The world of yoga

People asked us how come we don't run/teach yoga classes and teachers training courses?

Yoga practice is about taming/quieting the restless mind to free the mind from suffering of restlessness and impurities derived from ignorance and egoism by realizing selflessness (birthlessness, deathlessness, attributelessness, namelessness, formlessness) through the practice of dispassion, renunciation, silence, self-inquiry, concentration, meditation, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-judgment, non-comparison and non-expectation that require a high degree of open-mindedness, right discrimination, intense yearning for liberation, will-power, perseverance, independence, self-control and discipline.

After one learned about the teachings and practice from someone who has direct experience of the teachings and practice, one implements these teachings and practice in everyday life, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, which is nothing to do with attending regular 'yoga classes' or attending 'yoga teachers training course' to become 'certified professional yoga teacher' to teach/conduct 'yoga classes'.

Most people don't really interested to learn and practice yoga when they are interested in joining 'yoga classes', as they wouldn't/couldn't let go the thinking and belief which they think and believe is who they are (the main hindrance towards the realization of selflessness.) They just want to do some physical exercises to keep fit and be healthy, to feel good and look good. And it's nothing wrong. Everyone has the freedom for what they want and don't want, and what they think and believe.

Most 'yoga classes' are existing mostly as one of the healthy leisure activities for health and fitness enhancement by doing some yoga asana, relaxation and breathing exercises, just like any other personal/group fitness training exercise classes, which is a very healthy activity. It's very good that people would love to do some form of physical exercise regularly for maintaining good health and vitality to enjoy a higher quality of life. And some highly talented people even transformed yoga asana practice into amazing acrobatic performance, it's very inspiring for people to take up some physical fitness training to look good and feel good, and not spending time and energy in unhealthy/unwholesome activities.

The initial objective of 'teachers training courses' is about oneself learning and practicing the teachings of yoga to purify one's mind, to awaken/realize the teacher within to become one's own teacher, to discipline one's mind to be free from ignorance and egoism. It's not about training people who are interested in 'teaching yoga classes' or 'running yoga courses' to become 'certified professional yoga teachers' and issue/authorize them with 'recognized certification' to conduct yoga courses/teach yoga classes according to the different types of teaching style from different types of yoga school. It's training one's own mind to be it's own teacher. Upon self-realization of yoga/oneness/selflessness, one might or might not share the direct experience with others.

'Yoga retreats' are also being 'transformed' into self-pampering/indulgence of the senses getaway that empowers the egoistic desires of carving and aversion, or being 'transformed' into 'mystical healing' camp. Even so, it's neither right nor wrong. That is what most minds like and desire. It really doesn't matter. In the end, yoga is still what it is, whether people are learning and practicing and teaching yoga as it is, or not. The truth won't be affected/contaminated by any add-on/take-out elements, although the creative worldly minded can transform the teachings and practice of yoga into something that they prefer.

Most of the serious yoga practitioners don't really run/teach 'yoga classes', or 'yoga courses', or 'yoga teachers training courses' although they might be teaching yoga to many others. Sharing the teachings and practice of yoga with others doesn't necessarily has to be in the form of conducting yoga classes/courses/retreats. Some might have been teaching 'yoga classes' in the beginning, but after some time, they renounced the worldly social life and activities to concentrate on their own practice, upon realization that renunciation from worldly affair/interaction/activities/relationships is the greatest compassion towards oneself and all beings. Everyone is responsible for their own practice to look after their own mind, to discipline/quiet/purify their own mind, to deal with the consequences of their own ignorance, to become their own teacher, to free their own mind from ignorance, egoism and impurities via their own effort.

Meanwhile, 'yoga teachers training courses' are no longer about learning and practicing yoga to become one's own teacher to be self-independent, to perform self-inquiry, to silent/annihilate the mind to attain self-realization, but the identity and qualification of a 'yoga teacher'/recognition/authorization/certifications/association/commercial value/career value are the drive for conducting/participating yoga teachers training courses.

This is the world of yoga, and there's nothing wrong or bad with it.

Many people think that they like and love yoga, but not really. When come to serious yoga practice, most people would turn away or justify that it is not yoga (the way that they think it should be.) And there's nothing wrong, as all minds take their own pace and own path to evolve and realize.

In the silent meditation retreat that doesn't charge any fees (donate as you like, or even nothing), quite many people would want to runaway or quit after a few days observing silence, for not being able to talk to other people, can't have physical/eye contact with other people, not able to express as they like, can't do what they usually like to do, can't eat what they usually like to eat, no stimulating entertainment for the mind, sleeping on hard bed in basic accommodation, and they have to sit for meditation for more than 10 hours a day, while lots of physical/mental/emotional discomforts arise and random thoughts bubbling up to the surface of the mind. Some people would stay until the retreat finishes, but they don't really observe silence throughout the entire retreat, such like they are still talking/whispering/making signs/interacting with their friends and keeping their phones with them, even though it's not allowed. But, there's nothing wrong with that either, as it's how most worldly minds would behave, out of loneliness, boredom and meaninglessness derived from being refrained from their usual worldly stimulation/activities.

Most minds would 'cheat' to be comfortable and not to be uncomfortable. It's not about what's right and what's wrong. And it's not about how good is one's yoga practice and meditation experience, but it's the ability to confront/deal with all the things that the mind doesn't familiar with, doesn't like and doesn't agree with, while not coming in contact with the things that the mind familiars with, likes and agrees with, being free from craving and aversion, be able to forbear difficulties and unpleasantness equanimously, and free the mind from restlessness/impurities out of ignorance and egoism, that matters most.

The mind won't evolve/progress and keeps running round and round in the loop of worldly ideas/thinking/belief, if it keeps swaying in between craving and aversion, running away from difficulties and unpleasantness and what it doesn't like (the mind perception of the qualities of bad, negative, wrong, meaninglessness and unhappiness,) and chasing after what it likes and desires (the mind perception of the qualities of good, positive, right, meaningfulness and happiness,) even after many years of attending 'yoga classes' and 'yoga retreats' or doing yoga asana and breathing exercises regularly, or possessed many 'yoga certifications' and given 'yoga classes' to many people.

Be free.

How to stop/not feeling hurt in love relationship?

Many people experience hurtful feeling or 'heartbroken' derived from love relationship that is not the way that they like/expect it to be, or it didn't have a happy ever after ending. In the beginning it was all good and happy, but after some time, something changed, it's not the same as before, and it turns sour and bitter, and then completely broken. It's quite painful/hurtful/sorrowful.

Some people would like to know how yoga can help them to be 'healed' from hurts, or how to be free from getting hurt in love relationship, or how to stop/not feeling hurt in love relationship?

The yogic way to be free from all suffering is through understanding/knowing the truth of suffering. It's not about 'healing' as many would think what it is. All suffering derived from ignorance and egoism. Once ignorance and egoism is annihilated, there's nothing or none needs to be 'healed'.

Some people had tried to let go after they learned about the teachings of yoga about letting go, but they found that it's very difficult or impossible to let go. This is because they don't have the correct understanding of what is going on in the mind. Upon understanding what is going on in the mind (all the impermanent selfless modification and changes in the mind and the real cause of pain/hurt/sorrow/bitterness), all the pain/hurt/sorrow/bitterness ceased existing, there's needless to let go anything.

- It's not an obligation or compulsory duty as a human being to must possess one or many love relationship/friendship to live life 'happily' or 'normally'.

One doesn't need to possess one or many love relationship/friendship to live life happily as one is, if the mind is free from being conditioned by worldly/cultural thinking and belief. It's merely part of the worldly/cultural thinking and belief that many people think and believe that everyone must possess one or many love relationship/friendship to live life happily and meaningfully. Most people's values of life, self-worth, success, confidence, happiness and the senses of meaningfulness are very much being determined by having one or many (good) love relationship/friendship, which is unnecessary at all if one's mind is free from ignorance and egoism. If people don't have any love relationship/friendship or they have bad/unhappy/broken love relationship/friendship, they would think and feel bad, unworthy, low confident, failing, depressed, or meaningless about themselves and their life. This is truly unnecessary. One can be friendly to all beings without the need of possessing one or many (good) 'committed love relationship' or 'friendship', and still be happy as one is.

- If we really want to be in a love relationship, we must first learn how to respect everyone and love everyone as they are.

When we feel unhappy/dissatisfied/disappointed/angry/hurt in a love relationship, ask ourselves this, "Do we love them as they are? Are we being possessive towards the people in a relationship with us and have expectation towards everyone about how they should behave or feel?"

Even if we dislike and disagree with this, everyone has the freedom to behave or feel the way that they (want to) behave and feel, even if they are being in a 'committed' relationship with somebody. No one is obliged to respect 'commitment in a relationship'. True relationship where two parties truly love each other and want to stay together out of their own freewill, doesn't have 'commitment' to be respected. Even after being in a relationship, people have the freedom of how they feel and what they want, whether they want to love someone, or stop loving someone, or don't want to love someone, or they changed from being loving/caring to unloving/uncaring, or they want to stay in a relationship or end a relationship, or they merely want to be single again even though they still love the person in the relationship with them, or they want to be with someone else, or they couldn't help themselves being selfish/abusive, or they are suffering from depression/emotional problem/behavior problem/greed/dissatisfaction/lustful desire, and etc.

Meanwhile, we also have the freedom and rights for how we want to feel (whether okay or not okay) and what we want to do with the relationship, to decide whether to let go or continue the 'broken' relationship depending on what is best for everyone, especially when it includes children. There's neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad in any decision made. If we truly know what we want and don't want, and what is best for everyone, there's no difficulty in making decision and there's no guilt or regret in any decision made. Such like, ending a 'violent/abusive' relationship is better for oneself and the children, without hurtful/revengeful/fearful feelings due to compassion and understanding in oneself, being compassionate towards the person in the relationship with us is suffering from mental/emotional/behavior problem.

- Find out the truth of our feelings of love towards the person in the relationship with us.

Do we really love the person in the relationship with us, or we only love what we like and want from being in the relationship with someone? When 'we' feel angry/disappointed/betrayed/unhappy/hurt in a 'broken' relationship, it's really nothing to do with how the people in a relationship with us behave in the relationship, whether they didn't treat us nicely or they treat us badly, or how they want to feel, whether they feel love or don't feel love for us, or what is their decision/desire, whether to continue staying in or ending the relationship with us. When we feel angry/disappointed/betrayed/unhappy/hurt, it's because 'I don't like/want/agree with this' - Things are not being the way that we want it to be, or the relationship is not going to the direction that we want it to be.

If we truly know what is love, self love, unconditional love and what is relationship, then how we feel won't be determined by how other people behave or feel towards us and whether the relationship is perfect or imperfect. We would love and accept them as they are, even if they don't love us, or don't want to love us, or don't want to be in a relationship with us, or want to love someone else, or want to be in a relationship with someone else. We don't and shouldn't agree with or support or encourage any 'hurtful/wrongful/abusive' treatment or behavior from anyone, but at the same time, we don't have to be influenced or determined by other people's 'hurtful/wrongful/abusive' treatment and behavior. We won't do or say things that would hurt them or those whom they love. We also won't hurt ourselves in order to hurt them or make them feel bad/guilty/disturbed. We would wish everyone (whom we love or don't love) peace and happiness whether they love us/be nice to us, or not.

- Understand/Inquire the root cause of hurtful feeling in love relationship.

All hurtful feelings derived from ungratified desire of craving and aversion in our own mind (not getting what we like and want and getting what we don't like and don't want, and losing what we like and want), it's not caused by bad relationship/bad life experience of bad people/partner/spouse/lover and their wrong doings or bad behavior. It's how the mind reacts towards what it experiences or perceives that it doesn't like, doesn't want and doesn't agree with. It's the responsibility of the mind itself whether to be disturbed or be undisturbed by all the unpleasant/challenging experiences.

- If we truly love the person in the love relationship with us, we won't feel hurt even if they don't love us, or stop loving us, or love someone else.

Most minds/human beings are not perfect, full of ignorance, selfishness and impurities.

We would understand that due to ignorance and egoism, people would behave selfishly and irrationally, and be unloving towards the people in a relationship with them, regardless whether they think they love or don't love the person in the relationship with them. People would do and say things that would cause physical/mental/emotional pain, even when they think they love the person in the relationship with them, not to say especially when they don't really love the person in the relationship with them. We are hurting ourselves if we expect everyone to be perfectly 'good' and 'loving' the way that we think it should be, the way that we want them to be.

- Respecting the law of impermanence.

The nature of minds/feelings/relationship/togetherness is impermanence, forever changing.

Everyone has the freedom and rights to love or not to love someone, or stop loving someone whom they used to love. Feelings will change. What we want in life will change. Life will change. Condition and situation will change. There's nothing wrong with feelings changing from time to time. Most minds/human beings are not free from ignorance and egoism and are identifying strongly/passionately with fleeting feelings as 'who they are', their relationship with everyone and life existence are very much being influenced and determined by those fleeting feelings.

We would let go this relationship and the person in the relationship with us, in peace, if this relationship doesn't work, even when two people still love each other, but couldn't continue the relationship for some good reasons, not to say when one person in the relationship doesn't feel love for the other person and doesn't want to be in the relationship anymore, or prefer to love someone else and be with someone else.

We will wish the person in the relationship with us and the people whom they love/cherish peace and happiness. Ourselves would also have peace and happiness being free from anger, hatred, jealousy, regret, guilt, disappointment, dissatisfaction, or hurts.

- There is nothing wrong and it's okay and we have the freedom and rights to feel angry, disappointed and hurt, but we don't have to, if we understand.

If we feel angry, disappointed and hurt in a broken love relationship (when the relationship turns into something that we don't like and don't want, or the person in the relationship with us doesn't behave or feel the way that we expect/would like them to behave or feel,) it's because we think we love the person in the relationship with us, but we don't really love them. We don't even love ourselves. We only love what we like and want of what we experience/get from being in the love relationship the way that we like and want it to be.

We are the one who is selfish, as we have expectation towards how the relationship should be like and how the person in the relationship with us should feel or behave, or how they should treat us in the way that we like and want. And when we don't get what we like and want, and are getting what we don't like and don't want, or we are losing what we like and want towards the relationship and the love from the person in the relationship with us, we (the egoistic mind) feel betrayed, ill-treated, angry, jealous, dissatisfied, disappointed and hurt.

- Who is feeling hurt?

It's the ego, or the identification of 'I' who feels hurt by the perception of hurtful/wrongful/undeserving experiences under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

If the mind is free from ignorance (knowing the truth of suffering) and egoism (free from the idea of 'I', attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation), this mind won't perceive hurtful/wrongful/undeserving experiences and react with hurtful feelings. This mind won't be/feel hurt by anything, even if the perceptions of names and forms or life experiences are very unpleasant and challenging, when everything is not the way that we would like it to be.

- Realize selflessness, the truth of 'I' and 'I am hurt by something hurtful'.

'I' and 'I am hurt by something hurtful' doesn't exist upon the realization of the truth. There's no 'I' existing. There's no one existing to be hurt, or experiencing hurt, or feeling hurt. There's no one needs to be healed from hurt. All experiences are just what they are, neither hurtful nor not hurtful, upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism. If anyone still feels hurt by something being perceived as 'hurtful', and believes that 'I' need to be healed from hurt, it's due to ignorance and egoism.

- Realize non-separateness or oneness of unconditional love.

One doesn't need to rely/depend on receiving love/relationship/friendship/companionship/acknowledgement from anyone (not even 'God') to feel loved/confident/complete/satisfied/meaningful, if one realized non-separateness/oneness of unconditional love, without discrimination of self and not-self/others, conditions, possessiveness, attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison, or expectation. There's no unhappiness, anger, hatred, jealousy, disappointment, dissatisfaction, or hurt. It doesn't matter we have or don't have any love relationship, and whether the love relationship turns out well or not well. One is still happy and peaceful as one is.

If we don't know what is love or how to love, we will only end up unwittingly and ceaselessly hurting ourselves and those whom we think we love very much, especially those in a relationship with us. It's because we don't love ourselves and we don't love those whom we think we love. We don't love anyone, not even 'God', we only love the desires of what we like and want.

Be free.

Good life?

Despite a small group of people in the world of ignorance, greed and selfishness who would wish for bad condition and situation in the world so that they can make profits/benefits out of the bad condition and situation of the world and other people's suffering, painful sorrow, difficulties and hardships, most people would appreciate and be grateful and wish for good life, good condition and situation, good relationships and enjoyments for everyone.

There's nothing wrong with joy and happiness, good life, good condition and situation, good relationships and enjoyments, just that it can easily become one of the great hindrances for those who are on the path of yoga to progress towards the highest aim of yoga of transcending the mind and the yearning for liberation is no longer the highest motivation for performing the yoga practice and would eventually disappear from the mind completely, unwittingly, where performing yoga practice is only one of the healthy leisure activities in life.

"Oh, what a wonderful life and beautiful world we have here. Good family, good friends, good condition, good activities and plenty of good enjoyments. We should just enjoy all the good things that we have as much as we can. We should make use of the opportunity of good life, good condition and situation to do so many things in this world. Why bother about all those unpleasant yoga practice about silencing/transcending the mind of letting go this beautiful wonderful happy world?"

Everything is impermanent. Because of the impermanent nature of everything, we should appreciate the precious moments of good life, good condition and situation, good relationships and enjoyments even though knowing that it's impermanent, that it will change and pass away. And this statement is not something negative, or depressing, or bitter at all. It's the truth of everything.

If people realize the fleeting impermanence of everything, it could inspire them to work diligently towards transcending the mind perception of worldly life existence even though they are enjoying good life, good condition and situation, good relationship and enjoyments that they know all are impermanent. If there's no attachment towards all the impermanent good enjoyments and happy joyful moments, it's fine. There's no suffering when impermanence strikes. But, when there is attachment and suffering arise, how many people would cry, "OH! Dear God/Guru/anyone, help me please! Save me please! Take away all these suffering from me. I don't want them. Please bring back the joy and happiness to me!"

Suffering, painful sorrow, bad condition and situation, disappointment, bad relationships, difficulties and hardships are not something negative, depressing or bitter at all, it's indeed the great motivation/inspiration for people to let go the world (regardless good or bad condition/happy or unhappy experiences), to be determined to perform yoga practice to transcend the mind perception of an impermanent selfless worldly life existence of names and forms, and be free from the suffering of restlessness swaying in between satisfaction and dissatisfaction, happiness and unhappiness, due to endless desires of craving and aversion waiting to be gratified under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities.

"The world is unreal." - The teachings of yoga.

This is not about shunning/condemning/pushing away/denying good life, good condition and situation, good relationships, activities and enjoyments, but to remind ourselves not to be drowned in impermanent pleasurable good condition, activity and enjoyment until we forgo the highest aim of yoga. Though it's everyone's freedom for what they want to do with their life, body and mind.

Be free.

In the end, it's what matters most to oneself

For some people, to be able to contribute to humanity, to help and serve other beings selflessly is what matters most.

For some people, to be able to think and move freely, to go everywhere freely is what matters most.

For some people, to have peace and harmony is what matters most.

For some people, to have joy and happiness is what matters most.

For some people, to be able to love and be loved is what matters most.

For some people, to have good health is what matters most.

For some people, to have a shelter from harsh weather and be free from hunger and thirst is what matters most.

For some people, to have a complete and happy family is what matters most.

For some people, to have a successful career that support a stable income and comfortable living is what matters most.

For some people, to have one or many good friends to support each other is what matters most.

For some people, to be able to achieve all their ambitions, to do whatever they like to do and enjoy whatever they want to enjoy is what matters most.

For some people, to accumulate wealth and power is what matters most.

For some people, they want to have all and everything, if possible.

For some people they don't know what they want or what matters most.

For some people, they thought they know what they want and what matters most, but not really.

There's neither right nor wrong, it's just about what matter to oneself in the end.

For those who practice yoga and meditation, to live in the present being free from desires of craving and aversion, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism and the suffering of the consequences of ignorance and egoism, is what matters most.

For many people, "If people don't kill themselves out of tiredness, restlessness, unhappiness, depression, dissatisfaction, disappointment, loneliness, boredom, hurts, guilt, regret, painful sorrow and meaninglessness, and be grateful for being alive and appreciating life, family and friends, be positive keep on fighting for the values of life or what they think is 'humanity', try to create or contribute to a 'better world', and be optimistic never give up searching for happiness, satisfaction and meaningfulness through engaging in 'constructive' ideas/objects/relationships/friendships/activities in this impermanent worldly life existence, it's good enough for existing as a 'human being'."

There's nothing wrong with passionate worldly desires/ambitions/relationships/activities, as it's what most people think and believe what (lively and meaningful) life existence is about. In the end, it's what matters most to oneself.

Meanwhile, for those who sincerely want to practice yoga and realize yoga, silencing/annihilating the mind to attain Self-realization to know the truth of the mind/thyself/what the mind thinks is 'I', or liberation from ignorance/suffering, is what matters most.

Stop feeding worldly passionate thinking/beliefs/ideas/objects/ambitions/social interactions/activities/relationships/desires to the mind, to annihilate the idea of 'I' existing in a selfless worldly life existence of the objects of the senses of impermanent names and forms, is the essence of the traditional yoga practice. For many people, including yoga practitioners and yoga teachers, would perceive this kind of yoga practice of dispassionate/disinterest towards 'worldly life of ambitions, enjoyments, relationships, interactions and activities', and renouncing 'worldly social affair and family life' as 'lifelessness' or 'meaninglessness', and they would not like to practice 'this kind' of yoga.

One can think and believe that one has been practicing many different types of yoga practice for some time or a long time, and receiving the many benefits of the regular and persist 'yoga practice', but at the same time, the mind is still very much engaging/entangling in the passionate worldly life of worldly affairs/objects/activities/thinking/beliefs/ideas/ambitions/relationships/desires under the influence of egoism of attachment and identification towards certain qualities of names and forms, then this mind is not free, even though one might feel good, happy and satisfied with having certain desirable achievements and relationships in the present, upon coming in contact with the qualities of names and forms that the mind likes and desires, and not coming in contact with the qualities of names and forms that the mind doesn't like and doesn't desire.

Some yoga practitioners would think and believe that they are quite 'dispassionate' and 'being unattached' towards all the worldly affairs/contacts/objects/ideas/relationships/activities/interactions while they are living/mingling among the society/community and actively engaging in 'what/how all 'good, normal and healthy' human beings do in everyday life.'

If one wants to know the truth of one's mind, one can practice serious solitude and seclusion for at least 5 to 6 years, being away from all kinds of worldly affairs/contacts/ideas/objects/activities/relationships/interactions, and one will see the truth of this mind. Fear, doubt, loneliness, emptiness, boredom and meaninglessness kick in and most minds will want to run away from the practice of solitude and seclusion after a prolonged period of time due to the under current of ignorance and subtle attachment and identification towards worldly life of names and forms. They will tell themselves and others that it's not necessary to practice solitude and seclusion as part of the yoga practice, and it's better and more meaningful to practice yoga of living a 'good, normal and healthy' everyday life just like all the other 'normal' human beings, building relationships and accumulating friendships, enjoying and engaging in worldly interactions and activities, mingling into the society to 'serve other beings', do some work to make a living, do some yoga and breathing exercises, do some meditation practice, do some healthy recreation activities, go for holidays from time to time to unwind.

"Helping/sharing with others makes me happy, good family relationships and friendships makes me happy, being with family and good friends makes me happy, experiencing or doing this makes me happy. They give me the sense of meaningfulness in life existence." What happens when all the 'names and forms' that make me happy and give me the sense of meaningfulness changed into something else and is no longer available?

Some people had the ability and opportunity to do all the things that they wanted to do, went and travel everywhere that they wanted to go, met with many other people and experienced many different cultures, obtained the vast knowledge of many things in this world, attained great success in their career and had a nice family and friends circle and wide social networks, being admired by many people in the world, had a comfortable lifestyle, but still, the mind was not free from suffering.

Be free.