Universal vs Non-universal

What is essential or inevitable for all and everyone and everything to be existing and functioning as what they are, is universal.

What is is non-essential for all and everything to be what they are, where all and everyone can still be existing and functioning as they are under the absence of certain names and forms, such as the existence and/or function of all kinds of different beliefs, values, practices, visions, ambitions, aspirations, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, desires and don't desires, the idea of 'I' or the ego, egoism of attachment, identification, craving and aversion, comparison, judgment, and expectation, all kinds of impurities, excessive non-essential physical and mental activities or restlessness, contaminated/misinterpreted teachings and practices of yoga and/or buddhism, and so on, are non-universal.

What is universal, it is the truth or validation for all and everyone and everything, regardless of the different qualities of different names and forms.

What is non-universal, it isn't necessarily true or valid for all and everyone and everything, but it is only 'true' or 'valid' for particular quality of particular names and forms.

 

All and everyone and everything are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, governed under the nature's law of cause and effect.

The truth of Selflessness, Impermanence, Limitation, Conditional, Non-self, and the nature's law of cause and effect, is universal.

 

All and everyone have their own particular personality, characteristic, family lineage, genetic inheritance, names and forms, qualities, conditions, situations, experiences, degrees of inherited and developed intelligence, cognition, reasoning, understanding, learning, knowledge, talents, skills, interests, thinking, ideas, belief, values, practice, desires and don't desires, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, achievements and non-achievements, vision, ambition, sentiments/feelings/emotions, behavior, action, and reaction, and the consequences of all that, or the different causes being generated under different desires/intentions/influences that give rise to different effects, are non-universal.

What allowing all those name and forms that are non-universal to be existing and happening under the nature's law of cause and effect (regardless of constructive, or destructive, or neutral), is universal.

 

All and everyone can be having different types of personal and community likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, desires and don't desires towards all and everything based on their own particular thinking, ideas, beliefs, values, desires, visions, aspirations, and practices, that are non-universal, but all and everyone cannot exist or function to be what they are, if without the air, the water, the nutrients, the minerals, and the heat (energy, or power for all kinds of activity) that exist in nature that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

Diversity, of the existence and function of many different qualities of different names and forms, is universal.

 

All and everyone are breathing in and breathing out (regardless of clean air or polluted air in different area, but the content of oxygen in the air is what essential, even if the degrees of oxygen in different altitudes are different) to be existing and functioning as what they are, to be experiencing all kinds of different experiences, for being what they are, as they are.

Upon the breathing stops for extended period, or stops completely, or the air is unavailable for prolonged duration, the names and forms cease function, disintegrate, and cease existing.

The different contamination and the different degrees of contamination, and the different degrees of the different contents in the air, is non-universal.

The contents in the air (oxygen and/or carbon-dioxide for different living organisms) that enabling all and everyone and everything to be existing and functioning as what they are, is universal.

 

What is universal, is intentionless and doesn't discriminate.

What is intentional and discriminate, is non-universal.

 

The sun and the sunlight, is universal.

The earth and nature and the living atmosphere, is universal.

The nutrients and minerals, are universal.

The air and water, are universal.

The heat (energy, or power for all kinds of activities/manifestations), is universal.

The inevitable suffering of ceaseless life maintenance, restlessness, fatigue, hunger and thirst, discomfort, pain, impermanent changes, decay, damage, illness, weakness, fragility, disintegration, coming in contact with disagreeable names and forms, separation from agreeable names and forms, is universal. All and everyone and everything are subject to Selflessness, Impermanence, Limitation, Conditional, and Non-self.

The possibility of liberation from ignorance under conscious mind evolution, where the selfless mind awareness transcends (being undetermined and undisturbed and non-intimidated by) all those natural manifestations that are inevitable, is universal.

The selfless universal consciousness that pervades all and everyone and everything, that is untouched/uncontaminated/unchanged/uninfluenced/undamaged by the countless manifestations of all kinds of names and forms, is universal.

What is universal, it doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

What 'only belongs to' and 'only valid for' specific names and forms/individual/community, it is non-universal.

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

The belief of good and bad karma or the belief of merit and sin that exist in and belong to the many different kinds of spirituality/religion, is non-universal.

Natural manifestation of intentionless natural disasters and natural cause of death or ceased existence under natural cause and effect of decay and disintegration, or the uninterrupted natural cycle of arising and passing away under nature that is inevitable, is universal.

Ignorance induced disasters/damages/injuries/causes of death or ceased existence under specific intention/desire/motivation/aspiration/ambition/activity under the influence of ignorance in the different minds that is evitable or unnecessary, is non-universal.

For example, not all and everyone will die from specific type of non-natural cause of death. The different non-natural causes of death, is non-universal. But all and everyone will eventually die under natural cause of decay and disintegration, if they didn't die under non-natural cause of death and are not having any kind of chronic sickness. That is universal.

Another example, not all and everyone will be undergoing specific type of sickness regardless of whether it is due to genetic factor or it is deriving from unhealthy daily habits under the influence of ignorant thinking and behavior. The different type of sickness and the different cause of sickness, is non-universal. But all and everyone will be undergoing some kind of sickness eventually regardless of whether it is acute sickness or chronic sickness, regardless of whether it is due to genetic factor or injury, or it is deriving from unhealthy daily habits that is evitable, or it is due to the natural effect of decay and weakening of the different components/organs/systems of the physical body, if they live long enough to be undergoing the natural process of aging, that is inevitable. All and everyone are all subject to decay, weakness, sickness, or injury, even if the body is being well-maintained under superb condition, super fit, super strong, and super flexible. That is universal.

Suffering in general, regardless of what the mind thinks and believes as 'good people or bad people, good karma or bad karma' that are not really the truth of what things are, is universal. All and everyone are subject to inevitable suffering of just by being existing and functioning as what they are, that need ceaseless effort for ceaseless maintenance, that is selfless, that is subject to impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self.

Specific type of suffering deriving from ignorance that is evitable, is non-universal. Not all and everyone will be undergoing any specific type of suffering deriving from ignorance that is evitable.

The possibility for all minds to be transcending all kinds of suffering, or to be free from ignorance, is universal.

Not all and everyone are interested and self initiative to be transcending all kinds of suffering, or to be free from ignorance, and even if someone is interested and self initiative to be free from ignorance, or to be transcending all kinds of suffering, not all and everyone can attain liberation due to the existence of certain inevitable non-conducive condition or limitation, and hence, the path of liberation to be free from ignorance and suffering, is non-universal, even though all and everyone can be free, if they want, indiscriminately, which that itself, is universal.

However, if the mind that has the desire and effort to be free from ignorance, or to be transcending all kinds of suffering, but due to certain reason, or limitation, or condition, it is still not completely be free from ignorance and suffering, that it still has certain doubt towards certain things/teachings and it perceives suffering, in NOW, but as long as it knows what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-expectation, acceptance, and letting go, where it is aware of and acknowledges the presence of ignorance or doubt and the perception of suffering, but without attachment or identification, craving or aversion, judgment or expectation, and be able to accept the reality in the present moment now as it is, not necessarily the way that it would like it to be, and be able to let go all the selfless manifestation of ignorance, doubt, and suffering in this present moment now, and it is resting in peace, that is already what liberation is about. That is what TRANSCEND is about.

TRANSCEND doesn't mean that there is no manifestation of any kind of unpleasant painful suffering within the body or in the surrounding environment being aware of the painful suffering in all the others, but the mind knows how to not attaching/grasping towards the selfless manifestation/perception/experience of all kinds of names and forms, and if there is the presence of attachment unwittingly/unconsciously, it knows how to let go instantly, and go beyond the selfless manifestation of all kinds of names and forms that are selfless, impermanent, limited, conditional, and non-self, that are pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, and desirable or undesirable, that arise within the physical structure or in the surrounding environment.

It doesn't mean that upon TRANSCEND takes place, one doesn't perform actions, or one stops performing actions that are possible, that can be benefiting all and everyone unconditionally and indiscriminately, that might help all the others to also be free from ignorance, and to transcend the selfless manifestation of all kinds of evitable and inevitable suffering in oneself and in others.

That's why the genuine dhamma teachers - Siddhartha Gautama buddha, Swami Sivananda, Ajahn Chah, and many other saints and sages, they kept performing actions to be disseminating the teachings/the dhamma as it is, to the public unconditionally and indiscriminately, until the end of the selfless impermanent limited and conditional life existence, because there were/are many minds in this world of ignorant egoistic human beings are desperately in need of the teachings/the dhamma, to be free from the veil of ignorance, and to have peace, so that the minds don't hurt themselves and others and the surrounding environment during the momentary selfless impermanent limited and conditional worldly life existence that is non-self, that doesn't even belong to oneself, not to say, that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

TRANSCEND is nothing spiritual, philosophical, religious, mystical, miracle, unreachable, untouchable, momentary effects/selfless impermanent mental and/or physical activities under the usage of substances or under unconsciousness and semi consciousness, such as 'dream', 'illusion', 'wild imagination', 'I see the light', 'I see xxx', 'I am flying/floating', 'out of body/out of the world experience', 'insanity', 'hypnotism', or 'trance', that are all part of the selfless manifestations within the modification of the mind.

All kinds of instinctive intentionless unconscious autonomous physical and mental activities for basic life maintenance, and behavior/action/reaction influenced by the mind thinking and behavior pattern being conditioned by genetic inheritance and external influential conditions, is universal. All minds cannot avoid all that, although there is possibility to transcend (not being determined by) all that.

All kinds of conscious by choice non-autonomous physical and mental activities beyond the basic life maintenance under certain conscious desire and intention, or all kinds of conscious by choice behavior/action/reaction under certain desire/intention influenced by the mind thinking and behavior pattern that can be modified, re-conditioned, and influenced by the existence of many different types of impactful and influential conditions/factors/elements/observations/practices/beliefs/values/ideas, of all kinds of physical and mental inputs/activities/interactions/experiences, that give rise to respective consequences that influence the selfless impermanent internal (within the body and mind) and external (the external surrounding living environment) changes/evolution in certain way, in NOW, is non-universal, where different minds can be aware or unaware of all that, and can be doing or not doing something about that, where some minds can be behaving constructively, while some minds can be behaving destructively, which can be determining/influencing all and everything that are happening in the body and mind, and in the world, in NOW. And that itself, where it is possible for the minds to transcend or override all that, is universal.

That's why the egoistic possessiveness and ownership and authorization or restriction/control over the earth, nature, natural resources, living atmosphere, land and space, the freedom of existence/function/living/being/movement of all and everyone and everything that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, as well as the notion or desire to be discriminating towards someone or something, to be destroying diversity, or to be converting/oppressing/forcing all kinds of diversities to become one single uniformity that is agreeable to one particular individual or community, is hurtful, and is against nature, or the truth of all and everything, that gives rise to all kinds of unnecessary suffering that don't need to be existing at all, unto all and everyone and everything.

It is 'normal' that there are certain minds only want to hurt and destroy all and everything, because they are being wired/conditioned to be thinking and behaving in such way, but even these minds also can be liberated from ignorance, and stop hurting itself and all and everything out of its own conscious choice/desire, under self awareness, self initiative, self effort, self inquiry, and self realization, not to say, the minds that don't want or don't have any intention to hurt or destroy anyone or anything.

Inquire the truth of everything. 

Go beyond the accumulated knowledge in the mind or what the mind thinks it knows

The mind only knows what it knows, or the accumulated knowledge and information that it has been coming in contact with, learning, studying, researching, and accumulating as well as memorizing.

The mind doesn't know what it doesn't know (yet).

The teachings and practice of yoga and/or buddhism is not a belief.

The truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of names and forms, regardless of whether living organisms or non-living objects, as well as the nature's law of cause and effect, is not a belief.

Science, or "what things are, as they are", is not a belief.

If a mind thinks and believes, and says, "I believe that the universe is like this, or the human minds are like that, based on my conclusion coming from my own dedicated research on top of studying other people's research for many years," while denying certain knowledge/information/understanding that is different from its own understanding/conclusion based on its own accumulated knowledge and some others' accumulated knowledge, then it indicates that this mind only knows what it knows. It shows that this mind is still functioning under the veil of ignorance and egoism, even if this mind is the most knowledgeable mind among all minds in this world.

It doesn't mean that the knowledge/information or the understanding of this mind is wrong or incorrect, however, it is not the absolute knowledge or complete understanding. It's merely the partial knowledge/information/understanding that would lead the mind towards the absolute knowledge or complete understanding, provided if this mind knows how to go beyond or unattached towards what it thinks it knows, of all its accumulated knowledge/information and the current understanding/conclusion.

Such as there is nothing wrong and it's correct about "You are what you eat", "Develop positive thinking to overcome negative thinking", "Do good, don't do bad", "Treat others the way that yourself want to be treated by others", "Love yourself", "Be grateful and thankful", "The state of mind is being influenced by the energy field that is influenced by food consumption, substances or drugs, hormones, all kinds of positions and activities, the surrounding environment, or all kinds of physical/mental/emotional/sensory inputs and activities", and/or "I am That," however, that is not the absolute knowledge or complete understanding, or the goal of the teachings and practice. That's why there are many different types of initial practice and observation that served the purpose to render the state of mind in certain way, which is also impermanent, and it's not the goal of the teachings and practice, but it can prepare and lead the mind towards some other forms of practice for transcending all that.

Such as it's correct about "All minds are functioning under the veil of ignorance, and all are ignorant," but it's not complete. The veil of ignorance can be eliminated via self-effort and through persistence and determination. It is not easy, but it is absolutely possible to be free from ignorance.

Such as it's correct about "The behavior/action/reaction is being conditioned/influenced by the mind behavior pattern," but it's not complete. The mind behavior pattern is also limited and conditional, where it can be modified or changed. That's why there are many different types of practice that are available for initiate the process to modify or change the conditional mind behavior pattern.

Such as it's correct about "The past generated cause and effect cannot be undone," but it's not complete. How the mind acts and reacts in this present moment now towards the past generated cause and effect that cannot be undone, can determine the fresh cause and effect being generated in the present moment.

Such as it's correct about "There is no 'I' existing in the selfless body and mind to be in control of its own selfless and impermanent function and existence," but it's not complete. As long as the selfless body and mind is still existing and functioning under the selfless support of the selfless energy and elements in this present moment now, it can develop willpower and self-control, or non-attachment and correct understanding, it can choose what type of 'minds'/'activities'/'connections' that it wants or doesn't want to get involve with, and it can choose to perform or not performing certain actions that can influence the selfless impermanent changes or the surrounding environment in certain way, in the present moment now, while respecting or allowing the fruit of its action or inaction to be what it is.

The selfless mind can choose and perform action to free itself from ignorance, or not, while allowing the fruit of choices/actions to be what it is. The mind can choose whether it wants to be kind or unkind. The mind can choose whether it wants to realize unconditional peace, or not. The mind can choose to let go, or not. The mind can choose whether to believe or disbelieve in something or anything. The mind can choose to be happy or unhappy, regardless of whether it is experiencing something painful or difficult, or not. There are autonomous functions/activities/actions/reactions in the selfless bodily system to maintain life existence, and there are non-autonomous freewill by choice activities/choices/actions/reactions/desires coming from the selfless thinking and acting mind, either under the presence of ignorance or under the absence of ignorance.

Knowing that this is poison, the mind can choose whether to consume the poison, or not. If knowing that this action will inflict damage or suffering unto oneself and others, and the mind still wants to do it, that is ignorance, that is nothing to do with selflessness (there is no 'I' existing in all kinds of names and forms). All are selfless. The only difference is whether the selfless mind is functioning under the influence of ignorance and its by-products, or not.

If the mind truly understands, it won't think and believe in such way, or debate and argue to justify and prove that "this is right and that is wrong" or "I am right and you are wrong".

The mind that understands "I only know what I know, and what I don't know, I don't know," is not free yet, but at least, it is on the way towards transcending the idea of 'I' and what it thinks it knows and doesn't know (yet).

The mind that thinks and believes, "I know a lot. I know more than the others. My knowledge/research/understanding is correct or more accurate than some others' knowledge/research/understanding that is different from mine," and justify, "My knowledge/research/understanding is correct/true, and other knowledge/research/understanding that is different from mine is incorrect/false," is currently stuck in its own thinking and accumulated knowledge/research and partial incomplete understanding.

And there is neither right nor wrong, and it's neither good nor bad, about all that. It's the freedom of thinking and understanding of all and everyone.

"All are selfless and impermanent. All are limited and conditional," is both restricting as well as liberating.

A mind that was very violent and hurtful can also change and become less violent and less hurtful, or even, non-violent and non-hurtful, or vice versa, if it (really) wants to change.

That's why the highly importance of self-inquiry towards "Who am I?", or more specifically, "What is the 'I' that the thinking in the selfless thinking faculty of the selfless human body that thinks/believes/acknowledges/identifies as I, or me, or my independent and infinite individual self existence?"

That's why the highly importance of Self-realization, of knowing Thyself, or more specifically, knowing what is the restless modification of the selfless impermanent perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting mind? or what is ceaseless births and deaths, or what is the ego and egoism? or what is ignorance and suffering? or what is Selflessness and Impermanence? or what is 'That'? or what is transcending time, space, and causation? or what is transcending the modification of the mind/the state of mind/restlessness/suffering or all kinds of thought activities/feelings/emotions/ideas/beliefs/values/desires/duality/likes and dislikes/agreements and disagreements? or what are all those influential and conditional teachings/beliefs/ideas/philosophies/knowledge/values/practices/inspirations/aspirations coming from all and everyone and everywhere?

That's why the highly importance of open mind, non-grasping, self-effort, self-reliance, dispassion, renunciation, solitude, seclusion, the observation of Mauna, desirelessness, mental and emotional independence, mind purification process, regular persistent concentration and meditation practice, turning the outgoing tendency of the mind inward for self-introspection, sharpening and purifying the intellectual reasoning power not to be influenced by worldly egoistic ideas/beliefs/values/practices/desires, intense yearning towards liberation, and thinning-out/starving/eliminating the idea of 'I' and egoism, a.k.a. activate the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, that prepare the mind to perform inquiry towards all and everything, including all kinds of 'scientific' research, all kinds of ideas/beliefs/philosophies/teachings/values/practices/desires/inspirations/aspirations, and all the teachings of yoga and/or buddhism from anyone and everyone, or from anywhere and everywhere.

Inquire the truth of everything.

The selfless thinking faculty is merely a function of the selfless impermanent physical body

Whatever and whenever there's a 'thinking', or a 'thought', or an 'idea' arises in the mind, thinking and believing and identifying as "I am this or that" and "I am not this or that", it's merely part of the selfless function of the selfless thinking faculty being part of the selfless function of the selfless physical body.

That's why no matter what the thinking faculty thinks and believes and identifies as 'I', or "This is I" and "This is not I", it's incorrect.

That's why in the traditional lineage of zen meditation, the teacher will 'spank' the students regardless of what the student answers or doesn't answer, thinks or doesn't think, believes or doesn't believe, identifies or doesn't identify with something or anything, upon being asked, "Who 'am' I?".

If the self-inquiry or investigation towards "Who 'am' I?" is being replaced with "What 'is' I?", or even more precise, "What is the 'I' that the mind thinks and believes and identifies as 'I' and 'not I', or doesn't think and believe and identify as 'I' and 'not I'?", the mind would be having a clearer approach towards the self-inquiry towards selflessness or 'I'lessness.

There is no 'I' existing to be answering or not answering, to be thinking or not thinking, to be believing or not believing, to be identifying or not identifying with something or anything, including nothing. Such as there's no "I am selfless" if it's something selfless.

More importantly, selflessness without a permanent independent existence of 'I' in the body and mind or in any organism and objects, doesn't mean that the selfless impermanent life existence of a selfless impermanent physical body with the selfless impermanent function of the selfless thinking faculty doesn't exist. It doesn't mean that all these that the selfless thinking faculty is perceiving now, doesn't exist. Neither past nor future, as well as 'all these are not real', also doesn't mean that all these that is happening now in the present moment doesn't exist. But all and everything are existing, changing and ceased existing in this present moment, selflessly and impermanently.

The one that answers or doesn't answer, thinks and doesn't think, believes and doesn't believe, identifies and doesn't identify with something or anything, it's merely the selfless function of a selfless thinking faculty being part of the selfless impermanent existence and function of the selfless impermanent physical body.

Under the presence of the idea of 'I' under the influence of the veil of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, being conditioned by worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice to be reasoning and understanding everything, the mind couldn't grasp or comprehend towards selflessness.

Many thousand years ago, when 'scientific research' wasn't a common thing in the world, even though science is 'the truth of what things are', that exists forever, regardless of whether human beings know or don't know about what things are, while 'technology' hasn't been well developed yet, where self-inquiry and self-realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence was being seen as something 'mystical' and yet 'insane' and 'impossible' for most minds that are functioning under the idea of 'I' under the veil of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

All minds that had attained self-realization via self-inquiry and meditation under a calmed and purified modification of the mind towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of names and forms, especially in the complex function of the selfless impermanent physical body that comes with the complex function of the selfless perceptive cognitive intellectual emotional thinking and acting faculty, are all great scientists of the world, even without the help of advanced technology to be performing detailed research onto the formation and function of the mortal selfless impermanent physical body, where they know what many minds don't know, where their way of thinking, reasoning, understanding, desire, behavior, action and reaction are being different from most minds that are still functioning under the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, where they are resting in unconditional peace while most minds that are under the influence of ignorance are struggling and drowning in different kinds of suffering, or some minds are even 'enjoying' in generating many kinds of suffering into the world out of ignorance.

However, even though there are many advanced technologies in this era, to be looking into the complex formation and function of the physical body and the thinking faculty, the many highly intelligent and knowledgeable minds that are interested in science or scientific research might still be encountering difficulty towards knowing or comprehending selflessness, as the minds are deeply being ingrained with and conditioned by the worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice that based on the idea of 'I'.

It's not that difficult for the minds to experience, see, know and understand towards the truth of impermanence in all and everything, however, it's a great challenge and even impossible for the mind to experience, see, know and understand the truth of selflessness. That's why the importance of the observation of silence, dispassion and renunciation in seclusion and solitude for activating the mind purification process to free the mind from being conditioned or influenced by worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice based on the idea of 'I', to inquire, investigate, reason and understand everything, as it is.

The idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, is the root cause of all kinds of humanity problems and behavior problems in the world, that give rise to many kinds of unnecessary painful sorrow and suffering deriving from the existence of corruption, incorrect reasoning and understanding, selfishness, possessiveness, separateness, greed, fear, discrimination, hatred, oppression, conflict, fighting, bullying and violence in the world of many diversities that doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

Just as Swami Sivananda mentioned in his teachings while being a medical doctor himself, "One can cut open the body, and still couldn't find, see or know the mind."

Buddhism, yoga, self-inquiry and meditation, as well as selflessness and impermanence, timelessness and non-separateness, are science.

It's not a belief. It's not a religion. It's not a culture. It's not a ritual. It's not something mystical or untouchable.

It's definitely not just a physical and mental health and beauty and fitness exercise, although it can be, if without dispassion and the renunciation from worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, and without working on the annihilation of the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

The teachings and practice exists as the selfless guidance and tools for the minds to help and guide itself towards the attainment of self-realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence, and thus, be free from the unnecessary suffering deriving from being ignorant towards "Who am I?" or "What is I?", as well as be free from generating hurtful damaging behavior, action and reaction, either wittingly or unwittingly, directly or indirectly, that hurt itself and others and the surrounding environment out of the ignorant selfish disturbed dissatisfied fearful desireful suffering restless states of mind, under the influence of the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, during its momentary selfless existence and function in this world of selfless impermanent names and forms.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, including all the teachings of yoga and buddhism that the mind comes in contact with, including all that is here.

Direct realization vs intellectual reasoning and understanding

If the mind thinks and believes that it understands the science of selflessness in all and everything intellectually, but somehow, there's still doubt towards certain thing or many things, that is because the mind hasn't attained direct self-realization yet, where it is still being conditioned by certain worldly egoistic cultural, spiritual, religious, national, political or commercial belief, values and practice.

Don't just stop at the intellectual reasoning and understanding, keep purifying and quieting the modification of the mind, until the mind sees the truth as it is, attaining direct self-realization.

Never ending rubbish in the world of human beings and beyond

Greedy ambitious human beings who want to enjoy unlimited comfort of living, objects, toys, accessories, leisure activities and pleasurable enjoyments of the senses not just have been generating lots of rubbish on earth, but those who are knowledgeable, powerful and wealthy enough to be travelling outside of this planet utilizing their power, wealth and knowledge of higher science and technology, are/will be inevitably generating unnecessary human made rubbish into the space of the universe.

Unfortunately, there are many young people in the world are being 'empowered' to be proud of such 'actions', or 'capability', or 'achievement', to be admiring such human beings and their 'great achievement', and be inspired to become 'successful' like them.

Those organizations, or people, or influencers, who are directly or indirectly involving in any kinds of 'youth empowerment' or 'women empowerment' that 'meant' to be empowering youth or women, they need to see what they are actually doing, whether they are empowering 'youth' or 'women' to become responsible human beings that would be leading towards more peace and harmony into the world, or to become greedy and ambitious prideful human beings that would be leading towards endless 'human made destruction utilizing wealth, power and the knowledge of higher science and technology' into the world, and beyond.

Education, information, science and technology are essential, but...

Education, information, science and technology are no doubt some of the essential elements for promoting a higher quality of life for many people in the world. Although the attainment of a so called 'higher quality of life' for being able to enjoy all kinds of service, convenience, comfort and enjoyment, doesn't necessarily means freedom from ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the minds and the surrounding living environment.

Many different kinds of innovative invention and creativity, engineering and architecture, informative telecommunication and interactive social media platform, food production and transportation, personal care and medical health care, all kinds of industries, and etc, are existing and constantly upgrading in the world because of the existence of and accessibility to education, information, science and technology.

Education, information, science and technology is neither good nor bad, as it has no intention to be something good or bad, but depending on the intention of the minds that are being given the 'opportunity', 'power', 'authorization' or 'responsibility' to facilitate and utilize education, information, science and technology, where either it can be 'used' to promote all kinds of 'wellness' that would benefit the overall welfare of all and everyone non-discriminatively as well as benefiting the well-being of the surrounding living environment, or it can generate many kinds of 'harmfulness' to the minds and the surrounding living environment.

If education, information, science and technology can be used to generate such huge influence and impact on people's living, thinking and behavior in a good way, it also can be influencing and impacting people's living, thinking and behavior not in a good way, especially if it's being facilitated and utilized by minds with impure intentions under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

And hence, it highly depends on those who have the 'power', 'authorization' or 'responsibility' to make decision and perform action that determining what type of education and what kind of information that is 'delivering' to the people, that are influencing the way of thinking, belief, values, behavior, action and reaction of the people in the world, which also indirectly impacting on the surrounding living environment, because it's the 'responsibility' of everyone for their action and inaction that are 'responsible' to be looking after or damaging the surrounding living environment depending on everyone's way of thinking, belief, values, behavior, action and reaction.

Education, information, science and technology shouldn't be interfered, influenced, manipulated or contaminated by any particular egoistic national, social, ethnical, cultural, religious, spiritual, commercial or political thinking, belief, values and interest. Only then, it will benefit all and everyone non-discriminatively and the surrounding living environment efficiently. Or else, if certain people, particularly people who involved in the world of commercialism and consumerism, influencers, leaders and authority in the world are functioning under the influence of egoism, where they use their 'power', 'authorization' and 'responsibility' to make decision and perform action that don't really aim at benefiting the welfare of all and everyone non-discriminatively, but only benefiting certain group of people, where education, information, science and technology has become their convenient 'tools' that would help them to achieve their particular ambition and desire under their particular national, social, ethnical, cultural, religious, spiritual, commercial or political thinking, belief, values and interest.

Even when there are some people have very good ideas and kind intention who work very hard trying to make the world a better place for all and everyone non-discriminatively, and to protect the surrounding living environment from many unnecessary destruction that could be avoided through activating certain decision and action, and no matter how incredible is science and technology progressing rapidly, it couldn't really help the world to be a better place that is free from all kinds of corruption and the consequences of corruption deriving from impure egoistic human minds, that has less unrest and discrimination but more peace and accommodation among the vast diversities, that doesn't damage the surrounding living environment so much, if the education, information, science and technology is being 'facilitated' and 'utilized' by certain people for accomplishing certain personal or group ambition and desire.

Human beings don't 'need' to 'buy' or 'obtain' so many 'things' or 'enjoyments' that produce so much 'rubbish' and 'other side-effects' into the world, and be able to live in peace and harmony with one another among all kinds of diversities, but because of the minds are easily be influenced by all kinds of inputs, and hence, education, information, science and technology are being 'facilitated' and 'utilized' by those who are under the influence of survival instinct and greed in the way that are harming the people's minds and the surrounding living environment more than to be benefiting them.

The great advice from the past gurus in Yoga and Buddhism for those who are easily be influenced by mind inputs - Staying away from TV, cinema, radio, theater, magazine, politics, and all kinds of social media communication and interaction that are being over-powered by commercialism, consumerism and advertisement, unless the mind has developed a firm foundation of non-attachment and self-inquiry towards the truth of everything.

A knife doesn't has the intention to be useful or harmful, to be a convenient tool that improves quality of life, or to be a 'tool' that hurts oneself and/or others, but depending on the state of the mind of the person who uses the knife, that can turn the knife into something useful or harmful.

The world will be peaceful as it is, when none try to paint the world with any particular colour that they like and desire, when none try to possess and control the world to be 'mine' or 'ours'. Unfortunately, many different groups of people are highly motivated and ambitious to be fighting against one another trying to conquer and control the world, to make the world to be the way that they like and desire.

It's not about, "We need to love and protect our world," even with kind intention, but it's about letting go the idea or desire of "We want 'our' world to be like this and not like that."

Even the existence of the teachings and practice of Yoga and Buddhism also has certain non-intentional influences on people's way of thinking, belief, values, behavior, action and reaction in the world, although the main teaching and practice is about disciplining and preparing the mind for performing self-inquiry to inquire towards the truth of everything, including the teachings and practice of Yoga and Buddhism, to attain self-realization, without blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, or blind-propagating. It's never about trying to 'conquer', 'possess', 'control', 'oppress', 'influence' or 'change' the world to be or not to be in certain way under the influence of survival instinct or greed.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Yoga is not separated from science

"Should yoga practitioners believe in science and be vaccinated, or not?"

Science is not a belief. So as yoga is not a belief. It's not about yoga practitioners should or shouldn't believe in science, and be vaccinated, or not. Just as it's not about whether someone chooses to believe in the teachings of yoga, and starts practicing yoga, and identifies oneself as a yoga practitioner, or not.

 

Yoga is about inquiring and seeing the truth of names and forms as it is. So as science.

 

The truth of things as they are, where all are selfless and impermanent, is not a belief.

The essential teachings, practice and goal of yoga, is not separated from science.

Life is science. Human's body mechanism is science. Human's behavior is science. Hormones, secretions, bodily organs and systems, cells, atoms, neurons, muscular and bone structures and etc, are science. Selflessness and Impermanence is science. How everything exist, change, and ceased existing, is science. The nature's law of cause and effect is science. Yoga of silence is science beyond names and forms.

 

There are many 'information' about the vaccines and vaccination circulating on social medias. Everyone have their own freedom of thinking, belief and choices towards any information about vaccines, especially the role of vaccination, as well as whether certain people might have certain health complications or allergies that don't allow them to take certain drugs or any form of vaccines, even if they would prefer to be vaccinated against certain diseases. Everyone have the freedom to express what they think and desire, and what they do or don't do with their body or life existence. Everyone also take the responsibility towards one's desire and the consequences of one's desire.

 

For yoga practitioners, it's not about how all the others think, believe and desire, not to say, to reason everything based on what others think, believe and desire, but one would reason and inquire what are the most beneficial actions that can be done in this present moment for helping the entire world to move forward, without being influenced by any particular existing thinking and belief in the world that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

One is fearless towards making the appropriate decision and the consequences of one's decision, uninfluenced by one's family and friends and community's different opinions about the vaccines. There's no perfection in any decision and action. There are pros and cons in any actions. The fearless beings perform actions based on what is most beneficial for the world to move forward, without attachment, identification, judgment, or expectation.

The teachings of yoga doesn't discriminate any kind of names and forms, not to say, anyone's decision towards getting vaccinated, or not, especially in a prolonged pandemic situation. The difference between yoga practitioner and non-yoga practitioner is whether one inquires the truth of everything without being influenced by any particular worldly thinking and belief that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism to judge everything, or not.