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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

Being aware of uncertainty without the sense of insecurity

The existence of the sense of insecurity in the modification of the mind is due to the mind perception towards uncertainty deriving from inevitable impermanent changes as well as the infinite existence of the unknown, of what the mind doesn't know, that are not in one's control or desire to be the way that one desires them to be.

It's okay that the mind doesn't know certain things, or many things, or everything.

It's okay that there are inevitable impermanent changes that are not in one's control or desire to be or not to be in certain way.

The practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation are there for the mind to transcend the ever existing unknown beyond the knowledge of the mind and the inevitable uncertainty of impermanent changes, where the mind is aware of and acknowledging that there is something beyond its knowledge or perception, as well as there is inevitable ceaseless impermanent changes or uncertainty in this selfless impermanent mind perception of a worldly life existence of names and forms that are selfless and impermanent, but without the sense of insecurity arising in the modification of the mind.

Even if there is the sense of insecurity arising in the modification of the mind from time to time, the mind knows that this is also impermanent, without attachment or identification towards the impermanent modification/state of the mind or the sense of insecurity as "I", or "I am insecure", without aversion towards the presence of the sense of insecurity, without craving towards the absence of the sense of insecurity, without judgment towards the sense of insecurity as good or bad, and without expectation towards the existing sense of insecurity to disappear from the modification of the mind, but allowing the sense of insecurity being there as it is, allowing it to change and pass away, as it is.

The mind is aware of the modification of the mind, or what is going on in the mind, of all kinds of names and forms (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, thoughts, feelings, emotions, imaginations, anticipations, thinking, belief/disbelief, ideas, values, reasoning, understanding/non-understanding, and all kinds of desires/actions/reactions/impurities, and etc) arising, changing, and passing away in the modification of the mind, without grasping, without the idea of 'I' attaching and identifying towards the modification of the mind as "I", without desire of craving and aversion, judgment, or expectation towards the modification of the mind to be or not to be in certain way.

That is the practice of yoga and/or buddhism.

It is in every moment.

Yoga practice is not something that people do in the few hours daily or 'once in a while' self-practice yoga practice sessions consist of yoga asana exercise, pranayama/breathing exercise, kriya/cleansing exercise, relaxation, chanting, concentration, and meditation practice, or when participating in some yoga classes regularly or irregularly.

And it's definitely not about trying to achieve perfection in oneself, or in the many different types of physical and mental yoga practice, or in the world.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Discrimination, prejudice and hatred...

Most of us would like to live in a peaceful environment for ourselves and the people whom we love. We would like the society to be free from crime, violence, unjust, hatred, prejudice and discrimination. We want to be free from insecurity, fear and worry.

When discrimination happens to us, we would like other people to stop being discriminative towards us, as being discriminated is really not a nice experience and it contributes restlessness in us. We will feel disturbed and are not peaceful.

We want to be treated equally and respectfully by everyone. But, are we also treating everyone in the world (with different types of beliefs, behaviors, characteristics and personalities) equally and respectfully?

We will be angry with some people whom are being discriminative and prejudice towards us, but think again, most probably we are not aware that sometimes we are doing the same thing towards some other beings as well.
 
We need to reflect towards our own actions, reactions, thinking, speech and behavior to see if we are also being discriminative and prejudice towards other beings without us being aware of it.

Being discriminative and prejudice towards other people based on race, skin colour, religion, political views, belief, nationality, disability, education level, family background, inheritance, ranking, social status, job, income, lifestyle, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical condition and appearance, past and present behavior, or anything that we can think of, is something that we all need to empty out from ourselves, before we 'expect' the world to be free from discrimination, prejudice and hatred.

When we start to react towards other people's what we ourselves believe as wrongful and inappropriate behavior by criticizing or condemning their behavior as bad and evil doings, and judging them as bad and evil beings, we are starting to behave just like these people whom we criticize and condemn. As those who really live in the truth, they won't criticize or condemn anyone, not even the most evil being in the world. As there is no need to do so. As by criticize and condemn, it won't make these people to change their behaviors to become what we think how it should be. It will only intensify repulsion and hatred in people's mind.

When we criticize or condemn other people for what we believe as wrongful and inappropriate behavior, because we think we are better human beings than them, not to say, when we are also behaving the same unwittingly, then we are not any different from those whom we criticize or condemn.

Sometimes we have discrimination among ourselves within the same race, not to say, being racist towards other race that are different from us. Discrimination also exists within the same family, in the same gender or in the same religion, not to say, discrimination exists among the names and forms that are distinctively different from each other.

There is no doubt that discrimination, prejudice and hatred promotes unrest, insecurity and fear in people's mind. But if we realize unconditional peace and love in us, all these unrest, insecurity and fear will not arise in us even though discrimination, prejudice and hatred exist in our society.

Discrimination, prejudice and hatred derived from craving and aversion of the egoistic mind towards what our ego likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with, based on our own particular thinking, belief, values and practice. Out of ignorance, we have attachment and identification towards the qualities of names and forms. We will have judgment and comparison towards the different qualities of names and forms, that we perceive in ourselves and in others. Fear and insecurity arise due to attachment and identification towards these qualities of names and forms. We have great frustration, dissatisfaction and disappointment when our desire of craving and aversion, or our expectation are not being gratified.

Because of fear and insecurity, we want to think and feel that we are more strong and superior than other people, and we don't want to think and feel that we are more weak and inferior than other people.

When we are free from egoism and ignorance, when we realize the truth of names and forms, we don't need to be stronger or superior than anyone or don't want to be weaker or inferior than anyone. Beyond all the different qualities of names and forms, beyond all the different types of thinking, beliefs, values and behavior, we all are the same selfless momentary existence of names and forms, when we see the truth in everything. There is neither superiority nor inferiority. There is neither good nor evil. And thus there is no fear towards "evil" beings or "evil" doings.

Being discriminative towards other people's racist behavior and speech is not any different from being a "racist" ourselves. We need to learn to accept and respect everyone as they are, even if some people are being racist, prejudiced and discriminative towards us or other people.

Being undisturbed or undetermined by the existence of discrimination in the world and without criticizing or condemn discrimination in the world, it doesn't mean that we are agreeing with or supporting discrimination in the world. It also doesn't mean that we don't or wouldn't perform any selfless actions that would help to reduce discrimination in the world, or to bring more peace and harmony into the world of diversity.

Everyone has the freedom to say or do whatever they want to say or do. We want to fight for freedom of speech and be free to have our own particular cultural, social, political, spiritual or religious beliefs, but how come we discriminate and criticize other people who say and do things that we disagree with and don't like, who have different cultural, social, political, spiritual or religious beliefs that are different from ours?

If we really practice Dhamma, we will stop discrimination, prejudice and hatred from ourselves towards other people who think and behave the way that we don't agree with.

Respect everyone as they are, even if they are being discriminative, prejudice and hating towards some others. It doesn't mean that we have to agree with them or support them for their behavior, or allowing ourselves to be harassed and insulted by abusive speech or behavior. But we don't have to be affected, or disturbed, or influenced, or determined by other people's abusive and insulting speech and behavior due to ignorance and egoism. We also don't have to behave exactly the same like them.

When somebody makes a statement or judgment, it is only his or her own point of views, it is not the truth of what things are. Why bother being determined and getting upset by somebody's subjective opinion and judgment? There is no need of justification as well. How other people want to think and express is their freedom, but we don't have to be determined by other people's thinking and expression, even if it appears to be something very unpleasant.

Let everyone take responsibility for the consequences of their own thinking, speech, actions or behavior. We don't have to react towards other people inappropriate thinking, speech, actions or behavior. It doesn't mean that we don't care for what is happening in the world. We can act wisely, out of compassion, without attachment towards our actions and the fruit of our actions, without being affected or influenced by other people's wrongful or inappropriate behavior.

Just like keeping the house clean everyday. No matter how many times we try to clean the house everyday, dust and dirt keeps coming back. If we want to live in the house, we have to keep cleaning it without getting frustrated, or disappointed, or exhausted. Until the house, or the dust and dirt stop existing, then there is no need of cleaning anymore, but that is something unlikely to happen.

We cannot expect everyone to act and react the same way that we act and react, as everyone has very different types of beliefs, thinking, behavior, personalities and values or meanings of life. We cannot expect other people to be endowed with perfect self-control and ethical values, without any defilement or unrighteous behavior.

We ourselves are not perfectly pure or completely be free from defilement yet, how can we judge and criticize, or discriminate those whom we think they are bad and evil?

If we really want to improve our society or the world that we are living in, we must change ourselves and purify ourselves, remove ignorance, impurities and egoism in us. We need to realize what is unconditional peace and compassion, be able to be kind and compassionate towards all beings without discrimination, prejudice or hatred, including those who are generating discrimination, prejudice or hatred in the society.

It doesn't matter how unfair or insulting is other people treating us, we can still be kind towards everyone without being disturbed, or affected, or influenced, or determined by their respective behavior.

It is certainly not about, "You are nice to me, and I will be nice to you...", or "If you are not supporting me, I will not be nice to you...", or "You disagree with me, and so you are not my friend...", or "I am nice to you, so you have to be nice to me...", or "You are not nice to me, so why do I have to be nice to you...", or "You hate me, I hate you too..."

It has to start with ourselves. Fill ourselves with peace, love, compassion and wisdom, or correct understanding. Radiate peace, love, compassion and wisdom into the surroundings. Smile and be friendly to everyone without any selfish intentions or desires, without discrimination, prejudice or hatred, without expectation towards other people's reactions and behavior. Respect all beings as they are.

Develop magnanimity, kind wishes, forgiveness, courage, loving kindness, calmness, generosity, nobility, patience, tolerance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation and acceptance, which will help to eliminate egoism and ignorance. Let go of petty-mindedness, ill will, discrimination, prejudice, selfish intentions or desires, expectation, anger, hatred, fear, jealousy, greed, disappointment, and all sorts of impurities that feed and fueled by ignorance and egoism simultaneously.

We wish the world, "May all beings be happy, be free." including those beings whom we think they are bad and evil. As they are the ones who needed to be free from ignorance, to be free from suffering, and then there will be less beings in the world that generate harmful actions and consequences into the world.

We cannot change or control other people to think and behave the way that we think they should think and behave, but we can change ourselves, and develop the noble qualities that might or might not bring awareness to other people to reflect upon themselves or their behavior, so that other people can also develop the awareness of seeing the ignorance in themselves, and out of their own free will, whether they want to change themselves, to let go of egoism, to remove ignorance, and to have self-control over their own thoughts, speech and actions, or not.

It is not through anger, hatred, discrimination, violence, oppression or control, to change the society, or to make the world to be a better place. But it is through peace, love, compassion and wisdom in ourselves, that can help to bring awareness and reflection in other people, to allow them to see themselves, to be aware of their own ignorance and ignorant behaviors, and to change themselves out of their own free will. This is how the world will change, when everyone starts to change themselves.

It takes great amount of love, peace, patience, forbearance, perseverance, determination, will power and courage to help the world to evolve, to eliminate evilness, and to promote goodness. Most importantly, it starts with ourselves. We shine as an embodiment of unconditional love and peace, if we wish the best for the world.

Om shanti.