Generosity

Under the absence of the idea of 'I', there's no attachment or identification towards the act of generosity, or the idea of "I am being generous."

There's no expectation towards others who received one's act of generosity to be appreciative and grateful, or showing gratitude.

There's no separateness between the performer of action (The one that is being generous) and the action of generosity.

Some minds are performing the action of generosity under certain intention of 'compensation towards guilt and regret for certain damaging and hurtful behavior', or 'to be receiving acknowledgment and recognition, praise and compliment, liking and support', which is also nothing to do with the selfless intentionless act of generosity.

It's the same as any kind of selfless actions under the absence of the idea of 'I'.

Selflessness is not about unselfishness. It is beyond unselfishness.

There's no attachment or identification of, "I am unselfish," and "I am performing unselfish actions."

There's no expectation of, "Some others are benefited from my unselfishness," and "Some others should be appreciative and grateful, and showing gratitude."

There's no idea of 'I' existing to be practicing non-attachment, or non-identification, or non-expectation of, "I am not attaching and not identifying towards my selfless actions," and "I am not expecting anything from anyone for my selfless actions."

While coming from others who have received the generosity from someone, recognizing such act as a form of generosity, and showing gratitude towards such generosity, that is everyone's freedom of action and reaction.

It's only when there is still the idea of 'I' and egoism occupying the mind, then this selfless mind needs to be eradicating the idea of 'I' and egoism from itself.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

The hindrance towards self-inquiry and self-realization is coming from the mind itself

There's nothing wrong and it's common that most minds are being proud of the attachment and identification towards their particular ancestral, tribal, social, cultural, spiritual or religious thinking, belief, values and practice that influencing their particular way of living, perspective, reasoning power, judgment and expectation towards themselves and everything, where the idea of letting go those existing attachment and identification in the teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism, is something unthinkable or extremely wrong and insane for these minds.

There are many minds are interested in yoga, and might be practicing and teaching yoga under certain names and forms for some time, however, the presence of intense attachment and identification or pride towards their particular thinking, belief, values and practice deriving from as well as empowering ignorance and egoism, that built around survival instinct, separateness, duality, fear, desire and greed, is indeed the biggest hindrance for the minds to advance further in the path of self-inquiry and self-realization.

For the minds that are aware of ignorance and sincerely want to be free from ignorance, to transcend the inevitable suffering of restless and selfless impermanent changes (ceaseless and countless births and deaths within the modification of the mind, of different states arising and passing away being conditioned and limited by cause and effect), not only that a calm and quiet mind is essential, but an open mind without any attachment and identification towards any particular worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice conditioning the mind to analyze, reason, judge and expect towards everything, is what allowing self-inquiry to be happening as it is, intentionlessly and effortlessly.

Need not going everywhere in searching for a Guru other than the mind itself, to enlighten oneself, to answer one's questions, to remove one's doubts, or to heal one's painful suffering, but one only needs to let go the pride, the attachment and identification towards the existing egoistic thinking and belief in the mind, all and everything is already there teaching and guiding this mind onto the path of self-inquiry and self-realization.

Feel annoyed, disgusted, offended, intimidated, threatened and angry by this teaching or anything that is contradicting with the existing thinking and belief, values and practice in the mind, that the mind categorized as wrong, bad, negative and meaningless? That's the precious moment to reflect towards what is going on in this mind, to know Thyself.

The minds that don't know, they fall in love with what 'amazed' them, they miss what 'they fall in love with' upon their absence, they regret if they did something that they think they shouldn't do or didn't do something that they think they should have done. And that's their freedom of thinking, actions and reactions.

The minds that know, they don't fall in love with anything, they don't miss anything, they don't regret anything. Such minds can be kind and accommodating towards all and everyone non-discriminatively and unconditionally.

Letting go the attachment and identification towards the existing thinking, belief, values and practice, is challenging for the minds that have been conditioned deeply by such names and forms, however, it will become effortless, upon the mind realizing the 'intention' or 'motif' that gives rise to the existence of all the different kinds of passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice in the world of human beings. Such liberated minds can still live life in certain way like everyone else, while living and mingling among all kinds of human beings of different thinking, belief, values and practice, however, the minds are free from attachment and identification towards any thinking, belief, values and practice, and thus, be able to respect and accommodating towards all kinds of diversities in the world, free from separateness and discrimination.

The minds that are not free from attachment and identification or pride towards their particular inherited or adopted thinking, belief, values and practice, will always be conditioned by the sense of separateness and discrimination towards some other forms of thinking, belief, values and practice that the minds dislike and disagree with, that are contradicting with their own particular thinking, belief, values and practice.

The realization of selflessness, that leads to non-separateness or oneness beyond all kinds of different qualities of names and forms, is the only way to achieve world peace under many diversities effectively and non-violently.

Inquire towards any forms of teachings or beliefs that propagate and empower the sense of separateness and discrimination, and the sense of pride towards identity and attachment towards such teachings or beliefs and their particular community, while talking highly about promoting peace and harmony in the world ( what they claimed and possessed as their world) based on their own particular thinking, belief, values and practice, while using temptation, rewards, conversion and education, or else, oppression, force, control, disciplinary, threat, punishment, or violence, with the intention or aspiration of 'uniting' and 'unifying' all and everyone under a particular vision based on their community of particular thinking, belief, values and practice, while eliminating or pushing away all the others that don't 'fit' into the vision of their world. Such 'trace' can be found in all kinds of culture, spirituality, religion, political party, organization, association and authorization. Not that these names and forms are bad and wrong. They have their own purposes and functions. It depends on whether they are run by the minds that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, or free from the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Not playing the game that empowers egoism and ignorance

Life is not always easy, and can be quite hard at certain time, where many of those unnecessary uneasiness and hardship are the by-products deriving from the ignorance and egoism of the prideful selfish human beings, that can be avoided if more minds, especially those who have the capability and opportunity to be the leaders or influencers in the world, are free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, which is unfortunately not the case in this world.

It's understandable that out of survival instinct, many people would just play along with the egoistic game of diplomacy and grouping, that is built on hypocrisy and identification that empowers ignorance, egoism, selfishness, possessiveness, separateness and all kinds of discrimination, in order to avoid certain 'difficulties', and be able to enjoy a life that is less 'hard' by being compliant towards many 'human made rules and regulations created out of selfishness' that don't necessarily make life any easier but more complicated.

If one gives in to the unnecessary difficulty and complication that derived from the ignorance and egoism in the world, and desire to be enjoying a slightly easier living condition while being existing in this world of ignorance and egoism, where one plays along with the game of ignorance and egoism, that empowers attachment, identification, desire, comparison, judgment and expectation, then not only that one is not helping the world to be a better place for all beings non-discriminatively, to have less corrupted thinking, belief, actions and reactions, but one is empowering the system that is created out of the ignorance and egoism of human beings, that gives rise to ongoing unnecessary corruptions, difficulties, hardships, damages and suffering in the world.

All kinds of talking and activism about spreading awareness about 'peace in the world', 'non-discrimination', 'all lives matter', 'non-violence', 'corruption free government', 'clean and fair justice and democracy', 'environmental friendly ecological clean way of living', 'vegetarianism', 'veganism', and so on, might help to relieve certain degrees of human made damages in the world, but it doesn't eliminate the source of all kinds of human made problems and damages deriving from the highly corrupted 'system', if the minds are not free from ignorance and egoism, where everyone is playing along with the game of egoism, supporting and empowering the 'system' that derived from and empowers selfishness, pride, attachment, identification, possessiveness, separateness and discrimination, either wittingly or unwittingly.

If a nation will only grant a person a citizenship, if one speaks their particular language proficiently and live life according to their national and cultural belief, values and practice, that one is being proud of being one of them, that one will support, promote and defend their particular political ideas, visions and values, that one has to know their national anthem and the past history of their governmental leaders and affairs, where they cannot accept one as it is, where one doesn't necessarily speak their particular language, doesn't necessarily live life according to their national and cultural belief, values and practice, is not having any attachment and identification or pride towards a national or community or family identity, is not interested in any political ideas and values, doesn't know their national anthem or any other national anthems, and is not interested in the past history of any governmental leaders and affairs in the world that are nothing but the product of egoism and the fuel that feeds egoism, then 'I' am not interested in attaining such citizenship, even though 'I' respect the action and decision of such human beings won't grant someone their particular national citizenship under such 'egoistic conditions, rules and regulations', that's their freedom of thinking, belief, values and action, but 'I' am not playing the game of ignorance and egoism in order to attain any particular citizenship that might or might not make life less difficult.

Being a 'rightful' citizen of any particular nation in the world of corruption, doesn't necessarily mean that there will be less difficulty or suffering in life existence arising from the ignorance of human beings. The situation in the world right now, in this present moment, and at anytime, is indeed the greatest teacher of the mind. One doesn't need to go anywhere in search for a teacher to teach oneself about ignorance and the consequences of ignorance. This world of human beings is full of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.

Not speaking any particular language proficiently, not living life according to any particular national and cultural belief, values and practice, not having any attachment and identification or pride towards any national or community or family identity, not interested in any political ideas and values that empowers separateness and selfishness, not knowing any national anthem, and not interested in the past history of any governmental leaders and affairs that empowers possessiveness and greed, it doesn't mean that one is not respecting all kinds of lives, or one is being disrespectful towards other people's different ways of living in accordance to a particular national and cultural belief, values and practice, or one will be intentionally creating unnecessary problems, damages and inconvenience to other people in the society, or one won't be kind and helpful towards other beings unconditionally, or one won't be looking after the general welfare of all and everyone non-discriminatively in the world of diversity, regardless of the different names and forms.

Unless the policy of a country is not at all about welcoming peaceful human beings that embrace peace and harmony among all and everyone non-discriminatively, that would help and be kind towards one another unselfishly, that welcome world peace or universal peace without possessiveness, selfishness, discrimination, hatred, bully and violence, but it's more about having their own particular political demands and agendas, to be 'recruiting' supporters and manpower that would be empowering and defending their 'power and wealth status' and 'possessions', then let it be. They want human beings that are aggressive and violent, that will fight for them to accomplish their selfish greedy ambition of conquering and possessing more and more territories and natural resources via bullying, threat, force and violence, to boost their status of power and wealth. Human beings who want peace and harmony are useless to them. Many of the people in certain nations are being manipulated by such ignorant egoistic leaders and influencers to become more and more selfish, self-righteous, self-protective, discriminating, hating and violent, where they are not interested at all in the peace and harmony among all diversities in the world, or to be looking after the welfare of all and everyone in the world of diversities non-discriminatively, but only to enhance and protect the welfare of themselves and those whom they refer as one of them.

Similarly, within a personal relationship or a family relationship, one will not be playing the game of diplomacy and grouping, empowering the ignorance and egoism in oneself and others.

The game of diplomacy and grouping is being seen as the way to develop and maintain peace and harmony within the personal relationship, the family and the society, where one is being told to keep the head down and be silent towards any forms of ill-treatment unto oneself and/or others, but that's only encouraging and empowering ignorance and corruption in the world on all levels.

Not being determined or disturbed by the ignorance of others in the world, or not fighting against the ignorance in the world, doesn't mean that one should be submissive and silent towards all kinds of ill-treatment, not walking away from such abusive situations when there's possibility to do so, and being there allowing oneself and/or others to be ill-treated by some others repeatedly and continuously, encouraging and empowering the ignorance of others.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (30)

Among the many different thinking, beliefs, values and practices in the world, there is a similar pattern of egoistic attachment and identification towards what everyone believed and recognized as good, right, positive, constructive, progressive and meaningful, even if all these names and forms might mean differently under the different thinking, beliefs, values and practices.

Human beings are being brought up under different beliefs, values and practices, while being trained and empowered to develop strong attachment and identification towards their belief, values and practice, and to defend their belief, values and practice, as well as their personal and community identity that built on those belief, values and practice, at all costs. Many people strongly believe that it's not possible to live life without holding onto a particular belief, values and practice to set as a direction to be influencing how people think, judge, behave, and live life in certain way.

Either attaching and identifying towards what the different thinking and beliefs recognized as something good, right, positive, constructive, progressive and meaningful, or towards what the different thinking and beliefs recognized as evil, wrong, negative, destructive, regressive and meaningless, the mind is not free.

The wise beings realized the 'danger' of such egoistic attachment and identification deriving from ignorance powered by survival instinct, fear and greed, which is the main reason for all kinds of unnecessary man made suffering of discrimination, prejudice, hatred, invasion, violence, cruelty, bully and abuse in the world, and hence, they renounced all kinds of attachment and identification, as well as disseminating such awareness and understanding into the world, without attachment, identification or expectation towards their actions and the fruit of actions.

The teachers of wisdom advised the minds, "Refraining from newspapers and novels reading, TV watching and radio listening, cutting off ties, social connections and interactive activities, and embracing renunciation, seclusion and solitude," is not a mad joke at all. It's serious, and the most effective method to free the minds from such conditioned behavior pattern that keeps generating boundless unnecessary suffering to oneself and others.

All these teachers of wisdom and peace never propagate or inflict "Hating and fighting against the different worldly thinking, beliefs, values and practices in the world," even when they see the 'dangerous' consequences of ignorance and egoism that exists in all kinds of thinking, beliefs, values and practices, but they only teach about purifying, disciplining and quieting one's mind, and investigating towards the truth of everything under a pure and quiet mind through self-effort and self-inquiry (unconditioned by any particular thinking, belief, values and practice, and undisturbed by the restless modification of the mind, or the selfless mind perceptions of names and forms), while allowing and respecting all kinds of impermanent and selfless names and forms in the world being what they are, as they are, without interference towards all and everything to be or not to be in certain way, without interfering with the law of nature (cause and effect), without desire or aspiration to create a 'different' thinking, belief, values and practice, to lure, convince and convert as many people as possible to join, follow, support and empower one's creation of a new form of belief, values and practice, and without intention and ambition to change or make the world to be something else that it is not.

There are many new age 'cults' existing in the world claiming to be 'different' from the conventional worldly thinking, beliefs, values and practices, which all are nothing but another one of the products of the rebellious minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism that dislike and disagree with the conventional thinking, beliefs, values and practice, while misleading many confused suffering minds to join their cults, to empower and defend the cults that they created, and to fight against the many different conventional worldly thinking, beliefs, values and practices that they dislike and disagree with.

Renouncing one's existing worldly conventional thinking, belief, values and practice, to be joining one of those new age 'cults', to be attaching and identifying with some other thinking, belief, values and practice that is different from the previous one, is nothing to do with yoga. Just as many minds practice detachment towards certain names and forms by attaching onto some other names and forms. It's like coming out from a hole and jumping into another hole. It's not what yoga practice is about. However, unfortunately, 'yoga' is being related to one of those new age trends by many people, including some yoga enthusiasts, because there are some highly creative and ambitious yoga enthusiasts creating their own new age yoga lineage under certain names and forms, styles and brands, that deliberately swaying away from the traditional teachings of yoga, which is not about the annihilation of ignorance, egoism, desire and passion, but instead, propagating and empowering attachment, identification, self-worth, self-pampering, indulgence of the senses and passionate desires, untamed wilderness (discipline-less/restriction-free, but following and gratifying one's limitless desires), or even shortcut to 'satisfaction, peace and happiness'.

Many people believe in and propagate - "Do what makes you happy"/"Focus on your desires and make all your desires come true"/"Live life passionately", and of course, most minds would like, agree with and support such idea very much, but it's not the teachings and practice of yoga at all. However, it's the freedom of the minds for what they want or don't want to practice.

The teachings and practice of yoga is about freeing the mind from such attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, and expectation towards the names and forms via letting go, self-discipline and self-control, to realize selflessness/oneness/non-separateness/attributelessness that leads towards unconditional love and peace as it is, that is undetermined and undisturbed by the impermanent pleasant and unpleasant names and forms that the minds like and dislike, desire and don't desire, agree and disagree with.

"Live life passionately, following a trendy lifestyle and changing/experimenting different lifestyles, be inspired, be ambitious, self-worth, self-pamper, enjoying life to the fullest, and fulfilling all your desires," is being welcome by the world of capitalism and commercialism. In fact, such idea is the creation of the world of capitalism and commercialism. The sustainability and growth of the economy is highly depending on the people who were being influenced and conditioned by such ideas since birth, to make more and more money, to accumulate more and more wealth, to have the spending power in order for them to live life passionately, to fulfill all their ambitious desires of constantly doing something, going places, buying something, celebrating something, actively socializing, and indulging in pleasurable physical and mental enjoyment of the senses. Those who are contented with living a simple quiet way of life with enough basic needs of food and shelter, who are being peaceful and happy as they are, and those who encourage simple quiet way of life in the world, are not welcome by the world of capitalism and commercialism.

Human minds are being conditioned and encouraged to never be contented with a simple way of living, or how things are (even when one's life is already full of many different things, enjoyments and activities), to be empowered to become highly ambitious and greedy, to keep spending money on buying new things and regularly throwing out 'old' or 'outdated' things, to be decorating the physical body as well as their possessions such as one's home, car, children, or pets with many different types of trendy accessories that generate specific sights, smells, sounds, tastes or sensations, and to be actively sociable. Where all these names and forms are the fuel for the world of capitalism and commercialism that give rise to all kinds of exploitation towards nature, natural resources, human beings and non-human beings, and many things.

Some mental health advocates might also encourage those who suffer from the sense of tiredness, burnout, stress, loneliness, boredom, grief, low self-worth, low self-esteem, dissatisfaction, unhappiness and meaninglessness, to find certain passions in life, or to find certain excitements to stimulate the mind, or to develop certain desires and aspirations to motivate the mind, or to make more social connections, or to develop and empower certain attachment and identity (particularly something new and different), or to be doing and achieving something regularly that makes the mind feels satisfied, positive, good and happy, in order to boost the sense of self-worth, self-esteem, pride, satisfaction, joyfulness, success, worthiness, confidence and meaningfulness, by actively engaging in certain physical, mental or emotional activities, where all these names and forms are indeed the root cause of those mental suffering in human minds.

It's like, "Oh, we know that the minds are suffering from restlessness or over stimulation (physical/mental/emotional exhaustion) due to the way of life in the world. However, we think that they shouldn't stop being restless or stimulated, because they would be suffering from quietness. They just need to keep being restless or stimulated with some other new and different passions, desires, toys, relationships, activities and enjoyments. That will make them feel great again. Once they start getting sicked with those (new) passions, desires, toys, relationships, activities and enjoyments, then they should find some other new and different passions, desires, toys, relationships, activities and enjoyments. If they are not happy or satisfied with something, they can always try to change it, or they can find a new one or a different one. Once they are getting sicked or dissatisfied with the 'changes' or the 'new and different' one, then they can always change it again, or find some other new and different ones. They don't need to stop chasing after what makes them feel satisfied and happy, even though everyone knows that it doesn't last, it's impermanent, and they will always be dissatisfied and unhappy after some time."

That's why the importance of seclusion and solitude.

Swami Sivananda - "Be aware of cults. Live alone. Eat alone. Walk alone. Meditate alone. Do not mix. Do not hoard disciples. Do not build ashrams. You are left alone now."

It's not an easy path, as the ignorant mind has great difficulty of letting go the attachment and identification towards their particular existing thinking, belief, values and practice since birth, being surrounded by everyone that are also being conditioned deeply by such attachment and identification to live life, think, judge and behave in certain way. In the beginning, it's very much depending on the effort of letting go, when the mind is still having doubt, hesitation and fear towards letting go such attachment and identification. No doubt that it's quite a 'scary' process. Just as it's normal for the minds to be fearful towards the unknown. Even if the mind is not completely be free from the egoistic attachment or identification yet, but it's okay. It's part of the process. Because that effort of trying to let go the existing thinking, belief, values and practice, by renouncing the worldly habitual behavior pattern and way of life consisting ties, relationships, connections and interactions for a prolonged period of time, will allow the mind to be able to see the play of ignorance and egoism in itself, and upon that self-realization towards ignorance and egoism in itself, without any expectation, without any fear, doubt and hesitation, the mind will be able to let go effortlessly, or, all kinds of attachment and identification will drop-off by itself naturally, which simultaneously, leading the mind towards the realization of selflessness, or unconditional love and peace.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Self-esteem that doesn't need to be there at all

Regardless of the many different geographical, nationality, ancestry, ethnical, cultural, religious and social backgrounds in the world, most people have one thing in common, that is about developing and empowering self-esteem, or in other terms, self-worth, or confidence, or pride.

Self-esteem is nothing but the by-products of ignorance and egoism, and is being empowered by ignorant egoistic attachment and identification towards the quality of names and forms that is subject to impermanence and selflessness.

Similarly, the existence of all kinds of nationality, culture, religion and social class in the world are also the by-products of ignorance and egoism, and are being empowered by egoistic attachment and identification towards certain qualities of name and form, that generate separateness and discrimination which directly lead to so much unnecessary humanity problems, that also directly and indirectly relate to various degrees of psychological mental and emotional suffering in many people.

Almost everyone are being brought up in their family, their schools, their work place and the society in the way of developing and empowering the sense of self-esteem, self-worth, confidence or pride that built on certain quality of names and forms that is being recognized by their particular thinking, belief, values and practice about what is existence deserving, love deserving, acceptance deserving, success deserving, happiness deserving, praise deserving, respect deserving and pride deserving. If people don't attain or possess those quality of names and forms, then they think and believe that they or other people are not good enough for being what they are, as they are.

Many people are more or less being determined and affected by the sense of self-esteem. Or, many people are suffering from self-esteem problem that affecting themselves and their life, behavior, study, work and relationship with everyone and everything. Some people even hurt themselves due to being disturbed by the sense of self-esteem that they were told to develop in certain way, but didn't turn out to be the way that they would like it to be.

People think and believe that in order to help those who would hurt themselves due to being disturbed by the sense of self-esteem is by empowering their self-esteem by helping them to build up a stronger self and group identity attaching and identifying with certain qualities of names and forms, by helping them to be equipped with certain 'good' quality and the ability to achieve certain achievement in order to allow them to see or realize something in them that are worthy for them to feel good, meaningful and proud of. But that doesn't really help, as it not just doesn't remove the root cause of such 'disturbs' which is ignorance and egoism, but it empowers the ignorance and egoism.

Self-esteem doesn't need to be existing at all in anyone for being existing and living in the world as a person in one's life existence or being part of the diverse community in the world globally.

Many personal psychological mental or emotional problems deriving from self-esteem are directly and indirectly contributing to the many unnecessary family, relationship and social problems in the world.

Everyone's life and well-being and the world is much better off without the need of the presence of self-esteem influencing everyone individually and socially.

Both low self-esteem and high self-esteem (pride) that built on certain quality of names and forms contribute equally to the many unnecessary problems in one's life and relationship with everyone.

Those who are free from being determined by the sense of self-esteem, self-worth, confidence and pride, being free from either low or high self-esteem, self-worth, confidence and pride, they are not being determined by any quality of names and forms to be who they are, to be peaceful and happy, or not. They are not being influenced, or manipulated, or 'controlled' by any particular political, national, ethnical, cultural, religious, or social thinking, belief, values and practice in the world. They are free from separateness and discrimination towards all and everything. They are peaceful as they are. They don't generate actions and reactions that hurt oneself and/or others in their personal life and in the world that derived from psychological mental and emotional problems.

Unfortunately, 'control freak' exists in the family (especially in parenting), in human relationships, in the schools, in the work place, in the society, and more importantly under any religion and country, to 'mould' and 'herd' people to be and not to be in certain ways, in order to gratify their personal or group ambition/desire/self-interest as well as to 'protect', 'empower' and 'sustain' their particular thinking, belief, values and practice.

Human beings are being told to inherit, adopt, nurture, empower, protect and sustain their personal and group identity of a particular family, ancestry, culture, ethnicity, birth place, community, society, social class, nationality and religious or spiritual belief and practice, and be prideful and protective towards their particular identity and their family, ancestry, culture, ethnicity, birth place, community, society, social class, nationality and religion or spirituality. That's where all kinds of separateness, discrimination, offensiveness, dissatisfaction, fear, anger, hatred, oppression, prejudice, unjust and violence in the world come from.

There are quite many people, especially those who think and believe that they are good, righteous, moral and superior people, who are being proud of themselves for discriminating against someone or something they dislike and disagree with, while there are also 'really good and kind' people who want to protest against all kinds of discrimination in the world, but they might not be aware of the root cause of 'discrimination'. Unwittingly, they are supporting and empowering the root cause of discrimination all the time in themselves, their family, their school, their work place and in their society and country, while actively protesting against discrimination of any kind.

To stop all kinds of discrimination in the world efficiently can only be achieved by removing the root cause of discrimination, that is ignorance and egoism, and all the by-products of ignorance and egoism, such like self-esteem, self-worth, confidence, pride, nationalism, patriotism, authoritarianism, ethicalism, religionism, and etc. While the empowerment of these names and forms is nothing but fueling discrimination in the world.

People don't just discriminate all the others, but they also discriminate themselves due to the presence and absence of certain qualities in themselves that they like and dislike, agree and disagree with, desire and don't desire. People were being brought up and empowered in the way to have high expectation towards themselves, which also leads towards having certain expectation towards other people in their family, relationship, community and the world to be or not to be in certain way. Most people think and believe that that is the right way to be successful, happy and meaningful. That's their freedom of thinking and belief. And the world is under the influence of such thinking and belief, and being what it is.

The teachings and practice of yoga and Buddhism is mainly to free one's mind from such ignorance and egoism by letting go or abandoning all kinds of personal and group identity and attachment, for realizing unconditional non-discriminative compassion which leads to individual peace that contributes to universal world peace.

If the human or non-human beings in the world are suffering and living in fear under the presence of discrimination, anger, hatred and violence under the intention of ‘protecting’ and ‘upholding’ any particular teachings and belief with certain names and forms that different people attaching onto and identifying with as who they are, where their self-esteem, self-worth, confidence and pride built from, that supposedly ‘preached’ about peace and harmony and loving kindness, but then the human leaders of that particular teachings and belief encourage the believers, or followers, or practitioners to be violent and hurtful against anything and anyone that they recognized as ‘intimidation’, ‘insult’, ‘belittling’, ‘offensiveness’, or ‘disrespectfulness’ towards their particular teachings and belief, then it doesn’t really serve any purpose of promoting and upholding universal peace and harmony and loving kindness in the world at all.

Everyone claim that their religion and culture is the religion and culture of love, peace and kindness. How true is that, when there are constant egoistic violent and hurtful actions and reactions towards what they dislike, disagree with and don’t want.

Unfortunately, deep ignorance and egoism hinder the minds from reasoning and inquiring towards the truth of everything.

Such violent and hurtful actions and reactions also exist in those who think and believe that they are the practitioners of yoga or Buddhism. That is the power of ignorance.

Ignorance exists in all and everyone, unless someone starts to be aware of it and do something about it.

It's not the fault of any religion or culture or belief and practice, if human beings are behaving ignorantly out of ignorance and egoism. But, it shows that whether human beings have a religion, culture, belief and practice, or not, or what type of religion, culture, belief and practice people have, it's not important at all. It's about whether human minds are free or not free from ignorance and egoism. That is a universal teaching that applies to all and everyone, regardless of all the different qualities of names and forms that everyone attaching onto and identifying with.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Live in the present, respect the world and life as it is

"Live in the present, respect the world and life as it is, free from craving and aversion, all this is impermanent and it's not 'I'."

Being free from attachment and identification with the selfless function and condition of the physical body and the thinking mind, as well as all the mind perception of names and forms of pleasant/unpleasant life experiences with all kinds of desirable/undesirable relationship with beings and objects, being undetermined by actions and the fruit of actions, respecting the law of nature of cause and effect, transcending the duality of good and bad, positive and negative, right and wrong, happiness and unhappiness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, success and failure, achievement and non-achievement, praise and condemn, and absence of worldly passionate desire or expectation towards everything to be or not to be in certain way.

The disturbed/hurting mind is being disturbed/hurt by itself being ignorant towards itself. Restlessly being disturbed/determined by the desire of craving and aversion towards past experiences and future anticipation.

Know thyself and be free.

Huge amount of different kinds of yoga and meditation practice, teaching and sharing is nothing, if the mind doesn't work on freeing itself from ignorance and egoism, being determined by the mind perception of a worldly life existence with egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion and expectation towards the world and life to be or not to be in certain way.

Some people don't practice yoga or meditation and don't relate themselves with spirituality or humanity activism, but they are liberated minds being free from ignorance and egoism, performing actions selflessly in discreet without attachment and identification or expectation towards the actions and the fruit of actions, respecting the law of cause and effect, without desire/intention/ambition to change the world and life to be or not to be in certain way, respecting the world and life as it is.

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.

Respecting the law of nature and accepting the consequences of actions as it is

It's everyone's freedom for what they think and believe, desire and don't desire.

The yoga practitioners go beyond all the thinking and beliefs, free from desire and don't desire.

The law of nature and the consequences of actions are not necessarily the way that one would like it to be, or the way that one thinks and believes how it should be. But if one knows how to respect the law of nature as it is and accepting the consequences of actions being what they are, without attachment or identification, without craving or aversion, without judgment or expectation, then this mind will be fearless, or fear doesn't arise or present in this mind.

Unattached towards the condition of the world. Unattached towards the worldly life existence of all kinds of relationship and experience. Unattached towards all actions and the consequences of actions.

The impure egoistic minds that are being conditioned by worldly thinking and belief to analyze and judge about everything, to desire and don't desire certain quality of names and forms to be here or shouldn't be here, would have difficulty understanding and practicing the essential teachings and practice of yoga about the annihilation of egoism and silencing the modification of the mind, about the observation of dispassion, renunciation, silence, solitude and seclusion, about selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, namelessness, formlessness and attributelessness, about "The world is unreal", about transcending the mind perception of a restless worldly life existence of impermanence and selflessness. The impure egoistic minds would analyze and think, "This is absurd, wrong and madness."

So what, if someone can hold the breath for a very long time, or be able to do many acrobatic actions with the strong and flexible physical body, or accumulating and memorizing all kinds of information or knowledge about many things in this world through listening, watching, reading, researching, experiencing and studying about everything, or being intelligent and creative inventing many new things and higher technologies, or enjoying a higher quality of healthy and comfortable living, or has been travelling all over the world experiencing many different things and activities, or can perform to entertain many people, or is the greatest champion of certain competition, but the mind doesn't know Thyself, where the mind is restless/peaceless being attached onto and identifying with the quality of names and forms of the function of the body and mind as 'I', attaching onto its actions and the fruit/result of its actions, swaying between satisfaction and dissatisfaction/disappointment being determined by the gratification and non-gratification of the desire of craving and aversion, being the slave of the modification of the mind, of egoism and impurities, of selfless impermanent state of the mind and physical condition, of passionate feelings and emotions arising and passing away, being disturbed and determined by the mind perception of names and forms through the senses, of pleasant/unpleasant, desirable/undesirable and agreeable/disagreeable life experiences or encountering, being bound by the expectation towards life and the world to be and not to be in certain way based on certain thinking and belief, craving for and clinging onto love, relationship, friendship, connection, interaction and the sense of meaningfulness, being drowned in aversion and tension of dissatisfaction, fear and worry towards life and the world being the way that the mind doesn't desire it to be, or the way that the mind thinks and believes it shouldn't be, constantly judging oneself and others being good enough or not good enough, to be achieving the life and a world that the mind desires it to be.

Everyone talks about promoting a world of democracy, an idea or a game that everyone learns to play and be engaged with since growing up especially in schools, while at the same time they want to be free from discrimination and oppression. But, discrimination and oppression is indeed the by-product of the idea or game of democracy. The representer of a particular idea/vision/politic/personality that gets the highest votes from the majority support will win and be in power, while all the other minorities who prefer different kind of idea/vision/politic will have to be legally 'bound' and 'oppressed' by the one in power and have to be 'following' and 'respecting' the 'legally binding rules and regulations' under 'that power with particular idea/vision/politic', reluctantly. Discrimination and lack of freedom will always be existing under the game of democracy, whether one agrees or disagrees with it. Some might be having the freedom that they desire, while some others won't be having the freedom that they desire, and vice versa.

The advice from the many Gurus/teachers in the past, "Renounce the society. Stay away from politics."

There's neither right nor wrong. It's everyone's freedom for what they want to do with their life, body and mind.

Worldly identifications

One of the great obstacles or challenges for the yoga enthusiasts to be free from egoism is the intense attachment towards worldly identifications with some qualities of names and forms to be existing as 'I'.

It's 'unthinkable' for the egoistic minds to be 'functioning' or 'aware of the mind perception of a worldly life of names and forms' without any identifications with some qualities of names and forms to be acknowledged by oneself and others as 'This is I'.

There's great fear towards losing the sense of the existence of 'I', or 'selflessness/'I'-lessness', or being unable to be acknowledged by oneself and others as "I am this and that", if without any of the identifications that the egoistic thinking mind would like to acknowledge itself and be acknowledged by others that "I exist as an (unique/special/distinctive/meaningful) individual being with such and such qualities of names and forms."

Similarly, most minds have great fear towards letting go all kinds of superstitious thinking, beliefs, values and practices that were being ingrained into the minds from very young age by their elders, parents, relatives, friends, school teachers, religious teachers, the community and the society. Very few minds would question the truth of all those thinking, beliefs, values and practices, to inquire the truth of everything that was told or informed by everyone, and would just blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing and blind-passing on all these thinking, beliefs, values and practices. As most people would 'label' themselves or be 'labeled' by others as 'bad person' or 'traitor' towards one's root and ancestor's cultural background and family values, if they don't embrace or follow or pass down those thinking, beliefs, values and practices.

For many people, this is the 'normal', 'good', 'productive', 'positive', 'healthy', 'successful', 'meaningful' and 'rightful' way of life or living.

Not only that there was a 'basic identity upon birth' that relates to a 'given name', a 'gender', a 'family', an 'ethnicity', a 'birth place', a 'nationality' and a 'security ID number', but everyone was growing up being conditioned by the society to identify oneself with a 'sexual orientation', a 'personality', a 'physical appearance', a 'self-image', a 'body image', a 'physical condition', a 'mental state', a 'religion', a 'culture', a 'lifestyle', a 'trend', and etc. Most minds are being 'encouraged' by the society to be constantly 'developing' and 'possessing' further more other qualities of names and forms to empower or strengthen that 'self-identity', that would allow the minds to feel proud, confident and meaningful towards the existence of 'I' under such identifications. Such like, "I am a 'good', 'strong', 'healthy', 'fit', 'beautiful', 'attractive', 'stylish', 'successful', 'intelligent', 'knowledgeable', 'positive', 'multi tasking', 'talented', 'well-informed', 'well-behaved', 'inspirational', 'generous' and 'kind loving' human being on top of all the identifications with a particular belief, religion, spirituality, culture, caste, sect, educational level, social status, community group, political views, profession, interests, qualifications, certifications, achievements, contributions, possessions, relationships, connections, and so on.

There are some common sayings such as -
"Be good, do good, and life will be all good and you will be happy."
"Be nice and friendly to other people, and other people will be nice and friendly to you."
That is not necessary true.

But everyone has been circulating that kind of sayings especially from the elders to the youngsters, or from the yoga teachers to the yoga students. Many people experiencing disappointment, depression and meaninglessness because they have such expectation towards life, where everyone and everything has to be in certain ways based on those sayings.

Many times, life is not necessarily all good and people are not happy even after they are being good and they have done many good. And it's okay.

People don't have to be happy all the time. Just be good and do good, and allow the fruit of actions to be what it is, not necessarily has to be the way that we would like it to be.

Sometimes, people are not being grateful or appreciative towards our kindness and friendliness, and are not being nice or friendly to us when we are being nice and friendly to them. And it's okay.

People don't have to be grateful and appreciative, and be nice and friendly to others, if they don't want to. Just be nice and friendly to others, without the expectation that other people should be grateful and appreciative, and be nice and friendly to us in return.

The most practical way in the yoga practice to eliminate egoism from the mind is via renunciation of what most minds being conditioned to think and believe as the 'normal' and 'meaningful' way of life. Moving the mind away from the egoistic worldly social cultural thinking and beliefs, ideas, relationships, connections, interactions and activities, and letting go novels, news and magazines reading, radio listening, movies watching and theater visiting. Be determined to observe seclusion and solitude for at least five or six years, cutting off all kinds of worldly social cultural inputs, ideas, connections, activities and interactions, to allow the mind to be free from being conditioned by worldly thinking and beliefs that are all about empowering worldly attachment and identification. Only then the mind can see the truth of names and forms as it is.

Once the mind is free from being conditioned by worldly egoistic thinking and beliefs, it is no longer being determined by any of the worldly identifications with qualities of names and forms to be existing as 'I'. There's no need to feel proud, confident or meaningful towards "I am somebody endowed with this and that prideful, superior and meaningful qualities."

There's no 'I' being there that needs to be empowered, be acknowledged, be motivated, be inspired, be loved, be proud, be confident and be meaningful. There's no 'I' being there to be strong, be weak, be happy, be unhappy, be positive, be negative, be good, be bad, be hurt, be healed, be pleased, be displeased, be praised, be insulted, be selfish, be unselfish, be unfree or be free.

While the entire world emphasize on the empowerment of a strong self-identity nurtured with the qualities of names and forms of particular social/cultural/ethnicity/nationality ideas/values/practices, yoga practice is mainly to free the mind from all these identifications with any qualities of names and forms.

Even the idea of "I am a yoga practitioner practicing yoga of annihilating ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness" and the desire of "I want to practice yoga to be free from ignorance and suffering" vanished from the minds that know thyself.

Retreat?

A retreat centre is a place for Sadhana, to retreat the mind from worldly habits of social interactions and activities to silent the restless mind. Live alone, sit alone, walk alone, eat alone, meditate alone. It's not an open house for community social recreation activities making social connections hanging out together busy chatting and gossiping, plotting and planning to chase away boredom and loneliness and empowering worldly attachments and identifications. Even in everyday life, one observes silence as much as possible renouncing worldly social interactions and activities, immerse in solitude and seclusion to be determined to annihilate the modification of the mind. Very few people indeed have this understanding and determination.

Self-esteem and confidence

Any issues regarding self-esteem and confidence shouldn't and doesn't need to be existing at all. But due to ignorance and egoism, many people depend on self-esteem and confidence to be who they are, to be happy and feel meaningful, or not. Many people are suffering from mild to severe low self-esteem or low confidence that leads to the sense of meaninglessness and depression. Even many mental and psychological related studies and professionals also preach, think and believe that the development and empowerment of self-esteem and confidence is very important in life existence as human beings and it's the key to personal and global growth, success and happiness.

Real confidence has nothing to do with self-esteem or confidence that builds on physical appearance, condition, ability and achievement, or mental state, ability and achievement, or desirable and undesirable life experiences, or good and bad relationships with parents, family, friends and the rest of the world. It is beyond all these names and forms, when the mind has gone beyond the identification of what the mind thinks is ‘I’ and ‘my’, where this identification of ‘I’ and ‘my’ with the different qualities of names and forms is just a by-product of the worldly thinking and belief, or family, cultural, social and religious belief.

It's the ego that feels it has to be good enough for something, or for somebody, or for oneself. It also feels that it might be not good enough for something, or for somebody, or for oneself, based on what the thinking and belief recognize as 'good' and 'good enough', or what is 'self-esteem and confidence', 'success', 'happiness' and 'meaningfulness', and the relationship between them, where most people think and believe that 'high self-esteem and confidence' is related to 'success', and 'success' is related to 'happiness', while 'happiness' is related to 'meaningfulness'. And many people are suffering because of this thinking and belief or trying to live up to this thinking and belief for their entire life, and passing this thinking and belief from generation to generation.

It's the idea of 'I', or the ego, that needs to feel good about oneself, and wants other people to perceive oneself as good enough, and needs to attain or possess certain qualities of names and forms to be identifying with, that would make one feels good and proud of oneself and also would make other people feel good and proud of oneself, in order to be happy and live life meaningfully.

And all these qualities of names and forms are impermanent and there is no 'I' to be found in any of these names and forms, or to be in control of the impermanent changes, to be the way that 'I' like it to be. No matter how much influences we can influence the condition of the physical body and the state of the mind, to maintain the function and the life span of the body and the mind, the body and mind will still have to go through inevitable changes of decay, old age, discomfort, illness, weakness, ceased functioning, and decompose, or death.

Once the mind fully understood this, it will be free from the bondage of self-esteem and confidence. There's no 'I' being good or not good enough. There's neither high nor low self-esteem. There's neither high nor low confidence.

One doesn't need to be somebody with particular appearance, condition, ability or achievement, or have certain good and positive life experiences, or good relationships with anyone, in order to feel confident, happy, satisfied or meaningful.

One can have and appreciate all the attention, affection, support, agreement, acknowledgement, love or companionship that is available in the present, but one doesn't need other people's attention, affection, support, agreement, acknowledgement, love or companionship in order to feel confident, love, happy or meaningful. If all these qualities of names and forms are not available, one is still happy and peaceful as one is. One doesn't feel lack of something or missing out anything, or one is not good enough to deserve love, happiness and meaningfulness.

And that's real confidence. One doesn't need to be confident or satisfied about oneself at all. One doesn't need to feel proud of oneself, and doesn't need other people to feel proud of oneself, to be 'I', or the good 'I', the successful 'I', the happy 'I', the meaningful 'I'. One is happy and peaceful as one is, without any identification with any quality as 'I'.

There is no thinking or identification of "I am a good and kind human being. I want to do good and be kind and be able to contribute towards humanity." but goodness, kindness and contribution towards humanity are being manifested and performed through the body and mind out of wisdom and compassion.

If one doesn't know this, one will always looking for or craving for attaining and possessing certain qualities of names and forms that one would like to relate oneself with, to be identifying with, to feel good and satisfied about oneself, to boost up one's self-esteem and confidence to be who 'I' am, thinking that by attaining and possessing such qualities of names and forms will also make other people to give them the attention, affection, support, agreement, acknowledgement, love or companionship that they want from other people, in order to be happy and feel love and meaningful. But then one is not free. And that's one's freedom of thinking and action.

Be free.

My ego?

Some think and say, "I have a good, happy and kind mind. My mind is good, happy and kind."

Some also think and say, "I have a good, happy and kind ego. My ego is good, happy and kind."

The one who claims possession or ownership towards the mind or the ego, and being satisfied and proud of 'my good, happy and kind mind/ego', is the ego itself.

There is a separateness between 'I' and the object that 'I' thinks it belongs to 'I', that 'I' thinks and believes as 'mine', but at the same time, there is also self-identification that identifies itself as the object that 'I' think it's 'mine'. Such like, "I have a beautiful body and my mind is happy. I am beautiful and happy." or "I don't have a beautiful body and my mind is not happy. I am not beautiful and not happy."

Whatever names and forms that the ego claims ownership and identification are just what they are and they are impermanent. They change as they are, they come and go as they are, they don't belong to 'I', and they are not 'I'. There is no 'I' in control of all the impermanent changes in all the names and forms.

Somehow, there is this idea of 'I' exists in the mind claiming identification, possession, ownership and control towards all these impermanent names and forms. Such like, "I want myself, my life, my mind and my body to be like this and not like that." or, "I want my appearance and my relationships to be like this and not like that." and so on. And the consequences of the idea of 'I' and the desire of 'I want everything to be the way that I like it to be' are restlessness full of mind impurities of dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration, annoyance, anger, hatred, jealousy, hurt, regret, guilt, animosity, ill-will, offensiveness, defensiveness, pride, arrogance, depression, aggression, violence, discrimination, grief, sadness, painful sorrow, loneliness, meaninglessness, fear and worry. All these are the by-products of egoism of attachment, clinging, identification, desires of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation.

Meanwhile, when the ego wants to claim ownership and identification with certain qualities of names and forms, it also doesn't want to be related or connected to, or be identified with certain qualities of names and forms that it doesn't like or doesn't want, that it perceives as something 'bad', 'wrong', 'negative', 'meaninglessness', 'unhappiness' and 'suffering', based on a particular thinking, belief, cultural or religious teaching and practice about what is 'good and bad', 'right and wrong', 'positive and negative', 'meaningfulness and meaninglessness', 'happiness and unhappiness', 'pleasurable enjoyment and painful suffering'.

None can liberate another being. None can free the mind from ignorance and egoism, but the mind itself.

There is no 'I'. There is no 'my mind' or 'my ego' or 'my body'. It's just the mind, the ego and the body. And they are impermanent.

The mind, the ego and the body are just what they are. They are neither good nor bad. But due to ignorance and egoism, suffering arise. That's all.

Reflect and realize and be free.

The power or function of memory is neither good nor bad

Most people, are interested in boosting the power or function of the memory. So that one can remember as much as possible all the knowledge and skills that one has been learning, to do things, to remember everyone and everything that one has come in contact with from the past to the present. Otherwise, for most people, there's no meanings or values in life existence, if one doesn't remember any knowledge or skills that one has been learning and doesn't remember the people/relationships that one has come in contact with and are related to. They want to remember 'love' and 'happiness' and 'goodness' and 'achievements'. People want to remember everyone and everything, and be remembered by others, to be existing, to be meaningful, to be alive.

Meanwhile some people try their very best to forget all those unpleasant/unhappy/painful/hurtful memories that are disturbing and hurting them in the present now.

This power or function of memory is neither good nor bad. It has its benefits to humanity and some defects as well.

If a mind is free from ignorance and egoism, this mind can make use of the power of memory to remember all its learning and knowledge or skills to be doing something that would benefit oneself and others without attachment, identification, judgment, or expectation. One will not have craving or aversion towards the past pleasant/unpleasant experiences/feelings, and will not be disturbed or determined by being aware of the memory of all these past pleasant/unpleasant experiences/feelings, in the present now. There's no judgment or expectation towards oneself or others based on the past pleasant/unpleasant experiences/feelings. There's no suffering or miseries exist in this egoless mind.

Due to ignorance, the ego clings onto the past memories of pleasant/happy and unpleasant/unhappy experiences/feelings.

When remembering the pleasant/happy/accomplishing/satisfying experiences/feelings that are already gone and don't exist in the present, there is suffering/unrest/dissatisfaction derived from missing and craving towards all those pleasant experiences/feelings.

When remembering the unpleasant/unhappy/painful/hurtful/fearful/regretful/guilty/disappointing/dissatisfying experiences/feelings, that are already gone and don't exist in the present, there is suffering/unrest/unhappiness/painful sorrow/hurts/fear/regret/guilt/disappointment/dissatisfaction derived from aversion towards all those unpleasant experiences/feelings, continuously be disturbed or determined by all those unpleasant experiences/feelings, which is unnecessary.

And due to ignorance, people don't just want to have a good and highly efficient function of the memory to remember the past of this life existence from birth till the present which one could barely remember a little bit of here and there without the precise/exact details, there are also many people who 'believe' in various/countless past lives before this life existence, and they are not just very interested in knowing/finding out what were their past lives, but they are also be disturbed or determined by what they think they know about their past lives. And not just that, they also very interested in knowing/finding out what will be their future lives, and be disturbed or determined by what they think they know about their future lives.

When people are dissatisfied with and don't want to confront the reality that they perceive in the present, they try to runaway from this reality that they don't like and don't want, by imagining they have a better/nicer/happier reality in the past or in the future, being in an imaginary reality that they prefer, that they created for themselves, and somehow they might feel better and safer being in that imaginary reality. That's their freedom.

People's minds are already very busy/restless being disturbed and determined by the perceived experiences in the present now, not to say, to also be disturbed and determined by the past memories and the future imagination/anticipation/projection/expectation/speculation. "This is who I was and this is what I am and this is what I will be."

People are being disturbed and determined mentally/emotionally/physically by the ignorant/egoistic attachment and identification towards the desires of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation towards all the perceived names and forms or experiences, whether it's in the present, or remembering the past, or imagining the future.

Maybe people's life in the present is not complicated/excited/busy enough, life is so dulled and bored, that's why people try very best to bring back the past and project into the future, to spice up their life in the present?

So, if past lives exist, and someone somehow 'recalls' some good/pleasant/joyful/meaningful and bad/unpleasant/hurtful/painful/fearful memories of one's past lives, and then so what? Missing the past pleasant past lives experiences and people whom one loved very much in past lives? What if one finds out that the people whom one loved very much in past lives are now one's greatest enemies whom one hates and hurts very much in the present? Or be disturbed by the past unpleasant past lives experiences and people whom had hurt one very much in past lives? What if one finds out that the people whom had hurt one very much in past lives are now one's best friend or lover or family or respected personal whom one loves very much in the present?

It's truly unnecessary.

And so, when one truly realized the truth of what is going on in this mind, and goes beyond all the memories of past pleasant/unpleasant, or rightful/wrongful, or good/bad experiences/feelings, being free from attachment and identification with the past, the last moment and before, then there will be complete freedom in all the relationships with everyone now, in the present, it really doesn't matter what happened just now, or yesterday, or last week, or last month, or last year, or last 20 years. It's only the present moment. And even this present moment is impermanent. And this is actual lasting liberation that comes from the realization of the truth, it's not the same as the momentary 'high effect' of numbing the mind through drugs and alcohol intoxication.

People, including some yoga and meditation practitioners, who like to relate YOGA and MEDITATION or HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS with getting high through drugs and alcohol intoxication, are only trying to momentary escape/runaway from suffering or miseries that they don't want. They'll go back to their suffering and miseries again, once the numbing effect of the drugs and alcohol disappeared. That's their freedom for what they want to do with their body and their mind. It's neither right nor wrong. But, yoga and meditation or higher consciousness has nothing to do with getting high through drugs and alcohol intoxication. People who truly practice yoga and meditation and have gone beyond the attachment or identification with the life existence of the body and the mind don't need to get high or momentary relief by taking drugs or alcohol, as they don't need to escape or runaway from suffering or miseries, as there's none. There's no craving for the momentary pleasant sensations/effects/relieves coming from the effect of drugs and alcohol.

If people couldn't understand this, or one understood this, but one dislikes and disagrees with and doesn't want this liberation due to the mind is conditioned to think in certain ways or believe in certain beliefs, or one understood this, but one couldn't let go attachment and identification, that's their freedom.

It's okay whether the power or function of memory is good or not so good. It's okay if the mind couldn't remember this or that. It's okay if the mind couldn't remember everything and everyone as it was and as it is. It's okay if the mind remembers some past unpleasant/unhappy experiences or feelings. It's okay if the mind couldn't remember some past pleasant/happy experiences or feelings. It's okay if the mind couldn't remember someone who is somehow related to this body and this mind.

Be free.

Be free from egoism of attachment and identification is the yoga practice

Suffering of restlessness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, hurts, guilt, regret, fear, worry, low self-esteem, meaninglessness, boredom, loneliness, unhappiness, grief, and so on is the outcome of ignorance and egoism.

The ego attached onto the qualities of names and forms that are directly or indirectly connected or related to the body and mind. Such like, the thinking and belief in the mind, the state of the mind, the past memories, the present experiences, the future imaginations, the cultural background, the religious background, the educational background, the profession, the possession, the perception of names and forms of what the mind sees, hears, smells, tastes, senses and thinks, all the feelings and emotions, the likes and dislikes, the habits, the personality, the ambitions, the actions and the result of the actions, the knowledge, the physical appearance, physical condition, physical ability and limitation, and all the relationships that are connected or related to this body and mind, friends circle, social life and activities, the living environment, the lifestyle, the condition and situation of the world, and so on, to be identified as what/who I am.

When there's a voice coming from within, "I don't like myself. I want to change (into something else that I prefer to be, that is different from what I am now.)" or "I like myself. I don't want to change (into something else that I don't prefer to be, that is different from what I am now.)" This actually means that the ego is either satisfied with or dissatisfied with and likes or doesn't like one or more of those qualities of names and forms that the ego attached onto and identified with. The ego is either satisfied with or dissatisfied with and likes or doesn't like the physical appearance, condition, ability and limitation, or what it knows and doesn't know, or the state of the mind, or certain feelings and emotions, or certain names and forms that the mind comes in contact with, or certain experiences, or certain habits, or certain friends or social circle, or certain actions and the result of actions, or certain relationships, and so on.

The ego might feel satisfied, good, happy, confident, motivated and meaningful when it achieved or possessed the qualities that it likes and wants to be identifying with. But it is not free, as all these qualities that it likes and wants to be identifying with, are impermanent. When all these qualities that it likes and wants to be identifying with changed into something else or are no longer available, or when it couldn't achieve the qualities that it likes and wants, the ego will feel dissatisfied, disappointment, bad, unhappy, low confident, demotivated and meaningless. If there's no attachment or identification towards all these qualities, then there's no dissatisfaction and disappointment, or bad and unhappy feelings, or the sense of low confidence and meaninglessness. The existence of life is not affected or determined by any qualities of names and forms that are directly or indirectly connected or related to the body and mind. In fact, it is the ego that needs to attached onto and identifying with certain qualities to feel confident and meaningful about itself and the worldly life existence through achieving or possessing those qualities. Once the ego is annihilated, the sense of confidence and meaningfulness about oneself and the worldly life existence doesn't exist at all.

There's nothing wrong with the ego reacting towards the different qualities of names and forms that the mind comes in contact with, based on the qualities that the mind projects onto all the names and forms influenced by the thinking and belief in the mind, of what the ego likes and doesn't like, agrees and disagrees with, and wants and doesn't want. And hence, the mind is not free, being restless ceaselessly, swaying in between satisfaction and dissatisfaction, proudness and disappointment, happiness and unhappiness, positive thinking and negative thinking, elevation and depression, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, and etc.

There are many people don't mind being not free being determined by all and everything that they experience. being restless and peaceless. They call this "Life and human nature." They believe "Life has to be full of passion and it's about fulfillment of desires, or else it's meaningless." That's their freedom.

There's nothing wrong when some 'yoga teachers/instructors' practice and teach about "Live life passionately" and "Change into what 'I' like and want myself (my body and mind) to be" and "Life is short, fulfill all desires and indulge in what 'I' like and want" as the meaning of life existence, and they might consume only 'pure and clean food' and 'do yoga' everyday, but that is not the teaching or practice of yoga. The teaching and practice of yoga is mainly about dispassion, renunciation from worldly social life, objects, ideas and activities, and the annihilation of egoism.

For those who are looking for peace or liberation from restlessness, they can try to practice yoga of dispassion, renunciation and annihilation of egoism.

The existence of life will be peaceful as it is, without being determined by any qualities of names and forms. Peace is beyond all the impermanent qualities of names and forms that the body and mind comes in contact with or doesn't come in contact with.

Be free.

The mind is being hardwired by worldly thinking and belief that based on egoism

Many people are not interested in letting go of the ego, while there are people who are interested in letting go of the ego, but they find that it's not that easy to be free from the ego or egoism. This is because the mind is being hardwired by worldly thinking and belief that based on egoism.

The moment we were born into this world, we were being nurtured or conditioned under the worldly thinking and belief that based on egoism to identify this life existence of a body and a mind with certain qualities of names and forms to possess a strong worldly personal identity of "This is I", "This is what I am", "This is who I am", "This is where I came from/belong", "This is what I should believe", "This is how I should think, behave, act, react and feel", "This is good and right" or "This is bad and wrong", "This is successful and meaningful" or "This is failure and meaningless", "This is happiness" or "This is unhappiness", and etc. We were being told that "This is who I am", and if we behave like this and achieve this 'quality', then "I am good" or "I deserve happiness", while if we behave like that and don't achieve this 'quality', then "I am bad" or "I don't deserve happiness".

Human beings are being hardwired by the worldly thinking and belief that are influenced by a particular heritage/cultural/religious/political/social/commercial belief, values and ethics to feel good, happy, proud, and meaningful about oneself or one's existence if one conforms to that particular thinking and belief to live life, to behave, to act and react, or to think and feel. As well as to feel bad, unhappy and guilty/shameful about oneself or one's existence if one doesn't conform to that particular thinking and belief to live life, to behave, to act and react, or to think and feel.

The sense of belonging is one of the characteristics of the ego. Human beings are being hardwired to think and believe that everyone should attached onto and identified themselves with a personal identity as well as a group identity of family/community/tribe/regional/national/spiritual/religious/gender/sexual orientation/and etc that make them feel that this is "who I am" and "where I belong". It's very difficult for many people to understand that the life existence of a body and a mind doesn't really need any identifications or sense of belonging to be 'somebody', to feel secured, proud, good, confident, or meaningful. Even 'psychologists' who deal with psychology problems (especially dealing with low self-esteem and depression), believe that human beings need to/should attached onto and identify themselves with a 'strong' personal identity as well as a group identity that make them feel that this is "who I am" and "where I belong", to feel secured, proud, good, confident, and meaningful about themselves. There's nothing wrong with that, just that it doesn't stop people from continuously be disturbed or determined by craving and aversion towards all the perceptions of names and forms, and perceive or experience suffering. As the minds are still not free from the root cause of all kinds of affliction and suffering - ignorance and egoism.

Ignorance doesn't allow the mind to know that it can be free, peaceful, happy, and live life meaningfully as it is, without any personal/group identifications or sense of belonging, being free from all kinds of insecurity, low self-esteem, meaninglessness, void, loneliness, craving, fear, hurt, sorrow, grief, anger, hatred, bitterness, affliction, or suffering that arise due to ignorance and egoism.

Ignorance and egoism stop people from letting go of the ego or worldly personal/group identity with some qualities of names and forms. There is huge fear towards the unknown. The mind doesn't know why, but there is great fear or resistance towards not being 'somebody' that will make 'I' and other people to feel proud of 'my existence', that belongs to a particular 'family'/'community'/'area'.

Based on the thinking and belief that was being hardwired into the mind about what is good and bad, right and wrong, should and shouldn't, that influence how one should think, analyze, reason, judge, behave, desire, feel, act and react, the ego constantly judges itself as well as others, and has great expectation towards oneself and others to conform to that particular thinking and belief to think, analyze, reason, judge, behave, desire, feel, act, and react towards everything that the mind perceives or experiences through the senses. The ego ceaselessly looking for acceptance, approval, support, acknowledgement, agreement, attention, liking, love, respect, praise, and compliment, from the world or the society that it thinks it belongs to. The ego doesn't want to possess or be related to anything that doesn't conform to that thinking and belief. It will feel bad, dissatisfied, disappointed, or shameful about itself and others who doesn't conform to that thinking and belief. It wants to build a worthy reputation as well as it would do anything to protect that reputation at any cost.

Even those who are practicing yoga, would also identify themselves as 'such and such' yogi, 'I' practice 'such and such' yoga, 'I' came from/belong to 'such and such' yoga lineage/school/group/community/affiliation, or 'I' have 'such and such' certifications and qualifications and years of experience.

It's up to everyone's self-inquiry and self-realization whether one will realize what is going on in this mind and be free from ignorance and egoism, or not.

Who am I?

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contemplate on this, and be free.

Selflessness is not 'unselfishness'

Self-inquiry is the core of all kinds of yoga and meditation practice to inquire into the truth of "who am I", or what the mind think and believe is 'myself', and to attain self-realization of knowing who/what is 'I'.

Selflessness is the realization derived from the inquiry of who/what is this 'I'. It's what all and everything are.

'I' is the ignorance of an identification of an individual being whom attached onto certain qualities of names and forms (the physical body, the thinking mind, the knowledge, the thinking and belief, the physical and mental ability and limitation, the action and the result of the action, the achievements, the possessions, the relationships with other beings and objects, the family/ethnicity/cultural/nationality/community/spirituality/educational/political background, the living environment and condition, the lifestyle and all the life experiences, and so on) to be identified as "This is who/what I am". And yet, the existence and the function and all the impermanent changes of the body and the mind is not in the control of 'I', or 'anyone', but all and everything are ceaselessly changing under the nature law of cause and effect, arising and passing away.

Selflessness is the realization of 'I' doesn't exist. There is no 'I' in anything and everything of different names and forms that are subject to impermanence, the law of nature. And hence, there is no 'my' and 'mine'. And this realization leads to no 'separateness', no 'discrimination', no 'clinging', no 'connections', no 'relationships', no 'family', no 'ethnicity', no 'friends', no 'enemies', no 'pride', no 'humiliation', no 'hurts', no 'fear', no 'worry', no 'gain', no 'loss', no 'loneliness', no 'suffering', no 'end of suffering'.

Selflessness is not the opposite of selfishness. Selflessness is not unselfishness.

Selflessness is nothing to do with being unselfish or being free from selfishness.

There is no 'I' existing to be identified as selfish being, or "I am selfish".

There is no 'I' existing to be identified as unselfish being, or "I am not selfish".

Upon the realization of selflessness, there is no selfishness or unselfishness.

There's no "I want/don't want to be selfish".

The one who is being selfish or unselfish is just the mind that hasn't realized selflessness, that is functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that give rise to separateness, discrimination, connection, relationship, superiority, inferiority, selfishness, greed, pride, shame, hurts, unrest, fear, worry, offensiveness, defensiveness, and etc, while acting and reacting under the influence of egoism being determined by all these defilement, either wittingly or unwittingly.

Be free.

What your mind thinks and believes is not important, so as what other minds think and believe...

In the worldly thinking and belief, especially in personal growth and empowerment, a person should have or develop a strong personal identity about ‘This is who you are’ and ‘Your thinking and belief, your background, your nationality, your gender, your religion, your family and friends and relatives, your social network, your dreams or aspirations, your profession, your achievements, all your actions and the result of your actions, are what make you who you are, and so, this is your unique personal identity and you should let the world know this is who you are. You should be proud of your thinking and belief, your actions and the result of your actions, and all those qualities that make you for being who you are. You are a very unique individual. You are very important and you deserve the best. You should do your best to make the world, or your family and friends, or your country, or your teachers, or other people to be proud of you and gain their respect towards you. You should defend your personal identity and the rights of your personal identity. You should not lose your personal identity.’

In yoga, what you think is your thinking and belief, your background, your nationality, your gender, your religion, your family and friends and relatives, your social network, your dreams or aspirations, your profession, your achievements, all your actions and the result of your actions, or whatever you think is your identity, are not who you are.

Be free from egoism, identification, and conditioned worldly ideas.

Yoga is the realization of selflessness beyond the function/modification of the mind and the mind perception of qualities of names and forms. What your mind thinks and believes is truly not important, so as what other minds think and believe.

There’s no need to defend anything. There’s no fear of losing anything. There’s no need to gain respect for anything. There’s no need to be proud of anything. There’s no need to be ashamed or regret for anything. There’s no need to be upset or depressed about anything.

It doesn’t mean that one must make sure that everything in life is all good and agreeable, but one can choose to move away from or let go something that doesn’t worth to be wasting one’s energy and effort, that is not in one’s control to be the way that one would like it to be.

Be free.

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

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

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

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

Realize selflessness/egolessness/'I'lessness.

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

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

Be free. Be peaceful.