The mind is being offended by something that promotes world peace and harmony, unselfishness, non-discrimination and unconditional love?

There are minds being offended and angered by something that promotes world peace and harmony, unselfishness, non-discrimination and unconditional love among all and everyone under different names and forms in the world of many diversities. But why?

Why does the mind is being offended and angered by as well as strongly opposing something that promotes world peace and harmony, unselfishness, non-discrimination and unconditional love among all and everyone in the world of diversity?

And if, one's belief, values, practice, behavior, desire and vision is all about promoting world peace and harmony, unselfishness, non-discrimination and unconditional love, then how come there is so much offensiveness, anger and hatred in oneself towards something that is about world peace and harmony, unselfishness, non-discrimination and unconditional love, not to say, towards something that is the opposite of all that?

Unless the existing belief, values, practice, behavior, desire and vision in the mind, is about promoting unrest and disharmony, selfishness, discrimination and hatred, that is something different from and contradicting with the teachings and practice that promotes world peace and harmony, unselfishness, non-discrimination and unconditional love, or else, why does the mind is being offended and angered, and opposing towards the similar values, teachings, practice and behavior, just because it is under a different name and form, that is coming from and representing some other form of teachings or beliefs, that is not coming from or representing one's belief under a particular name and form?

Why does the mind constantly feel being offended, intimidated, belittled, disrespected, humiliated, threatened or hurt by something that promotes liberation, independence, freedom, wisdom, compassion, peace, harmony, unselfishness, contentment, non-greed, non-possessiveness, non-discrimination and unconditional loving kindness and acceptance among all kinds of diversities, not to say, something that is opposite of all that?

It's the freedom of the mind for its thinking, belief, values, practice, desire, behavior, action and reaction. There's neither right nor wrong. The mind just needs to know and understand what is going on in itself or why does itself behaving, acting and reacting in certain way.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Open mind, non-blind believing, inquiring towards the truth of everything

Some minds will be offended by the teachings and practice of "Open mind, non-blind believing, and inquiring towards the truth of everything," as these minds are being conditioned to believe that "Open mind, non-blind believing, and inquiring towards the truth of everything, particularly one's own belief, values and practice," is something wrong and sinful and punishable, even without knowing exactly why is it wrong and sinful, just because that was what they were being told by some others, by their parents, elders, teachers, or leaders.

Quite many people growing up being told by their parents, or teachers, or leaders, "Just listen to and follow what I say, don't question. It's good for you. And if you don't, you will be punished. If I am hurting you, it's your own fault, because you are bad and no good. I am hurting you because I love you very much and I want you to be good. Be a good child." While many of them will be doing and saying the same thing to their children and to many others in the world.

Under such belief, values and practice, their followers are not allowed (under certain punishable man made law and order) to come in contact with any materials or information that are contradicting with that particular belief, values and practice, not to say, to be performing inquiry towards the truth of everything that the mind comes in contact with.

There will be many different kinds of books, classes, or events being banned or censored, particularly for their followers. They think and believe and propagate that this is for the good of their followers.

They are so afraid of losing the followers, or the support from the followers, or more precisely, losing the power of control, if their followers started to be opened for inquiring towards the truth of everything, including that particular belief, values and practice.

That only indicates that they themselves have no 'trust' or 'understanding' towards such belief, values and practice. This is what blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, and blind-propagating, is about.

As if that belief, values and practice is all true and pure, and if that is the best and purest belief, values and practice that all and everyone in the world should be practicing, it won't be contaminated or offended by anything. There won't be fear towards anyone, followers or non-followers, performing inquiry towards the truth of those belief, values and practice.

Just as the teachings of yoga and buddhism, is all about non-blind believing, non-blind following and non-blind practicing, to inquiry towards the truth of everything, including all the teachings of yoga and buddhism, to attain self-realization. There's no authority, sin, judgment or punishment, if anyone doesn't inquire, doesn't understand, doesn't know, misunderstand, or doesn't practice. It's up to anyone to take it or leave it, realize or doesn't realize, know or doesn't know. It's everyone's freedom for what they desire and don't desire for themselves, regardless of being ignorant, or be free from ignorance. It's just actions and consequences of actions under the presence or absence of ignorance, governed by the nature's law of cause and effect.

In the teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism about dispassion and renunciation from worldly contacts, interactions, affairs and activities, to be refrained from books reading, news reading, magazines reading, movies or TV watching, it's not so much about keeping those information away from the knowledge of the mind, or to stop the mind from being exposed to 'bad influences', but it's more about to be quieting the restless modifications of the mind, as well as to allow the mind to stand as the third party to be looking into all those information from a different perspective, that enables the mind to inquire the truth of all those information, connections, interactions, affairs and activities, where they all are deriving from ignorance and egoism, as well as feeding ignorance and egoism.

The minds that know this, there's no offensiveness towards all kinds of beliefs, values and practices in the world, even if it's the product of ignorance and egoism, and might cause serious 'damages' to all and everything, directly or indirectly. All kinds of madness and corruptions in this world is merely because many minds are sick, or even very sick, and they don't know that they are sick, even when they are highly educated, and are highly successful in generating, accumulating and hoarding unlimited wealth. And many young children in the world growing up being empowered to look up at these sick minds, to be inspired by them, and be aspired to become like them.

The mind that knows, is undetermined by all the ignorance in the world. It's energy wasting. Though actions can be performed out of selfless compassion, without intention or expectation, making good use of this body and mind that is fleeting away.

Is this mind being offended by something that it doesn't like and doesn't agree with, that it thinks and believes is wrong and bad, or sinful, or insulting? If it does, know that it's merely because this mind is being conditioned by particular thinking, belief, values and practice. There's neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, if this mind is ignorant towards something or many things, and is being offended by this or that. More importantly, it's the presence of awareness towards the existence of ignorance in the thinking faculty without identification with the ignorance, and work diligently to remove this ignorance from the thinking faculty, without judgment or expectation. That is the beginning of compassion.

Inquire, inquire, and keep inquiring, until this mind sees the truth of everything.

Inquire towards the truth of racism and discrimination

Most people would want to fight for freedom of expression, action and speech.

Many people also want to fight against racism and discrimination, may it be coming from within the society of diversity, or coming from unjust bias government policy.

Many people have no idea/notion/intention of citing racism and discrimination when they want to express, do or say something.

Unfortunately, out of ignorance, anti-racism and anti-discrimination generated lots of unnecessary sensitivity surrounding racism and discrimination that heavily restricting and going against freedom of expression, action and speech, where many people are easily being 'offended' by certain 'expression', 'action' and 'speech', or even the usage of certain scenes, colours, shapes, forms, sounds and words, that they perceive/judge/label/believe/identify/refer/relate as a form of citing 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult', or 'offensiveness'.

May it be those who think and feel themselves are being 'discriminated', or 'racist against', or 'insulted', or 'offended' by what they perceive as 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness', and they identifying themselves as the victims of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness', or some other people who want to support those whom they think and believe as the victims of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness', where many people are developing excessive/exaggerate unnecessary high-sensitivity towards certain (and will be increasing) scenes, colours, shapes, forms, sounds, words and maybe some other names and forms, in certain point of view, discussion, expression, speech, writing, artwork, dance choreography, music, song, painting, drawing, sculpture and any other forms of expression/idea/creativity, which ignorant egoistic human minds project the quality of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness' onto almost everything that they perceive, where almost all and everything would also being perceived by these ignorant egoistic minds as something containing the elements of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness', and they don't allow anything that they perceive as containing the element of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness' to be existing in the world, where people are not allowed, or be condemned, or even be criminalized for the usage of certain scenes, colours, shapes, forms, sounds and words containing what these ignorant egoistic minds perceived as 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness'.

People want freedom of expression, action and speech, BUT, only limited to within our own acceptance and agreement based on our petite mindedness of how we perceive and judge everything based on our particular thinking, belief, understanding, judgment, values and practice, where minds are easily being disturbed, offended, hurt, insulted by anything that the minds perceive/think/believe/judge/label as a form of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness' towards the identity of certain names and forms that different people identifying as who 'I' am.

For example, about colour. The usage of colours or words of 'white' and 'black' is being 'perceived', 'projected', 'identified', 'labelled' and 'referred' as containing the element of 'racism' and 'discrimination' by those who are anti-racist and anti-discrimination.

The colour of white and black, or the word of 'white' and 'black', have no quality, or meaning, or power, or intention to be 'racist' or 'discriminative'. But they are being 'perceived' and 'projected' by certain people who are anti-racist and anti-discrimination with the quality/meaning/power/intention that contain the element of racism and discrimination.

People who are anti-racism and anti-discrimination are highly sensitive towards the usage of the colour and word of 'white' or 'black' in any kinds of expression, action and speech. And they protest against the use of certain words and colours that reflect 'white' or 'black'.

If the word 'Whitening' is being labelled as a form of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' and 'offense' towards dark skin tone people, then any colour related to many human beings different types of skin tone will also be 'racist', 'discriminative', 'insult' and 'offensive' towards the different people who come with different types of skin tone. The word 'Darkening' will be labelled as 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' and 'offense' towards fairer skin tone people. Any expression towards any particular colour that certain people like or don't like, prefer or don't prefer, will be labelled as a form of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' and 'offense' towards the many different skin tone people, may it be 'yellow', 'orange', 'brown', 'pink', 'green', 'blue' and so on, not just 'white' or 'black'. But if this ridiculous sensitivity over the usage of the different colours and words in all kinds of expression, action and speech continuing to be amplified, over-rated and supported by many people who want to go against 'racism' and 'discrimination', then all kinds of colours can also become a thing that contain the element of racism, discrimination, insult and offensiveness in everyday life. Then no one is going to be allowed to have or mention any colours that they prefer or don't prefer, like or dislike, in everything in life anymore. The world becomes a colourless world won't stop those who are ignorant to continue being ignorant, and won't stop those who intentionally want to be racist, sexist and discriminative against anyone and anything that they dislike and disagree with, continuing to be racist, sexist and discriminative.

Life can be so simple and free, but it's becoming so complicated and not free due to many people are being highly sensitive towards all kinds of names and forms that are being projected with the quality of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness' by the highly sensitive minds.

To free the world from any kinds of racism and discrimination, definitely is not achievable by 'protecting' the highly sensitive minds through restricting, disallowing and criminalizing people on "Do not express, do, or say anything that anyone would feel being offended, insulted, discriminated or racist against," which doesn't really eliminate all kinds of racism and discrimination, but instead, it would be empowering the existence of racism and discrimination in the world, that directly and indirectly hinders the freedom of expression, action and speech that most people are fighting for, which is much needed to develop a 'healthy' society, than having a 'sick' society that live under 'oppression', 'control', 'criminalization' and 'prosecution' that are being widely abused in the world.

It's about teaching and training all and everyone regardless of the different diversity of different appearance/colour/shape/ethnicity/nationality/gender/sexual orientation/culture/religion/spirituality/belief/educational background/health and fitness condition/ability and disability, of young and old, to 'respect' and 'allow' all kinds of names and forms being existing in the world as they are, without projecting the quality of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness' onto any kinds of names and forms that they perceived through the senses of what they see, hear, smell, taste, sense/feel and think, and they wouldn't be disturbed, offended, hurt, or insulted by all kinds of names and forms, even if there are certain people who deliberately want to be citing 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' or 'offensiveness' against certain names and forms that they dislike and disagree with, out of ignorance and egoism, self-righteousness, pride and arrogance.

It has to come from people's own conscience/understanding towards "Respecting and allowing all kinds of different names and forms being existing in the world, as they are," and "All kinds of names and forms have no intention or power to 'disturb', 'offend', 'hurt' or 'insult' anyone or anything, even if it's coming from certain minds with such intention, unless the minds have ignorant egoistic attachment and identification, craving and aversion towards certain qualities of names and forms, and the minds 'perceive' and 'project' certain quality onto certain names and forms, identifying/labeling/referring them as 'disturbing', 'offending', 'hurting' and 'insulting', and 'allowing' themselves to be disturbed, offended, hurt, or insulted by those names and forms that they themselves 'perceived', 'projected', 'identifying', 'labeling' and 'referring' as 'disturbing', 'offending', 'hurting' and 'insulting', whether it's intentional or unintentional from anyone, (where mostly are non-intentional from anyone,) but it's coming from one's mind being overly sensitive, deriving from one's own attachment and identification towards certain qualities of names and forms that oneself identifying with as 'I'."

Those who are intentionally being racist and discriminative against certain names and forms that they dislike and disagree with, would be expressing, doing and saying certain things under certain names and forms that they want other people whom they want to be racist and discriminative against to 'understand' their intention/aspiration/expression of "I don't like you and I don't agree with you. I am being racist and discriminative against you. I am intentionally expressing, doing and saying things that I think would hurt and insult you. And I feel good about that and I am being very proud of that." They don't respect and can't allow those whom they dislike and disagree with, whom they want to be racist and discriminative against, whom they intentionally want to hurt and insult, for being existing in their surrounding environment, for being who they are, and for expressing, doing and saying what they want to express, do and say. While they themselves don't like to be 'disrespected' and 'disallowed' for being existing, for being who they are, and what they want to express, do and say.

Aren't everyone who are anti-racism and anti-discrimination also behave, act and react similarly as those who intentionally want to be racist and discriminative?

If people truly want to support freedom of expression, action and speech, is not by 'disallowing', 'controlling', 'condemning', 'criminalizing', and 'prosecuting' those who intentionally want to be racist and discriminative, or more even so, most of those who don't have any intention/idea to be racist, discriminative, insulting or offending towards anyone or anything while expressing, doing and saying something, but their expression, action and speech are being perceived and judged as containing the elements of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' and 'offense' by the majority of the human beings who are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, who are highly sensitive and who are easily be disturbed, offended, hurt, or insulted by any names and forms that they perceive and judge as disturbing, offending, hurtful and insulting.

People should be allowed being what they are, as they are, even though we might not like or agree with certain behavior or way of thinking, may it be we ourselves don't like and don't agree with other people, or other people don't like and don't agree with ourselves.

It's about how all and everyone react towards everything that they perceived, and know what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment and non-expectation, or not, that enable or prevent the minds to be free from perceiving, judging or reacting towards all kinds of disturbing, offensive, hurtful or insulting behavior deriving from some ignorant, egoistic, prideful and arrogant people regardless of intentional or unintentional, which then allowing all and everyone to be who they are, as they are, being ignorant and behaving ignorantly, or not, that allowing freedom of expression, action and speech to be happening as it is, even though most people might still be disliking and disagreeing with one another due to ignorance and egoism, self-righteousness, pride and arrogance.

This doesn't mean that we are promoting and supporting all kinds of violent damaging behavior in the world, as what most 'good' people are concerning about.

All those intentional racist and discriminative expression, action and speech in the world will loose their meanings and potential to disturb and hurt anyone, not because they don't or can't exist anymore due to restriction and criminalization towards certain expression, action and speech, but it's because those who are free from ignorance and egoism stop reacting in the way that give meaning and power to these names and forms to be something that the ignorant egoistic prideful arrogant racist discriminative minds want them to be, which is racist, discriminative, hurtful, insulting and offensive, where they expect people whom they dislike and disagree with to react and feel disturbed, hurt, insulted and offended, and they would feel good about themselves for being successfully 'hurting' those whom they are being racist and discriminative with.

It's about understanding that all kinds of behavior are under the influence of the state of the mind. One won't be intentionally be discriminative towards anyone for anything if the state of the mind is free from the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities. All kinds of intentional and unintentional ignorant violent damaging behavior, action and reaction are deriving from the mind that is functioning under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities.

More importantly, it has to come from self-awareness and self-control towards the state of the mind that influence one's behavior.

No matter how much 'oppression', 'control', 'condemn', 'criticism', 'criminalization', 'prosecution' and 'punishment' that human beings introduced to curb 'racism' and 'discrimination', especially by restricting freedom of expression, action and speech further and further, until one day, no one is allowed to express, do, or say anything, as anything also can turn into a form of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'hurts', 'insult' and 'offense' being perceived and projected by the 'pampered' ignorant egoistic highly sensitive minds, it doesn't eliminate ignorance, egoism and impurities in human minds in the world, and definitely it won't stop ignorant egoistic human beings from behaving in the way that is under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities.

It's about all and everyone work on freeing one's mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities. The issue surrounding racism and discrimination will disappear from one's mind upon the annihilation of ignorance, egoism and impurities. There will be less beings in the world would behave, act and react ignorantly upon the annihilation of ignorance, egoism and impurities in human minds. It's not by trying to eliminate the issue of racism and discrimination in the world by restricting, controlling, condemning, criminalizing and prosecuting "Freedom of expression, action and speech" in order to stop or minimize issue of racism and discrimination. It doesn't work, as human minds are still functioning under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities, even being 'restricted', 'controlled', 'condemned', 'criminalized' and 'prosecuted' for certain expression, action and speech that are intentionally or unintentionally containing the elements of racism, discrimination, hurt, insult, or offensiveness.

When self-righteous people are discriminating against and criminalizing anyone or anything that they think and believe as containing the elements of 'racism', 'discrimination', 'insult' and 'offense', they don't see it as 'discrimination' and 'anti-freedom of expression, action and speech', they see it as 'upholding righteousness and peace in the world the way that they think how it should be'. It's not. It's what people think and believe as the best solution to curb the issue of racism and discrimination in the world, out of ignorance and egoism as well.

The wise and compassionate saints and sages renounced the world, focusing on attaining their own liberation from ignorance and suffering, let the world be the world, let people behave the way that they behave, let all and everyone realize their own wisdom and liberation from ignorance and suffering through their own effort, or not. And after attaining liberation from ignorance and suffering, they may, or may not, come back into the society, to disseminate the universal teachings to those who have self-awareness and be self-initiated to receive and practice the teachings that would lead them towards attaining liberation from ignorance and suffering, regardless of all the different qualities of names and forms that all and everyone have, which is not who they are.

One doesn't need to react based on how other people expect people to react. One couldn't be discriminated for anything by any 'discriminative names and forms', even though there is intentional discrimination coming from ignorant egoistic prideful arrogant minds against certain names and forms that they dislike and disagree with. That's their freedom for being what they are, being discriminative, racist or sexist. Other people have the freedom for being non-discriminative, non-racist or non-sexist, without anti-racism or anti-discrimination. While some others have the freedom to be anti-racism and anti-discrimination if they want, but they don't have to. Just as people have the freedom to feel being disturbed, hurt, insulted and offended, if they want, but they don't have to.

All and everyone want freedom for being who they are, but, at the same time, they also don't like and don't allow other people being who they are. That's the power of ignorance.

In certain culture, the mentioning of 'fat' to someone is something insulting and inappropriate, while in another culture, it's being perceived as complimenting and non-inappropriate.

Just as the word 'ignorance' is neither good nor bad, but it would be perceived as belittling, offensive and insulting by the minds that are prideful and arrogant and wouldn't like to be related to ignorance, while the minds that are free from pride and arrogance wouldn't be belittled, offended or insulted, but acknowledging that it's the truth of most minds including oneself, are not free from the influence of ignorance.

Those who are racist and would deliberately invoke any kinds of discrimination towards certain names and forms that they dislike and disagree with, are actually suffering from a form of mental disturbance. They can't help themselves by having such strong aversion towards certain names and forms that they dislike and disagree with. Just like some people are suffering from certain mental disturbance where they would get very irritated or disgusted upon coming in contact with certain objects of names and forms that they strongly averse towards, such as particular sight, shape, colour, sound, smell, taste, sensation, visualization, space, position, or direction, as well as being disturbed by other people's certain ways of doing certain things. There are quite many people are suffering from certain kind of mental disturbance, but mostly are not aware of it.

Just like we would feel sympathy towards those who are suffering from certain physical or mental illness, we can also be compassionate towards those who can't help themselves for being racist and discriminative, because they are in a form of mental suffering.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

Annihilating pride and arrogance vs encouraging pride and arrogance

Most teachings from the many different social/cultural/religious belief and practice talk mainly about the propagation and attainment of 'peace' and 'harmony'.

If the practitioners or followers of any particular social/cultural/religious teaching, belief and practice is being educated and encouraged to have pride and arrogance, to be proud and arrogant towards their particular social/cultural/religious teaching, belief and practice, then naturally, there will be more conflict, unrest, anger, hatred and violence, and less peace and harmony in the world, due to the prideful and arrogant minds are easily being offended by many things that they don't like and disagree with, deriving from the pride and arrogance in themselves, and not because there are many things are being offensive towards any particular social/cultural/religious teaching, belief and practice. It doesn't really serve the main purpose of any particular social/cultural/religious teaching, belief and practice about propagating and attaining 'peace' and 'harmony' in oneself and in the world, when the practitioners or followers constantly and easily feel being offended by many things that are being different from or contradicting with their particular social/cultural/religious teaching, belief and practice that they take pride in, but instead, it's promoting conflict, unrest, anger, hatred and violence in oneself and in the world.

If the practitioners or followers of any particular social/cultural/religious teaching, belief and practice is free from pride and arrogance towards their particular social/cultural/religious teaching, belief and practice, then naturally, there will be less beings in the world who would feel offended, disrespected and insulted easily by many things that are different from and contradicted with their particular social/cultural/religious teaching, belief and practice, and hence, the world will have less conflict, unrest, anger, hatred and violence, and will have more peace and harmony.

Unfortunately, regardless of the many different types of educational/social/cultural/religious background, many people are being brought up in the way of developing pride and arrogance, to be proud of themselves, or their family, or their ethnicity and community, or their culture and religion, or their nationality and country. And hence, it's common that people are easily being offended by many things that they don't like and disagree with.

"I'm so proud of you!"

"You should be proud of yourself!"

"Be proud of being part of this family, culture, ethnicity, community, religion, nationality and country."

"Defend your pride. Defend your family, culture, ethnicity, community, religion, nationality and country."

"You need to be someone and do something that would make yourself and your family, community and country be proud of!"

This is the common belief and practice among many different ethnicities, cultures, religions and nations, in different families, communities and countries, at home, at school, at work place and in all kinds of social/cultural/religious/community centre, where people aren't aware of it's the main reason why there are many people easily feel offended and would behave violently towards other beings and things that they feel being offended by, out of their own pride and arrogance, deriving from ignorance and egoism. Even many yoga teachers also teaching their yoga students in the yoga class in such way to encourage the development of pride and arrogance in the students, thinking of it's the right and effective way to boost or enhance self-esteem, self-worth and the sense of confidence and meaningfulness, in order to counter low self-esteem, low self-worth, low confidence and the sense of meaninglessness. But instead, it's ruin the minds and empowering ignorance and egoism in the world.

If all the kind human beings who have a little bit of awareness and truly want to promote peace and harmony in the world, then all the parents or caretakers, and different kinds of leader, influencer, educator and teacher in the world must let go of taking pride in themselves for being part of a particular family, culture, ethnicity, community, religion, spirituality, nationality, country, or even achievement and contribution, and stop educating or encouraging everyone to also take pride in certain names and forms.

The world doesn't need pride and arrogance, and would be a much better place without unnecessary offensiveness/defensiveness deriving from pride and arrogance towards certain names and forms that the mind identifying with. It would be best if all minds are free from any identification with any names and forms that generates all kinds of separateness and discrimination among human beings. But that's unlikely to happen unless all the parents, caretakers, leaders, influencers, educators and teachers start to really propagate peace and harmony in the world, by stop taking pride in anything. Don't tell the people that they need to love and take pride in their respective family, culture, ethnicity, community, religion, nationality and country, but tell the people to love all and everything unconditionally, non-discriminatively, as they are, without the need of pride and arrogance towards their particular identification with certain names and forms.

That's why the importance of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment and non-expectation to free the mind from ignorance and egoism for anyone who truly want to realize unconditional peace, and to promote unconditional non-discriminative loving kindness and peace in the world, regardless of the many different social/cultural/ethnic/educational/religious/nationality/country background.

If a country of diversity wants to curb unrest and conflict under the terms of 'offensiveness', 'disrespectfulness' and 'insult', it's not about trying to 'pamper' and 'protect' those prideful minds that are closed minded, highly defensive and super sensitive towards everything and easily be offended by many things that they perceive, think and believe as offensiveness/disrespectfulness/insult towards all the names and forms of different identities that they identifying with as themselves, or who they are, by telling other people to not doing or saying anything that these prideful defensive sensitive closed minds perceive, think and believe as something 'offensive', 'disrespectful' and 'insult', but, it's to educate these prideful defensive sensitive closed minds that live in anger, hatred and violence all the time, to let go of petite-mindedness, pride, arrogance, defensiveness, sensitivity, anger, hatred and violence, and train them to be more open, tolerant, wise and compassionate. Then only the country will improve and move forward in all aspects, not just within the country, but also internationally. Or else, the stability and welfare of the country will be impacted greatly by the majority of the population being easily 'offended' by many things that aren't really 'offensive' but are being perceived by them as something 'offensive' due to petite-mindedness, pride, arrogance, defensiveness and sensitivity.

By 'legally' oppressing and prosecuting those who are somehow being 'seen' as the ones who do or say something that those closed minded prideful defensive sensitive minds perceive, think and believe as something 'offensive', 'disrespectful' and 'insult' to them or their identity of a particular society/ethnicity/religion/spirituality/community, won't help the country to become more peaceful and harmony, but only planting a 'timed bomb' that will explode anytime and destroy the country in many ways.

Those who are open minded, tolerant, wise and compassionate, being free from pride and arrogance, they won't be 'offended', 'disrespected' or 'insulted' by any names and forms. Without being disturbed or determined by it, but just being aware of all those 'unpleasant' names and forms are nothing but ignorant egoistic actions and reactions of the minds out of ignorance and egoism. These wise and compassionate minds are the ones who can help the country to improve and move forward in all aspects, without discrimination, racism and prejudice.

A country that has achieved 'the state of independence' but the majority of the population are not free from ignorance and egoism, is not independent at all. It's worst when a country is run by corrupted minds that only interested in gaining power that help them to achieve their personal agenda and desire by keeping the majority of the population to be ignorant and egoistic, so that they can keep in power by manipulating the easy manipulated ignorant egoistic minds. The stability and welfare of the country in the long run is not in their priority at all, but instead, they 'encourage' separateness, disharmony, instability, fear, anger and hatred among the people which can 'help' them to keep in power and gain personal benefit as much as possible with the power. This is what so called democracy is about. Meanwhile those who want to do something right to achieve peace and harmony in the society that benefit all and everyone would be oppressed and prosecuted legally by the so called 'law and order'.

All the Gurus and Buddhas in the past had given great advice about inquiring the truth of everything, and stay away from politics, politicians, and politically influenced advertisements and newspaper reading.

Those who don't want peace and aren't interested to promote peace in the world, but only want to promote the sense of pride and meaningfulness the way that they like it to be, can continue to be proud and arrogant, as well as educating/encouraging their next generation to also be proud and arrogant about themselves and everything that they want to be identifying with, so that they and their next generation will constantly feel offended by many things that they perceive, think and believe as offensive towards themselves, their family, their ethnicity, their culture, their community, their religion, their nationality, their country, and their achievement and contribution that they take pride in.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Ignorant towards ignorance

The power of ignorance is so great that the mind doesn't even know it is under the influence of ignorance, thinking that it is wise or smart enough, or it is wiser or smarter than others. And the ego doesn't like to hear or be pointed out that it is the product of ignorance, and would feel offended or humiliated or intimidated.

Those who are aware of there's ignorance in themselves would be able to learn and evolve.

Be free.

Ignorance?

Ignorance is not so much about not knowing much or knowing very little. Ignorance is about not knowing the truth of what is going on in the mind, or Selflessness and Impermanence. The truth is nothing to do with how much or how little the mind thinks it knows or doesn't know about this and that.

Acquiring and knowing lots of knowledge doesn't necessarily mean that one is free from ignorance. It is possible that one acquires and knows a lot of knowledge but is ignorant of the truth.

Without inquiring the truth of the acquired knowledge and blind-believing in the acquired knowledge, is ignorance. One who is proud and arrogant towards one's acquired and accumulated knowledge, will feel disturbed by other people who don't know what one knows, which one thinks and believes is true and correct. And hence, one wants to make other people to 'know' or to 'believe in'/'agree with' what one knows that one thinks and believes is true and correct, and will again feel disturbed when other people disagree with one's knowledge, or doubting/questioning towards what one knows.

No one should blind-believe in anything, but to inquire the truth of everything and realize the truth by oneself. Buddha didn't get disturbed by other people who disagreed with or didn't believe in what he knows or realized. Buddha didn't expect or didn't want people should believe in whatever he realized and said, or told and taught to other people. Instead, he taught everyone to inquire the truth of everything without blind-believe in anything, including whatever he realized and said, or told and taught to other people.

One can be highly knowledgeable and intelligent, but might not necessarily is happy or has peace, being restless, be disturbed, offended and hurt by the perceptions of names and forms that one dislikes and disagrees with, or doesn't desire. One doesn't know what is going on in one's mind or doesn't know the cause of restlessness and suffering.

Being proud and arrogant towards oneself being knowledgeable, and be disturbed or offended or hurt by what one doesn't desire, doesn't like, and disagrees with, is ignorance.

The one who is free from ignorance, doesn't expect and couldn't make other people be free from ignorance, but allowing everyone to realize the truth through self-inquiry and self-realization, and be free from ignorance, or not.

Being a 'good' and 'righteous' person who do 'good' and do the 'right' thing is not necessarily peaceful and be free from ignorance, egoism, disturbance, restlessness, impurities and suffering.

Being highly knowledgeable, knowing lots of information and facts about this and that, and have been reading many books about this and that also doesn't guarantee that one is peaceful and be free from ignorance, egoism, disturbance, restlessness, impurities and suffering. If one isn't free from ignorance and egoism, if one isn't free from anger, hatred, jealousy, feelings of hurts, pride, arrogance, desires of craving and aversion, fear and worry, one has no peace and might cause harm to oneself and others, whether intentionally or unintentionally, even if one acquired and have been accumulating and memorizing lots of information and facts about this and that, and can do many things with the knowledge that one has. One is not free at all.

One needs to know about one's mind, or know Thyself. The highest knowledge that would bring peace and harmony to oneself is the knowledge of knowing oneself, where there is no 'I' existing to be good or bad, to be right or wrong, to be positive or negative, to be happy or unhappy, to enjoy or suffer.

Practicing yoga is not about trying to acquire superhuman power to have all our wishes come true and changing the world to be the way that we like it to be, but it's to reform one's mind by purifying and eliminating the ignorance, egoism, restlessness, and impurities in one's mind to acquire the knowledge of oneself.

Teaching yoga to other people is not about trying to reform other people's mind, but only disseminating the teachings and practice of how to know Thyself/how to inquire the truth of everything/how to be free from suffering/how to realize unconditional peace, while allowing other people to be initiated and interested to reform their own minds, or not, through their own freewill, effort, and determination.

Be free.

The restless mind

Whenever there is perception of different qualities of name and form, there will always be somebody with the thinking mind experiences restlessness, showing disagreement, or dislike, or be offended by certain names and forms.

Unless it is attributeless, nameless and formless, then nobody with the thinking mind can perceive something nameless and formless that is beyond qualities of name and form, and nobody will experience restlessness, showing disagreement, or dislike, or be offended by something that is beyond the mind perception of names and forms.

If somebody will be restless, showing disagreement, dislike and be offended by something that isn't there, then that is still within the mind perception of qualities of name and form. The mind is offended by something that it doesn't know. It's like, "I don't know what it is, but I just disagree with it and I don't like it..."

That's how restless the mind can be.

Go beyond the mind perception of names and forms, realize attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, and be free from restlessness, agreements and disagreements, likes and dislikes, offensiveness and defensiveness.

Om shanti.

Smile, and be happy...

If we want to be happy, no one can make us unhappy...
If we want to be unhappy, no one can make us happy...
If we want to be offended, anything can offend us...
If we don't want to be offended, nothing can offend us...
Be happy or be unhappy, be easily offended or be cool, it's up to us.

Being strong vs real strength...

We think that we need to be strong, hard and aggressive to protect ourselves from being bullied or hurt by other people... But if we are really that strong, why do we still need to "be" strong, hard and aggressive to "protect" ourselves?

That means we are not really strong. We "pretend" to be strong. This is due to low self-esteem, not trusting ourselves, and need to depend on some external "protection shields" of being hard and aggressive to "protect" or to defend ourselves from potential bullies and hurts. Because of this sense of defensiveness, we will become offensive even before other people try to "bully" or "offend" us. In fact, nobody has the intention to bully us, it is our own fear and projection, thinking that "All these people are going to bully me, and so, I have to defend myself, I need to be strong and aggressive, so that I attack them first before anyone attacks me..."

Those who are truly strong, they don't need to show that they are strong by being hard, aggressive, offensive or defensive. Instead their whole being projects gentleness and calmness.

Real strength comes from compassion and wisdom. It is being compassionate and wise. It is being free from doubts, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, pride, arrogance, low self-esteem, aggressiveness, violence, offensiveness, defensiveness, agitation, depression, fear, worry, craving, aversion, and attachment towards qualities of names and forms... There is no fear towards other people's harshness, aggressiveness, bully or "potential" bully, offensiveness, arrogance, jealousy, criticism, condemn, slander, unfriendliness, and etc...

We are able to tolerate, adjust, adapt, accommodate, withstand, forbear and accept...

We are able to accept the reality of the present moment now as it is, not necessarily the way that we like it to be. We are able to adjust, adapt, accommodate, withstand and forbear any uncomfortable conditions and situations that we don't like or disagree with...

We are able to perform actions without being influenced by any impurities in the mind. We are able to perform actions to help everyone including ourselves to evolve, to be peaceful and happy...

We are able to perform all our duties and responsibilities without attachment, without judgment, comparison and expectation. We perform actions and renounce from the result or the fruit of actions...

This is real strength.

We don't need to be hard, aggressive, offensive or defensive to "protect" ourselves from getting bully or hurt from anyone...

It doesn't matter what are the behaviors, actions and reactions of other people towards us, it is our own ego doesn't like or disagree with their behaviors, actions and reactions, and feels irritated and unhappy about them. It is our ego that feels that we are weak, but we don't like to be weak and don't want other people to think that we are weak, and so we "pretend" to be strong, by being hard and aggressive to defend ourselves from any potential "attacks" from anyone...

No one can bully or hurt us but our own mind creations of fear. It is our own mind being ignorant and influenced by impurities... It is absence of compassion and wisdom.

Whenever we feel irritated or getting angry about other people's offensive behavior, it is ourselves being defensive... We feel offended by other people's actions and speech... It is coming from being low self-esteem and feel being intimidated by other people's confidence all the time. This intimidation is not coming from other people. No one can intimidate us unless we allow that to happen by being low self-esteem. It is our own low self-esteem thinking that other people are trying to press us down, or bully us, or hurt us... Even if other people have the intention to intimidate us, but it won't affect us if we are truly confident...

If  we don't like other people to contradict with our actions and speech, we like and want other people to agree and support our actions and speech, as we will feel irritated, frustrated and unhappy when other people don't like and disagree with us or our actions and speech, but out of our own offensiveness and defensiveness, we constantly contradict with other people's actions and speech, criticize and attack other people with harsh speech and aggressiveness, then how can we expect other people not to be offended by our own offensiveness and aggressiveness? And when other people feel offended by our own offensiveness and aggressiveness, and react by being aggressive towards us, and we criticize them as "aggressive people" who bully and hurt us, and blame them for causing us painful sorrow and unhappiness?

When we start to attack other people with aggressiveness to show that "I am stronger than you, and I won't let you bully or hurt me...", then make sure that we will take full responsibility towards the consequences of our aggressive behavior... Don't blame other people for being aggressive towards us.

And if there's somebody is being aggressive towards us even though we didn't offend anyone intentionally, we can choose to be gentle and remain calm, and move away... Allow this person to express what he or she wants to express, and let him or her be irritated and unhappy for being aggressive. We don't have to disturb our own peace and happiness by throwing back aggressiveness towards him or her... Or we can choose to feel offended and start to be aggressive and offensive to defend ourselves and be irritated, frustrated and unhappy.

Om shanti.