Want to learn and practice yoga? (13)

Everything and any experiences, regardless of pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, that allows the mind to reflect upon the truth of selflessness and impermanence, is Dhamma, is the teachings, is the teacher.

If one keeps looking out for an enlightened guru or a spiritual being to be receiving some sorts of blessing or miraculous touch of mystical healing power, and/or attaining certain kind of transcendental power through some 'prayers, mantras or rituals', with the expectation of hoping the enlightened guru, the spiritual being, or the prayers, mantras or rituals can remove all the doubts, ignorance, badness, hurts and suffering in oneself and in the world, one will never be free.

If one, or a few, or many enlightened/spiritual beings can remove all the doubts, ignorance, badness, hurts and suffering in anyone and in the world through some sorts of blessings and mystical power, there wouldn't/won't be any ignorant beings, ignorant consequences, or suffering in the world.

If one, or a few, or many minds/people can generate some sorts of 'positive mind power or vibration into the surrounding environment or the world' to change the undesirable and unpleasant conditions and situations in the world, there wouldn't/won't be any bad conditions and situations in the world.

If one, or a few, or many kinds of 'prayers, mantras or rituals' can remove all kinds of badness, wrongfulness, selfishness, cruelty, violence, discrimination, hatred, greed or suffering in the world, there wouldn't/won't be such things existing in the world.

None can remove the ignorance in other beings or in the world. None can remove all kinds of suffering in other beings or in the world sprung from ignorance and governed by the nature law of cause and effect.

One can definitely contribute to positive changes/improvements in oneself and into the world, by freeing one's mind from ignorance and egoism. There will be less an ignorant mind/human being generating ignorant consequences into the world, without any intention or aspiration to change or make the world to become a better place. That's all.

None can discipline/purify/conquer/liberate any other minds but the mind itself.

It's not that there's any superpower in any particular kind of 'prayers, mantras or rituals' or 'vibrations'. The purpose of performing any kinds of 'prayers, mantras or rituals', generating certain way of 'vibrations', breathing exercises, yoga asana practice, concentration exercises or meditation practice, and/or just by focusing the mind in any particular type of mental/physical activity, might can act as a tool to help gathering the wavering/distracted thought currents into the state of one-pointedness, and/or bringing the attention of the mind into the present moment, void of wandering into the past memories or future imaginations that don't exist in NOW, where the restless mind gets some momentary relief from restlessness of thinking, judgment, actions/reactions, disturbs, desire of craving and aversion, or fear and worry, void of the idea of 'I', without any intention/aspiration of controlling the perceived names and forms to be in certain way or changing the perceived reality into something else that it is not, without any expectation of silencing the modification of the mind, but spontaneously, the modification of the mind is subdued, resting/dissolving in selflessness/oneness/attributelessness/namelessness/formlessness/birthlessness/deathlessness. There's no 'I' being there to be identifying as "I am meditating. I am in silence. I am selfless. I am ONE. I am nameless, formless, birthless, deathless. I am whole." Not to say, the idea of "I am right or wrong," or "I am good or bad," or "I am deserving or don't deserving."

If all those mental and physical practices/activities requiring certain degrees of focus/attention over certain duration that gather the wavering/distracted thought currents, are not free from the idea of 'I', 'the performer of action' and 'the receiver of the fruit of action', with the intention/aspiration/expectation to be controlling the perceived names and forms to be in certain way or changing the perceived reality into somethings else that it is not, and/or silencing the modification of the mind, then it doesn't serve the purpose of leading the mind towards SILENCE (void of 'I' and all kinds of thought activities or desires that sprung from the idea of 'I'). Just as paying maximum attention into doing any kinds of mental/physical activities in daily life under the idea of 'I', regardless of wholesome or unwholesome activities, it doesn't free the mind from ignorance and restlessness, except, maybe during certain 'precious' moments, upon the absence of the idea of 'I' and 'I-ness'.

What is 'good' or 'bad', 'deserving' or 'don't deserving', 'positive' or 'negative, 'meaningful' or 'meaningless', 'pleasing' or 'displeasing', 'superiority' or 'inferiority', 'love' or 'loveless', 'enjoyment' or 'suffering', upon the absence of 'I', or in the state of 'I'lessness?

Still want to debate or argue? 

Still in doubt? 

Still being disturbed, hurt, angered or disappointed by this or that? 

Still trying to look for someone to answer/clear one's doubt? 

Still longing to receive blessing, or comfort, or healing from someone or something? 

Still emphasizing on what are the benefits/effects of doing the yoga and meditation practices? 

Still think that 'yoga practitioners, especially yoga teachers' should be super healthy, super fit, super strong and flexible, superhuman, super youthful, and never getting old, weak, stiff and sick? 

Still trying to defy the nature law of selfless impermanence changes, of decaying, illness, weakness, immobility, limitation, or old age? 

Still trying to do and achieve something for pleasing someone or everyone to attain love and acceptance, understanding and agreement, interaction and connection, friendship and companionship, acknowledgement and appreciation, praise and compliment?

Still wishing/praying everything will only be good and nothing bad? 

Still thinking and believing that people should behave like this and shouldn't behave like that? 

Still think that 'yoga teachers' should know and be able to perform many different yoga asana poses and their variations, and possess certain 'internationally recognized yoga teacher certification' being 'authorized by and affiliated to certain yoga alliance' to be 'qualified' for teaching yoga? 

Still think that if one didn't manage to do and achieve what one would like to do do and achieve before one dies, one will be regret and won't be peaceful?

Still think that if one didn't manage to see and be with one's family and friends for a prolonged period of time, especially before someone dies, then one is a bad person, and one would feel terrible, guilty and regret, and have no peace?

Still think that birth is something good, positive and joyful to be celebrated, while death is something bad, negative and sorrowful to be mourned?

It's normal and nothing wrong. That's what ignorance and egoism is about. Just keep practicing.

Wishing the world to be immaculate void of rubbish?

One can restrict oneself to stop generating rubbish while maybe also being a good and helpful person trying to clean up other people's rubbish, utilizing higher technologies and scientific methods to collect and treating rubbish, but that doesn't make the world 'rubbish-free', as all others are continuously generating rubbish unwittingly and endlessly.

Letting go the world of endless rubbish, without trying to control or make the world to be 'rubbish-free', but one may just do one's best to help minimize generating rubbish into the world.