Being aware of ignorance in the world without being determined or disturbed by it

Not being determined or disturbed by the ignorance in the world doesn't mean that one is ignoring or unaware of all kinds of ignorant affairs in the surrounding environment. It also doesn't mean that one is emotionless, non-sympathetic, or non-empathetic.

It's merely the correct understanding towards the modification of the minds, towards ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, while respecting the nature of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, and being capable to let go passionate egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, that enable the mind to be aware of all kinds of ignorance and suffering deriving from ignorance in the world, while being undetermined and undisturbed by the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.

For those who have great enthusiasm to help the world to be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance, or to have less ignorant affairs and suffering generated out of ignorant thinking, belief, values, practice, actions and reactions, they need to be aware of what is happening around the world, however, it's very important for them to also have certain degrees of non-attachment and non-identification, so that they are not being determined or disturbed so much by all kinds of heartbreaking inhumanity or cruelty that are (unfortunately still) existing in the world of higher education, science and technology, of higher comfort, convenience and enjoyments, but not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism. If so, they can contribute a lot, while looking after themselves, without loosing their own peace and sanity. The world is desperately in need of more such selfless compassionate beings to balance the off-sided equilibrium of the world, where greed and selfishness are getting heavier, unfortunately.

Some people might choose to ignore the ignorance in the world, by closing their eyes and ears, or moving away from social medias and current world/local news, not seeing and not hearing anything in the world and in one's surrounding environment that can be 'disturbing' to the state of their mind, so that they will feel better and happier. That's their freedom, and there's nothing wrong to be looking after the state of one's mind.

In fact, those who can't take in anymore disturbing or frustrating news in the world about all kinds of ignorant worldly affairs deriving from the ignorance of selfish human beings, as they might not know what is non-attachment and non-identification, then by making an initiation and effort to step back from the world, of not seeing and not hearing, or not knowing and not aware of all kinds of ignorant happenings in the world, is the best way to help the world to have more peace by helping oneself, to maintain certain degrees of peace and quietness, to be looking after one's mental health before loosing it. It's not selfish at all, as one isn't generating or contributing any harmful destructive actions and reactions into the world, which is already a great contribution to more peace and harmony.

Never ending rubbish in the world of human beings and beyond

Greedy ambitious human beings who want to enjoy unlimited comfort of living, objects, toys, accessories, leisure activities and pleasurable enjoyments of the senses not just have been generating lots of rubbish on earth, but those who are knowledgeable, powerful and wealthy enough to be travelling outside of this planet utilizing their power, wealth and knowledge of higher science and technology, are/will be inevitably generating unnecessary human made rubbish into the space of the universe.

Unfortunately, there are many young people in the world are being 'empowered' to be proud of such 'actions', or 'capability', or 'achievement', to be admiring such human beings and their 'great achievement', and be inspired to become 'successful' like them.

Those organizations, or people, or influencers, who are directly or indirectly involving in any kinds of 'youth empowerment' or 'women empowerment' that 'meant' to be empowering youth or women, they need to see what they are actually doing, whether they are empowering 'youth' or 'women' to become responsible human beings that would be leading towards more peace and harmony into the world, or to become greedy and ambitious prideful human beings that would be leading towards endless 'human made destruction utilizing wealth, power and the knowledge of higher science and technology' into the world, and beyond.

Relying on one another to feel love, joy and meaningful is not freedom at all

There's nothing wrong with most people/minds are relying on their relationship, companionship, connection, interaction and sharing among one another to feel love, joy and meaningful about oneself and life existence, however, it's nothing to do with the teaching of yoga and the yoga practice of attaining or realizing real (selfless compassionate) love, or freedom, or liberation, or independence through the realization of selflessness, or non-separateness, or oneness.

As the minds would perceive great disturb and suffering upon the presence of the sense of lovelessness, painful sorrow and meaninglessness either due to the presence of certain disagreeable, undesirable and unpleasant relationship, companionship, connection, interaction and sharing with some others, or due to the absence of certain agreeable, desirable and pleasant relationship, companionship, connection, interaction and sharing with some others, regardless of whether it's one's personal direct experience, or being empathetic towards some others' personal experience.

It's passion and the outgoing tendency of the mind, as well as survival instinct, fear and the desire of craving and aversion, deriving from ignorance and egoism, that is why the minds think and believe that the highest meaning of life existence is about attaining and empowering the sense of love, joyfulness and meaningfulness through developing and engaging in relationship, companionship, connection, interaction and sharing among one another, where intense attachment and identification and emotional interdependence among one another is being highly valued and promoted in the world of passionate egoistic human beings.

It's very good that if human beings can be kind and loving among one another, but it can be without attachment, identification, expectation and emotional interdependence, where the action of loving kindness is out of selfless compassion, and not out of the idea, value, belief and expectation of attaining and empowering the sense of love, joyfulness and meaningfulness in the minds through developing and engaging in relationship, companionship, connection, interaction and sharing among one another.

There's no disturb, painful sorrow or suffering in such action of loving kindness out of selfless compassion towards all and everyone non-discriminatively, free from the attachment and desire of craving towards the presence of agreeable relationship and interaction among one another, without the attachment and desire of aversion towards the presence of disagreeable relationship and interaction, or the absence of agreeable relationship and interaction among one another, and, without the need of attaining and empowering the sense of love, joyfulness and meaningfulness at all.

Such minds are truly the embodiment of unconditional loving kindness, peace, freedom and independence.

It's normal that passionate outgoing minds that are being conditioned deeply by worldly egoistic cultural, social, religious, national and political thinking, belief, values and practice would have great difficulty in understanding such selfless, wise and compassionate minds, or the teaching and practice and realization of yoga and buddhism about selflessness, or non-separateness, or oneness.

Out of survival instinct and fear, all kinds of worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice have one similar common pattern, which is emphasizing on the importance of family-hood, brotherhood, sisterhood, community-hood, patriotism or loyalty among one another to be empowering, defending and protecting one another within the family, the particular community or the particular nation from any threats or intimidation coming from 'any outsiders who are not one of us'. Where anyone who is not being actively supporting or engaging in their particular family-hood, brotherhood, sisterhood, community-hood, patriotism or loyalty idea, value and practice, will be recognized as a (potential) enemy, threat, or intimidation towards their particular family, community, or nation.

Out of ignorance and egoism, what people don't realize/know/understand is that, those who are free from ignorance and egoism most probably might not be actively engaging in any kind of family-hood, brotherhood, sisterhood, community-hood, patriotism or loyalty idea, value and practice, but it doesn't mean that they are an enemy, or threat, or intimidation that would harm the family, any community, any nation and the world, or it doesn't mean that they won't be contributing anything to be benefiting the over-all welfare of the family, or the community, or the nation and the world. In fact, such minds are the ones that can truly help the world to advance towards the proper direction that benefits, not just a particular family, or a particular community, or a particular nation, but all and everyone non-discriminatively.

It's normal that some minds/people with their selfish prideful and greedy agenda or aspiration would not agree or like this at all. They need to be in power and in control of everyone and everything in order to feel great about themselves, as well as to be achieving their selfish agenda or aspiration that would make them feel "I am (We are) strong and powerful," at all costs, even if it would be hurting all and everyone or the environment. Unfortunately, none can do anything to help these minds to be free from ignorance. It has to come from one's own self-awareness and self-acknowledgement towards the ignorance in oneself, and be initiative to make an effort to be free from ignorance, or to stop hurting oneself and all the others.

Nothing to loose

Because of fear towards loosing something, one is not free, and would surrender oneself towards any bullying, intimidation or threat coming from somewhere and someone.

Those who have nothing to loose, they are fearless, and there's none and nothing can bully, intimidate or threaten them for anything.

The difference between the two, is the presence or absence of attachment.

Real empowerment for all without discrimination of different names and forms

Why is the idea or advocacy of 'empowerment', especially 'women empowerment' arising in the world?

Most probably because there is bias, prejudice, unequal rights, sexism, corruption, unfair treatment, or wrongful/hurtful/abusive treatments existing in the world.

Bias, prejudice, unequal rights, sexism, corruption, unfair treatment, or wrongful/hurtful/abusive treatments can be coming from anyone towards everyone, regardless of any particular gender/ethnicity/social class/educational level/age group, and etc.

It's not just coming from one particular gender/ethnicity/social class/educational level/age group, and etc, towards the others.

Most people are fighting against bias, prejudice, unequal rights, sexism, corruption, unfair treatment and wrongful/hurtful/abusive treatment out of disturbed, anger, hurt and bitterness. There's nothing wrong, and everyone have the freedom to feel and react how they want to feel and react.

However, the reaction and feelings of being disturbed, angry, hurt and bitter by other people's wrongful treatments, is somehow empowering those who generate bias, prejudice, unequal rights, sexism, corruption, unfair treatment or wrongful/hurtful/abusive treatment towards others, as that is what makes them feel good, satisfied, empowered and prideful about themselves for being successfully doing what they are doing, which is to make others feel disturbed, angry, hurt and bitter, by abusing/bullying/hurting others through their bias/unfair/corrupted/discriminating/disrespectful/hurtful/abusive treatment unto others, out of their pride and arrogance towards themselves being what they are, thinking and believing and proving that themselves are somehow more powerful, rightful, deserving or superior than the others.

Regardless of any particular gender/ethnicity/social class/educational level/age group, and etc, the most powerful empowerment for oneself, to defeat any form of bias, prejudice, unequal rights, sexism, corruption, unfair treatment or wrongful/hurtful/abusive treatment from others, is that one doesn't need to be determined and disturbed by such unpleasant and disagreeable experiences, void of disturbed, anger, hurt or bitterness in oneself, remain equanimous and at peace, knowing that such behaviors of certain human beings regardless of the different kinds of names and forms, are nothing but the products of ignorance and egoism, or mental illness, in such minds.

One can be doing something that can be done in order to bring certain awareness into the world that might help to reduce or eliminate ignorance and egoism in the world, not out of disturbed, anger, hurt or bitterness towards all kinds of ignorance, particularly unjust and abusive treatments, but out of wisdom and compassion.

Such as, one doesn't need to be depressed, angry and bitter towards an illness that occurs in one's physical body, as that would only weaken one's immune system, while intensify or empower the strength of the illness to attack one's physical body. Meanwhile, remaining equanimous and cheerful might help to strengthen one's immune system to fight against the illness, or weakening the strength of the illness. One can allow certain medical treatments and rehabilitation process to help oneself to be recovered from certain illness, or not. One who is free from ignorance and egoism, has no fear or aversion towards illness, weakness, old age, or death, while doing one's best to be suffering less.

One who is free from ignorance and egoism won't be generating bias, prejudice, unequal rights, sexism, corruption, unfair treatment and wrongful/hurtful/abusive treatment towards others. The culprit of all kinds of corruption or corrupted behaviors in the world of human beings, is not about being somebody with certain qualities of names and forms, but it's the ignorance and egoism in the minds of human beings regardless of any qualities of names and forms that everyone have.

It's not about empowering women through 'women empowerment', or empowering youth through 'youth empowerment', or empowering the uneducated through 'educational empowerment', or empowering the poor through 'success and wealth empowerment' that will make the world a better place.

Regardless of men or women, young or old, educated or uneducated, rich or poor, and etc, it's whether the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, or not, that is influencing how human beings behave and treat one another in certain way, that is determining the state of the world.

To be truly and effectively empowering women, or youth, or the underprivileged, or the victims of bully/discrimination/exploitation, or any particular community in the world, is not through 'women empowerment', 'youth empowerment', 'educational empowerment', 'success and wealth empowerment', and etc, that is mainly about empowering the attachment and identification towards certain names and forms to be 'this is who I am', empowering the desire of craving and aversion towards the agreeable/disagreeable, pleasant/unpleasant, desirable/undesirable life conditions and experiences, chasing after certain higher qualities in order to attain the sense of success, happiness, goodness, achievement and meaningfulness, through attaining approval, acknowledgement, respect and recognition from the others, while constantly comparing and competing with one another, to see who is better or stronger or superior, or to prove that all are equally good and strong and rightful, or to prove that "I am good/knowledgeable/strong/successful/confident enough to deserve better or equal treatment." Where all these are in deed empowering discrimination towards certain qualities of names and forms in the world, if people try to attain and possess certain qualities that 'deserve' love and respect, while trying to get rid of certain qualities that 'don't deserve' love and respect.

But it's through 'empowerment for all without the discrimination of different names and forms, of men or women, young or old, educated or uneducated, rich or poor, and etc', which is about freeing one's mind from ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation, realizing unconditional love and peace, not being determined or disturbed by the ignorance in the world of human beings, where it's not about "I am good/knowledgeable/strong/successful/confident enough to deserve better or equal treatment," but it's regardless of all kinds of different qualities of names and forms that everyone have, everyone is treating and being treated with respect and non-discrimination among one another, as they are.

Many advocacy about 'women empowerment' are actually leading the women towards deeper ignorance and egoism, by trying to empower women by equipping themselves with higher qualities, knowledge, education, strength, success, contributions and achievements, trying to compare and compete with men, trying to do and achieve what men can do and achieve, in order to prove to the world that "I am good/knowledgeable/strong/successful/confident enough to deserve better or equal treatment."

Real empowered women or discriminated/maltreated human beings would understand that all and everyone are fine as they are, regardless of there are certain people discriminating/ill-treating women or other human beings out of ignorance and egoism. There's needless to prove to those ignorant egoistic human beings about "I am good/knowledgeable/strong/successful/rightful/confident enough to deserve better or equal treatment," in order to attain 'deserving' respect, acknowledgement, recognition, fair treatment or equal rights from those who are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, who generate bias, prejudice, discrimination, disrespectfulness or ill-treatment towards others, for being who and what they are.

It doesn't mean that one shouldn't strive to constantly improving oneself, but one is not being determined by the qualities of names and forms to be "This is who I am," and it's not because of "I need to be good/knowledgeable/strong/successful/rightful/confident enough in order to deserve better or equal treatment and receiving 'deserving' respect, acknowledgement, recognition, approval, fair treatment or equal rights from the world of ignorance and egoism."

Non-discrimination exists upon one accepts, respects and loves oneself as one is, while accepting, respecting and loving everyone as they are. Such human beings don't need to be empowered, as they are free as they are, regardless of all kinds of discrimination existing in the world of ignorance and egoism.

Success and failure

Success and failure doesn't exist in the minds that are free from egoism of attachment, identification and expectation.

It's merely whether something is possible or not possible in the present moment.

Sacrifice

Sacrifice doesn't exist in the minds that are free from egoism.

All actions are being performed out of unconditional love or selfless compassion, without attachment, identification, desire, judgment, comparison and expectation.

Selfless compassionate minds are void of satisfaction and dissatisfaction/disappointment, pleased or displeased, regardless of whether the fruit of actions is desirable or undesirable, as well as how other people react towards one's actions and the fruit of one's actions.

There's none being there to be sacrificing anything.

There's nothing being sacrificed.

It's merely life existence of the body and mind in this world is limited by time, space and causation, where one might not be able to do everything at one time, or be at different places doing different things at the same time.

True confidence

Many people talk about 'empowerment', particularly 'women empowerment'.

When people talk about 'women empowerment', they talk about 'confidence'.

However, many people think and believe that confidence is highly related to one's family background, education level, accumulated knowledge, talent, skill, abilities, aspirations, experiences, achievements, contributions, acknowledgements, recognition, attractiveness, appearance, self-image, profession, title, financial status, social status, social circle, relationship with everyone, communication skill, language proficiency, health and fitness level, and etc, that is influencing and determining whether someone is confident, or not.

The thinking and belief about "I am confident because I am this, I have that, I experienced this and that, I did this and that, I achieved this and that, I know this and that, I can do this and that, I am being recognized and acknowledged by this and that, and etc," is merely conditional confidence, or good feeling and pride towards oneself, that is being determined by the presence and absence of certain qualities of names and forms in oneself, to be confident, or not, and to feel good and prideful about oneself, or not.

Under conditional confidence, when people introduce themselves to other people, they will tell or boast as much information about all kinds of qualities of names and forms that they possess and accumulated, which they identifying with and attaching onto, which they feel pleased and proud of, which they think and believe that other people will also be pleased and amazed by all those qualities of names and forms that they identifying with as 'This is me' or 'This is who and what I am'. They try very hard to obtain attention, compliment, liking, agreement and acknowledgement from other people, which will boost their conditional confidence upon receiving attention, compliment, liking, agreement and acknowledgement from other people. They need to be acknowledged by other people as "A confident person."

Such beings, or minds, or people, will be satisfied, confident and happy, and they will love/like themselves, upon the presence and absence of such and such qualities of names and forms in them, while they will be dissatisfied, disappointed, not confident and unhappy about themselves, and they don't love/like themselves, if there is the presence and absence of certain qualities of names and forms in themselves. It's the same as when they deal with other people in their life, and how they feel about other people. They don't know how to love and accept other people as they are. They will only love/like other people under certain conditions that they like, desire and agree with, and vice versa.

In yoga, it's about true confidence, that is unconditioned by the qualities of names and forms, that is undetermined by actions and the fruit of actions.

The one who is truly confident, there's needless to be identifying as "I am confident or highly confident," not to say, "I am confident because I am ......"

The one who is truly confident, doesn't attaching onto or identifying with any qualities of names and forms to be 'This is me' or 'This is who and what I am'.

They might not know everything or many things, they might have certain abilities and limitations, certain strength and weakness, and they know what is their ability and limitation, strength and weakness, what they can achieve and cannot achieve, what they want and don't want, and more importantly, they know how to accept all kinds of qualities of names and forms as they are, all kinds of abilities and limitations as they are, without being determined by all kinds of names and forms, abilities and limitations, achievements and non-achievements in themselves, to be confident, or not, to feel good about themselves, or not. They don't need to introduce themselves to other people, or to the world, about "This is who and what I am with such and such qualities of names and forms." And, they know how to love and accept themselves as they are, accepting all their strength and weakness, while working towards constant improvement in themselves and doing their best to achieve what they want to achieve in life, effortlessly without forcing or hurting themselves, and more importantly, without attaching onto or identifying with all kinds of improvements or achievements. They don't need to feel proud about themselves, and they don't need other people to feel proud about them. They don't need to be receiving attention, compliment, liking, agreement and acknowledgement from other people, to be confident, or to be more confident.

When one accepts and loves oneself as one is, one is naturally confident from within, effortlessly.

Such beings, or minds, or people, they know how to accept and love all and everyone as they are. They can be performing many selfless actions that can help to bring more peace and harmony into the world, either intentionally or unintentionally, without being determined by the fruit of actions to be who they are, to be confident, or not, to feel good, positive, happy and meaningful, or not.

Those who are naturally confident from within unconditionally, they don't blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing or blind-propagating anything. They would consider and inquire towards the truth of all kinds of advice from other people, and taking the constructive advice, while leaving the non-constructive advice. They are not being intimidated or influenced by other people's strong presence. They allow other people to apply judgment coming from their own point of view, but they are not being determined or affected by other people's judgment about them and everything, regardless of whether it's compliment or criticism. They are free from comparison or competition with others, knowing that everyone are being different from one another having their own particular ability and limitation, strength and weakness, even when they are participating in certain competitions, just by being themselves and doing their best. Winning or not winning a competition doesn't determine or change the unconditional confidence from within. Success and failure doesn't exist in the minds that are free from egoism of attachment, identification and expectation. It's merely whether something is possible or not possible in the present moment.

Those who are naturally confident from within, being undetermined by any qualities of names and forms, they are effortlessly confident as they are, without trying very hard to be confident or stay confident. They don't need to keep telling themselves that "I am confident. I believe in myself. I can do it," to constantly reassuring and validating themselves are 'a confident person'.

Confidence or determination has nothing to do with aggressiveness, however, many people would relate aggressiveness with confidence or determination, thinking that someone who is being aggressive towards pursuing one's ambitions is due to high confidence and determination, while someone who is non-aggressive towards pursuing one's ambitions is due to lack of confidence or determination.

It's not about "I am super confident towards myself, that I can do and achieve anything that I desire. For me, anything is possible. There is no impossibility in me. I will work very hard to make sure this body and mind be equipped with the essential qualities to be able to do and achieve everything that I want to do and achieve. Nobody and nothing can stop me from achieving all my aspirations and desires. I have strong determination. If someone or something is hindering me from achieving my aspirations and desires, I'll fight and defeat them at all costs."

It's about "Knowing what this body and mind can do and cannot do, and what they can achieve and cannot achieve, in this present moment. I make use of certain opportunity and possibility that is available now. And it's okay, if certain opportunity are not available, and there are certain impossibility in this present moment now. I won't force or hurt this body and mind in order to achieve all my aspirations and desires, and I won't want to hurt anyone and anything that prevent me from achieving something that I aspire and desire. Determination doesn't mean that hurting myself or others in order to achieve success in everything that I pursue. I accept and love this body and mind as they are. I accept and love myself as I am. I respect desirable and undesirable experiences, as they are, but they can't determine me for being who and what I am."

For the mind that is free from egoism, "It's just selfless impermanent names and forms, of different qualities, opportunities, possibilities and impossibilities arising, changing and passing away in this present moment. Either making use of the qualities, opportunities and possibilities that are available in this present moment to be doing something that is possible now, or maybe not. It doesn't matter. While respecting the absence of certain qualities and opportunities, or what is impossible now. And all are impermanent."