Can't have everything - Appreciate certain things while let go some other things

There are some reasons why the mind is in the state of disturbance, unrest, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, or misery, that is unnecessary and evitable.

- Fear towards making choices or taking responsibilities.

- Doesn't know what it wants and doesn't want.

- Has some ideas towards what it wants and doesn't want, but is unsure towards what it really wants and doesn't want.

- Knows what it really wants and doesn't want, but has fear towards making wrong decisions that lead to regrets.

- Knows what it wants and doesn't want, and has no fear or regret towards making decisions to be achieving what it wants and doesn't want, but it is greedy, where it wants all and everything that it wants, and even beyond.

 

There are inevitable limitations in this selfless impermanent worldly existence of names and forms.

One can only be here, or there.

One cannot be here and there at the same time.

 

No matter how big the pot is, the pot can only fill up what it can fill up.

It's about making choices towards keeping what can be put and kept in the pot, while let go certain things that can't fit into the pot, or when the pot is full.

 

None can have all and everything.

One can fill up all the pockets that one has, and hold something in bags or containers sitting on top of the head, or holding in both hands, or hanging onto the ears, the shoulders, the forearms, the waist, and the hips, or strapping onto the entire body, as much as possible, until one can no longer move and breathe, or one can keep as much as possible in the biggest warehouse(s), but still, there is limitation.

The healthiest, fittest, strongest, fastest, and most knowledgeable, intelligent, skillful, talented, beautiful, charming, admirable, influential, wealthy, successful, or powerful person in the world also has limitation.

For the minds that are devoid of desires, they are free as they are, regardless of all kinds of limitations.

For the minds that have desires, they can be free as well, if they know how to accept and respect limitations.

Appreciate certain things without attachment or clinging, while be bold to let go some other things.

The mind will be free from unnecessary disturbance, unrest, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, or misery.

Be free.

Craving and aversion

Some minds, including some long time yoga and meditation practitioners/teachers, don't know or don't understand what is craving and aversion.

In a simple way, if the mind feels disturbed, frustrated, irritated, angry, or unhappy upon not getting or not experiencing something that it likes, agrees with, and desires, that is the presence of craving in the mind.

Similarly, if the mind feels disturbed, frustrated, irritated, angry, or unhappy upon getting or experiencing something that it dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desires, that is the presence of aversion in the mind.

It's okay, and there's nothing wrong to have likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, and desires and don't desires.

It is the presence of craving towards something that the mind likes, agrees with, and desires, as well as the presence of aversion towards something that the mind dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desire, that give rise to 'disturb', 'unhappy', 'frustrated', 'irritated', 'angry', or 'suffering' state in the modification of the mind upon coming in contact with the names and forms that the mind has aversion towards, that it dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desire, as well as upon not coming in contact with the names and forms that the mind has craving towards, that it likes, agrees with, and desires.

The mind that is devoid of craving and aversion, it is not being determined or disturbed by the presence and absence of names and forms that the mind likes or dislikes, agrees or disagrees with, and desires or doesn't desire. Such mind is peaceful as it is, upon coming in contact with the names and forms that the mind dislikes, disagrees with, and doesn't desire, or upon not coming in contact with the names and forms that the mind likes, agrees with, and desires.

Different minds react differently towards the same thing/object/name and form/experience/affair/condition/situation.

It is not the thing/object/name and form/experience/affair/condition/situation that has the intention or quality to make the minds to be reacting or not reacting in certain way, to feel good or bad/happy or unhappy, to be disturbed or undisturbed, to be enjoying or suffering.

It is coming from the minds themselves of how they (choose to) react or don't react in certain way towards whatever they perceive and experience or don't perceive and don't experience.

The minds that think and believe that they don't have the free will to choose how they act and react, that is because these minds are being conditioned deeply by certain thinking, belief, ideas, values, desires, and practices that are influencing and conditioning the mind behavior pattern in certain way.

Yoga practice is all about transcending or eradicating such conditional mind behavior pattern by freeing the mind from being conditioned or influenced by any kind of beliefs, ideas, values, desires, and practices to think, desire, behave, act and react in certain way, including the teachings and practices of yoga and/or buddhism, via non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation.

The mind doesn't even attach or identify towards the teachings and practices of yoga and/or buddhism as, "I am a yogi and/or buddhist," and "I am practicing yoga and/or buddhism."

It's not even about changing the mind behavior pattern to be something different from what it is.

That is also why the highly essential observation of renunciation, dispassion, silence, solitude, and seclusion for a prolonged period of time, for at least five years or more, in yoga and/or buddhism.

Some minds might also have been 'observing' renunciation, dispassion, silence, solitude, or seclusion for certain extended period of time, however they might still not free from ignorance, egoism, impurities, and restlessness, but that doesn't mean that all these observations don't work. Most probably, either they need to undergo a longer purification process of 'keep practicing and keep purifying', or they are lack of right attention, right effort, right practice, and right understanding. As there were/are some other minds attained self-realization through observing these observations under the presence of right attention, right effort, right practice, and right understanding.

Some rare minds don't even need to observe any kind of observations, and they can attain self-realization via a simple and spontaneous reflection, but certainly, these observations can help the many minds that are under the deep influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', egoism, impurities, and restlessness, to attain liberation from all that, provided if all these observations are being observed under the presence of right attention, right effort, right practice, and right understanding.

Even Siddhartha Gautama Buddha also needed to undergo first few years of wandering around under the observation of renunciation (moving away from worldly life affairs, duties, responsibilities, family, relationship, and community), learning and practicing different kinds of practices from different lineages and teachers, and still hadn't attain liberation, not until he came to a conclusion of immersing into deep meditation in silence, solitude, and seclusion (stop wandering around, and stop looking outward for teacher, guidance, assistance, and answer), as well as under taking the middle path.

Be free.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Understanding the suffering minds and their disturbing hurtful behavior with compassion

The minds that are aware of the modification of the mind, they are capable of having correct understanding under the presence of compassion towards the many suffering minds that would behave, act and react in the way that hurt oneself and others or the surrounding environment, while not being determined or disturbed by the suffering minds and their hurtful behavior, action and reaction, understanding that these disturbing hurtful minds are behaving in such way because they are under the veil of ignorance, that they are actually in great suffering, even if from the appearance, these suffering minds seemed to be finding relief, pleasure and satisfaction through causing inconvenience, disturbance, hurt or damage to themselves and others or the surrounding environment, deliberately.

The minds that realized compassion, they just simply couldn't act or react in the way that would be intentionally hurting anyone through any disturbing, hurtful or damaging behavior, action or reaction that would be causing certain inconvenience, disturbance, hurt or damage to others, even under intense disagreement towards some others who are behaving, acting and reacting in the way that is deliberately causing inconvenience, disturbance, hurt or damage to others, out of great disturb, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, anger and hatred in them, due to ignorance.

Understanding that, such disturbing hurtful minds are actually drowning in great suffering due to ignorance, where these suffering minds are ignorant towards what is going on in themselves, but either wittingly or unwittingly, externalizing and expressing their suffering of all kinds of disturb, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, anger and hatred via such disturbing or hurtful behavior, action or reaction that hurt themselves and others or the surrounding environment, deliberately.

The minds that don't know this, are peaceless, being determined, disturbed, angered and hurt by all kinds of disturbing and hurtful behavior, action and reaction in the world.

The minds that know this, are resting in unconditional peace, regardless of the presence of all kinds of disturbing and hurtful behavior, action and reaction in the world. Not that they are agreeing with, ignoring, empowering or don't care towards disturbing and hurtful behavior in the world, or don't perform any actions that might or might not help the world to be a better place, but, simply because they know and understand towards the modification of the mind, the root cause of suffering and the veil of ignorance, or towards human beings' disturbing, destructive and hurtful behavior, actions and reactions out of suffering under the veil of ignorance. This is nothing to do with forgiveness or accommodation as well. One doesn't need to accommodate such ignorance. Neither there's a need to forgive. Merely there's no need to waste any energy on such ignorance.

Understanding towards the suffering minds with compassion while not being determined by their disturbing and hurtful behavior, doesn't mean that one shouldn't move away from such abusive situation and allowing oneself to be abused by such ignorant behavior or treatment repeatedly, encouraging such ignorance. It has to come from the ignorant minds themselves to be aware of the ignorance and their ignorant behavior, action and reaction, to be initiated to free themselves from ignorance, and to stop behaving, acting and reacting ignorantly.

Peaceful and happy as it is, transcending impermanent feelings and emotions

A happy mind or an unhappy mind, is not about whether the mind is feeling happy or unhappy most of the time, or all the time. A happy mind can be unhappy some of the time, and an unhappy mind can be happy some of the time. The mind is neither happy nor unhappy. It's merely some impermanent feelings and emotions arising and passing away. It's about whether there's attachment and identification arising in the mind attaching and identifying towards the impermanent feelings and emotions, and hence, swaying restlessly between feeling happy and unhappy under certain conditions, or the mind is being content and happy as it is, unconditionally, transcending the impermanent happy and unhappy feelings and emotions that ceaselessly arising and passing away.

The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, that are not being conditioned or determined by the presence and absence of certain qualities of names and forms, or the perception/experience of something pleasant/unpleasant, desirable/undesirable, or agreeable/disagreeable, or the gratification/non-gratification of desires to be happy or unhappy, they are resting in the state of unconditional contentment, being content as they are and happy as it is, unconditionally, transcending all kinds of pleasant/unpleasant experiences, void of attachment and identification towards the impermanent modification of the mind, while respecting the selfless impermanent changes as they are.

It doesn't mean that these minds don't perceive anything as something pleasant/unpleasant, desirable/undesirable or agreeable/disagreeable, or wouldn't be having and/or expressing any understanding or emotion of like and dislike or agreement and disagreement, however, all kinds of reactions under different emotions that are impermanent, don't determine, influence, affect, disturb or change the state of the mind that is being content and happy as it is, unconditionally.

Such minds can be perceiving and reacting towards certain ideas, behaviors or events, expressing agreement or disagreement towards certain ideas, behaviors or events, and there are different feelings and emotions arising and passing away in the mind, but, it doesn't mean that these minds are happy or unhappy minds, as there's no attachment, identification or association towards the impermanent modifications of the mind.

Healthy minds are capable of being peaceful and happy as they are, where they are not being determined by the presence and absence of interaction, attention, love, care, support, encouragement, acknowledgement, appreciation, agreement, praise, compliment, sympathy or empathy from others, to feel happy, love, good, positive and meaningful, or not. They don't need any others to keep checking on them, "How are you?", "Are you OK?", "Are you happy?", and so on. 

These minds are peaceful and happy as they are, regardless of the different impermanent feelings and emotions arising and passing away in the mind, under any circumstances, conditions and situations, void of grasping, or attachment and identification, transcending the intellectual cognition towards rightfulness and wrongfulness, goodness and badness, happiness and unhappiness, agreement and disagreement, like and dislike, achievement and non-achievement, easiness and difficulty, success and failure, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, and etc.

These minds don't need to rely on any external influences of pleasant/desirable/agreeable experiences that give rise to the momentary sense of satisfaction and happiness, or rely on the momentary effect of certain physical exercises or positions, breathing control, mental control, sound vibrations, or drugs and intoxicants that induce momentary calmness, relaxation, unwind, contentment or happiness, for being peaceful and happy as they are, unconditionally.

There's awareness towards some impermanent happy or unhappy feelings and emotions arising and passing away, but there's no attachment or identification of "I am happy or unhappy." Neither there's desire of craving and aversion of "I want to be happy," or "I don't want to be unhappy."

Meanwhile, due to ignorance and egoism, the egoistic minds need to have specific 'happiness deserving' reasons/factors to feel happy and be happy, or will be unhappy being determined by specific 'unhappiness deserving' reasons/factors, being influenced and determined by the presence and absence of pleasant/unpleasant, desirable/undesirable, and agreeable/disagreeable experiences, relationships, interactions, events, places, environments, conditions and situations, swaying between the state of being happy and the state of being unhappy, restlessly.

There's attachment and identification towards the happy and unhappy feelings and emotions of "I am happy or unhappy." There's also desire of craving and aversion of "I want to be happy," and "I don't want to be unhappy."

The minds that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that couldn't go beyond the attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation towards the presence and absence of certain qualities of names and forms to be the specific reasons to be happy or unhappy, can also realize this unconditional state of the mind that is "peaceful and happy as it is," upon the weakening, thinning out and annihilation of ignorance and egoism.

Ignorance

There's nothing wrong when the mind is being affected and disturbed by something that the mind perceives as unpleasant, undesirable or disagreeable, as the mind is not free from ignorance and egoism yet.

The difference between a mind that is free from being influenced by ignorance and a mind that is under the influence of ignorance, is whether the mind is aware of and understands that this disturbance is due to this mind itself is still not completely be free from ignorance and egoism yet, and hence, this mind will continue to work diligently to annihilate ignorance and egoism from itself, or, the mind firmly thinks and believes that this disturbance is due to all the unpleasant, undesirable and disagreeable happenings, actions/reactions and behaviors that this mind believes and judges as bad and wrongful deriving from the ignorance of other people in the world.

Understanding hurtful behavior is part of mental illness

This teaching is for those who would like to help some others or themselves, who felt hurt and angry by some past hurtful experiences, and continuing to feel hurt and angry by those past hurtful experiences, and for many years onward, they would behave in the way that hurt themselves and others out of those hurts and anger either wittingly or unwittingly, while blaming the past hurtful experiences and those who inflicted hurtful behavior onto them for all their failure and unhappiness in life, and for their own reaction of hurtful behavior onto themselves and others, to have clearer understanding towards hurts and hurtful behavior, and be free from such ignorance and suffering.

People would want to think and believe that forgiveness is the key to be free from hurts and be free from anger due to those hurts. There's nothing wrong with that. However, the thinking and belief about "I want to forgive and I have forgiven those who had hurt me" without thorough understanding towards hurts and hurtful behavior won't free the minds from continuing be disturbed by the past hurtful experiences and feel hurt and angry in the present and for the rest of one's life, and would hurt oneself and others out of those hurt and anger, even after many years.

There are some people who refuse to forgive and continuing to feel hurt and angry, and blaming those past hurtful experiences as the cause of their own hurtful behavior and unhappiness in life. There's nothing wrong with that, and it's their freedom to think, feel, act, react and behave as they are.

Meanwhile, there are many people who would want to be free from hurts and anger, who would want to be able to forgive and let go, or who think and believe that they have had forgiven those who had inflicted some hurtful experiences onto them in the past, but somehow, they would still be disturbed very much by the remembrance towards those hurtful experiences and continuing to feel hurt and angry, and would behave in the way that hurt themselves and others out of those reactions of hurt and anger deriving from remembering the past hurtful experiences in the present moment, while thinking and believing that it's the responsibility of those who had inflicted hurtful experiences onto them in the past for ruining their life for behaving in the way that hurt themselves and others, for all their failure and unhappiness in the present moment and the rest of their life.

There is the thought/belief of "I was being hurt by some others who had done something bad, wrong and hurtful to me, and I deserved to feel hurt and angry, and I deserve to continue to feel hurt and angry, and it's their responsibility for all my unhappiness and my hurtful behavior now." This is because the mind didn't or doesn't understand about hurts and hurtful behavior.

Some would even blame themselves for other people's hurtful behavior. "I was bad and I am not good. That's why I deserved all those hurtful behavior from others."

Regardless of whether intentionally or unintentionally, wittingly or unwittingly, randomly or deliberately, people who inflict hurtful behavior onto themselves or others, is all out of ignorance.

Out of ignorance, some minds are intentionally and wittingly inflicting hurtful behavior onto others to hurt others randomly or deliberately, while some are unintentionally and unwittingly inflicting hurtful behavior onto others that hurt others, randomly. Both conditions are a form of mental illness. Those who are not mentally ill, they will have sufficient understanding, awareness and self-control towards their own behavior, action and reaction.

None can reason with those who are ignorant, who are mentally ill, who would behave in the way that hurt themselves and others, wittingly or unwittingly.

It's not something bad or wrong, if the minds are under the influence of ignorance and are mentally ill, where they don't have understanding, awareness and self-control over their own behavior, action and reaction. Just that those behaviors are hurting themselves, their lives and some others.

We can say that it's unfortunate if we reluctantly come/came in contact with a mentally ill unknown person who inflicts/inflicted hurtful behavior onto us randomly, even if it's someone that we know within the family or friend circle. We acknowledge the consequences of other people's ignorant destructive behavior and clean up whatever mess that is necessary, and move on our life without being determined by the destructive behavior of those who are ignorant and mentally ill. We don't and shouldn't blame ourselves. We don't and couldn't blame those who are ignorant and mentally ill, who have no awareness and self-control over their behavior. There is no need forgiveness either. Neither do we need to let go anything. There is no hurt, or anger, or hatred towards the destructive behavior inflicted by those who are ignorant and mentally ill.

We can choose to move away from those who are under the influence of ignorance or mental illness, if we don't want to continuously dealing with the ignorance or mental illness of others, or we can choose to be there to look after them even though we have to deal with their ignorance or mental illness. There's neither right nor wrong either way.

If out of our own ignorance, we have expectation towards all or most of the human beings in the society, especially those whom we know, who are our family members or friends, may it be our parents and siblings, or partners/lovers/children/teachers/leaders, that they should behave and treat us in certain way and shouldn't behave or treat us in certain way, and we feel hurt and angry by their ignorant hurtful behavior inflicted onto us, either intentionally or unintentionally, and continuously to feel hurt and angry for many years onward, and out of those continuous hurt and anger, we ourselves would constantly behave in the way that hurt ourselves and others, while justifying that our suffering, unhappiness and hurtful behavior is all because of those undeserving past hurtful experiences inflicted by bad and wrongful people, then know that, it's our own responsibility for not having the correct understanding towards the modification of the mind, the mind perception of names and forms, actions and reactions, attachment and expectation, and more importantly, the cause of all kinds of hurtful behavior deriving from human beings that hurt oneself and others, either randomly or deliberately.

At the moment when we are experiencing some hurtful experiences, it's normal that we feel pain physically if there's some physical injury, and feel hurt and angry mentally or emotionally. But, after that moment, if we continuing to feel hurt and angry mentally and emotionally, it's due to our own ignorance of grasping or attachment. Even if there is some physical damages that cannot be undone, but what's the point of hurting ourselves further with mental and emotional pain that doesn't need to be there, but we keep feeding them out of ignorance and attachment?

The hurtful experiences might have caused some permanent or momentary physical damages, and might cause momentary mental and emotional disturbance for some time, but it doesn't and couldn't cause prolonged mental and emotional pain unless we ourselves 'grasp onto' and 'allow' those hurtful experiences to determine our life onward and affecting our physical, mental and emotional well being. It's the responsibility of those who inflicted hurtful experiences onto others for inflicting some physical injury or some mental/emotional disturbance in others as it happens, but afterwards, it's our own responsibility if we don't understand that all kinds of intentional or unintentional hurtful behavior are deriving from ignorance and mental illness, just like any destructive natural disaster deriving from the selfless nature that causes random damages to lives and properties and the surrounding environment itself, and we don't want to let go, or don't know how to let go, and continuing to feel hurt and angry for the damages that cannot be undone, and out of those continuous self-empowered reaction of hurt and anger towards the past hurtful experiences, we behave in the way that hurt ourselves and others, either randomly or deliberately, while blaming those ignorant mentally ill people who had inflicted hurtful experiences onto others, or blaming the natural disasters that generated random damages, for 'making' us to behave in the way that hurt ourselves and others for our entire life.

Dealing with undesirable hurtful experiences as it happens, is already energy exhausting. Out of grasping or attachment deriving from our own ignorance, we continue to be dealing with our own self-responsible and self-empowered reactions of continuous hurt and anger towards the past hurtful experiences, is even more energy exhausting. It's unnecessary.

The minds that have correct understanding about the modification of the mind, they don't and won't argue with or save hatred towards anyone, not to say, to argue and be angry with and save hatred towards those who are under the influence of ignorance and mental illness, who can't reason, who have no awareness and no self-control, who behave ignorantly and hurtfully, or blaming them for 'causing' all our failure and unhappiness in life, or blaming them for our own hurtful behavior inflicting onto ourselves and others out of our disappointment, hurt, anger and hatred towards who/what hurt us.

Those who are free from ignorance, who are free from hurts and anger, who understand the mind and who have truly forgiven or let go all kinds of past and present hurtful experiences, they have no aversion or problem towards remembering or talking about all the past hurtful experiences, and being undetermined or undisturbed by remembering and talking about any past unpleasant hurtful experiences, without self-blaming or blaming others for all kinds of hurtful experiences deriving from the ignorance and mental illness of others.

Those who think and believe that they have forgiven those who had hurt them in the past, but they still feel hurt and angry by remembering or talking about the past hurtful experiences even after many years, and they have aversion towards talking about it, as they continue to feel hurt and angry upon talking about it, it means that they haven't understand towards hurts and hurtful behavior, and they haven't really forgiven and let go.

It's everyone's freedom if they want to continue feeling hurt and angry, and 'allowing' past undesirable hurtful experiences to determine and affect their life in the present and for the rest of their life, and out of those reactions of 'hurt' and 'anger' towards remembering the past hurtful experiences, they are behaving in the way that hurt themselves and others, thinking and believing that "It's because of you, I am behaving like this. My life is ruined by you and your hurtful behavior. I am hurting myself and everyone else now because of your hurtful behavior and what you did to me in the past. It's all your fault." Or, they can choose to understand, and stop hating or blaming all those who are ignorant and mentally ill, who behave/behaved hurtfully due to ignorance and mental illness, either randomly or deliberately, not allowing the past hurtful experiences deriving from the ignorance and mental illness of some others to determine or affect their life in the present moment and the rest of their life, and be free.

Out of ignorance, many minds are not aware of themselves are under the influence of ignorance, where one has no correct understanding, awareness and self-control, and hence, one constantly feels hurt and angered by the ignorant hurtful behavior of some others, as well as constantly acting and reacting in the way that hurt oneself and others, out of disappointment, hurt, anger and hatred towards what they perceived as 'hurtful', 'undeserving', 'wrongful' and 'disappointing', either randomly or deliberately. Oneself is also suffering from ignorance and mental illness.

Mental illness is something very common that present in many human minds functioning under the influence of ignorance, including highly educated and knowledgeable people who have a 'normal' family, work and social life, but many people would see 'mental illness' as something 'bad' or a 'taboo' and would be offended to be referred as mentally ill. Only those who are aware of the presence of ignorance or mental illness in one's mind could help themselves to be free from ignorance or mental illness, to stop hurting themselves and others, before it's becoming uncontrollable.

Mental illness doesn't only limited to those who have lost the ability to look after themselves mentally and couldn't have a 'normal' family, work and social life, or need to depend on medications everyday. But anyone who can still live a 'normal' life, but are highly sensitive, attention seeking, defensive and offensive, who are being over-powered by the desire of craving and aversion, who would behave in the way that hurt themselves or others in different ways, out of ignorance, out of disappointment, hurt, anger and hatred, either wittingly or unwittingly, randomly or deliberately, being determined by other people's judgment, expectation, praise and criticism, action and reaction, to evaluate and determine themselves and their life, while blaming others' bad and wrongful behavior for causing them to have hurtful behavior, failure, disappointment, anger, regret and unhappiness in life, they are indeed suffering from certain degrees of mental illness. It's not a criticism. It's not a shaming. It's not an attack. It's to be aware of what is going on in our own minds, to do something about it before it's too late.

If we have truly understood, forgiven and let go, there's no continuous hurt or anger towards anyone or anything from the past or in the present moment. It's our own responsibility for our own action and reaction towards other people's action and reaction. No one can ruin our lives or take away our happiness, unless we allow it to ruin our lives and take away our happiness, even if there are some damages that cannot be undone. When we come to the end of our lives, we will realize that it really doesn't matter. But why suffering so much until the end of life to realize "It really doesn't matter"? Why not now while we are still living? My mother, my father and my brother had all passed away. Life was greatly difficult for them. When they passed away, it really didn't matter about who suffer less or who suffer more. I'm glad that my mother, my father and my brother smiled through the hardships and laughed after crying when life was too hard.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Free the mind from craving towards love, acknowledgement, appreciation and/or validation from anyone

There's nothing wrong with receiving love, acknowledgement and appreciation from some other beings in our life, if it's there. It's the social/cultural/psychological thinking and belief about human beings 'need' to be receiving love, acknowledgement, appreciation and/or validation from some others or a community for being existing in this world to feel meaningful, love, high self-esteem, worthy, satisfaction, happiness, and so on, that is why so many people are 'suffering' from the sense of loneliness, missingness, meaninglessness, lovelessness, low self-esteem, low self-worth, disappointment, unhappiness, and so on, when they think they are not receiving/getting 'enough' love, acknowledgment and appreciation from some others to fuel/boost their sense of meaningfulness, love, self-esteem, self-worth, satisfaction, happiness, and so on.

Though the 'legal' validation and authorization by some self claimed/community supported 'authority' for being existing, living, doing something and moving around in this world is something else, which is truly unnecessary and shouldn't be existing at all, as well as it's the main source of all kinds of discrimination, unrest and humanity cruelty, but we all are being 'legally bound' by it the moment we were being born into this world, reluctantly. When people actively fight for freedom of anything in this world, it's actually about freedom from being 'controlled' by any 'corrupted' legality/authorization/authority. The world would be a much better place if without any so called legality/authorization/authority that create borders and separation among human beings, while discriminating and oppressing all and everyone 'legally'.

Regardless of the many different types of ethnic, cultural and social background in the world, it's common that many people were being brought up/educated in the way of developing intense attachment and identification towards a personal, family and community identity that fueled by a strong sense of belonging and recognition coming from attaining or receiving love, acknowledgement, appreciation, acceptance, accreditation, validation, liking and support from some others, or family, or a community. This is part of the play of ignorance and egoism that relates to the many kinds of mental and emotional suffering in this world.

The basic practice of yoga and Buddhism is to free the mind from such ignorance and egoism through the practice of dispassion, renunciation, non-attachment, non-identification, desireless, non-craving, non-aversion and non-expectation.

It's normal that many people, including yoga practitioners and yoga teachers, who never practice dispassion, renunciation, non-attachment, non-identification and non-craving/clinging/aversion towards all and everything, would be disturbed very much by the sense of loneliness, missingness, meaninglessness, low self-esteem, unworthiness, disappointment, unhappiness, grief, sorrow, and so on, upon the presence and absence of certain experience, condition and situation that they think and believe is the cause of loneliness, missingness, meaninglessness, low self-esteem, unworthiness, disappointment, unhappiness, grief and sorrow in their life existence.

Self-esteem and self-worth shouldn't and doesn't need to be existing in this life existence of impermanent and selfless names and forms, but that's the way human beings were/are being 'conditioned' to develop 'self-esteem' and 'self-worth' to be somebody who constantly needs to be 'loved', 'accepted', 'acknowledged', 'appreciated', and/or 'validated' by some others, their family and community, from the moment being born until the moment of death.

No one can 'help' those who are reluctant to help themselves to be free from all kinds of mental and emotional suffering by freeing their minds from ignorance and egoism, not to say, those who feel being 'offended' very much by this teaching of yoga and Buddhism about freeing one's mind from ignorance and egoism, alone by oneself, but only looking forward to be giving and receiving love, acknowledgement, appreciation, acceptance, accreditation, approval, agreement, liking and support between one another, to attain certain 'validation' of being 'existing' in this worldly life existence, to chase away the sense of loneliness, meaninglessness, missingness, unworthiness, disappointment, dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and so on.

Upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, one doesn't even need any 'validation' from oneself, not to say, from anyone else.

Not all yoga teachers are free from ignorance and egoism

Some yoga teachers are disturbed, frustrated, irritated, angry and hurt by certain things in the world that their minds perceived as 'bad', 'wrong', 'disagreeable', 'inhumanity', and 'suffering'.

There's nothing wrong with any kind of reaction, as everyone is free to act and react as they are, and most minds would react in such way under the influence of ignorance and egoism. Because of ignorance, they are being ignorant of these reactions are out of ignorance and egoism, but instead, they would think and believe that human beings should be reacting in such way out of loving kindness and compassion, while those who don't react in such way are lack of loving kindness or compassion.

Not all yoga teachers are free from ignorance and egoism. It's normal that there are some yoga teachers are being disturbed by what their minds perceived as 'bad', 'wrong', 'disagreeable', 'inhumanity' and 'suffering' based on certain worldly social/cultural/spiritual/religious/humanity belief, values and practice, and yet, they don't really know what is going on in their minds, while thinking that they and other human beings should be reacting in such way out of loving kindness or compassion. But not really.

Many yoga teachers in the world are like everyone else, taking their own time to evolve, to free their minds from ignorance and egoism at their own pace, while conducting yoga classes for some other people to be learning and practicing yoga with them for whatever reasons, intentions and expectations.

None can 'advise' or 'enlighten' the minds that are still functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, including many of the Internationally certified/qualified 'yoga teachers' in the world, who think and believe that they love yoga very much, and claiming that themselves are quiet experienced in practicing and teaching yoga, as they have been practicing and teaching yoga for quite many years already. But all those years of experience in practicing and teaching yoga under Internationally recognized certification and qualification, as well as how much the mind thinks and believes that it loves yoga very much, cannot determine that the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, even when they think and believe that themselves are compassionate loving and kind beings who want to spread love, happiness and peace into the world.

Many people might also be doing many social charity work for the community in the world. It's excellent for people to be reaching out and helping each other in the world. But performing many good actions for many years also doesn't and cannot determine that the mind is free from ignorance and egoism.

All these Internationally certified and qualified 'yoga teachers' are also doing their best to purify and quiet their minds, to free their minds from ignorance, egoism and impurities, to allow their minds to see the truth of things as it is, to realize selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, to be free from all kinds of disturbs and suffering deriving from ignorance and egoism, to realize unconditional love and peace, being undetermined and undisturbed by all the different qualities of name and form or impermanent pleasant/unpleasant/agreeable/disagreeable/desirable/undesirable life experiences that the selfless mind perceives through the senses, according to what the yoga teachings and practice is about.

If the mind is still functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, then most probably the mind is also being ignorant towards the ignorance and egoism existing in itself, and hence, not many 'yoga teachers' are aware of the ignorance and egoism in their minds, even though they practice and teach about awareness or mindfulness, and they are still being passionate towards worldly egoistic affairs and relationships, while being disturbed and determined by the perception of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations, feelings/emotions, and thoughts process of likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, actions and reactions based on their intellectual understanding, knowledge and belief. The mind is still functioning under egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, and hence constantly react towards the absence and presence of names and forms/experiences that the mind likes and dislikes, desires and doesn't desire, agrees and disagrees with, and be disturbed and affected physically/mentally/emotionally very much by the absence of something likable/desirable/agreeable and the presence of something dislikable/undesirable/disagreeable, based on certain worldly egoistic social/cultural/spiritual/religious/humanity thinking and belief.

The minds that realized selflessness and compassion, being free from ignorance and egoism, will be aware of all the pleasant and unpleasant, desirable and undesirable, agreeable and disagreeable experiences, events, happenings, conditions and situations, but these minds are not being influenced, affected, disturbed or determined by all those names and forms, as these minds are free from the egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, and expectation. These minds don't deny or ignore all those names and forms, but just being aware of it without attachment and expectation towards the perceived reality has to be or not to be in certain way.

These selfless compassionate minds can be performing selfless actions in the world out of compassion, but there's no attachment, identification or expectation towards the action and the fruit of action. There's no disturbs or suffering in these minds while being aware of the many kinds of suffering that exist in the world and upon coming in contact with names and forms that are unpleasant, undesirable, or disagreeable.

The selfless compassionate minds are free from disturbs and suffering, even though they are aware of there are many things in the world that are being perceived as 'bad', 'wrong', 'disagreeable' and 'inhumanity' that are going against 'righteousness', 'loving kindness' and 'humanity' based on the worldly passionate thinking and belief, where many passionate egoistic minds who love and care for the world passionately, are very much being disturbed by all the things that are 'bad', 'wrong', 'disagreeable' and 'inhumanity', while thinking and believing that themselves are being disturbed is 'the normal reaction and the right thing to do out of loving kindness', while those who don't react the same like them, who remain equanimous in peace, being undisturbed by what is happening in the world would be perceived and recognized by the passionate loving egoistic minds as 'lack of loving kindness', 'wrong', 'inhumanity' and 'abnormal'. There's nothing wrong with that kind of reaction, understanding and thinking, as these minds are not aware of their minds are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that their minds are being disturbed is due to ignorance and egoism, and out of passionate love and hatred towards what they think is love or hatred deserving.

These minds that are being disturbed and angered by something that they perceived and recognized as 'bad', 'wrong', 'disagreeable', 'inhumanity' and 'suffering', while thinking and believing that they are acting and reacting out of compassionate loving kindness, only indicates that they haven't realized what is compassion. They don't know what is compassion is because they haven't realized selflessness. They haven't realized selflessness is because the mind is still influenced by ignorance, egoism, and impurities, especially passion, attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, and expectation. Their minds are acting and reacting out of passionate love, not selfless compassion, as the selfless compassionate minds won't be disturbed by all the 'bad', 'wrong', 'disagreeable', 'inhumanity', or the amount of suffering in many beings in the world that derived from ignorance, egoism and impurities.

These minds are being ignorant towards themselves are disturbed by the passionate love, attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, and expectation in their own minds. They feel disturbed, frustrated, irritated, angry and hurt by all the things that they perceived as 'bad', 'wrong', 'disagreeable', 'inhumanity' and 'suffering' in the world, is not coming from all those names and forms, but it's how the minds react towards those names and forms out of ignorance and egoism, and they feel disturbed, frustrated, irritated, angry and hurt because things are not being the way that they think, believe, desire and expect how it should be.

Contemplate on what is peacefulness and how to effectively disseminate peace into the world. Contemplate on the essence of the teachings of yoga about unconditional love and peace that is unconditional and unlimited by the impermanent good or bad qualities of name and form that the mind perceives through the senses.

Upon seeing the truth of what is going on in one's mind, one won't be blaming what the mind perceives as bad and wrong things happening in the world for one's mind reaction of disturb, irritation, frustration, anger, hurt, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, grief, painful sorrow, or suffering.

Being aware of something is bad and wrong, and the reaction towards something that is bad and wrong, are two different things. It doesn't have to be related together. But, out of ignorance and egoism, most minds constantly react towards what they are aware of.

How can one promote and spread peace into the world by being disturbed and angry towards what the mind thinks and believes is hindering peace in the world?

The liberated peaceful beings in the past were being at peace while living and performing selfless compassionate actions in the world at different era. It wasn't that those beings were being peaceful because there was nothing bad, wrong, disagreeable, inhumanity or suffering existing in the world during those era. If one can only attain peace and be peaceful when there's nothing bad, wrong, disagreeable, inhumanity or suffering existing in the world, then that isn't what unconditional love and peace is about.

Learn how to be undetermined and undisturbed by all the names and forms. Being undisturbed by all the names and forms doesn't mean that one is unconcerned or denying towards what is happening around. Being undisturbed by others' suffering doesn't mean that one is emotionless and doesn't care about others' suffering. The mind that is free from ignorance and egoism is void of disturbs and suffering that is relating to oneself or others, while might be performing certain actions pointing out the ignorance and corruption in the world and guiding the ignorant minds to see the ignorance and corruption in themselves. There's nothing anyone can do if the mind still doesn't get this or understand this.

Be free.

Karma - Cause and effect - Action and consequences of action

Those who know karma, or cause and effect, or action and the consequences of action, and have realized non-duality, selflessness, namelessness, formlessness, attributelessness, there's no craving towards 'good' karma and there's no aversion towards 'bad' karma. There's neither 'good' karma nor 'bad' karma. Karma is not a belief. It's just how things are. Whether people understand or don't understand, agree with or disagree with karma, impermanence or selflessness, the truth of karma, impermanence and selflessness is still what it is. Just like all kinds of names and forms exist and cease existing due to cause and effect, and they are impermanent and selfless, all actions and the fruit of actions are also impermanent and selfless. All actions bring consequences of actions, maybe pleasant experiences, maybe unpleasant experiences. Karma/cause and effect is just being what it is. It's neither good nor bad, neither right nor wrong, neither positive nor negative, neither agreeable nor disagreeable, neither enjoyment nor suffering, neither happiness nor unhappiness.

Those who think they know karma, and they haven't transcended/gone beyond the modification of the mind that gives rise to duality, egoism, names and forms and quality, there's attachment and identification towards actions and the fruit of actions, or cause and effect, or karma. There's craving towards 'good' karma and aversion towards 'bad' karma. For them, karma is a belief where they think they believe in karma. They would think and believe that the accumulation of 'good' karma will bring happiness and pleasurable enjoyment and will be void of unhappiness and painful suffering, while the accumulation of 'bad' karma will bring unhappiness and painful suffering and will be void of happiness and pleasurable enjoyment. And what is good and bad for them is based on their particular social/cultural/spiritual/religious thinking and belief.

To those who are free from ignorance and egoism, karma or cause and effect is not a belief but it's the truth of things along with impermanence and selflessness. There's no attachment towards action as well as the pleasant or unpleasant consequences of action. The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism are undisturbed and undetermined by the actions and the fruit of actions, or cause and effect, or karma. There's no judgment towards this and that action are good or bad, right or wrong that based on a particular social/cultural/spiritual/religious thinking and belief. There's no expectation towards this is good action that will bring pleasant fruit of action, and that is bad action that will bring unpleasant fruit of action. It's just action and the fruit of action, regardless of pleasant or unpleasant.

Only those who are not free from ignorance and egoism will have such idea or thinking about "This is my good/bad action, and this is my good/bad fruit of action. I am enjoying the pleasant fruit of good action and I am suffering from the unpleasant fruit of bad action."

An apple seed brings the fruit of an apple tree.

An orange seed brings the fruit of an orange tree.

Apple seed won't bring the fruit of orange tree and orange seed won't bring the fruit of apple tree.

Neither apple or orange is 'good'. Neither apple or orange is 'bad'.

Different apple trees bring the fruit of different tastes and textures apples. Some like it sweeter and softer, while some like it tangier and crispier. Neither sweet and soft apples or tangy and crisp apples are 'good' or 'bad'.

Different orange trees bring the fruit of different tastes oranges. Some like it sweeter, while some like it tangier. Neither sweet oranges or tangy oranges are 'good' or 'bad'.

Some people like and enjoy eating apples and don't like/don't enjoy eating oranges, while some like and enjoy eating oranges and don't like/don't enjoy eating apples.

Neither the apples or oranges have the quality or intention to bring happiness or unhappiness, enjoyment or non-enjoyment to anyone who like or doesn't like eating apples or oranges, who enjoy or doesn't enjoy eating apples or oranges.

Many people who think and believe that they have been doing many 'good' actions and believe that they should be enjoying the fruit of 'good' karma derived from 'good' actions are not necessarily peaceful and happy being free from disturbs, hurts, disappointment, anger, fear and painful suffering. Peaceful and happy, or not, and being free from disturbs, hurts, disappointment, anger, fear and painful suffering, or not, is undetermined by actions and the fruit of actions, or cause and effect, or karma. It's whether the mind is free from ignorance and egoism, or not. Some people have to go through many unpleasant experiences and don't experience much pleasant experiences, but still can be peaceful as they are. Some people go through many pleasant experiences and don't experience much unpleasant experiences, but are not necessarily peaceful.

Even if one strongly believes in one has lots of 'bad' karma as life is full of hardship, obstacles and difficulties, one can still be free and have peace, if one knows how to be free from ignorance and egoism. Even if one strongly believes in one has lots of 'good' karma as life is easy and comfortable, one won't be free or peaceful, if one doesn't know how to be free from ignorance and egoism.

Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, Gurus, and many saints and sages in the past had to go through many difficulties, challenges, threats, or unpleasant physical/mental/emotional painful experiences before they attained liberation, does that means they all had had lots of 'bad karma'? If so, it's not a bad thing at all having 'bad karma'.

Inquire the truth of everything. Do not blind-believing, blind-following, blind-propagating, or blind-practicing anything.

Be free.

"He who is devoid of 'mine-ness' will not be bound by Karma whether he dwells in his house or wanders in a forest." - Swami Sivananda

Observe silence to quiet the restless modification of the mind

When someone is performing yoga practice or meditation practice (self-practice), one is observing silence as much as possible practically, regardless of whether the mind is still processing some random thought activities, or not. One doesn't talk, or grumble, or groan, or argue, or debate, or criticize, or inspire, or aspire, or communicate/interact with anyone not even so called 'spiritual connection' with 'God' or 'higher spirits'. One doesn't read any material, or ask questions, or looking at and listening to anyone or anything (teacher/other practitioners/scenery/video/music/podcast/conversation), or expect certain feedback/evaluation towards one's practice, or expect particular result/effect/benefit/pleasure from the practice.

The senses are being withdrawn/restricted from chasing after the objects of the senses, and the outgoing mind is being channeled inward to be resting in the present moment, or to be aware of the practice/the breath/the pulse/the sensation/the flow of energy/prana/heat in the body, without attachment/identification with the selfless impermanent function of the physical body and the state of the mind, while allowing any result/effect/benefit/pleasantness/unpleasantness/ability/disability to be existing or non-existing, to be what it is, as it is, allowing any existing sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and thoughts being there as they are, without analyzing/asserting/projecting/craving/aversion, without association with or attachment towards all these names and forms, to be quieting the restless modification of the mind effectively.

This is not really possible in a 'yoga class' where there is a teacher giving instructions/explanation teaching/leading a group of people performing the practice, while the group of people have to be looking at the teacher or other people in the group, and listening to while analyzing/understanding/following the teacher's instructions to perform the practice, and expecting feedback/evaluation from the teacher and/or others towards one's performance/practice, as well as expecting particular result/effect/benefit from the practice. "How well/correct am I doing the practice?"

Meanwhile some people's minds are being 'disturbed' or 'offended' very much by certain teachings of yoga being taught in the 'yoga class' that are different from their thinking and belief, or be 'disturbed' or 'intimidated' by how the teacher teach/conduct the 'yoga class', or be 'dissatisfied' with the 'yoga class' is not being the way that they would like it to be (either too intense, or too gentle, or too crowded, or too quiet, too much or not enough attention, too challenging or not challenging enough, or not the kind of practice that they would enjoy).

For people who don't know the practice yet, of course they need to learn from someone who knows the practice, such like attending 'yoga classes' for some time to be following instructions from a teacher to learn about the practice and how to perform the practice. Attending 'yoga classes' is mostly about 'learning'. After 'learning' and 'knowing' the practice, one must develop self-discipline to perform self-practice in solitude and silence, truly immersing into the practice.

That's why 'yoga practice' is always more 'practical' when performing self-practice in solitude and silence in terms of quieting the restless modification of the mind, where the modification of mind inputs and outputs are being limited to the maximum efficiently. Those who already developed their own regular self-practice don't need to attend 'yoga classes' to be following instructions to be performing their practice, though there's nothing wrong if they attend 'yoga classes' once in a while for some reasons.

There are some 'silent self-practice yoga classes' are about providing a specific practice time and space for yoga practitioners to be sharing a practice space at a specific time to be performing their own self-practice. Even though there are other practitioners being in the same space, everyone is observing silence to the maximum, focusing on their own practice. There shouldn't be any social interactions during the practice.

'Yoga teachers' need to teach 'yoga classes' in the way that would allow the students to develop the essential understanding of the teaching and practice, as well as self-reliance and self-discipline, and be able to perform self-practice without supervision/instruction from other people, and this will allow the mind be trained to turn inward to be quiet and be able to process and solve most problems in life by itself.

There's nothing wrong with 'asking and receiving help and support from others' when someone encounters 'problems' in life, especially in terms of some physical and mental illnesses that require special care and specific medical treatment, or some technical problems where everyone has their own limited knowledge and experience to be doing something, and people need to be helped and supported by other people who have the knowledge and experience that oneself doesn't have. While for most non-technical and non-medical care/treatment related problems, such like 'thinking/decision making/relationship/emotional problems', the best solution or the best answer to one's doubt, is coming from within of a calmed and quiet mind.

One just needs to learn to be by oneself and be quiet, be away from all kinds of advice, opinion or suggestion from different people who 'would like' to give 'advice, suggestion, help and support' in the way that they think it's best from their own point of view, and observe/watch what is going on in the mind, seeing the nature and the root cause of what the mind perceives/recognizes as 'problems/doubts/unhappiness/hurts', to allow the mind to go beyond and be undisturbed by these 'problems/doubts/unhappiness/hurts'. Once the mind sees the truth, all kinds of 'problems/doubts/unhappiness/hurts' will eventually cease existing. One doesn't need to talk to anyone about anything to release tension/unhappiness, or hoping someone is there to be listening to and sharing one's 'problems', to be receiving advice, love, care, help or support from other people, to feel better, or to influence oneself making certain decision.

Although there's nothing wrong when most people would see this thinking and emotional independence of 'self-reliant thinking/decision making/relationship/emotional problem solving' as 'unacceptable', 'inappropriate', 'wrong' or 'unhealthy' social behavior, as most people in the society practice and encourage all human beings need to be 'reaching out to other people', 'talking to other people' and 'receiving advice, help, support from other people', and most people do 'need' to reach out to other people to get help and suggestion, as they are being conditioned by the society to be emotionally interdependent, that they don't know how to deal with 'the problems' they have and making decision independently by themselves, or else, when they think and feel that their 'problems' are too much for them, when they think they are alone and have no one being there to be helping and supporting them, they might hurt themselves and/or others, whether wittingly or unwittingly. People think and believe that 'all human beings' need to hold onto 'something' physically/mentally/emotionally to live life, whether it's family, friends, relationship, children, pets, hobby, interest, work, religion, spirituality, 'God', or anything that give/feed the sense of existence and meaningfulness. When something falls apart or during the most difficult moments, at least they think they have something that they can lean or hang onto. And that's their freedom of choice.

People would think and believe, "Oh, what a pitiful meaningless life without family/friends/somebody being there to share, to talk to, to play with, to support one another, to enjoy life." This saying doesn't valid/apply to the minds that practice yoga, that are free from being conditioned by worldly social/cultural/religious/political thinking and belief, that are aware of what is going on in the mind and be unattached towards/undetermined by the selfless impermanent qualities of names and forms, that are free from desire of craving and aversion.

In yoga, this ability of 'self-reliant thinking/decision making/relationship/emotional problem solving' is true liberation for the mind, being undisturbed or being okay under any difficult moments and challenging condition and situation in life that one has to deal with by oneself, where one has clear thinking and self-control without hurting oneself and/or others. It doesn't mean that one doesn't have any family/friends in life, but one doesn't need to rely on the existence of family/friends/somebody being present as supporter, or receiving help/support from anyone to deal with any difficult moments under challenging condition and situation. When 'family/friends/somebody' or external help and support from other people/teacher/Guru/'God' appear to be absent or not available for some reasons, it's fine. One doesn't need to hurt oneself and/or others, as one is peaceful as one is, being undetermined by any 'difficult moments' or 'existing problems' that one is going through, repairing what can be repaired and letting go what has to be let go, making decisions without doubt/fear/guilt/regret, and taking full responsibility towards one's actions and the consequences of the actions.

"You came alone and you will go alone." - Swami Sivananda

Learn how to free the mind from all kinds of disturbs or hurts

When a mind/person feels disturbed, unhappy, angered, disappointed or hurt by something, usually the impulsive reaction will be expecting some kind of sympathy or empathy from other minds/people, and looking forward to be comforted, loved, looked after, acknowledged, or supported by other minds/people. And most minds/people would also think and believe that that is how people should react towards other people's state of minds that are disturbed, unhappy, angry, disappointed or hurt, to be there to be listening to what they think is disturbing their minds and comforting these suffering minds/people by showing them love, care, acknowledgement and support, to be sharing and lessening their 'unhappiness' or 'suffering', in terms of generating a 'loving kindness' society/community. There's nothing wrong with that and it might give the troubled/disturbed/unhappy/angry/disappointed/hurt minds certain degrees of relieve, to feel better, but it doesn't help them to be free from the root cause of the suffering from disturbs, unhappiness, anger, disappointment, or hurts. Instead, most probably it might be unintentionally empowering or feeding the attachment, clinging, craving or expectation in people’s mind.

Just like giving sugary fizzy drinks to the unhappy kids might make them feel happy, but they would crave for more sugary drinks to make them feel happy. As once the craving is being gratified, it would only intensify the craving. And if their craving is not being gratified, they would be more unhappy. That's not freedom at all.

There's clinging, craving and expectation towards receiving sympathy, empathy, love, affection, care, acknowledgement, or support from others, even though there's nothing wrong with receiving sympathy, empathy, love, affection, care, acknowledgement, or support from others, as this is what most worldly minds/people believe and expect the society/community/family/relationship/friendship should be, but the mind is not free. If for some reasons, the mind doesn't get what it thinks and believes it deserves to be getting from others, it will be more disturbed/unhappy/angry/disappointed/hurt and would do things that would hurt itself and/or others. This is not freedom.

As well as most egoistic minds would want to feel that they are needed by others to feel good and meaningful about themselves and their life existence, that they are capable to give and show love, care, affection, sympathy, empathy, acknowledgment and support to others who 'need' them. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, just that these minds would feel bad or meaningless if for some reasons they think that they are not needed by some others, or when they think that other people do not appreciate what they give. This is not freedom.

Only those who can go beyond worldly thinking and belief can penetrate the real meaning of this teaching and practice. It doesn't mean that everyone in the society will become 'cold', 'heartless' or 'lack of sympathy/empathy', but the minds are free from clinging, craving or expectation towards receiving the 'deserving' love, care, affection, sympathy, empathy, acknowledgment and support from others to feel loved, cared, worthy, comforted, acknowledged or supported, to feel good and meaningful, by knowing what is going on in the mind and be free from ignorance and egoism, and thus, be free from all kinds of disturbs, unhappiness, anger, disappointment, or hurts. One doesn't need anyone to be there to be listening to one's 'troubles', 'unhappiness' or 'hurts', to be 'comforted', as there's no trouble, unhappiness or hurt existing in this liberated mind. One also can give and show sympathy, empathy, love, care and support to others without the attachment, identification, craving, intention or expectation in order to attain good and meaningful feelings towards oneself or one's life existence. That is true freedom and compassion.

Yoga practice such like cleansing technique, breathing exercises, yoga asana exercises, chanting, prayer, or concentration practice, can also give the effects of relieving certain degrees of disturbs, unhappiness, anger, disappointment or hurts in the minds, but again, it doesn't stop the mind from continuing be disturbed, unhappy, angry, disappointed, or hurt by something that they don't like, don't want and don't agree with, that they think is bad, wrong, disturbing, unhappy, frustrating, disappointing, or hurtful, if the mind is not free from ignorance, egoism and impurities.

Those who truly want to learn and practice yoga, it's not about doing some forms of yoga practice to be getting some conditional and impermanent physical/mental/emotional benefits or getting some momentary relief from what they think is painful suffering, but they learn how to free the mind from the root cause of all kinds of suffering, of disturbs, unhappiness, anger, disappointment, or hurts.

Naturally, the society will have more physical/mental/emotional healthy minds/people, where the minds/people realized unconditional love from within, know how to look after themselves and love others unconditionally, being free from clinging, craving, aversion or expectation.

But not many minds/people would understand and appreciate the greatness of this freedom. Most minds/people believe in and want a society/community/family/relationship/friendship that builds on 'needing each other' all the time to feel love, good, happy and meaningful, and to feel less lonely or to escape loneliness. That's how people are being taken advantage by others who have selfish intention being in a relationship or friendship. Even in the world of yoga, some yoga teachers or so called 'gurus' take advantage of the yoga students for their vulnerability when the students longing or expecting to be receiving comfort, sympathy, empathy, kindness, love, care, affection, acknowledgment, or supports from the yoga teachers or 'gurus'.

It's everyone's freedom for what they think or don't think, believe or disbelieve, want and don't want. People don't have to practice yoga of freeing the mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, but just want to do some yoga practice regularly and engaging in social/community activities, to attain some momentary physical/mental/emotional benefits or relief, to attain some kinds of conditional and impermanent good, positive, loving, happy and meaningful feelings.

Work diligently to free the mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities, if one wants to attain or realize this freedom.

Help oneself, love oneself, take care oneself

There are those who would lie and steal, and keep telling untrue pitiful stories to themselves and others to justify their own ignorance and ignorant life decision making and behavior and the consequences of their ignorance.

People don't like to take responsibility for their ignorance and the consequences of their ignorance, but they like to tell themselves and other people about their pitiful life stories of how pitiful/helpless is their tragic and sympathy deserving difficult and challenging life conditions and situations in order to get other people's sympathy, moral and financial support, but actually in truth, most of the difficulties and challenging life conditions and situations are deriving from their ignorant thinking/belief/behavior/decision making and their passionate lustful desires and greedy ambitions of living a passionate enjoyable comfortable lifestyle with big money spending high living expenses as well as having children and grandchildren that they couldn't manage to support emotionally/financially, or to bring up properly with patience and the correct guidance, but the ignorance of themselves has become the children's 'role model' of what they are becoming, of getting into financial debts, messy troubles and broken relationships with children at young age, where they don't have the emotional/financial support, patience and correct guidance that their children need from the parents, and 'out of desperation', they would lie and steal and telling themselves and other people about untrue pitiful stories of themselves that they deserve to get sympathy, help, love, care and support from other people.

The grandchildren are unwittingly becoming exactly like their parents and grandparents, if this ignorance doesn't stop, if these grandchildren don't know how to think; if they don't help themselves as they expect the deserving help from others; if they don't love themselves as they expect the deserving love from others; if they don't take care themselves as they expect the deserving care and support from others; but just being there in their most sympathy deserving look expecting sympathy, love, affection, care and support from other people, by ceaselessly telling and reminding themselves and others untrue pitiful stories about how much they deserve sympathy, love, affection, care and support from other people, they will become the same as their parents and their grandparents.

People who really want to 'help' others who are living with difficult and challenging life condition and situation, must be aware of this ignorant thinking, belief and behavior in most people.

Most of the time, people might think and believe that themselves are very sympathetic and compassionate people who are generously helping 'those poor pitiful suffering people', by showing people sympathy, help, love, affection, care and support that they think and believe that these people deserved to be getting from other people, but they are actually empowering the ignorance in people as well as in themselves.

Out of this ignorant sympathetic reaction, people keep telling the young children from broken family with financial difficulty that they are so pitiful, that they deserve sympathy, help, love, affection, care and support from other people, without knowing that many of these children would become the victims of people with selfish intention and get caught in young age childbearing, child marriage or sexual exploitation/abuse, because they are longing to receive 'help', 'love', 'affection', 'care' and 'support' emotionally and financially from other people.

If people truly want to help others (young children or adults) who are living with hard and challenging life conditions and situations to come out from that kind of difficult challenging life condition and situation, it's to teach and guide these people towards liberation from ignorance, the root cause of suffering, that how they should learn to help themselves, to love themselves and to take care themselves by freeing themselves from ignorant thinking and behavior and the consequences of ignorance, without the ignorant idea or thinking of 'these poor pitiful suffering people' deserve to be receiving sympathy, or help, or love, or care, or support from other people.

While those who receive sympathy, help, love, care or support from other people need to learn how to be free from the ignorance of the thinking and belief of they should expect or they deserve sympathy, help, love, care and support from other people, and other people are 'obliged' to show them sympathy, help, love, care and support just because they think and believe that their life conditions and situations are somehow more difficult and challenging than many other people.

Many people would justify to themselves that "Out of desperation derived from having to live under difficult and challenging life conditions and situations, they think and believe that it's okay to tell lies and steal and tell 'as pitiful as possible' untrue stories to get moral and financial help and support from other people that they think and believe that they deserve to be getting. And if they don't get what they think they deserve to be getting, they'll get disappointed, unhappy and angry, and when they are disappointed, unhappy and angry, they would do destructive things/actions that would hurt themselves and others, and they blame life and the world for their actions and reactions or behavior, as they think and believe that their destructive hurtful behavior is due to life and the world is being cruel and harsh on them."

While other ignorant minds/people also empower that ignorant idea/thinking/belief about it's because life and the world is being cruel and harsh on people, that's why people would behave like that. "Oh, such pitiful people. They behave like that because life is so hard and cruel on them."

That's the huge ignorance that most minds/people who think themselves are 'good and compassionate human beings' don't see in themselves.

One doesn't need to tell lies and steal, or involve in activities that hurt oneself and others, and doesn't need to behave in a destructive way towards oneself and/or others, no matter how hard and difficult life is, or how cruel and harsh the world is. It's mere ignorance when people justify their self-destructive hurtful behavior as the result of a hard and difficult life that they have. Those who understand, they won't empower this ignorance. Those who don't understand, they would get offended by this teaching. And that's their freedom of thinking, actions and reactions.

Friendliness towards all beings without discrimination, intention and expectation

This teaching is a contemplation for those who are interested in learning and practicing yoga and meditation, to silent the restless impure egoistic mind. Those who are not interested in practicing yoga or meditation to silent the mind don't need to observe or contemplate on this teaching.

Friendliness in yoga is nothing to do with outgoing sociable talkative personality or behavior, or being sociable to be accumulating personal connection and friendship with as many people as possible.

Being friendly to all beings doesn't mean that one has to be sociable and talkative, or accumulating many personal friendships that involve engagement in physical/verbal/mental interactions and activities from time to time.

Being sociable and talkative doesn't necessarily mean that one is being friendly towards all beings without the influence of egoistic discrimination of likes and dislikes, selfish intention and expectation.

Quite many people, including health professionals think and believe that being alone by oneself, or being quiet or not being talkative, especially in young children, is something 'sick/unhealthy', 'bad', 'negative', or 'wrong'. The best time for yoga and meditation practice is when everyone else has gone to sleep. Why? Because it's the only precious time of quietness and peacefulness available on earth in that time zone without people doing things, playing, arguing, negotiating, making noises, shouting, scheming, plotting, or talking. Does that quietness and peacefulness on earth when everyone/the minds being away in sleep, being non-interacting, non-socializing, non-talking, or non-action causes more chaos in the world? Nope. Instead, when people/the minds are awake, many people criticize other people who don't talk much as being unhealthy, disturbing, rude and unfriendly.

The friendliness in yoga and meditation practice is about respecting all beings as they are, being free from the sense of superiority or inferiority, without egoism of attachment, identification, possessiveness, discrimination of likes and dislikes, desire of craving and aversion, intention or expectation, without dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, fear, offensiveness, hostility, ill-thinking, or ill-will towards all beings, be undisturbed and without interference towards other people being what they are, being different from oneself, or having different thinking, belief, practice, values, behavior, action and reaction from oneself, without intention of accumulating friendship or companionship from other people to get rid of boredom or loneliness, or to be accessible for support and help whenever one needs one, without expecting other people have to live life, behave, act, or react in the way that one thinks how it should be, or expecting other people to treat oneself in the way that how one would like to be treated.

People who would feel disturbed or offended if other people do not join in their conversation, or are disinterested in their invitation to a function or event, are due to their own expectation towards how other people should response towards their 'friendliness'. People get unhappy, disappointed, or offended when they don't get the response that they expect to be getting from other people. Those who are truly friendly won't mind at all if other people are not interested to participate in any of their conversation or event.

Those who are truly friendly, it's not necessarily that they are sociable, or talkative, or actively engaging and interacting with other people. They might be very quiet and mind their own things. But, they have no ill-will, ill-thinking, ill-talking, judgment, criticism, condemn, gossip, slander, disrespectfulness, animosity, offensiveness, interference, or expectation towards other people's different way of life, thinking, belief, practice, values, behavior, action, and reaction.

Take a look into most of the common conversations among people, we will see that these conversations are mostly full of talking about hanging onto the past, projecting into the future, planning, plotting, scheming, worldly/personal attachment, worldly/personal identification, pride, desire, fear and worry, and lots of complaint, moaning, dissatisfaction, disappointment, blame, ill-will, ill-thinking, ill-talking, criticism, condemn, gossip, slander, back-biting, hypocrisy, lies, story telling, untruthfulness, justification, boasting, manipulation, as well as interference or expectation towards other people's way of life, thinking, belief, practice, values, behavior, action, and reaction. It's not that all these human social activities are bad or wrong, but the yoga and meditation practice is to free the mind from all these worldly habits of physical/verbal/mental/emotional activities/restlessness of impurities.

It's very common that when people want to talk to other people and they expect other people to talk to them in response to their 'friendliness', but then they would feel greatly disturbed or offended if other people don't response to their 'friendliness', or when other people talk to them but they are talking about things that they don't like and don't want to hear, that they disagree with.

The most effective way to help oneself or anyone to be free from all the 'problems' or 'suffering' that one thinks and believes is what disturbing one's mind, that one feels and thinks that one needs to talk to other people to talk about one's problem or suffering to seek help or advice, is to be quiet and listen. Listen to the Dhamma that is here and everywhere when the mind is quiet, and the mind will see the truth of 'unhappiness', 'problems', or 'suffering'. It's not about expecting someone, or other people, or guru, or God to be there to listen to one's problems, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration, hurt, fear, worry, complaint, blame, moaning, or bitching about other people that one feels angry or unhappy with, that one doesn't like and doesn't agree with, so that one will feel slightly relieved or feel better about oneself for a few moments, but then the mind continues to be restless and disturbed by the ongoing worldly life experiences that are not necessarily the way that one likes it to be, or the mind perception of names and forms that the ego doesn't like, doesn't want, and doesn't agree with, while thinking and believing that one's 'unhappiness', 'problems' or 'suffering' are caused by the experiences or qualities of names and forms that the mind thinks and believes as 'bad', 'wrong', or 'negative'.

Performing yoga and meditation practice, especially attending silent meditation retreats or courses, will allow people with a disturbed/unhappy/suffering mind to learn to be quiet and listen to or seeing the Dhamma that will free the mind from ignorance, egoism, and impurities, and thus be free from all kinds of 'unhappiness', 'problems' or 'suffering', and one doesn't need to talk/complain/boast about anything. One doesn't need someone, or other people, or guru, or God, to be there to listen to one's complaints, as there's none. The mind is silent and peaceful, so as the surrounding environment is also undisturbed by a silent peaceful mind. That is true friendliness towards all beings and the environment.

Be free.

Those who aren't free and those who are free

Yoga teachings and practice are useful for the minds that aren't free.

The minds that aren't free, are restless.

The mind is restless being ceaselessly reacting with likes and dislikes, agreement and disagreement, want and don't want towards all the perceived names and forms through the senses.

The mind looks out and finds faults in the qualities of names and forms as the cause of unhappiness and suffering.

There's endless longing, clinging, craving, aversion.

There's fear, disappointment, dissatisfaction, loneliness, emptiness, animosity, hurt, sorrow, suffering.

There's craving and clinging for love and to be loved, for the sense of meaningfulness.

There's intention to escape or change the perceived reality that the mind dislikes and dissatisfies with.

There's endless longing for satisfaction, happiness, meaningfulness and fulfillment.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Yoga teachings and practice are useless for the liberated minds.

The minds that are free, are peaceful.

All the names and forms are just what they are.

There's no interference towards the names and forms for being what they are, as they are, as they change, as they come, as they go.

The mind turns inward for self-introspection and sees the truth or the real cause of unhappiness and suffering.

No attachment. No identification. No expectation.

No longing. No clinging. No craving. No aversion.

No fear. No disappointment. No dissatisfaction. No loneliness. No emptiness. No animosity. No hurt. No sorrow. No suffering.

There's no craving and clinging for love and to be loved, for the sense of meaningfulness.

There's no longing for satisfaction, happiness, meaningfulness or fulfillment.

It is full and peaceful as it is.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Whether the mind is free or not free, peaceful or restless, it's in the present, beyond all the different qualities of names and forms, thinking and beliefs, conditions and situations, ways of life and behaviors.

Take care of this mind before it's too late

If we truly want to do something good for ourselves and for the world, the best thing to do is to take care of this mind before it's too late. It's not about trying to interfere with or to control or to change other people's mind, to try to make the world to be the way that we like it to be or what we think it should be. When we are too busy trying to interfere with other people's mind (their thinking, belief and behavior), judging everyone and everything as good or bad and right or wrong, and expecting everyone and everything to be the way that we like it to be, or the way that we think it should be, trying to 'save' the world or to make the world a better place, in pursue for a world that we think is good and meaningful, to be able to achieve all our ambitions to live a life that we want, we might not realize that our minds are lost and drowning in restlessness of all sorts of egoism and impurities, where the mind loses the stability and clarity to think and act properly.

Those who know how to take care of their own minds, they won't be disturbed, or offended, or intimidated, or disappointed by all the different names and forms, or what is happening in the world. There's no fear or worry towards what the mind perceives as 'not good' or 'not right'. There's no clinging and craving towards what the mind perceives as pleasant, nice, enjoyable, agreeable, good, right, positive and happiness. There's no aversion towards what the mind perceives as unpleasant, not nice, not enjoyable, not agreeable, not good, not right, negative and unhappiness.

They can perform actions to benefit the world, but there's no attachment or identification or expectation towards the actions and the result of the actions.

They allow the result of the actions to be there as it is and they allow everyone to be what they are, as they are.

All suffering, conflicts, violence, or hurtful wrong doings derived from ignorance and egoism. Those who know the truth has no anger or hatred towards all kinds of ignorant behavior, neither be disturbed nor determined by it. One is peaceful as one is, disregards all the chaos and unrest in the world due to ignorance, egoism and impurities in people's mind.

If one is disturbed or offended or intimidated by something or some other people that the mind thinks is 'not good' and 'not right', then it is better for this mind to take time and space to retreat from the world or the society of all kinds of worldly activities for some time, to allow the mind to find its way back to stability and clarity before it's too late. When it's too late, the mind loses completely the ability to inquire the truth, and might lost in wild and restless random thought activities or imagination, and requires special mental care treatment and drugs to 'control' the restless mind so that one doesn't hurt oneself or others, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

What's the point of while trying to save the world from restlessness and disharmony, with great interest to know and care for what is going on in the world, and trying to be 'good people' and 'good friend' to show 'love' and 'care' for family and friends, but neglecting one's mind, losing one's peace and harmony, and losing one's own mind in restlessness and impurities of ceaseless mind reactions towards all the inputs from social interactions and medias and activities? One can't help the world but adding another 'disturbed' mind into the world that is already full of many 'disturbed' minds. The family and friends who truly care, they would understand and be supportive that we might need some time and space to be away from the worldly life to take care of this mind. Those who don't really care for us and they don't understand and being unsupportive, we don't need to mind about how they think and what they do, as taking care of our mind is more important.

One can do more to benefit the world when one's mind is in peace and harmony without being disturbed or determined by what is going in the world that the mind doesn't like or doesn't agree with, through purifying and quieting and opening the mind to perform self-inquiry and attain self-realization via the practice of eliminating the egoism of attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation.

And this is nothing to do with the knowledge and experience of practicing and teaching the yoga poses, or the possession or accumulation of different types of qualifications and certifications, or the knowledge of physiology and anatomy, physical alignment, skills, techniques, strength and flexibility in performing the yoga asana poses, or the knowledge of different meditation techniques, or the knowledge of the different chanting and prayers, or knowing how to chant and pray correctly and nicely, or not. It also has nothing to do with whether one is a Hindu, or not, has a religion belief, or not, and believes in God, or not.

Disregards what the mind knows, experiences, thinks and believes, or not, all minds can be free, if one knows how to free one's mind from ignorance and egoism.

If 'yoga teachers' don't know this, then what do 'yoga teachers' teach to the people who come to learn 'yoga'? If the minds of the 'yoga teachers' are restless, impure and passionate, full of worldly passionate desires, ambitions and stimulation, full of egoistic attachments, identifications and expectations, then what do the 'yoga teachers' teach in the 'yoga class'?

May all be free.

Understanding unhappiness

"I am not happy is because of this. This is bad. This is wrong. This is hurting me. This makes me unhappy."
"I am not happy is because of you. You are bad. You are wrong. You are hurting me. You make me unhappy."

This is incorrect understanding towards unhappiness, or ignorant towards the truth of what is going on in the mind, that generates ceaseless reactions of unhappiness in our minds.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"I am not happy is because I don't like this. I don't agree with this. I don't want this. It's nothing to do with whether this is bad and wrong, or being hurtful. This doesn't make me unhappy. It's my ungratified desire of what I like and don't like, what I want and don't want, that makes me unhappy."

"I am not happy is because I don't like something about you. I don't agree with you. I don't want you to behave in such way. It's nothing to do with whether you are bad and wrong, or being hurtful. You don't make me unhappy. It's my ungratified desire of what I like and don't like, what I want and don't want, that makes me unhappy."

This is the correct understanding that will free our minds from experiencing unhappiness due to ignorance.

Be free.

The power or function of memory is neither good nor bad

Most people, are interested in boosting the power or function of the memory. So that one can remember as much as possible all the knowledge and skills that one has been learning, to do things, to remember everyone and everything that one has come in contact with from the past to the present. Otherwise, for most people, there's no meanings or values in life existence, if one doesn't remember any knowledge or skills that one has been learning and doesn't remember the people/relationships that one has come in contact with and are related to. They want to remember 'love' and 'happiness' and 'goodness' and 'achievements'. People want to remember everyone and everything, and be remembered by others, to be existing, to be meaningful, to be alive.

Meanwhile some people try their very best to forget all those unpleasant/unhappy/painful/hurtful memories that are disturbing and hurting them in the present now.

This power or function of memory is neither good nor bad. It has its benefits to humanity and some defects as well.

If a mind is free from ignorance and egoism, this mind can make use of the power of memory to remember all its learning and knowledge or skills to be doing something that would benefit oneself and others without attachment, identification, judgment, or expectation. One will not have craving or aversion towards the past pleasant/unpleasant experiences/feelings, and will not be disturbed or determined by being aware of the memory of all these past pleasant/unpleasant experiences/feelings, in the present now. There's no judgment or expectation towards oneself or others based on the past pleasant/unpleasant experiences/feelings. There's no suffering or miseries exist in this egoless mind.

Due to ignorance, the ego clings onto the past memories of pleasant/happy and unpleasant/unhappy experiences/feelings.

When remembering the pleasant/happy/accomplishing/satisfying experiences/feelings that are already gone and don't exist in the present, there is suffering/unrest/dissatisfaction derived from missing and craving towards all those pleasant experiences/feelings.

When remembering the unpleasant/unhappy/painful/hurtful/fearful/regretful/guilty/disappointing/dissatisfying experiences/feelings, that are already gone and don't exist in the present, there is suffering/unrest/unhappiness/painful sorrow/hurts/fear/regret/guilt/disappointment/dissatisfaction derived from aversion towards all those unpleasant experiences/feelings, continuously be disturbed or determined by all those unpleasant experiences/feelings, which is unnecessary.

And due to ignorance, people don't just want to have a good and highly efficient function of the memory to remember the past of this life existence from birth till the present which one could barely remember a little bit of here and there without the precise/exact details, there are also many people who 'believe' in various/countless past lives before this life existence, and they are not just very interested in knowing/finding out what were their past lives, but they are also be disturbed or determined by what they think they know about their past lives. And not just that, they also very interested in knowing/finding out what will be their future lives, and be disturbed or determined by what they think they know about their future lives.

When people are dissatisfied with and don't want to confront the reality that they perceive in the present, they try to runaway from this reality that they don't like and don't want, by imagining they have a better/nicer/happier reality in the past or in the future, being in an imaginary reality that they prefer, that they created for themselves, and somehow they might feel better and safer being in that imaginary reality. That's their freedom.

People's minds are already very busy/restless being disturbed and determined by the perceived experiences in the present now, not to say, to also be disturbed and determined by the past memories and the future imagination/anticipation/projection/expectation/speculation. "This is who I was and this is what I am and this is what I will be."

People are being disturbed and determined mentally/emotionally/physically by the ignorant/egoistic attachment and identification towards the desires of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation towards all the perceived names and forms or experiences, whether it's in the present, or remembering the past, or imagining the future.

Maybe people's life in the present is not complicated/excited/busy enough, life is so dulled and bored, that's why people try very best to bring back the past and project into the future, to spice up their life in the present?

So, if past lives exist, and someone somehow 'recalls' some good/pleasant/joyful/meaningful and bad/unpleasant/hurtful/painful/fearful memories of one's past lives, and then so what? Missing the past pleasant past lives experiences and people whom one loved very much in past lives? What if one finds out that the people whom one loved very much in past lives are now one's greatest enemies whom one hates and hurts very much in the present? Or be disturbed by the past unpleasant past lives experiences and people whom had hurt one very much in past lives? What if one finds out that the people whom had hurt one very much in past lives are now one's best friend or lover or family or respected personal whom one loves very much in the present?

It's truly unnecessary.

And so, when one truly realized the truth of what is going on in this mind, and goes beyond all the memories of past pleasant/unpleasant, or rightful/wrongful, or good/bad experiences/feelings, being free from attachment and identification with the past, the last moment and before, then there will be complete freedom in all the relationships with everyone now, in the present, it really doesn't matter what happened just now, or yesterday, or last week, or last month, or last year, or last 20 years. It's only the present moment. And even this present moment is impermanent. And this is actual lasting liberation that comes from the realization of the truth, it's not the same as the momentary 'high effect' of numbing the mind through drugs and alcohol intoxication.

People, including some yoga and meditation practitioners, who like to relate YOGA and MEDITATION or HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS with getting high through drugs and alcohol intoxication, are only trying to momentary escape/runaway from suffering or miseries that they don't want. They'll go back to their suffering and miseries again, once the numbing effect of the drugs and alcohol disappeared. That's their freedom for what they want to do with their body and their mind. It's neither right nor wrong. But, yoga and meditation or higher consciousness has nothing to do with getting high through drugs and alcohol intoxication. People who truly practice yoga and meditation and have gone beyond the attachment or identification with the life existence of the body and the mind don't need to get high or momentary relief by taking drugs or alcohol, as they don't need to escape or runaway from suffering or miseries, as there's none. There's no craving for the momentary pleasant sensations/effects/relieves coming from the effect of drugs and alcohol.

If people couldn't understand this, or one understood this, but one dislikes and disagrees with and doesn't want this liberation due to the mind is conditioned to think in certain ways or believe in certain beliefs, or one understood this, but one couldn't let go attachment and identification, that's their freedom.

It's okay whether the power or function of memory is good or not so good. It's okay if the mind couldn't remember this or that. It's okay if the mind couldn't remember everything and everyone as it was and as it is. It's okay if the mind remembers some past unpleasant/unhappy experiences or feelings. It's okay if the mind couldn't remember some past pleasant/happy experiences or feelings. It's okay if the mind couldn't remember someone who is somehow related to this body and this mind.

Be free.