Not running away from or denying, but confronting the reality that is not the way that we would like it to be, and being aware of this life existence, the world, the society and the surrounding environment is not necessarily 'all good' or perfectly the way that we would like it to be, or the way that we think it should be, with wisdom and compassion, without aversion or fear towards the reality that we think is 'not all good', or 'imperfect', or 'challenging', is our yoga practice.
Living in the world as we are, being aware of all kinds of uncertainty, insecurity, unrest, cautiousness, defects, or imperfection in all aspects, and knowing how to remain equanimous and be at peace, without fear and worry, without being over-powered or determined by the reality that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, is what yoga practice is about.
This isn't about trying to be 'strong'. 'Strength' has a limit, and is conditional. But wisdom and compassion is unconditional and unlimited. Those who know the law of nature, of cause and effect, impermanence and selflessness, they don't need to be strong or be positive.
Joining a yoga retreat is not about running away from the reality that we don't like and don't want, to be in a 'safe and peaceful place' without 'bad people' or 'things that we don't like and don't want', and be surrounded by 'good people' who are like-minded and doing things that make us feel good and happy and meaningful.
People might think that yoga practice or yoga retreat should be conducted in a 'special place' or 'out of the world place', free from any 'bad energy' or 'bad elements', thinking that 'yoga retreat' means moving away from the imperfect world, or running away from everyday life's duties, responsibilities and cares, to have a few days or few weeks of 'intentionally induced perfect form of reality' of 'peacefulness' or 'calmness' or 'problemlessness'. No doubt that being in a desirable 'conditional reality' will give momentary relief or peace, but this doesn't help us to be free from 'fear', 'disturb', 'restlessness', and 'suffering' when we go back to our everyday life living among the society or in the world that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, that is not in our control to be the way that we would like it to be.
A real yoga retreat allows us to learn how to live in the world as it is, performing all our actions, duties, and responsibilities without attachment, identification, or expectation, without fear and worry. It's learning about the mind and all its modification, about suffering and the cause of suffering, about how to transcend all kinds of 'suffering', 'restlessness', 'impurities', or 'fear', and how to confront the reality of life existence in this present moment that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, or the way that we think it should be, without fear and worry, and have peace wherever we are, unconditionally, being undetermined by all the impermanent changes in the qualities of names and forms.
Yoga, or unconditional peace, being free from ignorance and egoism, is not limited to a particular 'place', or 'space', or 'activity', or 'condition', or 'quality', or 'name and form'.
Being positive and optimistic, denying or ignoring all kinds of 'ignorant and unpleasant behavior and happenings' in the world, in the society, or in the surrounding environment, and persistently thinking and believing that everyone are good, there's no bad people; everything is good, there's nothing bad; life is all good, there's nothing bad; the world is all good, there's nothing bad, and etc, doesn't change the reality that we don't like or don't want to be the way that we would like it to be.
It's like sweeping and hiding all the dust and rubbish under the cupboards and sofas, so that they are not in sight, it doesn't mean that the room is all cleaned. And no matter how many times we sweep the floor, and throw out all the dust and rubbish out of the room, there will always be dust and rubbish accumulating here and there from time to time, unless everyone who enter the room stop bringing in dust and rubbish into the room. This is the same as looking after the mind. We do our best to 'clean up' the mind regularly and persistently, but impurities will still exist from time to time, until the root cause of impurities (ignorance and egoism) is uprooted completely.
When there's no problem, there's no need to anticipate a problem. When there's a problem, confront it, without fear and worry.
Be free.
Living in the world as we are, being aware of all kinds of uncertainty, insecurity, unrest, cautiousness, defects, or imperfection in all aspects, and knowing how to remain equanimous and be at peace, without fear and worry, without being over-powered or determined by the reality that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, is what yoga practice is about.
This isn't about trying to be 'strong'. 'Strength' has a limit, and is conditional. But wisdom and compassion is unconditional and unlimited. Those who know the law of nature, of cause and effect, impermanence and selflessness, they don't need to be strong or be positive.
Joining a yoga retreat is not about running away from the reality that we don't like and don't want, to be in a 'safe and peaceful place' without 'bad people' or 'things that we don't like and don't want', and be surrounded by 'good people' who are like-minded and doing things that make us feel good and happy and meaningful.
People might think that yoga practice or yoga retreat should be conducted in a 'special place' or 'out of the world place', free from any 'bad energy' or 'bad elements', thinking that 'yoga retreat' means moving away from the imperfect world, or running away from everyday life's duties, responsibilities and cares, to have a few days or few weeks of 'intentionally induced perfect form of reality' of 'peacefulness' or 'calmness' or 'problemlessness'. No doubt that being in a desirable 'conditional reality' will give momentary relief or peace, but this doesn't help us to be free from 'fear', 'disturb', 'restlessness', and 'suffering' when we go back to our everyday life living among the society or in the world that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, that is not in our control to be the way that we would like it to be.
A real yoga retreat allows us to learn how to live in the world as it is, performing all our actions, duties, and responsibilities without attachment, identification, or expectation, without fear and worry. It's learning about the mind and all its modification, about suffering and the cause of suffering, about how to transcend all kinds of 'suffering', 'restlessness', 'impurities', or 'fear', and how to confront the reality of life existence in this present moment that is not necessarily the way that we would like it to be, or the way that we think it should be, without fear and worry, and have peace wherever we are, unconditionally, being undetermined by all the impermanent changes in the qualities of names and forms.
Yoga, or unconditional peace, being free from ignorance and egoism, is not limited to a particular 'place', or 'space', or 'activity', or 'condition', or 'quality', or 'name and form'.
Being positive and optimistic, denying or ignoring all kinds of 'ignorant and unpleasant behavior and happenings' in the world, in the society, or in the surrounding environment, and persistently thinking and believing that everyone are good, there's no bad people; everything is good, there's nothing bad; life is all good, there's nothing bad; the world is all good, there's nothing bad, and etc, doesn't change the reality that we don't like or don't want to be the way that we would like it to be.
It's like sweeping and hiding all the dust and rubbish under the cupboards and sofas, so that they are not in sight, it doesn't mean that the room is all cleaned. And no matter how many times we sweep the floor, and throw out all the dust and rubbish out of the room, there will always be dust and rubbish accumulating here and there from time to time, unless everyone who enter the room stop bringing in dust and rubbish into the room. This is the same as looking after the mind. We do our best to 'clean up' the mind regularly and persistently, but impurities will still exist from time to time, until the root cause of impurities (ignorance and egoism) is uprooted completely.
When there's no problem, there's no need to anticipate a problem. When there's a problem, confront it, without fear and worry.
Be free.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment