Self discipline is not self punishment.
Disciplining the ignorant impure egoistic modification of the mind, by the mind itself, out of freewill, to render it clear, pure, calm, and quiet, is not about inflicting violent hurtful or forceful practice/action/punishment unto the modification of the mind, which doesn't help to render the modification of the mind to be clear, pure, calm, and quiet at all, but would intensify the restless violent impure thought current.
Self discipline in the teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism is all about the ability of self management, time management, effort/energy usage or distribution, energy conservation, balancing physical and mental activity, filtering physical and mental inputs and outputs, self restriction and self control to be developing and empowering non-violence or non-hurtful in thoughts, actions, and speech, out of one's own freewill, devoid of violence or harm unto oneself and/or others.
It is nothing to do with what the many minds understand as 'self punishment' or 'disciplining oneself with forceful practice or hurtful action', or 'self inflicts violent and hurtful punishment unto oneself in order to repent' that exists in the many worldly egoistic beliefs in the world.
Many minds have intense aversion or rejection towards the teachings and practice of self discipline in yoga and/or buddhism because they confuse 'self discipline' with 'self punishment' that exists in the many worldly egoistic beliefs, values, and practices, which most minds would have intense disagreement, anger, and disgust towards.
Yoga and/or buddhism is non-religious. It is not a belief or values. It is science. It is biology. It is about the truth of this selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary life existence of the limited adjuncts of the selfless mortal physical body that comes with a selfless perceptive thinking and acting faculty, that dependent on the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements to be existing and functioning. There is no pride and arrogance, or fear and painful sorrow, can exist in the mind that knows about the truth of Selflessness and Impermanence.
It is about coming from one's own freewill and desire, to be disciplining the selfless impermanent restless modification of the mind, without violence, or judgment, or attachment, or identification, or craving, or aversion, or comparison, or expectation, to be rendering the state of mind clear, pure, calm, and quiet, that unveils the existing knowledge and correct understanding towards the selfless impermanent existence and function of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind and the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, that are limited and conditional, that is here in this present moment now, perceiving a selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary worldly life existence, that is subject to the inevitable selfless impermanent changes, of forming, birth, growth, ceased growing, decay, weakening, illness, stiffness, injury, discomfort, old age, malfunction and dysfunction of the selfless bodily systems, and eventually, ceased functioning (death), and disintegrate (decompose).
All these are painful sorrow and suffering, to the minds that don't know Thyself.
All these are merely an inevitable natural process in all and everyone that are selfless, impermanent, limited, and conditional, to the minds that know Thyself.
There is no 'authoritarianism', or 'authority', or 'authorization', in the path of yoga and/or buddhism.
There is no 'judgment' or 'punishment', not to say, 'self punishment' or 'punishment unto others', in the teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism.
More importantly, the basic foundation of the teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism from the beginning of the practice until 'self-realization towards the truth of Selflessness and Impermanence' happens, is all about non-violence, or the annihilation and absence of violent hurtful thoughts/ideas/desires/actions/reactions/behaviors, via self-initiation, self-control, self-effort, self-reliance, and self-discipline, where all kinds of practices served as the non-violent tools for rendering the modification of the mind to be clear, pure, calm, and quiet, to be free from the veil of ignorance/restless violent impure egoistic thought current, a.k.a. the annihilation of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, or restlessness from the modification of the mind, which then allowing the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty to be able to see/know/realize/have a glimpse towards the truth of itself and the modification of the mind (knowing Thyself) under the presence of clarity a.k.a. the absence of hindrance/the veil of ignorance.
Self discipline is about managing one's physical and mental activities, or the usage of time or energy a.k.a. what to do with one's momentary precious life existence, balancing between activity and inactivity/work and rest/wake and sleep, filtering and choosing the type of physical and mental inputs and outputs, without violence or forcing, but with kindness and understanding towards what is the physical and mental needs/condition/ability/disability/limitation/possibility/impossibility in this present moment now, and attending what is needed to be attended immediately in this present moment now accordingly, accepting and respecting the perceived reality in the present moment now as it is, while knowing that all these are impermanent, and that it will change, and hence, just do one's best on what is possible in the present moment now, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation, and allowing or respecting the result/fruit/outcome of one's action to be what it is, and changing.
Attending the physical and mental essential needs to be existing and functioning, to maintain life existence, are completely different from gratifying the wants, or the desires of craving and aversion, or the physical/mental/emotional clinging or addiction, or the ambitious ambition.
Without energy, food, water, air, minerals, and nutrients, the body and mind cannot exist or function.
Without a proper shelter and protective layer of clothing, to be sheltering from harsh weather, extreme condition and situation, injury, illness, and predators, without the selfless autonomous bodily systems and components that are there working together non-stop selflessly forming and supporting the life maintenance/existence/function of the body, or without certain survival knowledge and skills, such as balancing activity and inactivity/physical activity and mental activity/work and rest/wake and sleep, neither over-use or under-use, neither over eating or under eating, and etc, as well as the knowledge and understanding of non-violence, non-interference, non-possession, non-hoarding, non-greed, non-discrimination, independence, respect and kindness among one another, that gives rise to a supportive peaceful harmonious environment among the many diversities of different duties, responsibilities, knowledge, talents and skills, that are inter-supporting the survival of one another, just like the different selfless bodily systems and the many different selfless components that make up the entire selfless physical body, that gives life to the body and mind and support the life existence/function/maintenance/survival of the entire body, similar to the entire selfless solar system that is supporting the selfless existence of all and everything in it, then it might be challenging for maintaining the survival of the body and mind.
These are the needs, that is inevitable for maintaining life existence and the proper function of the body and mind, under a supportive, peaceful, and harmonious living environment in the world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.
Out of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, there are fighting, hating, bullying, interfering, invading, oppressing, controlling, hurting, attacking, or killing one another in the world that doesn't belong to anyone and anything, is not different from committing suicide, just like the corrupted/malfunctioned auto immune system that attacks the different bodily systems and components.
The non-gratification or non-availability of the few/many/boundless different types of wants, or cravings, or physical/mental/emotional clinging or addiction, or the absence of certain desirable/pleasurable/enjoyable physical and mental inputs and outputs, or activities, or experiences, or effects, or enjoyments of the body and mind,
of certain pleasurable, desirable, agreeable, and enjoyable sights, smells, sounds, tastes, sensations, objects, intoxicants, drugs, alcohols, fashions, lifestyles, decorations, symbolical objects, arts, music, fine dining, luxurious indulgence, commercialized leisure holidays and activities, outings, gatherings, events, celebrations, festivals, material possessions, sexual activities, social activities and interactions, ties and connections, friendships, relationships,
of any kind of worldly egoistic belief, values, rituals, and practice, worldly education and learning, academic achievement, proficiency in particular or different languages for communication, praise and compliment, acknowledgement and recognition, love and affection, hugging and touching, agreement and understanding, admiration and glorification, the sense of self-esteem and self-worth, the sense of meaningfulness and purposefulness,
as well as without the idea of 'I', egoism, and impurities of pride, arrogance, greed, anger, hatred, fear, worry, jealousy, bitterness, resentment, selfishness, possessiveness, separateness, discrimination, cruelty, violence, hurtful behavior, and etc, the body and mind can still be existing and functioning as it is under the sufficient supply of energy, food, water, air, minerals, and nutrients, under the support of some basic survival knowledge, tools, and skills, and the availability of a proper shelter and sufficient clothing/wearing to be protected from extreme condition and situation, extreme heat and cold, harsh weather, natural disaster, accident, or predators, to be minimizing unnecessary injury and illness, if possible, without attachment, and devoid of violence or hurtful action/reaction/behavior unto oneself and others or the surrounding environment.
The absence and presence of worldly education, worldly knowledge, academic achievement, intelligence, talents, ties and connections, physical and mental good health and fitness condition, or social and financial status and achievement, doesn't determine whether a person or a mind is wise and kind, or not, is free from violence, cruelty, and hurtful thoughts/ideas/desires/actions/reactions/behaviors, or not, and is peaceful, or not.
Similarly, not all yoga and/or buddhism practitioners/teachers, or scientists, or biologists, are free from the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, if they haven't attained self realization yet, but only gathering all kinds of information/knowledge coming from everywhere and everyone. All these names and forms are neither good nor bad, depending on the presence or absence of correct understanding, that determining whether the availability of all these names and forms are being utilized for something constructive or destructive.
Inquire the truth of everything.
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