About Action And Non-action

The teachings of Bhagavad Gita and the Karma Yoga (selfless service) is based on this verse of action and non-action (actionless).

When our mind is pure without impurities, there will be no more differences between action and non-action. Because action and non-action is also a name and form. When the mind is pure and goes beyond all names and forms, action and non-action have become one.

Even though our body is not moving at all, it doesn’t mean that we are non-action. Because the mind is always moving even though we don’t move, don’t act and don’t speak.

When a person is doing a lots of actions of helping others, or performing spiritual practice, or performing his duty towards his job, family, friends, society and his life, but if he is selfless and not identify with the ego, whatever he does, he does them as selfless service towards all including his own self. And he sees God in everything and everyone, and there is no separation between him and God, between him and everyone else. And then all his actions will be no differences from being non-action. And he is free from the binding of all karma (both good and bad).

This is the teaching of “I” am not the doer of all the actions. “I” am not this body. “I” am not this mind. “I” am just a channel or instrument to serve all. “I” am not the doer nor the giver nor the receiver. “I” am just a witness to all these actions. All “my actions” are pure untainted by the ego without the intention of good or bad and free from the notion of “I am the doer of all these actions”. All “my actions” are free from the binding of karma. “I” eat, drink, play, work, give and take, but I am not the one who “eat”, “drink”, “play”, “work”, “give” or “take”. When the heart beats, when the lungs breathe, When the blood circulate in the body, when the food is digesting, when the mind is experiencing comfort and discomfort, good and bad feelings, it is not “I” who command it. When the body is weakening and decaying, and all the nerves is not functioning efficiently, and I can’t remember, can’t see, can’t hear, can’t smell, can’t taste, can’t feel, can’t think and can’t move, it is not “I” that command it nor do “I” wish for it. And so, who is the one who is doing all the thinking, talking and acting? Nothing is “I”. Nothing belongs to “I”. But if there is any good or bad intention behind all my actions, then it is from “I”.

When a person is not doing anything or is doing a lots of actions but with the intention of good or bad, and is identify as the doer, the giver or the receiver, and then this person is still being conditioned by karma.

If I think I am doing something, I am helping someone, I am giving something, I am receiving something, I am good, I am bad, I am happy, I am sad, or I think I am not doing anything, I am not helping anyone, I am not giving or receiving anything, or I am not responsible for all my actions of good and bad, then I am still being conditioned by the ego, I am still not beyond all the names and forms, I am still being bind by karma, I am still having the intention of good and bad. And thus whether I am doing something or not doing anything, but there is still action, it is still creating cause and effect. When we are not doing anything, it is still an action, action of “doing nothing”.

When there is no more “I”, “others”, “giver” and “receiver”, “action” and “non-action”, and then all the actions or non-action is nameless and formless, and untouched by karma.

If I harm somebody with either the intention of good or evil, and act and speak as what my ego wants to act and speak, then “I” am the one who is doing all the actions of good and evil. I am identify with my ego, my actions and my speech, and thus I am creating cause and effect for myself, and I am being bound by the good and bad karma that I have created.

Never try to be smart, misuse this teaching and do all the evil acts and speech, and trying to escape the bad karma. Because it doesn’t work this way not until we are truly pure and selfless. When we are pure and selfless, all our thoughts, actions and speech will be pure without either good or evil. Then this is the stage where no good nor bad karma is being generated, even though we are doing some actions. When we are pure, we won’t be doing any evil actions to hurt others or thinking of doing good actions to gain good karma.

If we are lazy and not want to do anything, it doesn’t mean that we are not generating any bad or good karma, because our thoughts is always generating good and bad intention even though we don’t move or speak.

If we are sitting for meditation but the mind is still creating lots of good and bad thoughts and we are attached to them and got lost in all the thoughts and not by just observing all the thoughts and not attached to any of them, and cannot be at the present moment now, and then this is still action in non-action.

If we are very busy in life whether worldly or spiritually, and are doing lots of actions, but if our mind is fixed onto the present moment, and all our actions are intention-less and pure, and then this is non-action in actions.

Even though some people didn’t mix into the world, and seem like they are not doing anything, but in their heart, in every moment, they are sending good wishes and good thoughts to all in the whole universe, these are one of the greatest actions. And if we didn’t do any good actions but refrain ourselves from doing any bad actions, and then this is one of the greatest actions as well.

It is not about doing something or not doing anything. It is whether we are pure or not pure.

About Sakshi Bhava

Sakshi Bhava means stand as a witness towards all the phenomena that is happening which we perceive with the mind through the senses and not identifying ourselves with the thoughts, feelings and sensations, not associate with them and stop generating craving and aversion towards whatever we perceive through the senses. Not being affected, influenced or disturbed by all the phenomena that is happening in our body and out side our body in our life and in the world.

It doesn’t mean that we don’t care or ignore what is happening. It is being aware of what is happening but not identify with it. We do not attached to the body and the mind. We know that the body is going through old age, weakening, decaying, sickness, pain and death, but we know that we are not the body and our true Self is unlimited, unconditioned, without qualities, beginningless and endless, no birth and no death. We know that the mind is perceiving everything through the senses, and the intellect and the ego play their parts in analyzing and generating reactions towards all the phenomena in the body and in the world but we do not identify or associate with them.

We know that we are not the mind, the thoughts, the feelings and the sensations. All these thoughts, feelings and sensations come and go as they like. They don’t belong to us and they don’t need our permission to stay or to leave. We know that the world only exists in our mind. Without the mind, there is no world. All our thoughts, feelings and emotions are happening in our mind, not in somebody’s mind. And the mind is just a projector without the intention to be good or bad, positive or negative, happy or suffer.

Another person’s world can be completely different from our world. We all have different mind perception about the world. Everyone sees the world differently from other people. Everyone has their own karma to be in the world and experiencing different encountering in life. No one can change or interfere with each other karma or take away others karma. But we can have control over our own karma by controlling our own thoughts, actions and speech. Karma derives from these three things. No one can create or give us good or bad karma. Only ourselves. We create the karma for ourselves through our thoughts, actions and speech. And we can detach from karma by stop generating reactions, by renouncing from the fruit of actions, and by not identify with the body and the mind. When we are selfless, we will know what is the meaning of all these.

And all the bodies and minds in each individual are the same. They are impermanent, non-self, ever-changing, limited, conditioned, dissatisfied, dependent and with qualities of good and bad, comfort and discomfort, likes and dislikes, craving and aversion, happiness and suffering, birth and death.

By being a witness to the world, it’s like watching a movie but we do not involve in the movie at all. We didn’t make the movie, nor can we change the scenes in the movie. Maybe we are the director, the actors and actresses in the movie and watching our creation and our acts in the movie. We might get excited, upset, saddened, shocked, frightened and thrilled by the movie, but we know that it is just a movie and we are not really the characters in the movie and remain unaffected and undisturbed by the movie.

Sakshi Bhava is indeed the wisdom that will free us from the discontented, limited and conditioned world of impermanence and miseries. Sakshi Bhava is the same as being selfless. They are together not separated. It is also non-action in all the actions.

Not knowing what is selflessness, we won’t know what is Sakshi Bhava. Because if we don’t know how to stay detached from the ego, the body and the mind, we will be involving in all the thoughts, feelings and sensations thinking that we are the thoughts, feelings and sensations, and we are either happy or suffer following what we are experiencing in the mind and the body through our senses. The ego is the chief and director of likes and dislikes, good and evil, happiness and suffering. If we are still being controlled or influenced by the ego, then we don’t know what is selfless and we don’t know how to be a witness towards all the phenomena. We will think that we are the one who is going through pain, old age, sickness, irritation, frustration, disappointment, discontentment, low self-esteem, depression, happiness, unhappiness, gain and loss, success and failure, praise and censure, birth and death. And we will be having comparison, competition, anger, hatred, jealousy, pride and arrogance, greed and desires endlessly. We will be generating reactions and creating karma for ourselves unceasingly. And we will have to go through rounds and rounds of births and deaths of happiness and suffering continuously to reap off all our karma.

The ancient scriptures, gurus and all the saints and sages told us that we can stop all these by being selfless and just stand as a witness.

No Good No Bad

Non-dualism teaches us that there is no good, there is no bad, all are same and no differences. But many people either can’t understand about it or misunderstood about what does “neither good nor bad” really means?

In this world of diversities and temptations, everything is created by the mind to satisfy its characteristic of greed and craving for sensual pleasures and material enjoyments.

The mind is such an incredible machine that could create the internet, the electricity, the phone, the television, the microwave oven, the air-conditioner, the airplane, the space rocket, and all other stuffs.

When the first thing was being invented, it was just one type, one name, one form and one price. But very soon, the mind is bored with just one. And so, it had created different models, names, forms and prices. A car is not just a car. It is BMW, Mercedes, Jaguar, Toyota, Ford, Mitsubishi, Renault, and others. And within BMW itself, there are many different series of models. It is the same thing for all the other names. And then within one of the series itself, there are many different colours and accessories.

This is not just happening in car industries, it is the same thing happening in all industries, from food to computers, from fashions to yoga. All the endless diversities exist trying to satisfy the greed and craving of all the minds of the consumers. And for the minds of the producers, diversities, greed and cravings of the minds of the consumers are the great opportunity for them to make money or take advantage out of it. All these high-tech products not necessary a good thing for the environment, just to give some conveniences for the human beings, but at the same time all these products are creating lots of damages to the environment as well whether directly or indirectly.

Since there are so many choices, there are lots of comparisons. And there isn’t something came out as the most perfected one, because there never will be one. Because there will be more and more new inventions coming up unceasingly. And even though there are so many choices to choose from, people are still not satisfied with what the entire market already have.

Why?

Because all these are the creation of the mind. The creator itself is never satisfied. And the minds of the consumers are just the same, will never be satisfied. It is the characteristic of all minds to be not satisfied and keep looking for new things and new excitements. The minds get bored easily. The minds change its likes and dislikes easily and regularly. The minds cannot sit still, not moving, not talking, not being curious, not expressing, and not thinking. Today the mind likes something red and fast but tomorrow the mind might like something blue and slow. How can we ever satisfy the mind?

Everything in the world that were produced by the mind, there is no qualities and no intentions of good and bad. Good and bad are the products in the mind. The mind projects into all the things out there with its good intention, the things are having the quality of being good. If the mind projects all the things out there with its bad intention, the things are having the quality of being bad.

All the judgments, comparisons, competitions, criticisms and expectations are coming from the mind, and all these habits in the mind have created lots of dualities of positive and negative, good and bad in each different individual with different types of conception and perception.

For example, sweating and heat produced in the body while doing some physical activities. Some people like these sensations very much but some other people dislike them. Some people like the feeling of soreness after exercise while some others dislike the same type of soreness. The sweating, heat and soreness themselves have no intention to make people feel good or feel bad. They don’t have the quality to be good or to be bad. They are just being what they are, and it is up to the mind to perceive them as good sensations or bad sensations, as comfortable or not comfortable. And then the ego will generates likes and dislikes, craving for the sensations that the ego likes and feels comfortable with, and aversion towards the sensations that the ego dislikes and feels not comfortable with. It is the same for tastes and smells, sounds and sights, touches and thoughts, every single mind has different conception and perception about which type of tastes, smells, sounds, sights, touches, and thoughts that they think is good and which type is bad. But all those things themselves have no intention to be comfortable or not comfortable for anybody, and they don’t have the quality to be good or bad. It is the intellect categorized them into comfortable or not comfortable, and labeled them as good or bad.

In fact the mind itself is just a projector. It doesn’t has the intention to be good or bad. It is the intellect and the ego that creating all the differences of good and bad, negativity and positivity in the mind. Once the mind is purified where the intellect and the ego don’t have the power to influence the mind anymore, then this mind is a great tool for us to attain self-realization, to learn what is selflessness, love, peace, compassion and wisdom. In fact we are the love, peace, compassion and wisdom. They are not something to be gained from outside or from studies. We just need to realize and recognize them in our hearts.

When we are having so much of negativity in our mind, we need to have positivity to conquer these negativity. When there is no more negativity, we will realize that there is no positivity either, because there is no need to have positivity when there is no negativity. Positivity exist only when there is negativity. Or negativity exist only when there is positivity.

There is no such thing being recognized as big if there is nothing smaller than it to compare with. And there is no such thing being recognized as fast if there is nothing slower than it to compare with.

It is the intention of the mind that had created so many good and bad in the world. People abuse drugs and alcohols, and thus drugs and alcohol are being labeled and recognized as something bad. But when come to medical field, drugs and alcohol have become something good and helpful in surgeries and medical treatments.

Good and bad exist only in our mind, not in the objects outside that we perceive through our senses.

That’s why to deal with the mind and heal our mind first, purify the mind until there is no more impurities, and then we will know what does neither good nor bad means, and what does transcend both negative and positive means.

We will know that dualities exist in the mind only. Names and forms also exist in the mind only. Happiness and unhappiness also exist in the mind only. And thus we will stop giving values or meanings to all the things out there or what is happening in our body. Maybe the body is experiencing some illness or injuries or weaknesses. But we don’t see these phenomena as something negative or bad anymore. We accept everything as they are, and accept the nature as it is. Not trying to change anything or try to control anything out there, except for our own thoughts, actions and speech. We can’t even own or control our own body and mind, how can we own and control others body and mind? When impermanence strike, we will lose our youthfulness, memories, strength, flexibility, mobility, functions of the senses and the nerves, good health and existence of life.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful we are, how rich we are, how successful we are, and how knowledgeable and intelligent we are, no one can escape impermanence. And we don’t really own these things. They are just temporary being with us. Everything and every beings in this world have to go through impermanence and depending on the elements to be exist here. Without the sun, the space, the earth, the water and the air, we all won’t be here. We can’t even promise anything or judge anything because everything is undergoing changes all the time. The condition of the body and the mind of everyone is changing all the time. Every moment our body is experiencing different sensations and the mind is experiencing different thoughts and feelings. In one minute we could be feeling so good. In another minute we could be feeling so bad.

Know that all these are the creation of the mind. Watch the mind and be the witness of all these phenomena and not identify or associate with them, and not give any values or meanings to them, and stop generating likes and dislikes. Without likes and dislikes, there is no more craving and aversion. without craving and aversion, there is no discontentment, irritation, frustration, disappointment, fears and worries. And thus we are at peace and contented at all time.

May we all attain peace at this very moment by understand what is neither good nor bad.

It doesn’t mean that since there is no bad, we can do whatever we like and hurt or kill somebody without any emotion and eat poisonous food, drink alcohol and take drugs.

It is when bad doesn’t exist anymore, good also doesn’t exist as well.

Om shanti

Yoga In Malaysia

Welcome to Malaysia another place in the world that has more and more yoga practitioners and lots of yoga studios, centers and clubs are blooming in most of the major towns in Malaysia!

I think it is great to have so many Malaysian who are interested in yoga practice whether their motives is for fitness only or for spiritual realization. It doesn’t matter if we are Malay or Indian or Chinese or any other races in the country who are so enthusiastic in going for some yoga classes regularly.

Malaysia is a heaven on earth. We don’t have many natural disasters like earthquakes, volcanoes, sand storms, wind storms, hurricanes, cold winter, hot summer or extreme weather. Through out the whole year we have a stable temperature and rains. The forests and jungles are always green and there is minimum problems of dryness. Most of all the people here are friendly and open minded towards people from other countries and different cultures.

We also don’t have wars or violence in the country. Despite the imperfection of some political conflicts and petite crimes which is very common in everywhere in the world, I think most of the Malaysians would like to live in harmony with all the different races, and to respect each other’s different cultures and believes. Everyone are wishing for positive improvement and prosperity for Malaysia to become a beautiful and nice place for people to live in.

And yoga is something that can bring peace and harmony into all the people’s heart who live in Malaysia with different races, cultures, believes, languages and nationalities. Although Yoga originate from India and the Vedas are part of Hinduism, yoga is always open to all living beings who are in search for self-realization or enlightenment. There is no differentiation of sexes, races, religions, languages, believes, cultures, castes, sects, social status, education levels or good and bad people in the propagation of yoga.

In the wisdom eyes of yoga, all are equal beyond all names and forms. Every living beings are entitled to walk the path of yoga and attain self-realization. There is no superiority or inferiority. There is no ego involve in the path of yoga because the main practice of yoga is selflessness or ego-less.

The existence of yoga is to transcends suffering and bring every living beings back to their true self or original nature or the pure consciousness which is whole and self-contain, which is beginning-less and endless, beyond creation and destruction, beyond birth and death, beyond good and evil, beyond happiness and suffering, and beyond all names and forms.

If everyone are sincerely practicing yoga, become selfless and attain self-realization, the world is a peaceful heaven.

Even though lately there has been an issue about the Fatwa on yoga for Muslim in Malaysia, but I believe that wouldn’t change the understanding of yoga in the hearts of many Malaysian Muslims who are sincerely practicing yoga and who truly understand the harmony and peacefulness that yoga practice brought into their lives and into their hearts. And the wisdom and compassion that they had attained from yoga practice will not disappear due to the issue of Fatwa on yoga. Actually the real yoga practice will make a person becomes a true religious and spiritual person, help people to develop stronger faith in their religions and practices which suppose to develop love, peace, respect and harmony in their hearts and in life, and not provoking anger, hatred and petite mindedness.

May we all appreciate the good environment in Malaysia for us to live in and to practice yoga.

About God And Religion

When we understood that everything is the same and no difference at all between existence and non existence, life and death, happiness and suffering, we will understand that it is doesn’t matter if there is a God or there is no God.

Anyway God is infinite and indescribable. We all are depending on a source to be exist in this world. Lives are depending solely on the elements that which are not in our own control. We are all the same when we have pain, sorrow, heart broken, disappointment, anger, jealousy, greed, wickedness, selfishness, aggressiveness, fears, worries, passion, lust, ignorance, arrogance, happy, joy, love, compassion, good and evil will and all types of feelings and emotions, whether there is God or no God, whether we believe in God or don’t believe in God.

We should respect everyone’s belief and no need to argue or debate about God and no God, ‘your’ God, ‘his’ God or ‘my’ God. Anyway if there is a God, He does not belong to anybody or to any name and form that we human beings put on to Him. He doesn’t belong to any church or temple or any name and form that we give to those buildings that people go for prayers and contemplation.

He is He. He is not mine, not yours, not theirs. He is everyone’s guardian, parent, friend, lover, companion, healer, teacher or anything that we would like Him to be. Everyone deserves Him. It doesn’t matter when we think ourselves or others are good or not good. Because He is all pervading, all love and compassion, all powerful and infinite.

If we want to attain God, we need to purify our impurities and take away the differentiation of dualities. We need to know what is intentionless, non-duality, without qualities, and namelessness and formlessness. If we don’t understand what are these things, then we are building up an invisible wall between God and us which prevents us to realize Him. We thought God didn’t love us. We would question God why did he allow so much sufferings and unfair happenings in the world.

God is always here with us whether sometimes we are good and happy, and sometimes we are not so good and unhappy. Even when we are still full of impurities and ignorance, when we are being imperfect, whether our body is clean or dirty, whether we are sleeping or awake, God has never left us, He is always with us, guiding us and shows us the way to see Him or feel Him in our heart not with this fleshy eyes. Because God is nameless and formless without attributes. We can’t perceive Him through our fleshy eyes and the mind. Whether we believe there’s a God or not, He is always there unmoved by our little mind with qualities, names and forms. It doesn’t matter what languages are we speaking, what cultures are we having, what religions are we talking, God is still the same God at anytime and anywhere.

When we do feel Him, our heart is full of love, peace, joy, compassion and wisdom. There is no words that can express that in definite except being silent and touched. We would repent all our past wrong doings but at the same time also forgive ourselves and let the past go. We would not ask for anything from God if we truly feel Him. Because there is nothing else more precious than feeling Him in our heart. We would see Him in everything and in everyone. We would be content. It is only when we don’t feel Him and feel separation from Him, that we will pray to Him and ask for His blessings.

God doesn’t live in a restricted building or only be at some specific places in the world. He is everywhere and anywhere at all time, from ancient to the future, from before the beginning of existence to the period of existence and to destruction and after destruction. He is within us and without us. He is all pervading, all presence and all knowledge.

How can He be limited by us, human being, into certain name and form? How can He be limited in some small buildings so called church or temple or mosque, comparing to this vast space of unlimited without ending universe?

If we believe there is a God, and we believe in Him and love Him, how can we own Him selfishly and limit Him of his love, power, knowledge, presence and infinity? How can we use His name to hurt and torture other human being’s feelings and cause painful sorrow to others, physically and mentally? And also taking other’s lives away through wars and killings by creating all the differences of boundary, caste, creed and different names of religion?

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

Some people have found their own belief to be their guide to suit their own temperament and convenience, and some people have found their own Self to be the guide.

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

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

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

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

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

Does the earth only let certain human beings to step on it, to live on it and to put so much shit and rubbish on it, and not let other human beings who have different beliefs and religions to live on it?

When we lost someone that we loved so much, isn’t it the same painful sorrows for everyone with different religions, skin colours, castes, languages, sexes, cultures and level of education and knowledge?

When we suffer headache, toothache, injuries or sickness, are we all not the same having pain and fear of death and the unknown?

Every religion or philosophy talks about morality. All talk about love, peace, compassion, wisdom and selflessness. Why do human beings create so much problems for themselves when things can be very simple and easy? Ignorance.

If we have established a firm self control over our thoughts, speech and actions, we all are the same doesn’t matter what we believe in.

We will check all our out going thoughts, before we generate any speech and action. So that we will not harm or hurt anyone’s feelings, and will not create painful sorrow for other people.

I believe in one true religion for all, purity, compassion and wisdom, we all are equal, the same and no differences. No good and no bad or non-duality doesn’t mean that we can kill somebody recklessly or indulging in lustful desires and drug abuse and hurt somebody’s feelings selfishly. It is about going beyond both good and bad and transcend both happiness and suffering. It is not doing any evil actions and not longing for good karma from doing good actions.

It doesn’t matter if some people say that they don’t have any religion or don’t believe in religion at all, but maybe they are more spiritual than many people who call themselves religious and belong to a certain religion. Not having a religion doesn’t mean that a person is not spiritual. They are all just name and form.

Just because it is called ‘religion’ or ’spirituality’, it should not be limited by the name and form to justify anyone is religious or spiritual or not. It is something within us whether we are aware of it or not, recognize it or not, calling it a religion or spirituality or not.

It is the love, peace, compassion and wisdom that everyone has.

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

Everyone is free to do what they like and be responsible for themselves. Just please be aware so that our actions will not hurt other people and create painful sorrow for others, it doesn’t matter if they are our loved ones or people that we don’t know, if we are sincere in walking the path of Yoga and to achieve spiritual enlightenment.

People like to argue about whether yoga is religious or not. Some say yes, some say no. I say it doesn’t matter if it is “religious” or “not religious”. Take away all those names and forms, Take away the mind, what left is one true spirituality.

May we all develop correct understanding and achieve peace and happiness in this world.

About Attachment

There are many types of attachments. It doesn’t matter if it is positive or negative attachment, it is still attachment and will bring dissatisfaction and suffering.

All attachments spring from the basic attachment towards the body and the mind, the ego and the intellect. Without the attachment towards all these things, we won’t be having any attachments towards anything at all. When we are not attached to any of the perceptions in the mind with the functions of the senses, all the dualities in the world can not disturb or influence us. We will be unaffected by the likes and dislikes of the ego and undisturbed by the differentiation of negativity and positivity that were created by the analytical intellect.

When we are not attached to our body, We will have no fears and worries at all. When we are not attached to the selfish ego (the lower self with impurities and ignorance), We will not have anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, arrogance, low self-esteem, depression, lust, or craving and aversion.

When we still attached to the ego, we will be craving for success, acknowledgment, recognition, acceptance, appreciation, agreement, praise, compliment, encouragement, good feedback, good comments, pleasurable sensations and always looking for an opportunity to express what we know and how we feel. We will be full of ambitions that we wanted to achieve. We will be very sensitive about what others think of us and whether other people will like us or not. We will be full of unhappiness, frustration, irritation and depression whenever we receive some bad comments and bad criticisms. We will want to justify ourselves and want to prove to the world that we are good and want to gain respect, love and attention from everybody in the world.

When we attached to the ego, the ego takes control of us and expresses good feelings or bad feelings about ourselves when we encounter with something so called good or bad experiences in life. Our self-confidence is being affected very much by the things that we can do and can not do, whether we are being loved by other people or not, whether we are successful or not, whether we are important to somebody or not, whether we are being recognized or not, or whether all the things in life happen according to our wishes or not.

Usually our self-confidence are depending on the values that are being conditioned by the conception and perception of the mind and the ego. True confidence derived from independence and non-attachment towards the mind and the ego. There is no trace of low self-esteem or “I am good”, “I am bad” or “I am not good enough”. It is confidence without arrogance and selfishness.

When we attached to the mind, We will be changing from happy to unhappy and from unhappy to happy, from depressed to elevated, from elevated to depressed, whenever the mind perceives something which “makes” us happy or unhappy. Our mood is going up and down constantly. And If we attached to these moods of us and react according to all our good and bad feelings, and thus generating instability in our mind, which prevent us from experiencing peacefulness in the heart, and thus preventing wisdom to arise.

We thought that it was the things happening out there that are giving us happiness and unhappiness. But in fact it was because we are attached to the mind and whatever it perceives through the senses, for what we see, hear, smell, taste, feel and think.

Once we let go of this attachment, our heart will always be at peace, not being affected or disturbed by what is happening outside the body, and inside the body. It is like when our lives is encountering hardships and difficulties, we will still remain untouched and remain calm and peaceful. When our body is experiencing pain and discomforts or sickness, we will still remain equanomous and be at peace.

Attachment towards material and sensual enjoyments is definitely bringing lots of dissatisfaction and greed into our heart. Attachment towards praise and censures is making our confidence going up and down, and always being affected by low self-esteem and pride. When we have true confidence, there is no low self-esteem and pride.

Attachment towards achievements in spiritual practice also will bring lots of obstacles in the path towards self-realization.

It doesn’t matter what types of attachment it is, it will only bring disturbance to our heart and have no peace. We will be full of fears and worries, likes and dislikes, wants and don’t wants.

May we all be free from all attachments and be really free.

About Anger And Hatred

We were told that anger are bad, negative, not good. But how true is that? Anger is an expression of upset, frustration, irritation, disappointment and dissatisfaction. Anger is a very normal feeling that everyone has just like feeling happy and feeling sad. When we feel happy we will laugh, when we feel sad we will cry, when we feel angry we will shout. It is a natural way of expressing how we feel. Who says that we can only express happiness and cannot express unhappiness? Who says that we can only have positive feelings and expression and cannot have negative feelings and expression? Who says that having positivity is “good” and having negativity is “bad”?

If we think that anger, sadness, low energy, sickness, poverty, fat, ugliness, or anything that is being labeled as “negativity” as bad and not good, then we will be told that we are not good to have any of these negativity, and that we are not suppose to have anger, sadness, sickness, being poor, fat and ugly. Because it is something “bad” and make us a bad person. And we will be so unhappy when we encounter any of these so called negativity, and not able to express anger and sadness because we were told not to, that it is bad, and we are not good if we express our anger and sadness. But these anger and sadness are being suppressed into our body and the mind, and become a huge burden or tension in the body and the mind that will explode one day and cause larger damage to ourselves and to others. And it is worst when suppressed anger had turned into great hatred because we are not allowed to confront or express any of our unhappiness. Due to our conception that anger and shouting is something negative and not good, we will be so annoyed, upset, unhappy or angry when someone express their anger towards us or shout at us when we had say or do something that made them unhappy. We will be so annoyed and feel insulted when people confront with us about why they are being angry and unhappy with us. It makes us think that “we are bad”, “we did something wrong”. And our ego really doesn’t like this.

We will think that we are the victim of somebody’s anger. Even if we did cause the unhappiness in other people but they should not express any anger or unhappiness towards us at all, because it is bad and not good. Or we will think that we are not good and bad because someone is angry with us because we did something wrong or bad. And thus we don’t like other people to be angry with us. We will be very unhappy if people tell us that they are angry and unhappy with us. And so, it will become “I am bad, I am not good” because someone is angry and unhappy with me, and as well as “you are bad, you are not good” because you are having anger and you are expressing anger and unhappiness onto me whether I did something that caused you angry and unhappy or not.

This is very unhealthy for the body and the mind.

It is actually the ego feeling being insulted when someone is being angry or unhappy with us. We think that we are not responsible for what we have done that had caused somebody’s unhappiness. We think that even though we did something wrong, nobody should be angry with us because they are not suppose to have anger. They are bad if they have anger and especially if they are angry with “me”.

When we stop thinking that anger, sadness and all those so called negativity are “bad” and “not good”, then we will see all these “negativity” are very normal phenomena that happens in our body and in our mind. It is very normal and nothing wrong to have feelings of frustration, disappointment and dissatisfaction just like having other feelings of joy and happiness.

But not let the anger turns into hatred is the most important thing. We should be able to confront with the person who might or might not have inflicted the unhappiness in us, and tell them why are we feeling angry or upset about, which has got something to do with that person. And after expressing our unhappiness, we should forgive and forget, and let it go. Not let this unhappiness or anger carry forward into the next moment. This will stop us to have any further misunderstandings, confusions and conflicts that is due to the unexpressed frustration and suppressed anger in our heart, in the body and in the mind.

Most of the time if we did not confront our anger and unhappiness with that person who have inflicted the frustration but in stead we will tend to express these anger and unhappiness onto someone else or something else as substitute. This is a common mistake we all are making. When we are angry with the boss but due to our job, we don’t want to express our anger and unhappiness towards our boss, but very naturally we will express that anger onto someone else who are at lower position than us, or someone on the street, or when we go home to our family, we will find some excuses to express our anger and unhappiness within the family members as a target of our frustration.

And if we did say or do something that had inflicted other people to be angry and unhappy, then it is nothing wrong that these people are confronting with us and express their anger and unhappiness onto us. We should be responsible for their reactions and accept the consequences of our own actions. We shouldn’t be angry or upset about people being angry and upset with us because we had caused that anger and unhappiness in these people. In stead we should ask for forgiveness from them and let them express their anger and unhappiness so that they won’t save hatred towards us. We should dissolve any conflicts and misunderstanding immediately and let it go.

And even though if we did not cause anybody’s pain and unhappiness, but they take us as a target to express their anger and frustration, and due to compassion and selflessness, we should be able to forgive and being compassionate towards these people and let them let out their suffering and unhappiness. We are just a listener or an instrument for other beings to let go their suffering. These anger and unhappiness cannot hurt us or affect us or contaminate us, because we are selfless without an ego there to receive any insults, humiliation or negativity.

We just need to know how to deal with this anger and not let it turn into violence and deep hatred.

It is just like everything else, anger, sadness, happiness and joy are just a fleeting momentary names and forms. They all are the creation of the mind and the ego. If we can detach from any thoughts and feelings that arise in our mind doesn’t matter if it is “positive” or “negative”, happy or unhappy, just be aware of it and not give any values to all these thoughts and feelings, then no matter what is happening to us or in our life, there is no reason for us to be frustrated about, unhappy about or to be angry with.

Be happy.