There were retreat guests have doubt about whether they can continue to practice yoga and meditation in everyday life, or whether they will have the free time and space to perform yoga and meditation practice when they go back to their busy city life. What they meant is about whether they will have the discipline, time and space to perform the yoga asana practice and the sitting meditation practice. But, yoga and meditation practice is unlimited by time and space.
It exists everywhere in every moment in our life whether we are doing some external and physical yoga and meditation practice in a particular name and form, or not. It is the mental or internal yoga and meditation practice of continuous awareness and observation towards what is going on in our mind, from moment to moment, without generate attachment, identification, craving or aversion. Being undisturbed, unaffected, uninfluenced, undetermined by all the impermanent changes of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses.
Whenever there is perception of name and form when the mind comes in contact with the objects of the senses, that is the moment of our yoga and meditation practice that is happening in our mind. It is not somewhere outside doing some external physical form of yoga and meditation practice.
In this present moment, no matter how we are, where we are, what we are doing or not doing, or how is the surrounding environment and what is happening, free the mind from :-
Develop dispassion, right discrimination, self-inquiry, self-awareness, self-control, self-discipline, independence, initiative, mindfulness, open-mindedness, patience, determination, perseverance, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, forgiveness, loving kindness, magnanimity, generosity, simplicity, contentment, calmness, straightforwardness, honesty, purity of thoughts, actions and speech.
Contemplate and realize the truth of non-duality, non-separateness, selflessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness. Go beyond all the qualities of name and form, the life existence and worldly experiences through the function of the mind, the body, the sense organs and the senses.
Allow the mind to be calm and quiet, to be equanimous and at peace under any circumstances, conditions and situations.
This is our yoga and meditation practice in everyday life.
Undetermined by who we think we are and how we are; what is our gender and sexual orientation; what language we communicate with others; what type of educational and training background, talents and skills; what nationality and origin; what is our family and cultural background; whether we think we are spiritual or non-spiritual; whether we are religious or non-religious; whether we believe or disbelieve in 'God', heaven and hell, karma, cause and effect, reincarnation; whether we can perform any yoga poses and what are their benefits, or how we look and feel during and after the yoga poses; the 'correct' physical alignment; the knowledge of the names and benefits of all the yoga poses; the knowledge of physiology and anatomy; the degrees of intelligence and how much knowledge we know about this and that; the physical appearance; the physical conditions; the physical abilities to do this and that; the condition of the environment and what is happening in our life and in the world.
In this present moment, if our mind is being disturbed and influenced by what it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks, and generates reactions of like and dislike, agreement and disagreement, craving and aversion, and is restless due to all these activities in the mind, then keep practice, without judgment, comparison, or expectation, until the mind is no longer be disturbed nor influenced by all the perceptions of names and forms.
Om shanti.
It exists everywhere in every moment in our life whether we are doing some external and physical yoga and meditation practice in a particular name and form, or not. It is the mental or internal yoga and meditation practice of continuous awareness and observation towards what is going on in our mind, from moment to moment, without generate attachment, identification, craving or aversion. Being undisturbed, unaffected, uninfluenced, undetermined by all the impermanent changes of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses.
Whenever there is perception of name and form when the mind comes in contact with the objects of the senses, that is the moment of our yoga and meditation practice that is happening in our mind. It is not somewhere outside doing some external physical form of yoga and meditation practice.
In this present moment, no matter how we are, where we are, what we are doing or not doing, or how is the surrounding environment and what is happening, free the mind from :-
- The past pleasant and unpleasant experiences
- The future projection, speculation, imagination and anticipation
- The egoism, or the idea of 'I' exist as an individual being
- Attachment and identification
- Intention and expectation
- Clinging, craving, aversion
- Possessiveness
- Obsessiveness
- Defensiveness and offensiveness
- Criticism, argument, justification, condemn, prejudice
- Violence, back-biting, ill-will and ill-thinking
- Anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, desires
- Dissatisfaction and disappointment
- Feelings of hurt, guilt, regret
- Agitation and depression
- Fear, worry, anxieties, doubts, and all sorts of restlessness
- Ignorance
Develop dispassion, right discrimination, self-inquiry, self-awareness, self-control, self-discipline, independence, initiative, mindfulness, open-mindedness, patience, determination, perseverance, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, forgiveness, loving kindness, magnanimity, generosity, simplicity, contentment, calmness, straightforwardness, honesty, purity of thoughts, actions and speech.
Contemplate and realize the truth of non-duality, non-separateness, selflessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness. Go beyond all the qualities of name and form, the life existence and worldly experiences through the function of the mind, the body, the sense organs and the senses.
Allow the mind to be calm and quiet, to be equanimous and at peace under any circumstances, conditions and situations.
This is our yoga and meditation practice in everyday life.
Undetermined by who we think we are and how we are; what is our gender and sexual orientation; what language we communicate with others; what type of educational and training background, talents and skills; what nationality and origin; what is our family and cultural background; whether we think we are spiritual or non-spiritual; whether we are religious or non-religious; whether we believe or disbelieve in 'God', heaven and hell, karma, cause and effect, reincarnation; whether we can perform any yoga poses and what are their benefits, or how we look and feel during and after the yoga poses; the 'correct' physical alignment; the knowledge of the names and benefits of all the yoga poses; the knowledge of physiology and anatomy; the degrees of intelligence and how much knowledge we know about this and that; the physical appearance; the physical conditions; the physical abilities to do this and that; the condition of the environment and what is happening in our life and in the world.
In this present moment, if our mind is being disturbed and influenced by what it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks, and generates reactions of like and dislike, agreement and disagreement, craving and aversion, and is restless due to all these activities in the mind, then keep practice, without judgment, comparison, or expectation, until the mind is no longer be disturbed nor influenced by all the perceptions of names and forms.
Om shanti.
No comments:
Post a Comment