If you seek reality you must set yourself free of all backgrounds, of all cultures, of all patterns of thinking, and feeling. Even the idea of being man or woman, or even human, should be discarded. The ocean of life contains all, not only humans. So, first of all abandon all self-identification, stop thinking of yourself as such-and-such, so-and-so, this or that. Abandon all self-concern, worry not about your welfare, material or spiritual, abandon every desire, gross or subtle, stop thinking of achievement of any kind.
You are complete, here and now, you need absolutely nothing.
-- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, I Am That (All search for happiness is misery)