When I was in elementary or middle school, a teacher at my school was fascinated by a book called "Inner Game," and even joined a club called the "Inner Game Club." That teacher would constantly say, "This book, the Inner Game, is amazing." It seemed to be about the mental aspects of competition, specifically in tennis, where there's a "self 1" and a "self 2." "Self 1" is the thinking part that interferes with tennis, so you have to let it go and let "self 2" take over, allowing you to move naturally and win.

The book had examples of "bad" ways to support someone, where it seemed like you were being supportive but were actually hindering them. For example, saying something like, "Hey, do your best," would interfere with their thinking and prevent them from succeeding, and the book would explain the "real" way to help. However, a classmate of mine, who was superficially a good person but actually had a terrible personality, used this knowledge to sabotage me. Because of this, I felt like I was trapped by the "Inner Game" for a long time. It's a good example of how even good knowledge can become a tool of the devil when used by someone with malicious intent. As a result, I wasted a lot of time being obsessed with the "Inner Game" during my university years.

That classmate seemed like a good person on the surface, but in reality, he had a very bad and malicious personality. You need to be intelligent to see through this. If you confront them directly, the person who seems good on the surface has an advantage, and if you criticize them, you're the one who gets labeled as the bad guy. The seemingly good con artist will cleverly use words like, "What? Are you trying to support me?" to hide their true nature and deceive people. In fact, when I tried to express my discomfort and question that classmate, he responded in that way, which showed that that classmate with the good exterior was intentionally trying to put others down and sabotage them. Through this book called "Inner Game," I learned that there are people who seem good on the surface but have bad intentions. Life is about acquiring the wisdom to avoid being deceived by such con artists, or you'll waste years of your life.

I often hear about women sabotaging each other, but I think there are also men who, while pretending to be supportive, are actually trying to undermine and belittle others, just like that. The son of the bicycle shop owner seemed to have a very dark personality, even though he appeared to be a good person, but I didn't realize it at the time.

This inner game's curse continued for a long time, and I was bound by it until I entered university. However, for a teacher to teach such a "devil's book" to elementary school students, especially to malicious elementary school students, is a grave sin. It could be said that this inner game's curse completely ruined my childhood.

Even if you use an inner game to sabotage others and win, you cannot defeat truly strong people. That classmate later became a keirin (bicycle racing) player, but he could only become a weak player who couldn't win. It seems that people who focus on secretly sabotaging others rather than seriously competing themselves tend to neglect their own growth and can only achieve that level. It's a case of reaping what you sow. Perhaps he is satisfied with that. However, people's choices differ greatly in terms of whether they simply want to win or whether they want to grow themselves. A fraudster who is satisfied with sabotaging others probably doesn't care much about self-improvement.

When I was a child, I couldn't imagine that someone would try to bring others down so much, and I lived according to the principle of inherent goodness, so I was naive. I never thought that someone would enjoy belittling others from such a young age. He was probably born with a corrupt nature. At that time, I couldn't imagine that such people existed, so I easily fell into their traps. I was a naive and gullible person.

If I protested directly, they would skillfully argue and create the impression that my attitude was the problem. That boy, who was the son of a bicycle shop owner, had the talent of a fraudster.

What is said in this inner game is quite similar to what is discussed in meditation. It sets up a scenario where "Self 1" is thinking and "Self 2" is acting, and it assumes that "Self 2" is conscious. The logic is that if "Self 1" interferes, leaving it to "Self 2" will lead to a successful outcome. It's very clear.

However, my classmate used this in reverse. He pretended to be supportive, but he activated the "Self 1" of others, binding them with their thoughts, thereby disrupting the "Self 2" (my actions) of those people. In other words, he pretended to be supportive while increasing distractions and interfering with actions, leading others to fail and sabotaging them. This has a devastating effect on sensitive young people. That classmate, if I could become the King of Hell, I would send him there. That man, who wasted other people's lives by 5 or 10 years, and probably ruined the lives of many people besides me, deserves to go to hell, and even that might not be enough. Causing financial or physical damage is relatively minor compared to manipulating and controlling other people's minds and thoughts, which is a very serious sin. He essentially engaged in mind control and sabotaged other people's lives for years, or even a lifetime. Even going to hell after death might not be enough. He is as guilty as the leaders of new religious movements who trick people into buying expensive artifacts. They manipulate children with weak judgment, restrict their actions, and steal precious time from their lives. Even if the perpetrator is a child, it is an extremely evil act.

When I was in elementary school, I thought this classmate was a "good person," but it turns out he was a terrible manipulator. He was a fraudster, a con artist. He would laugh and smile when I failed, and then he would do the same thing again, trapping me. He is truly a terrible person. I'm amazed that he could repeatedly trap others and smile about it. However, I didn't realize it at the time. After entering university, I happened to find a book called "Inner Game," and I remembered something my teacher had said in elementary school. When I read it, I found that the "methods for making others fail" that were written in the book were exactly the same as the things that classmate said. I remember that classmate borrowing books from the teacher in the classroom and reading them. That's what it was. I finally realized the classmate's lies and traps when I entered university. (Or rather, I solved those problems in real time by having an out-of-body experience and gaining knowledge across time and space, but then I completely forgot about it for a while, and after entering university, I re-examined and understood those things again. That's probably the correct way to put it.)

The knowledge of meditation is sometimes said to be dangerous because, if used arbitrarily against someone who doesn't understand it, it can manipulate others or trap them. Therefore, caution is needed when sharing such knowledge. There are many books on the mind these days, but I don't think there are many books that are as immediate and dangerous as "Inner Game." It should not be misused by children, and we should not create more victims like me who have been manipulated by con artists like that classmate.

However, even if the outward appearance is good, if you can see through their true nature, you can realize that something is wrong. Even when I was in elementary school, if I had noticed that something was wrong, even though his words seemed to be supportive, I could have avoided being trapped in such a trap. In the end, it was because my judgment was lacking. I was caught by a con artist with a good outward appearance because my judgment was not sufficient.

When reading a book like "The Inner Game," some people read it for their own personal growth or to improve their tennis skills, while others, like the son of the bicycle shop owner, might be scammers who cleverly use only the parts that benefit them. The book itself was probably written with the intention of promoting personal growth, but it can be misused by the readers. Through this series of events related to "The Inner Game," I learned that even a book intended for good can be exploited by some people.

Looking back, it seems that the theme of not being fooled by outward appearances, not being deceived by scammers, and not being controlled by others was a major theme for me until my late twenties.

▪️Initiative to escape the constraints of inner game.

Ultimately, the story is simple: when a person is in a state of being easily distracted, things in their life will not go well, and they will become manipulated by others. And there are people who try to manipulate others by increasing their distractions, and most of them have a similar, suspicious, and smirking smile, but this suspicion is something that you can only notice after you have accumulated some life experience. The prototype of this is "inner game," where they appear to be supportive but are actually holding you back or trying to manipulate you. Marketing is also similar in that, no matter how much they say they are "thinking about others" and put on a good face, the methods of instilling a good feeling and taking away free will are deeply wrong. In the story of "inner game," there was a classmate who was the son of a bicycle shop owner, who appeared to be supportive but was actually intentionally holding you back. But he is ultimately just a minor character, and there are countless people in this world who put on a good face to pursue their own interests.

For example, there was a person who said it was for the environment, but they were disparaging people who had products that competed with their own, smirking while constantly talking badly about them to irritate others, and then making them buy their expensive products. Or, there are people who talk about the environment while driving a Benz, or who run an organic cafe in Shibuya while living in a mansion in Hayama, and you end up thinking that for them, the environment is just a fashion statement. Otherwise, there are people who have a villa near Karuizawa and use a lot of energy, and it's not clear what they are thinking about the environment. These people are articulate, and for example, when talking about cars, they say, "You can live in the city because trucks are delivering goods." But since trucks and logistics are common to everyone, it is obvious that not having a car is better for the environment, so the fact that they are using a car while living in the city makes you feel that they are deceiving you when they talk about the environment. You can see through such things by noticing the discrepancy between their words and actions, but even before that, the "inner game" prototype tells us that people who use a lot of words to disparage and belittle others are inherently untrustworthy.

This is the same when it comes to buying something, not just the environment. Disparaging someone to make them buy something is the same way that Steve Jobs sold iPhones and Macs, and Bill Gates is similar in that regard, but Gates was better in that respect. The fact that Apple excels in market share shows that the world is currently operating on the same principle as the "inner game."

Ultimately, if you show a lot of skin and make others feel a certain way, things will sell and you will make money. However, this has an aspect of manipulating others, and the majority of people become manipulated and turn into automatons. It's not that a small number of people control the world, but rather that when people who show a lot of skin say things that seem a certain way, people are manipulated, and the majority of these manipulated people create public opinion and trends.

The more distractions you have, the more consumption increases, and people become poor because they are manipulated by others, or they live a bewildered life without autonomy. The prototype of manipulating people, as a bad example of the inner game, is to appear as if you are supporting others, while actually hindering them. Spiritual people need to escape from these distractions and constraints. Otherwise, spiritual growth is not possible.

I learned what "being manipulated" means when I was young, by learning about the prototype of manipulating people through a book called "Inner Game" beforehand, and to some extent, I followed it and was manipulated. However, many people do not know the prototype and are simply tossed around and wander through the world. As a result, there are those who manipulate and those who are manipulated, and I think that is how this world functions. Most people, after struggling with life, end up becoming either the manipulator or the manipulated, and very few people are trying to escape from either side. If you aim for spirituality, you need to aim to escape from both sides. However, sometimes it is necessary to carefully examine and understand how that structure is. In reality, you can escape without understanding, but if you are already trapped in the structure, it is easier to escape if you understand it properly.

These people who try to enjoy their own benefits by manipulating others have a common smile, and a famous example that everyone knows is Steve Jobs' smile. In reality, he was not 100% a fraud, but about 70-80% of him was, and the remaining 20-30% was helped by people around him, such as the saintly technician Steve Wozniak. However, his true nature was that of a fraud, but he also had a certain mission, and God uses humans skillfully, so even if they are fraudulent, nothing is wasted. However, when you see this aspect of the "inner game's curse," they have the same quality and the same prototype.

People who smile like that, for example, might be trying to sell expensive beauty products by pointing out flaws on your face while smiling slyly, like Steve Jobs, and acting as if they are being friendly while selling expensive items.
Or, they might be selling expensive health foods, or expensive, environmentally friendly products, with the same smile as Steve Jobs.

Probably, many people don't think that Steve Jobs' smile was that of a con artist. I, too, for a long time, thought that he was a little suspicious, but I didn't think he was a con artist. That's why I didn't use Apple products much until he died, and I started using them recently after he died, thinking "well, it doesn't matter anymore." However, even if he was a con artist, to some extent, God seems to be manipulating and using such people, so even if he was such a person, he was not useless and was somewhat useful. However, in terms of his methods, his ideology, and his deceptive attitude, he is not someone to be emulated. There are many people who worship him like a god, but as with any con artist, he has many followers, and it is natural that he would have many followers if he was so successful.

From a spiritual perspective, the basic principles are to not let others control your will, to maintain your own free will, and to not give in to the manipulation of others. To achieve this, we should avoid the two-step brainwashing and manipulation that Steve Jobs used, which involved belittling others, irritating them, and then smiling slyly while suggesting a future direction that gives a sense of superiority. That is simply being brainwashed and giving your free will to someone else. The first step is to create a state of many distractions, which is what Steve Jobs did by criticizing existing methods and declaring them to be bad, and then leading the easily manipulated people with many distractions in the direction he wanted. That is brainwashing and a way to take away the free will of others.

In the current world, Steve Jobs may have been revered as a god, and there may be some voices that evaluate him even in spirituality. However, while he certainly had some achievements and contributions, I have not seen any conclusive evidence that Steve Jobs was trying to monopolize Apple's market share by attacking Google and other companies through lobbying and other activities. It seems that God was angry and caused him to die prematurely. Although there is no conclusive evidence, I think God thought, "Steve Jobs, what are you thinking? Your role is to provide convenient things to people. Apple's success is not solely your achievement. Apple is not your personal property. You are mistaken and about to do something irreversible. You are only thinking about Apple and your own interests, and you will have a negative impact on the world in the future, so you are no longer needed. I have decided that it is better for you to disappear before the negative impact becomes too large." It seems that he died because he angered God and his life was cut short by God's will. I remember having such an inspiration when he died. While there are aspects of his achievements that can be appreciated, his methods were those of a con artist, and he is not someone to be emulated.

However, these inspirations (divine inspirations) come during meditation, REM sleep, or at random moments in daily life, so these things, of course, have no certainty. But, they do make a certain amount of sense. This may be difficult for the general public to understand. People in such positions have a certain spiritual level, so while they are not ordinary people, there are many cases where a single person with great power can go in a bad direction, and when the negative impact becomes too large, intervention from a higher level may occur.

In reality, the true essence of spirituality lies in escaping from such manipulative and dependent relationships. If the basic form of this world is a relationship of manipulating or being manipulated, then escaping from being both the manipulator and the manipulated, and becoming free from both, is what should be aimed for. Conversely, it seems that God did not allow Jobs, who manipulated people's thoughts and prioritized Apple's profits, to exist. No matter how good things are said on the surface, God sees everything that a person is truly thinking.

In reality, if you look around the world, there are many pseudo-spiritual practices that manipulate and exploit others for their own benefit or to achieve their desired future, or try to obtain things by manipulating others. Using spirituality to manipulate others is a form of black magic, and you will never be happy. However, in any era, there are always a certain number of black magic practitioners who engage in such things to some extent.

It's easy to understand if you call it black magic, but recently, there are a certain number of people who, without explicitly saying so, appear to be helping others but are actually binding them, which creates a confusing situation. If you deprive others of their free will, confuse them, and uniformly guide them towards a single opinion, then even if they appear to be enlightening or showing a vision of the future, it is essentially the same as black magic. For example, even if Jobs appeared to be showing a vision of the future, the essence of that was black magic. Whether his good deeds outweigh his negative impact will determine the depth of his evil, but from what I have seen, at the time of his death, the positive and negative impacts were balanced. However, if he continues to attack Google and other companies with arrogance and ego, his negative aspects will become more prominent, so I think God killed him early to prevent that from happening. Therefore, he ended his life at a state of plus and minus zero, a balanced state.

Furthermore, when we re-examine the negative aspects of his actions, he used deceptive methods to restrict the thoughts of others and deprive them of their free will, which is a negative aspect. His achievements in bringing good products to the world are offset by this negative aspect, and his contribution to the world and his evil deeds cancel each other out, resulting in a net zero impact. In reality, depriving others of their free will is a very serious crime, and in his case, it was barely offset by his enormous contribution to the world. For ordinary people, the crime of depriving others of their free will is so severe that it cannot be offset by their social contributions.

The goal of spirituality is very simple: to reduce distractions and achieve a state of "mushin" (no-mind), thereby freeing oneself from the mind control of others and simultaneously freeing oneself from the position of dominating others. There are many people who use spirituality as a tool for dominating others, like black magic practitioners. However, the true essence of spirituality is to seek "freedom" from relationships of dependence and manipulation. And the means to achieve this is through meditation, with "mushin" as a temporary stepping stone, but the ultimate destination is "freedom."

The fact that the desire for freedom is at the root means that the desire for freedom is the starting point of spirituality, and the desire for freedom itself is the impetus for pursuing spirituality.

If one has not studied spirituality, they often try to escape being dominated by others by becoming the dominant side themselves, or they try to escape from a poor situation where they are being exploited with low wages by becoming rich by exploiting someone else with low wages. On the other hand, spirituality aims to become free from both of these. That is a significant difference. Using spirituality to become the dominant side in order to escape being dominated is a form of black magic, and those who dabble in black magic will inevitably face consequences and suffer.

Inner game knowledge itself is good, but those who use that knowledge to manipulate others are essentially dabbling in black magic. Depriving others of their free will and controlling their thoughts and actions is a very low level activity in terms of spirituality. Although this may not be considered a serious crime in this world, engaging in such black magic will have a significant impact on one's spiritual and moral character, and in the long term, even worldly benefits will become unattainable.

Initially, there are many cases where people who were contributing to society and had appropriate actions and thoughts start using black magic-like methods and lower their spiritual and personal integrity, influenced by others. The higher one's position, the less likely others are to point it out, so it is a point to be aware of and careful about.

Even if it's not as big as Steve Jobs, similar stories exist everywhere. There are many scammers or salespeople who, with a smile like Jobs, deceptively sell expensive items. And those with insufficient life experience are deceived by these fake smiles. The prototype of this is "inner game," which involves increasing one's own distractions in order to manipulate others. To increase the target's distractions, scammers use a "seemingly supportive" approach with a smiling face. When the target somewhat agrees with the opinion and becomes disturbed, the manipulation of thought is considered to be half successful. At that point, they promote the product they want to sell. For example, they might disparage old-fashioned black phones or landline phones to disturb the viewers, and then announce and sell the iPhone, which is a perfect example. They say things that seem supportive, but in this case, it becomes a story about "using good phones." You might think, "What's wrong with using good phones?" However, from the perspective of the "inner game" curse, this is about making people conscious of the phone itself, which is not the essence. The essence is making phone calls and communicating. However, due to the "inner game" curse, they disguise their support for the phone itself, confusing people's thoughts. This type of technique is used in various places, sometimes unconsciously, and while there may be no malicious intent, it usually feels unpleasant. Basically, if you are confused, you will be made to buy expensive things. The prototype of this is "inner game," and the presentation techniques of Steve Jobs.

In this pattern, the customer mistakenly believes that the salesperson is supporting them, but in reality, the customer is being confused. The customer, being confused, enthusiastically accepts the salesperson's wonderful proposal to escape from the confusion, and ends up making an expensive purchase.

From a materialistic and capitalist perspective, there is nothing inherently wrong with it, and if one is not aware that they are controlling others, they are simply not very intelligent, so it is not a deep sin. However, if one consciously manipulates others, it is literally something that they are doing, so it becomes a scam and a sinful act that lowers one's spiritual level and personality, so caution is necessary.

More or less, people who are in the business of selling things are familiar with this kind of mind control and brainwashing. If you study spirituality too much, you may realize that what you are doing is a scammer's technique, and you may no longer be able to work in sales.

When selling something, it is important that the value that the customer receives is commensurate with the price. Even if one uses such techniques to some extent, if they are giving more benefits to the customer than that, it seems that there is not much of a problem, but that depends on the time and circumstances.

And, that technique and a cheerful sales approach or a Steve Jobs-like smile are actually common with "pure" types of women. The difference is only in what they are trying to sell and their position, but in terms of nature, they are the same. Both Steve Jobs and "pure" types of women are common in that they disparage others and lead them in the direction they want.

In Jobs' case, he was lucky to have someone like Wozniak, a true saint and the best technician, around him, so he didn't become a scammer. In a normal case, if it were just him alone, he would be selling a mediocre product at a high price and would be treated as a scammer.

For example, in the beauty industry, there are many cases where people disparage various aspects of the customer's skin and try to get them to buy expensive products or undergo expensive treatments. This is not a problem because it is not excessive, but surprisingly many people are using techniques that are characteristic of scammers.

On the other hand, there are also honest salespeople, but in terms of sales, they are usually no match for those who use scam-like methods. However, that is enough, and whether or not it crosses a line is a matter of morality. Some people use scam-like techniques without discrimination to increase sales, while those who adhere to morality are honest but have relatively low sales.

From a worldly perspective, sales may seem to be the most important thing, but what happens to one's spiritual level and personality is obvious. Even if one increases sales using scam-like techniques, it only lowers one's spiritual level and personality.

In this world, almost everyone is to some extent involved in this kind of manipulation and being manipulated, and even public opinion is being influenced. The prototype of this is the "inner game," and understanding this prototype is the starting point. However, the problem arises when you know this, and then you have to decide what you want to do.

There are various methods of marketing, but "creating a market" is often a superficial explanation. The essence of marketing is to put others in a state of confusion. Of course, the person doing the marketing wouldn't say such a thing, and they probably wouldn't agree with it. In many cases, the person is not even aware of this essence, and they talk about serving the world or doing good things on the surface, but the essence is actually this. If you are not aware of it yourself, the sin is not that deep, but if you are aware of it and doing it consciously, then you are a truly evil person. The core of this is to claim something that sounds plausible, and then to constantly provoke and agitate others, putting them in a state of confusion. As a result, they end up in a psychological situation where they feel they have to buy the product, and if they don't buy the product, they feel inferior, and by buying the product, they get temporary relief. That is what the person doing the marketing wants. Once a person is put in a state of confusion with inferiority and distractions, they will not only buy the product in question, but also the next new product, or even a product that has nothing to do with it, and they will be drawn into similar manipulative claims, and they will not be able to escape the cycle of consumption. It is true that marketing is about creating a market, but the essence of marketing is actually to provoke and put others into a state of confusion. When you say that, you often get a negative reaction, and people get the impression that marketing is a bad thing. Therefore, in order to make it look good, various cover stories are created, such as "it's for the consumer" or "for a better life," but the key to marketing is to disparage others or other companies and put someone in a state of confusion. If you are not aware of this and are just doing marketing in a vague way (inefficiently), then it's not that much of a sin (because you're just not very bright). However, if you understand the core of this and are doing marketing (efficiently) (because you are intelligent), then it is a serious sin. Once you understand this mechanism, there will inevitably be a certain percentage of people who will try to use this knowledge for evil purposes.

For example, people who make others feel inferior by showing off or making condescending remarks are of this type. There were many such people, especially during the bubble era. These people understand (consciously or unconsciously) that making others feel inferior benefits them. They make others feel inferior and then try to exchange something insignificant (something they have made seem valuable through constant promotion) for something truly valuable that the other person possesses, thereby reaping great benefits. There are famous entrepreneurs in the world, such as Bill Gates, Masayoshi Son, and Steve Jobs, who have reaped great benefits by manipulating others. And the underlying principle is not what appears on the surface. While it may seem like they are creating a better world or making things more convenient, the underlying truth is whether or not others are confused. When others are confused, they lose some of their free will and begin to act according to someone else's wishes, which is essentially a state of mind control. For example, people are manipulated into feeling inferior if they don't buy an iPhone, and as a result, everyone buys expensive iPhones. This may be a great marketing success, but the masses have their free will taken away and are easily controlled by various stimuli. The underlying principle is to throw others into confusion. As a result, people may repeatedly make expensive purchases in search of temporary peace of mind, or they may become puppets of others. People who are confused tend to spend a lot of money, or they may become involved in cults, blindly follow strange self-improvement seminars, or develop dependent relationships with others. There are various phenomena, but the underlying cause is that someone is confused, which leads to various problems. The "confusion" state, which is the underlying cause of various problems, is often the same. The underlying cause is "confusion," but the problem manifests as a manipulative relationship, a co-dependent relationship, especially when the person being manipulated experiences the problem.

Most people, in an attempt to escape a controlled state, end up with the opposite result. As a result of trying to escape, they momentarily think they have escaped, but soon they are manipulated again, returning to a state of being controlled, and this vicious cycle strengthens the state of being controlled. The social system is well-designed, and the act of trying to escape itself is linked to other products and consumption. The product that is purchased in an attempt to escape may itself create dependence on something else. It is like in a new religion, where people who desire freedom and happiness have their property taken away, and once caught in a cycle of exploitation, they may have their entire property taken away. It is also common for people to lose their self-esteem in a confused state, and then, in order to regain that lost self-esteem, they become addicted to hostesses and women, leading to reckless spending, bankruptcy, and debt. While many people are in a state of being bound, some try to become the controlling side, the dominant side, or the side that controls. However, in either case, they are not escaping the relationship of being controlled and controlling.

If you have not studied spirituality, it is quite common to think, "I want to be the side that controls and dominates, not the side that is exploited for money. I want to become free by being the side that earns money." However, that is simply being placed in the same dominant layer, which is different from the freedom that spirituality talks about. Also, there are various types of spirituality, including those that focus on worldly benefits or self-improvement seminars that masquerade as spirituality, which promote "becoming the side that exploits."

In general, when people try to escape from this kind of dependency, they are often encouraged to take action and consume, using a "noble cause" as a justification, such as "This is what you should do," or "If you do this, you will be happy." This leads to enthusiastic participation in activities and travel, and the room becomes filled with things, but this simply strengthens the relationship of consumption and dependence, which is different from the "freedom" that spirituality talks about. The freedom that spirituality talks about is literally becoming a state of being free, based on "emptiness" (as a trigger or foundation). This is a freedom that has no preconditions, so it is not based on preconditions such as "If you do this, you will be happy" or "If you have this, you will be happy." Because "emptiness" literally means "nothing," you cannot possess nothing, so if you reach a state of "emptiness" (which is often described as a state), you will be free.

There might be some confusion because there are similar stories, but sometimes there are "spiritual" concepts like "spiritual freedom from financial constraints." While it may seem like the ultimate goal is to become financially free, the true meaning, which is often overlooked, is to become free from the relationship of being manipulated and manipulating, which is the true starting point of spirituality. However, sometimes even spiritual people forget this initial principle, and some even believe that being financially wealthy is enough, or that they should be in the controlling position. In reality, the true goal of spirituality is not that, but as a starting point, the goal is to escape the relationship of being manipulated and manipulating. The true goal of spirituality is even beyond that, but as a starting point, that is the goal.

The first step in escaping the relationship of manipulation and being manipulated, and codependency, is to "detach" yourself. And regarding various temptations and desires, it is important to understand that "it is often unnecessary to know" about them. People who try to control you by manipulating you will say all sorts of things, and they will say seemingly reasonable things like "you don't know" or "knowing is the first step." However, in many cases, it is "unnecessary to know" or "unnecessary to be involved." When someone tries to pressure you to "know," you first need to ask "Why is it necessary to know?" and "Why does that relate to me?" People who try to manipulate others for profit or scammers will say all sorts of things to provoke you, but the key point is this. They may be eloquent and boastful, trying to draw your attention, but even if they insist that "it is relevant," most of the time, that kind of provocation is "not relevant." Understanding this is important. If you are often confused, it is probably best to avoid everyone who provokes you. Scammers are eloquent, and even if something is not directly related to you, they will expand the story and deceive you with stories that seem understandable, such as "for the environment," "for the world," or "for the poor." Be careful. It is not that all of those stories are lies, but often the people who are doing it are not even aware that they are using manipulative techniques (manipulation and being manipulated), so it is often pointless to talk to them. Therefore, it might be better to simply ignore these things.

If your mind feels trapped and your body is being controlled by others, or if you find it difficult to move your own body, I think it's a good idea to start with something that involves "action," such as yoga or gymnastics that move your body, or doing something at a gym and sweating. It may be difficult for someone who has been in a state of being controlled for many years to suddenly break free, but it is possible to break free from the co-dependent relationship of control and being controlled, even if it takes several years or even over a decade.

Once you have calmed down, it may be good to try meditation or quiet yoga, but meditation can be difficult in a state of confusion, so it is better to start with regular exercise that moves your body. And eventually, you will be able to meditate and achieve a state of emptiness or oneness, but that is a story for later.

Related → Breaking free from the constraints of inner game and encountering false awakeners.