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Saturday, June 4, 2022

Want to learn and practice yoga? (10)

All minds under different degrees of ignorance and egoism will take their own pace depending on their effort, discipline, understanding, determination, perseverance, condition and situation to learn, practice, inquire, understand and realize what is going on in their own mind.

There's nothing to be comparing and judged about among the different minds on the different paths of yoga.

All the different types of yoga paths and lineages under different names and forms, with different ways of styles, approaches and practices, to suit different minds of different temperaments and degrees of understanding, are all about Self-realization, the annihilation of ignorance and egoism. If it doesn't lead towards the elimination of ignorance and egoism, then it's just some physical and mental health and fitness activities, just like many other physical and mental health and fitness activities in the world, still benefiting the body and the thinking mind to certain extend.

Most minds begin their journey of Self-realization under an impure egoistic modification of the mind, being conditioned by worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, to behave, act and react, to analyze, compare and judge. Somewhere along the path or lineage, somehow, some minds that weren't/aren't pure might behave, act and react under the influence of ignorance and egoism and impurities, and hence, there might be some 'mischievousness' occurred/occur in the different yoga lineage/school/ashram/organization.

Minds that have certain degrees of understanding, will not be disturbed, affected or determined by the different types of 'mischievousness' that existed/exist in certain yoga lineage/school/ashram/organization, either experiencing by oneself or some others, and move on in one's journey towards Self-realization, knowing that the corruptions or mischievousness of the impure minds are deriving from the ignorance and impurities in the minds, and are nothing to do with the teachings and practice of yoga.

While the minds that don't have such understanding would be disturbed, affected and determined by such disagreeable/unpleasant experiences, thinking and believing that the 'mischievousness' of certain minds within the yoga lineage/school/ashram/organization are due to there's something 'imperfect'/'wrong'/'bad' about the teachings and practices of yoga, and hence, they condemned/condemn the teachings/practices/lineage/school/ashram/organization, and generated/generate aversion or resentment towards the path of yoga. That's their freedom of thinking, understanding, action and reaction.

That's why the development of self-reliance, mental and emotional independence, and the practice of openness, non blind-following, non blind-believing, non blind-practicing, non blind-propagating, self-inquiry, renunciation, dispassion, seclusion and solitude are very important, even in the beginning of the yoga practice, along with the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-judgment, non-comparison, non-craving, non-aversion and non-expectation.

There are many different kinds of 'distractions' and 'obstacles' on the path of Self-realization.

The yoga practitioners need to be aware of certain worldly habits of unintentional or intentional random chit-chatting while socializing and interacting with some others, either being aspired to care for others and vice versa, or with the intention of building personal connection or friendship, want to know about others and be known by others, by talking about oneself, one's origin/background/knowledge/identities/attachments/expectations, one's desires and don't desire, one's agreements and disagreements, one's satisfaction/achievement and dissatisfaction/non-achievement/disappointment, talking about other people this and that, wandering into the past pleasant/unpleasant memories and the future desirable/undesirable anticipations, talking about 'I', 'My', 'You', 'He', 'She', 'They', 'This and that', where the conversation is all about the justification and empowerment of a personal and community identity, judging, comparing, admiring, envying, complaining, bitching, back-biting, glorifying, slandering, boasting, desiring, aspiring, inspiring, anticipating, speculating, scheming, plotting, feelings, emotions, ideas, beliefs and values, or else, there's nothing to be talking about other than saying "Hello", "Good morning/evening", "How are you", "Goodbye", which is 'inappropriate', 'awkward', 'cold', 'inhuman' or 'uncaring' for certain social cultural practices. Some yoga practitioners and/or yoga teachers might not be aware of they might be engaging in such physical/mental/verbal activities most of the time when they meet up, gather, socialize and interact with some others.

Unless the mind is already be free from ignorance and egoism, where there's no attachment, identification or expectation towards all kinds of names and forms in the conversations, one can be talking about this and that without being determined, affected, influenced or disturbed by any conversations about anything, however, how many minds are void of passionate egoism?

Talk less. Talk only when necessary. Talk only Dharma, that leads the mind towards reflection upon itself, if this mind really wants to be free from ignorance and all kinds of disturbs, as well as wants to help other minds to be free from ignorance and all kinds of disturbs.

Those who are not interested in practicing yoga, it's their freedom for what they think, behave, act and react, desire and don't desire, or what they want to do or don't do.

Many passionate minds, including some long time yoga practitioners/yoga teachers as well as mental health practitioners might disagree with this, as the minds are being conditioned deeply in worldly egoistic way of thinking, belief, values and practice, where talking and listening among one another, being mentally and emotionally dependent on one another, is a form of 'caring', 'sharing', 'loving kindness', 'meaningfulness', 'empathy', or 'healing'.

Talking and listening to be sharing, is the 'healthy' common values and practice for many kind and caring people that put upmost importance onto 'family/friends/community mental and emotional support and dependence', where they never thought of the importance of developing mental and emotional independence in oneself and in all and everyone, where mental and emotional independence is being recognized as 'selfishness', 'unhealthy', 'lovelessness', 'closed mind', 'harshness', 'bad', 'wrong', or 'insanity'. There's nothing wrong, as it gives momentary relief to most minds, and helps to prevent certain self-harm/harm others incidents, as many minds are never being trained to find out what is going on in the mind, and hence are not capable to look into the mind to see what is going on in one's mind. Instead of curing and preventing 'the mental disturbance/pain/problem/illness' from the root, it's still good to provide some emergency momentary relief by 'talking' and 'sharing' among one another.

While in the yoga practice, is about self-inquiry looking into one's mind, alone in solitude by oneself, curbing the 'urge'/'need'/'desire' to look out for answers, comfort, love, support, sympathy, empathy, encouragement, and so on, to see what is really happening in the mind whenever there are names and forms arising and passing away, when there are pleasant/unpleasant thoughts, actions/reactions, craving, aversion, ideas, feelings, emotions, memories, anticipations, goodness, badness, rightfulness, wrongfulness, satisfaction, dissatisfaction, agreements, disagreements, unrest, hurts, sorrow, anger, hatred, love, sympathy, guilt, shame, pride, loneliness, fear, worry, and so on, where the mind thinks and believes that there is a 'need' for the presence of some others, or 'specific individuals that one is attracted to and admires', to be talking, sharing, listening, interacting, acknowledging, affirming, accepting, understanding, agreeing, attracting, loving, caring, supporting, encouraging, comforting, giving and receiving, among each other. Where the mind feels good, positive and meaningful when all these are available, and the mind feels bad, negative and meaningless when all these are not available.

This teaching and practice is neither good nor bad, but it might not be suitable for certain minds (yet) that haven't develop certain degrees of independence, openness, awareness, dispassion and renunciation, and still have intense mental and emotional dependence on some others, even though they might have been 'practicing yoga' and/or 'teaching yoga' for many years. But, it would lead the mind towards unconditional peace, being free from being determined by the selfless impermanent modification of the mind.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, especially what is going on in the mind, to know Thyself. No other can liberate oneself from ignorance and suffering, but through the mind's self-effort, self-discipline, self-inquiry and self-realization, to know Thyself.

When the mind is void of ignorance and egoism, is in peace unconditionally, is void of disturbs or impurities, who is there that needs to be sharing, listening, interacting, acknowledging, affirming, accepting, understanding, agreeing, attracting, loving, caring, supporting, encouraging, comforting, giving and receiving, to and from some others, to feel good, positive and meaningful, to not hurt oneself and/or others?

Why many minds need to be sharing, listening, interacting, acknowledging, affirming, accepting, understanding, agreeing, attracting, loving, caring, supporting, encouraging, comforting, giving and receiving, to and from some others, to feel good, positive and meaningful, to not hurt oneself and/or others? Because the minds are disturbed and in suffering, is under the influence of impurities and not at peace, due to the veil of ignorance and egoism. The 'problem' is not because of lacking some others being there to be talking and sharing about this and that all the time, but it's ignorance and egoism in the mind.

Teach and guide the minds to be free from ignorance and egoism, is teaching yoga, is compassion, even if it might not necessarily be pleasant or enjoyable.

Learn and practice how to free the mind from ignorance and egoism, is practicing yoga, is compassion, even if it might not necessarily be pleasant or enjoyable.

All experiences in this impermanent worldly life existence, regardless of pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, joyful or sorrowful, enjoyable or non-enjoyable, meaningful or meaningless, right or wrong, good or bad, are just 'great' opportunities for the mind to reflect, inquire and realize the truth of selflessness and impermanence, to be able to let go and unattached.

The yoga teacher doesn't need to ask, talk, listen, know or share about 'what are the personal problems/disturbs' in the different minds, as all kinds of 'problems/'disturbs' are all due to ignorance and egoism in one's mind, where the yoga teacher just needs to guide the minds to look into their own minds, to know what is going on in the mind, to let go attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation, letting go what the mind thinks and believes is their 'problems'/'disturbs', to free their own mind from ignorance and egoism, and realize unconditional peace. That is compassion, however, the passionate minds might not know or agree with this.

It's common and normal that the minds that have some sorts of doubts/disturbs/troubles/hurts/painful sorrow, which ignited their interest to be joining yoga retreats or yoga classes, expecting to be talking and sharing to the yoga teacher about their 'problems', as well as expecting the yoga teacher to be asking and listening towards their 'problems', while hoping to be receiving some sorts of 'comforting' and 'agreeable' response from the teachers, thinking that the yoga teacher should be giving them 'the desirable/agreeable answers/healing to all their doubts/disturbs/troubles/hurts/painful sorrow, and take away all their 'problems'. This might be practicing in many yoga retreats or yoga classes in the world, as well as outside of the retreats and classes, in social/community meet ups, where many 'yoga teachers' emphasized about 'connecting', 'sharing', 'talking', 'listening', 'hugging', 'touching', or 'healing'. However, these minds would be very disappointed, when the yoga teacher didn't ask them anything about what is 'troubling'/'hurting' them, or not showing any interests in 'listening' and 'sharing' their 'problems'. They thought that the teacher is unfriendly, cold, uncaring, unsympathetic and absurd, or is lack of empathy, compassion or professionalism, and hence, they criticized the teacher as 'bad' yoga teacher. What they didn't know is that this kind of yoga teachers, are the real yoga teachers that can teach and guide them towards unconditional peace, void of all kinds of mental or emotional suffering. But, many passionate minds don't like or agree with this. And that's their freedom of thinking, action/reaction and choice.

The yoga teacher doesn't even need to be deliberately doing/saying anything that would be offensive towards the minds, but merely didn't deliberately give the minds what they would like to see or hear, or what they expect to be experiencing, and hence, the minds react and feel offended and disappointed by the yoga teacher who is truly wise and compassionate. But, that's the point. The minds are being given the great opportunity to look into their own minds, to see those ceaseless egoistic actions/reactions under the influence of ignorance. Some minds would start to be aware of the modification of the mind, which is a good start or uplift for their yoga practice. While some minds would still be unable to look into their own mind, and generate dislike and disagreement towards the teacher for not being the way that they think how it should be, or not giving them what they expect to be receiving/experiencing, the way that they desire. That's their freedom of action and reaction.

Either the mind will see what is going on in itself, or not, and be thankful and appreciative, or be offended and unappreciative, it really doesn't matter, the teacher is just delivering the teachings, and it's up to the minds themselves to practice and realize, or not.

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Know thyself. Everything is impermanent and selfless. There is no 'I'. There is no 'I am selfless'/'I am not selfless'. There is no 'I am hurt'/'I need to be healed from hurt'. Non-blind believing, non-blind following, non-blind practicing and non-blind propagating, but be open-minded to inquire the truth of everything. Be free. Be peaceful. Be happy.

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