The limited and conditional mind perception of a subjective personal reality

None can argue with one another about the mind perception of a subjective personal reality that is unique and different from one another.

All minds have their own unique and different personal reality in certain way, perceived through the limited and conditional function of the senses via the sense organs, based on the personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, or desires and doesn't desires, under the influence of the limited and conditional personal way of thinking, belief, reasoning, understanding, values, practices, actions, reactions, way of doing things, desires and aspirations.

There is neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, in all the different minds perceiving their own different personal reality.

The different mind perception of different personal reality are not necessarily the truth of what things are, but it is still the truth of a personal reality for each mind, as that is what and how the mind perceives everything through the limited and conditional senses of the sense organs.

None can argue about what they see, hear, smell, taste, touch, and feel with their own eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and skin that are limited and conditional, where the same sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and sensations can appear to be different for one another. Upon looking at the same object, at the same time, from the same angle, different minds perceives the object differently from one another. The different perceptions towards the same object might not be the truth of the object, but it is still the personal truth for each different mind.

That is what the mind perceives, sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches, feels, thinks, recognizes, reasons, and understands, even though it is being perceived differently from all the others.

That is what the mind thinks and believes what things are, even though it is being perceived differently from all the others.

Whenever the mind perceives and recognizes 'this is good' or 'this is bad', 'this is positive' or 'this is negative', 'this is right' or 'this is wrong', 'this is beautiful' or 'this is not beautiful', 'this is pleasing' or 'this is disgusting', 'this is meaningful' or 'this is meaningless', 'this is joyfulness' or 'this is joylessness', 'this is auspiciousness' or 'this is inauspiciousness', 'this is pleasurable enjoyment' or 'this is painful suffering', and so on, it is not the truth of what things are.

All and everything are just what they are, and all are selfless and impermanent.

There won't be any problems if the different minds understand and respect that all minds have their own unique mind perception towards everything of a subjective personal reality that is different from one another.

Different minds see things differently. Different minds understand things differently. Different minds behave, act, and react differently.

There will be unnecessary problems and conflicts when the minds think and believe that their own personal reality deriving from perceiving or experiencing the world of names and forms via specific limited and conditional 'lenses' under the influence of specific way of thinking, belief, reasoning, understanding, values, ideas, desires, and aspirations, is all true, correct and right, or it's the truth of everything, while thinking and believing that the other different personal realities of the other minds, that are different from their own personal perceived reality, are untrue, incorrect and wrong, or it's not the truth of everything, and they have the desire and aspiration of want to prove to the world that their perceived personal reality is all true, correct and right, while all the others are untrue, incorrect and wrong, where they want to interfere with the others, under the intention or desire to convince, or convert, or change the others to have the similar perception of everything as one's own perception towards everything.

Inquire the truth of everything, including the existing belief, understanding, ideas, values, desires, inspirations, aspirations and practice in this mind, as well as upon coming in contact with all kinds of teachings of yoga and/or buddhism coming from anyone and everywhere, including all and everything that is here.

Inquire towards "Why did Siddhartha Gautama Buddha insisted on not having the dhamma or his teachings to be 'recorded' or 'preserved' in any forms, and to have the term of 'Thus have I heard' (如是我聞) in the beginning of all kinds of buddhism related teachings or dhamma that 'claimed' to be coming from him authentically, reminding that all kinds of 'buddhism related teachings' or 'dhamma' that the mind comes in contact with are not necessarily 'what they are' or 'as it is', where all and everyone must perform self-inquiry to inquire the truth of everything to attain direct self-realization, without blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing and blind-propagating, including all kinds of 'buddhism teachings' or 'dhamma' that the mind comes in contact with, where his teachings or the dhamma is based on impermanence (無常) and selflessness (無我), as well as he never commented on 'the creator of the universe/world' (創世者) or 'the soul' (靈魂)."

The highly importance of the term "Thus have I heard" -

This 'buddhism teaching' or this 'dhamma' is what I have heard, or read, or learned from someone or from somewhere, but it is not necessarily the buddhism teachings or the dhamma as it is. One must inquire the truth of everything and attain direct self-realization towards the truth of everything, including all kinds of buddhism teachings or dhamma in any forms, even if it was authentically coming from Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, as it is, no more and no less.

Even when Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was in front of a mind and expounding his teachings or the dhamma as it is to this mind directly, this mind also must not blind-agreeing, blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating, and must perform self-inquiry to inquire the truth of the teachings or the dhamma coming from Siddhartha Gautama Buddha himself personally and directly, and to attain direct self-realization towards the teachings or the dhamma as it is - 

All are selfless and impermanent. Ignorance (not knowing the truth of selflessness and impermanence), that gives rise to the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities and restlessness, is the root cause of suffering. The only existence of any names and forms is in this present moment now, either had existed and ceased existing or have been existing and will be ceased existing, and it's impermanent and selfless, where there is no 'I' in any existing names and forms to be undergoing impermanent changes. There is neither suffering nor the end of suffering upon the annihilation of ignorance, or the idea of 'I', or grasping/attachment, or the desire of craving and aversion.

The dhamma is not limited by time (during the life existence of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha), space (where Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was and had been to) and causation (The arising/changing/passing away of the body and mind of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and his selfless dissemination of the dhamma), or only to be found or seen in a particular 'auspicious' time/space/causation (enlightened beings/minds, temples, dhamma sutras, statues/images/drawings of buddhas, symbols of buddhism, dhamma/buddhism related books or recordings, and etc), or only accessible/available to particular being of specific names and forms. It is not limited by any names and forms.

The dhamma exist in all and everything. It is right here, right now, and it can be seen in everything that are selfless and impermanent, in both the perceiver and the perceived names and forms. The minds just need to reflect upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence, by observing the selfless impermanent changes in all kinds of names and forms in the present moment now, under an open, non-grasping/non-attaching, purified, disciplined, and quiet mind.

The dhamma is nothing to do with 'sacredness', 'auspiciousness', 'mystic', 'miracle', 'superpower', 'the honourable', or 'the untouchable'. It is merely the truth of what everything are - selflessness and impermanence. It is anywhere and everywhere. It is not difficult to reflect upon and see the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, however, the contamination of worldly passionate egoistic way of thinking, beliefs, ideas, values, desires, and practices deriving from ignorance and egoism in the minds that give rise to all kinds of attachments, identifications, desires of craving and aversions, judgments, expectations, impurities, and restlessness, hinder the minds from seeing the truth as it is.

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and all the other enlightened buddhas/beings/minds, didn't/don't need or request anyone to praise and glorify them, or bow and pray to them, and/or the buddha/dhamma/buddhism related statues/images/drawings/symbols/objects/writings/sutras/books/temples. Coming in contact with, possessing, praising, glorifying, bowing, and praying to all those names and forms, or memorizing and chanting all kinds of sutras and mantras, or performing all kinds of rituals/offerings, or sitting in meditation posture non-moving, non-sleeping, and non-eating/drinking for many hours/days, without reflecting upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence, don't remove the ignorance and its consequences in the mind.

All students/practitioners of buddha/dhamma/buddhism reflect upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of names and forms, including all kinds of buddha/dhamma/buddhism related statues/images/drawings/symbols/objects/writings/sutras/books/temples, and etc, without blind-agreeing, blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating.

The belief/superstition/practice about "Pointing the feet/finger/buttocks towards, or non-bowing towards, or stepping over, or sitting on top, or exhibiting any kinds of 'inappropriate' or 'disrespectful' gestures/actions/behaviors in front of and unto, or throwing away/destroying/burning, or a female during menstruation coming in contact with, or using the left hand to be touching or holding the buddha/dhamma/buddhism related statues/images/drawings/symbols/objects/writings/sutras/books/temples, and etc, is being referred as something offensive/disrespectful/bad karma/sinful/punishable, and so on," is nothing to do with the buddha/dhamma/buddhism.

All minds, regardless of how ignorant and impure are the minds, can be free from ignorance, if there is determination and perseverance to inquire the truth via self-effort and self-inquiry, to know what is the 'I' that the thinking mind thinks and believes and identifies as 'I'.

The great aspirations vs the reality

The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism don't need to be inspired to have great aspirations to achieve something to feel good and meaningful towards life existence, but there's nothing wrong with the minds that are still under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that need to be inspired to have great aspirations to motivate them to achieve something in life for them to feel good and meaningful about themselves and their life existence.

Anyone also can have great aspirations, to set as a direction in life with certain goals and visions to achieve what they want to achieve, or to be what they want to become. Though the reality of whether those aspirations would be materialized or turn out to be what they are, or not, might not necessarily being the way that the minds imagine or anticipate, of what the minds expect it to be, or want it to be.

There are important elements or factors that allow people achieving all their aspirations and goals, which are hard-working, discipline, focus, attentiveness, patience, determination, perseverance, forbearance, tolerance, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation and accommodation, along side with the available intelligence, knowledge, technologies, enthusiasm, talents, skills, creativity, opportunity, support, assistance and cooperation from many other different fields and levels.

It's very good for people to have great aspirations of "I want to do/achieve this and that" or "I want to be this and that", but if the minds are being over-powered by laziness, impatience, lack of discipline, distractions, inattentiveness, lack of determination, lack of perseverance, lack of forbearance, intolerance, incapability of accepting things as they are, reluctance of making adjustment, inability to adapt and accommodate, then those aspirations or goals might not turn out to be the best as they could be, even when intelligence, knowledge, technologies, enthusiasm, talents, skills, creativity, opportunity, support, assistance and cooperation from many other different fields and levels are available to the minds with great aspirations to achieve something that they want to achieve, or to be somebody that they want to be. 

 

These minds are being affected or disturbed very much by the hardship, challenges, distractions or obstacles that might exist along the way towards achieving those aspirations, and be over-powered by dissatisfaction, disappointment, irritation, frustration, anger, self-criticism, meaninglessness, laziness, impatience, inattentiveness or demotivation that arise in the minds due to lack of those important elements that allow the minds to be focused and persevered to achieve what they want to achieve. These minds would easily give up whatever they have started in the beginning with great aspiration and full of motivation, but then, everything that they have started will be abandoned halfway when those excited passionate feelings of aspiration and motivation slowly fade away.

For example, many people might have the aspiration of "I love the Earth/nature/world", "I want to help to look after the Earth/nature/world" and "I support environmental and ecosystem friendly way of living." That's great.

Everyone can help to look after the environment and ecosystem by adopting a simple way of life or living.

But the reality is not always the way that the minds aspire it to be. Simple way of life or living is extremely 'tough' for many people who have been pampered by all kinds of commercial products and conveniences in the modern world of civilization.

People like to talk and share about the issue of looking after the environment and ecosystem, and talk about living a simple life, but at the same time, living in the modern society, many people want to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle and many conveniences, be busy doing many things or creating new things, and need to be presentable all the time in their active social life, by looking after their physical appearance, beautiful skin and hair that needed to be washed, cleaned and treated frequently especially with particular brand of body care, skin care and hair care products, while frequently applying the body with perfumes, lotion, moisturizer, beauty products, branded fashions and accessories, and couldn't live without using iPhone or Gadgets that needed to be replaced with the latest/up to date model every now and then, or enjoying very much indulging in different forms of indulgences for the body and mind, such like, enjoyments of the senses and different types of leisure activities, while at home, people who have the spending power want to decorate their house with the latest design of beautiful things, enjoying the convenience and comfort of different kinds of electrical devices that would be replaced with new ones once in a while, where all these commercial products and leisure activities are mostly related to some kinds of 'exploitation' and 'pollution' in the world.

Some people are also being passionate about bringing people to come together for some activities, frequently organizing birthday/anniversary/new year celebrations or cultural/spiritual/religious/sports festivals that require certain expenses, such as getting appropriate attires/costumes/decorations/huge amount of food for the specific functions, or getting presents on daily/weekly/monthly/yearly basis to please, motivate and reward oneself or other people for a cause that worth 'celebrating' and 'rewarding', expending extra money, energy and effort, and generating extra waste products and rubbish into the world.

But then, we still want to think and believe that we are very friendly towards the environment and ecosystem because we have the great aspiration in the mind to be good and responsible human beings who care for the environment and ecosystem of the Earth, and be passionate towards supporting the activism for protecting the environment and ecosystem, as we think we love the Earth/nature/world very much.

It's everyone's freedom for what they think, feel, act and react, and what they want and don't want, what they aspire and don't aspire, or what they achieve and don't achieve.

It's okay even when the mind is not free from ignorance

Although there are not many yoga practitioners can completely be free from ignorance and egoism even after long time of practicing yoga, but it's okay, as long as the mind is aware of it is ignorant towards certain things or many things and be able to accept the reality as it is, that in this present moment now, the mind is not free from ignorance and disturb, and it's okay, because even this ignorance and disturb is impermanent, and it's not 'I', it's just the mind. And that is already a great liberation.

For those who have doubt towards the truth of many things, but somehow don't know how to purify and quiet the mind to inquire the truth of things, then just keep this in mind, "Everything is impermanent and selfless, including happiness and unhappiness or pleasure and suffering. Regardless of good people or bad people, good things or bad things, meaningfulness or meaninglessness, excitement or painful sorrow, selfishness or unselfishness, togetherness or separateness, all will change and disappear." One will be okay in life dealing with many things that are not necessary the way that the mind would like it to be.

Go beyond the sense of contentment, joy and meaningfulness

This teaching is for those who want to go beyond the limited mind perception of 'good and bad', 'right and wrong', 'meaningfulness and meaninglessness', who are interested in transcending worldly life existence of the function of an impermanent and selfless physical body and the mind perception of names and forms that is subject to the suffering of ignorance, egoism, impurities, restlessness, birth, hunger, thirst, ungratified desires, separation from people and things that one loves, coming in contact with people and things that one dislikes and disagrees with, impermanent changes, decay, old age, illness and death, but somehow, the mind is still being determined by the qualities of names and forms, and be disturbed by the situation in the world that is not the way that the mind would like it to be.

Those who have already gone beyond 'goodness' and 'badness', 'meaningfulness' and meaninglessness', being peaceful as they are, being undisturbed or undetermined by all the qualities of names and forms, they don't need this teaching.

Those who are aware of the truth of impermanence and selflessness, but they are not interested in silencing the modification of the mind to transcend the mind perception of a worldly life existence of restless ceaseless births and deaths, instead, they just want to enjoy life to the maximum. That's their freedom.

Those who are not interested in transcending the worldly life existence of a body and mind that is subject to suffering, who believe in positive thinking/mind power to change the world to be a better place, who attached onto the presence of 'goodness' or 'meaningfulness' and the absence of 'badness' or 'meaninglessness', to feel good, content, happy and meaningful in life, they don't need to take up this teaching and practice. Be happy.

The teaching and practice of yoga to eliminate ignorance and egoism is beyond the desire of craving and aversion towards names and forms. There's neither clinging onto pleasant/desirable worldly life experiences nor aversion towards unpleasant/undesirable worldly life experiences. But merely seeing the truth of impermanence and selflessness of the body and mind as it is, and making use of this worldly life existence as the precious platform to transcend the mind perception of a worldly life existence of an impermanent selfless body and mind that is subject to the suffering of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

One can develop great tolerance and forbearance to endure suffering when suffering arise, repeatedly, without aversion, but one doesn't have to endure any suffering at all. Suffering doesn't exist upon the annihilation of the cause of suffering - The modification of the mind under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities.

There is hidden attachment that bind the mind to worldly life existence that is unaware by the mind that attached onto 'goodness' and 'righteousness' that give rise to the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' towards the 'achievement' of "I am living a good and meaningful life doing the good and the right things. Life is good and meaningful."

Just as the impure mind easily falls in love with or attached onto the objects of names and forms that appear to be good, pleasant, attractive, beautiful, lovable, enjoyable, fun, or cute. The mind naturally attached onto the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' deriving from "I am doing the good and the right thing" achieving what the mind perceives as 'goodness' and 'righteousness'.

There's nothing wrong with appreciating 'goodness' and it's very good to feel 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' due to the presence of 'goodness' and the absence of 'badness'. Just that the mind could unwittingly attached onto the presence of 'goodness' that give rise to the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness', where the mind will be disturbed/disappointed/dissatisfied when the presence of goodness is disturbed/interrupted/unavailable.

Many people like to engage in community works because the minds can easily find the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' working or serving in a particular community, to be able to contribute to the community and seeing others getting the help/assistance that they need to achieve a similar goal. This is very good especially for those who suffer depression.

Within a particular community, even though everyone is not perfect and there might be conflicts of different opinions and personal desires of want and doesn't want, but all are following the similar values, thinking and belief, and are doing their best to work their way towards the same goal under the same vision of that particular community. For example, a Buddhist engaging in selfless service/karma yoga to serve the others in the Buddhist community, or a Muslim engaging in serving the others in the Muslim community, or a Christian engaging in serving the others in the Christian community, or someone engaging in serving a particular community in need of shelter, food, love and care.

It's even better, as what most people would hope for, if regardless of all the different religious/cultural/spiritual/social/national/political thinking and belief, everyone has one similar universal goal of achieving the similar 'good and meaningful life', where everyone works together to maintain peace and harmony in the diverse world of different groups of communities with different thinking and belief, values and way of life, while respecting each other for being different from one another without interference/intrusion towards others who are different from 'I' or 'my thinking and belief' and 'my community of a particular values, thinking and belief'. That would be so nice, a world without fear, discrimination, prejudice, hatred, unrest, animosity, invasion, intrusion, clashes, violence, wars, killings, and etc.

But the reality is not necessarily the way that the mind would like it to be. For those who don't know yoga/dharma, this is depressing and negative. For those who know yoga/dharma, this is not depressing or negative. It's just the truth of the world of impure minds functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

The different communities of different thinking and belief, values and way of life, goal and vision that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism will most likely being protective/defensive towards their own community out of survival instinct, discriminating/condemning/bullying/attacking others who are not from one's community, and treating the other communities that are different from oneself as potential enemies that might generate threats to one's community. There is always unrest, distrust, offensiveness, animosity, tension and fear towards the others might offend/intrude/invade/conquer oneself. This is truly unnecessary, but that's the way it is in this world due to ignorance and egoism.

It's not difficult to attain the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' while serving in a particular community that has the similar goal and vision, thinking and belief, even though everyone is not perfect. But when come to the reality of a world of diversity, of different communities with different thinking and belief about what is right and wrong/good and bad, having different ways of cultural/religious/social/spiritual practice, different values and ways of life with different goals and visions that give rise to different meanings of 'good and meaningful life', where most of the minds are not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, there will be many challenges and difficulties and frustration.

The mind would feel disappointed, tired, frustrated and depressed about the situation in the world that is under the deep influence of ignorance and egoism, that is not in the control/desire of 'I' about how 'I' would like it to be, no matter how good 'I' am, how much good actions/sacrifices 'I' have done, how positive/optimism is my mind, or how much 'I' want to help to bring peace and harmony into the world.

The mind will be in great disappointment, tiredness, frustration and depression, if one has 'wishful thinking' or expectation towards all beings in the world should put aside all the differences and work together towards living in peace and harmony among all the different communities.

If the mind can be free from attachment and 'wishful thinking' or expectation, and goes beyond that 'disappointed, tired, frustrated and depressed' reaction in the mind, and starts to see the truth of the nature of the impure minds and understand that this is the nature of the beings in the world under the influence of ignorance and egoism, it will let go the 'wishful thinking' of hoping everyone will be free from selfishness to work together to make the world a peaceful harmony place that is free from fear, discrimination, hatred, prejudice, unjust, corruption, violence, bullying, oppression, invasion, intrusion, killings, wars and all sorts of human religious/cultural/racial/national/social/political tension, clashes and conflicts.

When the mind is free from ignorance and egoistic attachment, there's no difference between 'good life' and 'not good life', or 'meaningfulness' and 'meaninglessness'. Life is just what it is. It's neither good nor not good, neither meaningful nor meaningless. This mind will be free from disappointment, tiredness, frustration and depression towards the reality of a world of diversity under the influence of ignorance and egoism that is not necessarily the way that it would like it to be based on certain thinking and belief about what is 'good and bad', 'right and wrong' and 'meaningful and meaningless'.

Once the mind is free from the attachment towards a particular thinking and belief about 'goodness or badness' and 'righteousness or wrongfulness', this mind can serve the world of different diversities, without attachment towards a particular thinking and belief, without discrimination/interference towards the different thinking and beliefs, without being disturbed by the reality that is not necessary pleasant or nice. There's neither contentment nor discontentment, neither meaningfulness nor meaninglessness. The world is just what it is. Minds are just what they are, mostly behaving under the influence of ignorance and egoism restlessly.

Even those who are highly educated are not necessary free from ignorance and egoism that generate discrimination, prejudice, hatred, violence, or intrusion towards others who are different from them whom they disagree with and dislike, as they attached onto their own thinking and belief about what is 'goodness and badness' or 'righteousness and wrongfulness' to judge and condemn everyone and everything. And that's their freedom. But they have no peace due to the egoistic reactions and impurities in their minds towards names and forms that they dislike and disagree with.

One can be doing lots of selfless service/karma yoga to serve others in a community under one similar thinking and belief (not too challenging), or serve others in the world of different communities under different thinking and belief (extremely challenging), but one is undetermined or undisturbed by one's action and the fruit of action.

Not even attached onto, "Even if I can bring joy/goodness/happiness/meaningfulness/awareness to just one person, and change this person's life, it's already good enough." Let it go.

There's no disappointment, tiredness, frustration or depression, if the world is still full of fear, discrimination, hatred, prejudice, unjust, corruption, violence, bullying, oppression, killings, wars and all sorts of human religious/cultural/racial/national/social/political tension, clashes and conflicts everywhere, even though one has done a lot to serve others in the world, to bring awareness, peace and harmony into the world.

The difference between non-attachment and positive thinking

It's good and helpful to develop positive thinking especially when the mind is being influenced by negative thinking that generates unnecessary tension, fear, worry or unhappiness in the mind and further projecting all these impurities through speech and action into the environment in the relationships with others in everyday life.

Positive thinking is part of the many yoga practice, but it's not the goal or the end of yoga practice, as the mind is still not free from attachment and identification towards names and forms that the mind perceives as positive and negative, and there is craving and clinging towards what the mind perceives as positive, and there's aversion towards what the mind perceives as negative. The mind is not free from desire, duality and separateness. There's desire of craving or longing for positiveness or goodness and there's clinging onto positiveness or goodness with intention or expectation to control the reality to be the way that the mind thinks it should be and likes it to be.

There's nothing wrong with "Think positively and optimistically, and everything will be good in your life and you can achieve anything that you want." especially for the minds that are easily be disturbed or determined by names and forms that the worldly thinking and belief categorized as bad, negative, unhappiness and wrong. Just that the mind is not free from desires, even though the mind would feel happy and satisfied when the desires are being gratified, and its impermanent. Then pride might arise in this mind, "I am superhuman. I have superpower. I can control everything to be the way that I like it to be." This mind is not free. And it's okay, if that is what the mind wants. It's everyone's freedom for how the mind thinks and what it wants.

The mind that is free, is undetermined by the gratification of the desires of likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants, to be happy, confident, meaningful or peaceful. It is peaceful as it is, undetermined by the world or the worldly thinking and belief, ideas and values, achievements, good and bad condition and situation.

Non-attachment is nothing to do with positive thinking. The mind that knows non-attachment doesn't need to think positively. The thinking is just what it is. It is neither positive nor negative.

It's about unattached towards what the intellect recognizes and categorizes as positive or negative, good or bad, happiness and unhappiness, right and wrong. Undisturbed or undetermined by all the perceptions of name and form that are pleasant or unpleasant. Without attachment or identification towards the different states of the mind or the mind activities. Without intention or expectation towards the perceived reality to control the reality to be the way that the mind likes it to be. Allowing the reality to be what it is, and allowing the reality to change as it is.

The mind is free from being determined by coming in contact with positiveness and goodness and not coming in contact with negativeness and badness, to be content or peaceful. The mind is content and peaceful as it is, regardless of success or failure, achievement or non-achievement, good or bad experiences and condition.

The mind is free from desire, duality and separateness. Knowing that the quality of positiveness and negativeness are both impermanent. But, beyond positiveness and negativeness, is unconditional peace, that is undetermined by the qualities of name and form that the mind perceives through the senses, whether it's positive or negative elements, good or bad condition and situation, and desirable/pleasant or undesirable/unpleasant life experiences.

If the perceived reality is nice and pleasant, let it be. It will change, and allow it to change, without intention or expectation to control the reality not to be bad and negative.

If the perceived reality is not nice and unpleasant, let it be. It will change, and allow it to change, without intention or expectation to control the reality to be all good and positive.

There are actions being performed out of compassion in everyday life, but there's no attachment, identification, desires, intention or expectation towards the action and the fruit of action. There are beneficial actions being performed but there's no intention or expectation that the fruit of actions will be all good and positive, or nothing bad and negative. Allowing the fruit of action to be what it is.

There's no identification with all the impermanent changes of names and forms to be existing as 'I'.

Life might be good and easy, enjoy and appreciate without attachment. It's impermanent, and it doesn't matter.
 
Life might be not so good and full of difficulties, but it's okay. It's impermanent, and it doesn't matter.

Be free.

Yoga retreat is not about running away from the reality that we don't like and don't want

Not running away from or denying, but confronting the reality that is not the way that we would like it to be, and being aware of this life existence, the world, the society and the surrounding environment is not necessarily 'all good' or perfectly the way that we would like it to be, or the way that we think it should be, with wisdom and compassion, without aversion or fear towards the reality that we think is 'not all good', or 'imperfect', or 'challenging', is our yoga practice.

Living in the world as we are, being aware of all kinds of uncertainty, insecurity, unrest, cautiousness, defects, or imperfection in all aspects, and knowing how to remain equanimous and be at peace, without fear and worry, without being over-powered or determined by the reality that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, is what yoga practice is about.

This isn't about trying to be 'strong'. 'Strength' has a limit, and is conditional. But wisdom and compassion is unconditional and unlimited. Those who know the law of nature, of cause and effect, impermanence and selflessness, they don't need to be strong or be positive.

Joining a yoga retreat is not about running away from the reality that we don't like and don't want, to be in a 'safe and peaceful place' without 'bad people' or 'things that we don't like and don't want', and be surrounded by 'good people' who are like-minded and doing things that make us feel good and happy and meaningful.

People might think that yoga practice or yoga retreat should be conducted in a 'special place' or 'out of the world place', free from any 'bad energy' or 'bad elements', thinking that 'yoga retreat' means moving away from the imperfect world, or running away from everyday life's duties, responsibilities and cares, to have a few days or few weeks of 'intentionally induced perfect form of reality' of 'peacefulness' or 'calmness' or 'problemlessness'. No doubt that being in a desirable 'conditional reality' will give momentary relief or peace, but this doesn't help us to be free from 'fear', 'disturb', 'restlessness', and 'suffering' when we go back to our everyday life living among the society or in the world that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, that is not in our control to be the way that we would like it to be.

A real yoga retreat allows us to learn how to live in the world as it is, performing all our actions, duties, and responsibilities without attachment, identification, or expectation, without fear and worry. It's learning about the mind and all its modification, about suffering and the cause of suffering, about how to transcend all kinds of 'suffering', 'restlessness', 'impurities', or 'fear', and how to confront the reality of life existence in this present moment that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, or the way that we think it should be, without fear and worry, and have peace wherever we are, unconditionally, being undetermined by all the impermanent changes in the qualities of names and forms.

Yoga, or unconditional peace, being free from ignorance and egoism, is not limited to a particular 'place', or 'space', or 'activity', or 'condition', or 'quality', or 'name and form'.

Being positive and optimistic, denying or ignoring all kinds of 'ignorant and unpleasant behavior and happenings' in the world, in the society, or in the surrounding environment, and persistently thinking and believing that everyone are good, there's no bad people; everything is good, there's nothing bad; life is all good, there's nothing bad; the world is all good, there's nothing bad, and etc, doesn't change the reality that we don't like or don't want to be the way that we would like it to be.

It's like sweeping and hiding all the dust and rubbish under the cupboards and sofas, so that they are not in sight, it doesn't mean that the room is all cleaned. And no matter how many times we sweep the floor, and throw out all the dust and rubbish out of the room, there will always be dust and rubbish accumulating here and there from time to time, unless everyone who enter the room stop bringing in dust and rubbish into the room. This is the same as looking after the mind. We do our best to 'clean up' the mind regularly and persistently, but impurities will still exist from time to time, until the root cause of impurities (ignorance and egoism) is uprooted completely.

When there's no problem, there's no need to anticipate a problem. When there's a problem, confront it, without fear and worry.

Be free.

Meditation?

When we are 'stuck' at somewhere (at home, or else where), no matter due to any reasons (sickness, injuries, storm, riot, haze, and etc), when our physical body and our mind is being restricted in a certain situation or condition, that's the great opportunity or moment for us to contemplate or meditate on the truth, be aware of the reality in the present moment now, and accepting the reality as it is, without generate craving towards something that is not here, that our mind likes. Without generate aversion towards something that is here, that our mind doesn't like...

Meditation is rendering the mind turning inward, quieting the mind or thought waves, refraining it from running out chasing after names and forms. It's not about looking outside at all the names and forms, colours and shapes, concrete buildings, or beautiful forest or scenery, and generate thoughts of likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants towards all these perceptions of names and forms.

Meditation is not only can be practiced in a beautiful nature, or in a quiet environment, or in a meditation retreat centre, or in an Ashram, but it is everywhere and every moment where our awareness is.

It's being aware of the reality of the present moment now, and accepting the reality as it is, not necessarily the way that we like it to be, free from attachment, identification, desire, judgment and expectation.

Om shanti.