The common worldly empowerment towards all kinds of personal and group attachment and identification

Renunciation and the observation of silence (Mauna), is the basic essential teaching, observation, and practice of yoga and/or buddhism,

- To renounce or let go all kinds of worldly egoistic personal and group physical/mental/emotional attachment and identification,

- To move away from the engagement in restless worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, practices, rituals, ways of living, aspirations, affairs, ties and connections, communications, activities, and interactions,

- To be restraining, minimizing, and cutting-off all kinds of worldly egoistic conscious/semi-conscious/unconscious boundless inputs and outputs completely or as much as possible, to practically and effectively purify and quiet the conditional restless egoistic impure modification of the mind physically/mentally/emotionally,

- To turn the common outgoing tendency of the mind inward, to withdraw the senses from the objects of the senses, to focus within,

- To develop self-introspection to know what is going on in the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence and function of the physical body that comes with the perceptive thinking mind under different states of consciousness, to know Thyself, that leads towards self-inquiry and self-realization towards the truth of everything, 

- To develop and empower and attain mental and emotional independence through non-grasping and letting go, not being determined by all kinds of duality, or the perception of sight, smell, taste, sensation, feeling/emotion, thought/idea/desire, remembrance towards this and that, wild imaginations, and dreams, or all kinds of experience/affair/ties and connection/relationship/interaction/condition/situation that are pleasant and unpleasant, agreeable and disagreeable, desirable and undesirable, or enjoyable and non-enjoyable or even painful.

- To change the conditional restless egoistic impure thinking and behavior pattern that is being conditioned by internal genetic inheritance and external conditions and ceaseless inputs that are being empowered by ceaseless outputs/reactions under the influence of ignorance, either consciously, or semi-consciously, or unconsciously,

- To annihilate the veil of ignorance that is naturally manifested or formed under the presence of the ego or the idea of 'I' (conscious and semi-conscious self awareness or self acknowledgement under the presence of conscious and semi-conscious awareness) that gives rise to the natural by-products of egoism of attachment/identification/craving and aversion/comparison/judgment/expectation which also feed and empower the idea of 'I', all kinds of impurities, and restlessness (restless modification/thought current/thought process/state of the mind a.k.a the veil of ignorance, where the veil of ignorance vanished upon silence or cessation of the restless egoistic impure modification of the mind, or upon the state of clarity), upon the activation of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional function/mechanism/modification of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional self-acknowledging thinking and acting mind under the different states of consciousness, that is existing and functioning being part of the many different components/systems/mechanisms of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional physical body, where all that is non-self, where the momentary finite existence and function of the mortal body and mind doesn't even belong to the body and mind itself, not to say, nothing belong to anyone or anything,

- To perform self-inquiry to be inquiring towards the truth of everything, particularly what is the 'I' that the mind perceives/thinks/believes/acknowledges/identifies as its own infinite permanent independent self existence as an immortal individual being/identity/consciousness/soul/spirit that is permanent and independent (that doesn't exist at all), that belongs to itself, that is residing in the mortal finite physical body, where the thinking mind thinks and believes and desires, "The body is mortal, impure, impermanent, limited, conditional, finite, and imperfect. I am immortal, pure, permanent, unlimited, infinite, and perfect,"

- To attain direct realization towards the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self,

- To realize unconditional peace,

- To have clarity of thinking and correct understanding (absolute knowledge or wisdom),

- To cease harming oneself and others and the surrounding environment (unconditional indiscriminate kindness),

- To perform selfless actions that are possible within one's ability and limitation, including certain existing worldly duties and responsibilities towards looking after oneself and others and the surrounding environment, that benefit oneself and others and the surrounding environment that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, out of compassion - the selfless indiscriminate power of creation/action/activity, that can be constructive or destructive, depending on the different states of mind under different intentions and understanding. All actions are selfless actions, regardless of whether conscious or unconscious, intentional or intentionless, constructive or destructive. Perform possible actions that are benefiting all and everyone and everything unconditionally and indiscriminately, without forcing, without grasping, devoid of the idea of 'I' and egoism, under the presence of conscious awareness.

All kinds of autonomous/absence of conscious freewill/involuntary ceaseless selfless physical and mental activities for life maintenance throughout the entire physical body where all the different bodily systems/components/mechanisms/each and every single individual cells/neutrons/protons/neurons/atoms are all selflessly performing their own respective duty/function as well as communicating and responding among one another throughout all states of consciousness, are all selfless actions and selfless actions performers, not to say, all that are happening devoid of the idea/thought/notion of 'I' (the ego) and egoism, that only exists selflessly, impermanently, limitedly, and conditionally in the restless egoistic impure modification of the mind upon the presence of conscious and semi-conscious awareness during the states of consciousness and semi-consciousness.

All these ceaseless selfless physical activities are being performed/operated by all these selfless different bodily systems/components/mechanisms/each and every single individual cells/neutrons/protons/neurons/atoms throughout the entire physical body and throughout all states of consciousness/semi-consciousness/unconsciousness, under the selfless support of the selfless supportive energy and elements, until they completely breakdown and ceased functioning/operating eventually, regardless of whether there is presence or absence of conscious awareness in the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind during the different states of consciousness/awake, semi-consciousness/semi-awake/semi-asleep/dreaming, and unconsciousness/deep sleep/coma.

Many minds that are operating/functioning consciously/semi-consciously during the state of consciousness/semi-consciousness are not aware of or are ignorant towards the function/modification of themselves are being over-powered by the existing conditional thinking and behavior pattern under the influence of genetic inherited condition, and even more so, the influence of external conditioning inputs/influences/adopted egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices, to reason/understand/judge/feel/desire/behave/act/react spontaneously in certain way, that impact oneself and others and the surrounding environment in certain way.

The momentary existence and function of the body and mind is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, however, under the selfless impermanent intentionless manifestation of the veil of ignorance that naturally manifests as it is upon the rise of the continuous stream of the idea/thought/notion of 'I' (the ego/self acknowledgement/the illusive existence of a permanent independent individual self) that also gives rise to egoism, that gives rise to all kinds of impurities (restless modification of the mind/the turbulent state of mind/the veil of ignorance/the absence of clarity), under the presence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness during the states of consciousness and semi-consciousness, the mind is naturally being ignorant towards the truth of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function of itself, that is non-self, that doesn't even belong to itself, that itself is merely a selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary continuous stream of idea/thought/notion that appears (birth/arising) under the presence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness and that disappears (death/passing away) under the absence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness, that manifests/changes under different shapes and qualities (selfless impermanent changes) between appearance (arising) and disappearance (passing away), that is being powered as well as over-powered by egoism and impurities, or restlessness, or ignorance, where the selfless impermanent limited and conditional thinking is wishfully thinking and believing and desiring itself is and/or has an all time, all perfect, all knowing, all pure, and all powerful infinite immortal permanent independent existence.

The yoga and buddhism teachings and practice is all about the annihilation of the veil of ignorance, that naturally enables the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind/the knower/the experiencer/the thinker/the action performer to know Thyself, that is nothing to do with trying to find out and reconnect with an original, ancient, all time, all pure, all perfect, and all powerful permanent independent infinite immortal individual identity/existence/consciousness of a real I/self, that many minds interpreted and referred as "who I really am", that doesn't exist at all.

While the all time infinite selfless attributeless changeless universal consciousness (that is unborn/non-manifested/beginningless and endless/causeless, that doesn't increase nor decrease, that isn't pure nor impure, that pervades all and everything within and without, that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, that enabling the selfless manifestation of all and everything to be what they are, as they are, governed under the nature's law of cause and effect, under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, where all and everything selflessly arising, changing, and passing away impermanently/limitedly/conditionally/momentarily upon the selfless universal consciousness, at particular cause and pace) doesn't have such identification with anything, not even, "I am the all time infinite selfless attributeless changeless universal consciousness."

That is why, the selfless mind that realizes this, is silent.

There is not even "I am THAT (that is infinite, immortal, permanent, unlimited, unconditional, all time, all pure, all knowledge, all powerful, all perfect, causeless, changeless, birthless and deathless, beginningless and endless existence)," or "I am selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, that is impure, finite, and mortal."

There is neither permanent I (the truth of selflessness) nor impermanent I (the absence of the selfless impermanent, limited, and conditional ego/idea/notion of 'I') existing to be identifying with something that doesn't exist.

There is no I existing to be identifying with something that is not I.

The selfless plant doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless plant." 

The selfless cell doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless cell."

The selfless element doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless element." 

The selfless infinite attributeless universal consciousness doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless infinite attributeless universal consciousness."

But under the influence of the veil of ignorance upon the rise of the continuous stream of the selfless idea/thought/notion of 'I', the selfless human minds think/believe/acknowledge/attach unto/identify themselves as, "I am this and that," or "I am not this and not that," under the presence of selfless conscious/semi-conscious awareness, that can only be existing and functioning momentarily under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements.

 

Meanwhile, the yoga and/or buddhism practitioner that encounters some obstacles or difficulties on the path of yoga and/or buddhism while observing renunciation and silence in solitude and seclusion away from the distractive worldly passionate egoistic impure ambitious restless minds (Kutsanga - ignorant company that empowers ignorance, that inflicts unnecessary problematic disturbance, affairs, situations, and conditions unto oneself and others), may seek the advice or guidance from Satsanga (wise company that empowers wisdom) if there is availability, where it is

- Not only about the coming in contact with the dispassionate minds that have either attained direct self realization towards the truth of Selflessness, Impermanence, Limitation, Conditional, and Non-self, that are resting upon unconditional peace, or the dispassionate minds that haven't yet attained direct realization towards the truth of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence of all kinds of names and forms, but have been established firmly in the basic essential observation and practice of dispassion and renunciation, solitude and seclusion, and silence, that have attained certain degrees of correct understanding and mental and emotional independence, that have intense yearning towards liberation from ignorance and suffering, that have immovable determination and perseverance on the path of self-inquiry and self-realization, that can guide the yoga and/or buddhism practitioner towards the direction of self-realization.

- But also, the coming in contact with or the engagement in beneficial uplifting inputs/conditions/influences/physical and mental activities, such as regular yoga asana and pranayama practice, energy consumption choices and regulation (that might be different for the different bodies under different conditions and different states of mind, depending on the current predominant energy field (Gunas) - Rajas/Tamas/Sattva), concentration and meditation practice, studying the uncontaminated genuine scriptures/teachings/dhamma, balance in between activity and inactivity/work and rest/eating and fasting/awake and asleep/physical and mental activity (the middle path), and etc, that are conducive and supportive towards the activation of the conscious mind evolution process, of changing/modifying/conquering the hard-wired conditional egoistic impure restless thinking and behavior pattern, towards the thinning-out and annihilation of the veil of ignorance, a.k.a. the idea of 'I' (the ego), egoism, impurities, restlessness, and all kinds of disturbance, or affliction, or violence deriving from all that, and not towards the empowerment and stimulation of all that.

- If wise company is not available, then Asanga (devoid of company - solitude and seclusion in silence, not reading, not studying, not looking out) is absolutely fine, and even better, as the mind has no choice but to turn inward for seeing/knowing the absolute knowledge that is always there, that will clear all doubts, or obstacles, or difficulties.

All these teachings and observation or practice appeared to be 'opposing', 'detrimental', and/or 'destructive' towards all kinds of worldly passionate restless egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, affairs, activities, ways of living, ways of conduct, connections, and relationships, and hence, it is common and normal that the worldly restless egoistic minds, including some yoga and buddhism enthusiasts/practitioners/teachers, don't like and don't agree with and have intense rejection and aversion against all these basic essential teachings and observation or practice of yoga and/or buddhism, that the passionate egoistic minds perceive/recognize/categorize as a form of destructive intimidation and threat towards the existence and empowerment of their particular passionate egoistic inherited/adopted/created traditional or non-traditional ideas, beliefs, values, practices, desires, aspirations, ambitions, and visions of building a relationship, or a family, or a community, or a world that they desire it to be.

Yoga and/or buddhism teachings and practices is not at all about building a world to be in certain way and not in certain way, even if it is about promoting peace and harmony in oneself that would also naturally contributing peace and harmony into the world. There is no control or expectation towards the others or the world of many diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, has to be in certain way or not in certain way, or it has to be all perfect, agreeable, desirable, peaceful, and harmony without any imperfection, disagreeable, undesirable, unrest, and disharmony. That is not the same as the many different minds/individuals/communities having different visions, or aspirations, or ambitions, to control/possess/influence/change/build a world that is in accordance to the different desires of the many different minds/individuals/communities under many different ideas, beliefs, values, practices, desires, aspirations, ambitions, and visions.

What is wholesome and unwholesome, or what is constructive and destructive, is different for the minds (most minds) that are being ignorant towards the veil of ignorance in oneself, that are functioning under the influence of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness, while wittingly and unwittingly empowering the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness in oneself and others, and the minds that are aware of the existence of the veil of ignorance in oneself, that are aware of the destructive and harmful side-effects of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness, and have intense yearning towards thinning-out and annihilating the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness in oneself, while initiate and promote such awareness to all the other minds in the surrounding environment, to also be free from the influence of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness out of their own conscious freewill and effort, to promote more peace and harmony among the many diversities in the world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, to have less minds that ceaselessly and ignorantly generating destructive hurtful and impactful behavior/action/reaction/activity that hurt oneself and others and the surrounding environment repetitively, out of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, either intentionally or unintentionally, wittingly or unwittingly, deliberately or randomly, consciously or unconsciously.

The empowerment of all kinds of egoistic attachment and identification towards all kinds of worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, practices, rituals, ways of living, aspirations, visions, affairs, ties and connections, communications, activities, and interactions, is being seen as a form of good and righteous or positive and meaningful thing/action/activity to be promoting patriotism, loyalty, prosperity, and higher quality of living (economic growth and wealth accumulation to attain easier and enjoyable living condition) by empowering all kinds of personal and communal/social/national/political/commercial/philosophical/cultural/spiritual/religious/traditional/non-traditional/new age attachments and identities, that gives rise to and empowers boundless desires/ambitions/aspirations/visions towards building a world that each and every different community/group desires differently, either to be achieving and possessing endless power of control and manipulation, achievements, possessions, and pleasurable enjoyments, or the complete opposite of that (extremism/dualism/the opposite of one another), for the many minds that are being conditioned to think and believe, evaluate and aspire in certain way and not in certain way, which only gives rise to momentary fleeting sense of satisfaction, goodness, righteousness, and meaningfulness for oneself and/or one's particular family and community under a particular way of thinking, belief, values, practices, desires, aspirations, and visions, selfishly and possessively, but then that would also gives rise to many unnecessary evitable destructive harmful side-effects that impact oneself and one's particular family and community, as well as all the others and everything in the surrounding environment for an extensive duration.

Under the influence of ignorance, some minds might argue that "Respect nature while not going against nature," is about allowing as well as empowering all kinds of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance to be there as they are, as ignorance is also part of nature, or a natural manifestation in all minds, and hence, none should be doing anything to be eliminating ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in oneself or in anything, even if they are the root cause of many destructive hurtful behaviors/actions/reactions/ideas/desires/affairs/ties and connections/activities that give rise to many unnecessary evitable painful suffering in the world of many diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything. It is like saying, one shouldn't do anything constructive and beneficial even if it is possible, in order to promote and improve over-all physical and mental well-being and better living condition while generate less evitable problematic affair, activity, interaction, relationship, condition, and situation in anyone or anything or anywhere, under the presence of correct understanding and absolute knowledge.

Many minds also argue that "To practice non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-expectation, silence, and respecting the nature's law of cause and effect, being undetermined and undisturbed by all kinds of unpleasantness, undesirableness, disagreeableness, and non-enjoyable painful suffering/conditions/situations/hardships/difficulties/ties and connections/relationships," is about needless to do anything (to learn, to know, to understand, to find solution, to improve, to be happy, to have peace, to have less evitable illness and injury, to avoid any kind of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, to avoid preventable accidents or direct impact from natural disasters, to seek available medical help if needed, and so on), just wake up, eat, drink, shit, pee, generate rubbish, procreate, sleep, and repeat, until the body rots and dies, where all and everyone should silently accept all kinds of ignorant violent hurtful bullying ill-treatments/behaviors from anyone, where none should be learning and improving about anything consciously.

Many minds would also think and believe that if all kinds ancient traditional ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices are not necessarily all true and beneficial, then naturally, any kind of non-traditional or new age ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices that are different from all those previous old ones must be well-improvised and more true and beneficial. Or, any non-traditional/new age/newer ideas, beliefs, values, and practices are inauthentic, and must be less good, or less efficient, or inferior than the ancient traditional or older ideas, beliefs, values, and practices, that are authentic, and are better, more efficient, and superior than any newer ones. Or, if one is older and has been accumulating more experiences than the others that are younger and has less experience than oneself, then the older one must be more wise and efficient than the younger one. Many minds would also relate and categorize the existence of yoga and buddhism as non-traditional/new age/newer ideas, beliefs, values, and practices to rebel towards or go against the ancient traditional older cultural/spiritual/religious ideas, beliefs, values, and practices. Many people also think and believe that the newest or latest inventions must be better or more efficient than the older inventions. But all these understanding are not necessarily correct.

Such is the thinking, reasoning, and understanding in the mind that is functioning under the influence of ignorance.

The yoga and/or buddhism teachings and practices is not about being different from, or going against, or being improvised from the ancient traditional ideas, beliefs, values, and practices.

It is about going beyond, or transcending, or not being conditioned by all kinds of ancient traditional egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, and practices as well as all kinds of non-traditional/new age/newer egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, and practices that were/are being created to go against or rebel towards the ancient traditional older ones, where both traditional and new age ideas, values, and practices are all the creations of the minds that are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance, that are ingrained in dualism and that feeds or empowers duality, that is what hinders the mind from knowing Thyself, to realize the existence and function of itself and all and everything that it perceives in this world of diverse names and forms, is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

Yoga and/or buddhism is not part of any worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/national/regional/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas and practices that were/are being created by the egoistic minds for their respective propaganda/agenda/purposes, but it is the direct realization by the conscious perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting minds and any minds from any era of any background and condition (that had/have been being conditioned by any ancient traditional or new non-traditional ideas/beliefs/values/practices to think and live life in certain ways or not in certain ways) towards the all time universal dhamma, a.k.a. the truth or the science of what things are, as they are, where all and everything are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, regardless of who, what, how, where, and when, regardless of what type of thinking and behavior pattern or state of mind.

Inquire the truth of everything.

The practice of silence - Mauna (2)

For those who want to experiment what is the practice of silence is about, it's not necessarily that they have to be living in the forest or in a cave, as that can create many inconveniences, challenges and difficulties for the novice. They can experiment the practice of silence by attending a silent meditation retreat (not the commercialized luxury yoga retreat that emphasized on pleasurable enjoyment of the senses) at a dedicated retreat centre that provides the environment and facilities that allow people to be engaged in the practice of silence for a period of time - https://www.dhamma.org

For others who would like to observe silence in everyday life while living in a village or town or city, where one needs to look after one's everyday living/livelihood and/or looking after other people under one's care, it's not possible to observe complete silence at home for a prolonged period of time, as one still have to be regularly engaging in the worldly activities of coming in contact with other people from time to time, to live everyday life of getting to work, or doing business, and getting to shops to get supplies for daily needs and feeding oneself and/or those under one's care, and etc, though it's still possible to observe a few hours of complete silence being away from stimulation of worldly activities of mind inputs and outputs of talking/outing/interacting/communicating/messaging/phoning/shopping/discussions/debates/worrying/physical fitness training/munching outside of basic meal times/playing musical instrument or games/reading news, magazines, or novels/listening to songs, music, talks or story telling/watching TV programs, advertisements, movies, shows performance, theater, or entertainments, and all forms of social contacts and activities during that few hours (even just for half an hour, if time and space constraint) when staying awake outside of sleeping hours.

Sleeping doesn't count as observing silence as the mind will be unconsciously/involuntary being actively processing the memories or imprints of inputs, outputs, actions, reactions and emotions via dreams, except during the deep sleep mode where thought activities ceased, even when all the bodily systems still continue to be functioning autonomously/ceaselessly for maintaining life or staying alive.

Practicing partial silence in everyday life beside the few hours of complete solitude and seclusion restricting the mind inputs and outputs as mentioned above, it's about filtering the inputs and outputs by:-

- Choosing inputs and outputs that will bring more correct understanding, quietness, peace and harmony to the mind of oneself and others. Avoid inputs and outputs that will inflict greater attachment, identification, expectation, craving and aversion, passionate desire, restlessness, stupidity, greed, anger, hatred, jealousy, lies, untruthfulness, hypocrisy, dissatisfaction, disappointment, grief, depression, hurt, hostility, violence, ill-thinking, fear and worry, and other impurities in the mind of oneself and others.

- Reducing and limiting the physical and mental engagement in social life interactions and activities as much as possible, such like disinterest or care less towards worldly affairs, or other people's affairs, allowing everyone to develop correct understanding, self-introspection, self-discipline and self-realization, to know what is going on in their minds, to learn to love themselves and to look after their own minds and life independently (many passionate friendly sociable good people would disagree with this, as they don't know/understand what is beyond the worldly thinking and belief of the 'normal', 'friendly', 'caring', 'good' and 'appropriate' human behavior. Looking after one's mind by purifying and silencing one's mind to be free from ignorance and egoism, to stop unwittingly and constantly 'hurting' oneself and others out of ignorance and egoism and impurities is the most efficient, compassionate and friendliest way to truly care for the world and other beings)

- Talk only when necessary of something important or in the case of emergency.

- Talk less by minimizing and cutting short conversation using simple words of 'Hello', 'Good morning/afternoon/evening/night/day/bye' and 'Thank you' upon coming in contact with other people in everyday life.

- Learn how to be free from boredom, loneliness, left-out or meaninglessness.

- Stop feeding the desire of craving and aversion.

- Give up the worldly nature/tendency of curiosity, busybody, minding other people's affairs, heroism, gossiping, discussion, debate, commenting, flirting, bonding, connecting, networking, relationship building, teasing, blaming, fault finding, back-biting, criticism, argument, justification, complaining, moaning, mourning, day dreaming, building castle in the air, and etc.
Looking after the overall well-being and livelihood of oneself and/or those under one's care, perform daily tasks of maintaining the living space, without attachment or expectation, and performing social selfless service of pure and compassionate actions without attachment, identification, discrimination, bias, judgment, comparison or expectation and renouncing the fruit of action, without personal/political/commercial/religious agenda and ambition, or selfish intention and desire, doesn't contradict to the practice of silence.

- Give up personal friendships accumulation, but be friendly to all by freeing one's mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, without discrimination of personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, desires of craving and aversion, possessiveness or expectation towards others, develop understanding and respect towards other people's different ways of life and values of life, thinking, belief, practice, action and reaction, or behavior under different life condition and situation, and develop tolerance, forbearance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, forgiveness and letting go.

- Do not interfere with other people's freedom of thinking and belief and way of life, or intrude other people's privacy and personal or living space. Do not try to convert or change or correct other people's thinking/belief/way of life that we don't like or don't agree with. Mind our own mind and life. What other people want and don't want to think, feel, believe, practice, behave, act or react, and the consequences of their actions are their freedom and responsibility. Let everyone learn to take the responsibility for their actions and looking after themselves.

- Stay away from ignorant trouble-makers if possible, if it's not possible to stay away, then endure the challenges or difficulties that arise due to other people's ignorance and the consequences of their ignorant behavior, instead of trying to control or change or correct them or hoping that they will go away. Even this 'challenging and difficult' situation out of other people's ignorance is also impermanent. Do not feed ignorance with ignorance. Confronting people under the influence of ignorance will only generate greater ignorant reactions and unnecessary damages. It's the prideful arrogant ego that thinks and believes that "I can control or change or correct/educate these ignorant people to stop behaving ignorantly." It's up to everyone to be aware of ignorance in themselves, and want to be free from ignorance or stop behaving ignorantly. Buddha can only guide people who are aware of ignorance and suffering in themselves on how to be humble to look into their mind to see the truth, but Buddha can't remove the veil of ignorance in anyone, so that they will be aware of ignorance in themselves. Trying to control/change/correct ignorant people by fighting or conflicting with them will only provoke more ignorant reactions. It's like telling most arrogant people, "Hey! Don't do this. You are so stupid." they will be more determined to do it.

- During the practice of silence in everyday life, if the mind is struggling with boredom, loneliness, or meaninglessness, one can divert the time, energy and attention/importance into the inquiry or contemplation of the truth of names and forms, study the teachings of yoga and the existing thinking and belief in one's mind to investigate the truth of it, or developing one-pointedness of the mind focusing at one object internally or externally, or perform Japa or chanting, or do some light yoga asana practice, until the mind starts to be at ease without much usual habits of worldly physical or mental activities, one can then channel the time, energy and attention into meditation, starting with observing the natural breath as it is, when this practice becomes effortless/non-struggle, one can then observe the physical sensations moving the awareness from point to point through out the body, without attachment, judgment, expectation, craving or aversion towards the pleasant or unpleasant sensations arising and passing away. When the practice become effortless, when the mind becomes quiet, naturally, the mind sees the truth as it is, insights or wisdom will arise upon the vanish of the veil of ignorance.

It's absolutely possible to not having (or turn-off) TV, internet connection, phone connection, radio, music player, games and other convenient entertainments for the senses at home. Or, not going to the cinema, theaters, concerts, invitations, parties, events, functions, amusement park, entertainment centres, fancy restaurants, clubhouse, social interactive cafe, pleasurable enjoyment outlet, commercial malls, and so on.

It's also possible to reduce and minimize social communications, interactions and activities, the accumulation of friendship and relationship, minimize contact with family and friend circle and the neighbours, minimize engaging in the community activities of the village/town/city, maximize solitude and seclusion outside the time when one has to come in contact with other people for work or getting daily needs for living/survival or in the case of emergency. Family and friends who truly love and accept us as we are, will not be offended or unhappy by our non-sociable way of life, or the practice of silence, seclusion and solitude. Those who truly know what is love will let go the people whom they loved. The family and friends who will complain and be offended, that's their freedom for how they think, feel and react, but then we understand that it's their ignorance, egoism and impurities that cause them to think, feel and react in such way. We can let them be and be unaffected and undetermined by their ignorance.

Basically, one must know how to be undisturbed or not be bothered by how the society/other people perceive, think and judge about one's practice of silence and renouncing social interactions and activities, as there will always be some kind of non-understanding, non-acceptance, non-accommodating, disrespectfulness, interference or intrusion towards other people's privacy and freedom of life, judgment, disagreement, dissatisfaction, disappointment, expectation, gossip, criticism or condemn coming from people of family, friends, relatives, community, or those who don't even know the practitioner personally, due to ignorance, egoism and impurities. If one doesn't know how to be undisturbed by all these worldly reactions from other people, it will only cause more unhappiness and disturbance in one's mind being determined and disturbed by other people's thinking and belief, and other people's expectation and intrusion towards one's way of life or practice. If so, the practice of partial silence in everyday life becomes impossible or being contradicting towards the 'normal' way of life of the society or the worldly minded people.

Both sociable and non-sociable way of life is neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong. Just that for one who is aware of the ignorance and suffering in one's mind, who wants to be free from ignorance and suffering, the practice of silence is essential, though not everyone is suitable for this practice. It requires tremendous will power, perseverance, self-discipline, mental and emotional independence, fearlessness, dispassion and non-attachment deriving from the basic understanding of yoga, suffering and the cause of suffering, ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, the mind and the modifications of the mind, the ego and egoism, and the not necessarily easy or comfortable, but 'correct' and 'efficient' way/path to be free from ignorance and suffering.

People who don't talk much, don't interact much, who are not responsive towards other people's 'friendliness' or 'interest to be interacting with other people', are being perceived or understood by the society/worldly minded people as 'abnormality', 'rude', 'unfriendly', 'unhealthy', or 'uncaring'. Even many yoga enthusiasts of yoga practitioners and yoga teachers are also not free from this type of perception, thinking and belief.

Non-sociable is not the same as anti-social. It's normal that people would perceive or think that the practice of silence is anti-social, or non-contributing to the society or the world, or being selfish. But they don't know that silence of the mind is the highest and purest form of contribution towards humanity and the society or the world and our loved ones, by freeing one's mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, stop hurting oneself and/or others out of ignorance, egoism and impurities, and being non-intrusive/non-interference/respectful towards other people's freedom of different ways of life, thinking, belief, practice and behavior. If people want to judge, that's their freedom. Let them be.

If one seriously wants to implement the practice of partial silence into everyday life, then one can try one's best to avoid coming in contact with or staying away from worldly minded people who strongly believe in and advocate 'certain thinking and beliefs of how human beings should and shouldn't behave and live life', 'ideal of building a perfectly all good and bad-free world', 'ideal of changing the world to be the way that they think it should be', 'be in control', 'be in power', 'be strong', 'be passionate', 'be sociable', 'be inspired', 'be interactive' and 'community values' way of life, or those who attached strongly onto and be proud towards their own way of life and values of life, who want to convert and correct other people whom they dislike and disagree with, and they get offended or disturbed by other people's different ways of life or values of life, and they expect other people should also be like them having the similar way of life and values of life.

Those who truly practice yoga and meditation, who are truly friendly, kind and compassionate, is nothing to do with being outspoken, talkative, sociable or interactive, and actively engaging in worldly social, community, cultural, family and friends affairs, interactions and activities. They have no identification as 'friendly, kind and compassionate people'. They might be performing actions that would benefit the world silently, but they don't intent/aspire to change the world to be all good and nothing bad. They don't expect other people to also be like them. They have no attachment or identification towards their actions and they have no expectation towards the fruit of their actions, allowing the fruit to be what it is. They don't interfere with or intrude other people's freedom of different ways of life, thinking, belief, practice and behavior, even though the mind might dislike or disagreeable with those ways of life, thinking, belief, practice and behavior. They don't try to covert or change or 'correct' other people who are different from them to also be like them. They allow the law of nature to be what it is. They are free from craving or clinging towards 'goodness' and aversion towards 'badness'. They respect everyone to be what they are, as they are, even if they are not very nice, or behave nastily or destructively, due to ignorance. They allow everyone to experience, learn and evolve at their own cause and pace, even if the entire world or humanity will be destroyed by ignorance. Because none can free another being from the consequences of their own actions or their own suffering deriving from ignorance, egoism and impurities, but oneself.

One will be very disappointed if one expects everyone to be good and do good and nothing bad and evil. The world is a platform for human beings under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities to 'play', to 'have fun', to 'procreate', to gratify their desires of creating something that they like and destroying something that they don't like. Greed, dissatisfaction, discrimination, bias, unjust, corruption, anger, hatred, jealousy, lust, hurt, offensiveness, hostility, ill-will, fear, worry, hunger, thirst, conflicts, violence, wars and etc are everywhere. There are also some goodness, good deeds, kindness, empathy, sympathy, charity, assistance, higher technologies, pleasurable enjoyments and entertainment, good family, good relationship, good behavior, good understanding, good friendships, good community, good companion, good life, good environment, good condition, good situation, good people, and so on. But no matter how much badness and how much goodness, all are impermanent. Appreciate and support all the goodness but without attachment, clinging or craving towards goodness, and do not appreciate or support badness but without aversion towards badness, if one wants to be free.

Those who are free and peaceful, they don't need to observe all the above practice or observation of silence to render the mind pure and quiet to allow the mind to see the truth of names and forms, to be free from ignorance and be peaceful. They can live alone away from the society, or live with other people among the society, but they are not influenced or disturbed by what is happening in the world, or the ignorance, egoism, impurities, or interference of other people, remain equanimous in peace.

The practice of silence is for those who sincerely want to know the truth of one's mind and suffering. Those who have no interest in knowing the mind, who don't need to be free from suffering, who are happy with everything as it is, they don't need to do this practice.

It's everyone's freedom for what they want to do with their life, body and mind.

The practice of Silence - Mauna

The observation of silence - Mauna, is not just limited to the restriction of speech but it’s also about reducing and restricting the senses inputs and stimulations of the mind. It is calming down the thought current and free the mind from restlessness. It is not merely practicing silence of speech, but also silence of the mind.

This will help to purify the mind to a deeper level.

It is like emptying and cleaning the rubbish bin. Stop putting in more rubbish and bringing out the existing rubbish from the bin and give it a good clean up. It is stop stimulating the mind and allow it to have a moment of stillness.

It is about changing the habit of the mind that likes to react towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses every moment. It is restricting the mind to react whenever it wants to react towards whatever it perceives.

This will lead our mind to stop reacting towards what it likes and dislikes, what it agrees and disagrees with, and allow the mind to develop inner qualities, such like patience, forbearance, non-attachment, letting go, tolerance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, acceptance, forgiveness, self-introspection and self-control over the thoughts, actions and speech. All these inner divine qualities will lead the mind to realize "God" consciousness or the universal selfless consciousness - Selflessness and compassion.

It is not just about not talking.

By controlling the speech organ not to talk or speak whenever the mind wants to express itself through speech or verbal expression, it is actually controlling the mind from its egoistic habitual reaction towards all the objects of the senses or whatever it perceives through the body and mind.

It is about being the master of the mind and be "the one" in control of the mind, instead of being the slave of the impure egoistic mind activities and being over-powered by the impurities of the mind. It's about stop generating craving towards what the mind likes and agrees with, and stop generating aversion towards what the mind dislikes and disagrees with. Allowing the mind to be open towards all the perceptions of names and forms through the senses, being free from attachment or identification towards the perceiver and the perceived. Through this practice, the ego will be annihilated.

Beside stopping the mind from reacting towards the sense objects by refraining the mind to express itself through speech by observing non-talking, non-justification, non-arguing, non-interaction and non-communication with the world, and just stand as a witness or the observer witnessing or observing all the names and forms that are being perceived in the mind, we also refrain the mind from reacting or expressing through physical actions, body language and facial expression, during the practice of silence - Mauna.

It is a total restrain over the thoughts, actions and speech. The mind becomes silent.

The practice of reducing or purifying senses inputs – sights, sounds, smells, taste, sensations (touch) and thoughts, and stop generate craving and aversion towards all these names and forms, is observing Mauna. When we stop generate new reactions of craving and aversion towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, the old accumulated tensions or karma (actions and the consequences of actions) that derived from past cravings and aversions, will appear to the surface of the mind to be purified, or to be letting go.

The practice of Mauna is a very efficient and important way for us to realize the Truth of ourselves and about suffering.

The practice includes but not limited to:-

- No verbal or written communication and interaction with other people.

- No eyes contact or body contact with other people. Not looking at other people nor take interest in other people’s affairs.

- No body language or facial expression to make any communication or interaction with other people.

- Reduce and limit the inputs (sight, sound, smell, taste, sensation and thoughts) and outputs (ideas, communications and interactions) of the mind. Such like not reading novels, magazines and newspaper, not watching movies and TV programs, not listening to music, not playing sports games, not writing, not doing intense physical activities, not sleeping on soft bed, not using perfumes or fragrances, and divert the mind to contemplate on Dharma only whenever the mind thinks of any worldly objects, and etc.

- Control and minimize the habit of self-talking in the mind (talking to ourself in the mind). The speech organ maybe not performing any talking verbally, but the mind continues to talk to itself in the mind. This is very common for many people. It shows that how restless the mind is, and it doesn't like to be in silence for a single moment, even though from the appearance the body is silent and stilled, not performing any speech and actions.

- Controlling sexual desire. Transform or channel the sexual energy for spiritual practice and spiritual realization.

- Conserve energy by limiting worldly mental, physical and speech activities, and use the energy for spiritual practice and to perform selfless service for ourselves and for other beings.

- Reduce wants and worldly desires and sensual enjoyments.

- Restricting the usual daily habits of the body and mind. Such like dependent on "taking" certain "substances" or "doing" certain "things" to feel good...

- Restricting the usual reactions of the body and mind towards all the names and forms. Such like when we hear something that we don't agree with, we would like to argue about it...

- By limiting and reducing verbal, physical and mental activities. This will stop any stimulations of the mind. Allowing the whirlpool of the restless mind to have the opportunity to "settle down". When the mind is pure and calm, we will be able to "see" the Truth of everything as it is, not being contaminated by the impurities and restlessness in our mind...

- Restrict the mind from trying to express itself at anytime through verbal speech, facial expression and body language/sign. Such like learn to observe anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, arrogance, anxiety, agitation, depression, fear and worry, and let them go without react towards any of these impurities...

- Observe the thoughts (thinking) and not identify nor associate with the thoughts.

- Make the outgoing mind turns inwards concentrating and resting in the chamber of the heart.


May all spiritual aspirants be determined to observe Mauna – Silence of thoughts, actions and speech for some period of time in the path of yoga and meditation for spiritual realization to know the Truth.

Note that this practice of silence is "possible" for those who really want to know how to transcend suffering. For people who never suffer, or haven't experience any suffering, or don't know what is suffering, and are not interested in transcending suffering, this practice is not possible for them. It's because this practice will generate some "discomforts" or "pain" or "suffering" in the body and the mind, due to we stop feeding the body and the mind with what it usually likes to think, do, say, see, hear, smell, taste, and touch... It is "not fun" but "miserable" for the mind that likes to chase after worldly sensual enjoyments...

We will see our mind's true behavior when we start to restrict the mind from getting what it usually gets in everyday life... We will notice that we are not actually "the person" whom we think what we are... All the anger and frustration kick in as the body and mind is being cut off from its usual addictions, activities, lifestyle and enjoyment, and when its craving is not being gratified...

We will find out that our own mind is not actually as "obedient" as what we thought it was. And we will become humble and stop judging and criticizing other people whom we think that they have a "bad" mind that is not as "good" as ours... It's because we will realize that our own mind is not any better than anyone else mind...

We thought that we are super nice and calm people, but not really...

We thought that we are patient and compassionate people, but not really...

We thought that we are loving and unselfish people, but not really...

When we stop giving the mind what it likes and wants...

And so, this confrontation with the "ugly dark side" of our own mind, is not a "good" thing for someone who is very proud and arrogant... But it is a very good thing for someone who is willing to give up pride and arrogance...

This is simply because we start to see the truth of our own mind when we practice Mauna for a period of time, and turn the outgoing mind inward for self-introspection...

When come to the point if we are able to perform all our actions and speech out of selfless compassion, without any attachment, selfish desire and expectation, when all our thoughts, actions and speech are pure, then even though we are performing some thinking, actions and speech, but it is not contradicting with the practice of silence at all... That is what the teachings talk about inaction in action...

Om shanti.

The importance of Mauna & Uparati - The practice of silence & renunciation from worldy activities

This practice of silence and renunciation from worldly activities is applicable for those who sincerely want to tread the path of entering into silence or attaining Samadhi - the ultimate freedom and real peace transcending the ego and the mind, transcending the perception of the world of names and forms, dualities and qualities, and be free from desires, greed, craving and aversion, and thus be free from ignorance and suffering. This practice will come naturally for those who already have the right discrimination about what is real and unreal. Naturally they will let go of chasing after of the unreal, and will know to appreciate and utilize the existence of this body and mind for what is real...

Any names and forms that is formed through combination of energy and elements, it is not real... It has a beginning and an end... It exists and will stop existing... It is conditioned by qualities of names and forms... It is impermanent and constantly changing... It is non-Self. There's no existence of 'I' in the names and forms to be in control of all these impermanent changes.

What is real, is beyond qualities, names and forms... And thus it doesn't has a beginning or ending. It doesn't exist or stop existing. It is attributeless, it is not conditioned by qualities of names and forms. It is not affected by impermanence and it doesn't change...

This practice of Mauna and Uparati is not just applicable and limited to the so called monks and nuns who leave the world to concentrate on their own Self-realization. The real renunciation is not conditioned by any names and forms, but it is happening in the mind, and it can be at anywhere and anytime, and in anyone...

People who know real renunciation can live in the midst of the world but will not be affected, nor influenced, nor determined, nor disturbed, nor conditioned by the world of names and forms... They are free from ignorance, egoism, anger, hatred, greed, desire, dissatisfaction, craving and aversion, anxiety, restlessness, fear and worry. Out of compassion and wisdom that they realize from Self-realization, they can perform so much works or actions to help the other beings to be free, to transcend the ego and the mind, ignorance and suffering... But without being affected by the fruit of their actions.

For people who really wish to attain success in the path of yoga and meditation, the practice of Mauna (silence) and Uparati (cessation from worldly activities) are very important practice to turn the outgoing tendency of the mind inward, in order to render the mind calm and be free from restlessness and unnecessary anxieties, cares and worries for Self-introspection or Self-inquiry.

The practice of Mauna and Uparati maybe seen as "anti-social" in the eyes of the worldly people, but it is a must if we really want to go deeper in the path of yoga and meditation to know the Truth of our existence and to attain real peace. Those whose minds are wild, incontrollable, restless and passionate are not yet ready to meditate, to contemplate upon the Truth... There is nothing wrong or bad about the mind being restless and passionate... Just keep practice purification of the mind and strengthening self-control...

That's why all the (serious) meditation retreats for people who live in the busy world to immerse themselves in meditation practice for purifying and calming the mind, and to contemplate on the Truth, they have two most important observations which are, to observe silence or Mauna (to stop any interactions and communications with the world verbally, mentally and physically) and to refrain from worldly or daily habitual activities throughout the entire retreat. This is to allow the mind to quiet down, to take a few moments of "rest"... Within that few moments of "rest", the mind is calm and quiet, be free from anxiety, restlessness, imaginations and speculations, and naturally, without any intention to know the Truth, the Truth will reveal itself...

Only a calm and pure mind can reflect upon the Truth without the influence of the ego, the thinking, impurities, judgments and expectations...

For people who really devote this life existence for Self-realization, and they know self-control, non-attachment and renunciation, they can live in the busy world, but being undisturbed, unaffected, uninfluenced, unconditioned, undetermined by the world, and practice meditation entering into silence. The world is always restless, but they are not influenced by the world. Their mind is at rest all the time... They are different from those who need to go to retreat centres repeatedly to have some sorts of "momentary" self-control, non-attachment and renunciation in the retreat centres, to find some moments of peace, but when come back out into the world, there is no self-control, nor non-attachment, nor renunciation, and there is no peace...

In the path of yoga (mind control), these two practices are unavoidable if we really want to know about this mind (the existence of "I" (the perceiver) and all the enjoyments and suffering (the perceived) that comes along with the existence of this "I"), and to be able to go beyond this mind and to transcend the ego, craving and aversion, and ignorance or impurities, as well as transcending all the qualities of names and forms (the state of duality that derives from the perception of names and forms).

Fear and worry, anger and hatred, greed and dissatisfaction, envy and jealousy, doubts and ignorance, craving and aversion, passionate desires, the attachments towards the body and mind, the attachments towards all the names and forms that are being perceived through this mind and body with the functions of the senses and sense organs, the wrong identification with the body and mind, the sensations, the feelings, the thinkings and the egoistic "I-ness" and "mine-ness"... - All these impurities "disconnect" us from our true nature, the eternal unconditional, attributeless wisdom, bliss and peace.

We think we are "this" or "that" with certain names and forms, behaviors, believes, religions, educations, cultures, habits, hobbies, talents, characteristics and personalities. We think we have something called "self-esteem" that is being determined by who we are and what we are, what we do and don't do, what we can do and cannot do, and what we judge ourselves and others. We think we need to have certain qualities to create or develop something what we name as "confidence" in us.

The truth is, once we know this mind and what is this ego, then all the so called "self-esteem" and "confidence", and all the other qualities of good and bad, happiness and suffering, names and forms that we use to judge ourselves and everyone and everything in this world, they all will disappear... They don't exist at all...

There is no "I"... There is no "self-esteem" or "confidence"... There is no need to have "self-esteem" or "confidence" to feel that we are "somebody" or to make us become "somebody"...

"Self-esteem" and "confidence" exist when we think we are this body and mind, and we are "somebody" with certain qualities, names and forms...

When we truly know our true Self, the existent of "I" with certain qualities, names and forms, will disappear... Our true Self is nameless and formless, beyond names and forms... There is no good and bad. There is no positive and negative. There is no happiness and suffering...

In order to know our true Self, not just from reading books written by enlightened beings, or having heard from past saints and sages, or from some existing teachers or Gurus telling us about "who we really are", we need to be able to observe the practice of Mauna and Uparati in some stage in our life... Just to take some "time off" from worldly activities and interactions... For the mind to have the opportunity to be free from restlessness, unnecessary cares and worries, to concentrate and focus inwardly for introspection, for self-inquiry, for self-realization, for experiencing the real inner peace, for knowing the Truth of existence and suffering...

Note that this real inner peace is not the momentary peaceful good feeling that comes from doing some meditation, asana and pranayama practice, or by not encountering any discomforts, pain and illnesses, or by doing the things that we like to do, or by getting the things that we want, where by this type of peaceful good feeling is conditioning and limited by the qualities of names and forms, and it is impermanent, it will change and disappear...

The real inner peace is unconditional, unlimited, undisturbed and unchanging... It is always there. Never increase nor decrease... Never exist nor doest it stop existing...

This renunciation is not selfishness as some people might think that it is... This is definitely not running away from our duties and responsibilities... It's because the biggest duty and responsibility in this existence of "I", is to know who am "I"... If we don't know "who we really are", we will have no peace, no wisdom, no compassion... And we cannot help other people to have peace, wisdom and compassion, if we ourselves are not peaceful, not wise, and not compassionate... If we want to help the world, we need to help ourselves first...

When this mind is restless, wild and uncontrollable, it makes us think that we are experiencing all the enjoyments and suffering in this world of names and forms with qualities of good and bad, pleasantness and unpleasantness...

When the mind is pure and be free from all sorts of impurities and ignorance, we'll know that there is "nobody" there to experience "anything"... The world is just being what it is being "projected" from this mind... It is the mind projecting the "world"... When the mind stops, the world disappears... When the mind ceased existing, there is no "world"...

Impure mind projects impure world of names and forms... Positive mind projects positive world... Negative mind projects negative world... Fearful mind projects fearful world... Angry and hating mind projects angry and hating world... Compassionate mind projects compassionate world... Calm mind projects calm world... Pure mind projects pure world... No mind, no world...

The world is just being what it is. It is neither good nor bad, neither pure nor impure, neither positive nor negative, neither a happy place nor a suffering place.

Yoga and meditation is to "annihilate" the mind, to "eliminate" the ego, the thought waves or the mind activities...

It doesn't matter if some worldly passionate minds think that this practice of Mauna and Uparati is impossible, contradictory, unnecessary and means no more "fun" in life... Everyone has the freedom to choose what to do in life and what way of living... Be happy.

The meanings of life and ways of living are vary in everybody...

The Buddha and all the other saints and sages chose to live a simple, self-controlled, desire-less and non-attachment way of life and find that entering into silence and attaining real peace is the meaning of life... And some other people choose some other forms of lifestyle and find that by attaining another form of excitement, enjoyment and happiness as the meaning of life... There's nothing wrong... Be happy.

Contemplate on this teaching and be free...

Om shanti.