Teaching yoga, is never 'my intention' or 'my aspiration'. It's allowing life being what it is. In this moment, life is here, and if some people want to learn yoga, and somehow, they want to come to us to learn about yoga, and so, that is what I am doing. Doing my best to organize a time and space to allow the teaching and practice to be happening. If nobody comes looking for us, I live life as it is.
In this present time, there might be some challenges and difficulties that all beings have to go through reluctantly, not just within a relationship, a family, a community, a country, or a continent, but also globally. Some minds might be lost in certain 'chaos'/'fear'/'panic'/'unrest'/'uncertainty'/'disappointment', while some minds are busy dealing with all kinds of 'problem' bravely and calmly, but yet, this is also the time where certain minds would be ignited to learn and practice yoga seriously, to give oneself some time to look after one's mind, to put aside all the worldly affairs, to turn the mind inward, to transcend the impermanent life existence of a selfless body and restless modification of the mind, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to realize unconditional peace.
Many people would think and say that they love yoga and are doing certain brand and style of yoga practice regularly, and yet, most minds don't really want to learn yoga or practice yoga. Many people want to know what type of physical/mental/emotional/spiritual benefits that they will be getting from performing such and such brand and style of yoga practice. Even many of the yoga schools and yoga teachers are promoting mostly about "What benefits/advantages people can get from attending their brand and style of yoga courses or yoga classes." Even though there's nothing wrong with such 'inspiration'/'encouragement' to attract more people to be learning and practicing yoga, but yoga practice is not about performing certain actions and expecting certain result/fruit of the actions in return, but it's renouncing the result/fruit of actions.
Many yoga teachers think that they love teaching yoga as it makes them feel good and meaningful, but they aren't really practicing yoga. Those who truly practice yoga, there's no identification, attachment or craving towards the sense of goodness and meaningfulness.
Many minds interested in joining particular 'yoga community' wearing particular brand of 'yoga clothing' doing particular style/brand of yoga asana/breathing/concentration/relaxation/mindfulness/healing exercises/practices on particular brand of 'eco friendly'/'organic'/'high-tech material'/'printed with precise alignment for positioning the hands and feet for the yoga poses' type of 'yoga mat' with particular 'yoga accessories' and 'yoga props', as well as adopting a particular trend of 'clean eating' and 'yogi look' that would make the body and mind looking and feeling yogic, good, strong, healthy, righteous, spiritual and meaningful.
Most minds also interested in having resolution/affirmation/aspiration/intention/expectation and desire of 'achieving certain goals from performing the yoga practice', longing to be inspired and empowered, to be acknowledged by oneself and others as "I am part of the 'yogic', 'good', 'strong', 'healthy', 'righteous', 'spiritual', or 'meaningful' beings."
Minds constantly feel hurt and offended by "What I and my community/my culture/my religion/my spirituality believe as bad, wrong, negative, hurtful or don't deserving" or "What I don't like, don't agree with and don't want."
Minds constantly longing for 'good/pleasant condition', 'love', 'kindness', 'empathy', 'understanding', 'appreciation', 'acknowledgement', 'recognition', 'healing from hurts' and 'agreeable/desirable/pleasant treatments/interactions/reactions'.
The absence of 'good/pleasant condition', 'love', 'kindness', 'empathy', 'understanding', 'appreciation', 'acknowledgement', 'recognition', 'healing from hurts' and 'agreeable/desirable/pleasant treatments/interactions/reactions', is terrible, bad, wrong, negative and suffering.
Dispassion? Silence? Solitude? Seclusion? Renunciation? Selflessness? Desirelessness? Non-attachment? Non-identification? Non-craving/aversion? Non-expectation? Intentionlessness? Namelessness/formlessness? Attributelessness? Beyond right and wrong? Neither positive nor negative? Beyond actions and the fruit of actions? Annihilation of the modification of mind? For many yoga enthusiasts, "This is not the yoga that I know and not the yoga practice that I want to practice. All these teachings/practices sound so wrong."
Many minds might be interested in attending yoga classes/retreats/workshops/courses, or even have 'good' intention/aspiration to be teaching yoga to others, and are interested in the practice of calmness/relaxation/concentration/mindfulness that would give momentary good feelings/pleasant sensations to the body and mind, but not many are interested in practicing yoga of renouncing the world, of dispassion, silence, solitude and seclusion, to silent and annihilate the restless egoistic passionate modification of the mind.
Meanwhile, the untrained mind thinks and believes that life existence needs to be occupied and stimulated by all kinds of worldly relationship/social/cultural/religious/spiritual/political/commercial affair and activity, busy with mingling, socializing, interacting, aspiring, inspiring, empowering, planning, scheming, plotting, creating, multiplying, accumulating, gathering, hoarding, defending, fighting, intruding, judging, comparing, discriminating, commenting, praising, complimenting, criticizing, condemning, agreeing, disagreeing, celebrating, mourning, and so on. Or else, life is boring, dulled, empty and meaningless.
And there's nothing wrong with that. That's what worldly passionate minds do. That's what minds think and believe that all human beings should be doing, to live life passionately, to be contributing to the society or to be caring for the world, to attain the sense of existence, prosperity, achievement, goodness, righteousness and meaningfulness.
Everyone has their freedom to think, to believe, to feel, to act and react, to desire and don't desire, to live life as they are.
There's always something going on here and there, from time to time, in life, or in the world that we are living in, of the mind perception of a worldly life existence. If the mind knows what is non-attachment, this mind is peaceful as it is, regardless of perceiving pleasantness/unpleasantness deriving from desirable/undesirable names and forms/conditions/situations/experiences. If the mind is interested in performing yoga practice that would help to develop awareness, mindfulness, calmness, relaxation, or concentration, but not knowing what is non-attachment, then this mind will always feel disturbed and hurt by what the egoistic mind perceives and judges as 'bad', 'wrong', 'negative', 'terrible', 'undeserving', 'painful sorrow', or 'suffering'.
For example, most minds have the egoistic habit of complaining about many things that they think and believe as disappointing and frustrating, and would complain about "I would like to be able to practice concentration, and be able to concentrate without struggle, but it's so disappointing and frustrating because I just can't concentrate." The 'problem' is not about the mind cannot concentrate due to any reasons, but there's egoistic attachment, identification, judgment and expectation where the mind reacts towards the state of the mind not being the way that it would like it to be, or the way that the ego expects it to be. The state of the mind is just what it is. It's impermanent and selfless (not 'I'). The well-trained mind can be aware of all the selfless impermanent changes as they are, regardless of the state of concentrating or scattering, but without reacting with disappointment or frustration towards the state of the mind is not being in certain way (that the thinking egoistic assertive mind would like it to be).
It is the aversion towards what the mind perceives and judges as 'bad', 'wrong', 'negative', 'terrible', 'undeserving', 'painful sorrow', or 'suffering', that is why the mind reacts and feels disappointed, frustrated, disturbed and hurt. The world is just what it is - the consequences of ignorance and egoism. Someone/something is 'hurting' someone, and someone feels being 'hurt' by someone/something, are the consequences of ignorance. Free from ignorance, there's no 'I' being hurt by anyone or anything. There's no 'I' that needs to be healed from hurt.
Similarly, when the egoistic mind wants to 'control' the state of the mind being in certain way, and reacts with disappointment and frustration when the state of the mind is not being the way that it desires it to be, the mind also wants to 'control' the world (the names and forms that it perceives through the senses) being in certain way, and reacts with disappointment and frustration when the world is not being the way that it desires it to be.
Great advice from the Gurus/teachers in the past - Stay away from the worldly affairs particularly politics.
In yoga, realizing unconditional peace and being at peace as it is, being free from ignorance, egoism and impurities, being free from anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, offensiveness, defensiveness, painful sorrow, fear and worry, while living in the world of impermanent names and forms powered by cause and effect, transcending the impermanent quality of names and forms, of the impermanent selfless function and existence of the body and mind, birth and death, success and failure, pleasantness and unpleasantness, enjoyment and suffering, praise and condemn, and so on, is indeed the highest contribution to the world or humanity.
The stronger the ego is, the greater the passionate desires/ambitions/aspirations are. For those who want to practice yoga, it's about annihilating the ego, free the mind from passionate desires/ambitions/aspirations to create a world that 'I' think how it should be, and go beyond what the mind thinks and believes how things should and shouldn't be, without controlling the world to be in certain way, without expecting the world to be in certain way, respecting the world being what it is, respecting the law of nature (impermanence and selflessness), not necessarily the way that 'I' think how it should be, not necessarily the way that 'I' desire/expect/aspire it to be, is indeed promoting peace and harmony into the world of diversity.
Those who don't want to practice yoga, they don't have to practice yoga of dispassion and desireless. They are free to be ambitious/aspirational to change the world to be the way that they think how it should be, to create a world that they desire it to be, just know that there are many others who also desire a world differently from one another.
Just like some desire to paint the world blue, some prefer painting it yellow, while some prefer painting it green, and some prefer painting it with combination of many different colours. And hence, everyone is fighting against each other to be in power to paint the world with the colour that they desire. There will be more peace and harmony in the world of diversity, of different names and forms, of different thinking and belief, if nobody desires to paint the world with any particular colour that they prefer, and allowing the world being what it is. All kinds of conflict/discrimination/prejudice/hatred/unrest begin with 'desires'/'ambitions'/'aspirations' - "I want the world to be like this and not like that." even if the mind thinks and believes it's the best for everyone. And all minds under the influence of different thinking and belief would think and believe that their particular thinking and belief are the best for everyone.
Be free.
In this present time, there might be some challenges and difficulties that all beings have to go through reluctantly, not just within a relationship, a family, a community, a country, or a continent, but also globally. Some minds might be lost in certain 'chaos'/'fear'/'panic'/'unrest'/'uncertainty'/'disappointment', while some minds are busy dealing with all kinds of 'problem' bravely and calmly, but yet, this is also the time where certain minds would be ignited to learn and practice yoga seriously, to give oneself some time to look after one's mind, to put aside all the worldly affairs, to turn the mind inward, to transcend the impermanent life existence of a selfless body and restless modification of the mind, to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, to realize unconditional peace.
Many people would think and say that they love yoga and are doing certain brand and style of yoga practice regularly, and yet, most minds don't really want to learn yoga or practice yoga. Many people want to know what type of physical/mental/emotional/spiritual benefits that they will be getting from performing such and such brand and style of yoga practice. Even many of the yoga schools and yoga teachers are promoting mostly about "What benefits/advantages people can get from attending their brand and style of yoga courses or yoga classes." Even though there's nothing wrong with such 'inspiration'/'encouragement' to attract more people to be learning and practicing yoga, but yoga practice is not about performing certain actions and expecting certain result/fruit of the actions in return, but it's renouncing the result/fruit of actions.
Many yoga teachers think that they love teaching yoga as it makes them feel good and meaningful, but they aren't really practicing yoga. Those who truly practice yoga, there's no identification, attachment or craving towards the sense of goodness and meaningfulness.
Many minds interested in joining particular 'yoga community' wearing particular brand of 'yoga clothing' doing particular style/brand of yoga asana/breathing/concentration/relaxation/mindfulness/healing exercises/practices on particular brand of 'eco friendly'/'organic'/'high-tech material'/'printed with precise alignment for positioning the hands and feet for the yoga poses' type of 'yoga mat' with particular 'yoga accessories' and 'yoga props', as well as adopting a particular trend of 'clean eating' and 'yogi look' that would make the body and mind looking and feeling yogic, good, strong, healthy, righteous, spiritual and meaningful.
Most minds also interested in having resolution/affirmation/aspiration/intention/expectation and desire of 'achieving certain goals from performing the yoga practice', longing to be inspired and empowered, to be acknowledged by oneself and others as "I am part of the 'yogic', 'good', 'strong', 'healthy', 'righteous', 'spiritual', or 'meaningful' beings."
Minds constantly feel hurt and offended by "What I and my community/my culture/my religion/my spirituality believe as bad, wrong, negative, hurtful or don't deserving" or "What I don't like, don't agree with and don't want."
Minds constantly longing for 'good/pleasant condition', 'love', 'kindness', 'empathy', 'understanding', 'appreciation', 'acknowledgement', 'recognition', 'healing from hurts' and 'agreeable/desirable/pleasant treatments/interactions/reactions'.
The absence of 'good/pleasant condition', 'love', 'kindness', 'empathy', 'understanding', 'appreciation', 'acknowledgement', 'recognition', 'healing from hurts' and 'agreeable/desirable/pleasant treatments/interactions/reactions', is terrible, bad, wrong, negative and suffering.
Dispassion? Silence? Solitude? Seclusion? Renunciation? Selflessness? Desirelessness? Non-attachment? Non-identification? Non-craving/aversion? Non-expectation? Intentionlessness? Namelessness/formlessness? Attributelessness? Beyond right and wrong? Neither positive nor negative? Beyond actions and the fruit of actions? Annihilation of the modification of mind? For many yoga enthusiasts, "This is not the yoga that I know and not the yoga practice that I want to practice. All these teachings/practices sound so wrong."
Many minds might be interested in attending yoga classes/retreats/workshops/courses, or even have 'good' intention/aspiration to be teaching yoga to others, and are interested in the practice of calmness/relaxation/concentration/mindfulness that would give momentary good feelings/pleasant sensations to the body and mind, but not many are interested in practicing yoga of renouncing the world, of dispassion, silence, solitude and seclusion, to silent and annihilate the restless egoistic passionate modification of the mind.
Meanwhile, the untrained mind thinks and believes that life existence needs to be occupied and stimulated by all kinds of worldly relationship/social/cultural/religious/spiritual/political/commercial affair and activity, busy with mingling, socializing, interacting, aspiring, inspiring, empowering, planning, scheming, plotting, creating, multiplying, accumulating, gathering, hoarding, defending, fighting, intruding, judging, comparing, discriminating, commenting, praising, complimenting, criticizing, condemning, agreeing, disagreeing, celebrating, mourning, and so on. Or else, life is boring, dulled, empty and meaningless.
And there's nothing wrong with that. That's what worldly passionate minds do. That's what minds think and believe that all human beings should be doing, to live life passionately, to be contributing to the society or to be caring for the world, to attain the sense of existence, prosperity, achievement, goodness, righteousness and meaningfulness.
Everyone has their freedom to think, to believe, to feel, to act and react, to desire and don't desire, to live life as they are.
There's always something going on here and there, from time to time, in life, or in the world that we are living in, of the mind perception of a worldly life existence. If the mind knows what is non-attachment, this mind is peaceful as it is, regardless of perceiving pleasantness/unpleasantness deriving from desirable/undesirable names and forms/conditions/situations/experiences. If the mind is interested in performing yoga practice that would help to develop awareness, mindfulness, calmness, relaxation, or concentration, but not knowing what is non-attachment, then this mind will always feel disturbed and hurt by what the egoistic mind perceives and judges as 'bad', 'wrong', 'negative', 'terrible', 'undeserving', 'painful sorrow', or 'suffering'.
For example, most minds have the egoistic habit of complaining about many things that they think and believe as disappointing and frustrating, and would complain about "I would like to be able to practice concentration, and be able to concentrate without struggle, but it's so disappointing and frustrating because I just can't concentrate." The 'problem' is not about the mind cannot concentrate due to any reasons, but there's egoistic attachment, identification, judgment and expectation where the mind reacts towards the state of the mind not being the way that it would like it to be, or the way that the ego expects it to be. The state of the mind is just what it is. It's impermanent and selfless (not 'I'). The well-trained mind can be aware of all the selfless impermanent changes as they are, regardless of the state of concentrating or scattering, but without reacting with disappointment or frustration towards the state of the mind is not being in certain way (that the thinking egoistic assertive mind would like it to be).
It is the aversion towards what the mind perceives and judges as 'bad', 'wrong', 'negative', 'terrible', 'undeserving', 'painful sorrow', or 'suffering', that is why the mind reacts and feels disappointed, frustrated, disturbed and hurt. The world is just what it is - the consequences of ignorance and egoism. Someone/something is 'hurting' someone, and someone feels being 'hurt' by someone/something, are the consequences of ignorance. Free from ignorance, there's no 'I' being hurt by anyone or anything. There's no 'I' that needs to be healed from hurt.
Similarly, when the egoistic mind wants to 'control' the state of the mind being in certain way, and reacts with disappointment and frustration when the state of the mind is not being the way that it desires it to be, the mind also wants to 'control' the world (the names and forms that it perceives through the senses) being in certain way, and reacts with disappointment and frustration when the world is not being the way that it desires it to be.
Great advice from the Gurus/teachers in the past - Stay away from the worldly affairs particularly politics.
In yoga, realizing unconditional peace and being at peace as it is, being free from ignorance, egoism and impurities, being free from anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, hurt, offensiveness, defensiveness, painful sorrow, fear and worry, while living in the world of impermanent names and forms powered by cause and effect, transcending the impermanent quality of names and forms, of the impermanent selfless function and existence of the body and mind, birth and death, success and failure, pleasantness and unpleasantness, enjoyment and suffering, praise and condemn, and so on, is indeed the highest contribution to the world or humanity.
The stronger the ego is, the greater the passionate desires/ambitions/aspirations are. For those who want to practice yoga, it's about annihilating the ego, free the mind from passionate desires/ambitions/aspirations to create a world that 'I' think how it should be, and go beyond what the mind thinks and believes how things should and shouldn't be, without controlling the world to be in certain way, without expecting the world to be in certain way, respecting the world being what it is, respecting the law of nature (impermanence and selflessness), not necessarily the way that 'I' think how it should be, not necessarily the way that 'I' desire/expect/aspire it to be, is indeed promoting peace and harmony into the world of diversity.
Those who don't want to practice yoga, they don't have to practice yoga of dispassion and desireless. They are free to be ambitious/aspirational to change the world to be the way that they think how it should be, to create a world that they desire it to be, just know that there are many others who also desire a world differently from one another.
Just like some desire to paint the world blue, some prefer painting it yellow, while some prefer painting it green, and some prefer painting it with combination of many different colours. And hence, everyone is fighting against each other to be in power to paint the world with the colour that they desire. There will be more peace and harmony in the world of diversity, of different names and forms, of different thinking and belief, if nobody desires to paint the world with any particular colour that they prefer, and allowing the world being what it is. All kinds of conflict/discrimination/prejudice/hatred/unrest begin with 'desires'/'ambitions'/'aspirations' - "I want the world to be like this and not like that." even if the mind thinks and believes it's the best for everyone. And all minds under the influence of different thinking and belief would think and believe that their particular thinking and belief are the best for everyone.
Be free.
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