Intention-less + non-expectation + non-attachment = compassion or selflessness

Perform all the actions that can be done and need to be done for the well-being of ourselves and for other beings in the world, without intention, without expectation, not attached to our actions and the fruit of our actions, go beyond success and failure, good and bad, praise and censure, effectiveness and non-effectiveness. These actions are being performed out of compassion, selflessness. These actions are free from the influence from the mind and the ego, the likes and dislikes, craving and aversion. These actions do not come from "I".

These actions are pure and untainted by good or bad karma.

Just like the sun, the water, the air, the earth and the space. They have no intentions to give anything to anybody, but without all these things to provide heat, oxygen, water, earth and space, nothing can exist. We depend on these providers to give us all the supports for our life existence. And they perform actions unceasingly to give, provide and support all and everything in the universe to exist. They have no expectation from the actions of contributing. They have no discrimination of good or bad beings, happy or unhappy beings, ignorant or wise beings, ancient or modern beings. They have no anger, hatred, disappointment, frustration, dissatisfaction, fear and worry, likes or dislikes, craving or aversion. Why? Because they don't have a thinking mind with the function of the selfish ego. But naturally, unselfishly, they give and perform the action of giving unlimitedly, unconditionally, inexhaustibly, without discrimination, without any intentions and expectations. Without the identification as the doer of the actions, without the identification that these actions are for a purpose to benefit anyone, without the identification that someone will be benefited from these actions. That is selflessness. That is compassion. That is yoga.

It doesn't matter if the beings ruin the world and the environment. It doesn't matter when beings condemn about them for being too much or too little. It doesn't matter if beings like them or dislike them, want them or don't want them, whether beings appreciate them or not, be grateful and thankful or not, it doesn't matter if beings take advantage of these providers to fulfill their own selfish ambitions, these providers still perform the action of giving without attach to the action and the fruit of action.

The water has no intention to provide water for anyone or anything to consume it for existence, and everyone and everything consume water and continue to exist. The water also has no intention to have cleansing or purifying effects, and everyone and everything get the cleansing and purifying effect from water. The water has no intention to drown anybody or to take away any lives, and beings do drown themselves in water and lost their lives. The water has no expectation that anyone or anything will be benefited from it, nor expecting any compliment or praise, thankfulness or gratefulness, nor expecting someone will show appreciation or love for it. It doesn't matter if anyone condemning the water for being too much or too little, or if anyone is polluting the water. The water has no discrimination of good or bad beings, ignorant or wise beings, or any preferences. The water has no intention to be good or bad, to give or to take. But the water continues to be exist for the others to be exist. There is no "action" - it is action-less, behind all these actions with names and forms.

The sun has no intention to give heat and light for us to have warmth, food and energy, and everything and everyone still get the warmth, food and energy from it. It has no intention to burn anyone or to give skin cancer to anyone, and someone still get sunburn or skin cancer through it. It has no intention to support anything to have life or to take away any lives. The sun has no expectation that anyone or anything will be benefited from it, nor expecting any compliment or praise, thankfulness or gratefulness, nor expecting someone will show appreciation or love for it. It doesn't matter if anyone condemning the sun for being too much or too little. The sun has no discrimination of good or bad beings, ignorant or wise beings, or any preferences. The sun has no intention to be good or bad, to give or to take. But the sun continues to be exist for the others to be exist. There is no "action" - it is action-less, behind all these actions with names and forms.

There is no success nor failure. There is no good nor bad intention. There is no performing any actions nor not performing any actions. There is no "I-ness". There is no gain nor loss. There is no craving nor aversion. There is no giving nor receiving.

That selflessness and unconditional compassion is who we really are. But we were separated from this selfless true nature of us by the initial thought of craving and clinging (the beginning existence of names and forms (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and thoughts) which have a beginning and an ending, existence and non-existence, forming and deforming, arising and passing away), which gave birth to the mortal physical body with the function of a thinking mind with the function of the limited intellect and the selfish ego.

This craving gave birth to all the "side effects" that came along with the mortal physical body with the functions of all the sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin and thinking faculty) and all other life support organs which is subject to impermanence, birth, growth, changes, decaying, old age, illness, pain and death.

This mortal physical body came along with the thinking mind (projector for thoughts, feelings, emotions and sensations) to perceive names and forms through the senses in the body, with the limited intellect that can only perceive things that are with names and forms but cannot perceive namelessness and formlessness that are beyond names and forms, and the selfish ego which asserts what it agrees or disagrees with, likes and dislikes, wants and doesn't wants, craving and aversion, and came along with all the impurities or ignorance - anger, hatred, jealousy, attachment, dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration, irritation, greed, lustful desire, anxiety, agitation, depression, fear, worry, doubt, and all sorts of ill-wills.

All these impurities further more generate never ending reactions of attachment, clinging, craving and aversion that create the repeated cycles of birth and death for us to reap the karma of cause and effect from our past actions and reactions. And all these are the cause of suffering that exists with the body and the mind - hunger, thirst, growth, changes, illness, pain, old age, death, fear, worry, doubt, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, lustful desires, ignorance, dissatisfaction, emptiness, being with the objects that we don't like, not being with the objects that we like, being separated from our loved ones, craving and clinging, impurities of the physical body (remove the layer of our skin and see what is so "beautiful" about our body. It is nothing but flesh, nerves, blood, glands, organs, intestines, bones, muscles, cells, fermentation of food, gas, urine, shit, pus, phlegm, membranes, germs, bacteria and etc).

Even so, this physical body is just being what it is. It is not something clean nor dirty. It is not something beautiful nor disgusting. It has no intention for us to be healthy or not healthy. It is just there for us to have life existence that is subject to impermanence, birth and death.

We were and are still lost in the attachment towards the duality of different qualities of all the names and forms (good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant, success and failure, praise and censure, heat and cold, superiority and inferiority, birth and death). We were and are still clinging onto this physical body with the function of the mind, the intellect and the ego, with all the ignorance and impurities that constantly generate more and more reactions of craving and aversion and the consequences of the reactions - karma of cause and effect.

We were and are still lost in the wrong identification with the body and the mind, likes and dislikes, wants and doesn't wants. Thinking that we are the body, this impermanent body is us. Thinking that we are the mind, these thoughts, feelings and sensations are us. And this wrong identification makes us think that "we are good", "we are bad", "we are happy", "we are sad", "we are strong and healthy", "we are weak and sick", "we are suffering", "we are free from suffering"....

But our true Self is beyond all these attributes that are subject to changes and impermanence, which is not real. All these impermanent names and forms are just momentary illusions that are forming and deforming due to the craving and clinging that come from the thinking mind with the selfish ego with the big "I-ness" and "Mine-ness".

Our true Self is beyond existence and non-existence. Existence and non-existence only occur to names and forms that have attributes or qualities. The true Self is attribute-less. It has no beginning and no ending. It is not tainted by ignorance, or the impurities of the body, the mind, the thoughts, actions and speech (both positive and negative, good and evil). It is beyond pure and impure. It is beyond happiness and unhappiness. It is beyond what the mind can perceive through the limited intellect. It is beyond all the elements. It is pure existence, pure knowledge and pure bliss.

There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no end of suffering, no free from suffering.

Keep purifying our mind, have self-control over our thoughts, actions and speech. Limit any unnecessary inputs. Conserve our energy and effort for the quest for self-realization and to perform selfless service for the welfare of our own self and for other beings and the world. Practice concentration and awareness at the present moment. Develop all the divine qualities that will lead us to purity, non-attachment, firmness and fearlessness which will lead us back to our true nature - selflessness, love, peace, compassion and wisdom.

Contemplate on this selflessness. Try to practice selflessness and perform all the actions for ourselves or for all other beings, out of compassion, selflessly and be free from the influence that comes from the mind, the intellect and the ego (good and bad qualities, positive and negative, pleasant and unpleasant, agrees and disagrees, likes and dislikes, wants and doesn't wants, craving and aversion).

Rise above the body, the mind and the ego. Let go of the wrong identification with the body, the mind and the ego.

Let go of the attachment, clinging and craving for the momentary state of calmness and peacefulness that comes from the mind after doing some yoga practices or meditation. Go beyond all the states of the mind. We practice yoga not just because we like to do it because it gives us a momentary satisfaction, good feelings, lightness and calmness for the mind and other benefits for the physical body. But go deeper in our practice to realize the truth of things, of who we really are, by purifying and stilling the mind, by non-attachment towards all the good or bad feelings that come from doing yoga or not doing yoga, by not having craving towards the pleasant sensations and not having aversion towards the unpleasant sensations that arise while we perform any yoga asana practice, pranayama practice, meditation, karma yoga, chanting and etc.

Go beyond success and failure, compliments and condemnations, good and not good, like and dislike, want and don't want, pleasant and unpleasant, positive and negative, happiness and unhappiness. Go beyond all the qualities, all the names and forms.

Perform all our actions of doing the yoga practices and meditation without intention to perform anything, without expectation of going to attain anything, without the attachment towards the actions and the fruit of actions. All the actions are being performed naturally out of compassion and selflessness. There is no discrimination of us and everyone else. All actions are being performed without preferences or weighings of superiority and inferiority, likes and dislikes, what is dear to "me" or not dear to "me". All beings who are kind to me or are unkind to me, are all equal and have no differences.

All beings who act selfishly and ignorantly are because of ignorance, or lack of wisdom. All these beings who are performing wrong and evil doings are because they are under the influence of the impurities. They are not happy, not satisfied and not peaceful. If we are truly compassionate, we will not be angry with all these beings and their ignorant actions, but we will be compassionate towards them, forgive and accept them as they are, because we can see or are aware of what they are suffering and will be continue to suffer due to all the selfish ignorant wrong and evil doings that they had performed unto themselves and other beings.

How could we possibly be angry with them or hate them. We will show sympathy for all these beings who don't know their true Self, who they really are, and they are ignorant of their actions are bringing them more suffering in return.

And within all ignorant beings including our own self, after purifying or removing all the names and forms with the qualities of good and evil, is the true Self that is not any different from everyone else, which is selflessness, love, peace, compassion and wisdom. We ourselves are ignorant too, before we attain self-realization. And so, who are we to judge and criticize all other beings that are impure and imperfect like us? And if we have truly attained self-realization, and are identified with our true Self, which is selflessness, love, peace, compassion and wisdom, we won't be angry with anything or hating any beings who are suffering due to ignorance.

If we are angry or hating anything or any beings, then that anger and hatred is coming from the mind and the ego being disagree with, dislike, doesn't want and averse towards all these ignorant actions and beings that exist due to the ignorance in the mind. But know that the mind itself is not ignorant nor something bad. Once the impurities are removed or eliminated from the mind, the mind is still the same mind, but are free from impurities. And this pure mind will act as a reflector for us to reflect on everything to know the truth of things and to know who we really are.

We don't have to agree with, or to like, or to support any wrong and evil doings, but we don't need to be angry and upset about it either. We can perform any actions that can be done and need to be done to help the world, to help other beings to realize the consequences of their actions but we cannot change the world nor change any beings to become what we want them to be. The world or the beings have to change themselves by having the awareness to reflect on themselves for their actions and make the effort to change.

May all be happy and be free.

Om shanti.

Cry for the dead? Cheer for the new born?

This body is awaiting death from the moment it was being given birth into this world...

This statement is not negative at all...It is the truth of everything...

It teaches us to be grateful and appreciate each moment of life that we have and not being attached strongly to this impermanent body...

When there is birth, there will be death...

Every moment there are billions of cells experiencing birth and death within this body without us being aware of it... Does anyone cry for the death of those dead cells? Does anyone celebrate the birth of those new born cells?

Each moment passing by is each moment closer to death...

Don't be frightened, no need to be sad...

Birth and death is not a good thing nor bad thing..

Birth and death only happens to this body...

Our true Self is beyond birth and death...
It is beyond existence and non-existence...
It is not affected by birth and death...
There is no birth and no death...

Treasure each moment of our life. Be grateful that all the organs and senses in our body still functioning and operating, and appreciate every breath that we are breathing in and breathing out...

Make good use of this body to perform selfless actions for the benefits for ourselves and for all beings in the world...

Be happy, be cheerful...

Waste not this precious life existence...

Love and peace to all...

Non-attachment?

Non-attachment doesn't mean that we cannot have or shouldn't have or don't want to have possession of things or don't perform any actions. It is not about running away from our duty and responsibility, or runaway from the world and our problems.

We can have things or perform a lots of actions in our life, but we do not attached to the fruit of action and without craving and clinging towards the things that we have or don't have. When these things changed or disappeared due to impermanence, we are fine and are not being disturbed or affected by the loss of the things that we have had and liked.

We can have the desire to want to have things or want to perform actions. But when we are not able to get what we want or do the things that we want to do, we are fine and are not being disturbed or affected by all these "not what we want" happenings.

We can have relationships, family, children, friends, material belongings, property, career, job title, social status, wealth, health, beauty, knowledge, and etc. But our confidence and happiness do not come from or based on all these things. When all these things changed or disappeared, we are able to let go and are not being disturbed or affected by it. We are still who we are and are confident and happy.

The real non-attachment is about not attached to our mind and whatever the mind perceives through the senses. We don't attached to what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. We remain undisturbed, unaffected and not being influenced by all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses. We treat all these names and forms equally, remain equanimous and at peace, being aware of all the names and forms but not being affected by them.

We think that if we let go of all our relationships, our family and friends, our material belongings, our job or career, our property, our social status, our wealth, health, beauty and knowledge, and etc, we will be free, or care free and be happy. We don't want to have anything to do with all these "things" and "people", and live alone in the secluded cave and do nothing. We don't want to have any duties or responsibilities. We don't want to perform any actions (good or bad) because we think that if we stop performing actions, then we won't create any cause and effect or good and bad karma for us to be reborn again and again. But the truth doesn't happen like this. It still doesn't and cannot free us from ignorance and attachment, the cause of suffering.

It's because we are still attached to the mind, the ego, the likes and dislikes, the wants and don't wants, the craving and aversion, the duality of good and bad qualities, and are still being disturbed or affected or influenced by whatever the mind perceives through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. We are affected very much by the duality of good and bad, positive and negative, pleasant and unpleasant, likes and dislikes, success and failure, praise and censure, heat and cold, birth and death, happiness and suffering, and etc...

This mind and the ego is still here with us even though we are alone by our own self and possess nothing.

We are constantly being controlled by the likes and dislikes about what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. We get unhappy and frustrated when we don't get what we like and are getting what we don't like, or when we lost what we like and couldn't get rid of what we don't like. Our mind is constantly being agitated and disturbed by this likes and dislikes. There is no peacefulness and stillness in the mind to allow wisdom to arise.

Even though we live alone and not seeing or being with anyone, not doing anything, the mind is still constantly having unceasing activities going on in it every moment. We are being disturbed by our own thoughts, feelings and sensations in the mind even if we are alone, don't perform any "actions" and not having any possessions in life. The mind, the ego and its activities are the only things that we really need to let go and not attached to.

There is no progress in our yoga practice (yoga asana practice, pranayama, meditation, study of the scriptures, reading a lots of books on philosophy, chanting, restricting our possessions and worldly activities, move away from worldly companies of men and women, eating vegetarian, doing karma yoga and etc...) if we are still attached strongly to the mind and are identified with the mind, associate with the activities in the mind, constantly react towards what the ego likes and dislikes, wants and doesn't want, the craving and aversion, and constantly being disturbed, affected and influenced by what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, and get angry, upset, jealous, arrogant, frustrated, irritated, dissatisfied, disappointed, anxious, depressed, aggressive, fear and worry all the time. Being influenced by the never ending cravings and clinging in the mind. And have no peace in the mind at all.

Real yoga practice is about non-attachment. Real non-attachment will lead us to our true Self, the unconditional love, peace, compassion and wisdom.

Real non-attachment happens in the mind. Not at the surface or from the appearance of how we are, what we do and don't do. Never judge a person from the appearance. A person can be non-moving, the body being stilled and speechless, but the mind can be full of activities and impurities. A person can be moving all the time, the body is in motion and are speaking, but the mind can be calmed, concentrated, being at the present and free from impurities.

Not being attached to the impurities that arise in the mind from moment to moment. Not react towards anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, lustful desires, arrogance, frustration, irritation, aggression, depression, anxiety, fear and worry, and etc, and let them go without craving or aversion, without judgment. Know that all these impurities are momentary. They are subject to changes and impermanence. They arise, they stay, they change and they will pass away eventually. They are not us and they don't belong to us. This is real non-attachment.

If we really know who we really are, we will know that the mind is just the mind, the ego is just the ego, impurities are just impurities, they have no power to influence us for our actions or non-actions. That is truly freedom. That is real non-attachment. Out of compassion, selflessly, without intentions or expectations, we perform all actions or are not performing any actions. It is beyond action and action-less.

May all be free and be happy. Be truly happy because our true Self is beyond the mind and the ego, beyond all the names and forms, beyond the state of good feelings, calmness and peacefulness that come from our yoga practice and non-attachment. The Self is whole, full, content and complete.

Be free from all the pleasant and unpleasant sensations, good and bad feelings, positive and negative thoughts, happiness and unhappiness. Throw away the craving and aversion. Enjoy and appreciate the present moment now without attachment, clinging, craving and aversion.

Accept ourselves as we are, at the present moment now, this is the condition of the body and the mind, this is where we are, this is what we are doing and not doing, this is what we can do and cannot do, this is what we know and don't know, this is the condition of our life, and this is the condition of the world that we are living in. But at the same time, allow changes, evolution and improvement to happen. Without fear and worry, without intention and expectation. We will be free from the conditions that come from our own mind.

We are who we are. We are not "this", we are not "that", we are not "not this" or "not that". I am who I am. Everything is just being what it is. The mind is just being what it is. The world is just being what it is.

Om shanti.

Want to help the world to become a better place? Start with our own self...

We notice that there are many of us are very unhappy or depressed with the current situation in the world. We care for the world and want to help or make the world to become a better place for all beings to live in. We know that if the world is not in peace, there will be no peace in our own personal life as well. If the country is having problems, there is no peaceful condition for us to enjoy a good quality of life. If the world is having problems, it is difficult for us to be able to live in peace in anywhere of the world.

We want to have good and healthy living environment. We want peace and harmony among all beings disregard different nations, religions, believes and races. We want good, wise and selfless leaders to lead the world. We want all beings to respect and love and be kind to each other without anger, hatred, jealousy, violence and killings.

We also know that there are some people that don't want the world to be in peace... Out of selfish intentions, they create disharmony and fear into the world. Some people just being very selfish not caring for the environment and damaging the environment consciously or unconsciously. Most of us might get very angry and frustrated with this. There's nothing wrong to feel angry about this. But anger and hatred cannot stop this from happening. We should feel compassionate towards these people because they are being influenced or blinded by ignorance. They don't have love, peace, compassion and wisdom in them. That's why they are doing actions that are hurting other people and themselves.

Being upset, angry and hatred towards the bad situations that derive from wrong doings in the world now will not help the world to improve or to become better.

Anger and hatred cannot solve problems. They cannot remove negativity, anger and hatred that are existing in the world.

The only things that can stop ignorance, anger, hatred and violence, is compassion and wisdom. Only compassion and wisdom can help the world to change and evolve, to be peaceful.

This compassion and wisdom have to start with our own self. We need to realize compassion and wisdom in us. Then only we can spread compassion and wisdom to other beings, and share love and peace into the world.

If we ourselves are not compassionate, lack of wisdom, and are full of anger and hatred being disturbed by the "bad" happenings and "bad" people in the world, then how can we share love and peace with others and help the world to become a peaceful harmonious place, as we ourselves are not in peace?

If we don't know how to take care ourselves and don't know how to deal with our own mental and emotional tensions, then how can we take care of other beings or help others to be free from the mental and emotional tensions that contribute to the "bad" happenings in the world?

If we are full of negativity, how are we going to bring positivity and positive changes into the world?

Start with our own evolution. Love ourselves, be kind and compassionate towards our own self.

When we are compassionate towards ourselves, we won't let ourselves to be over-powered by the impurities in our mind and be free from the influence of the selfish ego. All our actions are out of compassion and selflessness. Without intention to change the world, without expectation that the world will be changed, without discrimination of good or bad beings, wise or ignorant beings, we perform all actions that can be done to help the world to evolve. There is no anger and hatred. There is no disappointment and discontentment. There is no frustration and unhappiness.

Like the sun, the air, the water, the earth and the space. They give, provide and support all living beings and non-living beings to be exist in the universe. They perform their action of giving, providing and supporting unceasingly, selflessly, out of compassion, unlimitedly, unconditionally, without discrimination, without intention to give, they are giving all the time... Without expectation to benefit anyone or to receive anything in return, they just give, provide and support. It doesn't matter if human beings are polluting the world, damaging the nature, and condemning the sun, the wind, the water and the earth for being too much or too little, they still continuously to give without anger, hatred and disappointment.

That is real compassion. Complete selfless. That is our true nature. Our true nature is selfless like the sun, the air, the water, the earth and the space, but we are being disconnected with this selflessness due to the veil of ignorance and the selfish ego. We become selfish and being influenced by all the impurities in the mind for us to act and react through thoughts, actions and speech.

All our actions are being influenced by the likes and dislikes, agreement and disagreement, craving and aversion that comes from the selfish and self-protective ego. And all these impure actions bring some consequences that are not necessary beneficial to anyone or as what we expected it to be.

In our true nature, there's only selflessness and compassion, being free from the thinking mind, the limited intellect, the selfish ego, and be free from desires and ignorance. If all beings realize this true nature, being compassionate and wise, the world will be free from unnecessary and meaningless harmful wrong doings that come from human beings that are not happy, not peaceful and not satisfied due to ignorance and the wrong identification with the ego in the absence of love, peace, compassion and wisdom.

If we have love, peace, compassion and wisdom in us, we will know how to be happy and be at peace, will not be disturbed nor affected by the world, but at the same time we are aware of what is happening in the world. We know what is right, what is wrong but we are not being affected by neither of them. Out of compassion without selfish intention and expectation, we can perform many actions that need to be done and that can be done, to help other beings to realize the wisdom and compassion in them. But before that can happen, we ourselves need to be compassionate and wise. We ourselves must have love and are in peace. Then only we can share this compassion, wisdom, love and peace with other beings, and guide them to realize their true nature is love, peace, compassion and wisdom.

Only when we realize the wisdom and compassion in us, and start to reflect on our own thoughts, actions and speech, then we will have the awareness of what is right and what is wrong, what we should do and shouldn't do. This justification of right and wrong, should do and shouldn't do is coming from the wisdom within the true Self, and it is not coming from the limited and conditioned intellectual mind under the influence of the selfish ego, which is influenced by what the mind likes and doesn't like, or what the mind thinks is good or not good, or what the mind agrees or disagrees with.

Knowledge that we studied from books or heard from somebody who told us or taught us since we were born until now, it's not necessary absolutely true and correct. We were being manipulated or brain washed by so many informations that come from many impure sources.

Knowledge that will remove ignorance, anger, hatred, doubts, arrogance, jealousy, selfishness, discrimination, disharmony, violence, depression, greed, ill-will, fear and worry are true knowledge. Knowledge that will promote all these impurities are incorrect knowledge.

Knowledge and actions that are based on self-control (not being controlled or influenced by any influences that are other than ourselves and not trying to control others to be the way that we want them to be or what we think they should be), compassion (unconditional loving kindness) and selflessness (devoid of the idea of 'I' or the sense of separateness; not influenced by the ego) are pure knowledge and pure actions that cannot be judged by impure minds which are being conditioned or influenced by qualities of names and forms, selfish intention and expectation.

Some good people who love the world very much, "passionately" want to change the world, who "actively" want to help the world to become a better place, criticize those who focus on performing Sadhana spending their time meditating at a corner of the world, criticize them for sitting there doing nothing, didn't go out to do something about the world's problems, didn't contribute anything to help to change the world...

The point is, when these meditator sitting there "doing nothing" is already contributing to the world as there is less a being generating negativity or harmful actions and vibrations into the world... The people who love the world "passionately" should be thankful for that.

While these meditator who seem like doing nothing, they are indeed generous contributors towards world peace, as they illuminate positive vibrations and energy of love and peace into the world...

If we don't like what is happening in the world, and want to perform actions trying to change the situation or the condition of the world, this is very good. We should keep it up and do our best to help the world to improve, to be a better place...

But if at the same time, we are being proud and arrogant about ourselves being "good human being" or "responsible citizen of the world", and start criticizing those who we "believe" and "think" that they don't do anything to help the world, or they don't contribute to a better world, and judging them as not "good human beings" or not "responsible citizen of the world", such like "those who meditate sitting there doing nothing", then we are not really helping the world, as we generate so much negative vibrations and energy into the world, just by being so proud and arrogant about ourselves and our "actions" that "want to change the world to be a better place"...

If we can perform all our "loving kindness" actions to help the world to be a better place without being proud and arrogant about ourselves, without criticizing those who "seem like" or "look like" they don't contribute anything, without expecting other people will also be like us, to do what we do according to what we believe is right and good, and not doing what we don't do according to what we believe is wrong and bad, then this is Yoga. This is selflessness and compassion...

Without peace, selflessness, compassion and wisdom in ourselves, even though we perform lots of actions try to help the world to become a better place, it doesn't necessary means that we didn't cause any destructions or didn't generate negative vibrations or energy into the world...

If we want to help the world, please help ourselves first. Rise above ignorance, anger, hatred, selfishness, expectation, craving and aversion. Without being affected by what is happening in the world, out of compassion, selflessly we give and share love, peace, compassion and wisdom to every beings without fear and worry, without frustration and expectation, without attachment to our actions and the fruit of actions.

Be peaceful.

Be happy.

Upcoming Yoga Retreats In Langkawi Malaysia 2011

Welcome to Langkawi Malaysia and join us for a relaxed or an intensive yoga retreat.

We are having on going yoga retreats in Langkawi Malaysia. All the yoga retreats are suitable for both complete beginners and advanced yoga practitioners.

You can choose your own dates and start anytime, and for as many days as you want (minimum 4 days 3 nights).

Alternatively, you can also join us for the existing yoga retreats with the dates mentioned as below.

Langkawi Yoga Retreats Dates 2011

July 22 - 30

Aug 1 - 4
Aug 4 - 11
Aug 15 - 18
Aug 22 - 29
Aug 29 - Sept 1

Oct 3 - 13
Oct 23 - 26
Oct 28 - 31

Nov 3 - 6
Nov 10 - 17

Dec 17 - 24
Dec 26 - 31

Jan 2 - 7, 2012

Please booked in advance as places are limited to maximum 6 participants only.

You may visit our website at www.yoganowmalaysia.com

Thank you.

Om shanti,

Meng Foong

Why is it so hard to let go?

A student asked me this question after the class with tears in the eyes.

"Why is it so hard to let go?"

I replied, "Ignorance..."

"Why are we ignorant?"

I replied, "Not knowing the truth of things due to the absence of wisdom..."

"Why???"

I replied, "It's because we are being over-powered by the modifications of the mind which is full of impurities, attachment, identification, craving and aversion..."

"Why???"

I replied, "It's because there's strong attachment from the thinking mind identifying with the ego as 'I'..."

"Why???"

I replied, "Being ignorant...not knowing who we really are (what is 'I') and not knowing what is real and unreal."

* * * * * * * * * * *

For somebody who had never tasted what is saltiness, sweetness, bitterness, sourness or spiciness, none can describe to them how are these tastes taste like. They have to taste them by themselves, only then they will know what the tastes really are.
 

Under the absence of wisdom, we are ignorant about the truth of things and we will be attached strongly to everything that we come in contact with under the perception of the mind. And thus it is very difficult for us to let go of all the names and forms with different good and bad qualities that the mind perceives through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think.

We attached strongly to the good and bad feelings, positive and negative thoughts, pleasant and unpleasant sensations, and all the impurities (ignorance) in the mind such like ill-will, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration, irritation, anxiety, depression, fear, worry, excitement, agitation, aggressiveness, passion, and etc.

We also attached strongly to the likes and dislikes, craving and aversion that come from the egoistic impure self. We are constantly being affected or influenced by all these impurities in the mind and couldn't help ourselves due to strong identification with the mind under the function of the intellect and the ego. We feel so difficult to let go of any so called "negative" and "bad" emotions and feelings. But we didn't think that attachment towards "positive" and "good" qualities, conditions, emotions and feelings will also give us frustration and suffering.

If we want to be truly free from suffering or unhappiness, not only that we don't attach to "negative" and "bad" feelings and let them go without generate aversion and reaction, but we also cannot attach onto "positive" and "good" feelings and let them go as well, without generate craving and reaction.

It's because by attaching onto "positive" and "good" feelings will make us want to retain these good feelings and we will crave for more of these similar type of feelings, when these feelings had changed, passed away or disappeared. This will create dissatisfaction, frustration, unhappiness, fear and worry in us. We don't want these good feelings to change or fade away (which is impossible because everything are subject to impermanence), and we want to continue to possess those good feelings, don't want to lose them.

True happiness is beyond these impermanent "positive" and "good" feelings. Go beyond these momentary pleasant feelings. Stop craving for these "positive" and "good" feelings. Enjoy and appreciate these "positive" and "good" feelings while they appear in the mind, but without attachment, without clinging and craving, and let them go when they change and fade away from the mind.

Such like, good and calm feelings that come from doing yoga practice (asana practice, pranayama, chanting and meditation), are still subject to impermanence. We cannot attached to them. If we attached to them, we will be craving for these momentary pleasant feelings and sensations in the body and mind from doing yoga practice. And if we don't get the same pleasant feelings and sensations after the yoga practice, or if we don't get to do some yoga practice due to we are busy doing some other things in life, or if we couldn't perform yoga practice due to certain physical illness, injuries or limitation, we will be so frustrated and will crave for these pleasant feelings and sensations that derive from doing yoga practice.

All these craving for pleasant feelings and sensations are nothing wrong. As well as aversion towards unpleasant feelings and sensations is nothing wrong either. It is something very normal that is happening in all minds under the influence of the ego. The only disadvantage is, we will fall into unhappiness, frustration, disappointment, dissatisfaction, anxiety, fear and worry continuously as long as we are still being influenced and determined by the likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants, craving and aversion from the ego.

Yoga asana practice, pranayama, chanting and meditation are there to render the mind calm and clear from impurities, so that wisdom will arise within us. And with the presence of wisdom, ignorance will disappear and we will know the truth of ourselves, life existence and everything else. By knowing the truth, we are able to accept the reality as it is without craving and aversion, and are able to let go of all the qualities of good and bad from different names and forms. Remain undisturbed, and at peace.

The purpose or meanings of all our yoga practice doesn't stop at attaining pleasant and peaceful feelings and sensations, and state of calmness that come from doing yoga practice. These pleasant feelings and sensations, and state of calmness are just the by products of the yoga practice. Go beyond these by products without attachment, clinging and craving towards these by products, and attain true and lasting happiness by realizing the wisdom in us, by realizing who we really are and the truth of everything.

The intellect is there to analyze the qualities of all the names and forms. The ego is there to assert like and dislike, want and don't want.

When the mind comes in contact with the objects that the ego doesn't like and doesn't want, the mind and the body will experience negative thoughts, bad feelings and unpleasant sensations. And the mind will generate aversion towards this unpleasant state of mind.

When the mind comes in contact with the objects that the ego likes and wants, the mind and the body will experience positive thoughts, good feelings and pleasant sensations. And the mind will generate craving towards this pleasant state of mind. All these reactions of craving and aversion in the mind are happening unceasingly.

If we attached to the mind and identified with the ego, we will be constantly being in a state of disturbance, not at peace. Sometimes we feel good and some other time we feel bad. Sometimes we feel happy and some other time we feel unhappy. We are lost in the craving and aversion in our own mind.

This is something very normal happens to everybody. Just like we cannot control the mind only to have positive thoughts, good feelings, or to control the body only to have pleasant sensations, and not having negative thoughts, bad feelings in the mind and unpleasant sensations in the body.

When the mind or the ego feels good and happy, it will naturally crave for more of the similar pleasant thoughts, feelings and sensations, and it will want to retain that pleasant state of mind. When this craving is not being gratified, and when the pleasant state of mind is being disturbed or disappeared, the mind or the ego will be so frustrated and unhappy.

When the mind or the ego feels bad and unhappy, it will naturally having aversion or reject the similar unpleasant thoughts, feelings and sensations, and it will want to get rid of that unpleasant state of mind. When this desire of not want to have unpleasant state of mind is not being gratified, and when the unpleasant state of mind is still there, the mind or the ego will be so frustrated and unhappy. Aversion is the desire of not want to have. It is one form of craving.

Either the pleasant state of mind or the unpleasant state of mind, both will generate craving and aversion that will cause the frustration and dissatisfaction to arise in the mind. We will fall into excitement and depression back and forth unceasingly.

We will be feeling restlessness, helplessness and meaninglessness. We think we have gone crazy or are having mood swing from good to bad and from bad to good, unceasingly. It is so tiring and depressing.

Both excitement and depression are not something bad. It is something very normal that is happening in every being who has a mind and the ego. It's just that when we don't know what is really happening, and are identified with the mind or the ego, we will being influenced by the states of the mind to react constantly, through thoughts, actions and speech, which will create other consequences that will bring continuous chain reaction of good and bad karma deriving from all our thoughts, actions and speech that are causing the cycle of birth and death (life existence to reap the existing accumulated karma) to take place, never ending.

If there's no attachment arise in the mind and there's no identification with the ego, the mind will be free from being controlled by the impermanent states of the mind, the egoistic likes and dislikes, the wants and don't wants, the craving and aversion, the good and bad feelings. The mind will be free from generating unnecessary egoistic reactions. All our actions are out of selflessness and compassion, not being influenced by the selfish egoistic wants and doesn't want. The selfless actions are free from the binding good and bad karma.

This is the way out from the cycle of emotional turbulence or suffering. Yoga and meditation can help us to know or understand the mind and learn how to not being attached to the modifications of the mind, or not being disturbed, affected and influenced by the activities in the mind.

Yoga and meditation are not separated. They are not different things. Yoga is meditation. Meditation is yoga. Without meditation, there is no yoga. Without yoga, there is no meditation.

Yoga and meditation is a purification process to thin out the ego and to eliminate impurities or ignorance. They are there to render the mind calm and still, and free from impurities, so that wisdom will arise. Wisdom will remove all the doubts and ignorance in us.

It is transcending the chain reaction of karma through purifying the impurities in the mind (thinning out the veil of ignorance) so that we can have a glimpse of the wisdom within us which will allow us to develop further essential qualities that will help to eventually be free from any attachment or identification towards the body and the mind, and towards the different qualities of all the different names and forms.
 

Essential qualities such like thoughtfulness, chastity, faith, self-control, self-independence, self-discipline, concentration, humility, simplicity, gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation, generosity, openness, truthfulness, straightforwardness, patience, perseverance, determination, will-power, courage, positive thinking, cheerfulness, forgiveness, tolerance, forbearance, adjustment, acceptance, adaptation, accommodation, equanimity, loving kindness, non-discrimination, non-judging, non-comparing, non-competing, non-expecting, intention-less, and etc. Eventually all these divine qualities will lead us to non-attachment, fearlessness, worry-less, selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, purity, compassion and wisdom. This will eventually lead us to attain self-realization towards SELFLESSNESS, or NON-SEPARATENESS, or ONENESS, and be free from the suffering due to ignorance.

While purifying the impurities or ignorance in the mind through developing essential qualities, we also practice letting go of the craving and aversion of likes and dislikes. At the beginning, we might be over-powered by the strong desires in the mind of having craving and aversion towards the things that the ego likes and doesn't like. But as we develop stronger will-power, we can over-power the craving and aversion, and eventually be free from craving and aversion.

When the mind is free from craving and aversion, when we are able to observe the modifications of the mind as it is, being at the present moment from moment to moment, it will come to a state of calmness and stillness, neither elevated nor depressed. With this calmness and stillness of the mind, with the pure mind, we will see the truth of things and are able to accept the truth as it is, and let go, not attach onto any names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think (past memories, future imaginations and anticipations which create fear and worry, craving and aversion in us).

When the mind is clear, calm and still, it acts as a mirror for us to reflect on the selfless nature of the mind and to know Thyself.

The nature of the mind is beyond all the pleasant and unpleasant experiences, beyond all the happy and unhappy perceptions, beyond all the positive and negative energy, and beyond all the craving and aversion. It is beyond all states of the mind (agitation, depression and calmness), and are free from all the good and bad qualities of different names and forms.

When we say, "It is so difficult to let go of feelings and not attach to the mind." This is because there's strong identification identifying with the modifications of the mind.

When the mind is in happy state, we will think that we are happy and say, "I am happy."

When the mind is in unhappy state, we will think that we are unhappy and say, "I am unhappy."

But the truth is we are not the mind and the mind is not us, and it doesn't belong to us. It is not in our control towards how the mind wants to feel and wants to think. We can be observing or witnessing what the mind is experiencing at the present moment now. We know or are aware of how the mind feels and thinks, but we are not whatever that are happening/manifesting in the mind, and we don't have to be disturbed by whatever the mind feels and thinks (good or bad, positive or negative, pleasant or unpleasant, likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants).

Stop identifying with the modifications of the mind and rise above the ego. We will be free from all the happy and unhappy feelings, craving and aversion, and be at peace all the time.

 

The mind is not 'I'. There's no 'I'. All and everything are selfless/'I'less.

Be patient. Be persistent. Be persevere. Be kind to ourselves and others. Be forgiving and accommodating. Be cheerful and uplifting. Accept ourselves as we are at the present moment now. Keep practicing non-attachment and letting go until we attain self-realization. Never give up.

Be happy and be free.

How to stay detached in any relationships without intentions and expectations?

A question came to me after the yoga class. A student asked how do we stay detached in relationship and how to not having any intentions and expectations in the relationship?

The simplest answer is, simply by not having any selfish intentions (reasons) to be in the relationship and let go of any expectations (conditions of wants and don't wants) from the relationship or from the people who are in the relationship with us. Let the relationship being what it is, not because we want it to be the way that we want it to be, but to accept it as the way it is at the present moment now, from moment to moment. Everything will change due to impermanence. Allow changes to happen and accept the changes as it is.

We will be in disappointment and frustration if we have selfish intention for us to be in any relationships, such like want to have some friends to be there to share thoughts and feelings with us and to be there for us when we need help and support, or want to have a life partner to help us to fulfill our own ambitions or cravings to have a family and children, to share financial and responsibility matters, or want to escape loneliness by having one or many companions, and etc. This is incorrect mentality engaged with selfish intention to be in relationship with anybody and this will only bring us and the people who are in the relationship with us lots of tensions and unhappiness.

We will tend to have expectation towards the relationship and the people who are in the relationship with us. We expect something good and constructive from being in the relationship, such like having somebody there to listen to us, to support us, to share with us, to love us, to appreciate us, to agree with us, to pamper us, to make us laugh, to make us happy, to chase away the loneliness and emptiness in us, to attain intimate care, personal attention, support, respect, reliance, sense of self-worth and meanings of life existence, and etc.

We also expect the people who are in the relationship with us to be trustworthy, to have certain type of personality, to be nice to us, to love us the way that we like it to be, to be there for us whenever we need help and support, to be there to listen to us and share with us, and to be agreeable with our thoughts, actions and speech.

When the relationship and the people are not up to our expectations, we will be so frustrated, upset and unhappy, especially when they don't treat us or behave the way that we want it to be.

This is because we don't really love the people who are in the relationship with us. We only love the image that we created for them or projected onto them that comes from our own mind. We only love the things about these people that reflect what our own mind and ego like about. We are looking for satisfaction that comes from fulfilling our craving for love, care, intimacy, attention, companionship, approval, agreement, respect, appreciation, praise and support, which we hope to get from the people who are in the relationship with us.

We are actually fell in love with the people's thoughts, actions and speech that are agreeable with what our mind likes and dislikes. If the people say and do things that are agreeable to what our mind likes about, we will be delighted to be with these people and are attracted towards the personality and characteristic in them which we like. We thought that we have fell in love with these people, but actually we are just falling in love with the things or the qualities that we like about them. And all these things and qualities are subject to impermanence and changes.

When all these things changed into something that are not agreeable with what our mind likes, and are no longer the same as it used to be, we will stop loving these people and will have dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration and unhappiness in us. Sometimes the qualities in the people didn't change, but our own mind's likes and dislikes had changed. We don't like the things that we used to like before and are liking something else.

We are only in love with the things that we like and want. We don't really love the people as they are, and accept them as they are at the present moment now, from moment to moment. Such like if we love so much about somebody's appearance, physics, personality and the way that they present themselves, and we will be so disappointed and frustrated when all these things have changed into something else that are different from what it was and that we liked.

We always look at the qualities in the people to determine whether we love them or not. If the people say things that we like to hear, do things that we agree with, and treat us the way that we want it to be, then we will "love" these people. And when the people say things that we don't like to hear, do things that we don't agree with, and didn't treat us the way that we want it to be, then we will not "love" these people anymore.

This is not love. This is selfishness. We only love ourselves for what we like and how we want to feel. We are looking for some sort of satisfaction that come from the relationship hoping that it will chase away the discontentment in us. Or hoping that it will fill up the incompleteness in us to make ourselves feel more complete.

True love is unconditioned and unlimited. It is accepting and loving the people as they are, how they are, where they are and what they are, at the present moment now. We love them as they are, whether they treat us the way as we want it to be or not, whether the things that we like about them have changed into something very different or not, and whether they say and do things that we agree or not agree with.

True love is out of compassion, not out of selfish intention. It is without attachment, without expectation, without craving and aversion. It is not influenced by what the ego likes and dislikes, wants and doesn't want.

We need to be selfless to know what is love.

We need to be truly compassionate to know how to really love ourselves and love others unselfishly.

When we complain about the people whom we love, that they don't love us, we should ask ourselves, do we really love these people? Or are we loving the qualities of what our mind likes about them and are in love with the perfect image of the people that we created for them, and are having selfish expectations towards these people of what they can give us and how they should treat us or behave the way as we want it to be?

If we truly love somebody, there won't be any disappointment and dissatisfaction, even when these people don't love us at all, don't agree with us, are not in a relationship with us, don't like us, don't support us and don't care for us. We will still love them unconditionally, without possessiveness, without judgment or expectation.

Only when we know how to love ourselves and be compassionate towards our own self, able to accept ourselves as we are and forgive our own imperfection, then we will know how to love other people unselfishly, unconditionally, unlimitedly, and will be ready to be in any relationships that will flourish and bring positive progress in our personal growth and spiritual evolution.

All relationships are there to help us to learn about our own self of who we really are and how to accept ourselves and other people as we are, at the present moment now, from moment to moment.

It doesn't matter if the relationships turn out to be very sweet or turn out to be very sour and bitter. We will learn the greatest lesson in life existence about what is unconditional love, selflessness, compassion and non-attachment. Relationships are like a mirror for us to take a look at our own self. We will see our own self in the relationship about whether we are pure or impure, whether we are selfish or selfless, whether we are patient and tolerant, whether we are compassion, and whether we are free from craving and aversion, judgment and expectation.

When the relationship is sweet, we appreciate it without attachment, without craving and clinging. When the relationship is sour and bitter, we observe and accept the truth as it is without attachment, without aversion and let it go peacefully.

Real relationship does not build on the intention and expectation of hoping that the relationship can satisfy our endless craving for love and satisfaction. It is not based on what our mind likes and doesn't like, what our ego wants and doesn't want. It should be free from any selfish intentions and expectations.

Without intention, we give and share. Without expectation, we give and share. Without discrimination, we give and share. Without selfish desire, we give and share. Without attachment, we give and share. Like the sun, the air, the water, the earth and the space. All relationships should build on these selfless compassion, and not build on what the ego wants and doesn't want, and are not being influenced by the craving and aversion in the mind.

Non-attachment doesn't mean that we don't get into any relationships and keep away from everybody, or retreat from the world, or don't care for anything.

It is about being in the relationship without judging ourselves, the relationship and the people who are in the relationship with us, and not let the relationship to determine our confidence and happiness. Knowing that true confidence and true happiness are not coming from any relationships nor attaining all the names and forms in the world. True confidence and true happiness is there when we know who we really are and when we know the truth of what is real and unreal.

It is about being in the world but not being disturbed, nor affected, nor influenced by the world.

It is about not being attached to whatever our mind perceives through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think.

It is about not being attached to what our body can do and cannot do. Not being attached to the condition and limitation of the physical body. Not being attached to the state of the mind. Let the mind be the mind, we are not the mind, the mind is not us. We are the awareness that is witnessing, or knowing, or being aware of what the mind is experiencing at the present moment now.

It is about non-identification with the doer of the actions of giving or receiving.

It is about intention-less and non-expectation.

It is about selflessness and compassion.

It is about non-judging and non-comparing.

It is about being at the present moment now, letting go of the past and the future. Not to let the past experiences or memories and the future imaginations to influence us about the present moment now.

It is about letting go of the selfish ego and letting go of fear and worry. We perform all our duty and responsibility without expectation for the fruit of action but surrender to the universal consciousness to take care of the result.

It is about knowing the truth and are able to accept the truth as it is without judgment, comparison and expectation, without craving and aversion.

May all be happy whether being in a relationship or not being in any relationships at all. The most intimate and important relationship in this life existence is being comfortable with our own self. When we know how to be comfortable with our own self and are compassionate towards our own self, then only we can be comfortable in any relationships with other people or animals, or have a harmonious relationship with nature or with everything else in the entire universe.

When we are comfortable with our own self and accept ourselves as we are, then only we will be comfortable being anywhere, doing or not doing anything, and be comfortable with everyone and everything in the world.

At the end, there is no relationship at all. Relationship dissolves when there is no more separateness of us and the entire existence of names and forms. Everything and everyone is not separated from "us". There is no more craving for love. There is no fear and worry. There is no bad beings or good beings. There is no more loneliness or emptiness. We are full and content. We are love and peace.

If we know what is performing all actions towards ourselves and others without intention, without expectation and renounce from the fruit of action, we will be free from the binding karma of cause and effect, birth and death.

Be happy.

About Gossip And Criticism...

The path of yoga is love, peace, compassion and wisdom.

If we have love and peace in our heart, if we have compassion and wisdom, we will not indulge in meaningless chatting involving gossips and criticism.

It is when there is anger, hatred, frustration, dissatisfaction and disappointment, the ego wants to express its disagreement and frustration through speech and action. If there's an identification towards the ego and attachment toward the mind's activities, we will want to express all these disagreement and frustration through gossiping and criticizing. This might give a momentary satisfaction to the ego to feel better and to feel good about itself by criticizing other people's imperfection and weakness, which might "show" that we are somehow smarter, stronger and better than the people that we are criticizing.

A person who is humble, confident and content will not criticize other people even though in truth, this person is much wiser and better than the other people. Nobody should criticize anybody because we all are imperfect, and we all are subject to impermanence and changes.

By gossiping and criticizing about this and that will not help the world to become better, but it will generate more negative energy into ourselves and into the surrounding people and environment, creating more tensions and hatred among people.

The path of yoga teaches us to move away from egoistic gossiping and criticism and not indulging in these activities which will generate more unrest, tension and hatred in ourselves and other people.

The mind will get agitated and stimulated by gossiping and criticism and this will make the path of mind control much harder.

That's why for people who want to get serious in the path of yoga and meditation, they will go into seclusion, refrain from any contact or communication with the worldly people, and observe complete silence to restrict the activities and stimulation of the mind, and to reduce the excessive unnecessary inputs from the senses of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and think. This will help to quiet the mind and stilling the thought waves for meditation and self-inquiry.

When the mind is free from agitation and stimulation; free from impurities of anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, lustful desire, craving, aversion, fear, worry, frustration, irritation, anxiety, disappointment, dissatisfaction and depression; and the mind is free from intention, judgment, comparison and expectation; free from debate, conflicts, criticism and argument, and with the calm mind, it will see the truth of things and know what we really are, of what the mind thinks and believes is 'I'.

Wisdom will arise when the mind is calm and still. When there is presence of wisdom, we will not be disturbed or affected by the worldly activities and surrounding people and environment anymore. It doesn't matter if we are in the world or out of the world, it won't change what we think we are, which is selfless, and the wisdom and compassion is still the same wisdom and compassion.

Gossiping and criticizing about other people bad behaviors or ignorance will not stop these people from behave what they are behaving and do what they are doing. This will only put us in the same ignorance level as these people that we want to criticize. When we criticize other people who we think they are bad, then we ourselves are not any different from them at all.

The path of yoga is being aware of what is right and wrong, what is good and bad, but without attachment, without craving and aversion. And not being disturbed or affected by all the wrong doings and bad happenings in the world. With this non-attachment, we are able to transform negativity into constructive energy to perform appropriate actions to help to improve the bad situation in the world and to help other beings to become wiser and happier, by disseminating Dhamma and ignite awareness or reflection in the minds under the influence of ignorance, and to help make everything better, without frustration, anger, hatred, disappointment, fear and worry.

 

Dissemination of Dhamma and igniting awareness into the world of ignorance and egoism, by pointing out certain corruptions and ignorance that are existing in the world without discrimination or selfish intention, is not the same as worldly social interactions and conversations and discussions that involved the element of gossips and criticism deriving from subjective agreement and disagreement based on particular passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice about right and wrong, or good and bad.

Only through loving kindness, compassion, wisdom, non-attachment and forgiveness, we can perform all the actions that need to be done for the well-being for ourselves and for the world, without getting disturbed or affected by the happenings in the world.

Out of selfless compassion, we perform all actions for ourselves and for other beings without intention and expectation. And thus we will be free from tensions, stress, fear, worry, frustration and disappointment.

We cannot stop ignorance and hatred by provoking anger and hatred in ourselves and in other people's mind. What is our intention behind all these gossips and criticism about somebody in front of some other people? What benefits are we going to get from gossiping and criticizing? Are we helping the world to become better by gossiping and criticizing? Or is it just to satisfy our own big ego to feel more superior than other people?

Discussion about some other people's wrong doings and behavior is nothing wrong, if we can develop awareness and learn something from that discussion. But if we are caught up in the uncontrolled heated discussion about "this is bad" and "this is wrong", and generate negativity, anger and hatred in ourselves and in other people who are involving in the discussion, then this won't help ourselves to become better or to help the people who we are criticizing to become better.

Quiet and calm down our own mind, everything will take care by itself.

Don't be upset and worry so much for what we think and believe are other people's wrong doings and ignorance. The nature's law of cause and effect will take care of everything.

Om shanti.

"What type of yoga are you teaching?"

A woman called me yesterday.

I answered the phone and said, "Hello"

She said, "I want to ask about your yoga class."

I said, "Yes."

She said, "How much is one session?"

I said, "50 for 2 hours class."

She said, "2 hours...!? Are you teaching different types of yoga in the 2 hours class?"

I said, "Just yoga. Yoga is only one. There's no different types of yoga."

She said, "I know yoga is one type only... But what type of yoga are you teaching?"

I said, "Yoga..."

She said, "What I mean is, is it power yoga? hot yoga?...?"

I said, "Aah..., Hatha yoga. Traditional Hatha yoga..."

End of conversation.


Well, nowadays not many people can understand or accept the word "yoga" as it is, unless there is something in front of it to clarify what "type" of "yoga". Such like "power" yoga, "hot" yoga, "ashtanga" yoga, "iyengar" yoga, "sivananda" yoga, "acro" yoga, "flow" yoga, "vinyasa" yoga, "dance" yoga, "restorative" yoga, "yin" yoga, "hatha" yoga, "Adidas" yoga, "Nike" yoga, and so on...

People can only grasp the word in front of yoga but not just the word yoga...

I told her we are teaching "yoga", she couldn't understand what is "yoga" and couldn't accept that the class is about "yoga", just yoga. In her perception, there are many different types of yoga classes... but not "yoga".

There's nothing wrong about people to think like that. It's because they were being told and being given so many different choices of "xxxxx yoga" in the yoga "industry", or yoga "market", or yoga "business" nowadays.

There's nothing wrong with many different types of yoga class to cater different types of individual's needs, desires and personality. But then not many people can understand what is a "yoga" class, unless there is another word or name in front of the word yoga...

It's just like, people are looking for the features or characteristics of yoga, but don't know about the meanings or the essence of yoga. It is like we are longing to see the face, the eyes, the nose, the mouth, the hands, the feet, or the 'appearance' of God, but we don't know who or what 'God' is...

Om shanti.

Initial understanding of yoga philosophy before performing yoga practices - part 4

There is no past, no future. The only existence and reality is now, from moment to moment. The past and the future doesn’t exist at the present moment now. Once we understand this, time disappears, it doesn’t exist.

Keep the mind concentrate at the present moment now, not wanders to the past memories or to the future imaginations. There is no fear and worry at this present moment now. Fear and worry only exist when the mind wanders to the past or to the future.

* * * * * * * *

Yoga is not about the ability of the physical body to perform such and such actions. It is about able to observe everything as it is and accept the reality of things as it is. It is not about challenging the body to go beyond its physical limitation.

Physical ability, strength and flexibility cannot give us true and lasting happiness or peace but only momentary fleeting satisfaction about our own egoistic worldly image that we built for ourselves.

If our happiness and confidence is based on physical appearance, good health, ability, strength and flexibility, we will be so tensed trying to maintain the appearance, good health, ability, strength and flexibility in order to keep our ego satisfied and feel good, and to upkeep our false confidence about ourselves through all these impermanent names and forms. And when impermanence strikes, all these things will change and be gone no matter how much we want to retain them. We will be so disappointed, frustrated and unhappy.

* * * * * * * *

Yoga is being aware of everything without attachment, clinging, craving and aversion… Free from tensions, anxiety, fear, worry, ignorance, ill-will…

And thus, peacefulness is right here, at this present moment now, where we are beyond the mind and the perception of the mind…

Beyond all the good and bad qualities.

Beyond duality.

That is yoga.

Peace to all.

Initial understanding of yoga philosophy before performing yoga practices - part 3

The states of the mind is subject to impermanence. They will change and disappear. But true happiness and peacefulness which is within ourselves all the time, they never disappear or change. They are always here in us. But when we are being disturbed by all the impurities in the mind, we are disconnected with this happiness and peacefulness which is our true nature. It is our true Self. It is not something that we attain from the outside, nor something that is given to us by somebody.

Our true Self is nothing but love, peace, compassion and wisdom. All these nature are not a quality. They are always here from before life existence, during and after life existence. They are always here unaffected by impermanence, qualities of good and bad, positive and negative, pleasant and unpleasant. They are always here uninfluenced by elements and energy. They are always here undisturbed by whatever the mind perceives through the senses, undisturbed by the thoughts, feelings and sensations, undisturbed by all the names and forms.

It is beginningless and endless. It is beyond birth and death. It is beyond name and form. It is beyond happiness and unhappiness.

It is pure existence, pure consciousness, pure knowledge, pure bliss.

If we know our true Self, we will be free from all the impurities that arise in the mind.

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Nothing in the world can guarantee us true and lasting happiness. Not the knowledge, wealth, health, beauty, youthfulness, strength, mobility, relationship, success and achievement that we can attain in the world with this body and mind. It’s because the happiness that comes from all these things are subject to impermanence, it will change and disappear. They are dissatisfaction in nature from the beginning and until the end of life existence.

We can never be satisfied with the present knowledge, wealth, health, beauty, youthfulness, strength, mobility, relationship, success and achievement, because they will change and these changes are not in our control whether they will be the way that we want them to be. The more we try to resist or avoid impermanence, or try to stop impermanence to happen, the more disappointed, dissatisfied and unhappy we are.

When we understand the truth of impermanence, we will stop looking for momentary satisfaction or happiness that comes from things that are subject to impermanence. If we do, we will be disappointed and frustrated all the time.

Be grateful and thankful for the existing good things that we have now and appreciate every little good things and opportunity for us to evolve and to perform selfless service to serve all.

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And what is the one thing that is not changing, not subject to impermanence?

Our true Self. Eternal, full, whole and content. Nameless and formless. Beginningless and endless. No good, no bad. No positive, no negative. No happiness, no unhappiness. No craving, no aversion. No suffering, no cause of suffering, no path of remove suffering, no end of suffering. No ignorance, no end of ignorance. No birth, no growth, no decaying, no illness, no pain, no old age, no death. No body, no mind. No eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no skin, no thinking. No thoughts, no feelings, no sensations. No pleasant, no unpleasant. No success, no failure. No gain, no loss. No superiority, no inferiority. No existence, no non-existence. No creation, no destruction.

Realize our true Self. Go back to our true Self. Take refuge and rest in peace eternally in our Self.

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How to go back to our true Self? Stop identifying with the body and the mind. Stop identifying with the ego. Rise above the ego. Be stronger than the ego. Not let the ego controlling us. Practice real non-attachment every moment in ourselves, at sleep, at awake, at lying, at standing, at sitting, at walking, at moving, at non-moving… This is real meditation.

Contemplating on the nameless and formless Self without attachment, craving, aversion, intention and expectation. Not attach to the mind. Constantly being aware of what is happening in the mind. Observing or witnessing the mind as it is. Go beyond the mind and not lost within the mind.

Without the mind, there is no perception of names and forms. There is no sights, no sounds, no smells, no taste, to touch, no thinking. What is happiness and unhappiness? What is good and bad? What is positive and negative? What is ignorance and the end of ignorance?

Only pure love, peace, compassion and wisdom present in the present moment now.

Realize our true Self of who we really are. We are not this, we are not that. We are who we are. Beyond all the qualities. Beyond all the names and forms. Beyond the body and the mind. Beyond the perception of the mind. Beyond all states of the mind.

We are not good, we are not bad. We are just who we are.

Initial understanding of yoga philosophy before performing yoga practices - part 2

We need to be able to take care of ourselves, know how to love and be kind and compassionate towards ourselves unselfishly, then only we can take care of others and will know how to love, be kind and compassionate towards all other beings. If we ourselves are not peaceful, not happy, full of selfishness, anger and hatred, don’t even like or love our own self, then how are we going to help others and share love, happiness and peace with others?

Without the expectation for the result of all our actions. Renounce the fruit of action. We perform all the actions that need to be done, but let the nature or the universal consciousness to take care of the result.

Just like shooting the arrow from the bow in our hand. We aim the arrow to the target with full attention, full sincerity, full effort. And then we let go of the arrow. Once we let go of the arrow, it is not in our control anymore whether the arrow will hit the target or not. There might be strong wind blew the arrow to the side. Maybe the target fall onto the ground due to certain reason. Maybe a bird just came in between the arrow and the target unexpectedly and got hit by the arrow…

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And this is what we say, do our duty and carry out our responsibility sincerely with full attention and effort but without the identification as the doer of the action (merely performing action in serving the universal consciousness selflessly) and without attaching to the fruit of the action. Let the universal consciousness to take care of the result.

Without the identification as the doer of all these actions, this is action-less or more precise, inaction in action. This will stop the wheel of karma, the wheel of cause and effect, the wheel of birth and death.

Intention-less, non-expectation of the result, renounce the fruit of action, non-identification as the doer of the action. This is non-attachment that we are practicing all the time unceasingly in our heart, in our life, from moment to moment.

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Observing everything at the present moment now as it is. Accept everything in the present moment now as it is. But at the same time allow changes or impermanence to happen, without resistance. Allow the opportunity for ourselves and everything to evolve, to improve and to become better, but without attachment, clinging, craving and aversion.

Without the intention to make things better, we are making things better. Without expectation for the result, we bring love, peace and happiness into people’s hearts. Without fear, worry, dissatisfaction and disappointment, we perform all our duty and responsibility. Free from tensions and unhappiness.

This will free us from the condition of the body and the mind, the condition of our life existence and the condition of the world that we are living in. The body and the mind is still being what it is, the life is still being what it is, the world is still being what it is, but we are not being disturbed, or affected, or influenced by all these things. There is no more fear, worry, doubt, irritation, frustration, dissatisfaction, disappointment, craving, aversion, unhappiness and ill-will etc…

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When we are free from all tensions, the mind is calm and at peace. Wisdom will arise within us. With the presence of wisdom, ignorance disappears. We will know the truth of everything and able to accept the reality of everything as it is. We will become fearless and worry-less.

Without fear and worry, true happiness is here. Long and lasting peacefulness that is not subject to impermanence, is here. This true happiness and peacefulness is beyond the three states of the mind (action-less and dullness, action and passionate, calmness and lightness).