Inquire toward the selfless function of memory

The selfless function of memory is neither good nor bad. It exists as an essential selfless function being part of the entire complex function of a selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind for it to be what it is, being part of the essential selfless function of the selfless physical body, to be perceiving, processing and experiencing a selfless impermanent worldly life existence that is limited by time, space and causation.

If without the essential function of memory and memory storage being part of the selfless function of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty, then what is the function of thinking and acting? What is the mind perception of a worldly life existence? What is 'I' and 'mine'? What are ties and relationships? What is worldly personal and group identity? What is intellectual reasoning and cognitive understanding? What is learning? What is knowledge and skill? What is likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements? What is belief/disbelief and values? What is desire and greed? What is goodness and badness, righteousness and wrongfulness, happiness and unhappiness, or meaningfulness and meaninglessness? What is enjoyment or suffering? What is separateness and loneliness? What is craving and aversion? What is self-esteem and self-worth? What is success and failure? What is pride? What is superiority and inferiority? What is humiliation? What is hurtful or traumatic experience? What is yoga practice and practicing yoga? And etc.

It's like the essential 'SAVE' and 'OPEN FILE' function of the memory storage of the CPU of a computer, regardless of whether the basic essential programming for the operating system and all kinds of data and information are being saved in the internal built in memory storage or the external memory storage. The 'OPEN FILE' function to recall or playback saved data or information, is similar to the function of remembrance of the selfless thinking and acting faculty for it to be functioning 'normally'.

The selfless thinking and acting faculty cannot function (properly or normally) as what it is, if without the essential selfless function of memory, where the selfless function of the cognition and the intellect are useless. The selfless thinking faculty doesn't remember or recall anything that it perceives, or any thought of any name and form that is arising, changing and passing away upon the modification of the mind, in order to be processing whatever it perceives that is reflected in the form of a continuous stream of thought after thought, through the selfless function of the intellect and cognition, to be reasoning, to be understanding, to be learning anything, or to be developing any skill, to be remembering all and everything that the selfless perceptive thinking and acting faculty perceived and processed, where all perceived names and forms are being saved autonomously in the memory storage, either consciously, half-consciously, or unconsciously.

There might still be the selfless function of the perception being functioning as what it is, perceiving all kinds of names and forms through the selfless senses via the selfless sense organs, even if under the absence of the function of memory, or cognition, or intellect, to be remembering, knowing, reasoning, learning and understanding anything, even if the memory storage is there keeping all kinds of memories or knowledge and understanding, however, if without the function of memory, the cognition (knowledge and understanding) or the intellect (reasoning) would be useless, as the reasoning are based on the existing knowledge and understanding that is being stored in the memory storage.

Just as a video camera can still be displaying the captured images on the screen if there's enough battery for it to be operating as what it is, capturing images and reflecting them upon the screen, but it cannot record anything to become video clips for playback, if without a valid and vacant memory card or storage. Even the basic essential programming of specific operating system that is enabling the video camera to be operating in certain way also needed to be stored somewhere in the memory storage. And if there is memory space to be recording the images into video clips, but if there's absence or malfunctioning of the playback function, the recorded video clips cannot be displayed, which is similar to the function of remembrance, where the selfless thinking and acting faculty cannot recall or remember certain or all memories that are stored in the memory storage, if there's deficiency or malfunctioning of the function of remembrance.

The selfless physical body can still be operating autonomously, under the support of the selfless elements and energy that is available up to certain extend before it's completely depleted, even if all the different functions of the modification of the mind are non-functioning, just as in the deep sleep state, where the thought process of thinking, reasoning, understanding, desiring and acting is absent. That's why the entire world will be so peaceful, if all minds went into deep sleep state, or are absent, even just for a few moments.

Under the function of the memory, the selfless thinking faculty could recall what it can recall from the memory storage, of what it has been perceiving through the senses and processing through the intellect and cognition, of certain conscious, half-conscious or unconscious mind inputs and thought process, upon waking up from deep sleep state or unconsciousness, remembering time and space, remembering some, or most, or all of its ties and relationships, personal and group identities, duties and responsibilities, appointments and plannings, accomplishments and non-accomplishments, desirable and undesirable experiences or events, different names and forms, experiences, interactions, learning, skills and knowledge, likes and dislikes, desires and don't desires, and hence, it can be functioning as what it is, continuing its everyday life routine under certain familiar built up habits, performing its many different activities, duties and responsibilities under different identities, ties or relationships, learning new knowledge and skill, exploring new experiences, even if the function of memory is not highly efficient, where it might not be able to remember all and everything exactly as what it was. And all these traits, ties, relationships, identities, duties, responsibilities, interactions, habits, routines, activities, thinking, reasoning, understanding, learning, desires or actions of a selfless impermanent worldly life existence would not be possible, if the function of memory is completely absent or non-available since the beginning of conception.

There are different types and degrees of memory deficiency or malfunctioning.

Someone who might not remember what it had perceived and experienced in the last few months, but might be remembering what it perceived and experienced many years ago.

Under certain cases, the selfless 'normal' thinking and acting faculty that has been learning and remembering many things, knowledge and skills, but then it suffers short term or long term memory deficiency or malfunctioning due to certain reason at certain stage, where it couldn't remember some/many/all things from then onward, but it might still can be performing certain activities or skills autonomously deriving from the existing memory storage of what had been experienced, learned, processed and stored before the memory malfunctioning happens, even if the selfless thinking faculty has no idea of "I remember and know what is this or how to do this." Such as someone who had been learning and playing guitar, but somehow it couldn't remember or recall many things due to memory deficiency, or doesn't remember the name of this instrument, can still pick up the guitar and starts playing without thinking or remembering.

That's why the built up habit, addiction, egoism, way of thinking, beliefs, values, reasoning, understanding, desires, intentions, or mind behavior pattern that is influencing the behavior, action and reaction, is conditional, where it was and is continuously being conditioned in certain way, and hence, it can be re-conditioned, or be modified and changed.

That's why the early childhood up bringing by the parents or care taker, the surrounding environment, the mind inputs, the mingling and interactions with other minds, as well as the type of educational learning and training that the selfless thinking and acting faculty has been receiving, that is influencing and conditioning its way of thinking, reasoning, understanding, desire, intention and behavior pattern in certain way, is highly important. And most minds are being conditioned in the way that is based on the idea of 'I', egoism and ignorance. The good thing is that, all that is conditional, which means all that could be modified and changed by the effort of itself, under the presence of awareness and will power, or the desire of wanting to change itself, or the yearning towards liberation to be liberated from ignorance and its by-products.

That is also why the upmost importance of the observation of dispassion, seclusion, solitude, silence and renunciation of moving away from all kinds of worldly passionate egoistic ties, connections, communications, interactions, activities, inputs and affairs for the serious yoga and/or buddhism practitioners to activate the mind purification process, to be purifying or re-conditioning the modification of the mind, effectively.

If there's no function of memory in the modification of the thinking and acting faculty to be remembering the ceaseless thought process or thought activities of all kinds of perceptions and experiences arising, changing and passing away, there will be no idea of 'I' can be existing in the form of a continuous stream of thoughts that the thinking and acting faculty can remember and be identifying as 'I'. There's no attachment or identification towards any names and forms can be happening, as there's no remembrance towards any perceived names and forms. There's not even the idea of "Who am I?" or "I don't remember who I am." Unless it's a partial memory malfunctioning where the selfless thinking and acting faculty could still remember certain things while couldn't remember some other things.

Without the function of remembrance, there's no recollection of whatever have been perceiving by the selfless function of perception, where all kinds of perceived names and forms being reflected in the modification of the mind, ceaselessly arising, changing and passing away, not to say, to be remembering the process of learning, experiencing, knowing, reasoning and understanding, where all actions and reactions are being generated autonomously and spontaneously under the influence of the existing habits or behavior pattern that was and is continuously being conditioned in certain way.

Likewise, under the function of memory, the selfless thinking and acting mind can modified or changed the built up habits, way of thinking, belief/disbelief, values, behavior pattern or the states of the mind, through certain practice or training under the presence of correct understanding and will power.

There's no egoism can be existing in such mind that is completely void of the function of memory, as there's no remembrance towards anything or any thought for the selfless thinking faculty to hold onto, to attach onto, to be identifying with, to be associating with, to be generating craving or aversion upon, to be comparing or judging upon, and to be having any expectation towards anything to be or not to be in certain way, where all these egoistic traits are based on the existence of accumulated experience, learning, knowledge, intellectual reasoning and cognitive understanding that solely depending on the function of memory to be remembering as much as possible towards all perceptions, experiences, thought process or thought activities, learning, training, knowledge, skill, belief/disbelief, values, reasoning and understanding towards the perceived names and forms.

It's due to the function of memory, there's the idea of 'I' and egoism arising from ignorance, existing in and occupying the selfless modification of the mind. It's also due to the function of memory, there's possibility of performing certain practice to be eradicating the idea of 'I' and egoism and ignorance from the selfless existence and function of the modification of the selfless thinking and acting faculty.

It's actually beneficial for the selfless thinking and acting faculty to be functioning 'normally' and 'healthily' for not being able to remember all and everything, of all kinds of conscious, half-conscious and unconscious receptions or inputs, as it could give rise to constant restless disturbance in the selfless modification of the mind, especially if under the presence of ignorance and egoism, there is egoistic attachment, identification, association and the desire of craving and aversion being generated towards all kinds of names and forms that the mind has been perceiving and remembering since the beginning of the forming of the selfless existence and function of the selfless thinking faculty. There won't be any disturbance or problem if there's no egoistic attachment, identification, association or the desire of craving and aversion being generated towards all and everything that the selfless thinking faculty could remember since the beginning of its selfless existence and function.

Most minds have very limited memory power, and would not be able to remember all and everything exactly as it is in the last hour, not to say, since the beginning of the existence and function of the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty along with the forming of the selfless physical body. Although there might be some minds might be able to remember all and everything clearly and exactly as what it was, which is also neither good nor bad, depending on the presence or absence of correct understanding or ignorance.

The function of memory is being influenced, determined and affected by the inevitable growing, decaying and aging process, and can be affected or impacted by certain illness, injury, malnutrition, imbalanced physical and mental activity and inactivity, or some other impactful factors, such as certain 'traumatic' experiences.

A highly efficient memory power of being able to remember all and everything exactly as it was, is neither good nor bad.

Short term or long term memory deficiency or malfunctioning of being unable to remember certain or many things or experiences, either partially, periodically, or completely, is also neither good nor bad.

The memory storage is what is, storing all kinds of memories of perceived names and forms, and it's not being affected by the efficiency of the function of memory or remembrance. Just as the malfunctioning of the playback function of the video camera, or the malfunctioning of the 'OPEN FILE' function of the computer, doesn't affect the recorded video clips in the memory card, or the saved data and information in the memory storage. However, the recorded video clips or the saved data and information could be corrupted due to certain malfunctioning or corruption of certain functions, regardless of whether the playback function of the video camera or the 'OPEN FILE' function of the computer is functioning properly, or not.

Similarly, the accumulated memories that were being stored in the memory storage could be corrupted due to the malfunctioning or corruption of the different functions of the selfless thinking and acting faculty, regardless of whether the selfless thinking and acting faculty can or cannot remember certain things or many things.

The good thing about having highly efficient memory power is that the selfless thinking and acting faculty can be processing and memorizing and recalling all kinds of learning and knowledge and skill training that it comes in contact with, effortlessly. Just like a high speed CPU of a computer with unlimited storage power and unlimited access to the unlimited data and information being kept in the memory storage that are available on the internet, can have high efficiency of being what it is, provided if there is battery or power available. The most advanced and efficient computer also cannot be operating, if without battery or power.

However, having a extremely high efficiency of memory power and unlimited storage capacity that can remember all and everything with tiny little details exactly as they are, doesn't necessarily correlate with the truth of what things were or what things are. Just as the high speed CPU of a computer with unlimited storage power (memory power and memory storage) and unlimited access to the unlimited data or information (knowledge) that are available on the internet, but not all stored and accessible data, information or knowledge are the truth of what things are, and even the most advanced high-tech CPU is also limited, as it is being programmed (conditional way of thinking, belief/disbelief, values, practice, reasoning, understanding, desire, intention, decision making, behavior pattern, or the states of mind) by certain programmers (influential factors that are limited and conditional) for it to be functioning or not functioning in certain way (the behavior, actions and reactions).

Regardless of whether there is high or low efficiency of memory power and memory storage capacity to be remembering what the mind can remember as much as possible towards all its mind perception of all kinds of names and forms, of ceaseless thoughts activities, either consciously, half-consciously or unconsciously, the accumulated memories in the memory storage is based on the limited mind perception of names and forms, or the limited and conditional modification of the mind, that is being limited by time, space and causation, that is most probably functioning under the veil of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, being conditioned by certain egoistic impure way of thinking, belief/disbelief, values and practice, where the thinking, knowledge, reasoning and understanding are not necessary correct or the truth of what things are.

Such as the recorded video clips might be displaying the images as they are, only limited to what are not being hidden behind certain objects and that are within the range of capturing depending on the camera lens dimension, but it cannot display all and everything else that are either hidden behind certain objects, or what are outside the range of capturing. And so, it's partially true, but not necessarily all the truth of what is happening at that time, even if the video clips are being recorded under extremely high definition with highest quality super clear images. Similarly, the mind perception of everything is very limited, even if the memory power is highly efficient with unlimited memory storage.

Cause and effect, or actions and consequences of actions, is still what it is, even if the selfless thinking and acting faculty cannot remember all its actions and reactions that are happening either with or without awareness, either autonomously or intentionally, under the presence or absence of correct understanding.

It could be something terribly unpleasant or disturbing, if the mind can remember all and everything as it is, where the mind is constantly restless being occupied by all the memory of all and everything, on top of the ceaseless perception of names and forms that the mind perceives in the present moment now, especially if the mind doesn't know what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-association, non-craving or non-aversion.

Such as most minds are continuously being determined, affected and disturbed by the repetitive remembrance towards certain past unpleasant, disagreeable and undesirable experiences, from time to time, and have no peace. Not to say, to be constantly remembering all that, all the time. Constantly missing and craving towards something pleasant and desirable, while being disturbed by and aversion towards something unpleasant and undesirable, due to incorrect understanding under the influence of the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

Most of the memories of perceived and processed names and forms, of directly or indirectly coming in contact with countless objects, affairs, experiences, learning, knowledge, information, countless mind inputs of all kinds of images, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, feelings, emotions, visualizations, movies, videos, dramas, theatre plays, shows, advertisements, talks, sermons, news portals, social medias, books, articles, fairy tales or stories, and so on, in different timings and in different places, that the selfless mind can remember in the form of memory, even if it was something that the mind perceived just a few moments ago, are most probably not exactly what it was, as the selfless function of mind perception is highly limited, not to say, on top of the accumulated memories are a mixture of distorted or partial memories, of ceaseless thought activities being processed under the veil of ignorance and egoism, where all kinds of inputs/information/ideas/stories/beliefs are not necessarily the truth of what things are, of wild imaginations, anticipations, projections, fantasies, wishful thinking and dreams.

One cannot reason, or debate, or argue with someone that has extremely high efficiency of memory power, that can remember everything with all tiny little details exactly as they are, while oneself doesn't really remember all and everything exactly as it is. One also cannot reason, or debate, or argue with someone who has memory malfunctioning, who is suffering from partial or complete memory deficiency where it couldn't remember some or all that it had said and done, what it had witnessed or experienced, or where it had been to, or, someone that is lost in its distorted or mixed up memories that are not what things really are, that is remembering things differently from what they really were, or remembering things that didn't happen or exist at all.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Disturbed / hurt by remembering/thinking about past unpleasant experiences

Minds that feel being disturbed or hurt by 'something' that is being perceived/acknowledged as 'hurtful', 'wrongful', 'bad', 'disturbing', or 'undeserving', they are actually being disturbed or hurt by the remembrance towards the perceived names and forms that doesn't exist in NOW, unwittingly attached onto the perceived names and forms (past experiences in the form of memories), being determined by the past memories as well as keep feeding these memories to keep them 'alive' to be shadowing/haunting the mind repeatedly in NOW.

The past is not just about whatever happened some time ago.

What is here in NOW is constantly changing/passing away and instantly becoming part of the past memory that is made up of a continuous chain of countless pieces of thoughts/images.

For example, maybe someone says and does something that is hurtful/wrongful/bad/disturbing to this person (this mind) in this present moment NOW.

The mind immediately processes this experience and will analyze and assert, "This is something hurtful/wrongful/disturbing that I or anyone don't deserve to be experiencing." and react with "I am/feel disturbed and hurt by this." and by the time the mind is analyzing and asserting about 'this experience', 'this experience' is already beyond NOW being stored as part of the memory. But somehow, the mind will continuously feel disturbed and hurt by the continuous remembrance of "This is something hurtful/wrongful/bad/disturbing that I or anyone don't deserve to be experiencing." and continuously react with "I am/feel disturbed and hurt by this." Even when 'this experience' that instantly becomes 'that experience' which existed moment/seconds/minutes/hours/days/weeks/months/years ago, that doesn't exist in the NOW, and even when the memory starts to fade away and changed into some blurred images that are not exactly what it really was as it happened, the mind will still be disturbed and hurt by the remembrance towards 'the disturb/hurt reacted towards that experience'.

It's always, "You/They did this." or "You/They said that." This is truly unnecessary. Imagine if someone is completely forgetful about everything or has no function of memory to be remembering anything, what is there to disturb or hurt this mind?

It's not about erasing one's memories to be free from disturbs or hurts coming from continuously remembering the past experiences that the mind perceived as 'disturbing'/'hurtful'/'wrongful'/'bad', but it's developing the ability of 'non-attachment' to be unattached/non-clinging/non-grasping/non-craving/non-aversion towards all the thought/emotion activities in NOW perceiving all the pleasant/unpleasant names and forms or desirable/undesirable experiences, and all that is being stored as part of the memory that constantly arising and passing away in the mind in NOW.

If the mind is always being in the NOW, without attachment towards what is NOW and beyond NOW (memories or imaginations), being aware of but without attachment/clinging towards any thought/emotion activities of the mind as well as the pleasant/unpleasant memories/images constantly arising and passing away in the mind in NOW, then this mind won't be disturbed or hurt by anything at all, not even being disturbed by what is happening NOW or the constant flashback of memories of the past thought/emotion activities perceiving all kinds of pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable names and forms.

The real practice of non-attachment, is not about having very few or zero things/objects/relationships/enjoyments in life, or ignoring/neglecting one's duty/responsibility and do nothing to improve, but it's about non-clinging/non-grasping/non-craving/non-aversion/non-judgment/non-expectation towards what is going on in the thinking mind (the modifications of the mind), of whatever the mind perceives in NOW and all that beyond NOW (memories and imaginations), allowing all the pleasant/unpleasant, agreeable/disagreeable, desirable/undesirable names and forms being there as they are and ceaselessly changing as they are, arising and passing away as they are.

Go beyond the worldly thinking and belief about "Life has to be in certain ways and people must behave in certain ways to live a good, happy, joyful and meaningful life, or else life is not good, happy, joyful or meaningful." Life is just what it is. It doesn't has to be in certain ways and people don't have to behave in certain ways, while life doesn't need to be good, happy, joyful and meaningful the way that the mind thinks and believes what is good/happy/joyful/meaningful. Life is neither good nor bad, neither happy nor unhappy, neither joyful nor joyless, neither meaningful nor meaningless.

Whether one is practicing yoga, or not, is not determined by whether one is doing some 'yoga practice' in the form of Pranayama, Asana, Yamas, Niyamas, Kriyas, Japa/Kirtan and etc, or not, but it's whether there is attachment towards the modifications of the mind, or not. If there's attachment, there's no peace. Peace is there as it is, in the absence of attachment.

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.

The function of memory and the existence of 'I'

The existence of 'I' is very much influenced by the function of memory to remember all or some of the relationships and experiences with everyone and the objects of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, and the accumulated knowledge and skills through remembering all its learning and training from the past till the present, with all kinds of imagination, anticipation, speculation, projection and expectation, plus all the thought activities of pleasant and unpleasant reactions of feelings and emotions towards all the good and bad, desirable and undesirable experiences.

If the mind couldn't remember certain experiences in the past, it won't relate itself with those experiences and will have no identification with those experiences. At some points, the mind might confuse some wild imaginations and the dreams that it remembers as part of the life experiences that it thinks it experienced in life. Under the function of memory, most of the time, the mind doesn't remember things exactly as they were. A lot of the details of the memories are doubtful and confused. And the ego attached onto these blurred memories of the past to be identifying as 'I', and judges itself and everyone and everything based on these memories.

If the function of memory doesn't exist, or the mind couldn't recall all that it perceived of what it saw/heard/smelled/tasted/felt/thought/knew/acknowledged/learned/experienced/practiced/acted/reacted/acquired/possessed, or what it liked and didn't like towards all the perceived names and forms, there's no remembrance of an existence or identification of 'I' and any relationships with anyone in the present. Whatever was being processed in the mind wasn't being stored as a conscious memory to be recall into the present, though there will be subtle imprints of all the present reactions of craving and aversion towards all the perceptions of names and forms being stored in the subconscious mind where all these subtle imprints of craving and aversion would bubble up to the surface of the conscious mind during the deep mind purification process, when the mind stops reacting with craving and aversion towards all the perceptions in the present.

Without memory storage of what it perceives through the senses and what is being processed through the thinking faculty, the mind won't remember a continuous/permanent identity that attached onto some qualities of names and forms that comes with certain accumulated knowledge, experiences and relationships with everyone to be identifying as "This is what I was/am from the past till now." This mind won't be influenced by any particular ethnic and social background, culture, knowledge, idea, practice, thinking, belief, or learning, to apply any judgment, comparison, or expectation that based on the memories of past experiences of accumulated knowledge, ideas, beliefs, actions and reactions towards all the mind perceptions of names and forms in this existence now, such like, "I had this before. This was good, I liked this. I want this again." or "I had that before. That was bad, I didn't like that. I don't want that again."

Even though there might be spontaneous reaction of craving or aversion towards the mind perception of names and forms in the present now, but then, the mind won't be able to remember this experience and its reaction of craving and aversion towards this experience. All experiences will appear to be something new or unknown to it. The desire of craving and aversion on the conscious level are very much influenced by the memories of the past pleasant and unpleasant experiences. "I experienced this before or I know this, I remember either I had liked this and I want this again (craving), or I didn't like this and I don't want this again (aversion)." Meanwhile, the subtle desires of craving and aversion that continuously bubble up to the surface of the conscious mind which the memoryless mind doesn't remember or doesn't know what they are or where they come from, but somehow there are ceaseless reaction of craving and aversion towards all the names and forms being generated due to these subtle imprints of desires.

If the mind developed awareness towards the existence of these subtle desires of craving and aversion, without attachment towards these desires or identification with them, or it is uninfluenced by these existing subtle desires to generate more reactions of craving and aversion, this mind is free.

That's why for those who take seriously in the path of yoga and meditation, the practice of renunciation and seclusion, reducing and restricting mind inputs of all sorts, or the contact with objects of names and forms, or social interactions and activities in the world, is a very important observation to minimize and restrict the accumulation of subtle imprints of under current desires even if the mind has no awareness or memories of all its reactions of craving and aversion towards all the perceptions of names and forms.

It's everyone's freedom for what they want to do with their worldly life existence of the impermanent and selfless body and mind.

For those who are absolutely okay with the impermanent and selfless function of the body and mind, who are free from clinging and craving towards good condition and free from aversion towards bad condition, and aren't disturbed or determined by all kinds of suffering in the world of names and forms that derived from ignorance and egoism and impurities, they don't need to practice yoga and meditation, as they are free as they are.

Be free.