Superiority and inferiority vs neither superior nor inferior

There is a bridge that is made only to hold certain limited weight, and that can only accommodate a single person to cross over the river at one time.

Under the influence of the veil of ignorance, many minds are being conditioned by the worldly egoistic idea, belief, values, and practice about the existence of superiority and inferiority (ranking/title/position/power/authority/caste/family background/lineage/social status/skin colour/gender/physical appearance/mental state/physical and mental ability and disability/accomplishment and non-accomplishment/success and failure/educational opportunity and achievement/nationality and citizenship/spirituality and religion/etc), where the minds would discriminate and acknowledge and identify themselves and others as 'who is superior and who is inferior', or 'who is more or less superior and who is less or more inferior than the others'.

The ones that identify themselves as more superior than the others, would think and believe that they rightfully have the priority to cross the bridge first before the others who are more inferior than them, while the others who think and believe that they are more inferior than the others should autonomously let the others whom they think and believe as more superior to cross first.

Most of the time, the ones that identify themselves as more superior than all the others (from both sides of the river) are all insisting that they themselves have the priority and that they should cross first, and hence, all of them cross the bridge at the same time and end up getting stuck in the middle of the bridge, and if out of pride and arrogance, where none of them would retreat, the bridge will eventually collapse and so are all those prideful arrogant minds.

Meanwhile, the ones that identify themselves as more inferior than the others (from both sides of the river) are all insisting that they themselves shouldn't cross the bridge not until the other cross first, and hence, none of them would cross the bridge, and just wait for the others from the other side of the river to cross first.

The minds that are free from the sense of superiority and inferiority, where they don't identify themselves and/or others as more or less superior or inferior, they would acknowledge one another and cross the bridge one after another, regardless of who goes first, without any problem.

The bridge doesn't belong to anyone, even if the bridge was built by someone, under the initiation, effort, support, idea, and design of someone.

There is neither more priority nor less priority in anyone.

All and everyone respect one another. 

All and everyone just take their turn to cross the bridge, one after another.

All and everyone would show thankfulness to each and everyone upon crossing, one by one, one after another, smoothly.

All and everyone would also look after the condition of the bridge that benefits all and everyone to cross from both sides of the river.

Needless to have superiority and inferiority, or more and less priority.

Needless to fight against one another (bullying, over-powering, sabotaging, and conquering one another).

Needless to have pride or shame.

Needless to have arrogance or humility.

But all and everyone just be kind and help one another (from being dependent to become independent).

There are many minds might think and believe that this is merely an unrealistic ideology/philosophy, that it doesn't work or cannot exist in the world of human beings that is strongly being empowered and rooted in selfishness, pride, sense of ownership and belonging, possessiveness, greed, endless accumulation and hoarding of wealth and enjoyment, as well as 'governed by' the sense of superiority and inferiority, in order to survive and prosper, is merely because they are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance.

Just as there are parents/teachers would think and believe that the children/students need to be brought up/disciplined/moulded/conditioned by force under the presence of threatening painful physical and mental intimidation and punishment, if not, by temptation under the presence and absence of reward, in order for them to become 'good' and 'obedient' and 'successful' and 'giving back' in the way that the parents/teachers expect them to be.

Just as many minds would think and believe that they need to be the bully that bully others, in order not to be bullied by the others.

The world of human beings doesn't need to be like that, at all.

Sustainable survival and prosperity (sufficiency, neither insufficiency nor abundance) for all and everyone will be there as it is, naturally, upon more minds are free from the influence of the veil of ignorance, under the absence of the sense of superiority and inferiority (even if there are many existing inevitable differences and conditions as well as there are different degrees of livelihood or financial development, opportunity, and status among all and everyone in different regions and areas), when there are more kindness and generosity while less cruelty and selfishness, under the absence of pride, sense of ownership and belonging, possessiveness, greed, endless accumulation and hoarding of wealth and enjoyment, or boundless ambitious aspirations and ambitions that exploit and destroy all and everyone and everything to the maximum, where the minds understand that none and nothing belong to anyone or anything, while all and everyone has the basic universal common sense or conscience to be kind to and look after oneself as well as one another, in order to support and develop and empower a conducive healthy living environment and condition for all and everyone, indiscriminately and unconditionally.

The ones that cross the bridge before or after one another, it's not because of who is more superior or inferior, or who is younger or elder, or who is male or female, or who is darker or fairer skin colour, or who is more or less beautiful and attractive, or who is more or less successful and contributing, or who has more or less priority, or who deserves more or less respect, or who has higher or lower ranking/title/caste/power/authority, but all and everyone naturally and wittingly coordinate with one another to create a smooth flow of movement or traffic under the presence of correct understanding or clarity.

Under the presence of certain emergency situation, the ones that have the need or urgency to go first will go first, under the acknowledgement and understanding of all and everyone. Such as on the road, where all drivers will autonomously move their car aside and allow the ambulance to pass urgently.

That action or behavior should come from the presence of basic universal common sense, or conscience, or kindness/generosity, deriving from the presence of correct understanding or clarity in the mind, not because of there is the existence of manmade law and order or rules and regulations that the drivers are being threatened and will be prosecuted with certain type of prosecution and punishment, if they don't obey the law and order about all drivers should move their car aside to allow the emergency ambulance to pass smoothly.

If all the minds in the world are free from the influence of the veil of ignorance, where all minds are functioning under the presence of correct understanding or clarity, there is needless of all those manmade worldly egoistic rules and regulations or law and order that only serves very little or completely no effect of 'controlling' people's activity and behavior in certain way and not in certain way, where the minds, especially those so called 'world leaders or law makers that were either self-proclaimed or being given certain power of authority by the people that impact all and everyone and everything directly and indirectly', that are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance will still be acting and behaving ignorantly regardless of whether they will be prosecuted and punished under the presence of local and global international law and order, or not, and whether their ranking/title/power of authority will be stripped off, or not. These minds that are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance will still be continuously acting and behaving ignorantly in the way that hurt all and everyone and everything, due to the absence of correct understanding or clarity in these minds.

That is why the upmost important element or the core pillar/foundation/structure to build, or support, or empower a relationship, or a family, or a community, or a country, or a world, or the highest duty of all humanity, is about the mind conquest, or the mind conscious evolution, or the annihilation of the veil of ignorance in the mind, by the mind itself. 

The king is a powerless 'king' upon none see and acknowledge him as the king. The power of a king is given and empowered by the people.

The bully is a powerless 'bully' upon none play along 'the game of the bully and the victim of bully' with it. The power of bully is given and empowered by the ones who accept the bullying, that entertain the bully, and that give attention, acknowledgement, and importance to the bully and its bullying.

The belief and values is nothing upon none believe in it or practice it.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

Inquire towards neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong

Physical strength and flexibility and stamina is neither something good nor bad.

Similarly,

Mental strength and flexibility and stamina is also neither something good nor bad.

The limitation of the body and mind is neither something good nor bad, neither something right nor wrong.

All kinds of behaviors/actions/reactions being generated under certain limitation are neither something good nor bad, neither something right nor wrong.

A person with a strong and flexible and fit physical body is not necessarily having a strong and flexible and fit mentality, and vice versa.

A person who is physically and/or mentally more strong, more flexible, and more fit than some other people doesn't mean that one is better, or wiser, or kinder, or happier than the others, and vice versa.

One can be using the existing higher degrees of physical strength, flexibility, and stamina to be doing something constructive or destructive. 

The body that is not strong enough, not flexible enough, and not fit enough to be doing certain physical activities, doesn't mean that it doesn't have the mental strength, mental flexibility, and mental fitness/stamina/endurance to be doing certain mental activities, and vice versa.

One can be using either physical and/or mental strength, flexibility, and stamina to be doing something either physical and/or mental activities that can be constructive or destructive.

Even 'constructive' and 'destructive' is also neither something good nor bad, neither right nor wrong.

One can be constructing something beneficial for all and everyone, and destroying something that is harmful unto all and everyone or one can be constructing something harmful for all and everyone, while destroying something beneficial for all and everyone.

And what is 'beneficial' or 'harmful' can be subjective and different under the many different minds that are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance.

The very healthy, strong, flexible, and fit people and/or the highly intelligent, educated, and knowledgeable people might not be free from generating ideas/desires/behaviors/actions/reactions under the influence of ignorance, that would be hurtful unto oneself and others and the surrounding environment. That's why good or bad health and fitness condition as well as the degrees of intelligence, education, and knowledge, are neither something good nor bad, neither something right nor wrong. 

 

The body cannot do certain things because being limited by the existing physical limitation, is not something bad or wrong. A weak and ill physical body is neither something good nor bad, neither something right nor wrong. It is what it is.

Similarly,

The mind cannot understand or do certain things because being limited by the existing mental limitation, is not something bad or wrong. A weak and ill mind is neither something good nor bad, neither something right nor wrong. It is what it is.

 

The body can be limited by weakness, stiffness, and low fitness/stamina/endurance, or injury and sickness, for certain things or many things.

Similarly,

The mind can be limited by ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, restlessness, and the non-development, or under development, or suppressed development, or insignificant, or non-availability of openness, clarity, calmness, kindness, reasoning, correct understanding, patience, forbearance, tolerance, perseverance, determination, willpower, self control, self awareness, self reliance, self initiative, self inquiry, self investigation, adaptation, adjustment, accommodation, acceptance, respect, non-possessiveness, non-attachment, or the ability to let go, for a healthier mentality and better understanding that gives rise to constructive and beneficial way of thinking/desire/behavior/action/reaction that benefit itself, others, and the surrounding environment.

Under the presence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, and under the absence or insufficiency of all those essential elements, or under such condition or limitation, the mind thinks/desires/behaves/acts/reacts in the way that are selfish and unkind, or hurtful and destructive, or unpleasant and disturbing unto itself, others, and the surrounding environment.

The mind just need to have self awareness towards all that, and have self initiative of want to be free from such condition or limitation, which is absolutely possible, under one's own effort and determination to be developing and empowering all those essential elements that are either absence or insignificant in itself, as well as to be activating and engaging in the mind purification and silencing process persistently to be annihilate the veil of ignorance, of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, that would be benefiting itself and others and the surrounding environment.

 

Most minds growing up being surrounded by many other minds that are limited by certain limitation, that are unwell or peaceless, regardless of whether in the family, or in the relationship, or in the community, on in the school, or in the work place, or in anywhere and everywhere, that behave in the way that are selfish, possessive, disturbing, intimidating, threatening, violent, unkind, hurtful, and destructive. While many of these minds are confused, where they don't have the basic understanding towards the existence of all those selfish, possessive, disturbing, intimidating, threatening, violent, unkind, hurtful, and destructive ideas/values/beliefs/practices/behaviors/actions/reactions that are hurting oneself and others and the surrounding environment, that are hurting them, and hence, eventually they also think/believe/desire/practice/behave/act/react like all those minds that are unwell or peaceless, that are selfish, possessive, disturbing, intimidating, threatening, violent, unkind, hurtful, and destructive, as they are also being limited by certain limitation, and don't have the understanding towards what is happening in themselves and in all the other minds.

However,

The minds don't have to be like that. There is possibility for the minds to develop the essential understanding towards all that (biologically and psychologically, and beyond the body and mind*), to transcend all that, and not being determined, or disturbed, or hurt, or influenced and conditioned by all kinds of selfish, possessive, disturbing, intimidating, threatening, violent, unkind, hurtful, and destructive ideas/values/beliefs/practices/behaviors/actions/reactions in the family, or in the relationship, or in the community, or in the school, or in the work place, or in anywhere and everywhere. The minds don't have to become like all the other minds that are unwell and peaceless.

More importantly, the minds don't have to be continuing standing/living there not moving away from the existence of all kinds of abusive ill-treatments deriving from the minds that are unwell and peaceless. Upon physical maturity/independence, the minds can move away from all that, even if they are one's parents/siblings or family, not to say, all the other minds that are unwell and peaceless, to be having the energy and the space for looking after the physical and mental well-being of oneself.

Only after oneself attains physical/mental/emotional maturity, or be free from being determined, or disturbed, or hurt, or influenced and conditioned by all those unwell and peaceless minds and their hurtful behavior, one can go back to look after all these unwell and peaceless minds, to help these minds to be free and have peace as well, if one desires, but one doesn't have to. While one also may or may not just do one's best to help all and everyone that are unwell and peaceless to be free and have peace, unconditionally and indiscriminately, without obligation, without egoism.

*As even enthusiastic and genuine biologists and psychologists that have been studying and learning and researching towards all kinds of information/facts about the body and mind, they are not necessarily being free from the veil of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, or the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, being conditioned deeply by certain inherited and adopted worldly egoistic impure ideas, beliefs, values, desires, visions, aspirations, and practices. However, under the existing accumulated knowledge or information about biology and psychology, there is advantage for them to go further on the path of self inquiry, to attain direct self realization towards all that, and be free from the veil of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance.

All kinds of community and world leaders or representatives, all the different types of teachers, trainers, and educators, all the highly intelligent and knowledgeable scholars/scientists/biologists/psychologists/engineers, all the partners and parents that have children or are going to have children, and all kinds of highly influential talented and creative influencers that significantly impact all and everyone and everything in certain way, as well as all the different individuals and communities, if they can just put down or put aside all kinds of personal and community identities even just for a few moments, to be genuinely quieting the restless modification of the mind, and practice meditation and perform self inquiry to be inquiring towards the truth of everything diligently, the world will have more peace and constructive development, rather than the existence of all kinds of selfishness, possessiveness, separateness, discrimination, bullying, intimidation, oppression, invasion, exploitation, greed, hatred, violence, cruelty, and painful suffering that are truly unnecessary and evitable.

The minds that are free from the veil of ignorance can truly serve humanity and help to promote individual/community/world peace in the world of diversity that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, effectively.

 

Being disturbed and hurt by something, is neither bad or wrong. 

Being unhappy and disappointed, is neither bad or wrong.

Being upset and angry, is neither bad or wrong.

Having fear and worry, is neither bad or wrong. 

Being violent and destructive out of disturbance, hurts, being intimidated, being bullied, being threatened, being oppressed, being discriminated, unhappiness, disappointment, upset, and anger, is also neither bad or wrong.

But, it is important to have the basic understanding, or even the basic desire to understand towards what are all these mental activity that is all happening in the mind, which then manifest or turn into physical expression/activity, and have the self initiative and intense yearning of, "I want to be free from disturbance, hurts, being intimidated, being bullied, being threatened, being oppressed, being discriminated, unhappiness, disappointment, upset, anger, fear, worry, and all these suffering. I don't want to be violent and destructive unto myself, others, and the surrounding environment. But, I can't control myself for thinking, feeling, and behaving in such way. It is painful. Me and my family and my friends didn't do anything bad to other people. Why all these people keep hurting us? I want these people to stop hurting us. Life is so difficult. Living is so difficult. I wanted to stop living, but I also want to live. I want my family and my friends to live. I want to be happy. I want to have peace. I want my family and my friends to be happy and have peace. I want to understand. I want to know how to be free and have peace."

That was what this mind had went through in the past, that brought this mind onto the path of self inquiry.

It is absolutely possible to be free and have peace.

"You want to be selfish, possessive, disturbing, intimidating, threatening, violent, unkind, hurtful, and destructive, that's your freedom of being what you are. That's your own cause and effect. I don't agree with you, but I also don't need to judge you or punish you. I don't need to be determined by you being what you are. I don't have to become like you."

That is both the beginning and the end of liberation.

Liberation doesn't exist upon the mind is being undetermined by the selfless manifestation of all kinds of qualities of names and forms that are manifesting inside the body and mind, and in the surrounding environment.

Liberation exists when the mind is not free, being in a state of disturbance and suffering, being determined and disturbed by the selfless manifestation of all kinds of qualities of names and forms that are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

If the mind perceives suffering, then there is absolutely possible for the attainment of liberation.

Because the manifestation or the perception of suffering is also selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

Because the manifestation of suffering is the effect of a cause. And all kinds of different effects of the different causes, regardless of physical or mental, oneself or others, pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, enjoyable or non-enjoyable, are also selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

All kinds of cause and effect will pass away.

All kinds of names and forms will pass away. 

All forms of inevitable and evitable suffering will pass away, even if one doesn't make any effort to do anything about it.

The inevitable suffering that exists along under the momentary existence of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional life existence and function of the mortal body and mind, that is non-self, will ceased existing upon the ceased existence of the mortal body and mind.

The evitable suffering that exists under the selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence of the veil of ignorance in the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, that is non-self, will also ceased existing upon the annihilation or the absence of the veil of ignorance.

It is solid fact, or science and mathematics. It is not a philosophy or unrealistic wishful thinking or fairy tales.

Even so, it is highly essential to free the mind from the veil of ignorance when the body and mind is still existing and functioning in NOW, so that the mind doesn't hurt (stops hurting) itself and others and the surrounding environment out of the disturbed, dissatisfied, discontented, violent, and suffering state of mind deriving from ignorance and its by-products during its momentary existence and function, that is impacting all and everyone and everything in certain way, regardless of significantly or insignificantly, directly or indirectly, that is absolutely unnecessary and evitable.

Inquire the truth of everything. 

The practice of non-attachment and the end of the practice

Under the veil of ignorance, either the mind is unwittingly being determined or disturbed by the modifications of the mind, or the mind is aware of itself is being determined or disturbed by the modifications of the mind, however, it doesn't know how to be free from being determined or disturbed by the modifications of the mind via non-attachment.

If the mind knows what is non-attachment towards the modifications of the mind, and there's an effort coming from the mind to be performing an action or a practice of to be unattached, then this mind is practicing non-attachment towards the modifications of the mind, in order to be undetermined and undisturbed by the modifications of the mind, or the mind perception of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses. There's still separateness between the mind and the practice and the object of the practice.

The action or practice of non-attachment comes to an end, when it is no longer an action or practice that requires certain effort from a practitioner, upon the realization of selflessness, non-separateness, or oneness. There's no separateness between the practitioner and the practice and the object of the practice.

There's no need an effort to be not attaching towards anything, under the absence of ignorance and egoism, where all and everything, the perceiver and the perceived, the subject and the object, are all selfless, and are subject to selfless impermanent changes.

The mind that is void of suffering doesn't need to be free from suffering. What is non-attachment, who is non-attaching, what is to be unattached, in silence, in selflessness?

Before that, the mind that still perceives separateness and duality under the veil of ignorance, that still perceives doubt and suffering, and is still in searching for the end of suffering, will still have to make an effort of keep practicing detachment and non-attachment.

Transcending duality

Upon the absence of ignorance, egoism and impurities in the minds, all kinds of perceived names and forms (selfless and impermanent), or experiences (desirable or undesirable/pleasant or unpleasant), or actions and the fruit of actions (success or failure/fruitful or fruitless/agreeable or disagreeable), are just what they are, or everything is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither meaningful nor meaningless.

It depends on the different states of the different minds, functioning under the presence of the different degrees of ignorance, egoism and impurities, of the different intention, desire and expectation, under the influence of different thinking, belief, values and practice, that are determining how the impure egoistic minds react towards all kinds of perceived names and forms, that gives rise to either the sense of goodness or badness, positiveness or negativeness, and meaningfulness or meaninglessness, deriving from how the minds react, compare, judge, desire or expect towards the different names and forms, or the different experiences, or the different actions and the fruit of actions.

As long as the mind still thinks and believes that 'This' is good, positive and meaningful, because it is agreeable, desirable and pleasant to this mind, or 'That' is bad, negative and meaningless, because it is disagreeable, undesirable and unpleasant to this mind, or the mind tries to project the quality of 'goodness', 'positiveness' and 'meaningfulness' in all kinds of names and forms, by thinking and believing that all and everything is 'good', 'positive' and 'meaningful', that there is nothing 'bad', 'negative' and 'meaningless', then this mind is not free, even if all and everything appeared to be 'good', 'positive' and 'meaningful' for this mind, in this moment.

Life existence that is selfless and impermanent, that is limited and conditioned by time, space and causation, is just what it is. Life is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither meaningful nor meaningless. Trying to find 'goodness', 'positiveness' or 'meaningfulness' in life existence that is selfless and impermanent, while restlessly trying to perform and accomplish certain actions and fruit of actions in order to be developing, maintaining and empowering the sense of goodness, positiveness and meaningfulness that is impermanent, it's not freedom at all.

Keep practicing, or in other terms, keep letting go egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, until the mind transcends duality, realizing everything is just what it is, that all are neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither meaningful nor meaningless. This mind won't be determined or disturbed by the selfless impermanent changes in all kinds of names and forms, regardless of whether they are agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, pleasant or unpleasant. This mind is free from the desire of craving (towards names and forms that give rise to the sense of goodness, positiveness and meaningfulness) and aversion (towards names and forms that give rise to the sense of badness, negativeness and meaninglessness.) That is liberation.

The minds that are free, can be performing many selfless actions in the world that might or might not help the world to have less unnecessary human made problems and suffering out of ignorance and egoism, without being disturbed or determined by all kinds of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world.

Many of the powerful/wealthy human beings in the world that built their power/wealth/security/pride/comfort/enjoyment by exploiting nature, natural resources, advance science and technology, human beings, animals and all kinds of objects/affairs/desperation/fear/suffering might be free from many kinds of limitation or restriction while existing and living in this world due to their status of power and wealth, however, these minds are nothing but the slaves of ignorance and egoism, as if these minds are free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, of limitless greed, desire and pride, there won't be any exploitation towards anyone or anything, building one's power and wealth out of the suffering and limitation of many others in the world, in the first place. It's incredible and yet unfortunate that many young people are being encouraged to be admiring towards and be inspired by such 'human beings'.

Like everything else, power and wealth are neither good nor bad. It can be used to perform wise and compassionate actions that benefits the world in certain way, or it can be used to perform intentional and unintentional actions that cause many suffering and destruction in the world. It's about the absence or presence of ignorance and egoism.

'Studying hard, in order to be working hard, in order to become one of those powerful and wealthy human beings in the world by exploiting all and everything to the maximum', it's not success at all.

It's somewhat true that, if without 'exploiting' something/someone or everything/everyone, either directly or indirectly, to gain maximum profits in this world, none can become 'wealthy' or 'super wealthy', however, there's nothing wrong about 'not being wealthy', or more so, 'not being super wealthy'. Capable of enduring hardships or simplicity, refraining from harming/exploiting anyone and anything in order to become 'wealthy' or 'super wealthy', while being free from craving towards 'the luxurious life of unlimited comfort and enjoyment way of living being served by others' and being free from fear or aversion towards 'the modest simple life of limited comfort and enjoyment way of living', or even 'self-reliant way of living with certain hardships', is indeed the real form of 'successful human beings' in the world. Such 'rare' human beings should be the ones being admired by the young people, if people really want the world to be a better place for all and everyone non-discriminatively.

This is nothing to do with the different types of religion, spirituality or morality beliefs and teachings, that meant to be oppressing and controlling everyone to believe in certain beliefs and to behave in certain way. It's merely basic common sense of humanity. One doesn't need to be believing in and following any particular religious, spiritual or moral beliefs and teachings, for being capable to forbear hardships, not being greedy, and not harming/exploiting/taking advantage of someone or something in order to gain maximum profits to become 'wealthy' or 'super wealthy'.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Heart Sutra (Sanskrit)

Heart Sutra (Sanskrit) by Imee Ooi

Non-duality in silence

'Silence' is a very common yet important word/teaching/practice/observation/realization in yoga and Buddhism.

In silence, there's neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither meaningfulness nor meaninglessness, neither enjoyment nor suffering, neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction, neither attachment nor non-attachment, and so on. What and who is there to be arguing/complaining/moaning/mourning/unhappy/angry/disturbed/offended/hurt/belittled/disrespected/suffering/enjoying/craving/liberated in silence?

As long as the mind is still being conditioned by worldly egoistic thinking, ideas, beliefs, values and practice to act and react ceaselessly towards all the perceptions of names and forms (of agreeable/disagreeable, pleasant/unpleasant, desirable/undesirable experiences), and is functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, the mind couldn't go beyond the mind perception of names and forms that generates the impression of duality, which doesn't allow the mind to see the truth of things as it is.

And hence, the importance of renunciation from worldly affairs/family ties/relationships/connections/interactions/activities and observation of seclusion and solitude for a certain period of time when the mind is ready, to free the mind from being conditioned by worldly thinking, ideas, beliefs, values and practice unwittingly, where the understanding of the mind is being influenced by the subjective judgment towards everything based on a particular thinking and belief that conditioning how the mind analyzes, judges, feels, acts and reacts, where the mind is being ignorant towards the ignorance and egoism in the mind, even if the mind is being highly knowledgeable, super intelligent, talented and skillful in doing something or many things in the world, and having the good intention to be doing something good.

Being highly knowledgeable, super intelligent, talented and skillful, and having the good intention to be doing something good, also doesn't guarantee that the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, and hence, unwittingly be disturbed or determined by the mind perception of names and forms through the senses of what the mind sees, hears, smells, tastes, senses/feels and thinks/understands, where the mind is unwittingly being over-powered by the passionate desires of craving and aversion towards the different qualities of names and forms that the mind likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with, wants and doesn't want based on a particular thinking/belief/values/practice, that generates and determines the sense of satisfaction/dissatisfaction, happiness/unhappiness, goodness/badness, positiveness/negativeness, meaningfulness/meaninglessness, rightfulness/wrongfulness, completeness/incompleteness, accomplishment/non-accomplishment, appropriateness/inappropriateness, unloneliness/loneliness, worthiness/unworthiness, pleasurable enjoyment/painful suffering, and so on. The mind is not free.

It's everyone's freedom whether they think there's a need to free the mind from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, or not. The minds that are ignorant towards the ignorance in the mind, they don't think there's a need to be free from ignorance, and that's their freedom of thinking and action. There's nothing wrong if the mind perceives/experiences suffering but it doesn't think there's a need to be free from the cause of suffering. Some minds are aware of suffering and knowing its nature of impermanence, and be unattached towards the perception of suffering, or it hasn't get tired of restlessness while enjoying momentary satisfaction derived from the gratification of its passionate desire of craving and aversion, or prefer to be getting momentary relief from suffering through taking drugs/substances and getting help/sympathy/love/support/attention from others, and it doesn't think there's a need to be free from suffering.

Only the dispassionate ones who are aware of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, can understand the greatness of liberation from ignorance, the root cause of suffering/restlessness, and would have intense yearning for liberation and be determined to silent the restless modification of the mind to transcend the selfless existence and function of the restless egoistic impure modification of the mind derived from ignorance.

Unfortunately, majority of the society (including many yoga enthusiasts and health professionals), where the minds are not free from ignorance and egoism, where the minds think, behave, analyze, judge, act, react and live life in a particular way according to what the worldly egoistic social/cultural/religious thinking/belief/values/practice categorized as 'normal', 'right', 'good', 'healthy' or 'sane', they would think/believe/categorize/condemn human beings who think/behave/act/react/life life differently from the 'normal' human beings, who don't think, behave, act, react and live life like the majority of the society are 'abnormal', 'wrong', 'bad', 'unhealthy', 'insane' or 'mentally ill'. There would be strong criticism or disagreement coming from the majority of the society of family/friends/relatives/community/health professionals towards the practice of silence as they can't perceive/understand beyond what their minds know/believe and are being ignorant towards their minds are being conditioned by worldly egoistic thinking and belief to think, believe, act, react and behave in certain ways.

Only those who are determined to free the mind from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance where the mind is functioning under the influence of worldly egoistic thinking/belief/values/practice/action/reaction to think, act, react, behave and live life in a particular way that the worldly minded egoistic society think and believe as something normal/right/good/healthy/sane for all human beings, can renounce the world effortlessly regardless of any amount of difficulties and obstacles. In the past, Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and many other saints and sages 'had to' renounce/retreat from the society to be in seclusion and solitude for many years, to be able to 'conquer' the restless modifications of the mind and successfully attained Silence or liberation, not to say in this era.

Freedom?

Freedom is not 'something' to be found in the past or to be attaining in the future, or being determined by whether one has been 'good' by performing many 'good actions' and has not been 'bad' by not performing any 'bad actions', or not.

Freedom is nothing to do with 'attaining extraordinary physical or mental ability/achievement', or 'exemption from undesirable impermanent changes, hunger, thirst, discomfort, unhappiness, disability, imperfection, decay, old age, pain, illness and death/decomposition', or 'freedom of all desires are being gratified', or 'unrestricted freedom of movements/actions/speech/thinking/belief', or 'free from boundary, natural disasters, discrimination, bad happenings, unjust, violence or wars', or 'free from the law of cause and effect', or 'free from bad, wrongful, hurtful or harsh experiences'.

Freedom is the moment when the mind/life existence is undetermined by any qualities of names and forms that are impermanent and selfless.

Freedom is always here, in this present moment, when the mind is being free and peaceful as it is, regardless of all kinds of good or bad condition and situation that is subject to impermanent changes and selflessness.

Being free from ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

Being free from attachment, identification, craving, aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation.

Being undetermined/undisturbed/uninfluenced by all the impermanent changes of the selfless existence and function of the physical body and modification of the mind, of all the mind perception of different qualities of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses.

Being unattached towards and unidentified with all kinds of worldly social/cultural/racial/religious/spiritual/philosophical thinking and belief, identification, accumulated knowledge, practice, values, conduct and way of life.

Going beyond all the abilities and disabilities, possibilities and impossibilities, availability and non-availability, pleasantness and unpleasantness, deserving and undeserving treatment/result, achievement and non-achievement, good or bad/happy or unhappy/desirable or undesirable experiences/relationships/contacts.

Transcending the perception of duality/separateness, time, space and causation, of births and deaths, goodness and badness, rightfulness and wrongfulness, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, positiveness and negativeness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, joyfulness and joylessness, pleasurable enjoyment and suffering, praise and condemn, belief and disbelief, trust and distrust, togetherness and separateness, presence and absence, existence and non-existence.

Being free from clinging, missing, craving, longing towards something that is not here, that is unavailable or absent in this present moment.

Being free from self-image, self-esteem, loneliness, incompleteness, meaninglessness, fear, worry, lust, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, discrimination, jealousy, envy, pride, animosity, hostility, offensiveness, defensiveness, hurts, regret, guilt, painful sorrow, grief, misery, bitterness, violence and ill-will.

Being in the present.

Desireless.

Mind and life existence with all kinds of experience/relationship, are one.

Absence of ignorance and egoism, the mind is free, as it is. So as life existence with all kinds of experience/relationship.

Life existence with all kinds of experience/relationship are just what they are. Neither good nor bad. Neither joyful nor joyless. Neither meaningful nor meaningless. Neither positive nor negative. Neither rightful nor wrongful. Neither deserving nor non-deserving. Neither enjoyable nor miserable.

The physical body is limited by the law of nature, of impermanence and selflessness. The physical body of all the saints and sages was/is not exempted from the law of impermanence and selflessness.

The mind perception of a life existence is although under the influence of the law of nature, but yet, it doesn't have to be determined by impermanence and selflessness, if the mind is free from ignorance.

Life existence appears to be limited/not free, as it is being perceived or reflected 'in a particular way' by the ignorant/egoistic/impure thinking pattern or modification of the mind that is under the influence of ignorance that gives rise to egoism and impurities of ceaseless desire/clinging/longing/craving/duality/separateness/dissatisfaction/disappointment/unhappiness/meaninglessness/loneliness/misery/fear and so on.

The ignorant/egoistic/impure mind projects goodness/badness, joyfulness/joylessness, meaningfulness/meaninglessness, positiveness/negativeness, rightfulness/wrongfulness and enjoyment/misery onto all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the sense.

Life existence with all the different qualities of names and forms are being limited merely by the ignorant/egoistic/impure thinking pattern or modification of the mind under the influence of particular worldly social/cultural/racial/religious/spiritual/philosophical thinking and belief, identification, accumulated knowledge, practice, values, conduct and way of life.

The mind is free, or not free, in this moment, is beyond the law of cause and effect, or 'the accumulated good or bad karma', or whether someone 'believes or disbelieves in God', or is practicing some kind of 'religious/non-religious', or 'spiritual/non-spiritual', or 'cultural/non-cultural' belief and practice, or not.

As long as the mind is under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities, the mind is not free.

As soon as there's attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, clinging, longing, judgment and expectation, there's bondage or absence of freedom.

Be free from the egoistic intention to be interfering with/controlling/wishing/expecting everything to be the way that 'I' want/desire/like/agree with, or the way that the mind thinks and believes how it should be.

Respecting all lives and deaths as they are.

Respecting all kinds of belief and disbelief and way of life as they are.

Respecting all the thoughts, feelings and sensations coming and going as they are.

Respecting all the impermanent changes in all kinds of relationship with all and everything as they are.

Contemplate on this, and realize freedom.

If this is not 'the freedom' that the mind thinks and believes what it is, that's everyone's freedom of desire, thinking and belief.

Cause and effect - Consequences of actions

There's neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, it's just the law of cause and effect - different consequences of different actions.

The consequences of actions might be pleasant/desirable/agreeable or unpleasant/undesirable/disagreeable.

The different actions and the different consequences of the different actions are just what they are, neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative.

Something that the mind likes and agrees with, are being judged/categorized as 'right', 'good' and 'positive', while something that the mind dislikes and disagrees with, are being judged/categorized as 'wrong', 'bad' and 'negative' by the mind under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

All these judgments are not the truth of things.

Free the mind from the influence of ignorance and egoism, to see the truth of things as it is, is the yoga and meditation practice. Upon seeing the truth, being free from ignorance and egoism, the mind is undisturbed by all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses. There's no problems, dissatisfaction, hurts, unhappiness, sorrow, fear, or suffering.

All the other effects/benefits of the yoga practice are just the by-products which are also impermanent and selfless. By receiving all the impermanent effects/benefits of the yoga practice and coming in contact with/reading/hearing/studying/memorizing the teachings of yoga, or being highly intelligent/educated/accumulating vast knowledge of everything, doesn't guarantee that the mind will be free, if the mind cannot go beyond the limited worldly thinking and belief in the mind that influence how the mind perceives/reacts/judges/expects towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, where the mind is unwittingly drowning in the state of restlessness/greed/ambitiousness/dissatisfaction/disappointment/hurts/unhappiness/sorrow/hostility/fear/suffering.

There's nothing wrong when the mind thinks and feels angry/hurt/sad/dissatisfied/unhappy when the mind perceives/experiences something that the mind thinks and believes as 'wrong', 'bad' and 'negative'. Just that this mind is not free. There's no peace.

The mind will not be free from being disturbed by the mind perception of names and forms/what the mind comes in contact with/experiences, until the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, and sees the truth as it is.

How to see the truth of everything as it is and be free

People grieve and cry for the death of someone or something that they think and believe as good and right, that they love very much, that they think it doesn't deserve to die. People feel glad and cheer for the death of someone or something that they think and believe as bad and wrong, that they hate very much, that they think it deserves to die.

Death is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither happiness nor suffering, neither right nor wrong. It's all about what we like and don't like. When we feel grief and cry for 'death' is because we are losing something that we like. When we feel glad and cheer for 'death' is because we are getting rid of something that we don't like.

Whenever we feel angry, upset, disturbed, hurt, sad or disagree about something, it's not because people or things are being 'bad', 'wrong', 'negative', or 'suffering'. It's because we come in contact with something that we disagree with based on our thinking and belief of what is right and wrong, good and bad, or we are not getting what we like and want, we are losing what we like and want, and we are getting what we don't like and don't want.

People mourn for the death of those whom they love, that matter to them (people or animals or insects), and don't mourn for the death of those whom they have no likes or dislikes, that don't matter to them, and cheer for the death of those whom they hate and disagree with.

And hence, this allows us to understand that 'death' is neither good nor bad, neither happiness nor suffering, neither right nor wrong, neither positive nor negative. It's all subjective reactions influenced by attachment towards the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, based on a particular personal thinking and belief.

It's the desire of craving and aversion that generates unhappiness, disturb, hurts, resentment, painful sorrow and suffering in the mind. It is ignorance that causes the mind to think and believe that unhappiness, disturb, hurts, resentment, painful sorrow and suffering are caused by something bad, wrong, horrible, inhumane, negative or suffering.

Perform this inquiry into everything that our minds perceive and judge as good and bad, positive and negative, right and wrong, happiness and suffering.

Everything is just what it is. People are just being what they are. Things are just what they are. The world is just what it is.

There's no clinging, craving, aversion, discrimination, hatred, fear, painful sorrow, or suffering.

There's no good death or bad death. Everything is just arising and passing away.

If one doesn't know this, one doesn't know what is compassion, even though one identifies oneself as a compassionate being, and tries to be compassionate or practice compassion or perform compassionate actions.

Allow the mind to be open and see things as they are, uninfluenced by the conditioned/limited/subjective personal thinking and belief, egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, and ceaseless autonomous reactions of impurities.

If people don't like or don't agree with this, that's their freedom of thinking, belief, actions and reactions.

Be free.

Let go all kinds of worldly identifications

There is no freedom to be found in trying to seek recognition and approval from this society that consists of all kinds of different conditioned cultures, thinking and beliefs. There will always be disagreement, discrimination and hatred coming from different communities that are different from one another where they attached strongly onto their particular culture, thinking and beliefs, as all kinds of ignorance generated by ignorant minds will always exist in the world.

The law created by the worldly minded doesn't stop anyone from experiencing discrimination and hatred from others who don't like and don't agree with the others who are different from them. Prosecution and imprisonment doesn't stop the ignorant mind from being ignorant, discriminating and hating towards what is different from itself that it doesn't like and doesn't agree with. No matter how good and intelligent we think we are, it doesn't determine that we are more superior than anyone else whom we don't like and don't agree with, whom we criticize and condemn.

One can only take care one's mind to realize what is selflessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, through one's effort, and be free from all kinds of worldly identifications with different qualities of names and forms, and let the world to be what it is. Allowing all the other minds to be influenced by ignorance, or be free from ignorance, evolve at their own cause and pace.

Those who truly want to know what is yoga, must be determined to meditate and realize what is selflessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness. All kinds of benefits coming from the regular yoga practice are just some side-effects. They don't give liberation without the realization of selflessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness.

Beyond all the impermanent qualities of names and forms, conditioned worldly cultures, thinking and beliefs, and all sorts of worldly identities of who and what we think is 'I'.

There is no 'I' or 'not I'.

There is no 'human beings' or 'not human beings'.

There is no 'this nationality' or 'not this nationality'.

There is no 'male' or 'not male'.

There is no 'female' or 'not female'.

There is no 'something not male and not female' or 'not something not male and not female'.

There is no 'gay' or 'straight' or 'bi-sexual'.

There is no 'married' or 'unmarried'.

There is no 'friends' or 'not friends'.

There is no 'alone' or 'not alone'.

There is no 'religious' or 'not religious'.

There is no 'spiritual' or 'not spiritual'.

There is no 'good' or 'bad'.

There is no 'right' or 'wrong'.

There is no 'positive' or 'negative'.

There is no 'gain' or 'loss'.

There is no 'success' or 'failure'.

There is no 'superiority' or 'inferiority'.

There is no 'yogi' or 'not yogi'.

It's just impermanent qualities of names and forms that keep changing. The world is always running by many egoistic minds that are not free from ignorance and selfishness yet. Those minds that are free from ignorance, they don't run the world. They let the world runs itself.

Inequality and discrimination and all kinds of impurities generated by many ignorant minds will always exist in this world of names and forms perceived by the mind under the influence of ignorance.

Only when one has gone beyond all the identifications with qualities of names and forms, and be free from ignorance, one will be in peace and harmony resting in one's nameless and formless nature, transcending all the inequalities and discrimination derive from the mind perception of different qualities of names and forms, and be undetermined by all the other minds that are not free form ignorance yet.

Be free.

Positive thinking is not the goal of yoga practice or the end of suffering

We don't teach positive thinking in our yoga classes and retreats, although for those who are under the influence of 'negative thinking', whom are being very negative towards everything that they perceive, we would encourage them to develop 'positive thinking' to counter the 'negative thinking'. But that is not the goal of yoga practice.

In the beginning of yoga practice, when the mind is still influenced or over-powered by what the mind believes or recognizes as negative names and forms, we need to develop positive thinking to counter any negative thinking, but that is not what yoga is about - liberation from ignorance or the end of suffering.

When people try to be positive, think positive and stay positive, it's because these minds are not free from ignorance and are being ignorant of the truth of names and forms. The mind perceives or recognizes quality of 'negative' in the objects of names and forms projected from the mind based on what the mind believes as something 'negative'. The perception of negativity is still existing in the mind, but the mind tries to push away or deny the perception of names and forms that it believes as 'negative', and tries to convince itself that everything is 'positive' and good. It's denying and running away from the reality that it perceives and believes as 'negative' that it doesn't like and doesn't want.

The mind is not free constantly trying to 'turn' everything that it recognizes as 'negative' into something that the mind believes as 'positive'. But as long as the mind still thinks and believes that there's quality of 'negative' and 'positive', and it doesn't want something 'negative', but it wants everything 'positive', the mind will be forever restless as it tries to maintain 'positive'.

Everything is just what it is, it is neither positive nor negative. But the mind projects the qualities of 'positive' and 'negative' onto everything that it perceives based on what the mind thinks and believes as 'positive' and 'negative'.

Trying to stay positive is not freedom at all. The mind is not free, constantly being in a state of craving towards quality of 'positive' and aversion towards quality of 'negative'.

In the end, we will see that be positive, think positive and stay positive is not the end of suffering.

Yoga is going beyond what the mind believes and recognizes as 'positive' and 'negative'. It is awareness being aware of the perception of names and forms without projecting qualities of 'positive' or 'negative' onto all the objects of names and forms, and allows everything to be what it is - neither positive nor negative.

The realization of non-duality, or attributelessness, or non-separateness, or oneness is real freedom that allows the mind to be in peace, being free from restlessness.

There's no need to generate clinging or craving towards what the mind used to believe as 'positive', and there's no need to generate aversion towards what the mind used to believe as 'negative'. The mind will be free from restlessness coming from aversion towards quality of 'negative', or fear of being negative, and be free from clinging or craving towards quality of 'positive'.

There's no need to think and stay positive to counter negativity as 'negative' and 'positive' doesn't exist in the objects of names and forms. They only exist in the mind when the mind is under the influence of ignorance. There's no need to turn 'negative' into 'positive', when the mind is free.

Om shanti.

Param Vairagya - Absolute Dispassion - Neither attachment nor non-attachment

When all the duality of

Good and bad

Right and wrong

Positive and negative

Happiness and suffering

Light and darkness

Gain and loss

Praise and condemn

Success and failure

Appropriateness and inappropriateness

Norm and abnormal

Sane and insane

Birth and death

Are not different from one another

All fear and worry vanished

There's neither craving nor aversion

There's no attachment towards either side

Detachment doesn't exist

There's neither attachment nor non-attachment

The truth is still what it is whether we agree or disagree with it...

The truth, it is not necessarily something pleasant for the egoistic mind, or the way that the egoistic mind would like it to be.

It is the freedom of every mind to have certain thinking and belief, to be conditioning the mind to think in certain ways and to believe in certain beliefs, to influence our action and reaction, or how we behave.

There's nothing wrong for the mind to generate agreement and disagreement towards everything that it comes in contact with, based on how the mind thinks and what the mind believes what things are.

It is the natural habit of the prideful egoistic mind to argue and criticize about something that it disagrees with, for being different from its own thinking and belief, to prove that this is right (my way, my thinking and my believe) and that is wrong (other ways, other thinking and other beliefs). Or else the world would be quiet being free from argument, dispute, criticism and condemn.

Argument, dispute, criticism and condemn coming from the prideful egoistic mind about certain thinking and beliefs are right and good (my way of thinking and my belief), and all the others are wrong and bad (anything else that is being different from my way of thinking and my belief), is subjective and pointless.

The same object, some say it's beautiful, some say it's ugly, based on their own standard of what is beauty and what is ugliness. It is individual projection from each mind to label everything into this and that. The object is just what it is. It is neither beautiful nor ugly. There's nothing wrong with some minds think it's beautiful, and some minds think it's ugly, but it is not the truth of the object.

When we start to let go of attachment towards a particular type of thinking and belief including the thinking and belief in our own minds, as well as all the teachings of all kinds of different philosophy of life existence, we start to see things as they are. There's no right or wrong, good or bad, but just being different. And everyone takes full responsibility for the consequences of their own freedom of choice to take up certain thinking and belief to live their lives, for how they want to think and what they want to believe.

If we expect everyone else in this world to also comply to the same thinking and belief that we attached to, we'll get frustrated, unhappy, angry and hating when they are being different from us. It is coming from our own attachment and expectation, it's not because we are right and they are wrong.

Yoga is about to free the mind from ignorance and egoism through the practice of renunciation, dispassion, desireless, non-attachment, non-identification, and realize non-duality, oneness or non-separateness, or namelessness and formlessness.

Some people including those who think they are practicing yoga or teaching yoga, might dislike and disagree with this teaching and practice. And it's okay.

Those who don't practice yoga because they dislike and disagree with the teaching and practice of yoga, and so, they don't.

Those who love to practice yoga or want to teach yoga, but, they would prefer the yoga that they want to be practicing or teaching, to be the way that they would like it to be, or to be what they think it should be. They don't want to hear or talk about renunciation, non-attachment, dispassion or desireless. And there's nothing wrong with that, and nothing to be arguing about. They have the freedom to think and believe in what they want to think and believe. They are practicing yoga, just that not as what it is, but how they like it to be.

That's the point of what yoga is about. It's oneness, non-separateness, namelessness and formlessness. It is beyond all the different qualities of name and form. There's no prideful egoism, attachment, identification, judgment or expectation, and hence there's no argument, criticism, or condemn.

If someone disagrees with what has been said here, they can't say anything.

Either they say something to argue or criticize, or they don't say anything, not arguing or criticizing, it also shows that there's nothing wrong with this teaching.

If they want to say something about their disagreement on this, and want to argue or criticize about this, it proves that this teaching is true, that every prideful egoistic mind that attached to certain thinking and beliefs, will want to argue and criticize about something that it disagrees with for being different from its point of views based on how it thinks and what it believes.

If they don't say anything, it also proves that this teaching is true, that there's nothing to be argue or criticize about. It is not about what is being said here is true, or not true.

Those who truly practice yoga don't argue or criticize about something that the mind disagrees with for being different from its own thinking and belief, based on how it thinks and what it believes.

Whether the mind agrees or disagrees with something, it is still what it is. Whether we think and believe the apple is tasty or not tasty, the apple is still what it is. It doesn't has the intention or quality to be tasty or not tasty. But coming from each individual's likes and dislikes towards different tastes, different minds have different opinions towards the same taste. It's the same for all the other names and forms of sights, sounds, smells, sensations and thinking.

Any thinking and belief, no matter how good and right we think they are, it is still within the subjective point of views.

Go beyond all the different thinking and beliefs, and realize the universal truth, that everything is just what it is with different names and forms. And beyond all the different names and forms, all is one, there's no separateness. There's no superiority nor inferiority. The mind rests in silence, at peace.

But the ego doesn't like this at all. It prefers the distinctiveness between superiority and inferiority, and ceaselessly strives to make itself more superior than others, and to maintain that superiority. It doesn't like to be in silence, or to be at peace. It enjoys restlessness, stimulation or excitement. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Those who don't like and disagree with this teaching are free to think what they want to think, to agree or disagree with anything, to debate and argue about everything.

May all be peaceful.

Be free.

The basics of yoga and meditation practice...

Negative mind sees things negatively.
Positive mind sees things positively.
Agitated mind sees things agitatedly.
Peaceful mind sees things peacefully.
Depressed mind sees things depressingly.
Cheerful mind sees things cheerfully.

Liberated mind sees things as they are.

They are neither negative, nor positive, nor agitating, nor peaceful, nor depressing, nor cheerful.
Everything is just what it is.

These are the basics of yoga and meditation practice.

Be free.

Non-comparison and non-judgment...

Not long after the teacher mentioned about let go of comparison during the yoga asana practice, the student saw the teacher was teaching some of the movements being different from some other teachers, and started to compare and asked the teacher, "I saw you bring the feet in when you do this. My teachers at home said we should not bring the feet in."

The teacher replied, "Your teachers must have their good reason why they tell the students that they should not bring the feet in while doing this movement. There's nothing wrong in their teaching.

In the yoga asana practice here, it's about using the yoga asana practice to help to balance and quiet the mind, to prepare the mind for meditation, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, identification and attachment, craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation. It's nothing to do with achieving the perfect physical alignment at all.

If by having perfect alignment while performing all these yoga exercises will bring peace and compassion, then all those people who perform physical movements with perfect alignment are all peaceful and compassionate, be free from unhappiness and suffering, be free from anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, feelings of hurt, feelings of guilt, fear and worry.

People who don't have the flexibility or strength to put their bodies into so call perfect alignment in the yoga asana practice can still be free from ignorance and suffering, realize unconditional love and peace, if they know what is non-attachment and non-identification, if they know how to free the mind from egoism and all sorts of defilements and impurities, and realize the truth, be free from ignorance.

It depends on each individual whether they will be comfortable or not in any physical movements. Everyone has a different body and different physical flexibility and limitations. We cannot tell the students that they have to do the movements in such and such way. By bringing the feet in or not in this movement, has nothing to do with peace and compassion. It's about whether your body is comfortable or not while performing all these movements, and it's about do what your body can do in the present moment now without forcing your body to go beyond its limitation. It's not about trying to imitate other people especially the teacher, to be doing the exercises exactly the same like how other people do. We might be doing the same exercises, but everyone might look differently from one another."

When we see two things that appear to be different, the mind is conditioned to make comparison and judgment, to decide which one is right, and then the mind will judge the other one that is different from this one must be wrong then.

But the truth of everything is that they are neither right nor wrong. Everything has their different reasons to be existing.

Once we know how to train the mind to let go of this habit of comparing and judging, we will start to see the truth of things as they are, and be free from ignorance.

Om shanti.

Fearlessness in giving and sharing...

Fearlessness in giving and sharing.

Just like the sun. Ceaselessly, indiscriminately, unconditionally, inexhaustibly giving and providing the element of fire to support the existence of everything in this solar system.

Just like the sun, perform all our actions, give and love without intention, without attachment, without discrimination, without expectation, and have no fear towards certain spiritual/cultural thinking and belief about absorbing other beings' "negative or bad energy", or losing our own "positive and good energy" being "stolen" by other beings, which is nothing to do with the teachings of yoga, where everyone is responsible for their own cause and effect, where nobody can interfere with other people's energy.

The light illuminates from (you) which (you) think (you) are sharing and giving to other beings, isn't coming from (you), nor does it belongs to (you). (You) gain nothing nor lose anything by sharing the light, or compassion, or wisdom that illuminates (yourself) with (other beings). As there is no (you).

Without identification, without egoism, without separateness, without intention, without attachment, without expectation, without discrimination, without selfish desire of accumulating friendship, connection, liking, love, support, appreciation, or interaction in return, there is no gain or loss, there is no fear.

Without the other elements of water, wind, earth and ether, the element of fire alone doesn't support anything to be existing, and hence, what is there to be so proud and arrogant for being existing for others to be existing, or to be able to serve oneself and others?

The selfless sun doesn't need gratefulness, thankfulness, agreement or appreciation from anyone or anything for it to be giving and sharing ceaselessly. Performing its duty and responsibility without identification or attachment. No matter how much it shares and gives to all and everything, its illumination is inexhaustible, neither it's being contaminated by actions or the result of the actions. The illumination of the sun will be depleted in its own cause eventually, but not because it has been giving ceaselessly to others.

Egoism generates individual identification with certain qualities of names and forms, and thus generates separateness from those who/which possess different qualities of names and forms from itself. Separateness gives rise to duality, and thus generates the perception and discrimination of good and bad, positive and negative, happiness and unhappiness, pleasure and suffering, gain and loss, praise and condemn. From duality, the ego generates craving and aversion towards what it likes and dislikes, wants and doesn't wants, agreements and disagreements. Restlessness, dissatisfaction and fear arise from all these plays of the ego.

Free from egoism doesn't mean that there are no more actions being performed, but all actions that are free from egoism are not different from inaction, just like the sun illuminates the solar system selflessly, intentionlessly, that is free from the bondage of Karma.

Actions - egoism (identification, separateness, intention, attachment, discrimination, expectation, desires, craving, aversion) = Selfless actions = Inaction = Compassion = Fearlessness

Om shanti.

Realize the truth of non-duality, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, and be free...

When the mind is being negative, whatever it perceives through the senses will be contaminated or influenced by the negativity in the mind. Same as when the mind is being positive, everything that it perceives will be also be contaminated or influenced by the positivity in the mind. But the truth of everything is beyond positive and negative.

Realizing the truth of non-duality, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness is the path to be free from suffering or unhappiness that derives from ignorance which accompanied by dualism, separateness, egoism, attachment, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, craving and aversion.

Just by studying, talking, discussing or teaching about non-duality, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness from the books that we read and from what other people told us and without direct self-realization, doesn't free us from suffering or unhappiness.

Keep purifying the mind, remove egoism, attachment, craving and aversion, until the mind starts to see the truth of everything as it is, without being contaminated nor influenced by any impurities, elements or substances (both positive and negative.)

Om shanti.

We are annoyed and disgusted by our own annoying and disgusting mind...

Whenever we feel annoyed, or disgusted, or bad, or unhappy with something that we see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think, as those things are something that our mind perceives and believes as "bad", "disgusting", "dirty", "ugly", or "inappropriate", then know that, this is because our mind is full of qualities or stuffs that are bad, disgust, dirty, ugly and inappropriate.

A positive mind perceives all the names and forms positively.

A negative mind perceives all the names and forms negatively.

A pure mind perceives all the names and forms as something pure.

An impure mind perceives all the names and forms as something impure.

A liberated mind that is free from qualities, perceives all the names and forms as they are. They are neither pure nor impure, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither happiness nor suffering, neither appropriate nor inappropriate.

All the names and forms have no power nor quality to make us feel annoyed, disgusted, bad or unhappy, but it is the thinking and beliefs in our own mind that cause us to feel annoyed, disgusted, bad or unhappy.

Be free.

Om shanti.

How to identify the ego and how to eliminate the ego...

To encourage and motivate others to do better and achieve higher goal in whatever fields, is indeed very kind and uplifting. It is a 'positive' action to encourage others to be positive, to do better and to be better. There's nothing wrong with looking forward to a better personality and higher achievement. It is much reasonable and better than being 'negative' to discourage others to do better and to be better.

Yet, the one who needs to be better, and who needs 'positive' encouragements and motivations to do better, to be better, is the ego. By being 'positive' to give encouragements and motivations to others to do better and to be better is actually empowering the egoism in others.

It seems like the spiritual teachers in the traditional lineage are very hard and cold, as they seldom project expressions like 'thank you', or 'very good', or 'I'll give you something nice after you do this', 'well done', and etc... We criticize the teachers or people who seldom or never express 'positive' encouragement, or motivating actions and speech, praise and compliments to the students after they did 'well' and 'achieved something'. But, these are the great teachers who are actually helping the students to be aware of their ego, to identify the ego, and to be able to eliminate the ego effectively.

For example, in many family cultural bringing up, and in any educational or motivational courses, we believe that it is very wrong and impolite if we do not express 'thankfulness', and to give praise and compliments to others to encourage others to do better and to be better. From young, we were being motivated by 'positive' encouragement, praise, compliment, gratitude, appreciation and 'rewards' from our parents and teachers for us to be doing something good for ourselves. Or else, without any appreciation, acknowledgement, accreditation and promised 'rewards', we would be lack of motivation to do it. For example, the parents like to say "We will give you what you want if you are good," or "We will buy you what you want if you get all 'A' for your exam," or " We won't give you what you want if you don't do or behave as we told."

We will criticize and be disappointed with certain teachers for not saying 'Very good!', or 'You did very well!', or 'Well done!', or 'I'm so proud of you!', or 'You should be proud of yourself!', when we think we did something right and good, as we (the ego) need affirmation from somebody to acknowledge us that 'Yes! I did something right and good' to feel good and to boost up our confidence, and to motivate us to do better and to be better. When we (the ego) don't receive any 'positive' encouraging words, or praise and compliments that we expect to be receiving, we (the ego) will feel disappointed and lack of motivation to do better or to be better. There's endless craving towards receiving acknowledgement, appreciation, attention, love and support from some others.

In traditional yoga practice, we learn to let go of the ego, and no longer need any 'positive' encouragements, praise and compliment, or rewards to motivate us to do better or to be better. Neither will we be demotivated by non-acknowledgement, ungratefulness, inappreciation, 'negative' discouragement, criticism and condemn to be performing all our actions, duties and responsibilities. We do not need to hear 'Thank you!', 'Very good!' or 'Well done!' to affirm us, to feel good and confident about ourselves, nor do we need all these 'positive' encouragement to motivate us to be good or to be better.

Some people complain that the teacher was not good or the class was not good after attending certain yoga classes where the teacher didn't give any 'positive' feedback, encouragements, praise and compliments to anyone on whether the students did well or not. Or, after we did something nice for others, we didn't hear anyone say 'Thank you!', or 'Very good!', or 'Well done!' to us.

Yes, 'dispassionate' yoga classes like that are quite boring and lack of motivations for the worldly passionate egoistic minds. But, yoga practice is indeed transforming the passionate egoistic mind to be dispassionate and be free from the ego and egoism.

What we don't know is that, these are the great yoga classes and great teachers teaching what yoga practice is about - To eliminate the ego. Stop feeding the ego. Stop empowering the ego. Stop giving what the ego wants and likes. Stop gratifying the desire of craving and aversion of the ego. It is starving the ego to its elimination.

Those who have transcended egoism, they don't need anyone to show gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation or acknowledgment for their selfless actions. Neither will they be disturbed or get upset if there's nobody showing gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation or acknowledgment for their actions being performed. They also are not being disturbed or determined by any non-acknowledgement, inappreciation, ungratefulness, and negative criticism or condemn.

We show gratefulness and thankfulness for everything that the universe provides us out of our own free will. But the selfless/egoless universe isn't looking for any gratitude, appreciation, acknowledgment, praise and compliments for all its selfless actions being performed ceaselessly and intentionlessly supporting everyone and everything to be existing.

The elimination of the ego reflects the state of non-duality, going beyond what our worldly mind perception and belief about good and bad, positive and negative, success and failure, praise and condemn, gain and loss, happiness and suffering, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, and this will free us from the egoistic desires of craving and aversion, which is the source of restlessness, unhappiness or suffering.

None and nothing can 'hurt' or 'insult' the mind that has transcended egoism and renounced the fruit of actions, who has realized non-duality, selflessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness.

Om shanti.

Are we really practicing yoga?

We are not really practicing yoga, if the reasoning power is being conditioned by what the mind believes what things are, being influenced by particular social/cultural/religious/political belief, values and practice.

Anything that we believe and judge as 'good' or 'bad' and 'right' or 'wrong' is conditioned by subjective 'standards of belief, values and practice' coming from our own limited perception and recognition about what things are, but it is not coming from the objects themselves.

In different social cultural beliefs, being "fat" can be 'not good' for some people, but can be 'very good' for some other people. What we think is 'not perfect' can be 'perfectly as it is' for some other people.

Things that might seem like "big problems" for us, might be "no problem at all" for some other people.

It is up to us, whether we want our mind to be conditioned by certain beliefs and way of thinking to judge and expect everything to be in certain ways, or not.

We either limiting ourselves by generate a lot of "standards" and "qualities" for ourselves to live up to, or limiting ourselves by allowing other people's "standards" and "qualities" to determine us.

We also apply our own type of "qualities" and "standards" onto everyone and everything, expecting everyone and everything should also comply to these "qualities" and "standards", and be judged by these "qualities" and "standards". We categorize everyone and everything into categories according to our own "standards" of what is 'good' and 'not good'.

We all are free, until the moment we start to apply 'beliefs', 'ideas', 'standards', and 'qualities' onto ourselves and towards other people and everything. Expect ourselves, other people and things have to be like this and not to be like that. Making ourselves not free, and disturbing other people as well.

Just by doing some yoga asana exercises and poses, or pranayama, or studying, discussing, talking, reading and hearing the philosophy of yoga, or chanting and praying in Sanskrit everyday, but without practicing the essential meaning of non-dualism in everyday life, constantly being disturbed, affected and determined by the projected good and bad qualities of names and forms, and generate craving and aversion towards what we like and dislike, agree and disagree with, being over-powered by discrimination, anger, hatred, dissatisfaction, disappointment, fear and worry, not knowing the practice of non-attachment and non-identification, then it is like performing lots of actions improving the function of the mind, the body, the hands, the feet, and the sense organs, having a good condition 'vehicle' with full tank of fuel, but we don't know how to 'drive' this good condition 'vehicle' towards Freedom, or Moksha.

Om shanti.