Yoga, meditation, retreats?

We never advertise nor promote yoga and meditation practice or yoga retreats as something luxurious pleasurable enjoyment. As when we truly practice yoga and meditation, it is quite an unpleasant and painful experience for most people physically, mentally and emotionally, to deal with the purification process, as well as to take full responsibility for one's happiness and suffering, to confront with the ignorance and egoism in our mind, and to let go of the ego, are the most unpleasant and challenging experience in the path of yoga and meditation, to attain real and unconditional peace.

Om shanti.

Eating by oneself? Enjoy the silent moment and be aware of the eating process...

We think and believe that eating by oneself is somehow 'not right' or 'not healthy'. We think there should be some kind of social conversation or interaction with some other people while having meals. We don't feel 'happy' to be having our meals by ourselves. We think it is strange and anti-social to be having meals by oneself.

But nobody would think and believe that when we do big and small 'business' in the toilet by oneself is anything 'not right' and 'not healthy'.

In the Ashram, we eat in silence. Even though there might be many people eating together at the same time in the huge dining hall, we should maintain silence and concentrate on our eating process. We don't talk nor socialize while eating. Same as during chanting session, yoga asana practice, or meditation practice, we don't talk or socialize. We don't think there's any anti-social elements in it. We don't think it is 'not right' or 'not healthy'. There must be reason why it is conducive for our yoga and meditation practice to be in silence most of the time.

When we realize what is oneness and non-separateness, beyond names and forms, there's no separation between ourselves and everyone and everything, even when we appear to be alone by ourselves in this moment now.

Minds...

The importance of self-reliance on the path of yoga and meditation

The teachings of yoga in the scriptures has all the instructions and guidance that one needs for any yoga enthusiasts to progress on the path of yoga and meditation for Self-inquiry.

An untrained mind that is under the influence of ignorance and impurities, the impure intelligence is not able to fully understand or comprehend all the teachings of yoga. And hence, all the yoga practice are here to help us, to allow us to purify the mind to remove impurities and ignorance for us to realize the truth.

There will be doubts and confusion arise from time to time when we progress on the path of yoga and meditation for Self-inquiry.

Sometimes we might feel despair and have doubts in the teachings of yoga and the practice. We might want to attain help from somebody who might be able to clear all or some of our doubts, or to give us a lift on the path.

But, the answers that can clear all our doubts have to come from one's self-realization.

We have doubts because our mind is under the influence of ignorance. If we are free from ignorance, there's no need to seek any helps from anyone or anywhere to remove any doubts, as there is no doubt.

Even though somebody who has realized the truth is here to expound the Dharma to us, we will still have doubts about whether whatever this person said is true or not, due to ignorance. Same as even if we have read many books written by some enlightened beings about what they have experienced and realized from their yoga and meditation practice about selflessness, wisdom and compassion, but it still doesn't remove the ignorance, egoism, attachment, craving, aversion, impurities, or suffering in us. Nor does it give us peace, or make us become compassionate.

Even if someone is speaking the truth, we still need to investigate the truth of it, through our own effort and inquiry, to find out whether it is the truth.

As all these information or knowledge are coming from other people's realization. It's not coming from our own direct experience or self-realization. And so, we will still have doubts being ignorant about the truth, continued to be disturbed and determined by duality that derived from the mind perception of different qualities of names and forms. The mind is still under the influence of egoism, attachment, identification, desires, craving, aversion, impurities and suffering. It continues to generate ceaseless reactions towards all the names and forms that it perceives through the senses based on what it likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with. It is over-powered by the desires of wants and don't wants, being in a state of restlessness, swaying between satisfaction and dissatisfaction most of the time. It performs actions under the influence of egoism, subjective thinking and beliefs, judgment, expectation, selfish desires, craving and aversion. It is determined by the fruit of actions.

The answers to our doubts must come from one's self-realization, then all the doubts will be cleared.

When our minds start to let go of egoism, attachments, desires, judgment, expectation, craving and aversion, be free from impurities and restlessness, naturally it starts to be able to connect with some of the teachings of yoga when hearing somebody expounds the teachings of yoga, and it starts to see the truth that it couldn't see before, this is coming from the mind itself, seeing the truth as it is. It has nothing to do with the person who expounds the teachings, nor has anything to do with the teachings.

The teachers and the teachings are like the light, illuminate the space without intention nor expectation. They are just being what they are, exist without intention to illuminate particular space, nor expectation towards anything in return for their illumination.

In the dark, we need the presence of light to allow us to see. The light allows us to see, but it has nothing to do with what we see and don't see. That's why some might see the truth, while some others might still be ignorant about the truth, even though they all are hearing the same teachings, at the same time, from the same person.

Without the organ of eyes and the sense of vision, we can't perceive sights. Without light, having the best vision in the world also can't see anything in the dark. If the organ of eyes and the sense of vision doesn't function properly or has some damages, we can't see clearly or properly. If the vision is blocked by some other objects in front of it, we can't see what is hindered by the blockage, even if the the organ of eyes functions properly and there is presence of light. We need to make effort to remove any blockages in front of us, or keep the eyes and vision function properly, so that we can see clearly or properly under the presence of light.

The light is just being what it is. It has no intention to be good or bad, to make anyone happy or unhappy, to allow anyone to see something or don't see something. Some will make good use of the light to see what they want to see. Some don't like the light, complain that the light is too bright or too dim not the way that they like it to be, or feel that the light is disturbing them, or complain that the light exposes something that they want to keep in the dark.

Yoga enthusiasts who realized the truth through self-realization, with or without the help of some teachers and the teachings, they become one with the light. There is no separateness between the teachers, the teachings and the students. All are one, when ignorance disappears. And the light continues to be what it is. Without intention nor expectation, some will make use of the light, some won't make use of the light. Some like to be in the light, while some like to be in the dark. Some are grateful and appreciate the light, while some don't show gratefulness nor appreciation. But all these won't affect, nor disturb, nor influence, nor determine the light for being what it is.

As long as we still have doubts, then keep practice, without judgment, comparison, nor expectation.

Om shanti.

Minds...

Minds.

Always busy. Constantly reacting towards what it perceives. Can’t stop thinking, constructing ideas and words, expressing and talking.

It either doesn’t know how to be quiet, or it doesn’t like to be silent even just for a few moments.

It’s interested in engaging interactive conversations with some other minds that it comes in contact with.

It expects some sorts of response or interaction in return.

It expects and thinks, as a ‘normal behavior’ in a society, there is obligation to engage and interact in a conversation whenever somebody started a conversation.

When there’s no response or interaction in return the way that it expected it to be,
It puzzles.
It feels abnormal.
It feels offended.
It generates different assumptions and judgements.

‘Why won’t you talk back to me when I am talking to you?’
‘Hello?! I am talking to you. Why don’t you say something or answer my questions?’
‘Are you angry with me?’
‘Are you unhappy?’
‘Is there something bothering you?’
‘Don’t you know how to be polite and response when somebody is talking to you?’
‘Don’t you know how to have a social conversation?’
‘Such an arrogant and rude person!’
‘Such a strange person.’
‘Ah! So frustrated and uninteresting to have a conversation with you!’
‘No fun talking to you!’
‘I’m not going to talk to you!’
………….

Defensiveness and offensiveness coming from the egoism...

"I felt you were very contradicting with what you said in the class this morning. You said about non-judgment, but you kept judging me by telling me 'Do your best.' and 'Don't give up easily.' I felt it was very confusing."

"Nobody judged you. You felt being judged. Nobody said you were not doing your best. Nobody said you were not good enough. The teacher was just giving encouragement to everyone in the class to support their practice. Your ego felt offended as you thought the teacher were personally pointing at you, and saying that you were not doing your best or you were not good enough. Your ego reacted and felt you were being judged, and the ego didn't like it and got upset about it. If the teacher didn't give any encouragement in the class, your ego might also be offended and upset, thinking that the teacher were not being encouraging or supportive enough. There's nothing wrong with your ego reacted in such way. Just that when the ego is strong, you will be easily offended by anyone or anything out of sensitivity towards other people's action and speech even though other people have no intention at all to judge you, or to offend you. The mind will not have peace and always be unhappy about something. If you are able to let go of the ego, then your mind won't be easily offended by anyone or anything even when other people intentionally want to judge you, or to offend you. Your mind will have peace and be happy always."

In the same yoga class, hearing the same teachings and doing the same practice, everybody reacts differently coming from the different states of the mind.

Yoga practice is here to allow us to look at our own mind, to know about this egoistic mind and its modification, and to develop non-attachment and non-identification towards the egoistic modification of the mind, and be aware of the reactions coming from our egoistic mind, and learn to let go of craving and aversion towards what the ego likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with.

Some people feel very glad to practice letting go of egoism, but some minds will be very defensive and have strong aversion towards letting go the egoism. It is everyone's freedom and choice about what they want to do with themselves, their life, their mind, and the ego and egoism.

Be happy.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow (3)

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back. Thanks to India, the people, the nature, and all the animals. May all beings be happy.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow (2)

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back. Thanks to India, the people, the culture, the birds, the animals, the plants, the buildings, the mountain, the desert, the scenery, the arts, the colours, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, the weather, the life, the incredible diversity and yet all mixed together as one in peace and harmony sharing everything provided by nature. May all beings be happy.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back.

Thanks to India and the people.

May all beings be happy.

Agreement and disagreement...

There's nothing wrong with having agreements and disagreements towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and thinking. It is a common worldly minded cultural practice about as an individual human being, we need to study, survey, research and interact, to accumulate data and information, to develop a strong personality with our own personalized thinking and belief, to have individual opinions and points of view, to react towards all our experiences, to assert agreements and disagreements, to show likes and dislikes, to comment and to criticize, to have desires of wants and don't wants, to be passionate and aggressive, to live life, to exist.

Or else the mind ceased existing. This is the ultimate means for the path of yoga and meditation, about annihilation of the mind, but it's contrary for the worldly minded. Yoga and Meditation is quieting or silencing the mind, subdue all the modifications of the mind.

Agreements and disagreements are coming from the egoistic mind based on what the mind thinks and believes what things are. And the thinking and beliefs in the mind about all the names and forms are not necessary the truth of what things really are. All these thinking and beliefs are very subjective. They are ethnically, culturally, religiously and individually influenced and modified.

Agreements and disagreements in the mind cannot disturb nor influence us to be peaceful, happy and confident, or not, as they are just being what they are, and have no intention nor quality to be something good or bad, positive or negative, right or wrong, unless we give meanings and values to them, and we attached to all these thinking and beliefs in the mind to be who we are and to react towards everything that we experience in life, and generate craving and aversion towards the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, wants and don't wants coming from egoism. And thus, our minds will be in a state of restlessness, being elevated or depressed, as the ego constantly reacts towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses.

If the mind is trained to allow and to be aware of all these thinking and beliefs to be there in the mind as they are, but without attachment towards all these thinking and beliefs, agreements and disagreements to determine to be who "I" am, nor reacts towards the objects of names and forms based on these thinking and beliefs, then the thinking and beliefs are just some modifications of the mind, and they cannot influenced nor determined the mind to be peaceful, happy and confident, or not.

If the untrained mind attached strongly towards the thinking and beliefs in the mind to react and judge everything that it perceives in everyday life experiences, especially if it is something contradicted or different from what the mind believes what things are and how things should be like, then our minds will be easily disturbed, affected, influenced and determined by the egoistic reactions towards all these disagreeable names and forms, and have no peace. The egoistic mind will be easily dissatisfied, disappointed, insulted, agitated, irritated, frustrated, offended, feels hurt, or depressed, when comes in contact with the things that it doesn't agree with and doesn't like, that it believes as bad, negative, or wrong.

All the names and forms are just being what they are, it doesn't matter our minds aware of them or not, like them or not, agree with them or not, based on what our minds think and believe they are good or bad, positive or negative, happiness or suffering, right or wrong. They don't have intention nor quality to give us satisfaction or dissatisfaction, to give us good or bad feelings, to give us confidence or not, to give us peacefulness or not. It's all coming from our minds react towards all these names and forms, and generate craving and aversion towards what it likes and dislikes, what it agrees and disagrees with, based on what the mind thinks and believes what things are.

Contemplate on this, and be free.

Om shanti.

Criticism?

If what others say or criticize about us is true, why are we unhappy?

If what others say or criticize about us is not true, then we shouldn't be unhappy at all.

And so, either what others say about us is true or not true, there's no reason for us to be unhappy.

It is just a reaction coming from the egoism if the mind feels unhappy about something, it's all because it is something that the ego doesn't like, doesn't want, and doesn't agree with.

A well-trained mind free from egoism will not react the same.

Be happy.

Suffering?

When someone says "There is suffering." He isn't lying.
When someone says "There's no suffering." He also isn't lying.

Both statements are true and don't contradict each other, even though they are the complete opposite of one another.

When there is ignorance, suffering exists.
When ignorance disappears, suffering doesn't exist.
Om shanti.

May all be peaceful, be happy...

May all be peaceful, be happy...

When we have hatred towards some other people or some teachings that our mind disagrees with, the one whom we hate and disagree with will not be affected nor determined by our hatred and disagreement, but ourselves will be disturbed and hurt physically, mentally and emotionally by the hatred in our mind.

May those who are very unhappy and have hatred towards some teachings that they disbelieve, or towards others whom they don't like and disagree with, be peaceful and be happy.

It doesn't matter if we think we are better human beings than others, or we think we have better values and understanding than others, or we think we have higher realization than others, as long as we have hatred in our mind, we are not free.

Om shanti.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

May all beings be peaceful...

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti...

"Professional profile" of a yoga teacher or a yoga school?

"How long have you been practicing yoga?"

"How long have you been teaching yoga?"

"Where and whom did you learn yoga from?"

"Who is your yoga teacher or Guru?"

"What type of recognitions, certifications and qualifications do you have?"

"What type of yoga do you practice or teach?"

"What is the level of this yoga course or yoga class?"

"What type of certifications I can get from attending these yoga courses or classes?"

"What type of results or benefits I can get from attending this yoga course or yoga class?"

All these are the common questions coming from most people who want to practice yoga or to teach yoga. But yoga is nothing to do with all these names and forms...

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Normally, when people are looking for a yoga school or yoga teacher to learn about yoga, or to do some yoga exercises, most of us will want to know the "professional profile" of the yoga school or the yoga teacher, to know what are the qualifications, certifications, affiliations, past experiences, achievements, types of courses, classes or services of the yoga school or the yoga teacher.

Same as when a yoga school or a yoga teacher wants to "promote" their classes or services, naturally, they want to have a "professional image", and to give a "laudable", "highly recommended", "reliable", "professional", "expertise", "highly experienced", "outstanding", "competent", "recognized", "affiliated", "updated", "distinctive", or "beautiful" type of profile to show to the respective "clientele" or yoga enthusiasts who might be interested to take up yoga courses, yoga classes or yoga exercise classes at this yoga school or with this yoga teacher.

There is nothing wrong with this universal worldly idea and practice in the process of getting a "product" and promoting a "product". Just that, all these "identifications" that identify with certain qualities of names and forms has nothing to do with the practice of yoga and meditation, or the realization of the Truth, or the propagation of Dharma, which is about annihilation of ignorance and egoism, realization of selflessness, fearlessness, oneness, namelessness, formlessness, compassion and wisdom, and transcend suffering, birth and death.

As liberation, or selflessness, or compassion, or realization of the Truth, is undetermined by all these qualities of names and forms that consist of worldly minded business marketing standards, ideas and strategies, qualifications, certifications, affiliations, achievements, past experiences, excellent and extensive services.

All these identifications with qualities of names and forms are irrelevant to what yoga is, or the teachings and practice of yoga, or the realization of yoga, or the beings who learn, practice and realize yoga, or the liberated beings who share the wisdom of yoga with other beings.

Here are some examples of a common profile of most yoga schools and "professional" yoga teachers who provide yoga courses, yoga classes, or yoga exercise classes :-

"Want to teach yoga? Want to be certified as an internationally affiliated and recognized yoga teacher? Come to us, let our professional yoga teachers trainers to train you to be a qualified professional yoga teacher and be certified and recognized internationally"

"Our yoga school is a Yoga Alliance 200 Hour & 500 Hour Registered Yoga School."

"Our yoga school has been established for how long."

"I am a Yoga Alliance 200 Hour & 500 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher."

"I have been practicing and teaching yoga for how many years."

"I have been to such and such yoga schools."

"I had learned and graduated under such and such yoga teachers and gurus."

"I have attained such and such qualifications and certifications recognized and issued by such and such organizations, or alliances, or affiliations."

"I am a qualified and certified yoga teacher, I teach such and such types of yoga classes."

"The type of yoga classes and practice that I teach will give you such and such benefits and results."

"I am an advance yoga practitioner and yoga teacher, I practice and teach advance yoga."

"I am experienced, knowledgeable and well-trained yoga teacher. Come to my yoga class. I teach you yoga. I teach you yoga exercises."

"I have how many years of teaching experiences."

"I have taught yoga classes in such and such (creditable) yoga schools."

"I am a good, happy, healthy, experienced, knowledgeable, fit, strong and flexible yogi and yoga teacher."

And so on...

There is nothing wrong with all these worldly thinking, ideas, qualities and identifications, and most people want or need to see all these qualities to find what they believe is a "good" and "reliable" yoga school or yoga teacher, that will give them what they want after they have paid some fees to be getting something that they are looking for. As well as most yoga schools and yoga teachers also think and believe that they need to have such qualities to convince themselves and the world that they are experienced, qualified, knowledgeable and good enough to give or provide some forms of services, courses or classes to those who pay them some fees for some services or results in return.

But, yoga is nothing to do with all these worldly image or identifications, or worldly ideas of marketing strategies, business exchange of services and achieving results.

All these names and forms have no meanings or values for beings who truly practice yoga and meditation to transcend suffering, egoism, ignorance, names and forms.

Who is being there to identified with all these qualities of names and forms, to acknowledge ourselves and others that "this" is who I am, what I am, what I do, and what I can give you?

Those who had realized selflessness, who have gone beyond the qualities of names and forms, who are free from egoism, and who can guide anybody towards selflessness from their own direct experience and realization, out of compassion, undetermined nor limited by any worldly individuals or organizations to qualified or certified them to be sharing love, peace, compassion and wisdom with anybody, without intention, without identification, without discrimination, without attachment, they are not determined nor limited by any qualities of names and forms, nor will they strengthen the worldly ideas and attachment towards the qualities of names and forms, when the basic teaching and practice of yoga and meditation is to go beyond all these qualities of names and forms, and realize selflessness, namelessness and formlessness.

Those who are suffering, and are determined to be free from suffering, they will either meet the teacher, or the teacher will come to them naturally, when the time is right, to guide them, to show them the way. And the teacher is not necessary in a form of human beings who bear the title of "experienced, qualified and certified yoga teacher".

Everything else is just a play of some worldly ideas and egoistic desires.

The Truth or Dharma, is always here as it is. It doesn't belong to anyone or any organizations. It is not limited in yoga schools, yoga courses, yoga classes or yoga teachers. It's not tradable nor exchangeable. It can't be sold nor be bought. It is whether we realize it, or not.

Om shanti.