I want to be a man. I don't want to be a woman."
"I want to be a woman. I don't want to be a man."
"I want to be famous."
And then,
When one dies,
"I want to be this or that."
"I want to be an angel."
"I want to be in heaven."
"I want to be a star."
"I want to be a tree."
"I want to be a cat/dog/fish/bird."
"I want to be a man. I don't want to be in a woman's body."
"I want to be a woman. I don't want to be in a man's body."
"I want to be remembered."

There's never ending of desire to be 'somebody' or 'something' that one is not.

And everybody are being brought up in the society being encouraged or empowered to be 'somebody' that is not what one is. Very few just be, without attaching onto any names and forms to be 'somebody'. From all those identifications as 'somebody with certain names and forms', one identifies strongly as this is 'I'/'who I am'.

One doesn't need to be 'somebody' or 'anybody' or 'nobody'. One doesn't even need to be 'me' whom one thinks and believes that is 'who/what I am'.

One is just what one is. And whatever one is, it's mere manifestation of the impermanent and selfless modification of the mind born out of ignorance, influenced by cause and effect and powered by Prana/energy and fed by endless desires. One could be very/less successful and might be 'wearing' many 'name tags' of different 'names and forms' in this life existence of a selfless body and thinking mind, but none of these names and forms is 'I'. There's no 'I' existing to be identifying as 'somebody', of this or that, of good or bad.

Go beyond the manifestation of the mind perception of a selfless worldly life existence of names and forms that is subject to impermanence, and realize oneness, selflessness, namelessness, formlessness, attributelessness, birthlessness, deathlessness.

There's no distinction or separateness of this consciousness and that consciousness, or lower consciousness and higher consciousness, or pure and impure consciousness, or individual consciousness and universal consciousness. One doesn't become that. All is that.

One who realizes this, is desireless/fearless/worryless/lonelyless. Desireless is the way to cut off delivering the 'fuel' that feeds the wheel of birth and death.

Inquire the truth of everything

The prerequisites for the mind to inquire the truth of everything -

An open mind that is unattached towards any particular way of thinking and belief to analyze or judge everything. Letting go all kinds of subjective judgment and comparison.

Free from expectation towards everything that everything has to be/not to be in certain ways. Allowing everything to be what they are, even if the mind dislikes and disagrees with it. Being undisturbed by names and forms that the mind dislikes, disagrees with and doesn't want.

Free from pride and arrogance or low self-esteem (they both are the same thing.)

Free from blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, blind-preaching, blind-sharing.

Free from fear towards 'religious authority', 'superstitions', 'criticism', 'condemn', or 'the truth that is not necessarily the way that the mind believes what it is or how the mind would like it to be'.

Being aware of the mind is ignorant towards the unknown, or many things that are beyond the knowledge of the mind, and is aware of the mind is functioning/perceiving/understanding everything under a particular way of thinking and belief in the mind that influence how the mind perceives, analyzes, judges, feels, acts and reacts towards all the mind perception of names and forms, which is nothing to do with the truth of what things are.

The state of the mind of calmness, quietness and purity, being free from stimulation, incorrect/corrupted thinking, restlessness and impurities.

It's like the function of a mirror.

The mirror that is cracked/contorted, or is shaky, or is full of dust and dirt, cannot reflect the image of things as it is. The reflection of things is distorted/contorted, or blurred, or not what it is. Even though the reflection/image of things are distorted/contorted, blurred and not what it is, being reflected onto a cracked/contorted, shaky and dirty mirror, it doesn't change the truth of the things. The truth of things is still what it is, being undetermined, unaffected, undisturbed, or unaltered by the cracked/contorted, shaky and dirty mirror.

Just like a mind that is functioning under the influence of the defilement of ignorance or incorrect and corrupted thinking, or is restless, or is under the influence of egoism and impurities, cannot reflect the truth of things as it is. The perception or understanding of things are incorrect, corrupted, blurred, or not what it is. Even though the perception or understanding of things is incorrect, corrupted, blurred and not what it is, being perceived under a mind that is over-powered by ignorance/incorrect or corrupted thinking, restlessness and impurity, it doesn't change the truth of things. The truth of things is still what it is, being undetermined, unaffected, undisturbed, or unaltered by the ignorant, corrupted, restless and impure state of the mind.

And thus, all the different forms of yoga practice is to be calming, quieting and purifying the mind, to free the mind from ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, to allow the mind to reflect/see things as they are, being free from the influence of any particular worldly cultural/social/religious/spiritual/national/racial/political/educational/philosophical idea, accumulated knowledge, thinking, belief, value and practice to analyze or judge everything.

Reflect upon the truth of things as it is. Everything is just what they are. Neither good nor bad. Neither right nor wrong. Neither positive nor negative. Neither meaningful nor meaningless. Neither happiness nor unhappiness. Neither spiritual nor non-spiritual. Neither superior nor inferior.

Be free.

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.