The yoga practice is here and now

Dealing with all kinds of desirable/undesirable, pleasant/unpleasant and agreeable/disagreeable condition and situation in this present moment now wherever we are, are indeed the best time, space and causation for implementing our yoga practice practically.

Upon the presence of desirable/pleasant/agreeable condition and situation, there's no clinging onto this experience, or craving for more of this kind of desirable/pleasant/agreeable experiences.

Upon the absence of desirable/pleasant/agreeable condition and situation, there's no aversion towards the absence of desirable/pleasant/agreeable experiences.

Upon the presence of undesirable/unpleasant/disagreeable condition and situation, there's no aversion towards this kind of undesirable/unpleasant/disagreeable experiences.

Upon the absence of undesirable/unpleasant/disagreeable condition and situation, there's no clinging onto this experience, or craving for the void of undesirable/unpleasant/disagreeable experiences.

If not this practice of freeing the mind from being bound by the egoistic desire of craving and aversion, what else?

Welcoming changes towards unlimited unthinkable opportunities

Most minds will tend to have fear and worry towards changes, especially letting go a familiar living environment and family/friends/social circle, as well as letting go job or business that provides 'stable' financial support for living, unless they have no other choices but they have to find another living environment elsewhere and to find some other job or business due to unforeseen circumstances, such as losing their beloved home or job/business unwittingly due to natural disaster, bad economy, accident, war, and etc.

This fear and worry is the instinctive fear towards the unknown/uncertainty and fear of making the wrong decision to be losing the good and comfortable condition that one has been familiar with, which one loves/enjoys very much.

Whether we are aware or unaware of it, stability is always the main element and attachment in everything in life, even though the nature of everything is impermanence. Impermanence exists even in so called 'stability'. Most minds would think and believe that they are embracing impermanence, but most probably only embracing towards changes of improvement, while there's great aversion towards changes of deterioration. But deterioration is the ultimate truth of everything that exist under certain name and form.

Only when the mind learns how to embrace the nature of impermanence regardless of improvement or deterioration, there's no fear towards changes or decisions making that actually would lead towards unlimited possible opportunities that are unknown to the mind until the mind sees them upon letting go/abandoning the little box of a familiar life that the mind lives in, when the mind starts to allow itself to be opened towards all the unknown/uncertainty without fear or regret, but with great welcome.

This is also similar to the teaching of yoga about surrendering. It's not about 'letting God to lead life and God will look after life for us', but it's about letting go the attachment/identification/clinging/expectation towards 'the existing comfort that gives rise to the sense of meaningfulness derived from particular way of living and activities that the mind enjoys very much' and letting go the fear towards losing or no longer having 'this comfort and the sense of meaningfulness that it has been attaching or clinging onto'.

Most people will think and say, "Unless we have to, why do we want to let go something that is good and meaningful which we love very much that is still available to us now?"

There's nothing wrong with that, as people don't really need to let go anything (especially 'goodness' that gives rise to the sense of meaningfulness) until they have to. People like to hear and say, "Appreciate all the good things until they are no longer available." That's very good. But for the truth seekers, the attachment/clinging towards 'goodness or comfortable good condition that give rise to the sense of meaningfulness' is indeed one of the great obstacles towards liberation that most minds don't realize.

For the minds that are in searching for 'the truth' or 'liberation from ignorance', or 'selflessness/namelessness/formlessness/attributelessness/beginninglessness/endlessness/birthlessness/deathlessness/changelessness', there's no waiting, as this life existence, regardless of 'good and comfortable life' or 'bad and challenging life', is passing away.

For some who believe in one life, they might think and say, "Ah! there's only one life, why bother about anything? Enjoy as much as possible while it's available."

For some who believe in many continuous lives, they might think and say, "Ah! there's so many lives, need not hurry for anything. Enjoy as much as possible while it's available."

For the truth seekers, "It's NOW, and there's only NOW." regardless of it's good and comfortable life or bad and challenging life, or one life, or many continuous lives, or the beginningless/endless/birthless/deathless infinite Sat-Chit-Ananda.

Public Notice

To whom it may concern

Please be informed that Yoga Now Malaysia does not associate or advertise with any yoga retreats booking websites.

Even though we had rejected their invite to list our yoga retreats on their website and requested them to take down the listing which they put on their website without our consent and permission, they are still listing our yoga retreats on their websites under the 'non-availability' status with the outdated information taken from our website.

Please contact Yoga Now Malaysia directly via email for any yoga retreat request and booking. Thank you.

Regards,

Yoga Now Malaysia

Letting go and let it be, it's okay

Human beings might be having the opportunity and financial ability to enjoy a higher standard of living with all kinds of education, entertainment, gadget, equipment, comfort, convenience and enjoyment for the senses while living in the modern society of higher technology and creativity, but it doesn't determine that the minds are free from restlessness/disturbs and other impurities deriving from ignorance and egoism, where there's so much tension in the minds resulting in losing the ability to think clearly and act properly, affecting the interactions with others in the daily affairs that human beings have to deal with, may it be in relationships or at work, during the process to achieve whatever they want to achieve in life and the world, with great expectation/aspiration towards life and the world to be in certain way that they desire and not to be in certain way that they don't desire.

It has to come from the mind itself to realize the urgency to be looking after itself before it's too late, to learn how to let go and let it be, that it's okay, when things in life are not being the way that the mind would like them to be, even after oneself had tried the best and very hard to achieve a life and a world that one thinks and believes how it should be.

What's the point of all kinds of opportunity, education, aspiration and effort, but losing the clarity and sanity of the mind while trying to achieve a life and a world that one's thinking and belief categorized as good, righteous, positive, successful and meaningful life/living/way of life, as the mind couldn't let go, or let things being what they are, not necessarily pleasant/desirable/agreeable in the way that the mind would like it to be, where the mind is being over-powered by the desire of craving and aversion and great expectation, and drowning itself in frustration, disappointment, dissatisfaction, anger, hatred, hurt, fear and worry?

Just do one's best, but also be able to let go and let it be, being free from attachment, identification, craving and aversion, and expectation.

The so called 'negative/bad/wrong/unpleasant/undesirable/disagreeable' things in life or the world don't hurt the mind or what the mind thinks and believes as 'I', but it's the egoistic attachment, identification, craving and aversion and expectation in the mind that is hurting the mind.

It's everyone's freedom whether they want to let go, to maintain the clarity and sanity of the thinking mind, or not.

Who would practice yoga?

The minds that aren't aware of ignorance in itself, thinking and believing that "I am smart and intelligent, well-informed and knowledgeable, I am void of ignorance and I am a good/kind/loving/righteous/compassionate/wise being. I don't associate with the term of 'ignorance' or 'ignorant being'. It's so insulting to me for being associated with 'ignorance' and being refer as 'ignorant being'." might be interested in doing some forms of yoga practice regularly to attain the benefits of the yoga practice, but wouldn't really be interested in practicing yoga.

The minds that are aware of ignorance in itself, knowing that 'the mind is functioning under the influence of ignorance' is not an insult at all, but it's the truth of this thinking mind, even if this mind is quite smart and intelligent, and is very well-informed and knowledgeable about many things in this world, who have the determination to free itself from ignorance, would be initiated to be practicing yoga, even if they might not look like they are doing certain type of 'yoga practice' regularly just like many others who love and enjoy doing many of the yoga practice.

Attachment as in Yoga and Buddhism

"What is attachment?"

Due to ignorance, the mind is functioning/operating under the influence of egoism, where there's attachment towards the mind perception of names and forms through the senses, that brings along multiple identifications/identities identifying with impermanent and selfless names and forms that representing 'I' and 'my life' and 'my relationships with everyone and everything in my life' that aren't 'the truth' or don't 'exist' (there's neither 'I' nor 'not I' in selflessness) with boundless passionate worldly desires of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation, which leads to all kinds of action and reaction and the fruit/consequences of action and reaction, activating the loop of endless births and deaths, and the consequence of all that - Restlessness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, hurts, aggressiveness, defensiveness, offensiveness, fear, worry, stress, regret, guilt, grief, painful sorrow, or suffering/peacelessness exist within the modification of the mind, which are also subject to impermanence and selflessness, governs by the law of nature - cause and effect, action and the fruit/consequence of action.

The fundamental attachments that exist in most minds are worldly life existence attachment, individual being existence attachment ('I am an existing individual being with certain quality of name and form', 'this is I/this is not I', or 'I am this/I am not that'), physical attachment, mental attachment, emotional attachment, relationship/companionship attachment, material/object/possession attachment, family/friends/relative/race/nationality attachment, thinking and belief attachment, life experiences attachment, social/cultural/spiritual/religious attachment, gender/sexual orientation attachment, connection/networking attachment, ability/achievement/jobs/contribution attachment, the sense of meaningfulness/positiveness/goodness/righteousness/happiness attachment, environmental/living condition attachment, and personal or group thinking/belief/values/practice/likes and dislikes/agreements and disagreements attachment.

From the idea of 'I', existing as an individual being of certain quality of name and form, there's attachment towards the restless/selfless modification of the mind perception of a fleeting selfless worldly life existence of the impermanent and selfless decaying physical body and intellectual assertive thinking mind, attachment towards the physical activities/conditions/appearances/abilities/disabilities/limitations, the mental/thoughts/emotional activities/states/conditions/abilities/disabilities/limitations, the actions and reactions and the fruit/consequence of actions and reactions, the pleasant and unpleasant sensations, feelings and emotions, the sights/smells/tastes/sounds/feelings/sensations/thoughts, the relationships/connections/interactions/learning/memories/knowledge/talent/skill, the inputs/outputs/expressions/points of view/ideas/creativity, the accomplishment and non-accomplishment, the many individual/group/community/social/professional/cultural/spiritual/religious identifications/identities/images/status, the accumulation of possession towards objects and relationships, the ambitions/inspirations/aspirations, the instinct for creation and reproduction, the judgment and expectation from oneself and from others towards oneself and the world/society/environment, and so on.

When there's attachment, the mind is unwittingly being determined and disturbed by all the impermanent and selfless perception/experience of names and forms. There's craving/clinging/longing towards the names and forms or experiences or conditions that the mind desires, likes and agrees with, and there's aversion towards the names and forms or experiences or conditions that the mind doesn't desire, dislikes and disagrees with. The mind is being restless due to endless boundless desires waiting to be fulfilled/gratified, trying to satisfy not just the physical hunger and thirst, but also the endless mental hunger and thirst towards the sense of satisfaction, meaningfulness, positiveness, righteousness, goodness, togetherness, connection, happiness, accomplishment, confidence, well-deserving, well-loved, well-worthed and well-lived.

Absence of attachment, the mind perception of names and forms of all the impermanent and selfless desirable/undesirable, pleasant/unpleasant, agreeable/disagreeable worldly life experiences is just what it is, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither right nor wrong, neither meaningful nor meaningless, neither precious nor preciousless, neither enjoyable nor suffering, neither peaceful nor peaceless. Dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, hatred, jealousy, hurts, aggressiveness, defensiveness, offensiveness, fear, worry, stress, regret, guilt, grief, painful sorrow, or suffering, don't exist upon the void/absence of attachment.

The Yoga and Buddhism practice is all about silencing this restless modification of the mind, annihilating ignorance and egoism, of endless desire and attachment, and the consequences of that. And this is nothing to do with the different condition, situation, experience, learning, practicing, ability, disability, qualification, certification, limitation, strength, flexibility, stamina, fitness level, performance, intelligence, knowledge, talent, skill, title, status, skin colour, race, nationality, gender, spirituality, religion, culture, belief and disbelief, time, space and causation. It transcends all the names and forms, qualities, intellectual thinking and analysis, time, space and causation of duality, separateness, past/present/future, condition/situation, cause and effect, good/bad karma, birth and death.

The selfless yogis either renouncing and retreating from the world of worldly life, relationships, affairs and activities that based on egoism and feed egoism, or, performing actions in the world while living among the worldly society but without attachment, are neither selfish nor unselfish. All are impermanent and selfless.

In another term, when the state of the mind (under the idea of 'I') is being determined by the impermanent changes of the physical condition/appearance/ability/disability/performance and the modification of the mind of thoughts activities/feelings/emotions, where there's presence of low or high self-esteem/confidence/self-value being determined by the relationships with everyone, being determined by the names and forms of desirable/undesirable experiences/conditions/situations and the likes and dislikes/agreements and disagreements towards what the mind perceives through the senses of whatever the mind experiences in this present moment, or remembering towards the past experiences, or projecting into the future, being determined by actions and the fruit of actions/achievement and non-achievement, being determined by the condition and situation in the world, being satisfied/dissatisfied, meaningful/meaningless, happy/unhappy, confident/non-confident, where there's identification/acknowledgement of "I am good/not good enough/bad/positive/negative/optimistic/kind/unkind/unselfish/selfish/weak/strong/superior/inferior/hurt/healed." that is attachment.

If there is attachment, identification, desire and expectation, there will be hurts, anger, disappointment, fear or regret upon coming in contact with undesirable/unpleasant/undeserving experiences/situations that are "not the way that I would like it to be or not the way that I think how it should be."

If attachment, identification, desire and expectation are absent, there's no hurts, anger, disappointment, fear or regret upon coming in contact with undesirable/unpleasant/undeserving experiences/situations that are "not the way that I would like it to be or not the way that I think how it should be."

Want to learn yoga?

A young man who is interested to start learning and practicing yoga has the intention to find a 'yoga teacher' to learn about yoga and/or the yoga practice has an opportunity to meet a person who could deliver the teachings and practice of yoga to those who are interested in learning and practicing yoga.

Instead of thinking, "Dear teacher, how can I serve you and what should I do, as I hope you would receive me as your student (to be a student of yoga) and teach me about the teachings and practice of yoga?" this young man asked, "I have been looking for a yoga teacher because I am interested in yoga and want to learn and practice yoga, but first, I need to know what is your level in yoga and what qualifications you have?"

Most probably, many 'yoga teachers' would respond with, "I am an advanced and experienced yoga practitioner cum yoga teacher with certain years experience in yoga practice and teaching yoga, and I am a qualified (x) level yoga teacher with many 'Internationally recognized yoga teacher certifications' affiliated with such and such 'yoga alliance' and 'yoga association'." And this is something in common among many 'yoga enthusiasts' in the world of yoga.

Does one needs to acquire and possess 'qualification and certification of peace, kindness, compassion and forgiveness' to be peaceful, kind and compassionate, to be able to forgive and let go, or to be recognized as a 'peaceful, kind, compassionate and forgiving being'?

Did any of the ancient buddhas, yogis and gurus had been 'certified' by (?) and be 'qualified' with one or a few 'certification' of Buddhism or Yoga that indicate such and such level in practicing, enlightening and teaching, for being what they are?

Contemplate, reflect, realize.

Contemplate, and see how ignorant is this thinking mind

Many people, including yoga practitioners and yoga teachers would think and believe that 'yoga' or 'teaching yoga' and 'learning yoga' shouldn't involve any 'fixed amount of fees' or shouldn't be 'contaminated' by 'money' in the form of fees at all, where 'donation basis', or 'donate as much as you can give', or 'donate as much as you like' and any other form of 'offering' is totally acceptable and non-contaminating the 'purity' of yoga, where 'yoga teachers' who charge and receive 'certain fixed amount of fees' are being seen as 'greedy', 'materialistic' and 'money minded' impure yoga teachers, and vice versa.

There is a yoga teacher who is looking forward to find a 'pure and genuine human being teacher/guru' who doesn't bother about 'fees' or 'money' to teach her yoga, is being 'disappointed' and 'complaining' about it's so difficult (impossible) to find a (human being) 'real yoga teacher/guru' that doesn't bother about 'fees' or 'money' who would teach her yoga.

It's the deep rooted ignorance that generates such ignorant thinking and expectation that is what hindering this person from realizing the one and only 'real and pure guru', which is (knowing) the mind itself.

Does her business that gives her the financial income/support for living doesn't involve 'money'? Do the yoga classes that she conducts doesn't involve any expenses and maintenance in the form of 'money'? Does the life or the everyday living of her and her family doesn't involve any form of 'money'? Does her parents gave birth to her and brought her up and provided her with food, shelter, medical needs and education without the need of 'money'? Does she doesn't have any expenses in the form of 'money' to bring up her children by providing food/shelter/education/medical needs to them? Is her house that she is living in and her car that she is driving and her phone and internet access that she is using doesn't need any money? Does the food that she feeds herself and her family and those who are hungry on the street doesn't involve money? When she went to the temple and presented some 'offering' to the many different (statues of) 'Buddhas' and 'Gods' asking for 'blessings' to herself, her family and the whole world, and gave 'donation' to the temple for the maintenance and build more buildings to house more (statues of) 'Buddhas' and 'Gods' doesn't involve money? Is the water, gas, electricity and everything that is conveniently available in her house doesn't involve any form of 'money'?

But why do most people think and believe that 'human beings' who teach yoga or yoga classes must be deprived from 'being independently generating income for living from teaching yoga' by taking 'money' in a fixed amount of fees? That 'learning yoga' from somebody and 'teaching yoga' to somebody must not involve 'fixed amount of fees in the form of money', it should be either 'free' or 'on donation/offering basis', or at a very low fees that the mind thinks that is how much it deserves? That 'real and pure yoga teachers' should either have some other form of permanent full time job/business/investment that provides them the income/support for living or they should be living on the charity/donation of others (begging for food, shelter, clothing, daily needs, and etc)?

People think that allowing others to practice 'charity' by making then giving in the form of 'donation' or 'offering' is promoting generosity, sharing, compassion and selflessness in the world. But, generosity and sharing is not limited in the form of 'charity', while compassion and selflessness is not determined by performing 'charity' in the form of giving 'donation' or 'offering'. Many people who perform 'charity' under certain names and forms, who give donation and offering, are not necessarily compassionate and selfless, or are being free from ignorance and egoism.

The organizations or the yoga teachers/gurus that are 'living'/'surviving' on the charity or donation from the public are not necessarily be free from all sorts of corruption, ignorance, egoism and impurities. Those who teach yoga to other people, who don't depend on charity or begging for donation from the public for living/surviving are not necessarily non-genuine, corrupted and impure. This is such a simple 'understanding', but even many yoga practitioners and yoga teachers don't get it.

Why is that many good and righteous people would protest strongly against different kinds of 'exploitation' that exist in the world, but then, 'teaching yoga' and 'yoga teachers' should be 'exploited' to the maximum, as the way to define and uphold 'the highest purity'? It's totally acceptable for most people to pay certain amount of 'money' for supporting/promoting/getting 'vegetarianism', 'veganism', 'pure and clean food', 'superfood', 'organic food', 'special spiritual healing', 'yoga props/clothing/accessories', 'religious/spiritual activities', 'psychotherapy', 'medical care', 'all kinds of education, learning, training and services', 'pleasurable entertainment and enjoyment', 'social activities', 'holidays', 'travels', 'daily needs' and etc, but, it's so unacceptable, terrible, bad and wrong for people to pay 'certain fixed amount of fees' for 'learning yoga'.

People would spend money buying 'different types of offering' to be offering to 'Gods' and 'Buddhas' hoping to receive something that they want from 'Gods' and 'Buddhas', where 'Gods' and 'Buddhas' (if they are really gods and buddhas) don't need any of these offering, but then, people would think and believe that giving certain amount of fees to learn yoga from a teacher to be supporting the living of the yoga teacher is something inappropriate and wrong. Such deep ignorance.

There's nothing insincere or wrong with those who don't need to depend on receiving fees or donations from anyone for living, but instead, they might have more than enough for their own living, and they can teach yoga and run yoga classes/courses to anyone without taking any fees or donations at all. But that also doesn't determine that these minds are being free from corruption, ignorance, egoism and impurities.

The 'teacher' or 'guru' who is a living human being that doesn't need to bother about fees/donation or money, who either doesn't receive any fees/donation at all, or who would just take any amount of fees/donation 'as much as you can give' or 'as much as you would like to give' when teaching yoga to other people, are either they are financially secured where they don't need to depend on receiving money in the form of fees or donation from teaching yoga for living, or they are living on the charity of others (supported by spouse, family, friends or the public). Unless they are non-human beings or non-living beings that don't need to be 'living' or 'surviving' to maintain the life of the existence and function of the impermanent selfless physical body, or they are human beings who live/survive self-sufficiently on a piece of free land in the wild, surviving purely on mother nature that is free from 'money transaction', that isn't 'touched' or being 'possessed and governed' by some kind of 'authority' at all.

When 'good and generous' people offer 'flowers', 'food' and 'clothing' to a person who teaches them yoga to show their gratitude and appreciation, can this person uses the 'flowers', 'food' and 'clothing' to pay rent, or tax, or medical needs, or even using a toilet to shit and pee, unless the 'flowers', 'food' and 'clothing' could be resold to become 'money', or this person actually lives/survives in the wild, surviving on mother nature that is free from 'money transaction', to build a shelter and planting and collecting food and water in the wild that isn't being 'possessed and governed' by some kind of 'authority' in 'a society' of 'a village/town/city/county/state' under 'the law of a country'.

By thinking and believing that being 'generous' and 'pure' is to be giving 'free teaching' or 'low fees yoga classes' or 'yoga classes based on donation as you wish' or 'discounted fees' to many of those who only want to pay 'a little amount of fees' or 'donate as you wish' to learn yoga from someone or to do some yoga exercises in a 'yoga class', even when they can afford to pay certain amount of fees but is higher than what they would like to give, as the minds think and believe that money-less or low fees is what purity and sincerity is about, or that is how much the teachings, or the classes, or the service, or the person deserved to be paid or should be receiving, is indeed promoting the ignorance in oneself and in the others.

Yoga, selflessness, compassion, oneness, liberation from suffering, the teachings of yoga, the practice of yoga, teaching yoga, learning yoga and the realization of yoga are invaluable. It cannot be sold or bought by any amount of money/fees/donation/offering. Teaching yoga and learning yoga among beings doesn't really need 'money' to be happening. But being existing, moving and living in this world, especially in the modern society, require 'money' for most things. 'Money' is neither pure nor impure, it's just part of the game of living in the world, while the action of 'giving'/'receiving'/'sharing'/'generosity'/'loving kindness'/'charity'/'donation'/'offering' either in the form of money or non-money, don't necessarily determining something pure and selfless under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Yoga schools that provide 'yoga classes' or 'yoga courses' might not survive or exist if without sufficient funding in the form of money (regardless of whether it's fixed amount of fees or donation basis). Human beings who know the teachings and practice of yoga might not have the free time, space and energy to be 'present' at a particular time, space and causation to teach yoga to some others, if they need to be working/doing business full time for supporting their own living and those who are living under their support, and they also need the time, space and energy to be performing their own practice. Many people complain about how their parents are being too busy with their work or business that they don't get enough affection and attention from their parents, because their parents need to spend most of their time, space and energy into making income to support the living of everyone in the family.

For a person to put time, space and energy into running a yoga studio/school that provides yoga classes, yoga courses or yoga retreats for people be there to learn and practice yoga require a lot of expenses in the form of money.

All the articles/writings/blogs/teachings about yoga here are free for anyone to take, provided if they have access to a computer and internet usage that require money, and the person who blogs this also needs money to have access to the computer and internet access for this blog to be existing.

So, think again if the mind is still looking forward to be finding/meeting a 'pure and genuine' human being yoga teacher to be teaching yoga to oneself, under the expectation that this teacher shouldn't be taking money or certain fixed amount of fees that one's mind thinks it's too much and don't deserving, or expecting this teacher only takes small amount of fees or donation as you wish, or else, this must be an impure and non-genuine teacher if this person takes a fixed amount of fees that one's mind thinks it's too much or don't deserving.

Regardless of whether the person whom oneself learns yoga from is pure or impure, it really doesn't matter. It's about how this mind behaves. If this mind is looking for a teacher with the expectation and judgment towards the teacher should or shouldn't be in certain way, judging the teacher based on one's expectation towards how a teacher should be like, expecting the teacher to meet up with one's expectation as well as be able to receive whatever one expects to be receiving from a teacher, but at the same time, one is measuring what and how much one would like to 'give'/'donate'/'offer' to the teacher to show 'gratitude' and 'appreciation' to the teacher for teaching oneself, then even though the teacher doesn't ask any fees/donation/offering in return, and one would give/donate/offer something to the teacher, this person won't be able to learn anything even if this is a great teacher who delivers the teachings of yoga. If this mind is opened, free from expectation, then this mind doesn't even need to look for a teacher, as the opened mind itself is the greatest teacher that allows itself to see the truth from all and everything that the mind comes in contact with. One will respect and show gratitude towards all and everything, without discrimination of pure or impure, deserving or undeserving.

Contemplate, and see how ignorant is this thinking mind. When one sees/realizes the ignorance in one's mind, one found/meets the greatest teacher.

One might not learn or realize anything, even if there's a great teacher (living or non-living being) being there teaching yoga to oneself all the time without involving 'money' in the form of 'fees' or 'donation', as one doesn't see/realize the ignorance in one's mind.

Neither right nor wrong

Most people think, react and behave in certain ways that conform to the way of thinking, reaction and behavior of the majority of the society, and naturally there will be egoistic judgment and expectation towards how all the others should or shouldn't think, react and behave in certain ways in accordance to their way of thinking, reaction and behavior that they think and believe as 'right' or 'wrong', 'good' or 'bad', 'positive' or 'negative', 'healthy' or 'unhealthy', 'appropriate' or 'inappropriate', 'normal' or 'abnormal', 'sane' or 'insane'. Anything that are contradicting and are different from their own way of thinking, reaction and behavior, would be categorized as 'wrong', 'bad', 'negative', 'inappropriate', 'unhealthy', 'abnormal', or 'insane'. What is contradicting with what the impure egoistic minds think and believe as 'humanity' is being understood as 'inhumanity'. There are lots of discussions, debates, arguments and conflicts exist due to the strong attachment towards the mind perception of duality under the influence of ignorance and egoism that based on particular way of thinking, reaction and behavior that is agreeable to the majority of the society.

Yoga practice is about changing such egoistic thinking pattern of the impure egoistic mind and allowing the mind to see things as they are, to free the mind from egoistic judgment or expectation towards all the different ways of thinking, reaction and behavior to be or not to be in certain way.

Upon coming in contact with the 'death' of someone or something, most minds would react and feel sad and grieve/mourn, and would criticize or condemn certain minds that don't react in such way, where they don't feel sad nor grieve/mourn towards the 'death' of someone or something (that most minds think and believe as something good and is dear to them), as a form of 'wrongful'/'bad'/'inappropriate'/'negative'/'unhealthy'/'abnormal'/'insane' way of thinking, reaction and behavior. Meanwhile, these impure egoistic minds would feel glad and cheer towards the 'death' or 'destruction' of someone or something that they think and believe as something bad and is hated by them.

And that's everyone's freedom for how they think, feel, react, judge and expect.

For the yoga practitioners, it's all about the elimination of ignorance and egoism, by freeing the mind from such worldly egoistic thinking pattern of the mind.

How the minds perceive and judge towards everything is based on what the minds know and understand, and what the impure egoistic minds know and understand is very limited and conditioned under the influence of ignorance and egoism, even if the minds are highly educated and knowledgeable.

People who might be highly educated and knowledgeable could be thinking and believing that, "The minority must respect and conform to the idea and wish of the majority." and constantly be offended and hurt by something that the mind dislikes and disagrees with.

The selfless yogis, or the wise ones, or the dispassionate ones, neither grieve/mourn towards the 'death' nor cheer/celebrate towards the 'birth' of 'the good and dearest ones'. Neither will they cheer towards the 'death' nor grieve/mourn towards the 'birth' of 'the bad and hated ones'. It's not that they are emotion-less, or heart-less, or depressing, abnormal or insane, it's just that they perceive and understand everything differently from the majority of the society, being aware of the truth of names and forms and transcending all the qualities of names and forms that are subject to cause and effect, impermanence and selflessness. The thinking, reaction and behavior pattern of these minds towards the perception/experience of all kinds of names and forms or the pleasant/unpleasant experiences has transcended the perception and understanding of the impure egoistic minds, where they don't think, react or behave like the majority of the society.

Whenever the mind thinks and judges, "Oh, this person thinks, reacts and behaves in the way that is so wrong, bad, negative, inappropriate, abnormal, unhealthy or insane. Obviously this person doesn't know or understand how to think, react or behave in the way that is right, good, positive, appropriate, normal, healthy and sane." then know that most probably it's actually 'this mind that thinks and judges in such way' that doesn't know/understand or is being ignorant towards something that is beyond what this mind knows and understands.

Know this mind. Know Thyself.

It's merely different ways of thinking, reaction and behavior under different states of the mind that is subject to cause and effect, impermanence and selflessness, that is either under the influence of ignorance and egoism, or not.

If the mind cannot go beyond the duality of right and wrong, good and bad, positive and negative, and so on, then even though one has been practicing and teaching yoga for many years, this mind is not free.

Contemplate, reflect, realize.

What do yoga practitioners practice in yoga?

"What do yoga practitioners practice in yoga?"

There are many different types of 'external yoga practice' that can be seen or recognized through various physical appearances and activities 'representing' different lineage or path under different names and forms or brands and styles, but all kinds of external practice must be accompanied by the internal practice of VIVEKA (right discrimination), VAIRAGYA (dispassion/renunciation), SHATSAMPAT (six fold path) and MUMUKSHUTVA (intense yearning for liberation). Or else, performing many of the different forms of external yoga practice regularly might bring some momentary effects or benefits (the sense of calmness, joyfulness, goodness, meaningfulness, healthiness) to the practitioners, but it doesn't lead the mind towards the elimination of ignorance and egoism and the complete annihilation of the modification of the mind, which is the ultimate goal of yoga (although there aren't many yoga enthusiasts are practicing yoga for this reason, and that's their freedom), transcending all forms of name and form (the mind perception of impermanent pleasant and unpleasant life experiences) as well as all the momentary desirable/non-desirable, agreeable/disagreeable or enjoyable/non-enjoyable side-effects or by-products that may or may not arise throughout the internal and/or external yoga practice.

The external yoga practice is most probably being limited by time, space and causation, while the internal yoga practice is unlimited, transcending all kinds of condition and situation, names and forms that are subject to impermanence and selflessness. As long as there's the modification of the mind, the practice is always available or present right here and right now. If there's a 'limitation', then this 'limitation' is coming from the impure egoistic outgoing passionate mind itself, either rejecting the practice or giving up the practice for some reasons. And even this 'limitation' is impermanent.

Those who are endowed with the four means of yoga, might not be seen or recognized from their appearance or activity, as they don't necessarily have to be performing any particular form of external yoga practice that representing particular lineage or path under a particular name and form or brand and style, although there's great assistance coming from the external practice to conquer the impure restless state of mind.

It doesn't matter with or without practicing a particular lineage or path of yoga under certain names and forms or brands and styles, but more importantly, practicing the teachings of yoga to silent the modification of the mind, to free the mind from restlessness deriving from ignorance and egoism, to realize selflessness/oneness/non-separateness/namelessness/formlessness/attributelessness/birthlessness/deathlessness.

Live in the present, respect the world and life as it is

"Live in the present, respect the world and life as it is, free from craving and aversion, all this is impermanent and it's not 'I'."

Being free from attachment and identification with the selfless function and condition of the physical body and the thinking mind, as well as all the mind perception of names and forms of pleasant/unpleasant life experiences with all kinds of desirable/undesirable relationship with beings and objects, being undetermined by actions and the fruit of actions, respecting the law of nature of cause and effect, transcending the duality of good and bad, positive and negative, right and wrong, happiness and unhappiness, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, success and failure, achievement and non-achievement, praise and condemn, and absence of worldly passionate desire or expectation towards everything to be or not to be in certain way.

The disturbed/hurting mind is being disturbed/hurt by itself being ignorant towards itself. Restlessly being disturbed/determined by the desire of craving and aversion towards past experiences and future anticipation.

Know thyself and be free.

Huge amount of different kinds of yoga and meditation practice, teaching and sharing is nothing, if the mind doesn't work on freeing itself from ignorance and egoism, being determined by the mind perception of a worldly life existence with egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion and expectation towards the world and life to be or not to be in certain way.

Some people don't practice yoga or meditation and don't relate themselves with spirituality or humanity activism, but they are liberated minds being free from ignorance and egoism, performing actions selflessly in discreet without attachment and identification or expectation towards the actions and the fruit of actions, respecting the law of cause and effect, without desire/intention/ambition to change the world and life to be or not to be in certain way, respecting the world and life as it is.

Positive thinking is not freedom

Just as drugs or medicines are useless to those who are free from physical or mental illness, positive thinking is irrelevant to the mind that is free from ignorance and egoism.

Positive thinking is one of the yoga practice to counter negative thinking, but it's not the goal of the yoga practice, as if the mind needs to be thinking in the positive way, to be positive and stay positive, it means that the mind is still not free from being determined by the mind perception of duality under the influence of ignorance.

The mind that is free, perceives all the names and forms as they are, or sees things as they are. Everything is just what it is, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative. This mind doesn't need to think positively. It doesn't need to practice positive thinking to counter negative thinking as there is no negative thinking. All forms of yoga practice exist as different tools for the ignorant egoistic mind to be free from ignorance and egoism. Any form of yoga practice is useless to the mind that is free from ignorance.

The mind is not free, is due to it is still perceiving all the names and forms under the influence of ignorance and egoism perceiving duality of good and bad, positive and negative, and the mind is being determined by duality, where there's craving/clinging towards the mind perception of the quality of good and positive, and aversion towards the mind perception of the quality of bad and negative, then this mind can practice positive thinking to counter so called negative thinking, or more precisely, ignorant egoistic thinking in the mind.

It's like drugs or medicines to counter certain physical or mental illness, positive thinking is just a tool to counter negative/ignorant thinking. It's not freedom if one needs to depend on drugs or medicines all the time, similarly it's not freedom if the mind needs to rely on positive thinking as the mind is still not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Be free.

Hugging and touching?

In this era of the so called modern and highly developed society, most people perceive and observe the practice/habit/culture of 'hugging' and 'touching' as a form of showing love, acceptance and friendliness among beings, while they would feel awkward, bad and wrong, or even be offended, if some people don't have or don't observe the practice/habit/culture of hugging and touching.

Many yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers might also think and believe that 'open mind' and 'loving kindness/warmness' means people need to be affectionately hugging and touching one another to be showing non-discrimination, non-separateness, non-intimidation, love, acceptance and friendliness towards all beings, while the absence of hugging and touching is being perceived as 'closed mind' and 'unloving-kindness'/'coldness' that portrays the quality of discrimination, separateness, intimidation, lovelessness, non-acceptance and unfriendliness. Many also believe that the lack of hugging or touching by another being is highly detrimental to physical, mental and emotional health. They expect all beings, especially yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers should be constantly and actively hugging and touching all other beings that they come in contact with, to show that they are genuine yoga practitioners or spiritual seekers who embrace loving kindness, who are open minded and compassionate beings, while they would be puzzled by the very few of the yoga practitioners who don't have or don't observe such hugging and touching habit/culture.

For yoga practitioners who truly want to open their mind, is to be free from being conditioned by such worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, where the mind understands that 'the existence and non-existence of open mind and compassion' is nothing to do with 'the presence and absence of physical hugging and touching another being', where it's nothing bad and there's nothing wrong with the society having and observing the hugging and touching habit/culture, especially if the minds are pure and desireless, and it's also nothing bad and there's nothing wrong with those who don't have or don't observe the hugging and touching habit/culture either. Accepting all and everyone as they are, even though certain people behave in the way that goes against the thinking, belief, values and practice of the majority of the society.

Hugging and touching or not, doesn't really determine the presence and absence of the quality of 'non-discrimination', 'non-separateness', 'non-intimidation', 'love', 'acceptance' and 'friendliness', while the quality of non-discrimination, non-separateness, non-intimidation, love, acceptance and friendliness aren't necessarily have to be shown/portrayed by physical contact of hugging and touching one another.

Most people would feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely and meaningless upon the absence of physical/mental/emotional interaction of hugging and touching from some other beings. And hence, many people would think and believe that the solution is to be actively giving and receiving affectionate hugs and touches among beings.

It's the ignorant egoistic passionate mind that has attachment and expectation towards the appropriateness and disappropriateness in social behavior and interaction that would feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely, meaningless, piteous or offended upon the absence or the lack of love and affection in the form of hugging and touching from other beings.

Contemplate upon why the ancient teachings/practice of yoga emphasized on the important observation of solitude and seclusion of non-physical/mental/emotional contact and non-physical touching with any other being, where yoga practitioners and spiritual seekers were being advised to observe solitude and seclusion for a prolonged period of time, to free the mind from the worldly habitual passionate desire of craving and clinging towards love and affection, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to silent/annihilate the modification of the mind.

One of the common practice/observation in the Ashrams is about none should be physically touching one another regardless of among the same or different gender, especially the swamis, monks and nuns. But, nowadays, in many of the ashrams, even many 'modernized' swamis, monks and nuns also don't observe this practice anymore, and they mingling intimately with one another and the people who come to the ashrams, not to say many of the householders who identify themselves as 'yoga practitioners' or 'yogis'. Many 'yoga teacher training courses' also emphasize on the physical hands on adjustment, where the many graduated 'certified yoga teachers' think and believe that it's what a good and professional yoga teacher should be doing/practicing while teaching classes and while socializing/mingling with the students or the yoga community outside of the classes to develop stronger connection and relationship among one another.

There's nothing wrong with the worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice that propagates widely about "Everyone needs love, affection, hugs and touches." But that is not yoga practice at all, as that is indeed empowering ignorance and egoism. It's not any different from keep feeding sugary drinks to the children or keep providing drugs to the people to make them feel 'happy and good' from the momentary effects of sugary drinks or drugs and from the gratification of desires by giving people what they like and want. The yoga practice is to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to realize selflessness/oneness/non-separateness, where there's absence of needing/craving/clinging towards physical/mental/emotional love, affection, hugs and touches from other beings. There's no need of developing stronger connection or relationship between 'I' and 'the others' in selflessness/oneness/non-separateness, as connection or relationship doesn't exist in selflessness/oneness/non-separateness. There's neither 'I' nor 'the others'. There's no 'I' need to be healed by 'spiritual healing hugs and touches'.

A truly 'healthy and compassionate' society exists along with the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism. Everyone can be kind and loving towards one another out of selfless compassion, not because everyone 'needs' to give and receive love and affection to and from one another through certain action in order to make the egoistic minds feel good, happy, love and meaningful, or not to feel rejected, unloved, left-out, depressed, lonely, meaningless, piteous or offended upon the absence/lack of love and affection through certain action from other beings, as the ignorant egoistic minds think and believe that it's so bad and terrible if there's absence/lack of any form of love and affection among one another.

Be free.

Truthfulness?

The path of yoga and Buddhism is about realizing the Truth and respecting the Truth as it is, regardless of whether the Truth is being perceived as something pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable to the worldly impure egoistic minds.

Many minds/people like to talk about 'truthfulness' and see it as an important value of life, but then ironically, most minds/people don't welcome and can't handle certain 'truthfulness' or 'the truth' being something that they don't like and don't want. Many people prefer themselves and everyone else to be playing a game of 'untruthfulness/lies/hypocrisy/pretension/acting' in all forms of relationship that would portray "Everything being the way that they like and want, that would appear to be all good and positive and nothing bad and negative", or they would try to ignore, or deny, or hideaway whatever that they don't like and don't want, such as "Don't tell me about it. I don't want to know anything about it." so that they can have 'the peace and harmony' in their lives, in their relationships with their family, relatives and friends. There's plentiful of untruthfulness/lies/secrets/manipulation in all kinds of human's relationship except in the rare ones that are free from the influence of the ego and egoism. Back-biting exists in many relationships as well, where people pretend to be nice to one another in front of everyone, saying only nice and positive things in front of people in order to maintain 'peace and harmony' in the family, work place, friends circle, personal relationship and the society, but then, many minds/people couldn't avoid back-biting behind people's back to express and/or release their frustration, dissatisfaction and disappointment towards what they don't like and disagree with.

The mind can never avoid some kinds of interaction that involve certain 'untruthfulness/lies/hypocrisy/manipulation' dealing with all kinds of human's relationship.

There's nothing wrong with trying to present many different images of certain 'quality' on different occasions that conform to the many different thinking and beliefs of the many different minds/people that one comes in contact with and interacts with, in order to please everyone, to not offending anyone, to not making anyone feel unhappy, dissatisfy, disappointed or upset, to maintain 'peace and harmony', or to be surviving in a competitive world of names and forms, or to gain love, liking, help, support and comfort from others, but that would be supporting and empowering ignorance and egoism in oneself and others, while yoga practice is mainly to free the mind from ignorance and egoism.

The minds that would be disturbed, offended and upset easily by what the minds don't like and disagree with, or what the minds perceive as unpleasant, disagreeable, bad, wrong, negative or inappropriate, is due to ignorance and egoism. None need to be untruthful, hypocrite, lie, pretend or act while being or interacting with other minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, as these minds won't be disturbed nor offended nor upset by all kinds of name and form that are being perceived by the worldly impure egoistic minds as unpleasant, disagreeable, bad, wrong, negative or inappropriate.

In Buddha or Satguru, or any beings that are free from ignorance and egoism, the mind is undetermined and undisturbed by all the selfless impermanent names and forms, being free from the desire of craving and aversion and expectation towards all and everything to be in certain way. All kinds of suffering/unhappiness/painful sorrow/hurts/depression/loneliness/meaninglessness don't exist in them, as there's neither craving for something pleasant and agreeable nor aversion towards something unpleasant and disagreeable. And hence, there's needless of the existence of any other being or family and friends being there to be loving/liking/supporting/helping/comforting them, although they would allow anyone to be kind and friendly supporting or helping them and/or other beings in many ways, while without encouraging or empowering the ignorance and egoism in the beings, but allowing the beings to also realize selflessness and compassion, being free from all kinds of suffering/unhappiness/painful sorrow/hurts/depression/loneliness/meaninglessness, being undetermined and undisturbed by all the pleasant/unpleasant, agreeable/disagreeable, desirable/undesirable names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, where the need of gaining love, liking, support, help or comfort from some others is absent, and without egoistic intention to be making and accumulating 'family ties and friendships', they can be 'kind' and 'friendly' towards all and everyone unconditionally without discrimination of 'friends or not friends', 'family or not family' and 'good or bad beings', without the need or craving of gaining love, liking, help, support and comfort from others.

Real peace and harmony is unconditional, derived from the absence of ignorance and egoism, being undisturbed by the mind perception of names and forms through the senses that is subject to impermanence and selflessness. It's being free from all kinds of suffering, restlessness and impurities upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism. 'Peace and harmony' that is subject to the existence and non-existence of certain quality of names and forms, being determined by certain condition and situation that the mind desires, likes and agrees with, that is achieved and needs to be maintained through certain actions, is not real.

Those who are free from being conditioned by worldly thinking and belief would understand this and are free from the sense of loneliness and meaninglessness. Those who are being conditioned strongly by worldly thinking and belief wouldn't or couldn't understand this and would be perceiving the sense of loneliness and meaninglessness from time to time or most of the time. And hence, the importance of renunciation to free the mind from being conditioned by worldly thinking and belief for sincere yoga practitioners.

One can choose to perform certain actions in the world and be engaging in certain forms of relationship and interactive activity with some others selflessly without any attachment, but not because of one thinks and believes that one has to perform such actions in the world and must be engaging in certain forms of relationship and interactive activity, as one would think and feel bad, wrong, negative, meaningless, unhappy or suffering if one doesn't or couldn't perform such actions in the world, or doesn't engage in certain forms of relationship and interactive activity with some others. That is freedom in yoga or Buddhism.

The essence of silence

Passionate worldly egoistic minds that attached strongly onto the impermanent and selfless function of the body and the modification of the mind and identified strongly with all the impermanent qualities of names and forms of conditions, experiences, actions and the fruit of actions, and all kinds of connections/relationships as 'I' or 'This is who I am', who attached strongly onto worldly social and cultural thinking and belief to live life, act and react or behave, will not be able to understand or appreciate silence, where they can't live without talking, chatting, socializing, communicating, engaging and interacting with some other human beings or some other forms of living being, where the observation of solitude, seclusion and silence is being perceived/recognized as a form of 'meaningless and negative way of life' or a form of 'abnormal, inappropriate, wrong, mad, selfish and unhealthy way of behavior'.

Due to deep rooted ignorance and egoism, many minds including yoga practitioners and yoga teachers, would think and feel that it's terribly bad and wrong for them or anyone to be observing solitude, seclusion and silence, without coming in contact, talking, chatting, socializing, communicating, engaging or interacting with any other people/beings.

The worldly passionate egoistic minds would feel 'offended' or 'disturbed' by those who are observing silence, where the minds are rendered silent, who don't engage in social conversation/interaction/activity with them, who don't response to their 'sociable friendliness' in the way that they expect how all human beings should be responding or behaving. And that's their freedom of thinking and expression. Autonomously and naturally, most people spend most of their life time and energy into 'making connection of family ties, friendships and relationships' and 'maintaining the connection of family ties, friendships and relationships'.

Yoga practitioners, especially those who identify themselves as 'yoga teachers', who really want to practice and realize yoga of selflessness/oneness/non-separateness, can contemplate or perform self-inquiry upon the essence of silence with this question.

"What do you do or say, or how do you behave or react, if an enlightened Buddha or 'what/who you think is your Satguru' is here in this space with you?"

Do you astounded by their presence by shouting and crying and praying to Buddha or Satguru desiring to be blessed, or be touched/hugged, or be helped, or be sympathized, or be healed, or be loved, or be understood/accepted/acknowledged?

Do you want to be engaging in a social conversation talking about yourself and what's happening in your life and in the world, and also expect Buddha or Satguru to chit-chat with you, to say something to you or talking about themselves and all the good and bad, right and wrong that are existing in the world?

Do you want Buddha or Satguru to be acknowledged about how many and which type of 'Internationally recognized yoga teacher certification' that you have, or how much and what kind of selfless service, charity and contribution that you have done, and looking forward to be praised and recognized by them, and then can't wait to tell all your family and friends that you have been praised and recognized by Buddha or Satguru?

Do you hope or expect Buddha or Satguru will be removing all your ignorance and impurities, and liberating you and everyone that you love from painful sorrow or suffering, and grant you with long life, comfortable living, good health, success, wealth/prosperity, all the helps that you ever need, or all desires come true?

Do you try to socialize and befriend with Buddha or Satguru and planning future ongoing get-together, outings, interactions and activities with them?

Do you have many complaints/unhappiness/frustration/suffering that you need to complain to Buddha or Satguru, or bitch to them about those whom you dislike and disagree with, whom you think they have been hurting you, whom you think they have done something terribly wrong to you and/or others, whom you think they are unloving, uncaring, unnice and unkind to you and/or others, whom you think they are bad people or terrible beings?

Do you think you need to say many nice things to praise and glorify about them, and do something special to please them to make them happy and satisfied, or you shouldn't say or do anything that would be offensive, hurtful or disrespectful to them?

Do you think they are there judging you ceaselessly that you need to be good enough to gain their love, acceptance and acknowledgement, as you think and believe that you need to be loved, accepted and acknowledged by them or by certain people/beings?

Do you think Buddha or Satguru will be condemning/punishing you if you are not free from ignorance, or if you think you are not a 'perfectly good' human being according to certain worldly social/cultural/spiritual/religious/ecological/environmental values and practice, or you can't do handstand and headstand or Trikonasana and Paschimottanasana in perfect alignment, or you don't know what are the name of the yoga poses and their benefits, or you don't know much about the organs, nerves, muscles and bones in the body?

Do you feel disappointed if Buddha or Satguru doesn't turn out to be the way that you expect them to be, or the way that you think and believe how they should be?

Do you think Buddha or Satguru would be offended, or be disturbed, or be upset, or be confused, if you don't make any verbal speech/sound or make any body gesture to show respect to them, if your eyes are closed, if you are not looking at them or anything, if you don't say/express anything, if you have nothing to say/express, if you don't say "Hello! Nice to see you! How are you? Are you okay?", if you don't go towards them and give them a hug or a kiss on their face, if you have nothing to admire or condemn, if you have nothing to complain about, if you have no desire of anything, as your mind is silent, void of ignorance, egoism, impurities, identification, duality, separateness, dissatisfaction, depression, desire, disturb, painful sorrow, fear, worry, hurts, or suffering?

The minds that are free from ignorance and egoism are void of all these worldly egoistic thinking, practice, values, action and reaction. The ones who are being conditioned by all these worldly egoistic thinking, practice, values, action and reaction is the ego, derived from ignorance and powered by egoism. To eliminate the ego and egoism, to realize selflessness/non-separateness, the mind must be free from being conditioned by all those worldly egoistic thinking, practice, values, action and reaction, which is possible through the observation of solitude, seclusion and silence.

Be free.

Why self-righteousness is not yoga practice?

Some yoga enthusiasts are not free from self-righteousness where they think and believe that self-righteousness is a good and upright quality that compliment their yoga practice.

Due to deep rooted ignorance and egoism, there are minds that think and believe that they are good and righteous people and seeing themselves are somehow better human beings than some others whom they perceive as bad and wrongful human beings, and for the sake of humanity, they should stand up for righteousness and condemn those who think and behave in the way that is against what they think and believe is good and rightful way of thinking and behavior, that is bad and wrong, based on their understanding and expectation towards how people or human beings should or shouldn't behave.

None can 'tell' or 'teach' another being/person/mind/community about "This is right and that is wrong." as there's neither right nor wrong, but just different minds judging everything differently based on their own particular thinking, belief, values, practice and preferences, and to behave, act and react in certain way. Siddhartha Gautama Buddha never said or taught about "This is right and that is wrong." even though there's the Eight Fold Path observations for the mind to purify and silent itself to allow the mind to inquire the truth of everything, to see things as they are, beyond the limited/conditioned judgment under the influence of different egoistic worldly thinking and beliefs.

It has to come from the mind itself to inquire into the truth of self-righteousness, where it doesn't exist in selflessness, namelessness, formlessness, attributelessness.

Just as the ideas of patriotism, loyalty, family ties, friendship, relationship, connection, society, community, country, nationality, pride/shame, deserving/undeserving, meaningfulness/meaninglessness, or positiveness/negativeness, are all part of the play of the ego and egoism derived from ignorance. The mind only knows what it knows and what it thinks and believes about what it knows. The mind cannot comprehend what it doesn't know, what it doesn't think, what is beyond all kinds of knowledge that the mind could learn and remember. Just as the ego (the idea/perception of I) cannot comprehend 'selflessness' or 'I-lessness'. And hence, the yoga practice is all about annihilating the ego and egoism to allow the mind to realize selflessness and see things as they are, transcending all the worldly egoistic thinking and beliefs.

Democracy - People's power?

Most people want and support democracy, or even fight and sacrifice their lives for democracy, where 'people' could have 'the power' to choose or elect a leader or a government to lead them.

Democracy is neither good nor bad.

If majority of the people are unselfish and wise, being free from ignorance and egoism, then probably they might elect a leader or a government that will benefit all and everyone, unselfishly, that would promote more peace and harmony in the world.

If majority of the people are selfish and under the influence of ignorance and egoism, then most probably they would elect a leader or a government that doesn't really work to benefit all and everyone, but has certain agenda that only benefits certain group of people in favorable to their own liking, that would generate more prejudice, discrimination, unrest and disharmony in the world.

The world or the society doesn't really need any leader or government. The world or the society would most probably run more smoothly without any particular leader or government that complies to certain idea or vision of a particular world or society to be in certain way. Even an unselfish and intelligent leader of the world also cannot go against the law of nature and the ignorance of the majority of human beings.

What can truly benefit the world or the society is that human beings need to free their own minds from ignorance and egoism, while allowing the world being what it is in accordance to the law of nature, and the society will be fine as it is, even if it's not perfectly the way that most human beings would desire it to be in many different ways respectively. And that's most probably unlikely to be happening. As even many highly educated, knowledgeable and intelligent human beings are also being ignorant towards their own minds are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, and would have the great intention/aspiration/ambition/passion utilizing their education, knowledge and intelligence to create a world or a society of certain way according to their own preferences complying to their own certain thinking, belief, values and practice.

Being conditioned by egoistic thinking pattern unwittingly

The minds can still be functioning under the influence of conditional egoistic thinking pattern to behave, judge, expect, aspire, act and react, unwittingly, even if the minds have 'good' intention to be supporting and upholding 'good' values/practice/behavior, and believe in performing 'good' actions and standing up for protecting 'goodness and righteousness' in the world.

Yoga practice is to free the mind from conditional egoistic thinking pattern that most minds are unaware of, while thinking and believing that those thinking and beliefs are the important values of humanity.

Yoga practitioners can perform self-introspection to find out whether one's mind is being conditioned by egoistic thinking pattern unwittingly, by asking oneself these questions, as most minds are unaware of itself is being conditioned to think and believe in such way, to behave, judge, expect, aspire, act and react.

- Is there a strong sense of belonging towards a particular name and form of family/relationship/friendship/social group/community/country/nationality/ethnicity/culture/religion/school/spirituality/profession/politic/any form of practice and etc, and one would do one's best to uphold and protect that particular name and form that the mind thinks and believes, 'This is where I belong, that I am being proud of being part of it, and I have the duty and responsibility to do my best to be protecting it from being hurt, damaged or destroyed by what I think and believe as negativity, badness and wrongfulness', or I don't know where I belong and it's important for me to be in searching for something/somewhere that I belonged to, that can give me the sense of belonging?

- Does the mind thinks and believes that patriotism and loyalty towards something/somewhere that one belonged to, is a great value or quality that everyone should be cherished and be proud of, where 'Betrayal of any kind is something terribly wrong and unforgivable, and those who commit any form of betrayal must be condemned and punished accordingly'?

- Does the mind thinks and believes that there are certain things/objects/lives that it likes and agrees with, that it understands as something important and appreciates very much shouldn't be subject to 'impermanent changes' and don't deserve 'extinction'?

Not that patriotism and loyalty or upholding something that one's mind thinks and believes is 'good and righteous' is something bad or wrong, but it promotes 'separateness' and 'discrimination' where it doesn't allow the mind to go beyond the conditional thinking pattern that hinders the mind from realizing selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, namelessness, formlessness and attributelessness, which is the ultimate goal of yoga. Similarly, there's nothing wrong with showing great appreciation towards something that the mind perceives as important, lovable and agreeable, but the intense attachment towards something that the mind thinks and believes is important, lovable and agreeable, and not allowing everything being what they are, where everything will change and disappear, is what hinders the mind from realizing 'yoga', or be free from ignorance and suffering.

Patriotism/Loyalty and the sense of belonging or the need to find where one belonged to don't exist in selflessness. Due to ignorance and egoism, many yoga practitioners are still being conditioned by such egoistic thinking pattern, where they think and believe that they belong to certain 'yoga lineage', or 'yoga family', or 'yoga community'. Similarly, the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism can be appreciating all the lovable and agreeable names and forms, but without attachment and are able to respect the law of nature (impermanence and selflessness) as it is, and be able to let them go, in peace.

Patriotism/loyalty and self-righteousness is not yoga practice. Yoga practitioners must work cautiously and diligently to free the mind from such egoistic thinking/belief/values/practice in order to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to realize selflessness/oneness/non-separateness/namelessness/formlessness/attributelessness, that leads the mind towards right discrimination towards the truth of everything and non-discrimination towards all the different qualities of names and forms that co-existing in this space, which all are subject to impermanence and selflessness.

Letting go?

If there's no attachment, there's needless of letting go.

If there's attachment towards either something pleasant or unpleasant, enjoyable or painful, then know that everything is impermanent.

If one knows what is non-attachment towards what is pleasant and enjoyable, then one can fully appreciate and enjoy what is pleasant and enjoyable, but will be able to let it go in peace when impermanence strikes. If there's attachment and one doesn't know how to let go, then there will be dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, hurts or painful sorrow upon losing what one likes very much, that is pleasant and enjoyable. And there's nothing wrong with that, just that one needs to know that even those dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, hurts or painful sorrow are also impermanent.

When one is holding onto something unpleasant or painful, and one cannot withstand the unpleasantness or pain, one can choose to let go of it, by putting it down without hurting it, without regret of letting go something that one likes very much, but it's unpleasant and painful. A lot of time, most people would just react spontaneously if they dislike the unpleasantness or pain, or couldn't forbear the unpleasantness or pain, and would be throwing away immediately whatever that appears to be unpleasant or painful to oneself, and cause damages to that either wittingly or unwittingly.

There's nothing wrong if one decided to continuously holding onto something that one likes very much even though it's unpleasant or painful, but then, one must also accept the consequences of that and endure all the unpleasantness or pain due to unwilling to let go something that appears to be unpleasant or painful to oneself, without expectation towards this unpleasantness or pain will change or disappear, but allowing the changes to be what they are, not necessarily the way that one would like it to be.

It's everyone's freedom for whether they want to let go, and be free, or they don't want to let go, and accept the consequences of one's action and decision of not letting go.

Be free.

It's not 'our world', if we truly love the world

The world doesn't belong to anyone. The world is fine as it is and it doesn't need anyone to protect it if nobody/no community claim ownership/possessiveness/authorization towards the world and desire the world to be and not to be in certain way according to their particular thinking and belief, values and practice, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, or aspiration and expectation towards a world the way that they prefer, that they claimed as "Our world."

Many people like to propagate and say, "The world is ours." and then, "We love our world and we have responsibility towards looking after our world." and then, "We want our world to be like this and not like that." and then follow with, "Protect our world from what we believe as badness and wrongfulness. Get rid of those who are 'bad' and 'wrong', who are 'obstructing' our desire of making our world perfectly the way that it should be."

Just like in all the love relationships among people. Many people don't know what is love when they think they fall in love with someone that they think and believe they love very much, but end up hurting themselves and the one whom they think and believe they love very much. Similarly, we keep hurting the world, when we think and believe we love the world very much, but we don't really know what is love.

We think and believe that we love the person in the relationship with us, but out of ignorance and egoism, there's possessiveness and desire towards the relationship and the person in the relationship with us to be and not to be in certain way, and when the relationship or the person in the relationship with us is not being the way that we expect or desire it to be, but it's being the way that we don't like and don't desire, we will feel disappointed, hurt and angry, and in order to 'protect' the relationship from becoming the way that we don't like and don't desire, we would do something that hurt ourselves and those whom we think we love very much and those whom we think are responsible for 'disturbing' or 'destroying' the relationship that we love very much. And the more we try to 'control' the relationship or the person in the relationship with us to be the way that we desire it to be, we keep hurting the relationship and the person in the relationship with us, whether intentionally or unintentionally, wittingly or unwittingly.

When we claim ownership/possessiveness/authorization towards the world, we don't allow the world being what it is, but we want to 'control' the world to be the way that we desire it to be, and we want to 'protect' the world from being the way that we don't like and don't desire, we are actually 'hurting' the world in the process of making 'our world' the way that we desire, the way that we think how it should be.

When we truly love someone, we love them as they are and we let them go, without claiming ownership/possessiveness/control towards them to be the way that we would like them to be. Allowing them to be what they are, to love us, or not, to be in a relationship with us, or not.

If we truly love the world, even if we think we have good intention, we stop claiming ownership/possessiveness/authorization towards the world to be "Our world." and stop desiring/aspiring/expecting, "We want our world to be like this and not like that." but allowing the world to be what it is.

It's not 'our world'. It's just the world that selflessly allowing all and everything being here.

When human beings stop claiming ownership/possessiveness/authorization towards the world, it doesn't mean that everyone would be hurting the world intentionally, or wouldn't be doing something beneficial for the world out of compassion. While those who claim ownership/possessiveness/authorization towards the world and expect the world to be in certain way according to their aspiration and desire of a world that they prefer, would be hurting the world whether wittingly or unwittingly, by protecting what they like and desire while fighting against what they don't like and don't desire.

Anyway, the world will still be what it is, according to the law of nature (cause and effect), with or without many egoistic minds trying to take control over the world to be theirs and desiring a world the way that they like it to be. And the world doesn't have an ego to be bothered about it.

How to break free from fear towards letting go certain thinking and belief?

There's no comment/judgment towards any thinking and belief as true or untrue. Learn to see things as they are. Need not judging or categorizing everything into 'this' or 'that'. Everything is just what it is. Neither good nor bad. Neither right nor wrong. All are impermanent and selfless. Whatever being perceived through the mind in this worldly life existence of names and forms, are all subject to impermanence and selflessness, including all kinds of thinking, beliefs, values and practices.

All kinds of thinking and belief existing for their own reason, for the minds that are under the influence of egoism and impurities to hang onto, to have a sense of direction, while navigating their way in the worldly life existence that is subject to uncertainty, impermanence and selflessness.

It's all about whether the mind is free from egoistic attachment and identification, or not. It's not about which thinking and belief is true or untrue, or which is truer and better than all the others.

Asians are bound by Asian cultural thinking and belief, but are not being bound by the western cultural thinking and belief to live life and behave in certain way. Westerners are bound by the western cultural thinking and belief, but are not being bound by the Asian cultural thinking and belief to live life and behave in certain way. Though both can respect each other's different ways of life and behavior due to the influence of different cultural thinking and belief.

The mind took up and attached onto Christianity or Hinduism thinking and belief and practice, and identifying itself as a 'Christian' or 'Hindu', or as a 'follower' of 'Christianity' or 'Hinduism'. Christians are bound by Christianity thinking and belief and practice, but are not being bound by the Hinduism thinking and belief and practice. Hindus are bound by Hinduism thinking and belief and practice, but are not being bound by Christianity thinking and belief and practice.

Christians have no fear of 'not following' Hinduism thinking and belief and practice at all, but there's fear of 'unfollow' Christianity thinking and belief and practice, fear of sin and punishment and 'The hell for (bad) Christians'. Hindus have no fear of 'not following' Christianity thinking and belief and practice at all, but there's fear of 'unfollow' Hinduism thinking and belief and practice, fear of sin and punishment and 'The hell for (bad) Hindus'. Though both can respect each other's different way of thinking and belief and practice, and their respective 'Hell for their (bad) followers'.

Without taking up or without attachment and identification towards any particular thinking and belief and practice, there's no binding by any thinking and belief and practice, and there's no need of 'unfollow' any thinking and belief and practice, as there's no particular thinking and belief and practice that need to be 'unfollowed'. What is fear of 'unfollow' any thinking and belief and practice?

Those who were never being exposed to or never picked up any particular thinking and belief and practice, or those who have no attachment and identification towards any particular thinking and belief and practice are not being bound by any particular thinking and belief and practice, to live life and behave in certain way. The notion of 'unfollowing' or 'letting go' or 'abandoning' certain thinking and belief and practice doesn't exist at all. Though one can respect all the others with their particular thinking and belief and practice, to live life and behave in certain way, as most egoistic minds/people need to hang onto certain thinking and belief to have a sense of direction in life, but it's unnecessarily for the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism.

Looking for yoga school or yoga teacher training course?

Imperfection exists in all and everything including different yoga schools or yoga teacher training courses and the people involving in running the yoga schools and yoga courses.

With an open mind, without expectation, be ready to inquire the truth of everything, including all the teachings and practice presented by the yoga school or in the yoga teacher training course, and without regret towards one's decision of choosing the particular yoga school or yoga teacher training course.

Dealing with all the pros and cons or imperfections existing in the yoga school or the yoga teacher training course with an open mind, and be able to make decision without regret, is indeed the practice.

Follow one's conscience towards finding which lineage of yoga that one would like to explore and experience. It's okay if one finds that after experiencing a particular lineage of yoga, one realizes it doesn't suit oneself. If so, be open to experience some other kind of lineage of yoga, until one finds the most suitable one. In the end, it's not about which lineage of yoga or yoga school that is the best among all, but it's whether the mind is being unattached towards and unidentified with the particular lineage of yoga, the yoga school, the teachers, the yoga teacher training course, and all the desirable/undesirable or agreeable/disagreeable experiences.

Above all, it's not about getting the best 'Internationally recognized yoga teacher certification affiliated with such and such yoga alliance/organization' from the best yoga school and yoga teacher, but it's about being open-minded upon coming in contact with the different kinds of teachings and practice from the different lineage of yoga, to be purifying and quieting the mind, inquire towards the truth of all the teachings, and the truth of 'I' or 'who am I/what is the ego', realizing selflessness/egolessness, be free from ignorance, egoism, impurities, restlessness and suffering.

Attending many yoga teacher training courses in certain yoga schools and attaining many yoga teacher certifications and teaching many hours of yoga classes doesn't determine whether the mind is free from ignorance, egoism, impurities, restlessness and suffering, or not.

In the end, one will realize the greatest teacher and the greatest 'yoga course' is the mind itself upon being rendered pure and quiet through the different kinds of persevered practice, being unattached towards and undisturbed by all the mind perception of names and forms or the activities/modification of the mind, of all the agreeable/disagreeable, pleasant/unpleasant, desirable/undesirable experiences, and be able to see the truth of things as it is, be free from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance.

Those who are free from ignorance and egoism don't need to attend yoga teacher training course or attain 'Internationally recognized yoga teacher certification' to be peaceful and compassionate, or to disseminate the knowledge of yoga to those who are in need of the teachings and practice to be free from ignorance and egoism.

The 'real' Guru/teacher is the one without a 'certificate'/'recognition', without a 'school'/'ashram' and without giving 'certification'/'recognition' to anyone.