Want to practice yoga? (8)

Surrender
Perform existing duties, but surrender all forms of attachments, identifications, desires, intentions, motivations, goals, expectations, or acknowledgments. The body and mind are what they are, where they are and how they are, but it's impermanent and will constantly change, and it's not 'I' and there's no 'I' exists in all the impermanent changes. Allowing the path to be what it is, without expecting the path to be what it is not. The path is constantly changing and allow the changes to be what they are.

Abandon
Abandon the fruit of actions, worldly identities, ideas and desires, social and cultural beliefs and practices, and worldly sensual indulgence. Be friendly and non-discriminating towards all, without desire to be accumulating personal friendships or relationships, but allowing all friendships or relationships to be there, or not. All friendships and relationships will change. Allowing all the changes to be there as they are. Abandon the desire of longing to be loved or appreciated, and the fear of being unloved or unappreciated.

Let go of pride and arrogance
Starve the ego, or deprive the mind of the characteristics of egoism, especially pride and arrogance about 'I', about who 'I' am, what 'I' am, or how 'I' am, and what and how 'I' know, 'I' think, 'I' act, 'I' express, 'I' give, 'I' receive, 'I' deserve and 'I' have. Being free from pride and arrogance is not about 'being humble' either. Abandon the idea or identification of "I am being humble." One is just what one is, neither being arrogant nor being humble.

Observe
Observe the mind perception of all the objects of names and forms that the mind comes in contact with, including all forms of living beings and non-living beings and objects with different characteristics, names and forms, without being influenced by worldly social and cultural thinking, ideas, beliefs and practices; without attachment, desire, clinging, judgment, or expectation. Allowing everyone and everything to be what they are, as they are, and for being constantly changing.

Take it or leave it
If you can't just observe, but will generate attachment or desire towards the objects of names and forms, then practice take it or leave it, without generate craving for what you like that you could take, without generate aversion towards what you don't like that you don't want to take. Minds that are impure and ignorant don't just take it or leave it. They want more of what they like, and they want to destroy what they don't like. All kinds of greed, self-righteousness, criticism, condemn, conflict, argument, riot, war, discrimination, hatred, prejudice, violence and insanity exist due to most minds are over-powered by impurities and ignorance.

Minimize social interactions and worldly inputs and outputs as much as possible
Embrace peace, tranquility, silence, solitude, seclusion, self-introspection, self-discipline, self-control, self-effort, self-inquiry and self-realization. Allowing the mind stuffs or thought activities to subside. One can only benefit the society truly and effectively when one's mind is completely be free from impurities, or at least have self-awareness and self-control over the impurities that exist in one's mind. Being aware of the impurities in one's mind and restricting oneself from mixing into the society is being kind and compassionate towards other beings, to minimize generating harmful and disharmony effects into the society.

Stay away from any external substances or influences that will alter or over-power the mind via stimulation or suppression
Only through self-awareness, self-effort, self-discipline, self-control, self-introspection, self-inquiry and self-realization that one purifies and conquers one's mind. Performing yoga asana and pranayama practice is using one's own physical body and the breath as tools to influence the energy field or the state of one's mind without the influence of external substances or influences, such like the usage of drugs to stimulate, or numb, or suppress the function of the mind. Drugs, or any external substances might generate momentary effects onto the mind, but it doesn't remove ignorance and impurities of the mind. One has to rely on self-effort, self-discipline, self-inquiry and self-realization to eliminate ignorance and egoism.

Be persevered
Impurities are what hindering the mind from seeing the truth as it is. They are also the great obstacles on the path towards self-realization. Impurities are one's biggest enemy. Rise above impurities, not to be defeated by impurities within one's mind. Once one curbs the enemy within, there's no enemy without. Be persevered and keep purifying the mind until it sees the truth as it is once impurities are absent.

Love as it is, happy as it is

Most minds want to love

But also love with conditions and expectation

Most minds expect to be loved

But also be loved the way that they like it to be

Most minds want to be happy

But also only be happy when things are the way that they like it to be

Most minds want to learn and practice yoga

But also learn and practice yoga in the way that they like it to be

Be free

Love as it is

Be loved as it is

Be happy as it is

Learn and practice yoga as it is

Want to teach yoga? (4)

Teaching yoga is all about – May all be free, be happy, be peaceful, by guiding the impure minds towards purity, or, the suffering minds towards love and peace. But none can free anyone from impurity and suffering, but oneself.

One will be free, be happy and be peaceful, only if one allows oneself to be aware of the ignorance in oneself, which is the cause of suffering, and make an effort to free one’s mind from ignorance.

Yoga and meditation practice is mainly to free the mind from ignorance and egoism. All the other benefits of the yoga and meditation practice are just some impermanent side-effects.

Many say that they love yoga and they like to practice yoga (yoga exercises more precisely), and may have been practicing yoga exercises for years. But, even after many years of practicing yoga exercises, many minds are still under the influence of ignorance and egoism, being restless and peaceless. As they didn’t practice the essence of yoga – the elimination of ignorance and egoism to be free from impurities. The minds are still attached strongly onto worldly qualities of names and forms to be ‘I’ and are influenced by the desires of craving and aversion.

If one doesn’t recognize or is unaware of the ignorance in oneself, none can teach or help one to be free. It’s not easy for many impure minds to be aware of the ignorance in oneself, as ignorance is also the cause of being ignorant towards ignorance itself. One needs certain degrees of self-awareness to be aware of the ignorance in oneself, and be humble enough to work on the elimination of ignorance in oneself.

Compassion and peace is the essential teaching and practice of yoga. Without compassion and peace in oneself, one couldn’t teach yoga to others, even if one has the knowledge of kinesiology, anatomy and biochemistry of the physical body. As one is dealing with impure minds, and at times, dangerous minds that will intentionally generate harmful actions towards oneself and hurting others. Those who are peaceful and compassionate, being free from ignorance, they don’t need to learn yoga or practice yoga. And the impure minds are the ones who need to learn and practice yoga the most, to be free. If the impure minds refuse to practice yoga towards the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, to be free from ill-will and ill-thinking, that’s their freedom.

One must take care of one's mind, before the mind loses its sanity, as minds that are critically 'ill' won't be able to reason or meditate at all, and might generate harmful actions harming oneself and others.

Teaching yoga is not just teaching people to do some asana poses and stretching exercises. But, it’s guiding and allowing people to look into their own minds, be aware of the impurities, to reflect upon the behavior of their own minds, and it is quite an unpleasant experience for many. And most of the time, others are being blamed for the impurities, or restlessness, or unpleasantness that are occupying their own mind.

May all be free, be happy, be peaceful.

Param Vairagya - Absolute Dispassion - Neither attachment nor non-attachment

When all the duality of

Good and bad

Right and wrong

Positive and negative

Happiness and suffering

Light and darkness

Gain and loss

Praise and condemn

Success and failure

Appropriateness and inappropriateness

Norm and abnormal

Sane and insane

Birth and death

Are not different from one another

All fear and worry vanished

There's neither craving nor aversion

There's no attachment towards either side

Detachment doesn't exist

There's neither attachment nor non-attachment

Freedom?

Freedom

In theory, everyone wants freedom

It must be a good thing then

In practical, it's a bit complicated

It's not that freedom is not good

But impure minds like to complicate everything

Restrictions are being applied onto freedom

Based on what the impure minds believe how things should be like

Who and what deserve the freedom to be what they are

And

Who and what don't deserve the freedom to be what they are

Based on personal cultural and religious practice

Based on limited worldly thinking and beliefs

Based on what the minds think and believe

What is good and bad

What is should and shouldn't

Everyone wants freedom

Yes, but only limit to themselves

For what they like and want

For what they agree with

All minds fight for the freedom that they want,

But

For others whom they dislike and disagree with

They don't want others to have the freedom

To be what they are

To think what they want to think

To say what they want to say

To behave the way that they behave

Just because the minds dislike and disagree with

What others think, say and behave

These minds think that themselves deserve the freedom

To be what they want to be

But

Others who are different from them

They don't deserve the freedom

To be what they are

It's all ignorance and egoism

Freedom is not being free to think, to say, to behave

According to the egoistic desires of wants and don't wants

Likes and dislikes

Agreements and disagreements

Based on what the minds think and believe

What is good and bad, should and shouldn't

Some struggle

Some confuse

Is freedom good or bad

Some believe it's good

Some believe it's bad

Some believe it has both good and bad

Pure minds see things as they are

Like everything else

Freedom is neither good nor bad

Real freedom is being free from impurities

Being free from ignorance and egoism

Being free from attachment and identifications with qualities of names and forms

Being free from being conditioned by the limited worldly thinking and beliefs

If one's mind is free from impurities derived from ignorance and egoism

Freedom doesn't exist

There's no need freedom

There's no desire to be free

As one is free as it is

Fighting for the rights and recognition to be somebody whom we think that is who we are?

There's nothing wrong with all the different names and forms, personalities, characteristics, behaviors, thinking and beliefs that are existing in different people in the world. Everyone is free to be who they are, or who they want to be. But unfortunately, the world is full of unequal rights and discrimination towards certain people who possess certain names and forms, personalities, characteristics, behaviors, thinking and beliefs that were being disrespected, disliked and disagreed with by some other groups of people, and hence, people who think they are being discriminated are fighting for the rights and recognition to be somebody whom they think that is who they are.

 

None needs to be 'fighting' for being who they are, or what they want to be, but the world is run by certain people who are functioning under ignorance and egoism who have the 'authorized power' to 'legally' bully, discriminate, oppress, prosecute, or criminalize certain people that they don't like and don't agree with, under 'the law of constitution' prepared and written by some ignorant egoistic discriminative self-interest people. This corrupted system of an authorization/government that has so much power to 'control' and 'determine' everyone's existence on earth and for being who they are, by giving or not giving 'legal recognition', 'legal documentation' and 'legal rights' based on certain worldly social/cultural/religious/spiritual/political thinking, belief, values and practice that discriminate certain people who are being different from them, shouldn't be existing at all. Nobody should be 'supporting' such corrupted system to be existing in the world, but they are many people would prefer to continuously support such authorization/government that provides them certain 'protection' from whatever they think is their enemy, as well as enjoying the privilege of being given the 'legal recognition', 'legal documentation', and 'legal rights' to be who they are, even though, some other people were being discriminated 'legally' by 'the law of constitution', just because they are being different from the majority of the people. And this is so called democracy, that 'legally' bullying, discriminating, oppressing, prosecuting and criminalize the minority of the population, which is absolutely nonsense.

In the teachings of yoga, one will realize unconditional peace that is undisturbed and undetermined by any qualities of names and forms when one realized the truth of selflessness, be free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, expectation, desires, craving, aversion, and being free from all kinds of worldly self-image and identifications with different qualities of names and forms that are not who we really are. There's no need to fight for any rights or recognition to be somebody whom we think that is who we are, to be living in this atmosphere, disregards whether others treat everyone else the way it should be, or not.

It doesn't matter how messy the world is, how ridiculous the system that is running the world is, and how absurd people's behavior are, one can be in peace being undisturbed and undetermined by all the different qualities of names and forms, personalities, characteristics, behaviors, thinking and beliefs, while performing actions through the body and mind to benefit oneself and others without attachment, identification, expectation, craving and aversion.

Due to ignorance and egoism, the mind is forever restless, as it keeps looking to be recognized, be accepted, be approved, be respected, be heard, be loved, and be treated in certain ways that it wants to be treated by the rest of the world, to fight for the rights that it doesn't have, but it would like to have, to be somebody whom it thinks and believes that is who it is. It wants to be legally recognized, accepted, approved and respected by other beings in the society of the world.

If one's mind is free from ignorance and egoism and all sorts of identifications with qualities of names and forms, one's existence in this world is undetermined by legal rights or worldly recognition, as one doesn't need to be recognized, be accepted, be approved or be respected as somebody with certain qualities of names and forms.

It's not about fighting for certain rights for certain groups of people that don't have the rights yet and were not being treated the way that they think they should be treated, but it's to abandon all kinds of identifications, and be free. There's no need fighting for rights and recognition from anyone or any organizations, which shouldn't be existing. All and everyone should be free being existing on earth without being 'legalized', or 'documented', or 'recognized', or 'approved' by anyone or any organization to be who they are, as the earth doesn't belong to anyone or any organization, but ignorant egoistic selfish greedy human beings seized over certain area on earth and self-claimed ownership and authorization over that area on earth, and started to 'control' all and everyone's existence and being.

None should be treated with discrimination and cruelty. None should be bullied, oppressed, prosecuted and criminalized for being existing on earth and being who they are. Unfortunately, we can't change the world that is run by majority of human beings that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, who are selfish and discriminative. But we can learn how to not being determined by the world of corruption.

Be free. Why limit this impermanent and fleeting worldly existence with some impermanent qualities of names and forms, and tell ourselves and everyone else, "This is me. This is who I am." And then we expect other people to treat us in certain ways that we think we should be treated and don't treat us in certain ways that we think we shouldn't be treated, and expect other people to be legally and morally to recognize us, accept us, approve us and respect us to be somebody whom we think that is who we are? And then, when we don't get the treatment that we expect to be getting, when we think we were being treated the wrong way, and were not being treated the right way, we will be so disturbed and feel dissatisfied, disappointed, frustrated, annoyed, unhappy and angry towards things that go against our wish, that are contradicted with our thinking and beliefs. And if we win or gain victory over our fights, that we are getting the rights and recognition that we want, and getting the treatment that we expect to be getting, when we think we were being treated the right way, and were not being treated the wrong way, we'll feel so proud about ourselves and the fruit of our actions. Even though it appears to be a victory in the world of egoism, but it isn't so under the teachings of yoga, as one's ego is inflated with stronger worldly attachment and identification with qualities of names and forms, as well as empowering the desires of craving and aversion.

No one can change another, or force another to change. Some people might try to use different types of drugs to feed and control those minds that they think are sick and mad, and put them into a zombie state of mind and keep them away from the society, but this is just momentary effect, but it won't take away the ignorance and egoism from these sick minds. And there are countless minds that they think and believe that they are absolutely sane and normal, while thinking and believing those who behave in certain ways that are different from them, that they think and believe as wrong, absurd or inappropriate, as insane and abnormal, but, none of these minds are actually free from ignorance and egoism. Those minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, they rest in silence and stand as witnesses towards all the other minds that are not free from ignorance and egoism, that exist everywhere around everyone. It's wasting energy and life for arguing and fighting with those who are under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

If all mind knows itself, being free from ignorance and egoism, naturally, despite the natural phenomenon of impermanence, the world will appear to be peaceful and harmony when all minds are free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, greed, self-interest, self-protectiveness, discrimination, hatred, expectation, craving and aversion. No one will be generating actions that will hurt oneself or others deliberately. Those who generate actions that will generate unrest and disharmony in oneself and in others, that would hurt oneself and others are because of ignorance and egoism. To help the world to be a peaceful and harmonious place for all beings to live in, it's not through fighting against something that we think and believe is wrong or bad, but, it's working on oneself to conquer one's mind, eliminating one's ignorance and egoism. No one can eliminate ignorance and egoism from another, for another. One can only eliminate ignorance and egoism in oneself, for oneself, and be free.

It's the ignorant egoistic minds that think and believe that they are smarter and better than other beings, that they are responsible to change, or control, or influence other minds that they dislike and disagree with, that they think are wrong and bad, to be the way that they think they should be. Or else, they think that they are being irresponsible towards upholding the peace of the world. But in fact, they are also responsible for the unrest in the world when they try to interfere with, or to change and control other beings to be the way that they think they should be.

 

 Om shanti.

Want to teach yoga? (3)

When one performs the action of teaching yoga or yoga exercises to other people, one will identify oneself as a yoga teacher who teaches yoga. One has good intention that one wants to share what one learned and realized with other people. One might also think and say that one is sharing the knowledge of yoga with other people, and share one's love and peace with other beings. There is nothing wrong with these ideas. Just that there are still egoism, attachment, identification and separateness existing in all these ideas or understanding.

Abandon all the worldly ideas that derived from worldly thinking and beliefs under the influence of egoism, desires of want and don't want, identification and attachment towards certain qualities of names and forms.

Some people compare the teachings of yoga with the studies of the psychology of human beings, and think and say that they are very similar to each other, that both are dealing with human minds and its problems, or the illnesses of the mind. But, their approach in dealing with human minds' problems are really the opposite of one another. The studies of psychology are still very much based on worldly ideas, thinking and beliefs under the influence of egoism. It is based on the egoism and empowerment of egoism. Like in most of the empowerment workshops and psychotherapies, it's about making the mind to think and feel "I am strong", or "I am positive", "I am good", or "I am healed". The empowerment of egoism might can bring momentary relief from some negative elements, and it's like the different medicines to cure certain mind diseases, but it won't stop the mind to continue to contract illness or sickness. Any kinds of empowerment strategies and workshops coming from the points of view of psychology studies are exactly the opposite of what yoga is about. While the teachings of yoga is about how to free the mind from contracting diseases, where the root cause of all mind diseases is ignorance and egoism. There's no need to take any medicines if there's no disease existing when ignorance and egoism is annihilated from the mind. The one who needs to be empowered to think positive, to have hope, to be healed, to feel strong, confident and good about oneself, is the ego. When one realized yoga, or selflessness, or egolessness, or non-separateness, being free from ignorance and egoism, there's no need any kinds of empowerment to make one to think positive, to have hope, to be healed, to feel strong, confident and good about oneself.

Empowerment ideas and workshops are to empower one's worldly self-image and identification with certain qualities of names and forms. The ego is the one who needs a strong identification of "this is who 'I' am" that attached to certain qualities of names and forms to be somebody. The ego needs affirmation and recognition from oneself and from others to be somebody.

While the teachings of yoga is to be free from all kinds of worldly self-image and identification with any qualities of names and forms. There's no need to be somebody with a particular identification.

There's nothing wrong with the good intention of wanting to share something that we believe is good with other beings, but we are not free yet if we still think and desire to be sharing something with other beings.

Everyone realizes the one nature of unconditional love and peace which already existing in everyone. The knowledge of yoga, or unconditional love and peace is not something that is given or shared by someone or coming from somewhere, but it's the nature of every being. The knowledge of yoga is not something separated from unconditional love and peace. The realization of the knowledge of yoga is the realization of unconditional love and peace, and vice versa.

There's no 'I' am giving or sharing the knowledge of yoga, or love and peace coming from 'I' to other beings. There's no 'I' love other beings, or other beings love 'I'. The one who expects to be loved and the one who wants to love or give love, is the ego.

Other beings are not taking or sharing the knowledge of yoga, love and peace from 'I'.

Everyone is not separated from the one same nature that is existing in everyone (non-separateness), is very different from someone is sharing something with other beings (separateness of subject and object).

There's no 'I' am sharing something with other beings.

No one is giving. No one is receiving.

There's no egoism, attachment, identification or separateness.

When there are still the ideas of 'I', 'I' am and 'I' want, existing in the mind, we are not free yet.

Go beyond or put aside all the worldly thinking and beliefs, and qualities of names and forms, and contemplate on all the teachings of yoga and realize selflessness, or egolessness, or non-separateness.

If one hasn't realized the teachings of yoga, what does one teach to other people?

Om shanti.

Want to join a yoga retreat?

What does the 'retreat' in yoga retreat mean?

Many people think yoga retreats are for people to enjoy a yoga 'treat' or 're-treat' for oneself, where a group of people who like to do some yoga exercises come together to engage in a social 'yoga' meeting and interaction with some other people, and pampering their body and mind in pleasurable enjoyments.

It's normal for people to think like that as there are many yoga retreats in the world that are not about retreating from worldly social interactions and activities, to turn the outgoing mind inward for self-inquiry. These yoga retreats are not about retreating from the social world to allow the participants to focus on their yoga and meditation practice to quiet the mind, but they are more into engaging in social activities and interactions getting to know some other people, and getting a nice 'treat' to pamper oneself in some pleasurable physical and mental indulgence.

But, retreat is about retreating or renouncing from worldly affairs, objects, ideas, habits, social activities and sensual enjoyments, to quiet the mind, to restrict the mind from going out chasing after the object of the senses, to have a period of time and space to focus on one's yoga and meditation practice, to be with oneself, to observe one's mind, to deal with one's mind impurities, to limit mind inputs and outputs, even when there are some other people might be participating in the same retreat. Everyone should minimize social talking or interactions as much as possible, to turn the outgoing mind inward, and allow the mind to have the opportunity to move away from restlessness and its usual habits of actions and reactions, to calm and quiet the mind to know oneself. It makes no difference whether it is a personal private retreat or it's a group retreat with other participants.

If people are more interested in worldly affairs, objects, activities, ideas, social meeting and interactions than their own personal yoga and meditation practice to conquer their minds through quieting the mind and the elimination of ignorance and egoism, and they expect to be meeting with other people in the 'retreat' to be socializing with one another, they can participate in many other kinds of social activities organized by many different people and organizations around the world. As those who expect to have social interactions in a yoga retreat, they might be disturbing other retreat participants who join the retreat for retreat.

Although yoga retreats are not necessarily including the observation of complete silence, but all participants should try to minimize and restrict their speech, mental and physical activities, to conserve energy for yoga and meditation practice, and allowing the mind to have some moments of quietness to contemplate upon the truth of all the teachings of yoga.

Yoga retreat is not a place for mingling or socializing or interaction, but it's a great opportunity to practice simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation while living among the society, to be by oneself moving away from worldly social interactions and activities to quiet the restless mind, to be reflecting upon the truth of names and forms, to be aware of the modifications of the mind to know thyself, besides looking after one daily's duty and responsibility such as maintaining the tidiness and cleanliness of the accommodation/living environment/practice space and looking after one's daily meals, while dealing with condition and situation that are not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, so that one can perform Yoga Sadhana at home observing simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation while living among the society performing one's duty and responsibility in everyday life. At one stage, Swami Sivananda walked 15 km everyday to the nearby villages for Biksha (obtaining food by alms) besides performing daily Sadhana and selfless service while living a life of renunciation.

Many 'yoga retreats' in the world are not about quieting the restless mind via the practice of simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation, but it's about being in an out of the world environment away from dealing with any duty and responsibility in everyday life, indulging in pleasurable enjoyments of the senses of desirable/agreeable/pleasant sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and visualization/imagination/anticipation/expectation, gratifying the desires of craving and aversion, promoting mingling and socializing, enjoying all kinds of conveniences of hotel facilities and services, which most worldly minds expect what 'yoga retreat' is about. Food is prepared and served by somebody. Cleaning up and laundry are done by somebody. Room tidiness and cleanliness is maintained by somebody. Everyone just needs to enjoy mingling and socializing with the other retreat participants, while indulging in pleasurable yoga activities, spa treatments and all kinds of hotel facilities and services during the retreat.

And this is 'the world of yoga' that is supposed to be about living a life of simplicity, self-discipline, self-reliance, dispassion and renunciation from worldly activities/connections/interactions/enjoyments to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, but many people are unaware of the 'yoga classes' or 'yoga retreats' that they have been attending are not about Yoga Sadhana to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, but it's actually empowering ignorance and egoism instead.

Om shanti.

Want to practice yoga? (7)

When the mind is still under the influence of egoism, there will be dislikes and disagreements coming from the egoistic mind towards certain teachings, practices, beliefs, thinking and behavior that are contradicted with the existing teachings, practices, beliefs, thinking and behavior in one's mind that are conditioning how one thinks, acts and reacts.

Whether our minds think that our own thinking and belief is true or false, and whether other types of thinking and beliefs that are different from ours are true or false, including the teachings and practices of yoga that are contradicted with the worldly thinking and our existing cultural and religious teachings and practices, it is not important at all.

Most important, it's not to blind-believe in any teachings and practices, thinking and beliefs until we realize the truth through self-inquiry about the truth of everything that the mind comes in contact with, including the existing cultural and religious teachings and practices, personal thinking and belief in our minds, and all the other types of teachings, practices, thinking and beliefs that are different from ours.

It is normal that most minds will generate dislike and disagreement towards something that is different from our own cultural and religious teachings and practices, or our personal thinking and belief. And we don't have to like and agree with everything and everyone.

It's okay if people who haven't realized the truth of the teachings of yoga will generate dislike and disagreement towards certain teachings and practices of yoga when our minds come in contact with the teachings and practices of yoga that are contradicted with our existing cultural and religious teachings and practices, or personal thinking and belief.

But if we know how to not generate aversion towards other thinking and beliefs that are different from ours, and we don't apply our own cultural or religious teachings and practices, and our personal thinking and belief onto other people who are being different from us, neither trying to interfere with other people's cultural or religious teachings and practices, and their personal thinking and belief, or try to control or change other people to be the way that we think they should be, and we aren't being disturbed or determined by the personal egoistic and subjective likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements coming from our minds towards everything that the mind comes in contact with, and we are able to remain equanimous and be in peace, being free from anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, feelings of hurts, pride, arrogance, ill-will, violence, discrimination, fear and worry, then we are practicing yoga, even though there are some dislikes and disagreements coming from our minds towards certain teachings and practices of yoga that our minds couldn't accept or agree with.

Allowing the mind to be opened.

When the mind perceives all the objects of names and forms under the influence of egoism, ignorance and impurities, the mind doesn't perceive the truth of things as it is, but it perceives everything under the influence of impurities where all the names and forms are being projected with different qualities determined by the personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, based on what the mind believes what things are.

For example, a person who wears a pair of red coloured glasses will see an object that is seemingly blue as purple. It is true coming from the perception of this person that this person sees purple. But that is not the truth of the blue object. Meanwhile another person who wears a pair of yellow coloured glasses will see the blue object as green. It is also true coming from the perception of this person that this person sees green. But, again, it is not the truth of the blue object. They might argue with each other that one of them is correct and the other is incorrect. And each of them is correct coming from their own perception or point of view, but both perceptions about the blue object as purple and green are not the truth. Two people perceive what they are perceiving through different coloured glasses and there's nothing to be argued about. Even when there are some other people who don't wear any glasses, and see the blue object as blue, but different people might see different types of blue. People might argue about what type of blue it actually is. But, again, each of them is correct coming from their own perception of the blue that they see, but, it is not the truth either. The object is just what it is. It is neither purple, or green, or blue.

Some people like a particular colour while some others might hate it. The colour itself has no quality or intention to make anyone like it or hate it, or to make anyone feel pleasant or unpleasant. It is coming from each individual own mind's reactions towards the colour and generate pleasant or unpleasant feelings based on it's personal likes and dislikes towards certain names and forms.

Yoga and meditation practice is to remove any coloured glasses (detaching from any conditional subjective thinking and beliefs) and perceive the object of names and forms as they are, uninfluenced by any worldly thinking or cultural and religious beliefs, or personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements.

Om shanti.

Want to practice yoga? (6)

If we want to practice yoga to be free from ignorance and suffering to attain peace, we need to know how to breakaway from the conditioned worldly social and cultural thinking, beliefs and practice.

As yoga practice is about purifying the mind to annihilate egoism, while worldly social and cultural thinking and practice is indeed the heart of egoism.

One must learn how to be undisturbed and uninfluenced by the points of view, judgments and criticism coming from the worldly minded thinking and beliefs about how one should live and behave in the society. As all the worldly thinking and beliefs about how one should live and behave in the society are sprouting from egoism. One must learn to decondition or deprogram one's mind to free one's mind from being conditioned to think and behave in certain ways according to the worldly thinking and beliefs about how things should be like.

Although one might be aware of the play of the ego in one's mind, or have certain understanding about egoism, but one might still be influenced by egoism very much, that one's thinking and behavior are not free from the influence of egoistic worldly thinking and beliefs, then one's mind will easily be influenced and determined by all the experiences or perceptions of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses unceasingly, and be affected, disturbed and determined by all the worldly names and forms that one wants and doesn't want, likes and doesn't like, agrees and doesn't agree with. And hence, it is very important for one to practice disinterest or care less towards the worldly affairs, conditions and situations, or worldly objects of names and forms, to filter and limit the mind inputs, to purify the mind and to render the mind calm and quiet, to allow the mind to see the truth of names and forms, to be free from ignorance and have peace in oneself, before one can actually care for the world and perform actions in the world efficiently, without being determined by one's actions and the fruit of one's actions, without being disturbed or affected by all the worldly conditions and situations.

Although one has ambition and good will to make the world a better place, but one cannot help the world to be a better place if oneself keeps contributing so much restlessness and disharmony into the world when one is not free from ignorance and egoism, and constantly be disturbed, influenced and determined by one's ceaseless mind reactions towards all the experiences or perceptions of names and forms based on one's personal egoistic points of view, thinking and beliefs, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements.

All the names and forms, good and bad conditions and situations of the world don't have the quality or intention to make anyone peaceful and happy, or not. It is coming from each individual mind's reaction towards all the names and forms, based on what the mind believes what things are and how things should be like. It's about conquering one's mind, and it's not about trying to conquer the world to be the way that one's mind thinks it should be. The world is just what it is, it is neither good nor bad. All the suffering exist in one's mind, and arose from one's mind.

As long as we still think and believe that people should think and behave in certain ways that we think are good, right and appropriate, and we'll get frustrated, annoyed, dissatisfied, disappointed, angry, or upset by other people's thinking and behavior that we don't like and don't agree with, then know that we are not free yet, as our minds are still very much being influenced by egoism and worldly thinking and beliefs, even though we think there's nothing wrong with our own thinking and beliefs, and we believe we are good and kind people.

Those who are not influenced by egoism, and are not affected, or disturbed, or influenced, or determined by all the experiences or perceptions of names and forms, they can care a lot for the worldly society and affairs, by performing many selfless actions to bring certain awareness into the society that would help others to be free from ignorance and egoism as well and to have peace and harmony while living in the midst of the ceaseless restlessness and uncertainty of the world of impermanent names and forms. Meanwhile they are not affected or determined by their actions and the fruit of their actions. They'll do their best to help the world to have peace and harmony, but without trying to interfere or to control the world or other living beings to be the way that they think they should be. Instead, they allow the world and other living beings in the world to be what they are, as they are, without discrimination that based on personal egoistic points of view, thinking and belief, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements about what is right and wrong, good and bad, positive and negative, appropriateness and inappropriateness, happiness and unhappiness, towards all the different thinking and behavior that exist in all kinds of living beings in the world.

If one wants to contribute to the world to make the world a better place to live in, to hope for peace and harmony among all living beings in the world, one must take care of one's mind. Free oneself from ignorance and egoism, to have peace and harmony in oneself, being undisturbed and undetermined by the impermanent worldly conditions and situations. Or else, that's what is happening around the world where discrimination, prejudice, hatred, unrest, riots, wars, violence, and killings take place, as all the egoistic worldly minded living beings try to interfere or to control other living beings whom they dislike and disagree with, under the influence of impurities like anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, desires, pride, arrogance and fear, that derived from egoism influenced by particular personal thinking, beliefs and practice. Those who think they want to change the world to be the way that they think it should be, they are not free yet, even though they have good intention and want to do good. Those who are free, they don't have intention to change the world to be the way that they think it should be, but they are performing actions in the world that might help the world to be a better place, without attachment, identification, expectation, craving or aversion.

Peace doesn't come from making the world to be the way that we think it should be, or everything is the way that we like and want, and nothing is the way that we don't like and don't want, but it is coming from within oneself being free from ignorance and egoism.

Om shanti.