Want to be able to control or to change everything to be the way that we like it to be? Think again...

Though not everyone, but most people feel that we are born to be powerless, limited and not free, because by having this conditional impermanent physical body with the ignorant impure mind functioning in this world, experiencing dualism that comes along under the mind perception of names and forms, having craving and aversion towards the pleasant and unpleasant experiences, going through many encountering and situations which are not what we like and want, nor what we can agree with and are acceptable. And thus, we feel frustrated, depressed, suffered and unhappy being conditioned and limited by many things that are not in our control as what we think how it should be or what we would like it to be.

That's why many of us (the ego) wanted to rebel. We (the ego) resist to be limited and conditioned by "things" that are not in our control and "things" that we don't like and don't want. We want everything to be the way as what we want them to be, or else we are not satisfied, not happy, not peaceful whenever we see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think about names and forms that we don't agree with, don't like and don't want...

In fact, we think that if we want to be free from being controlled by "things", then what we have to do is, to be able to control "things" to be the way that we like them to be. To be the one who is in power and in charge of "things", instead of "things" being out of our control, which makes us (the ego) feel weak, defeated and insecure.

That's why some people tried to practice some sort of "psychic power" in order to "make" all their wishes come true (good or evil), and they (the ego) will feel - "Yes! We are the one who are in control of everything as what we want them to be..."

We think that if we can "make" other people to be agree with us, to like us and love us, then we will be happy. If some people who we want them to like us, but they don't, we will try to "make" them to like us, or else we are not satisfied. There is nothing wrong with other people to like us, but it should be coming naturally from their own free will, not because we want them to like us, and we'll try to "make" them to like us...

We think that if we don't want to be the loser (the weak one), we have to be the winner (the strong one). We think that we will be free from being "controlled", if we can control "things" to be the way that we like them to be. We want to fight against the law of nature, to stop impermanence. We think that if we don't want to be "bullied" by somebody, we have to "bully" that somebody. But this is incorrect thinking that brings us more tensions, frustration, disappointment, depression, guilt, fear and worry.

Some people tried many ways to fight against the law of nature (impermanence). They wanted to avoid the "suffering" of having a conditional and limited life existence with the function of a mortal physical body that is conditioned by growth, changes, pain, discomforts, injuries, old age, decay, sickness and death... They tried to retain youth, strength and health, and if possible to become "disease-less", "non-decay", and "deathless"...

Even some yogis also tried to "make" this limited adjunct (the mortal physical body that depends on elements and energy to be exist) to become a super human being that can go against the law of nature, to stop aging, to prevent decaying and death...

The result is, we'll get so frustrated and disappointed, because the more we try to control "things" to be the way that we want them to be, and yet "things" are seem to be out of our control... It's because we can't control "things" to be the way that we want them to be. Even enlightened being like Buddha, also didn't want to control anything. If he wanted, or if he could, he would have removed everyone's unhappiness and diseases, and made every beings be enlightened and there would be no more ignorance in everyone, and there would be no more unhappiness and suffering to be existing in the world.

In yoga and meditation, we wanted to attain spiritual enlightenment in order to be free from all the conditions that derived from having a life existence (a physical body being conditioned by birth and death, or impermanent changes). This actually means, "To attain Samadhi (the complete annihilation of the mind, the intellect and the ego) through deep meditation in order to transcend the restless wheel of birth and death, and not coming into life existence again of having another impure body with the mind being "occupying" by ignorance and egoism, which is the cause of all suffering. And this "freedom" is nothing to do with challenging the physical body to go beyond its limitations and to become a super human being that can fly, or float, or having psychic power, or can be forever youthful and beautiful, doesn't get old and decay...

All the practices are there for us to be prepared (purifying the mind) to meditate and to enter Samadhi (The void of ignorance, impurities, qualities, dualities, names and forms. Synonymous with the annihilation of the modification of the mind, the intellect and the ego). But some yogis had attached so much toward this physical body and this life existence, and tried to challenge their physical body to go beyond its limitations and conditions, by doing lots of "yoga practices" to try to make the physical body immortal, to go against the law of nature, to become the strongest, the most flexible super human being, and to attain psychic power to manipulate other people to be in their control...

But how is the world going to be like, if everyone practice yoga and meditation, and becomes physically immortal and have psychic power to have all our wishes (whether good or bad) to be materialized?

It will be a complete disaster... We'll have to be very careful of all our thoughts, because every single thought will be materialized (especially coming from an impure mind). It'll be so exhausting and what a huge responsibility...

There are also some people who don't want to fight, or to evolve, or to make any effort to transcend "suffering" or "birth and death". They prefer to indulge in pleasurable sensual enjoyments as much as they can while still living in this world... They don't mind if the world ends now or will end later...

While some other people chose to be depressed and unhappy about everything and have no will power to try to evolve or to transcend "suffering" or "unhappiness"...

There is nothing wrong at all with people who want to transcend "suffering", or people who just want to enjoy life as much as possible, or people who just want to be depressed and unhappy and do nothing about it...

Everyone has the freedom and choice to do what we want to do with our life, our body and mind, our life existence... At least this is one of the things that we think that we are capable to be in control, to make decision, to decide what we want to do and what we want to "be"...

But why do we want to control things? Why do we want to "be" something?

It requires so much effort to try to control "things" and to "be" something... But it doesn't require any effort at all to let go and not to control anything, nor to "be" something.

We ourselves are so unhappy being controlled by other people or being conditioned by "things", but why didn't we think that the people and "things" that we want them to be in our control, will reject to be controlled and be conditioned as well?

We think that if we want to get rid of unhappiness, we need to have happiness. We also think that to have happiness or to be happy means, "things" should be the way that we like them to be, or else we will not be happy or there won't be happiness...

That's why we (the ego) are very unhappy when "things" don't turn out the way as what we like them to be... And thus, we started to think of any ways to "make" all our wishes come true including try to practice psychic power or black magic to control "things" to be what we want them to be... For example, when our lover doesn't love us anymore, but we couldn't accept that the people that used to love us have stopped loving us and are going to leave us, and we'll get so unhappy and will try some "hypnotism" or "black magic" to "make" our lover to "like" and "love" us again by "external force"...

What's the meaning when we want to "possess" somebody who doesn't want to love us, by using hypnotism or black magic to "force" or "make" them "love" us, not out of their own free will, and to "keep" them in our life, doesn't want them to leave us or doesn't want them to love somebody else (we'll get so jealous and angry if somebody who we want them to love us but they don't love us and they love somebody else instead)? It's such an ignorant and crazy idea...

This is one of the plays of the ignorant selfish egoistic mind... And if there is identification with this ignorant selfish egoistic mind (action and reaction being performed under the control and influence of ignorance and egoism), we have no idea how ignorant we can be when "things" are not what we like them to be, and when we want "things" to be the way that we want them to be...

Even somebody who is very smart and intelligent, and well-educated, will still be over-powered by this selfish egoistic mind, being the slave of the mind that is full of lustful desires and cravings, and will do things that are so ignorant and selfish in order to please this selfish ego, to get what it wants, to get rid of what it doesn't want, to make the ego feels superior, satisfy, to be in power, to be in control, to feel strong, good and happy...

We want to be free to go wherever we wanted to go, to do whatever we wanted to do, to say whatever we wanted to say, and etc... We don't like to be controlled by other people or be controlled by "rules and regulations"... If we ourselves don't want to be controlled by other people of how we should think and feel, how we should live our life, how we should behave, to think, to feel, to express, to walk, to sit, to stand, to talk, to eat, to play, to sleep and etc, then how does other people would feel when we try to control or to change them to be the way that we like them to be?

We think that we are the "good" people that are the one who is contributing to the world, and all other people who are "bad" are the one who is destroying the world...

And we think we have the right to be what we think we should be (to be "good") and other people have no right to be what they want to be (to be "bad")... And we want to change these "bad" people to be as "good" as we are... We think we are the "heroes" that are saving the world from getting worst...

Well, at least we tried to be good and do good. That's nothing wrong with that. But the problem is that we wanted to "change" or to "control" other people who are not the same as us to "be" like us... We think that we are right and they are wrong... But how true is that?

We think that if there is no more "bad" and "evil" people in the world by killing them or locking them in jails or "reprogramming" their behaviors, and there will be no more suffering and unhappiness in the world and this will make the world to be peaceful and happy... But how true is that?

The world will still be the same "dissatisfying and imperfect" place for us even when there are no more "bad and evil" people out there, because we (the ignorant egoistic impure minds) have incorrect thinking even though we try to be good and do good... Ignorance and selfishness are still there in our mind... Anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, agitation, depression, disappointment, dissatisfaction, fear, worry, craving, aversion, attachment are still there in our mind...

It is the mind not at peace, it's not the world being unpeaceful...

We are not peaceful, and we try to make the world peaceful, but we'll be so disappointed because we can't attain peacefulness by making the world "peaceful", because it is our mind not peaceful, not contented and not free...

Wherever we go, we bring along this discontented, selfish, unpeaceful, disturbed, confused, impure mind with us. And we will be unpeaceful being anywhere even at a place where there is not any external disturbance... We (the mind) will be complaining that it is too quiet, too calm, too bored, and we need to have some happenings, excitement, interactions or debates...

The point is, we don't have to control "things" at all...

"Things" never have the intention to control anything. "Things" didn't want to control us at all...

It is us who attached to "things" and hence, be controlled by "things" that are merely being what they are, being selfless and impermanent...

Nature or God doesn't even bother to control anything... Or else it will be so exhausting, isn't it? There is no rest day at all, every moment have to be governing everybody's "business", or else many unwanted "accidents" will be happening everywhere at the same time...

If nature or God is controlling everything, then maybe one day, nature or God, is so tired of governing the universe and to control everything as what they should be, and wants to take a holiday, and appoints one of us, the "super human being" who is the mightiest, smartest and possibly immortal in the world, to be in charge of governing and controlling the entire universe, what will that be like?

It will be a disaster!

We thought it will be so great if we are being given the duty and power to rule the world to be the way that we want it to be... But with an impure ceaseless thinking egoistic mind, we can't even make a small decision without any selfishness, doubts, guilt, fear and worry, not to say to control the world to be what we want it to be...

Then we will start to think that maybe it is not a good idea at all to be in charge and be able to control everything to be the way that we want them to be...

We think that if the human beings can go against the law of nature and impermanence, and become perfectly the way that we desire in life existence, that there will be no decay, no growth, no old age, no sickness, no unpleasant experiences, no pain, no hunger, no thirst, no war, no killings, no unwanted natural disasters, no accidents, no injuries, and no death, and everyone will be living in peace and harmony... But it's not.

Imagine if everyone is immortal and keeps multiplying in population, what will happen to this world?

This universe needs the law of impermanence to function smoothly... Old hair need to go, in order for new hair to come out... Finger nails can keep growing if we don't cut them, but they will become very troublesome if we let them continue to grow longer and longer... Old cells dying and disappearing, and new cells being born and growing...

We think that if we have the power to control or to change the world to be the way that we think it should be, and if we can eliminate (by killing or jailing) all the evil minded and bad behavior people in the world, and the world will be in peace and everyone will be happy and peaceful... But it's not.

Imagine if we are the one who is controlling our heart beats and breathing all the time since we were born into this world, we'll be so exhausted and we have to be awake every moment, or else the heart stops beating and the lungs stop breathing...

The world is not "unpeaceful"... It is in our own mind, that we are not at peace...

The world is not "suffering"... It is in our own mind, that we are suffering...

We don't like to be conditioned by the law of nature, of course the nature will not "like" to be conditioned or to be "reconditioned" by us (which we human beings did try to reconditioning everything if possible)...

We think that we are so smart and intelligent to be smarter than the law of nature or what many people believe as "God", and interfere with the law of nature and impermanence, but we actually had created great disturbance and disharmony in the universal natural energy fields. The world is getting "sicker" when the human beings had invented so many high-tech conveniences for our worldly living conveniences and life enjoyment that come along with lots of side effects damaging the Eco system of the world...

We thought the world is not in "good form", and we are being so compassionate, we wanted to heal the world to prevent it from getting "worst", and we invented lots of "medicines" or "methods" trying to make the world a better place, but instead the world is getting more "sick", because we are actually interfering with its natural cycle of self-healing process and the law of nature...

Take a look at our own physical body. It has its own natural healing process, if we allow it to be as "natural" as it is... But we don't. We want to interfere with its natural healing process and natural aging process, and try to put in many external artificial "things" into it, with the intention to make it healthier, stronger, younger, better looking, and "age-less" if possible...

Sometimes the physical body feels upset, in pain, having cramps, soreness, fever, cold, coughing, sneezing, vomiting and diarrhea, we thought that our body is "sick" ("somebody" told us that we are sick) and we need to feed it with some "medicine" to cure the sickness. But actually all these symptoms are its own natural healing process to combat diseases. And we purposely fighting with this natural healing process of the body by feeding it with "medicine" that "kills" this natural healing process, and we still think that we are so "smart" and are so kind to take care of the body...

We don't have to control anything, but to let everything to be the way that they naturally should be like... And allow ourselves to be the way that we naturally should be like...

Just be what we are at the present moment now as it is, and not trying to "become" someone or something that we are not at this present moment now. And "this", what we are now, it is also impermanent and is constantly changing, and allow that impermanence and changes to happen naturally...

No fear of old age, decay, sickness or death...

When this body needs to "go", we'll be grateful and let it go in peace...

The moment that we let go of trying to control "things" to be the way that we want them to be (even when we have the good intention of wanting everything to be good), we are free!

It's because even "good" things are also impermanent, and will be gone... We cannot attach to "good" things, or else we will be unhappy, unpeaceful and disappointed by our own attachment towards "good" things, craving for the "good" things, clinging onto the "good" things...

The nature will take care of everything in its own way, performing their duties without attachment, intention, judgment, or expectation... That's why nature is the mother or the source of everything in the universe...

It is the ego that wants to have the power to control "things" to be what it likes them to be... But our true nature doesn't need to control anything...

The mind is the projector of the world, and the destroyer of the world. When there is no mind, there is no world...

An impure world was born out of an impure mind.

A suffering world was born out of a suffering mind.

A peaceful world was born out of a peaceful mind.

Have control of our own mind by not being controlled by it, and persistently purifying and quieting our own mind, eradicate the ego, eliminate the veil of ignorance, and annihilate the modification of the mind, is the real freedom. It is not by trying to control "things" or to change the world to be the way that we want them to be...

Tame this mind, and the "world" will be tamed...

This is what the enlightened saints and sages had been trying to teach us...

Om shanti.

How to become a confident yoga teacher?

How to become a confident yoga teacher?"

This was one of the search words that led to Be Happy Blog.

We cannot create confidence. We cannot "become" confident. It's because once we become confident due to the presence and absence of certain quality of names and forms, and very soon, we will become not confident anymore due to impermanent conditional circumstances...

"Confidence" is there when all our doubts, fear and worry disappear.

"Confidence" is there when we are no longer being determined by the conditions of our body and the states of our mind, what the mind thinks and feels, what we have and don't have, what we are and are not, what we do and don't do, what we can do and cannot do, where we are, how we are, what we are, who we are, and so on...

"Confidence" is there when we know the Truth of thing as it is, not necessary the way that we want it to be, or the way that we think how it should be...

"Confidence" is there when the mind is being free from the ego and are no longer being influenced by it.

"Confidence" is there when we are not attached to anything, are not being disturbed nor affected by all the dualities of good and bad, positive and negative, happiness and suffering, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, respectfulness and disrespectfulness, pleasantness and unpleasantness, praise and censure, success and failure, heat and cold, birth and death, young and old, weak and strong, healthy or unhealthy, and etc...

"Confidence" is there when the mind is just the mind, the body is just the body, the world is just the world... They are not something "good" or something "bad"...

"Confidence" is there when we know exactly what we are doing, what we should do and should not do.

"Confidence" is there when we know what is real and what is unreal.

"Confidence" is there when we are not determined by worldly judgments, expectations, achievements, accreditation, acknowledgments, qualifications and certifications and etc...

"Confidence" is there when we are no longer being over-powered by the craving and aversion coming from the ego, and are not being affected nor determined by whatever the mind perceives through the senses of all the names and forms that generate the worldly experiences and life existence.

"Confidence" is there when we are free from the past experiences and future anticipations.

"Confidence" is there when we know how to love ourselves, have love and peace, and be able to love others as they are.

"Confidence" is there when we are no longer being determined by what and how we present ourselves in our family, in the society, in our work, in our duties, in our responsibilities or in the world.

"Confidence" is there when we are no longer determined by any religion, culture, ethnicity, belief, personality, characteristic, appearance, colour, race, education, languages, talent, skill, contributions, performance, ability/disability, imperfections and mistakes...

"Confidence" is there when we are no longer being determined by how much knowledge that we know and don't know, how much we have studied, how many books we have read, how many accreditation and achievements that we have attained, how many and what type of qualifications and certifications that we have, how is the condition of our body, how many friends we have, how many people agree with us, respect us, like us and love us, and how other people think of us and look at us...

"Confidence" is there when we are no longer being determined by what we or other people think how we should be, and what we or other people want us to be... But we are able to accept ourselves as we are, at this present moment now, as it is, and be able to accept that all these "things", "elements" or "energy" that bring life experiences to this body and this mind, that they all are impermanent, and allow impermanent changes to happen from moment to moment.

"Confidence" is there when we completely surrender to the universal consciousness.

"Confidence" is there when we drop all the pre-conception and pre-judgment about things and how they should be.

"Confidence" is there when we realize true compassion and wisdom.

"Confidence" is there when we realize who/what is 'I'.

"Confidence" is there when we "see" universal consciousness in everywhere and everything...

"Confidence" is there when we don't see ourselves are separated from the entire universe...

"Confidence" is there when we start taking full responsibility for our own self and stop blaming other people or the things out there for our unhappiness and suffering.

"Confidence" is there when we stop running away from what we don't like or don't agree with our own self, and stop pushing away "unhappiness" or things that our minds think and believe are "not good"...

"Confidence" is there when we know what is yoga, not from books and studies, not from what the teachers and Gurus told us and taught us, not from given by somebody who is enlightened, but it is from within, from our own self-realization of what yoga really is...

Take a look at the world...

Many people have studied a lots, have read a lots, have attained many qualifications and certifications, have many years experience of practice and teaching yoga class, know a lot of names and terms in anatomy and bodily functions and mechanisms, know a lot of words in Sanskrit, memorized the entire Scriptures and Sutras, know a lot of Asanas, Mudras, Mantras and Bhajans, know all the names and stories of the past saints and sages, know everything that we should know about how to teach yoga and how to give instructions in a yoga class, but still...

Not all of them are truly confident about themselves and are completely be free from doubts, fear and worry when giving or teaching a "yoga class"...

Because all these knowledge are not coming from within, from our own self-realization...

And as long as we are identifying with this worldly experiences, identifying with this ego, this body and mind, identify as "yoga teacher", or "yogi", or "yoga practitioner", or "yoga master", or "yoga Guru", and etc... We will always be determined by all the experiences that we experience from moment to moment. We will be disturbed, affected, influenced and determined by how the ego thinks and feels about ourselves and the "image" that we put on ourselves, how other people think and feel about us, how other people like us, support us, agree with us, respect us, acknowledge us, and judge us...

"True confidence" is hidden when our mind is full of all these "names" and "forms", good and bad, like and dislike, success and failure, happy and unhappy feelings... But when all these "names" and "forms" disappear from our mind, "true confidence" reveals itself unconditionally through out our entire consciousness...

Not because we want to learn how to be confident, that we will become confident...

Not because we do something or not do something, that we will become confident...

Not because how many students that we have, or how much is our pay, or how the students like our class or agree with what we teach, or how the students like us, praise us, and support us, or how the students are benefited or improved, or how many years of experience that we have, or how much qualifications and certifications that we have and don't have, or how many asana poses that we know and can perform, or how flexible and strong we are able to perform the asana poses...

I am what I am, not because who I am, where I am or how I am...

We share what we are with other beings without discrimination, intention, expectation and conditions.

Anyone can share yoga with anybody... if we know yoga.

Anyone can teach yoga without limits and conditions to anybody... if we know yoga.

If we think we don't have enough "confidence", then very obvious that we don't know yoga... If we don't know yoga, then how do we share and teach yoga to others...

This body and this mind are just instruments for the universal consciousness to act in this world of impermanent names and forms...

There is no "I", no "yoga teacher", no "yoga students", no "yoga classes", no "teaching yoga", no "good", no "bad", no "praise", no "censure", no "success", no "failure", no "experienced", no "inexperienced", no "qualifications", no "certifications"...

There is no need to have "confidence"... to teach yoga, if we know yoga...

"Confidence" or "low-confidence" doesn't exist when the ego is annihilated...

The one who thinks and feels confident or not confident, is the ego.

Keep working on our own Self-realization, annihilate the ego, experience what is selflessness or ego-lessness. No need to emphasize on whether we can teach a "good" yoga class or not, whether we are a "good" yoga teacher or not...

There's no "good" or "bad " yoga teacher... Everyone and everything is our yoga teacher. The people that are unkind to us or things that annoy us very much are the best teachers for us to know forgiveness and compassion. The people that are kind to us or things that are pleasant to us are the best teachers for us to know gratefulness and thankfulness and appreciation. The conditions and situations that are difficult are our best teachers to know patience, perseverance, determination, forbearance, tolerance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation and acceptance. Impermanence is our best teacher to know what is real and unreal, non-attachment, letting go, appreciation and gratitude. The body, the mind, the ego, the thoughts, the feelings and the sensations are the best teachers to know the Truth about ourselves of who we really are...

Teaching yoga comes naturally, not because we want to be a confident, certified and qualified "yoga teacher" to teach yoga to some other people.

We'll share what we experience and what we realize with others naturally, without the intention of want to share and teach... All the sharing and teaching are out of compassion without attachment towards the action and the fruit/result of sharing or teaching...

Be happy.

If the body is still, the mind is also still? Not necessarily...

Some people who practice yoga and meditation believe that if the physical body is moving or is in action, then this indicates that the mind is also moving, is agitated or is not calm... That's why they believe that by controlling the physical body, by not moving the body or by slowing down the physical movements of the body will render the mind calm.

Well, definitely there is an intimate relationship between the mind and the body that they both are very much influencing each other, affecting each other in many ways.

That's why we have yoga practice to use the physical body as a tool to influence the state of the mind. In yoga practice, we have sitting meditation practice to restrict the bodily movements, we have pranayama to control the breath (related directly to the states of the mind), and in yoga asana practice, we are holding still in the asana poses for as long as possible comfortably to help to influence the mind to render it calm and quiet.

But, for those who know what is yoga and meditation, they know that it is not necessarily that if the body is still and not moving, that the mind will definitely be still and not moving as well. Like wise, it is also not necessarily that if the physical body is moving or in action, that the mind must be restless or agitated.

It means that, even though the physical body is in motion, is moving, is in action, the mind can still remain calm and quiet as well. For those who have mastered the mind or have gone beyond the mind, and being undisturbed or undetermined by the impermanent conditions of the physical body, then there is no difference whether the physical body is performing some actions, or not, the mind is always calm and quiet, being free from restlessness, agitation or stimulation.

It doesn't matter when we are lying, sitting, standing, walking, resting, playing, driving, talking, eating, the mind remains calm, not wavering here and there, being aware of the very present moment now, being free from the past and the future, free from duality, free from attachment, free from craving and aversion, free from impurities, then we are meditating.

That is what real meditation is about.

This life existence having this impermanent physical body, it cannot avoid physical activities or movements or actions. But for those who know what is meditation, then there is not a single moment that we are not meditating, even though the physical body is full of actions most of the time. If there are moments when the mind doesn't stand as an observer of the activities in the mind, but it generates attachment towards all the names and forms, and be determined and disturbed by the perception of names and forms, then the mind is not in meditation anymore.

Even though our physical body might not be moving, it is sitting or lying still, or the bodily actions is being restricted, the mind can still be busy and restless, having ceaseless thought waves arising and passing away, and be over-powered by impurities.

By sitting for meditation and observing the mind, we'll find out that even when our body is not moving, not doing any physical activities, but the mind can still be very busy with thoughts and imaginations, is agitated and restless all the time.

And so, it is not about not moving the body, or moving in slow motion, that will determine that the mind will also be calm and quiet.

And hence, when we see someone who is very active in life, always in motion and speedy action, but his or her mind might be very calm and at peace.

And when we see somebody who moves slowly or not moving at all (being lazy, or low energy, or asleep), but his or her mind might be full of actions all the time, thinking about this and that, reacting towards all the names and forms that it likes and dislikes.

It is possible that some people are performing some 'good' actions from the appearance, but there might be impurities and selfish intentions in the mind.

That's why, there is no judgment or expectation towards anyone from their appearance, about what they do and don't do.

Om shanti.

Learn to take full responsibility for our own actions and inactions...

Especially when we ourselves don't like or don't agree with our own actions (things that we do) or inactions (things that we don't do), or when other people think that our actions and inactions are "bad", "inappropriate" or "unacceptable" in our tradition or culture or society... We will find any excuse or reason to not to take the responsibility for our actions and inactions.

"It's because of you, I don't do it..."
"It's because of you, I do it..."
"It's because of my imbalanced hormones, I'm behaving like this..."
"It's because of the weather..."
"It's because of my family..."
"It's because of my job..."

All these sentences sound very familiar to us, isn't it?

Most of us like to put the blame or responsibility onto something or somebody else for our own actions and inactions...

Unless those actions and inactions are something "good", "acceptable" and "appropriate", then we will say it out loud, "Yes! I am the one who is responsible for my "good" actions and inactions..."

When we start to take full responsibility for all our actions and inactions, whether it is good or bad, appropriate or inappropriate, acceptable or unacceptable, then we are on the path of yoga, practicing yoga... Or else, we are not really practicing yoga even though we have a healthy, strong and flexible physical body to perform some "beautiful" and "incredible" asana poses, going for some "yoga classes", doing some "yoga practice" and "meditation" regularly, if we keep blaming something or somebody for our "not so nice" actions and inactions...

Nobody can make us angry and upset, unless we allow ourselves to be angry and upset by something or somebody... The terms, "You make me angry..." or "This makes me angry...", are coming from incorrect understanding about the truth of things and our own self.

We are responsible for our own happiness and unhappiness.

Nothing can make us happy or unhappy, unless we allow the mind to be determined, be disturbed and be affected by all the names and forms. Happy feelings and unhappy feelings that derive from having the things that we want and don't want, are also coming from incorrect understanding about the truth of our own self and all the names and forms that our mind perceives through the senses.

We get irritated and unhappy when we see or hear the things that we don't like to see and hear. We get frustrated and unhappy when we smell and taste the things that we don't like to smell and taste. We get agitated and unhappy when we touch and think about the things that we don't like to touch and think. But all these things (all the names and forms) have no quality or intention to be pleasant or unpleasant, to irritate us or to make us unhappy. It is all coming from our own mind (the ego), when the likes and dislikes or craving and aversion of our mind (the ego) is not being attended or gratified.

But most of us, we like to blame on all the things or people out there for making us unhappy. Or we think that it is the things or people out there that will make us happy or give us happiness.

We get disappointed when we expect the things that we like and want will give us happiness, but it won't, because the truth of all these conditional things are dissatisfying in nature and are conditioned by the law of impermanence. Our likes and dislikes will change. Things will change. Mind will change. Feelings, thoughts, sensations, want and don't want, likes and dislikes, everything will change...

And we expect the things that we like won't change, and the things that we don't like will change according to what we wish them to be...

And we'll get more disappointed when we try to fight the law of impermanence, which is not possible.

This physical body is impermanent, no matter how much we try to preserve the youth and good health for this body...

Buddha and all the great saints and sages, had showed us the truth about this physical body is impermanent while they were still living in this world... They showed us that their body were still had to go through impermanence, old age, decaying, illness, discomfort, eventually stopped functioning and decomposed, even though spiritually they had transcended "suffering" and had attained eternal peace which was unconditional and unlimited by the impermanence of the physical body... Their pure existence of awareness were beyond the conditional and limited impermanent body... The body were not them, they were not the body...

The body will be affected and conditioned by impermanence, but not their true nature, the pure awareness of who they really are... No conditions of the physical body and the thinking mind could determine them... They were just the witness or the observer, witnessing or observing what their body and mind were experiencing in their life existence.

This body does not belong to us, it belongs to the nature, the elements. We don't own this body. It is constantly changing and depending on the elements to be existing and functioning. If there is no sun, no air, no water, no earth, no space, this body doesn't exist... We don't control the heartbeat and the breathing. Anytime, this heart will stop beating, this lungs will stop breathing no matter how healthy and strong this body can be...

When we stop chasing after conditional and impermanent names and forms (to give us meanings, values, completeness and happiness), true happiness and contentment is here in us, never change nor disappear, never increase nor decrease, never being affected by all the experiences that are experiencing by the body and the mind. The body doesn't experience anything if the mind doesn't exist. The eyes don't "see" if the mind is absent. The ears don't "hear" if the mind is absent. And it's the same for all the other perceptions of the senses... It is the mind experiencing all the names and forms through the body with the senses... Without the body and sense organs, the mind perceives no sights, sounds, smells, taste, touch and thinking... They work together to have this life experiences of many names and forms which don't exist at all if the mind doesn't exist...

All the "pleasant" and "unpleasant" experiences are coming from the mind, not from the things (all the names and forms) out there... What we think is "good" and "bad", "happy" and "suffering", "positive" and "negative", "respectful" and "dis-respectful", "auspicious" and "inauspicious" are all coming from our own mind, judging this and that as "good" and "bad" and etc... We (the mind or the ego) will feel good when we get the things that are being labeled as "good", "happy", "positive", "respectful", "auspicious" and "pleasant" by our own mind perception... And we (the mind or the ego) will feel bad when we get the things that are being labeled as "bad", "unhappy", "negative", "dis-respectful", "inauspicious" and "unpleasant" by our own mind perception...

We are being conditioned and limited by our own mind. It is not the things out there conditioning and limiting us of whether we should be happy or unhappy...

Single people think that if they have a partner, have some children to build a family, have someone to be there to share and to support and care for each other, and they will be happy. But once they have all these "things" that they want, they feel like want to runaway from all these "things" that they have which can't really "give" them happiness...

Married people think that if they are single, don't have a partner or children or a family, and no need to take care of some other people, and they will be happy. But once they manage to get rid of all these "things", they'll still be unhappy even though all these "things" that "gave" them unhappiness are already gone...

Fear, worry, anger, hatred, dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration, emptiness, meaninglessness, loneliness, pride, arrogance, low self-esteem, ignorance and all sorts of impurities still following them in their mind whether they are single or not, no matter where they go and what they can do and cannot do...

We thought of by doing and having all the "good" and "positive" things, and not doing or not having any "bad" and "negative" things, will "give" us happiness or "make" us happy, but it doesn't...

It is because all these things (all the names and forms) have no quality or intention to be "good" or "bad", to be "pleasant" or "unpleasant", to "give" us happiness or unhappiness, to "make" us happy or unhappy...

If we have no love, peace and happiness in our own self, then no matter we have or don't have any "things", we'll be unhappy and keep looking out for something to fill up the emptiness, meaninglessness, loneliness and dissatisfaction in us.

If we have love, peace and happiness in our own self, then no matter we have or don't have any "things", no matter where we are, how we are, and what we can do or cannot do, we will be happy and satisfy. And we don't need to look out for something to give us sense of self-worth, meanings, completeness, fullness and satisfaction. There is no loneliness or emptiness in those who have love, peace and happiness in them.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

When we know what is non-attachment towards this body and this mind, not being determined by the judgment coming from the mind, and not being determined by the likes and dislikes, craving and aversion coming from the ego, and not being affected nor disturbed by what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, then we are practicing yoga "sincerely"... We are meditating (unceasingly - nameless and formless meditation)...

Every moment in our heart, in our life, we are aware of the present moment now and are observing whatever the body and the mind is experiencing at this present moment now, without the identification or association with the body and the mind, and are not generating any craving or aversion towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses...

If we perform a lot of yoga asana and meditation practice everyday regularly, but we don't know what is non-attachment, we are identifying strongly with the body and the mind, and constantly being over-powered by our craving and aversion, what we like and dislike, constantly being affected, disturbed, determined and influenced by what we (the mind) see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, then we are not really practicing yoga... We are not meditating...

If we really are practicing yoga, then no matter what is the condition of this physical body, or the state of this mind, or the condition of our life and the world, we are always peaceful and live in this impermanent world without fear and worry... We are not determine by all these names and forms that the body and the mind is experiencing from moment to moment. There is nothing or nobody else can be blamed or to be responsible for the peacefulness or unpeacefulness in us...

True confident and true happiness doesn't determine by what we have and don't have, what we can do and cannot do, what we do and don't do, where we are and are not... It is unconditional...

It is up to our own self to realize the truth of things as it is, and not trying to control things to be the way that we want it to be...

It is up to our own self to know who we really are and who we are not, and realize the unlimited and unconditional love and peace in us, that will free us from the suffering that is coming from our own mind and the wrong identification with the ego, which generates the dualism of different qualities in all the names and forms in this experience of life existence, having likes and dislikes, craving and aversion, which generates all the fear and worry, dissatisfaction, disappointment, irritation, frustration, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, ignorance, agitation, depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, pride and arrogance, and etc...

This is the path of yoga, the path of Self-inquiry.

And "this" (realizing the Truth, love, peace and happiness which is always and already within us) is nothing to do with whether our body is healthy or not, flexible and strong or not, can do what we wanted to do or not, can touch our toes or not, can stand on one foot or not, can stand on our head or not, can speak many languages fluently or not, having a lot of qualifications and certifications or not, or can attain a longer life span and live longer or not...

It doesn't matter how is our personality and the condition of our life, whether we are sociable or not sociable, interactive or not, being strong or weak physically or mentally, being healthy or not, able to do what we want to do or not, talk a lots or speak a little... and it doesn't matter what is our background of nationality, education, race, culture, religion, believes, spoken languages, financial status, lifestyle, interests and activities... Because we are not this body nor this mind... This is the most important teaching of yoga... Realize this and be free.

But if we know the essence of yoga, we'll know that we all are the same spiritual beings experiencing different types of experiences in this world of impermanence... Everything, good and bad things, all will pass away...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Fearless, worry-less, peaceful, forgiving, compassionate, self-controlled, confident, truthful, selfless, desire-less, patient, accommodating, adjusting, adapting, accepting (self-acceptance of who we are, where we are and how we are, and accepting the truth and the present moment now as it is)...

Not attaching towards all the names and forms (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and thinking)...

Not identifying with the body and the mind...

Being at the present moment now, not living in the past or the future, not being disturbed by the past experiences or the future imaginations...

Free from dualism (qualities of good and bad, positive and negative, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, respectfulness or dis-respectfulness, pleasant and unpleasant, happiness and unhappiness)...

Free from the influence of the impurities in the mind...

Free from the ego...

Free from craving and aversion...

Free from the condition of our own body and the mind, not being determined by all the good and bad, pleasant and unpleasant experiences of this life existence...

Able to observe and accept the reality of things as it is, and able to accept the law of impermanence, allow changes and impermanence to happen...

Not trying to change the Truth that we (the one whom we think who we are and who is identifying with the mind and the ego) don't like and disagree with, and not trying to control things to be the way that we want them to be, but able to perform all our duties and responsibilities in the world without attaching to our actions and the fruit of the actions... Without expectation... Just give and let go.

Letting go of unnecessary and meaningless judgments, comparisons, arguments, criticism, mocking, slandering, gossiping and etc...

Withstand or forbear any dis-comfortable or undesirable situations and conditions...

All these are the "characteristics" of a being who is practicing yoga and meditation, and not just doing some "yoga exercises" or "yoga practices" regularly because it makes "us" (whom is identified with the body and the mind) feel good, and that's why we like to do "yoga". Or else when "we" didn't do "yoga", "we" don't feel good anymore... Even so, there is nothing wrong with just doing some "yoga" to feel good... But it couldn't bring us to the real peacefulness and happiness which is beyond all these good feelings that are conditional and are being craved by the body and the mind.

If we don't know how to go beyond the mind, we will still be disturbed by all the impurities and ignorance in our own mind, and are not peaceful, being discontented, unhappy and being disturbed by all the names and forms, and always complain about this and that, generate disharmony in ourselves and in the environment, and generate disharmony in our relationship with other beings who come in contact with us...

Contemplate on this and be free...

Buddha was peaceful but he couldn't make other people to become peaceful.

If he could, this entire world will be peaceful and no more unhappiness...

But he could teach and guide other people about how to realize peacefulness within ourselves. He didn't responsible for the peacefulness that was already within us.

Everyone has to realize peace and happiness that is coming from within ourselves and be peaceful and happy...

Be kind and compassionate towards our own self, love ourselves and have love in ourselves... And not by expecting nor waiting for other people to be kind and compassionate towards us, and to love us, to give us love... Once we have love in ourselves, we can share this unlimited and unconditional love (without passionate lust) with other beings whether intentionally or unintentionally, and without attaching to the action of giving and sharing. It doesn't matter whether other beings accept our loving kindness or not, being grateful or not, appreciate or not... If we are really compassionate, we will just give and let go... There is no disappointment at all.

Make good use of this physical body and the thinking mind that are still available for us to be here to experience, to learn and to share what is compassion and selflessness.

Realize our true nature which is compassionate and selfless (ego-less)...

Be happy.

Daily Yoga Classes at Yoga Now Langkawi, Malaysia

Please be informed that there is no daily yoga classes at our Yoga Now yoga studio at the moment.

We run ongoing flexible dates yoga retreats and yoga workshops.

You may contact us through email yoganow@hotmail.com.

Kind regards,

Marc and Meng Foong

Yoga Now Malaysia

+6016 2715 082

www.yoganowmalaysia.com

Langkawi Yoga Retreat with Yoga Now Malaysia - June 7th - 10th, 2011

Magnificent mountain view of the Matchinchang from Senari Bay Resort

Welcome to Langkawi, Malaysia!

Yoga Now Malaysia will be running a 4 days 3 nights Langkawi Yoga Retreat here in Langkawi, Malaysia.

To ensure that all the participants will receive maximum benefits from the retreat, we limit the intake of the retreat to 7 participants.

There are 2 places still available for this coming yoga retreat starting from June 7th Tuesday 3.00pm to June 10th Friday 12.00 noon.

You can choose to do the Relaxed Yoga Retreat or the Intensive Yoga Retreat or the Nature Discovery Yoga Retreat.


Kind regards,

Marc and Meng Foong

Yoga Now Malaysia

Marc and Meng Foong at the Seven Wells waterfall