The common worldly empowerment towards all kinds of personal and group attachment and identification

Renunciation and the observation of silence (Mauna), is the basic essential teaching, observation, and practice of yoga and/or buddhism,

- To renounce or let go all kinds of worldly egoistic personal and group physical/mental/emotional attachment and identification,

- To move away from the engagement in restless worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, practices, rituals, ways of living, aspirations, affairs, ties and connections, communications, activities, and interactions,

- To be restraining, minimizing, and cutting-off all kinds of worldly egoistic conscious/semi-conscious/unconscious boundless inputs and outputs completely or as much as possible, to practically and effectively purify and quiet the conditional restless egoistic impure modification of the mind physically/mentally/emotionally,

- To turn the common outgoing tendency of the mind inward, to withdraw the senses from the objects of the senses, to focus within,

- To develop self-introspection to know what is going on in the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence and function of the physical body that comes with the perceptive thinking mind under different states of consciousness, to know Thyself, that leads towards self-inquiry and self-realization towards the truth of everything, 

- To develop and empower and attain mental and emotional independence through non-grasping and letting go, not being determined by all kinds of duality, or the perception of sight, smell, taste, sensation, feeling/emotion, thought/idea/desire, remembrance towards this and that, wild imaginations, and dreams, or all kinds of experience/affair/ties and connection/relationship/interaction/condition/situation that are pleasant and unpleasant, agreeable and disagreeable, desirable and undesirable, or enjoyable and non-enjoyable or even painful.

- To change the conditional restless egoistic impure thinking and behavior pattern that is being conditioned by internal genetic inheritance and external conditions and ceaseless inputs that are being empowered by ceaseless outputs/reactions under the influence of ignorance, either consciously, or semi-consciously, or unconsciously,

- To annihilate the veil of ignorance that is naturally manifested or formed under the presence of the ego or the idea of 'I' (conscious and semi-conscious self awareness or self acknowledgement under the presence of conscious and semi-conscious awareness) that gives rise to the natural by-products of egoism of attachment/identification/craving and aversion/comparison/judgment/expectation which also feed and empower the idea of 'I', all kinds of impurities, and restlessness (restless modification/thought current/thought process/state of the mind a.k.a the veil of ignorance, where the veil of ignorance vanished upon silence or cessation of the restless egoistic impure modification of the mind, or upon the state of clarity), upon the activation of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional function/mechanism/modification of the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional self-acknowledging thinking and acting mind under the different states of consciousness, that is existing and functioning being part of the many different components/systems/mechanisms of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional physical body, where all that is non-self, where the momentary finite existence and function of the mortal body and mind doesn't even belong to the body and mind itself, not to say, nothing belong to anyone or anything,

- To perform self-inquiry to be inquiring towards the truth of everything, particularly what is the 'I' that the mind perceives/thinks/believes/acknowledges/identifies as its own infinite permanent independent self existence as an immortal individual being/identity/consciousness/soul/spirit that is permanent and independent (that doesn't exist at all), that belongs to itself, that is residing in the mortal finite physical body, where the thinking mind thinks and believes and desires, "The body is mortal, impure, impermanent, limited, conditional, finite, and imperfect. I am immortal, pure, permanent, unlimited, infinite, and perfect,"

- To attain direct realization towards the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self,

- To realize unconditional peace,

- To have clarity of thinking and correct understanding (absolute knowledge or wisdom),

- To cease harming oneself and others and the surrounding environment (unconditional indiscriminate kindness),

- To perform selfless actions that are possible within one's ability and limitation, including certain existing worldly duties and responsibilities towards looking after oneself and others and the surrounding environment, that benefit oneself and others and the surrounding environment that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, out of compassion - the selfless indiscriminate power of creation/action/activity, that can be constructive or destructive, depending on the different states of mind under different intentions and understanding. All actions are selfless actions, regardless of whether conscious or unconscious, intentional or intentionless, constructive or destructive. Perform possible actions that are benefiting all and everyone and everything unconditionally and indiscriminately, without forcing, without grasping, devoid of the idea of 'I' and egoism, under the presence of conscious awareness.

All kinds of autonomous/absence of conscious freewill/involuntary ceaseless selfless physical and mental activities for life maintenance throughout the entire physical body where all the different bodily systems/components/mechanisms/each and every single individual cells/neutrons/protons/neurons/atoms are all selflessly performing their own respective duty/function as well as communicating and responding among one another throughout all states of consciousness, are all selfless actions and selfless actions performers, not to say, all that are happening devoid of the idea/thought/notion of 'I' (the ego) and egoism, that only exists selflessly, impermanently, limitedly, and conditionally in the restless egoistic impure modification of the mind upon the presence of conscious and semi-conscious awareness during the states of consciousness and semi-consciousness.

All these ceaseless selfless physical activities are being performed/operated by all these selfless different bodily systems/components/mechanisms/each and every single individual cells/neutrons/protons/neurons/atoms throughout the entire physical body and throughout all states of consciousness/semi-consciousness/unconsciousness, under the selfless support of the selfless supportive energy and elements, until they completely breakdown and ceased functioning/operating eventually, regardless of whether there is presence or absence of conscious awareness in the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind during the different states of consciousness/awake, semi-consciousness/semi-awake/semi-asleep/dreaming, and unconsciousness/deep sleep/coma.

Many minds that are operating/functioning consciously/semi-consciously during the state of consciousness/semi-consciousness are not aware of or are ignorant towards the function/modification of themselves are being over-powered by the existing conditional thinking and behavior pattern under the influence of genetic inherited condition, and even more so, the influence of external conditioning inputs/influences/adopted egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices, to reason/understand/judge/feel/desire/behave/act/react spontaneously in certain way, that impact oneself and others and the surrounding environment in certain way.

The momentary existence and function of the body and mind is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, however, under the selfless impermanent intentionless manifestation of the veil of ignorance that naturally manifests as it is upon the rise of the continuous stream of the idea/thought/notion of 'I' (the ego/self acknowledgement/the illusive existence of a permanent independent individual self) that also gives rise to egoism, that gives rise to all kinds of impurities (restless modification of the mind/the turbulent state of mind/the veil of ignorance/the absence of clarity), under the presence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness during the states of consciousness and semi-consciousness, the mind is naturally being ignorant towards the truth of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional existence and function of itself, that is non-self, that doesn't even belong to itself, that itself is merely a selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary continuous stream of idea/thought/notion that appears (birth/arising) under the presence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness and that disappears (death/passing away) under the absence of conscious/semi-conscious awareness, that manifests/changes under different shapes and qualities (selfless impermanent changes) between appearance (arising) and disappearance (passing away), that is being powered as well as over-powered by egoism and impurities, or restlessness, or ignorance, where the selfless impermanent limited and conditional thinking is wishfully thinking and believing and desiring itself is and/or has an all time, all perfect, all knowing, all pure, and all powerful infinite immortal permanent independent existence.

The yoga and buddhism teachings and practice is all about the annihilation of the veil of ignorance, that naturally enables the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind/the knower/the experiencer/the thinker/the action performer to know Thyself, that is nothing to do with trying to find out and reconnect with an original, ancient, all time, all pure, all perfect, and all powerful permanent independent infinite immortal individual identity/existence/consciousness of a real I/self, that many minds interpreted and referred as "who I really am", that doesn't exist at all.

While the all time infinite selfless attributeless changeless universal consciousness (that is unborn/non-manifested/beginningless and endless/causeless, that doesn't increase nor decrease, that isn't pure nor impure, that pervades all and everything within and without, that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, that enabling the selfless manifestation of all and everything to be what they are, as they are, governed under the nature's law of cause and effect, under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements, where all and everything selflessly arising, changing, and passing away impermanently/limitedly/conditionally/momentarily upon the selfless universal consciousness, at particular cause and pace) doesn't have such identification with anything, not even, "I am the all time infinite selfless attributeless changeless universal consciousness."

That is why, the selfless mind that realizes this, is silent.

There is not even "I am THAT (that is infinite, immortal, permanent, unlimited, unconditional, all time, all pure, all knowledge, all powerful, all perfect, causeless, changeless, birthless and deathless, beginningless and endless existence)," or "I am selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, that is impure, finite, and mortal."

There is neither permanent I (the truth of selflessness) nor impermanent I (the absence of the selfless impermanent, limited, and conditional ego/idea/notion of 'I') existing to be identifying with something that doesn't exist.

There is no I existing to be identifying with something that is not I.

The selfless plant doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless plant." 

The selfless cell doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless cell."

The selfless element doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless element." 

The selfless infinite attributeless universal consciousness doesn't identify itself as, "I am the selfless infinite attributeless universal consciousness."

But under the influence of the veil of ignorance upon the rise of the continuous stream of the selfless idea/thought/notion of 'I', the selfless human minds think/believe/acknowledge/attach unto/identify themselves as, "I am this and that," or "I am not this and not that," under the presence of selfless conscious/semi-conscious awareness, that can only be existing and functioning momentarily under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements.

 

Meanwhile, the yoga and/or buddhism practitioner that encounters some obstacles or difficulties on the path of yoga and/or buddhism while observing renunciation and silence in solitude and seclusion away from the distractive worldly passionate egoistic impure ambitious restless minds (Kutsanga - ignorant company that empowers ignorance, that inflicts unnecessary problematic disturbance, affairs, situations, and conditions unto oneself and others), may seek the advice or guidance from Satsanga (wise company that empowers wisdom) if there is availability, where it is

- Not only about the coming in contact with the dispassionate minds that have either attained direct self realization towards the truth of Selflessness, Impermanence, Limitation, Conditional, and Non-self, that are resting upon unconditional peace, or the dispassionate minds that haven't yet attained direct realization towards the truth of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence of all kinds of names and forms, but have been established firmly in the basic essential observation and practice of dispassion and renunciation, solitude and seclusion, and silence, that have attained certain degrees of correct understanding and mental and emotional independence, that have intense yearning towards liberation from ignorance and suffering, that have immovable determination and perseverance on the path of self-inquiry and self-realization, that can guide the yoga and/or buddhism practitioner towards the direction of self-realization.

- But also, the coming in contact with or the engagement in beneficial uplifting inputs/conditions/influences/physical and mental activities, such as regular yoga asana and pranayama practice, energy consumption choices and regulation (that might be different for the different bodies under different conditions and different states of mind, depending on the current predominant energy field (Gunas) - Rajas/Tamas/Sattva), concentration and meditation practice, studying the uncontaminated genuine scriptures/teachings/dhamma, balance in between activity and inactivity/work and rest/eating and fasting/awake and asleep/physical and mental activity (the middle path), and etc, that are conducive and supportive towards the activation of the conscious mind evolution process, of changing/modifying/conquering the hard-wired conditional egoistic impure restless thinking and behavior pattern, towards the thinning-out and annihilation of the veil of ignorance, a.k.a. the idea of 'I' (the ego), egoism, impurities, restlessness, and all kinds of disturbance, or affliction, or violence deriving from all that, and not towards the empowerment and stimulation of all that.

- If wise company is not available, then Asanga (devoid of company - solitude and seclusion in silence, not reading, not studying, not looking out) is absolutely fine, and even better, as the mind has no choice but to turn inward for seeing/knowing the absolute knowledge that is always there, that will clear all doubts, or obstacles, or difficulties.

All these teachings and observation or practice appeared to be 'opposing', 'detrimental', and/or 'destructive' towards all kinds of worldly passionate restless egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, affairs, activities, ways of living, ways of conduct, connections, and relationships, and hence, it is common and normal that the worldly restless egoistic minds, including some yoga and buddhism enthusiasts/practitioners/teachers, don't like and don't agree with and have intense rejection and aversion against all these basic essential teachings and observation or practice of yoga and/or buddhism, that the passionate egoistic minds perceive/recognize/categorize as a form of destructive intimidation and threat towards the existence and empowerment of their particular passionate egoistic inherited/adopted/created traditional or non-traditional ideas, beliefs, values, practices, desires, aspirations, ambitions, and visions of building a relationship, or a family, or a community, or a world that they desire it to be.

Yoga and/or buddhism teachings and practices is not at all about building a world to be in certain way and not in certain way, even if it is about promoting peace and harmony in oneself that would also naturally contributing peace and harmony into the world. There is no control or expectation towards the others or the world of many diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, has to be in certain way or not in certain way, or it has to be all perfect, agreeable, desirable, peaceful, and harmony without any imperfection, disagreeable, undesirable, unrest, and disharmony. That is not the same as the many different minds/individuals/communities having different visions, or aspirations, or ambitions, to control/possess/influence/change/build a world that is in accordance to the different desires of the many different minds/individuals/communities under many different ideas, beliefs, values, practices, desires, aspirations, ambitions, and visions.

What is wholesome and unwholesome, or what is constructive and destructive, is different for the minds (most minds) that are being ignorant towards the veil of ignorance in oneself, that are functioning under the influence of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness, while wittingly and unwittingly empowering the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness in oneself and others, and the minds that are aware of the existence of the veil of ignorance in oneself, that are aware of the destructive and harmful side-effects of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness, and have intense yearning towards thinning-out and annihilating the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness in oneself, while initiate and promote such awareness to all the other minds in the surrounding environment, to also be free from the influence of the ego/egoism/impurities/restlessness out of their own conscious freewill and effort, to promote more peace and harmony among the many diversities in the world that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, to have less minds that ceaselessly and ignorantly generating destructive hurtful and impactful behavior/action/reaction/activity that hurt oneself and others and the surrounding environment repetitively, out of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, either intentionally or unintentionally, wittingly or unwittingly, deliberately or randomly, consciously or unconsciously.

The empowerment of all kinds of egoistic attachment and identification towards all kinds of worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/family/national/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas, beliefs, values, practices, rituals, ways of living, aspirations, visions, affairs, ties and connections, communications, activities, and interactions, is being seen as a form of good and righteous or positive and meaningful thing/action/activity to be promoting patriotism, loyalty, prosperity, and higher quality of living (economic growth and wealth accumulation to attain easier and enjoyable living condition) by empowering all kinds of personal and communal/social/national/political/commercial/philosophical/cultural/spiritual/religious/traditional/non-traditional/new age attachments and identities, that gives rise to and empowers boundless desires/ambitions/aspirations/visions towards building a world that each and every different community/group desires differently, either to be achieving and possessing endless power of control and manipulation, achievements, possessions, and pleasurable enjoyments, or the complete opposite of that (extremism/dualism/the opposite of one another), for the many minds that are being conditioned to think and believe, evaluate and aspire in certain way and not in certain way, which only gives rise to momentary fleeting sense of satisfaction, goodness, righteousness, and meaningfulness for oneself and/or one's particular family and community under a particular way of thinking, belief, values, practices, desires, aspirations, and visions, selfishly and possessively, but then that would also gives rise to many unnecessary evitable destructive harmful side-effects that impact oneself and one's particular family and community, as well as all the others and everything in the surrounding environment for an extensive duration.

Under the influence of ignorance, some minds might argue that "Respect nature while not going against nature," is about allowing as well as empowering all kinds of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance to be there as they are, as ignorance is also part of nature, or a natural manifestation in all minds, and hence, none should be doing anything to be eliminating ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in oneself or in anything, even if they are the root cause of many destructive hurtful behaviors/actions/reactions/ideas/desires/affairs/ties and connections/activities that give rise to many unnecessary evitable painful suffering in the world of many diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything. It is like saying, one shouldn't do anything constructive and beneficial even if it is possible, in order to promote and improve over-all physical and mental well-being and better living condition while generate less evitable problematic affair, activity, interaction, relationship, condition, and situation in anyone or anything or anywhere, under the presence of correct understanding and absolute knowledge.

Many minds also argue that "To practice non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-expectation, silence, and respecting the nature's law of cause and effect, being undetermined and undisturbed by all kinds of unpleasantness, undesirableness, disagreeableness, and non-enjoyable painful suffering/conditions/situations/hardships/difficulties/ties and connections/relationships," is about needless to do anything (to learn, to know, to understand, to find solution, to improve, to be happy, to have peace, to have less evitable illness and injury, to avoid any kind of ignorance and the by-products of ignorance, to avoid preventable accidents or direct impact from natural disasters, to seek available medical help if needed, and so on), just wake up, eat, drink, shit, pee, generate rubbish, procreate, sleep, and repeat, until the body rots and dies, where all and everyone should silently accept all kinds of ignorant violent hurtful bullying ill-treatments/behaviors from anyone, where none should be learning and improving about anything consciously.

Many minds would also think and believe that if all kinds ancient traditional ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices are not necessarily all true and beneficial, then naturally, any kind of non-traditional or new age ideas, beliefs, values, desires, aspirations, visions, and practices that are different from all those previous old ones must be well-improvised and more true and beneficial. Or, any non-traditional/new age/newer ideas, beliefs, values, and practices are inauthentic, and must be less good, or less efficient, or inferior than the ancient traditional or older ideas, beliefs, values, and practices, that are authentic, and are better, more efficient, and superior than any newer ones. Or, if one is older and has been accumulating more experiences than the others that are younger and has less experience than oneself, then the older one must be more wise and efficient than the younger one. Many minds would also relate and categorize the existence of yoga and buddhism as non-traditional/new age/newer ideas, beliefs, values, and practices to rebel towards or go against the ancient traditional older cultural/spiritual/religious ideas, beliefs, values, and practices. Many people also think and believe that the newest or latest inventions must be better or more efficient than the older inventions. But all these understanding are not necessarily correct.

Such is the thinking, reasoning, and understanding in the mind that is functioning under the influence of ignorance.

The yoga and/or buddhism teachings and practices is not about being different from, or going against, or being improvised from the ancient traditional ideas, beliefs, values, and practices.

It is about going beyond, or transcending, or not being conditioned by all kinds of ancient traditional egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, and practices as well as all kinds of non-traditional/new age/newer egoistic ideas, beliefs, values, and practices that were/are being created to go against or rebel towards the ancient traditional older ones, where both traditional and new age ideas, values, and practices are all the creations of the minds that are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance, that are ingrained in dualism and that feeds or empowers duality, that is what hinders the mind from knowing Thyself, to realize the existence and function of itself and all and everything that it perceives in this world of diverse names and forms, is selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

Yoga and/or buddhism is not part of any worldly egoistic cultural/spiritual/religious/communal/national/regional/political/commercial/philosophical/traditional/non-traditional/new age ideas and practices that were/are being created by the egoistic minds for their respective propaganda/agenda/purposes, but it is the direct realization by the conscious perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting minds and any minds from any era of any background and condition (that had/have been being conditioned by any ancient traditional or new non-traditional ideas/beliefs/values/practices to think and live life in certain ways or not in certain ways) towards the all time universal dhamma, a.k.a. the truth or the science of what things are, as they are, where all and everything are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, regardless of who, what, how, where, and when, regardless of what type of thinking and behavior pattern or state of mind.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Is yoga a spiritual practice?

Yoga, similar to the teachings and practice of buddhism, is universal.

Spirituality and/or religion, is non-universal.

Even so, like the selfless existence and function of all and everything, spirituality or religion is neither good nor bad.

Just as any kind of cultural belief, values, and practice, spirituality and religion served its own particular purpose or influence in the daily life affairs, interactions, and behaviors of many minds, especially for the minds that are still functioning under the presence of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, that are being determined by all kinds of duality (good and bad/right and wrong/positive and negative/superiority and inferiority/gain and loss/success and failure/pride and shame, and so on), that perceive all kinds of doubts, fear, insecurity, disturbance, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurts, sorrow, and undesirable painful physical and mental or emotional suffering.

It depends on the state of the different minds, where the existence and function of spirituality or religion can be understood and used by the minds constructively or destructively, under the different states of mind having different understanding, behaviors, intentions, or desires.

The existence and function of the different spiritual or religious beliefs and practices doesn't serve any purposes or influences (constructive or destructive) for the mind that knows Thyself, upon the presence of mental and emotional independence, upon the absence of the veil of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, restlessness, and the consequences of all that - all kinds of disturbance and painful suffering.

Yoga and buddhism, is all about the mind and mind conquest, or conscious mind evolution (changing the conditional mind thinking behavior pattern under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I'/the ego, egoism, impurities, and restlessness), or the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind (the veil of ignorance) and the conquest of the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind, or Silence, or the annihilation of the veil of ignorance.

It is nothing to do with any form of spirituality or religion, not to say, it doesn't belong to any particular name and form.

If yoga 'belongs' to any particular name and form, of any particular spirituality, or religion, or culture, or community, or area, or country, or leadership, or organization, then that 'yoga' is something non-universal, it is not yoga as it is.

Just as the children were born or coming from their parents, but they don't belong to their parents.

None and nothing belongs to themselves, not to say, belongs to anyone or anything. (Selflessness and Non-self)

Just as there are many different types of spiritual and religious or cultural beliefs and practices in the world, that belongs to and only valid for certain minds or specific community, and hence, they are non-universal.

Even so, all kinds of spiritual and religious or cultural beliefs and practices (different ways of life/living/values/conduct/vision) are neither something good nor bad, and they have their own particular purpose/values that work for certain minds, particularly to have a sense of direction in life, to have a refuge in the mind to take some rest or find comfort within the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind, as well as to justify the unknown, or many things that the minds don't know or don't understand, and to justify as well as to deal with many things that the minds don't like and don't desire, that are uncomfortable or painful physically and/or mentally/emotionally.

Why yoga and buddhism is universal, while spirituality and religion is non-universal?

Regardless of having particular spiritual or religious belief and practice, or not, and regardless of the different qualities of names and forms that all and everyone have, or possess, or identifying with, all minds can practice yoga and/or buddhism to be free from ignorance that exists naturally along with the selfless existence and function of the restless modification of the mind under the presence of conscious awareness, while not all minds (need to) have particular spiritual or religious belief and practice to be existing and functioning as they are.

Just as all living organisms and non-living objects depend on the availability of energy and different elements for all and everything to be existing and functioning as what they are. That is universal.

All living organisms need to consume energy/food to be existing and functioning as what they are, and that is universal, but the type of food/energy consumption can be different for the different living organisms. That is non-universal.

The truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self, exists and valid in all and everything. All and everything (living organisms and non-living objects) are undergoing the forming, decaying, and disintegrating process at their own particular pace and cause. That is universal.

The many different types of subjective ideas, knowledge, beliefs, values, practices, behaviors, visions, understanding and non-understanding, desires and don't desires, likes and dislikes, or agreements and disagreements, and etc, only exist and valid for specific minds, and not all minds. That is non-universal.

Yoga and Hinduism have certain connectivity and similarity, but they are completely two different things.

Yoga is universal. While Hinduism, as well as all kinds of different spirituality and religion beliefs and practices, is non-universal.

What is universal, it is valid for all and everything. What isn't valid for all and everything, but only valid for specific individual, or community, or something, is non-universal.

Decay and death or mortality, is universal.

What is good and bad, right and wrong, and the perception/judgment/projection towards all kinds of qualities and all kinds of duality, that are being perceived/judged/projected differently by the different minds, is non-universal.

The nature's law of cause and effect, is universal.

The many different rules and regulations created by specific minds under specific understanding, intention, desire, and vision within a family, a community, an area, a leadership, or an organization, locally and/or globally, is non-universal.

The presence and absence of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the minds, is universal.

The conditional momentary peace and happiness, or the sense of happiness and unhappiness, positiveness and negativeness, righteousness and wrongfulness, goodness and badness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, deserving and non-deserving, success and failure, strength and weakness, superiority and inferiority, pride and shame, and etc, of all kinds of duality, is non-universal.

Not all minds that identifying themselves as 'Buddhists' are buddhism practitioners who practice buddhism as it is.

Similarly, not all Hinduism followers/practitioners are Hinduism practitioners who practice Hinduism as it is, not to say, not all Hindus are yoga practitioners, even if they might think and believe and identify themselves as yoga enthusiasts and practitioners, while performing some kind of yoga practices regularly or irregularly.

Yoga practitioners are not necessarily Hindus, or the followers/believers of any particular religion or spirituality. Although there are many yoga practitioners begin their yoga practice coming from their own particular religious, or spiritual, or cultural background.

Similarly, not all minds that think and believe and identify themselves as yoga enthusiasts and practitioners, that are observing the teachings of yoga and/or performing some kinds of yoga practices regularly or irregularly, are practicing yoga as it is. 

And there is neither right nor wrong with all that.

All minds take their own cause and pace to evolve (consciously and unconsciously) as they are.

Regardless of what type of religious or non-religious background, and what type of spiritual or non-spiritual background that one has or came from, yoga is neither religious nor spiritual.

Before the direct self realization towards the truth of selflessness and non-self, yoga can appear to be something spiritual or non-spiritual for the different minds under different states of mind. 

When the minds are still functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, that are still mentally and emotionally dependent on something 'greater'/'more perfect'/'more wise'/'more powerful'/'more independent' than the minds themselves, then yoga can appear to be whatever the minds would desire it to be.

It can appear to be something religious for the minds that are religious and that have particular religion belief and practice, while it can appear to be something non-religious to the minds that are non-religious and that don't have any particular religion belief and practice.

Similarly, it can appear to be something spiritual for the minds that believe in spirituality, or it can appear to be something non-spiritual for the minds that disbelieve in spirituality.

Yoga and/or buddhism, if being practiced as it is, without being contaminated or possessed by any cultural, spiritual, or religious elements, is universal.

Regardless of religious or non-religious, believing or disbelieving in spirituality, and what type of religion or spirituality that the different minds believe in and practice, or not, all and everyone have the universal selfless impermanent limited and conditional function of the conscious restless impure egoistic modification of the mind, or the perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty, and regardless of the different types of characteristics, personalities, genetic inheritance, family background, cultures, beliefs, values, practices, desires, or behaviors, all and everyone and everything are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self.

And the restless impure egoistic modification of all minds can be purified, or weakened, or thinned-out, or silenced, or subjugated, or conquered, or annihilated by the mind itself, out of the precious conscious awareness/cognition/understanding/freewill/initiation/effort/desire/yearning towards liberation from the selfless impermanent limited and conditional restless impure egoistic states of mind, or modification, or function, or thought current, that is non-self, that doesn't even belong to the existence and function of the mind itself.

Religion and spirituality is something non-universal, and no doubt that it provides momentary refuge, comfort, hope, escape, or relief towards the conscious awareness/perception/experience towards all kinds of undesirable/unpleasant physical and mental or emotional restlessness and painful suffering, but it doesn't eliminate the root cause of suffering - The veil of ignorance. It doesn't eliminate the veil of ignorance, because the existence and function of all kinds of religion and spirituality is arising from and fed by as well as empowering the idea of 'I' and egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, that empowers mental and emotional dependence.

If all minds are mentally and emotionally independent, all kinds of spirituality and religion beliefs and practices will loose its functionality, and ceased existing.

Yoga and/or buddhism is universal, and it leads towards mental and emotional independence, or the absolute liberation from the root cause of suffering via the annihilation of the veil of ignorance, a.k.a. the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness.

Not all minds have religious or spiritual belief and practice, and not all minds that have particular religious and/or spiritual belief and practice are having the one same universal religious and/or spiritual belief and practice. With, or without any particular religious or spiritual belief and practice, the minds are still what they are, life existence is still what it is, the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance is still what it is, and the truth of things is still what it is.

Both the teachings and practices of yoga and buddhism is all about the mind, or the selfless impermanent limited and conditional modification of the mind, or the restless impure egoistic thought current, that is universal, regardless of what type of genetic inheritance and cultural background that the different minds have or identifying with, and whether the minds are having any particular religious and/or spiritual belief and practice, or not.

Yoga, as well as buddhism, is the teachings and practices that enable the selfless mind or the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty of the selfless physical body to transcend the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind, under the presence of conscious awareness, conscious desire, conscious freewill, conscious initiation, conscious yearning, conscious effort, and conscious evolution, transcending all kinds of egoistic ideas and beliefs, values and practices, including all kinds of existing religious and spiritual ideas and beliefs, that are all merely part of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional manifestation/creation in the restless impure egoistic modification of the minds, that were/have been/are functioning under the influence of the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness a.k.a. the veil of ignorance, and the consequences of all that.

Upon the direct self realization towards the dhamma, or the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism, that is both centered in the truth or the essence of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything of all kinds of selfless impermanent limited and conditional manifestation of countless diverse names and forms arising and passing away under different qualities/functionalities/duties/purposes/causes and effects, the mind will know that both the teachings and practices of yoga and/or buddhism (even if there are some differences between them), is neither something religious nor spiritual.

And then, some minds might start to think and understand that, since if it is not something spiritual, then it must be merely a form of physical and mental exercise or activity for sustaining and empowering physical and mental health and fitness condition. But, the physical and mental health and fitness condition or the presence of physical and mental abilities and limitations doesn't determine the presence and absence of ignorance, or determine the mind is practicing yoga, or not, and whether the mind will realize yoga/the dhamma/the truth of things/unconditional peace, or not.

Just as the optimal physical and mental health and fitness condition, long life span, easy life condition, the degrees of intelligence, education, creativity, and the accumulation of knowledge/experiences/skills/relationships/achievements/wealth/titles/positions/authority/power/possessions/enjoyments, doesn't relate to or determine the presence and absence of ignorance, or the states of mind, or the desires and behaviors, or the actions and reactions.

All kinds of religious and spiritual ideas and beliefs/values and practices/rituals are being created and practiced by the restless impure egoistic minds to counter and justify the suffering/the imperfections/the selfless impermanent changes/the limitations and conditions/the restrictions/the unknown/the uncertainty/the fragility/the unpleasantness/the undesirableness/the disagreeableness/the unrest/the painful sorrow/the conflicts/the fear/the disappointments/the sense of loneliness or emptiness/the constructive and destructive power of nature, and etc, that the minds don't desire, to create and have a momentary space/refuge/faith/trust/hope/direction/focus within the disturbed confused restless suffering modification of the mind, where they can hang onto or be in within the mind, that gives them certain degrees of momentary rest, comfort, escape, and relief from the ceaseless disturbance, confusions, restlessness, and suffering, as well as to have certain power of leadership/authority/control/influence/manipulation/bullying/dominance towards the others, or the family members, or the mass community, to live life and behave in certain way and not in certain way. - Ignorance and the by-products/side-effects/consequences/creations of ignorance

The mind that knows Thyself, that is mentally and emotionally independent, upon direct realization towards the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self, is free from all that.

Renunciation and liberation, is all about renouncing all that, and be liberated from all that.

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha and Swami Sivananda that existed in different era, were both coming from Hinduism background and prestigious background, and both had renounced all that and immersed into persevered and determined sadhana/contemplation/meditation in silence, seclusion, and solitude for a prolonged duration, and eventually attained direct self realization towards the timeless dhamma, or the universal truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self upon the annihilation of the veil of ignorance, or upon the silence of the restless impure egoistic modification of the mind. And they disseminated the same universal timeless realization/dhamma/truth of things under the different names of 'Buddhism' and 'Yoga Vedanta'.

The universal timeless dhamma/truth of things that is directly realized and disseminated by any minds under any different names ('Buddhism', or 'Yoga Vedanta', or some other names, but all are the same universal timeless dhamma), doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

The universal timeless dhamma/truth of things doesn't change into something else regardless of the different names, the different era/timing, the different minds, the different backgrounds, the different understanding and non-understanding, the realization or non-realization, or the different causes and effects.

There is neither good nor bad in all the mind creation of the many different religion and spiritual ideas/beliefs/values/practices/ways of conduct/ways of living for the restless confused suffering minds that need to have a refuge in the mind to be resting upon from time to time, or to have some hope amidst all kinds of hardships and undesirable/unpleasant experiences, not until the restless impure egoistic minds started to misuse the existing specific religious or spiritual ideas and beliefs, values and practices, or ways of conduct and living, to become a political influence/manipulation/threat/power/tool/weapon to achieve their own specific greedy ambitious agendas/desires/aspirations/visions in the family, or the relationship, or the community, or the world, generating all kinds of unnecessary hurtful activities unto oneself and others and the surrounding environment.

Inquire the truth of everything, including all that is here. 

The world doesn't belong to anyone

Everyone think and say that they love the world.

People love the world so much that everyone want to 'control' and 'protect' the world to be in certain way that they think it's the best way, according to their particular likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, based on their particular social/cultural/religious/spiritual/political/commercial thinking, belief, values and practice.

Different groups of people representing different types of nationality/ethnicity/culture/religion/spirituality/politic/commercial are fighting and hurting one another to 'control' and 'protect' the world to be the way that each group wants it to be.

People think they love the world so much, and hence, they need to protect the world, but it's not.

People just want to possess and control the world to be theirs, to be the way that they desire it to be.

The world doesn't belong to anyone.

The world is selfless, impermanent and non-discriminative.

Nature will provide sufficient needs for all and everything existing in the world, even if it's just ceaseless momentary existence coming and going.

Unfortunately, the world is occupied by such human beings that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, who think they love the world very much and they need to be doing something to 'protect' the world, but they are hurting the world, out of selfish desire, boundless greed and survival instinct, but they claim it's love and protection towards the world.

It's the same in the body and the mind.

The body and the mind doesn't belong to anyone, but there's an idea of 'I' claims ownership over the body and mind, and thinks that 'I' love my body and my mind, and 'I' need to do something to 'control' and 'protect' my body and my mind to be in certain way, that 'I' think and desire how it should be.

It's the same in human relationships with each other.

People think and say that they love some others and their relationships with some others, and they need to do something to 'control' and 'protect' those whom they love and their relationships, so that everyone and everything will be good the way that they think how it should be.

It's the same in a country.

The government and the politicians say that they love the citizen and their country, and they need to do something to 'control' and 'protect' the citizen and the country.

It's the same in religion and spirituality.

The religion and spirituality people say that they love their religion and spirituality, and their believers and followers, and they need to do something to 'control' and 'protect' their religion and spirituality, and their believers and followers.

It's the same in any ethnicity and culture.

It's the same in any family, group, society and community.

Human beings just keep hurting all and everything in the world, out of what they think is 'love'.

This 'love' is not about loving the object of love unconditionally and non-discriminatively as it is, but it's loving one's desire towards all and everything should be in certain way that one likes, wants and agrees with.

Don't love the world.

The world doesn't need to be loved.

Don't love anyone and anything, if we would hurt everyone and everything that we think we love very much.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, and be free.

Be free...

There are people think they believe in God existence, and they believe in God.

There are people think they don't believe in God existence, and they disbelieve in God.

There are people think they used to believe in God existence and they believed in God, but not anymore.

No matter which one we relate to what we think, it really doesn't matter.

Why?

Because -

If God exists, and if the God that people believe in is almighty, selfless and compassionate, is all good and kind, then whether people believe in God, or don't believe in God, or stop believing in God, it makes no difference, and it really doesn't matter. This God loves all without attachment and expectation, without offensiveness, discrimination, anger and hatred.

If people believe God is the creator and destroyer of all and everything, then this God will still carry out the duty of creating and destroying no matter whether people believe in the existence of God, or not. As well as God will exist no matter whether people believe in the existence of God, or not.

If God doesn't exist, then whether people believe in God, or don't believe in God, or stop believing in God, it makes no difference, and it really doesn't matter. God doesn't exist, no matter whether people believe in the existence of God, or not, and whether people believe in God, or not. Everyone has their freedom for what they want to think and believe.

If the God that people believe in is NOT almighty or compassionate, it's egoistic, arrogant, worldly minded, petty-minded, corrupt, bribery, bias, offensive, discriminating, angry and hating, full of attachment and expectation, and is NOT good or kind, then what's the point of believing in this God?

Whether we think God exists, or not, and whether we think we believe in God, or not, it has nothing to do with one's liberation from ignorance and suffering upon the self-realization of selflessness.

Be free.

Is yoga a religious practice? (3)

In most religious teachings, the followers or the practitioners are not allowed to question the truth of the teachings. Where else in the teachings of yoga, is all about self-inquiry and self-realization without blind-believing in anything, including the teachings of yoga. Even if there's a vision of 'God' image appears in front of the practitioner, the practitioner is unattached, unmoved, undisturbed, and let it passes away.

In religious teachings, people must believe in God, or else it is regarded as sinful or evil if one disbelieves in God. Where else in the teachings of yoga, one can either believe or disbelieve in God, it makes no difference. In the end, liberation from ignorance has nothing to do with believing in God, or not. Beyond all the different selfless and impermanent names and forms, all is one.

In religious teachings, people will be condemned and criticized for having inappropriate or wrong conducts based on what the teachings categorize as appropriate and inappropriate conducts, right and wrong conducts. Where else in the teachings of yoga, there's no condemn or criticism even if the practitioners do not practice yoga correctly according to the Scriptures, or their thinking and behavior are not perfect, or they abandon their practice. It's one's freedom and responsibility for what we want and don't want, what we do and don't do, what we think and don't think, what we feel and don't feel, what we know and don't know, what we achieve and don't achieve, and how we act and react.

In religious teachings, people will be judged by 'God'. If one is 'good', one will be rewarded with all kinds of goodness blessed by 'God', and if one is 'bad', one will be punished with painful punishment accordingly in the name of 'God' or sanctioned by 'God'. Meanwhile in the teachings of yoga, there's no judgment or punishment from 'God', but each and everyone either suffer or enjoy the consequences of their actions. There's no 'God' interference with the consequences of one's actions. For those who have gone beyond egoism, all actions being performed are selfless and are not bound by the fruit of actions, or karma. There's no doer of actions and there's no enjoyer of the fruit of actions.

In religious teachings, 'God' is the controller of all manifestations, being extremely 'busy' minding all big and small life events of all beings. Whether it's something good or bad, people would put the responsibility onto God, saying that it's God's will. In the teachings of yoga, the universal consciousness exists in all and doesn't control anything, but all and everything exist, change and stop existing in accordance to the law of impermanence. Good or bad is deriving from each individual egoistic impure mind. It's nothing to do with God.

Above all, yoga is about dealing with the mind and its modifications that are under the influence of ignorance, impurities, egoism, attachment, desires of craving and aversion, where restlessness and suffering arise due to all these defilements, and yoga shows a way to transcend the mind, ignorance, impurities and suffering. Yoga is universal or non-discriminate, beyond all kinds of religions and cultural beliefs and practices.

All minds, except those that are already free from ignorance and suffering, are under the influence of ignorance and impurities and would experience suffering, disregard whether the minds are religious or non-religious, spiritual or non-spiritual, highly intelligent or less intelligent, highly knowledgeable or less knowledgeable, good or bad personality and behavior, positive or negative thinking, happy or unhappy mood, and so on.

Be free.

Is yoga a religious practice? (2)

No doubt that in the history of yoga, there are many Hinduism influenced sources, stories, sages and teachings, and many past and present Gurus came with Hinduism background and they practice(d) Hinduism, but, upon the realization of selflessness, one's liberation has nothing to do with Hinduism or non-Hinduism, spirituality or non-spirituality, religious beings or non-religious beings, good beings or bad beings, good karma or bad karma.

One might think that "Since I have done many good actions accumulating lots of good karma, I will be free from suffering." But, it's not necessarily so. One might still experience suffering even after performing many good actions accumulating lots of good karma, as long as the mind is not free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, craving and aversion, and be over-powered by impurities like anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, animosity, ill-will, feelings of hurt, fear and worry.

Yoga is the annihilation of the mind and its modification, transcending all the names and forms, it doesn't matter what types of qualities of names and forms that keep arising and passing away, influencing the impermanent existence, condition and function of the body and the mind.

Suffering and the end of suffering (liberation) is all in the mind, it is not in a particular name and form that the mind perceives through the senses.

When we think we are not peaceful or are suffering, ask ourselves, why we are not peaceful or are suffering.

One starts practicing yoga when one starts to be aware of what is going on in the mind, and the mind takes full responsibility for all the actions and reactions of the mind towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses.

Suffering and the end of suffering (liberation) doesn't discriminate towards all the different qualities of names and forms which the mind thinks that is who and what it is.

It is due to ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, craving and aversion towards all the impermanent qualities of names and forms, that generate suffering in the mind.

It is knowing the truth, egolessness, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving and non-aversion towards all the impermanent qualities of names and forms, that free the mind from suffering.

Suffering and liberation is nothing to do with different types of religion, spirituality, culture, education, society, tribe, race, gender, sexual orientation, worldly success and achievements, physical condition and abilities, and etc.

Be free.

Is yoga a religious practice?

This is a common question about yoga and yoga practice.

It's common that many people, including some of the yoga practitioners might relate yoga teachings and the yoga practice with Hinduism, as yoga has it roots in the land of India, where majority of the people embrace Hinduism.

Though yoga originated from a land that is rooted in Hinduism, not all Hindus practice yoga, and yoga practitioners don't have to be Hindus to practice yoga.

Many of those who have their own personal religious or cultural belief and they also practice yoga, there might be some elements of their own religious or cultural practice being mixed into their yoga practice. And it's okay. But, it doesn't mean that yoga is a religious or cultural practice.

Meanwhile, in many of those who practice Buddhism, there might be some elements of their own personal religious or spiritual belief and practice being mixed into their Buddhism practice. And it's okay. But, it doesn't mean that Buddhism is a religious or spiritual practice.

The essential teachings of yoga is not different from the teachings of Buddhism. The essential teachings of yoga and Buddhism are the law of impermanence, selflessness, non-dualism, oneness, non-separateness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness. These teachings are neither religious nor spiritual.

Both the teachings of yoga and Buddhism is about transcending the egoistic mind and its modifications, to be free from ignorance and egoism, to know the truth of names and forms, to realize selflessness, and be liberated from impurities and suffering that derives from ignorance and egoism. It is beyond all the subjective intellectual thinking, worldly education, personal religious and cultural belief that exist in the mind and influencing the mind.

There's nothing wrong when some people refer yoga as a spiritual practice with some religious practice influences, and meanwhile, many people refer yoga (asana practice) as merely one type of physical exercise for health and fitness, as everyone is free to think and believe what they want to think and believe. But, yoga is neither spiritual nor non-spiritual, neither physical exercise nor non-physical exercise. It is beyond spirituality and physical exercise. It is freedom transcending all the qualities of names and forms. It is unconditioned and unlimited by names and forms consist of different worldly thinking and belief, religious and cultural practice, and personal interest or motivation.

Whether one is religious, or not; whether one has a particular religion belief, or not; whether one is spiritual, or not; whether one belongs to a particular religion or spiritual community, or not; whether one believes in God existence, or not; whether one thinks oneself is a good being or a bad being, everyone (all minds) can practice yoga and realize yoga.

One can take up yoga practice, whether partially or completely, appropriately or inappropriately, and one can also abandon yoga practice. It's one's freedom about what one wants to do with one's body and mind. There's no judgement or punishment. It's one's effort whether one will attain liberation via yoga practice, or not. There's no success or failure.

Om shanti.

Feel free to practice yoga, or not...

Yoga practice is not a religious practice.

There's no discrimination, or judgment, or praise, or condemn towards anyone whether good or bad, happy or unhappy, ego-less or egoistic, wise or ignorant, compassionate or compassionate-less, peaceful or peace-less.

There's no sin or punishment from anyone or 'God' if someone didn't practice correctly according to the Scriptures or teachings, or when someone wants to stop practicing yoga, or when someone doesn't agree with or doesn't like some parts or all of the teachings and practice of yoga, or the Truth, or the Dharma.

'Heaven and hell' is in the present moment now, in our mind. It's in this moment now, whether our mind is influenced or uninfluenced by ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, desires, craving, aversion, unhappiness, painful sorrow, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, feelings of hurt or guilt, ill-will, ill-thinking, restlessness, fear and worry, and all kinds of impurity and suffering, that determines whether we are in 'heaven' or 'hell' within our own mind. It is not about how much good or bad that we do or don't do in this life existence, and then we will be judged, and either go to 'heaven' or 'hell' after death, or when this life existence comes to an end.

We can be doing a lot of good actions and don't do any bad actions according to what the religious teachings said or judged as good or bad actions, but we still can be experiencing unhappiness and suffering, if our minds are not free from ignorance and all the by products of impurities that derived from ignorance.

Yoga practice is about freeing the mind from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, desires, craving, aversion and all sorts of impurities. In this present moment now, peace and compassion is there when the mind is free from ignorance. We won't be peaceful or compassionate if our minds are not free from ignorance and all the impurities, even though we have been performing rituals and prayers frequently, or studying and memorizing all the teachings in any religious Scriptures, or we have been performing yoga and meditation practice frequently, or studying and memorizing all the texts in the Yoga Scriptures.

Yoga practice is about perform all our actions, duties and responsibilities without egoism, attachment, identification, intention or expectation towards the actions and the fruit of actions. It's not about "Do good as it makes us feel good and happy", or "Do good and don't do bad, so that we will go to heaven and not going to hell", though there's nothing wrong in this to encourage more people to do more good in this life existence.

If our minds are not free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, desires, craving and aversion, and all sorts of impurities, then even though we think we have done many good actions and didn't do any bad actions, we will still be influenced, be disturbed and be determined by whatever the mind perceives through the senses, as the mind unceasingly reacts towards all the names and forms based on what the mind believes what things are, and won't be peaceful or compassionate.

Being able to show sympathy or empathy towards other people's suffering also doesn't guarantee that we are free from ignorance and impurities. We can still be disturbed and influenced by anger, hatred, dissatisfaction, disappointment, feelings of hurt, fear and worry towards names and forms that our minds don't like and don't agree with. This is not the same as compassion, as compassion is being aware of the reality as it is, without being disturbed or influenced by the perceived reality that our minds don't like and disagree with. There won't be any impurities derived from the mind reaction towards any unpleasant or undesirable condition and situation. Compassion is free from discrimination influenced by the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements of the impure egoistic mind.

Feel free to practice yoga, or not. It is our own freedom of choice for what we want to do with this body and mind, or this life existence.

Om shanti.

Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions about everything...

People who come from the same cultural or religious background, and live in the same country will have different ways of thinking and points of view, different understanding and individual perception about everything. Sometimes people who come from different cultural or religious background, or live in other country can have better perspective, understanding and empathy towards what is going on in a particular culture, religion and country.

And so, anybody also can give their opinions about everything, whether our minds can or cannot agree with them.

Be happy.

See things differently from different points of view...

Does your itchy back say thank you to your shoulder for bringing your arm behind, and thank you to your elbow and wrist for bringing your forearm and hand to the point of itchiness, and thank you to the fingers and fingernails for scratching the point of itchiness? As there were some actions involved and there's great relief from itchiness.

What if the fingernails are too sharp and hurt the skin of the back? Does the skin of the back gets upset with the fingernails? Do the fingernails feel guilty and apologize to the skin of the back, or blame the elbow and wrist for bringing the forearm and hand to the point of itchiness, and blame the shoulder for bringing the arm behind? As there were some actions involved and there are some damages generated.

See things differently from different points of view...


When we take too seriously about certain cultural practice or religious teachings, and attached strongly towards what we believe and think is acceptable or appropriate 'normal' behavior, we don't just create lots of unnecessary 'problems' for ourselves, but we will also generate lots of unnecessary 'problems' for other people.

If there's a God, God must be having so much fun watching some people who self-appointed themselves as representatives of God to 'control' what other people should and shouldn't think, or do, or say, or eat, or sit, or walk, or sleep, or shit, or breathe...

Be happy.

Freedom, peace and happiness is in this present moment now, it's not in the future after death...

"If the people who do a lot of good actions and they will go to heaven after death, and the people who do a lot of bad actions and they will go to hell after death, then where will the people go after death, if they do equal amount of good and bad actions? It seems like these people are not qualified for heaven or hell... And if according to the teachings in certain religions, that if their followers have not perfected themselves in accordance to the religious teachings, or they abandon or stop practicing the teachings of their religion, then they will be judged as sinful beings, and will be punished in this life time by their religion authorities, as well as they will be condemned to hell after death, then why do people still want to get involve in these religions and be 'conditioned' and 'restricted' in such religious teachings?"

If anyone takes up Buddhism or Yoga practice, and then abandons the practice, or has not attain perfection or success in the practice, or is not behaving in accordance to the observances in the teachings of Buddhism or Yoga, there is no such judgment of being sinful, nor there will be punishment from any 'authorities', as there is no 'authority' in Buddhism and Yoga practice. If there is an authority that will be there to punish us for behaving 'badly' under the Buddhism or Yoga practice, then this person will be our own self. We are the witness of the consequences of our own actions, that's all.

The only common thing is that there will be pleasant and unpleasant consequences of actions, it doesn't matter if we are having a religion or not, or whether we are practicing the teachings of Buddhism and Yoga or not, or whether we perform all these practices correctly or not. But the consequences of our actions are not necessarily based on the standards coming from our mind about what are right and wrong actions, good and bad actions, as what our mind believes what things are, is not necessary the truth of what things really are.

When we expect to receive certain pleasant consequences coming from our 'right' and 'good' actions, but then what we actually experience are really unpleasant consequences, then know that either it is because what our mind believes what is right and good is not necessarily the truth of what things really are. It is not because the law of Karma or cause and effect is not true. Or it is because the real consequences or the end result have yet to be ripened. Be patient to see the end result of our actions.

The point is, if we are practicing Buddhism or Yoga, we do not attach to our actions, nor have any expectation towards the result of our actions, but to allow the result or the fruit of actions to be what they are. It is about perform all our actions without attachment towards our actions and the fruit of our actions.

Freedom, peace and happiness is in this present moment now, it is not in the future after death, whether we will go to heaven or hell according to our behavior in this life experience. As freedom, peace and happiness is nothing to do with being in heaven or hell, or "somewhere in between" after death. It is in this present moment now, whether we are free from egoism and ignorance, or not.

May all be free.

Om shanti.

Morality and self control

Due to the different cultures and beliefs of the different people in different areas in the world, we all might have different standard of the meaning of ‘morality’. But self control is the main subject here. Because at the end it doesn’t matter what type of morality that we are practicing, it is the self control that matter most. Without self control, there is no morality at all.

Here, we are talking about the right conduct that is given in the teachings of Yoga and Buddhism. They both are similar teaching. Although one talks about 'God', and the other doesn’t. But when we understood that the nature of everything is the same and no difference at all between existence and non-existence, life and death, happiness and suffering, we will understand that it is doesn’t matter if people think and believe that there is a 'God' or there is no 'God'.

To those who believe in 'God' existence, 'God' is infinite and indescribable. We all are depending on a source of nature that provide energy and different elements for all and everything to be existing in this world. All lives are depending solely on the energy and elements that which are not in our own control. We are all the same when we have pain, sorrow, hurt, disappointment, anger, jealousy, greed, wickedness, selfishness, aggressiveness, fear, worry, passion, lust, ignorance, arrogance, happiness, joy, love, compassion, good will and evil will, and all types of feelings and emotions, whether there is 'God' or no 'God', whether we believe in 'God' or don’t believe in 'God'.

We should respect everyone’s belief and disbelief, and no need to argue or debate about 'God' and no 'God', 'your God', 'his God' or 'my God'. If there is a 'God', it does not belong to anybody or be restricted to any name and form that we human beings project onto it. It doesn’t belong to any church, or temple, or any name and form that we give to the places or buildings that people go for prayers, rituals and contemplation.

'God' is what it is. It is not mine, not yours, not theirs. It can be everyone’s guardian, parent, friend, lover, companion, healer, teacher, or anything agreeable and disagreeable that we would like it to be. Everyone deserves 'God'. It doesn’t matter when we think ourselves or others are good or not good. Because if it's really 'God', it is all pervading and inclusive, all love and compassionate, all powerful and unconditional, unlimited and infinite.

If we want to attain or realize 'God', we need to purify our impurities and remove the differentiation or separateness deriving from the perception of duality. We need to know what is selflessness, non-separateness, intentionless, non-duality, without qualities, namelessness and formlessness. If we don’t understand what all these terms are, then we are building up an invisible wall between 'God' and us, which prevents us to realize 'God', or to know what is 'God'. When we are being disturbed, hurt, disappointed and angered by something, we thought that 'God' didn’t or doesn't love us. We would question 'God' about why did it allow so much painful sufferings and unfair happenings in the world. 'God' is always here within and without all and everything regardless of whether sometimes we are good and happy, and sometimes we are not so good and unhappy. Even when we are still full of impurities and ignorance, when we are being imperfect, whether our body is clean or dirty, whether we are sleeping or awake, 'God' has never left us, it is always with us, guiding us and shows us the way to see 'God' or realize 'God' in us, beyond names and forms, not being perceived through these fleshy eyes. Because 'God' is selfless, nameless and formless without attributes. We can’t perceive 'God' through the fleshy eyes and the intellectual thinking mind. Whether we believe there’s a 'God', or not, it is always there unmoved or unaffected by our little impure ignorant mind existing and functioning under impermanent qualities, names and forms. It doesn’t matter what languages that we know and speak, what cultures that we have, what religions that we are talking about, 'God' is still the same 'God', at anytime and anywhere.

When we know what is 'God', or what is selflessness, or the nature of names and forms, or the truth of existence, there's only unlimited love, peace, joy, compassion, and wisdom in us. There is no word that can express that in definite, except being silent. We would repent all our past wrong doings, but at the same time also forgiving ourselves for being imperfect and letting the past go and move on. We would not ask anything from 'God' if we truly know what is 'God' that exists in all and everything. It's the one same nature of all and everything. We would see 'God' in everything and in everyone. We would be content. It is only when we don’t know what is 'God', and would feel separation from 'God', then we will pray to 'God' and ask for 'God's blessings or forgiveness.

'God' doesn’t live in a restricted building or only be existing at some specific places in the world. It is everywhere and anywhere at all time, from ancient to the future, from before the beginning of existence to the period of existence and to destruction and after destruction. It is within us and without us. It is all pervading, all presence, and all knowledge. It is NOW, and there's only NOW. It is what selflessness and impermanence is about. It is how everything arising, changing, and passing away, governed by the nature law of cause and effect.

How can 'God' be limited or restricted by us, human beings, into certain quality, name and form? How can 'God' be limited in some impermanent buildings so called church, or temple, or mosque, comparing to this vast space of unlimited endless universe?

If we believe there is a 'God', and we believe in 'God' and love 'God', how can we own 'God' selfishly and limit 'God' of its love, power, knowledge, presence and infinity? How can we use 'God's name to hurt, condemn, punish, and torture other human beings or live forms, and cause injury, fear and painful sorrow to others, physically and mentally? Or, taking away innocent lives through wars, violence, and killings under humans generated possessiveness/differences/separateness/discrimination of boundary, caste, creed, status, and different names of religion?

Some people need a 'God' to be their guide in life, or else they will be lost in this ocean of ignorance, miseries, and distractions.

Some people might have created their own belief to be their guide to suit their own temperament and convenience, and some people might have realized the nature of everything, or the Dhamma, or the selfless Self/the universal consciousness, to be the refuge, and be resting in unconditional peace.

Are we all not the same when death comes to us? Are we all not the same when we are angry and have hatred, fear, jealousy, and greed? Are we all not the same when we cry or laugh? Are we all not the same when we want to love someone and want to be loved?

Are we all not breathing the same air from the same space in the same universe?

Are we all not being alive by eating the food and drinking the water coming from the same earth with the same sun shining on us?

Does the sun only shines on certain people under specific religion, and not to the others?

Is the air that we breathe in only accessible for ‘good’ people and not for ‘bad’ people?

Does the earth only let certain human beings to step on it, to live on it and to put so much shit and rubbish on it, and not to other human beings who have different beliefs and religions, or have no any particular religion belief?

When we lost someone that we loved so much, isn’t it the same painful sorrow for everyone under different religions, skin colours, castes, languages, genders, beliefs, cultures, nationalities, achievements, and levels of education and knowledge?

When we suffer headache, toothache, injuries, or sickness, are we all not the same having painful sensations and have fear towards death and the unknown?

Every religion or spiritual teachings or philosophy talks about morality, or self control, more precisely. Morality under certain religious teachings or cultural beliefs is something leaning towards self-righteousness, which is not part of the teachings and practice of yoga or buddhism.

If we have established a firm self control over our own thoughts, speech and actions, we all are the same regardless of what we believe or disbelieve.

We will check all our outgoing thoughts, before we generate any physical speech and action. So that we will not harm or hurt anyone physically and/or mentally, and will not create painful sorrow for other people, intentionally or unintentionally.

There's nothing wrong when some people are indulging in passion and lust, or indulging in alcohol and drugs. It is their own freedom and choice, to live the type of life that they want, and to do whatever they like to do with their life existence, or being the slave of pleasurable enjoyment of the senses. They are taking responsibility of the consequences from their lifestyle and doings, they are responsible for themselves and their well being, and if they have self control, they do not hurt others physically or emotionally at all, intentionally or unintentionally.

There are people who steal, rob, rape, assault, kill, cheat and lie to the people that they don’t know.

There are people who made their family and friends or their loved ones as the victim of their lust, greed and lies.

And there are so many stories of painful sorrow in broken relationships and broken families due to disloyalty and unfaithfulness derived from uncontrolled passionate lust and greedy desire. There are so many victims of rape, assault, accidents, and diseases derived from irresponsible sexual activities, alcohol and drugs abuse. There are also too many unnecessary suffering and destruction in the world deriving from selfish egoistic corrupted politicians or world leaders or governments.

We should think carefully where do all these unhappiness, painful sorrow, and suffering come from?

Usually when a person smokes cigarette, it will cause another person suffers from lungs cancer through breathing in the second hand smoke. Can we say that it has got nothing to do with the person who smokes and this person doesn’t have to take any responsibility for the suffering of the person who got sick due to his action?

We all contribute so much pain and suffering unto other people regardless of whether we are aware of it, or not, and most of the time we are ignorant of it.

We won’t feel or understand the pain of others until we ourselves suffer the similar type of pain.

But why do we let ourselves hurting ourselves and some others, ruin the well-being of our body and take away the clarity of our mind by being the slave of lust, greed, anger, violence, and untruthfulness, and abusing our body and mind with alcohol and drugs whether it's for pleasurable enjoyment, or for momentary relief from tension of unhappiness? This is not just harming our own self, but also we might hurt someone else and causing painful sorrow to somebody and their loved ones under the influence of intoxicants and impurities/disturbed state of mind.

When come to Yoga practitioner or Yoga teacher, what is the meaning of our practice if we do not have self control, being over-powered by passion, lust, anger, pride, jealousy, and greedy desire, not being truthful and honest, indulging in random uncommitted sexual activities with multiple partners without love and responsibility, or indulging in alcohol and drugs abuse?

Some Yoga teachers are having love/sexual affair with their students while propagating that it's unconditional love without attachment, or non-possessiveness in intimate love affair. The teacher is full of passion and lust, as well as the students are full of passion and lust, from sharing to caring to touching to caressing, from the floor of the Yoga studio ending up on the bed of the teacher or the students.

Maybe this is neither right nor wrong, but it is not Yoga class, but passionate lust, sexuality and intercourse class. There’s nothing wrong in the enthusiasm to learn about all these human's activity. But definitely this has got nothing to do with purity, non-attachment, non-possessiveness, dispassion, renunciation, self control, and self realization. It is just not Yoga class or yoga practice.

There is nothing wrong if both parties are single, or already divorced without any existing commitment or relationship with another person, and they both like each other and want to be with each other, and maybe committing to share their life together, learning from each other, growing together, building a happy family and live the same way of life. That’s very good.

But if the teacher or the students are already committed to somebody, then this love affair or lustful action will hurt their spouse or partner physically, mentally, or emotionally.

What worst is that if the teacher is sleeping with one student on one day, and another day is sleeping with another student. It doesn’t matter if they all know about it and agree with the circumstances of their action or activities, and no one is getting hurt.

They justify that this is "love to all without attachment, without possessiveness".
What love to all? Only lustful sexual enjoyment is the intention behind this action. While non-attachment and non-possessiveness is not about engaging in multiple intimate relationship without commitment or responsibility.

Sexuality is nothing wrong. Passion is nothing wrong too. We all are human beings born with this instinct of passion and sexuality. But the only difference between a Yoga practitioner and a non-Yoga practitioner is, having self control or without self control, and having correct understanding or without correct understanding.

What is Yoga practice then? Sexual activities? Sensual enjoyments? Passion and lust is our 'God' and religion/spirituality?

What worst of the worst is that when the student is sleeping with the teacher’s spouse or lover, and the teacher is allowing as well as encouraging it, so that the teacher can also be free to sleep with anyone else, including his or her students.

This is very confusing for the people who come to them trying to learn Yoga. If these people have not yet established in some basic correct understanding, they will think that this is Yoga – random sexual relationship/non-committed multiple love affairs. This is really creating a big misconception about Yoga into the people’s mind. If random uncommitted sexual relationships or multiple intimate love affairs can lead us towards self-realization or liberation from ignorance and suffering, Buddha and all our yoga Gurus wouldn't be so strongly emphasized about the practice of Brahmacharya.

As Yoga teachers who teach and guide others about the teachings and practice of yoga, shouldn’t we show some respect to our Gurus’ teaching? Shouldn’t we be a role model to be uplifting the observation of self control, right understanding, and right conduct in those who come to us for learning Yoga sincerely? Shouldn’t we have strong establishment in our own practice and have great respect for self-control and dispassion?
 

The teaching and practice of yoga and buddhism is about non-discriminative one humanity for all, which is about purity, non-duality, compassion, and wisdom, we all are the same and no differences. Neither good nor bad and neither right nor wrong, or non-duality doesn't mean that we can kill somebody recklessly/deliberately, or indulging in irresponsible lustful desires or alcohol/drug abuse, and hurt some others physically/mentally selfishly or randomly. It is about going beyond the duality of good and bad, and transcending happiness and suffering. It is not committing in any hurtful/evil actions and not longing for accumulating merits and virtues or good karma from doing good actions.

It doesn’t matter if some people say that they don’t have any religion or don’t believe in spirituality at all, but maybe they are more spiritual than many people who call themselves religious/spiritual human beings that belonged to a particular religion/spirituality. Not having a particular religion or not believing in spirituality doesn’t mean that a person is evil, wrongful, ignorant, non-compassionate, or immoral.

Just because it is being referred as ‘religion’ and ’spirituality’ or non-religion and non-spirituality, it should not be limited by the name and form to justify whether someone is religious or spiritual, or not. It (the truth of selflessness and impermanence) is something within all and everything regardless of whether we are aware of it, or not, recognize it, or not, calling it a religion and spirituality, or non-religion and non-spirituality, or not.

It is the unconditional non-discriminative loving kindness, peace, compassion, and wisdom that everyone has, but might not be aware of it due to the presence of ignorance and egoism, impurities and restlessness in the modification of the mind.

We should respect that everyone is free to do what they want to do and think what they like to think, even if they are intentionally or unintentionally harming themselves and/or others, but everyone is responsible for their own every single action.

Everyone is free to do what they like and be responsible for themselves, however, we need to be aware so that our actions will not hurt others physically or mentally and create painful sorrow for others, it doesn’t matter if they are our loved ones or people that we don’t know, if we are sincere in walking the path of Yoga and/or Buddhism, to be free from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.

May we all develop correct understanding and disseminate wisdom, kindness, peace, and happiness in this world.

 

Controlling, regulating, judging, punishing, disciplining, and hurting others out of self-righteousness, anger, disagreement, dissatisfaction, disappointment, pride, superiority, authority, and under the name of upholding 'morality' or 'self control', is not morality at all, and it's definitely nothing to do with self control. It's mere ignorance, violence, the urge to control others, and the lack of self control in oneself.

 

Inquire the truth of everything.