Want to learn and practice yoga? (28)

The minds that are not aware of ignorance and egoism in itself, will just be spending the entire life time into engaging in worldly relationships, social connections and interactive activities, repeating the cycle of eat, sleep, work and play, chasing after the objects of the senses or the pleasurable enjoyments of the senses, gratifying the desire of craving and aversion, accumulating personal relationships and social connections, amassing superior social status and wealth, empowering the sense of goodness, righteousness, positiveness, joyfulness, success, achievement, satisfaction and meaningfulness. That's everyone's freedom of thinking, action and desire.

The minds that are aware of ignorance and egoism in itself, and want to be free from ignorance and egoism, but somehow, there are still many doubts and disturbs in the mind, then these minds might need to make an effort to renounce the worldly passionate egoistic way of life, cutting off all kinds of personal ties, social connections, communications and interactive activities, to be in seclusion and solitude for a prolonged period of time, for at least 5 to 6 years, or even more.

There's no harm in trying to renounce the worldly passionate egoistic way of life, especially for the minds that already have certain degrees of mental and emotional independence. The minds that have certain physical or mental illness, or have high physical, mental and emotional dependency on some others, might not be suitable for such renunciation.

After being in seclusion and solitude for some time, either the mind will begin to realize the benefits of renunciation, seclusion and solitude, where all kinds of gross and subtle attachment and identification starting to drop off by itself naturally, transcending all kinds of duality and separateness, be able to see the truth of names and forms as it is, be free from the bondage of ignorance and egoism, and realizing unconditional love (selfless compassion) and unconditional peace (being undetermined by the perception of names and forms of a selfless impermanent worldly life existence.)

Or, the mind might still can't let go worldly passionate egoistic attachment and identification, being defeated by the sense of loneliness, boredom, guilt and meaninglessness, and will runaway from seclusion and solitude going back to its normal worldly life routine of engaging in worldly personal ties, social connections and interactive activities, that makes the mind feels good and happy, positive and meaningful, to get rid of the sense of loneliness, boredom, guilt and meaninglessness.

Attending yoga retreats for a short period of time, from time to time, especially those that emphasize on the indulgence in pleasurable enjoyment of the senses with specific sights, sounds, smells, tastes and sensations, and strengthening the yoga community connection among one another by engaging in various forms of interactive yoga activities during the yoga retreats, doesn't work the same as renouncing the world completely for a prolonged period of time.

Similarly, being a monk or nun living together with the community of monks or nuns in a place away from the worldly society, where one is still engaging in worldly passionate habits of mingling and interaction among the monks or nuns community, enjoying the companionship and comforting among one other, it doesn't work, even after many years.

Yoga teachers who have been teaching yoga classes and retreats for many years, and have been attending various types of yoga and meditation retreats from time to time, but somehow, they still might not be free from the influence of passionate egoism and all kinds of worldly habits, actions and reactions, and hence, unwittingly guiding their yoga students in the way that is not about eliminating ignorance and egoism, but it's empowering the ignorance and egoism, and that's their freedom of thinking, action and desire.

It's common and unfortunate that some people who have good intention, to be good and do good, and want to do the right thing, who are hardworking and being highly responsible human beings to be looking after their loved ones and the surrounding environment, but somehow, the minds are still functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, constantly being determined and disturbed by the perception of names and forms that the minds don't like and disagree with, being angered and hurt by other people's behaviors that are bad and wrong, and being disappointed and hammered by what is happening in life and in the world that is undesirable and unpleasant.

Those who are worrying or condemning about the renunciation of cutting off personal ties, connections, communications and interactions with everyone in one's life means that one is being selfish, cruel, irresponsible, unloving and uncaring towards one's family, friends and community, that's their freedom of thinking, understanding, reaction and expression, however, that is only because they don't see that those who truly renounced all kinds of personal ties, relationships and connections, who are free from egoistic attachment and identification, are those who know how to love everyone unconditionally, without selfish possessiveness, desire and expectation towards all and everyone.

In fact, those who think and believe that they love their family and friends and community very much, but would be feeling unhappy, disappointed or angered by their particular thinking and behavior that they dislike and disagree with, and will be criticizing and condemning them as not a good spouse, or good parent, or good child, or good brother/sister, or good friend, or good community member, then it only shows that they themselves don't know how to love whom they think they love very much, but they are merely being possessive with selfish desire and expectation towards all kinds of personal ties, relationships and connections. They don't even know how to love and be kind to themselves. They only love their possessions and desires being the way that they like it to be.

And hence, those who really want to renounce all kinds of personal ties and connections to be free from ignorance and egoism, shouldn't be worried towards or be disturbed by the non-understanding and unhappy reactions and comments coming from those who think they love everyone very much, but not really. They only want to be loved or be treated by others in certain way that they would like it to be, the way that they think and believe how it should be.

May all be free from ignorance and egoism, and realize unconditional peace.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (27)

The presence and absence of love or loving kindness among one another has no intention or quality to be something good or bad, right or wrong, positive or negative, meaningful or meaningless, joyful or sorrowful, or to make someone feel happy/unhappy and loved/unloved. It's the egoistic attachment and expectation towards 'love' and 'loving kindness' among one another, as well as the desire of craving and aversion towards the presence and absence of love or loving kindness among one another, that is why the mind perceives goodness, righteousness, positivity, meaningfulness and joyfulness upon the presence of love or loving kindness among one another, and feels happy and loved. And the mind perceives badness, wrongfulness, negativity, meaninglessness and sorrow upon the absence of love or loving kindness among one another, and feels unhappy and unloved.

Similarly, whenever the mind reacts and perceives disturbance, dissatisfaction, disappointment, disrespectfulness, humiliation, intimidation, offensiveness, hurt, anger, hatred, fear, worry, painful sorrow or suffering towards the presence or absence of certain names and forms, upon coming in contact with undesirable/unpleasant/disagreeable experiences, reactions and treatments, and not coming in contact with desirable/pleasant/agreeable experiences, reactions and treatments, it's due to the egoistic attachment, identification, expectation and the desire of craving and aversion towards the different names and forms or experiences, actions, reactions and treatments.

If human beings really want to live in a world that is peaceful and harmony among all the different diversities, the minds need to be free from the egoism of attachment and identification towards the qualities of names and forms, that empowers separateness and duality, that feeds the desire of craving towards 'superiority and deserving superior treatments from others' and aversion towards 'inferiority and deserving inferior treatments from others', by letting go the worldly cultural/social/national/political/commercial/religious thinking, belief, values and practice about "Because of who and what I am and where I came from, because of my birth place, my origin, my ancestry, my race, my tribe, my gender, my sexual orientation, my religion, my belief, my values, my culture, my nationality, my status, my title, my position, my education, my knowledge, my profession, my physical and mental ability, my achievement, my contribution, my efforts, my sacrifice, my actions and fruit of my actions, my appearance, my influential power, my name and fame, and etc, and hence, I am either more or less superior or inferior than the others, and so, I  (the others) deserve superior or inferior treatments from others (I), and I or the others deserve or don't deserve respect or humiliation.

Unfortunately, most people don't really interested in living in peace and harmony with one another, but would rather enjoying or chasing after the 'superior qualities and status' that enabling them to receive certain 'superior treatments from the others', to stand out among all the others, to be more superior than the others, or be distinguished from some others who are inferior than oneself, to take pride in the attachment and identification towards 'superior qualities and status', to fit into the category of 'superiority'.

Not all, but many of those who are sort of 'possessing' and 'enjoying' certain 'superior' qualities and status will not let go such 'privilege' for being more 'superior' that the others, and they are being fearful towards losing the status of superiority and the pleasure enjoyment of receiving superior treatments from others.

Although many people would think and believe that they want to be living in a world that is peaceful and harmony among one another of different names and forms, but because most human beings are being brought up from young under the many different cultural/social/religious/racial/national/political/commercial beliefs, values and practices, where all is about enforcing a personal and group identity to either take pride or shame towards the different qualities of names and forms, towards oneself and all the others, that determining how oneself perceives, judges and treats all the others, and how oneself expects and reacts towards how the others perceive, judge and treat oneself, and either feel deserved, respected, pleased and satisfied or undeserved, disrespected, displeased and dissatisfied towards the different perceptions, judgments, treatments, actions and reactions coming from the others towards oneself, where the goal of all actions in this life existence, is directly and indirectly about admiring, chasing after, developing, achieving, possessing and enjoying superior qualities, status, enjoyments and treatments.

Instead of to be more open-minded, friendly, cheerful, tolerant, understanding and accommodating, there are more and more minds are being trained, educated, empowered and conditioned to be highly sensitive and defensive towards one's particular 'superior quality and status', and are easily be offended and angered by what the minds perceived and judged as 'offensive', 'disrespectful', 'humiliating' and 'undeserving' perceptions, judgments, comments, criticisms, treatments, actions and reactions from others, and would react with violent hurtful reactions and behaviors, causing unrest and damaging consequences in oneself and others and the surrounding environment.

The parents told the children, the teacher told the students, the religious leader told the followers, and the country leader told the nation, "This is who you (we) are. Take pride in who and what you (we) are and where you (we) came from. You (we) are different from the others. You (we) are superior than the others. You (we) deserve respect and superior treatments from others. Defend your (our) pride. Those disrespect you (us), your (our) pride and what makes you (us) who you (we) are, and those who don't give you (us) your (our) deserving superior treatments, they deserve painful punishments."

The commercial advertisements told the consumers, "You are special. You worth it. Be passionate. Be inspired. Be ambitious. You can have it if you desire. Pamper yourself. You deserve all these luxuries, new toys and pleasurable enjoyments for all your senses. Celebrate everything! Be adventurous! Fulfill your bucket list! Live without regrets! We have everything that you desire that make you feel great!"

Most people are being 'friendly', 'kind', 'calm', 'helpful' and 'nice' if everything is being the way that they expect and desire, and everyone is behaving in the way that they like and agree with, but then, instantly, they would turn into 'unfriendly', 'unkind', 'aggressive', 'hurtful' and 'not nice' once something is not being the way that they expect and desire, and someone is behaving in the way that they don't like and don't agree with. These are the minds that propagate "people should be angry and deserved to be expressing anger and violence towards something they think is bad and wrong, that is undeserving, disrespectful, offensive, humiliating and intimidating towards their particular attachment and identity towards certain names and forms," while manipulating people's anger in order to help them to achieve their aspiration and desire to create and control the world to be 'their way'.

People would think and believe that it's anger or uncontrolled anger that is causing people behaving violently and hurtfully. But, anger itself is not the problem at all. The main culprit that triggers such violent and hurtful behavior/reaction out of anger, is the corrupted ignorant egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice that is influencing and conditioning how the mind perceives, judges, desires, expects, acts and reacts towards the different names and forms, or towards all kinds of experiences, actions, reactions and treatments. Where the mind reacts/behaves violently and hurtfully out of anger towards what the mind disagrees with, doesn't like and doesn't desire, that is threatening its attachment and identity towards certain names and forms, based on those thinking, belief, values and practice.

The world of human beings is really 'sicked' being occupied by ignorant egoistic minds that are selfish and greedy. "As long as I and my people feel safe, fine, happy, comfortable, enjoying and satisfied..." It doesn't have to be like that, but that's the reality in the world of ignorance and egoism.

This world will never be free from all kinds of man made suffering of discrimination, offensiveness, anger, hatred, greed, violence, hurtful behaviors, ill treatments, prejudice, bias, bullying, corruption, intrusions, wars, painful sorrow and unrest, unless human beings be initiated to let go the egoism of attachment and identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and comparison, aspiration and expectation towards all kinds of impermanent and selfless qualities of names and forms.

Being aspired and determined to create or control the world to be and not to be in certain way, even if it's coming from the different thinking and beliefs about what is their own version of 'the best, good and right way', doesn't and can't lead to peace and harmony among the diversities.

It's about letting go the aspiration or desire to create or control the world to be and not to be in certain way.

Unity is not about getting rid of diversities, or making all the differences to become one same singular name and form, but it's respecting all kinds of differences as they are.

The history is already there, teaching and showing human beings about this, however, ignorance and egoism hinders the minds from realizing the ignorance and egoism in themselves, to see and learn from the teachings of the past and present consequences of ignorant and egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice in the world, where human beings keep generating actions and consequences of actions that cause more and more damages to peace and harmony, humanity and the environment, while trying to achieve and possess higher and higher superior qualities, status, treatments and enjoyments.

Higher and advance intellect, science and technology that provides higher enjoyments and conveniences to human beings is neither good nor bad, however, it didn't and doesn't remove ignorance and egoism from the minds, and couldn't stop the ignorant and egoistic minds from generating ignorant actions/reactions and consequences of ignorant actions/reactions, empowering the ignorance and egoism in oneself and the others, passing down all kinds of egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice to their next generations, where the world is occupied and run by impure minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism with specific aspiration and desire to create and control the world to be 'mine/ours' and 'my/our way', selfishly inflicting all kinds of unnecessary man made damages and suffering into the world of diversities through utilizing the higher and advance science and technology.

Performing all kinds of yoga practice regularly, and enjoying the effects/benefits of the different yoga practice, without freeing the mind from ignorance and egoism, doesn't bring peace to oneself or the world.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (26)

Why is that giving something 'nice' and 'comforting' to the disturbed unhappy minds and doing something that will make the minds feel happy, loved and satisfied is not yoga practice or the solution to be looking after the ill mental health?

"People are being unhappy and dissatisfied about many things in life and in this world.

People need to be doing something or anything that would make them feel good, happy and satisfied, especially those who are hurt by other people's bad and wrongful behavior, they need to receive lots of love and comfort from others, to feel love and be loved by others. Love heals. Love is the greatest power that can make the world to be a better place. Everyone needs love. Lack of love is the greatest suffering and painful sorrow."

There's nothing wrong with these thinking, belief, saying, values and practice.

However, it's nothing to do with the teachings of yoga and the yoga practice, that is about freeing the mind from the root cause of disturbance, unhappiness and dissatisfaction, which is by annihilating ignorance and egoism, and it's not by empowering ignorance and egoism.

Doing something that would make the mind feels happy, loved and satisfied whenever it feels unhappy, unloved and dissatisfied about something, will only be empowering ignorance and egoism, which doesn't stop the mind from continuously being determined, disturbed, dissatisfied, angered, annoyed, offended, humiliated, unhappy or hurt by the presence of something that the mind doesn't like, doesn't agree with and doesn't desire, and the absence of something that the mind likes, agrees with and desires, or what the mind perceives as bad, wrong, sad, negative, meaningless, unpleasant, disagreeable, undesirable, painful, disgusting, annoying, offending, disrespectful, undeserving or hurtful.

Those who would discriminate, hate, exploit and hurt others intentionally, and would feel happy and satisfied by inducing suffering in oneself and others, and by seeing others being hurt, are seriously ill mentally. No matter how much 'love' other people give to these seriously ill minds, will still doesn't remove the mental illness as well as ignorant hurtful behaviors/actions/reactions from these minds. These minds might be behaving 'nicely' when all its desires of craving and aversion are being gratified, upon getting what they like and desire, but then they would be behaving 'hurtfully' when one of its desires of craving and aversion is not being gratified, upon not getting what they like and desire, while getting what they don't like and don't desire.

Empowering the desire of craving and clinging towards receiving 'love' and 'affection', 'acceptance' and 'acknowledgement', 'agreement' and 'understanding', 'praise' and 'glorification', 'appreciation' and 'gratitude', 'support' and 'comfort' from others in the minds that perceive suffering of loneliness, lovelessness, low self-esteem, meaninglessness, unhappiness, dissatisfaction, disappointment, inferiority, animosity, fear, worry, disturbs, hurts and painful sorrow due to the influence of ignorance and egoism, not only doesn't free the minds from ignorance and egoism, but it's actually leading the minds towards deeper ignorance and egoism that eventually turning into serious mental health problem.

The only thing that can help the minds that are disturbed or ill to not hurting themselves and others, is coming from the mind itself, freeing itself from ignorance and egoism. No any others and no amount of 'love' and 'affection' receiving from some others can remove the ignorance and egoism from the minds, as giving and receiving 'love' and 'affection' among one another are indeed the by-products of ignorance and egoism that generate the perception of separateness and duality, which is the cause of all kinds of misery and suffering arising in oneself and inflicting unto others.

Healthy minds are not being determined or influenced by the perception of names and forms, to be acting and reacting ignorantly and hurtfully under any unpleasant, disagreeable, undesirable conditions and situations, and vice versa.

Healthy minds that are free from the influence of ignorance and egoism don't need to be receiving 'love' and 'affection', 'acceptance' and 'acknowledgement', 'agreement' and 'understanding', 'appreciation' and 'gratitude', 'praise' and 'glorification', or 'support' and 'comfort' from others, to feel good, right, happy, confident, meaningful, deserving, superior, loved, satisfied, pleased, joyful and content. These minds are peaceful as they are. These minds are not being disturbed, threatened or hurt by the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in others or in the world.

It's everyone's freedom and responsibility towards what they want or don't want to practice, what they understand and don't understand, and how they think, feel, behave, act and react.

"Lack of love is the greatest suffering and painful sorrow," is what most minds think and believe in, however, that's also revealing the 'problem' of this thinking and belief. It's not 'lack of love' that is causing suffering and painful sorrow in the minds, it's the desire of craving and clinging towards 'love', or 'receiving love', or 'be loved', is not being gratified, that is why the minds are in suffering and painful sorrow, upon the presence of 'lack of love', or upon the absence of 'love'.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (25)

The teachings and practice of yoga, is about looking after the state of the mind, or, the mental health, to free the mind from the diseases of mind, which is ignorance, egoism and impurities.

Mental health plays upmost important role towards determining what type of condition and situation in the impermanent and selfless world of diversities. It's because even though there is inevitable basic suffering of restlessness due to the selfless impermanent nature of everything, but the condition and situation in the world is impacted hugely by the consequences of ceaseless actions and reactions of the minds in this world.

All minds ceaselessly act and react in the world, that bring along the consequences of actions and reactions into the world, which determining or conditioning the world being in certain way, either intentionally or unintentionally. The world is having more or less unnecessary man made suffering, on top of the inevitable suffering of restlessness due to the impermanent selfless changes in all beings, is all the outcome of ceaseless actions and reactions of the minds.

The more minds that are acting and reacting under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities either wittingly or unwittingly, the more unnecessary man made suffering deriving from ignorance, egoism and impurities are there in the world, and vice versa.

Behavior problems (ignorant egoistic impure actions and reactions) that inflict disturbance and pain in oneself and others, either intentionally or unintentionally, are the reflections of ill mental health. In yoga, it's the reflection of the disturbed, restless and impure modifications of the perceptive cognitive thinking mind functioning under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities.

Even though most minds are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, and are experiencing disturbance, restlessness and impurities, but if the mind has certain degrees of awareness and self-control, not being over-powered by the impurities in the mind, then one might not be generating too many unnecessary ignorant egoistic impure behaviors (actions and reactions) that would bring consequences that hurt oneself and/or others, and the surrounding environment. This can be referred as 'rather healthy' mental health, even if it's not completely be free from ignorance and egoism.

On the other hand, one might be constantly and ignorantly generating ignorant behaviors and the consequences of ignorant behaviors that would hurt oneself and/or others, either intentionally or unintentionally, if without awareness or self-control, being over-powered by ignorance, egoism, disturbance, restlessness and impurities to act and react, either wittingly or unwittingly. This can be referred as 'ill' mental health.

It's normal that when the condition of the world is good, or when life is good and easy for many people, there might be less behavior problems, as there are less disturbed restless minds under desperation for basic survival, even though behavior problems will still always be existing in the world of human beings arising from ignorance, egoism and impurities (ill mental health), even when the world or life is under good condition, or there's no urgency or desperation for basic survival.

Under the presence of desperation in the mind deriving from survival instinct due to the suffering of hunger and thirst and life threatening situation, some people might steal or hurt some others in order to survive, or to relieve their hunger and thirst and to get out from life threatening situation, however, there are minds that are not under such desperation, as they are living under good and comfortable condition, free from the suffering of hunger and thirst and life threatening situation, but out of ignorance, egoism and impurities, there is boundless greed, or endless desire and aspiration, towards possessing and hoarding resources not only for survival, but more so for gratifying the boundless desires of craving and aversion, to be indulging in continuous unlimited higher and higher pleasurable enjoyment of the senses, and hence, one would steal/rob, exploit and hurt others, in order to seize and possess more and more resources (possessing higher and higher wealth and power that enabling them to hoard more and more resources which provide them with higher and higher pleasurable enjoyment and satisfaction), even when one has more than enough basic survival needs for oneself, and is free from the suffering of hunger and thirst and life threatening situation in the present as well as until the end of this life.

These mind are nothing but the slave of the ego, the intellect and the senses, even though they amassed huge amount of knowledge, wealth and power.

That is the reflection of seriously ill mental health, where the mind would sabotage or hurt anyone and anything, intentionally, in order to gratify the endless greed/dissatisfaction or the desire of craving and aversion.

Greed is a form of serious and yet very common mental illness in the world.

Greed towards hoarding resources for survival and enjoyment, love, support, family ties, friendship, relationship, connection, companionship, agreement, acceptance, acknowledgement, appreciation, recognition, praise, achievement, success, fame, wealth, power, status, knowledge, superiority, pride, enhanced physical and mental abilities, actions and the fruit of actions, desirable experiences, pleasurable physical/mental/material/emotional enjoyments and comforts, agreeable and comfortable condition and situation, the sense of satisfaction, goodness, happiness and meaningfulness, and so on.

Anger, hatred, offensiveness, defensiveness, violence, jealousy, dissatisfaction, possessiveness, irritation, annoyance, discrimination, racism, oppression, authorization, punishment, and so on, are the reflections of ill mental health. The mind is sicked.

That's why the existence of the teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism, and/or certain religions, which the main teachings and practice is about the subjugation of greed and desire, however, either in the world of yoga and buddhism, or in many religions, there are many minds are being ignorant towards ignorance, (even when they are preaching about the liberation from ignorance and suffering arising from ignorance,) where there is greed or desire and aspiration towards 'achieving' or 'creating' a world that the ignorant egoistic impure minds think, believe and desire how it should be, by converting, interfering, oppressing, controlling, disciplining, influencing, manipulating and conditioning all and everyone, to think, believe, behave and live life in certain way, that they think is 'the right way', where different minds have different understanding and belief towards what is 'the right way'. And hence, there are disagreements, arguments, offensiveness, defensiveness, possessiveness, protectiveness, conflicts, fighting, wars and violence, in the name of upholding everyone's own version of 'the right way' and to be creating a world the way that they desire.

There's nothing to be ashamed of for being suffering from ill mental health. Many people are suffering from certain degrees of mental illness but might not be aware of it. While those who are aware of it, might be seeking certain ways that give momentary relief from the suffering of mental disturbance/unrest/hurt/fear/worry/stress/depression/unhappiness/dissatisfaction/disappointment/low self-esteem/shame/guilt/regret, which might not necessarily be something 'healthy' in the long run. There's neither right nor wrong, as it's everyone's freedom for what they want to do with their body and mind. While many people are not interested in and don't want to go through 'the prolong yet not so easy and unpleasant way' but could be thoroughly freeing the mind from the suffering arising from ignorance, egoism and impurities.

There's not much can be done if the brain (the hardware of the thinking faculty) is damaged by certain injury, virus or disease, causing permanent damage to the power of awareness, understanding, reasoning and self-control, being unable to be aware, to understand, to reason, or to have self-control over one's behavior. That's why it's highly important to be doing something for looking after the mental health before it's too late.

It will be worst, if some, or all of the world leaders who have so much authorized power to impact the world in certain way are suffering from ill mental health, there will be more and more unnecessary man made long lasting damages, difficulties and suffering in this world. Even if there's only one leader that is suffering from ill mental health but already can be creating certain short term and long term damages to the world using the authorized power within a few moments, to make certain decisions and perform certain actions out of selfish greedy desires and aspirations, not to say, if there are more than one mentally ill leader in the world that has more than a few moments of authorized power to be creating different types of damages to the world that would last a long time, even after their departure from this world. All kinds of damages cannot be undone, but everyone's life existence in this world are being impacted by the consequences of ignorant and egoistic actions and reactions deriving from the many world leaders that are suffering from ill mental health.

In yoga, having ignorant companionship (Kutsanga) is worst than having no wise companionship (Satsanga). One should embrace solitude (Asanga) if without any wise companionship. Similarly, most people in this world of civilization emphasized on the importance of having a leader to lead the people, to make things happen, however, having one or some mentally ill leaders in the world is worst than having no leader at all.

Many people would think and believe that being a listener and companion to be comforting the disturbed unhappy minds, by giving them what they want and expect to experience, what they like to see and hear, that makes the minds feel better and happier, is looking after the mental health of the disturbed unhappy minds. That might give momentary relief to the suffering minds, but it doesn't remove the root cause of suffering or all kinds of disturbance and unhappiness. It doesn't stop the minds from continuing perceiving the suffering of all kinds of disturbance, unrest, hurt, loneliness, unhappiness, painful sorrow, fear, worry, dissatisfaction, disappointment, craving, aversion, greed, anger, low self-esteem, and so on. In fact, it empowers the egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, and expectation in the disturbed unhappy minds, which only leads to deeper suffering upon coming in contact with undesirable experiences and not coming in contact with desirable experiences (the suffering of restlessness to keep gratifying endless desires of craving and aversion, in order to feel good, right, happy, satisfied, deserving, successful, strong, positive and meaningful.)

Yoga practice is indeed rooting out the cause of suffering. It might not be something agreeable for the worldly passionate sympathetic minds that act and react under the influence of passionate egoistic worldly thinking, belief, values and practice, that empowers ignorance and egoism. That's their freedom of thinking, action and reaction.

The passionate egoistic disturbed and unhappy minds think and say, "I was hurt, and I am still feeling hurt (even after 10, or 50, or 100 years later). I am disturbed and unhappy. I deserve to be receiving sympathetic reactions and treatments from others. If not, I feel disappointed, unattended, unnoticed, unacknowledged, unloved, unsupported, sad, lonely and meaningless."

The passionate sympathetic minds think and say, "These disturbed unhappy minds will hurt themselves, and maybe others as well, if we are not being there for them, to comfort them, to relief their suffering." That's exactly the problem. Why do disturbed unhappy minds have such tendency to hurt itself and/or others out of suffering and unhappiness, that they 'need' some others to be there for them, to comfort them, so that they won't do anything to hurt themselves and/or others? Ignorance and egoism. A healthy matured independent mind that is free from ignorance and egoism won't hurt itself and/or others under any unpleasant/undesirable/disagreeable experiences, conditions and situations, even if without anyone being there to be listening or comforting this mind for anything. It doesn't need any kind of sympathetic reactions or treatments from anyone to feel better and happier about itself and life existence.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (24)

In certain social and cultural thinking, belief, values and practice, people are being taught about the benefits of making as many friends as possible, while making as less enemies as possible, in order to make life easier and less difficult.

The parents told the young children, "At home, you depend on family. Outside, at school, at work place, in career, in business, in social status and wealth, you depend on friends and connections."

The main intention and aspiration for building and expanding one's social connections and personal friends circle, is about getting as much love, care, help and support as possible, while getting as less obstacles and hardships as possible, in order to be advancing and attaining higher and higher success in one's life, career, business, status, or wealth.

People have the idea and values of "Friends are being there to be caring, loving, helping and supporting one another physically, mentally, emotionally or financially, especially during difficult times, where it will make life more easy and less difficult."

'Personal friends' or 'social connections' are being seen as one of the important assets that one should be accumulating and appreciating in order to be successful, joyful and meaningful in life.

People are being conditioned to think and believe that, "Having very few friends, or not having many friends in one's life, or not having any personal friends at all, to be playing, enjoying and sharing life with, or to be supporting and interacting with physically, mentally and emotionally, is something terrible and miserable, bad and wrong. Where one's life is doomed to be lonely, dulled, sad, joyless and meaningless, if without many or any personal friends, or life is doomed to be more hard, miserable and suffering, if without many or any social connections."

The sense of self-esteem, self-worth, confidence, success, positiveness and meaningfulness that doesn't need to be there in any human beings, is very much being determined by the quantity and quality of the personal friends circle and the social connections or social networking. Many people spend a lot of time and effort performing certain actions in order to be pleasing some others for getting the liking and acceptance, to be making friendship or building social connection with some others.

Some people who don't have spouse or children, or don't want to have spouse or children will be comforting themselves or be consoled by others, "I (You) don't have spouse or children, but at least, I (you) have many friends." Most people cannot understand that how come someone can be alone by oneself, and still be peaceful and happy, free from loneliness or self-pity.

Similarly, in certain worldly spiritual, religious and political thinking, belief, values and practice, making as many connections, members, followers, supporters and contributors as possible, in order to achieve certain selfish desire, aspiration or ambition, to be preserving, expanding, protecting and empowering one's particular spirituality, or religion, or political/national existence, identity, ideas, values and movements.

In the teachings and practice of Yoga and Buddhism, it's about letting go such thinking, belief, values and practice that is about making many personal friendships as well as social connections with the selfish intention to be benefiting oneself in certain way, to achieve one's personal desires and ambitions, or to get rid of loneliness, boredom and meaninglessness, but it's about be truly friendly, helpful and kind towards all beings without any selfish intention or expectation, out of humanity and compassion, without discrimination of 'friends' or 'not friends', 'connections' or 'non-connections', 'my people' or 'not my people'.

Be kind, friendly and helpful towards all and everyone, and provide necessary assistance particularly towards those who are 'truly' in need of certain help, within one's reach and ability, without discrimination or expectation. Being kind, friendly and helpful but ignorantly providing 'requested help' to those who don't really need help at all, but merely to be taking advantage of 'friends' and 'connections' to enjoy certain conveniences and benefits for oneself, doesn't help the world to have less ignorance and the consequences of ignorance.

Free from the idea and values of "Making as many friends as possible so that one will always have some friends to play with at anytime, because sometimes certain friends might not be available to be there for oneself, but at least there are many more other friends that might still be available to play with, or to be there for oneself whenever one needs help, or whenever one encounters any difficulties in life."

Many people might not be aware of that is what they have been learning and practicing from young, as well as passing down those selfish thinking, belief, values and practice onto their next generations, which they think is normal, and there's nothing selfish about it.

In social and cultural idea and values,

"Friends/connections are something good and positive."

"Friends/connections are there to make life easier and less difficult, more meaningful and less lonely."

"Friends/connections are there to help one's career and business to grow and be successful."

"Friends/connections are there to play with, to comfort, support and stand up for each other, and to protect one another."

"Friends/connections are there for helping one another to achieve everyone's aspirations and ambitions in life."

"You are not my friend, or you are not a good friend, because you are not there for me when I needed you, and you didn't keep in touch or stay connected with me for so long."

In certain spiritual, religious and political idea and values,

"You support me, I'll support you. You help me, I'll help you. You scratch my back, I'll scratch your back, and vice versa."

"You disagree with me and go against me, or you disrespect and disobey me, I'll punish and hurt you."

"The friends of my enemies are my enemies. The enemies of my enemies are my friends."

In the teachings and practice of Yoga and Buddhism,

Regardless of whether staying or not staying in touch/connected, with or without personal friendship/connection, agreeable or disagreeable, one just be kind and friendly to all, without discrimination, without selfish intention or expectation.

The best help to all humanity, is helping and guiding all, without discrimination, to be free from ignorance and egoism, which is the root cause of suffering arising in oneself and inflicting unto others, and not empowering the ignorance and egoism in the minds.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (23)

OCD can be seen in the world of 'controlling and regulating everything in certain way and particular order' as well as in the world of yoga.

The mind feels good and right, positive and meaningful, and is satisfied, if it does everything in certain way and particular order, and if the surrounding environment is in a specific way and order that is agreeable to the mind.

The mind feels bad and wrong, negative and meaningless, and is dissatisfied, disturbed or anxious, if it doesn't or couldn't do things in certain way and particular order, and if the surrounding environment is not in a specific way and order that is agreeable to the mind.

This OCD of the passionate egoistic minds with the desire to be 'controlling and regulating everything to be and not to be in certain way' which can be seen in family, community, political, governmental, religious, spiritual, cultural thinking, belief, values and practice, where it's not only about egoistic survival instinct, possessiveness, ownership, protectiveness, selfishness and greed, but it's also about the urge to be in control of everything to be in certain way accordingly.

The teachings of yoga about dispassionate, desirelessness and letting go, respecting everyone and everything to be what they are, as they are, and all are impermanent, not controlling or regulating everyone and everything to be and not to be in certain way, is being seen as 'weakness', 'negativity', 'regression', 'anti-progression', 'non-productivity' or 'inappropriateness' for the worldly passionate egoistic ambitious minds.

This OCD also exists in the world of yoga, in the yoga asana practice, in the chanting, prayers and rituals practice, in the meditation practice, in the yoga practice space, or in the yoga class.

The mind is being conditioned by the worldly egoistic superstitious thinking, belief, values and practice, to behave, act and react in certain way accordingly, as well as unwittingly being determined by certain neuronal and hormonal changes and imbalance, and spontaneously bringing such obsessive compulsive disorder into all its activities, including the yoga practice.

There are certain disciplines or observations in the teachings of yoga which are in accordance to general knowledge and common sense that can help to discipline, purify and quiet the modification of the mind effectively to a certain extend, but somehow, some minds (both practitioners and teachers) with OCD are bringing and adding their OCD behavior into the practice of yoga as well.

Certain observations that are in accordance to general knowledge and common sense are practical, such as not to eat or drink too much before the practice or before doing any kind of physical activities, or not to consume any elements that are over-stimulating or depressing the state of this particular mind, as different minds react differently towards different elements, or performing sufficient warming up before attempting certain more challenging physical activities, or allowing the body and mind to take their time to develop the skill, strength and flexibility, or not to continue the practice or physical activities and to make adjustment or take complete rest when there's sudden painful sensation or injury occur in the body, or not to push the body and mind beyond its limitation, or not to perform certain physical/verbal practices under unsuitable condition and situation that causing certain inconvenience and disturbance to oneself and some others in the surrounding environment.

Meanwhile, paying too much importance onto the correct or perfect physical alignment, physical hands on adjustment, the capability of performing certain yoga asana poses or some other yoga practices, particular timing, day, month, year, position, direction, routine, diet, food, taste, symbolical object, sight, colour, shape, touch, sound, smell and visualization that the mind relates to yogic/mystical/holistic atmosphere, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, good and bad, right and wrong, positive and negative, or meaningfulness and meaninglessness, as well as intense attachment towards good health and fitness condition and longevity, or extreme cleanliness and tidiness, and vice versa (certain minds get irritated/annoyed by spotlessness and tidiness), where it became a form of intense craving and aversion towards the presence and absence of certain names and forms, where the mind 'needs' to have certain names and forms in particular way and order in the yoga practice or in the yoga practice space and the surrounding environment, to feel good, right, positive, meaningful, satisfied and comfortable, or else, if certain names and forms are not present or absent accordingly, it feels bad, wrong, negative, meaningless, dissatisfied and anxious, then that is the sign of OCD. It's nothing to do with the teachings and practice of yoga.

If the space and surrounding environment at a specific time is too dirty and having too much disturbance, then it's not suitable to perform certain physical yoga practice at that time in that space, or else, it might do more harm than good to the body and mind, but one can still be practicing yoga of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation, remain equanimous, being undetermined and undisturbed by the unsuitable condition and situation at that moment. But, if the mind is being disturbed and disappointed for not being able to perform certain physical yoga practice at that time in that space, due to the presence of certain unsuitable condition and situation, then that is not yoga practice, even if the mind is able to perform certain physical yoga practice regularly under suitable condition and situation.

There's nothing wrong with those who have OCD. It's merely one of the different mental states, however, being conditioned by OCD to be doing certain things in particular way and order, for the mind to feel good, right, positive and meaningful, is not part of the yoga practice at all. In fact, it's about freeing the mind from being conditioned in such way, not to be determined or disturbed by any particular way and order, or the presence and absence of any names and forms.

To minimize any unnecessary injury while performing the yoga asana practice, one just needs to have awareness and common sense to be aware of the physical condition, ability and limitation in the present moment, and not forcing or pushing the body beyond its limitation in that moment, and be able to perform all the practice under correct understanding and attentiveness, in a relaxed non-competitive, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation state of mind, without thinking of need to be able to be performing the yoga asana practice in accordance to so called correct/perfect physical alignment, without the need of any physical hands on adjustment from somebody to get into any particular position that one would like to be able to perform. Without the aversion or the unnecessary tension of, "I don't want to have any injury."

Understanding that sometimes, even after doing one's best to minimize the risk of unnecessary injury, but still, there's some inevitable discomfort and pain might occur in the physical body after certain practices or physical training, and it's okay. It's the same as in life. After one did one's best to live life in certain way, but still, sometimes life is not being the way that one would like it to be, or life is not as easy and comfortable as one would like it to be, and it's okay.

There are some people think and believe that they can't do the yoga practice, or they are unease, disturbed and anxious, or anticipating something bad is going to happen to them, their life, their relationship or the world, if they are or are not, facing a particular direction, doing certain things in certain timing, looking at certain sights, smelling certain smells, hearing certain sounds, consuming certain kind of food, using certain props, positioning the body, hands, fingers and feet in certain way, performing certain rituals, having certain symbolical objects and images, or being in a so called 'auspicious mystical spiritual yogic atmospheric space'. There's nothing wrong and it's everyone's freedom, but it's not part of the yoga practice.

Similarly, in everyday life, many people growing up under certain parenting method, where they are being conditioned or trained by their parents or care takers to become 'highly sensitive' towards the presence and absence of certain sights, sounds, smells, tastes or sensations since a baby, where they would be 'affected' and 'disturbed' by either the presence or absence of certain lights, colours, sounds, smells, food, temperature or textures, that are conditioning their everyday life routine which 'has to be in certain way', such as the sleeping pattern or sleep quality. Some people couldn't sleep, or couldn't sleep well being conditioned or affected by the surrounding environment or the atmosphere very much, such as whether there is certain light, sound, smell, temperature or texture that either make them feel 'comfortable' or 'uncomfortable', 'relaxed' or 'agitated', just because they have been being conditioned to be only able to fall asleep or sleep better, if the surrounding environment is being set into a particular way. People thought that all human beings are being born that way, and that's how they should bring up their children. But, it's about the body and mind is being conditioned to be in certain way. It's mainly the body and mind is being conditioned, trained and empowered to develop attachment that turns into CRAVING and AVERSION towards the presence and absence of certain names and forms, that are affecting their sleeping pattern or sleep quality.

Quite some people are interested in yoga, not for eliminating ignorance and egoism in one's minds, but with the intention and expectation to be developing certain mind power to be influencing and controlling life, or the world, or other minds, to be and not to be in certain way. Even if it's about good intention of wanting everyone and everything to be good, in the way that the mind thinks and believes as good and righteous, it's not yoga practice. Discrimination starts from there, where the minds don't like, disagree with and interfere with some others who are being different from them and their thinking, belief, values and practice. They want to convert and change others to be like them, under the name of "We want you to be good," but they are hurting others out of their 'good' and 'righteous' intention and action.

Certain degrees of self-control to discipline one's mind, in order to be eliminating ignorance and egoism from one's mind, is the yoga practice, but it's not about controlling and disciplining other minds, not to say, to eliminate ignorance and egoism in other minds, in order to control the world to be and not to be in certain way.

Stay away from many of those who claim to have yogic supernatural healing power, to remove ignorance, egoism, impurities or suffering in other minds. If that's possible, the world is already be free from all kinds of suffering and ignorance, or the consequences of ignorance. Learn from nature. Nature is the authentic Guru. It teaches the truth of selflessness and impermanence. Those who respect nature, without interference towards everything being governed by cause and effect, are void of suffering. Only those who want to go against nature, to be in control of everything to be or not to be in certain way, will perceive suffering.

If the mind is aware of certain imperfection or impurities in itself, but without attachment or identification towards the imperfection or impurities in itself, without being over-powered or influenced by those imperfections or impurities to be doing something that hurt oneself and/or others, that's already the practice. In the end, it's the realization of there's no 'I' to be identifying with the perfections and imperfections of the body and mind.

The minds that aren't aware of the OCD in themselves, while bringing OCD into their yoga practice and their yoga classes, such as intentionally focusing on developing positive mind power to be influencing life and the world to be in certain way, to be healing certain hurt and painful sorrow, and to be achieving and gratifying the boundless worldly desires in the minds, might mislead the yoga students who attend those yoga classes to be thinking and believing that those are part of the teachings of yoga and the yoga practice, empowering greater ignorance and egoism.

The world has so much ongoing suffering deriving from fighting, violence, cruelty, wars, discrimination, oppression and intimidation, is all because there are minds, especially those who hold the power of authorization, desire to control, influence, change and make the world to be and not to be in certain way, according to their own respective inspiration, aspiration, intention and ambition. If none trying to control, influence, change and make the world to be and not to be in certain way, even if it's for what the mind thinks and believes as 'good' and 'right', there won't be such suffering deriving from fighting, violence, cruelty, wars, discrimination, oppression and intimidation.

If none is under the influence of ignorance and egoism, there's no ignorance and consequences of ignorance in the world, but merely living in peace and harmony with everything under the nature law of selfless impermanent changes. Free from craving towards reversing decaying and aging, strength, limitlessness, illness-free, desirable/pleasant/agreeable experiences, goodness, positiveness, longevity, or even endless existence. Free from aversion towards decaying, aging, weakening, limitation, illness, undesirable/unpleasant/disagreeable experiences, badness, negativeness, death or decomposition. There's no fear, worry, dissatisfaction, disappointment, greed, anger, hatred, jealousy, hurt, grief, or painful sorrow. None is intimidating, discriminating, oppressing, controlling, prosecuting, punishing or hurting one another.

However, the world has too many minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism, including the minds that want to be good and do good, and want everyone and everything in the world to be good, and hence, there are all kinds of ceaseless ongoing suffering.

Those who can let go, can do one's best to bring certain goodness into the world, but without intention or aspiration to control or change the world, without being determined, or disturbed, or broken, or exhausted by the ignorant condition and situation in the world.

Those who practice yoga as it is, they don't need to be healed from hurt or painful sorrow, but learning and realizing the truth of hurt and painful sorrow, and through the practice of non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment and non-expectation, the mind is no longer being determined, or disturbed, or hurt by all kinds of unpleasant, undesirable or disagreeable experiences. There's no need positive mind power to heal anything or anyone.

Anyway, 'healing' is one of the big money making business in this world. Even if without money transaction or profit gain from the idea and action of 'healing', it's still something born out of ignorance and egoism.

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (22)

The prolonged pandemic that affects everyone in the world, and its long term after effect onto the condition and situation in the world, as well as the ignorant never ending wars and corruptions in many organizations and leaderships in the world, that lead to more and more difficulty and suffering in the majority population of the world, in the common people's life, is neither good nor bad.

It depends on whether the minds are still sleeping and didn't make use of this opportunity to reflect and realize the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world, or if there are more and more minds starting to be waking up, and make use of this opportunity to reflect and realize something.

One of the obvious thing to be reflecting upon, is that regardless of where on earth, in which region or country, in big city or small town, in the modernized and so called civilized society, most people are being conditioned to live in a world under a similar system, which is a sicked and corrupted system that benefits certain people and improves the comfort of certain people by exploiting one another, particularly exploiting the majority of the common people where their main priority is to be able to make a living and survive, appreciate life, and to be in peace and harmony with everyone, however, many of them are being broken by the sicked and corrupted system.

Except the very few people who are living a self-contained and self-sufficiency way of living that doesn't depend on the regional and global economy for livelihood and survival, but the livelihood and survival of the majority of the people on earth depends solely on the system - the regional and global economy loop, that survived on 'capitalism', 'commercialism', 'nationalism', 'socialism', 'authorization', 'governmentalism', 'documentation', 'taxation', 'religion', 'business', 'work', 'income', 'spending power', 'family values', 'cultural values', 'community values', 'spirituality and religious values', 'self and group identity and pride', 'self and group image and achievement', 'self and group aspiration and ambition', 'bodily health and fitness image', 'physical appearance, condition, ability and achievement', 'mental abilities and achievements', 'financial inter-dependency', 'mental and emotional inter-dependency', 'all kinds of social, national, family, cultural, personal, friends, community, educational, sports, spirituality and religious celebrations, festivals, rituals, events and activities', 'food security', 'health security', 'insurance security', 'finance security', 'home security', 'social security', 'national security', 'endless new inventions of enjoyments, toys, games, entertainments, machines, gadgets, apps, and etc', 'endless desire', 'discontentment', 'greed', 'addiction', 'craving', 'physical and mental enjoyments', 'leisure activities enjoyments', 'sensual and material enjoyments', 'conveniences', 'lifestyles', 'trends', 'fashions', 'beauty, health and fitness related products and services', 'tourism and holiday activities', 'social medias', 'insecurity', 'fear', 'worry', 'unrest', 'wars', and so on.

People are making money out of other people's insecurity, fear, worry, unrest and wars. How sicked is that?

Those who still have 'the sufficient spending power' to support their 'comfortable enough' way of living under such system, will not give up supporting such system, even if they feel sympathy for the majority of the others who are being exploited and suffering from such system, not to say, there are quite many that don't bother about all the others, as long as "I survived, and I am comfortable enough."

Even those who want to do something and are doing something to help those who are in difficulties and sufferings, such as NGOs and charity organizations, are unwittingly supporting such system and are very welcoming by the system. It's like, "There are many wounds (suffering). We try to comfort and heal as many wounds as possible," but being reluctant or didn't try to eliminate the source of all those wounds. The system 'say', "Great! Somebody is there to clean up the mess that I created, that I will be continuously creating. All kinds of sympathetic people are there to help lessening my burden and responsibility. They should be awarded with some acknowledgment and appreciation for being so helpful. And that will make them feel proud and happy, and will continue to clean up the mess that I keep making."

It's like prescribing the many different medications and health supplements to heal or prevent certain illness, but never eliminate the cause of illness (medical and health care is surviving on the existence of illness, and it's a big contribution to the economy. The end of illness, is the end of medical and healthcare business). Similarly, there will be endless and increasing wounds (suffering), as they didn't try to eliminate the source of wounds (suffering), which is ignorance and egoism being empowered by the corrupted system born out of ignorance and egoism.

All kinds of sufferings and desires creating more opportunity of business and work that are contributing to the economy that support the system. The more suffering and desire in the people, the better it is for empowering the system that benefits certain people while inflicting suffering on all the others. That's why the existence of all kinds of advertisements, to encourage and empower greater desire and ambition in the people by propagating - Be ambitious. Be inspired. Work more. Make more money. Spend more money. Make all your desires come true! And more importantly, "You deserve it!"

People are making money from exploiting other people who are in difficulties and sufferings, and are desperate. How sicked is that?

If people stop spending money, the economy will crash, and the system will be paralyzed. That's why the people are being encouraged to keep spending money, even if they don't have enough money, but to be in debt for spending money that they don't have. And people will need to be keep generating income (working) for that. Then people's income will then contribute to taxation and higher spending power, where it supposed to be benefiting the community, but somehow, certain people are getting a lot more out of it, while more people are struggling to survive, even when they spent most of their time and energy into making a living, but still can't make enough to feed themselves or to afford a place to rest and sleep, where their physical and mental health well-being is being impacted a lot.

Even many yoga practitioners and yoga teachers are also unwittingly being the slaves of advertisements, both of those who advertise to promote something and those who are attracted by the advertisement of something. That's why the advice from the teachers of Dhamma, to renounce the world and refrain from all kinds worldly affairs, connections, communications, interactions and activities, in order to be effectively purifying the mind eliminating the stubborn ignorance and egoism.

Peaceful desireless dispassionate mind resting in silence, is not good for the system (the economy). Those involved in beauty, fashion, accessories, leisure, social, spirituality, religion, physical and mental health and fitness, medical, material and sensual enjoyment, entertainment, luxurious indulgence industry, as well as yoga or holistic industry, will say to the peaceful desireless dispassionate mind, "If everyone are like you, we will have no business." If some people still are not aware of, spirituality and religion is part of the big money business.

Many people talk about the importance of mental health care, awareness and advocacy, but very few are interested in eliminating the source of increasing mental health problems and social behavior problems in the world, that is mostly deriving from the sicked and corrupted system. People think and believe that increasing mental health and social behavior problems need to be 'controlled' and 'regulated' by the system, to 'protect' them and their loved ones from being 'hurt' by those who have mental health and social behavior problems, but very few thought of the cause of the increasing mental health and social behavior problems is largely related to the corrupted system itself, where people are being discriminated, oppressed, bullied, threatened, ill-treated, exploited, exhausted, depressed, manipulated and broken under the corrupted system.

Still thinking, believing, practicing and propagating that compassion means sympathetic loving kindness?

Just like everything else, the system is neither good nor bad, as it has some goodness or sweetness, but then it also brings along many painful side-effects at the same time, because it is a sick and corrupted system due to the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the minds that created and running the system. People might think of it's a failed government leadership and policy, and thinking that changing government will change everything, but it doesn't, because changing into new government which will still be operating under the similar corrupted system. Then people will think that by changing the system will change everything, but it's not necessarily, because the new system will still be imperfect and corrupted in a different way, being created and running by minds that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism, no matter how intelligent they might be. As the minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, will have no egoistic desire or aspiration to create a worldly system to run the world, to be controlling and regulating the world in certain way.

That's why when the world of yoga started to have the influence of such 'system' born out of ignorance and egoism to be controlling and regulating everything to be in certain way, and involving in many kinds of activities that empower the ignorance and egoism in the minds, it's not yoga anymore.

If the minds are working on the elimination of ignorance and egoism, then there is no need any worldly system to control and regulate anything, as there's already the nature law of cause and effect, and minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, that are selfless and peaceful, that won't intentionally hurt oneself and others, that are kind to one another without discrimination, they don't need to be controlled and regulated by any system created out of ignorance and egoism.

If there's a need of control and regulation and government, it's called 'self-control' and 'self-discipline' and 'self-management'.

Swami Sivananda - "Stay away from politics. Stay away from politicians."

From different individuals (families) living on a specific area by themselves, to coming together forming a community living closely to one another in a village/town, and from there, arise the idea and movement of forming a gang with a leader from within the community claiming 'power' to be collecting monthly or yearly compulsory 'protection fees' from the community under the name of 'providing community protection' and some other kinds of 'services' to the community, and if some people couldn't or reluctant to pay the 'compulsory protection fees', they will be receiving threats/warnings and certain type of disturbing treatments from the gangsters, to forming a nation with the idea and movement of forming an authorized government with a leader claiming 'power' to be collecting monthly or yearly compulsory 'taxation' from the community under the name of 'providing national protection' as well as some other kind of 'public services' to the community, and if some people couldn't or reluctant to pay the 'compulsory taxation', they will be receiving threats/warnings and certain type of 'legal fine and prosecution' from the authority.

For many of those who think and believe that they 'need' that kind of 'protection' to be protected from being invaded by some other communities, as well as to avoid being 'disturb and hurt' by the gangsters from within their own community, they would just pay the 'protection fees' as it is. It's the same for many of those who think and believe that they 'need' that kind of 'protection' to be protected from being invaded by some other nations, as well as to avoid being 'legally fined and prosecuted' by the authority from within their own country, they would just pay the 'taxation' as it is.

People have fear towards 'gangsters', similarly people have fear towards 'the authority' that supposed to be 'protecting' them. How come?

Is that merely a coincidence? Or, they are just the same thing under different names? The only difference is, one is being 'illegalized' and one is 'legalized'.

Even when all the different nations have their own authorized government to be so called 'protecting' their own people from being attacked by invasive outsiders in this world, did it prevent invasion or war from happening? Nope. Invasions, wars and violence are still happening in this world in the era of advanced science and technology.

It's all sprung from survival instinct and desires that lead towards possessiveness, ownership, protectiveness, power and greed.

It's all about, "Do as I say (obey). If you don't do what I tell you to do, and if you do what I don't want you to do (disobey), I will punish and hurt you. Give me what I want. If you don't give me what I want, and if you give me what I don't want, I will punish and hurt you." This exists in family, community, spirituality, religion, school, authorization, company, relationship, and anything that we can think of, in this world of ignorance and egoism.

The yoga practice, is to let go such worldly thinking, belief, values and practice (renunciation), freeing the mind from being influenced by ignorance and egoism (purification).

Inquire towards the truth of everything.

My life stories - Part 18 (Writing and blogging about the teachings)

My life Stories – Part 18 (Writing and blogging about the teachings)
Stories from my past memories – childhood, family, friends, growing up, poverty, integrity, dreams come true, finding peace and happiness, Buddhism, Yoga, and now…

This blog has no intention to be something useful or useless. It can be perceived as anything by the different minds that come across it. It's everyone's freedom to either take it or leave it.

One day, this mind was being asked to translate some teachings of Buddhism from Chinese into English. From then on, this mind spontaneously started 'writing something' on papers everyday for a couple of years, until some years later, blogging was being introduced to this mind, and then, it just keeps 'typing' from time to time, even though this mind doesn't have interest at all in 'literature', 'writing' or 'reading', and it doesn't have high education level, writing skill, or language proficiency. It's merely stating down the reflections from within, or 'the teachings' that teaches the mind itself.

Neither did this mind has any aspiration to be a better writer or blogger, to produce better quality of writing or content, to be attracting more readers, or to generate any income from it, and it doesn't generate any income at all. In the past, there was one mind came across this blog and then came to learn and practice yoga with this mind in Malaysia. If some of those who had attended the yoga classes and retreats before and were interested to be continuing learning and practicing yoga with this mind, they could do so via this blog.

Life is just what it is. It's neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither meaningful nor meaningless.

Life of this mind was just being what it was, however, due to ignorance and egoism, this mind felt hurt and was miserable. This mind was full of anger and hatred, and was hurting itself and those around it, out of hurt, anger and hatred in itself. This mind was confused and didn't understand. This mind was in suffering, and wanted to be free from suffering.

None can remove the ignorance and suffering from this mind, but the mind itself.

At very young age, this mind was already be endowed with self-discipline and self-independence, as well as the initiative and determination to be investigating towards the truth of many things in this world that seemed to be confusing and contradicting for this mind. Although all these elements didn't stop this mind from perceiving suffering due to the veil of ignorance and egoism.

The suffering was not a bad thing at all, as it initiated the intense yearning for liberation in this mind, and without any doubt or hesitation, it renounced worldly connections and social interactive activities the same time as it started to run yoga retreats for those who want to learn and practice yoga. Of course, there were non-understanding reactions and objection/criticism coming from the worldly minded, towards its renunciation as well as how it delivers the teachings, however, it didn't matter to this mind at all. This mind doesn't expect and doesn't need to be receiving acceptance, approval, agreement, acknowledgment, encouragement, understanding or support from anyone. How everyone perceive or don't perceive, act and react, and what everyone learn or don't learn, realize or don't realize, it's their own freedom. Even though renouncing worldly connections and social interactive activities, this mind still carried out the duty towards the parents until they passed away respectively.

Intense yearning for liberation, dispassion and right discrimination, are indeed the important elements that allow the mind to be fearless and determined, and will never be threatened by anything or anyone that trying to stop it from treading the path of self-inquiry and self-realization. This is different from being fearless towards doing certain actions ignorantly that would hurt oneself and others deliberately, out of violence, intense anger and hatred, pride, adrenaline boost, or the influence of drugs and intoxicants.

Being ambitious and fearless towards performing certain challenging yoga poses, just as a gymnast is fearless towards performing many challenging high difficulty movements, that boost the sense of achievement and confidence, is irrelevant towards the fearlessness deriving from seeing the truth of names and forms (right discrimination), dispassion (detachment and non-attachment), and intense yearning for liberation (to be free from ignorance and suffering), that allow the mind to be undetermined and uninfluenced by all kinds of internal and external obstacles that arise on the path.

It was also a great gratitude for being born into a low income family that was suffering from financial difficulty for many years, living under an environment that was and is still under the influence of ignorance, corruption, superior power, identity and cultural pride, fear, bias, discrimination and oppression, and for growing up under parents who didn't receive formal education, but yet, self-learning how to read and write, and yet, being open-minded, humble, generous, forgiving, accommodating, resilient, and more importantly, non-religious, in which allowing this mind to learn and evolve as it was, to make mistakes, to fall and hurt itself, to stand up by itself, to be confused, to have doubts, to suffer, to solve problem by itself, to look after itself, to learn, to question, to understand, and being what it is, without being conditioned and forced into any particular way of thinking, belief, values, living and behavior, while carrying certain worldly duty and responsibility towards looking after oneself and others.

The parents of this mind unwittingly paving the important foundation of physical, mental and emotional independence, truthfulness, contentment, simplicity, non-attachment and non-identification for this mind. This mind was not being 'forced' or 'encouraged' to develop and empower a self-identity, self-image, self-worth and self-esteem that is being determined by the qualities of names and forms, birth place, ancestry, family, friends, relationship, community, belief, culture, values, gender, race, appearance, nationality, knowledge, education, talents, skills, abilities, achievements, contributions, actions and the fruit of actions, success and pride. The only disciplinary from the parents to this mind was, "No telling lies. No speaking harsh words. No stealing."

Even though the parents had paved the basic foundation unintentionally, however, this mind was still under the influence of ignorance and egoism and impurities, and hence, the path wasn't smooth and easy, and there were many imperfections and mistakes, but not regret, as all the desirable and undesirable experiences, mistakes, impure actions and reactions, disappointments and sufferings were great teachings and teachers to this mind.

The mind that is being undetermined and unhurt by the ignorance of others doesn't mean that agreeing with and supporting other minds' ignorant thinking and behavior, encouraging and empowering other minds to inflict suffering onto oneself and others. It's not about fighting against the ignorant minds and the ignorant behaviors. It's not about seeing a stone coming its way, and it doesn't move away. It's not about seeing a wall in front, and walk straight into the wall. It's not about "If someone hits one side of the face, you ask him to also hit the other side of the face."

All is Dhamma. All is Guru. All is Buddha. It doesn't mean that all is good, right, positive, agreeable, meaningful, pleasant, and desirable.

This mind didn't know about letting go in the beginning, and hence, it suffered for many years, and created certain unpleasantness and disturbance to others, and it was looking for something that itself didn't even know what it was (a way out of all kinds of suffering, to stop being miserable and nasty towards oneself and others), however, one day, upon the moment of this mind started to let go certain things, as it was too much for this mind, and it began to stop fighting against undesirableness and difficulty, but allowing everything to be what they are, without wishful thinking of trying to change or control things to be the way that it desired, the nameless and formless path of self-inquiry appeared as it is. It was always there, but this mind couldn't see it, being clouded by ignorance and impurities. All kinds of teachers and teachings were there all the time, but this mind didn't recognize them, while blaming all kinds of unpleasant names and forms, and undesirable experiences and difficulties, as the cause of all its misery. It's like, "Walking into a wall and hurt oneself, and blaming the wall for one's pain and injury, while kicking the wall out of anger and resentment, and hurt oneself more."

From the states of doubts, confusions, disturbs, hurts, dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness, anger, hatred, violence, hurtful thinking and behavior, meaninglessness, depression, misery, inspiration, aspiration, looking out, wishful thinking and fighting against undesirable hardship, until the mind started to let go, be opened and look within, seeing the ignorance and egoism in itself, seeing the truth of all kinds of suffering, and seeing the selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, it wasn't pleasant at all, but yet, it's liberating.

It's not about other minds. It's not about teaching others. It's not about helping others. All kinds of reflections here are the teachings that teaches this mind itself. If someone wants/doesn't want to learn from the teachings here, or if someone finds it useful/useless, or if someone finds it uplifting/offensive, it's their freedom. All is impermanent.

That's all.

READ ON

Want to learn and practice yoga? (21)

Opening the thinking faculty, or the perceptive cognitive assertive mind, is highly essential on the path of yoga for enabling the mind to perform self-inquiry or investigation towards the truth of names and forms.

Somehow, there are people of certain cultures/beliefs/spiritualities in the world are very fearful or superstitious towards 'open-mind'.

These different cultures/beliefs/spiritualities have a common element, where they all have the great aspiration, duty or mission of attracting/recruiting/converting as many people as possible to become their 'submissive', 'faithful', 'obedient' and 'contributive' members/followers/supporters, where the teachings, values and practice involved certain 'superior authorization', 'submissiveness towards the authority', 'non-disagreement and non-questioning towards the teachings and practices', 'blind-following', 'blind-believing', 'blind-practicing', 'blind-propagating', 'one big family-hood/brother-hood protecting each other from outsiders/non-followers', 'obligatory contribution', 'sinfulness', 'shamefulness', 'guilt', 'fear', 'threats', 'self-punishment', or 'fearful punishment from the superiority or authority', under the so called 'loving kindness' of 'We love you', 'We only want you to be good' and 'All these are for your own good'.

Most people are being taught from young that all and everyone need to develop and empower a self-identity and self-image that attached and identified towards certain names and forms that they 'inherited', 'possessed', 'be given' and 'belonged to', that rely on receiving love, agreement, acceptance, approval, acknowledgement, praise and support from 'the authority' or 'the superiority', or from all the others in the family/relationship/community/world, in order to feel love, good, happy, confident, proud, deserving, positive, successful and meaningful about oneself and life existence.

All these 'ideas', 'values' and 'practices' exist in different kinds of cultures/spiritualities/beliefs influencing the way of living, action/reaction and aspiration in the family, the relationship, the community, the school, the career, the business, the leadership, the political institution, and so on, with great ambition to be creating and empowering a personal and community world that they desire based on certain ideas, values and practices.

Non-attachment and non-identification is indeed 'unintentionally' going against all kinds of egoistic ideas, values and practices that exist and survive largely on the intense attachment and identification from everyone towards all those ideas, values and practices. The elimination of egoism in human beings is the highest threat towards their existence in the world.

'Open-minded to be inquiring towards the truth of everything' is being described by certain people as something 'wrongful', 'evil' and 'sinful', and it's 'punishable', where they relate 'being open-minded' to 'engaging in immoral and irresponsible way of living and behavior', where 'rebellious' people want to be experimenting as many 'things' as possible in the world without reasoning whether it would cause certain harmful and damaging consequences onto oneself and others as well as the surrounding environment. They propagate that 'inquiring or questioning the truth of everything, particularly towards their own belief, teachings, values and practices' means "Disrespectfulness, unfaithfulness, humiliation, ungratefulness and offensiveness towards the superiority or authority that 'love' and 'care for' all and everyone very much". But more importantly, is that they need to maintain and increase the amount of 'obedient'/'submissive' members/followers/supporters/contributors, and don't want to be loosing their 'army' and 'rice bowl' that give them 'the superior status and power'.

In certain culture/spirituality/belief, people believe and propagate that 'open-mind' is something extremely 'dangerous', as they propagate that 'the soul' would 'fly away' from the body upon the mind is opened, where 'the soul' might not be able to come back into the body. Not sure whether they are afraid of a soul-less body or a body-less soul.

Meanwhile, in certain cultural belief and practice, during a funeral, one needs to burn the left behind clothing that belonged to the dead person who was their beloved family member, so that the dead person can have some clothing to wear when they are in another world (so thoughtful and loving, BUT), however, one also needs to cut some holes in all the pockets of the clothing that are going to be burnt, so that the dead person won't be taking the wealth and prosperity in the family with him/her to the other world, while at the same time, one also needs to buy many different kinds of expensive paper made 'material objects and enjoyments' to be burnt as well, so that the dead person can have and enjoy all those 'things' in the other world (so that the dead person won't get too upset about all the pockets of the clothing are being cut deliberately).

There's a threat about if one didn't follow everything that supposed to be done during the funeral of one's beloved family member, then the dead person (particularly one's loving father or mother) will come back into this world to haunt or hurt oneself and the entire family. And most people from that culture, including some highly educated ones, would just blindly follow all kinds of 'practices', spending lots of money in funerals, and they will pass down such 'practices' to their next generations, as they don't want to risk loosing their wealth and prosperity, as well as they don't want anything 'bad' to be happening to themselves and their next generations, if they don't follow all kinds of 'practices' accordingly, or, they simply don't want to 'offend' or 'upset' any others in the family and community of that culture. This includes some 'yoga practitioners' and 'yoga teachers' who inherited or adopted any kind of culture, who might still attaching and identifying towards, and be determined by certain culture/spirituality/belief, and either wittingly or unwittingly, bringing certain ideas, values and practices from their culture/spirituality/belief into the world of yoga as well.

That's why 'open-mind' is being seen as something 'wrong' and 'evil' by some people of certain culture/spirituality/belief in the world. It's not good for many kinds of money making 'business' and 'superior status and power'.

That's why the importance of renunciation to move away from all kinds of worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, in order to allow the mind to be free from being influenced by all those ideas, values and practices, unwittingly.

Open-mind in yoga, is about unattached and unidentified towards any particular worldly egoistic social/cultural/spiritual/religious/philosophical/educational/political/commercial thinking, belief, values and practice, allowing the mind to see the truth of everything as it is, without being influenced by all those worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, to reason, analyze, judge, feel, act and react.

It's not about being curious, adventurous or fearless to be experimenting all kinds of experiences, things, elements, substances, practices and activities in the world, blindly and irresponsibly, without considering the side-effects of certain actions, that might cause certain harmful and damaging consequences onto oneself and others, and the surrounding environment. Instead, one should have right discrimination and self-control to not engaging in any activities that would be harmful to the well-being of oneself and others, and the surrounding environment.

It's about non blind-agreeing, non blind-disagreeing, non blind-following, non blind-believing, non blind-practicing and non blind-propagating.

It's not about being rebellious or skeptical, to be blind-disagreeing or blind-denying towards everything.

It's about allowing the mind to be opened to inquire or see the truth of everything as it is.

Inquire towards the truth of everything, including all kinds of information, knowledge and teachings accumulated from everywhere, regardless of agreeable or disagreeable based on one's existing thinking and belief, accumulated from the very beginning of learning and absorbing all kinds of inputs, coming from parents, caretakers, elders, school teachers, spiritual teachers and leaders, philosophers, political leaders, researchers, scientists, historians, famous people, community leaders, social medias, influencers, relatives and friends, including from the many different kinds of yoga teachers, yoga gurus, yoga schools, yoga courses or yoga books, as well as all the teachings here.

Some 'worrying' people say, "Oh, the world of ignorance needs such attachment and identification towards certain civilized belief, values and practice to lead and guide (more precisely, to control) all the ignorant beings to be good and do good (more precisely, conditioning everyone to be thinking and behaving in certain way). Or else, everyone will behave ignorantly (more precisely, want everyone to behave/don't behave in the way that 'I' and 'we' want them to behave/don't behave)." Really? Why not allowing everyone to be free from ignorance and none needs to be 'controlled' by anyone, instead of keeping everyone under the influence of ignorance and need to be 'controlled' by someone, so tiring? Did the world has less ignorant behavior and consequences of ignorance, after many thousands years of civilization under certain cultural belief, values and practice?

The minds argue, "Even in the teachings of yoga mentioning about the different types of students of different degrees of ignorance. There are many 'wet woods' that need to be 'controlled' by certain belief, values and practice, to behave and don't behave in certain ways, by oppressing their thinking and behavior, and planting fear in them so that they will be afraid of punishment and won't do anything that they shouldn't do, that we think is bad and wrong." Really? Wet woods will also have the opportunity to become dry wood if they are being away from moisture and be dried under natural element of heat or wind, but no, some minds deliberately want to keep them in moisture all the time, just because the minds with certain intention think that since they are wet woods, and hence, they should somehow always be keeping in wet environment and not allowed to be dried, and they would be threatened and punished by those minds, if they ever try to be dried. It's because wet woods are 'useful' for them, for helping them to achieve their certain ambition.

Those who would be 'disappointed', 'disrespected', 'humiliated', 'intimidated', 'offended' and 'angered' by others who question the truth of everything, by threatening everyone that they would be 'punished' by 'certain authority' for being open-minded to be questioning the truth of everything, particularly towards certain belief, teachings, values and practice, and they would act and react under the name of 'the authority' saying that "I am representing the authority to punish you for your bad and wrongful behavior", are nothing to do with Dhamma, or Teachers of Dhamma, or Yoga, or Buddhism, that is all about self-inquiry to be inquiring towards the truth of everything.

Intelligent successful inspirational and aspirational people/influencers - "Gain more knowledge and experience, and stay updated and connected with the world by reading as many books, newspapers and magazines as possible (except the banned ones), watching and listening to as many TV, radio and social media programs as possible (except the filtered out ones), and experimenting as many experiences as possible (except the prohibited ones). Be inspired by all those successful people in the world, and be aspired to become like them. Follow and support them, and you will be supported to become like them."

Meanwhile,

Swami Sivananda - "Stay away from television and movies watching, novels, newspapers and magazines reading, or radio listening. Renounce worldly affairs, activities, entertainments, interactions, connections and communications. Do not mix. Do not build ashrams. Do not hoard disciples. Live alone. Walk alone. Eat alone. Meditate alone. Inquire the truth of everything via self-inquiry and self-realization."

Ajahn Chah - "There's only one book to read, and it's this one within oneself. Inquire the truth of everything via self-inquiry and self-realization."

Inquire why such advice.

Want to learn and practice yoga? (20)

The four basic qualifications of a yoga practitioner or Sadhaka, which are Vairagya, Viveka, Mumukshuttva and Shat-sampat, is nothing to do with the so called internationally recognized qualification or certification of attending and graduating from 'yoga teachers training courses' being issued or sanctioned by the many different yoga schools/organizations under different lineages, branches, names and styles, being affiliated to so called 'international yoga alliance', being associated to so called 'yoga association', or being a registered member of certain yoga school, yoga alliance or yoga organization, where all these names and forms are being introduced into the world of yoga under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Even though there are many people are doing some kind of yoga practice regularly, and there are many yoga enthusiasts have been attending one or a few 'yoga teachers training courses', as well as regularly attending different types of ongoing certified and accredited yoga workshops and courses to enhance or upgrade one's yoga practice as well as teaching skills to be conducting yoga classes, it doesn't mean that there are many yoga practitioners or Sadhaka in the world, nowadays. As the path of yoga is nothing to do with all those names and forms, activities and qualifications.

When people's minds are being conditioned and empowered to take highly importance towards all those worldly egoistic names and forms, activities and qualifications, to be determining and acknowledging oneself or someone as a qualified yoga practitioner or yoga teacher, it only moves the mind further away from what yoga practice is about.

All the 'yoga teachers', 'yoga schools', 'yoga organizations', 'yoga courses', 'yoga workshops' or 'yoga retreats' that introduced and advertised themselves as 'Certified yoga teacher', or 'Internationally certified and accredited yoga courses', or 'Yoga teacher and yoga school affiliated to such and such yoga alliance or yoga association', that are enforcing the attachment and identification towards such names and forms, and emphasizing on the achievement towards the fruit of action, about what kind of benefits/results people will be getting from doing the yoga practices being taught by them of their particular yoga lineage/brand, in their yoga classes/workshops/retreats, at their yoga school/centre/studio, are nothing but empowering the egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation in the people who are initially interested to be learning and practicing yoga. All those 'names and forms' that attract and motivate them to be learning 'yoga' under the attachment and identification towards those qualities of names and forms, don't help to free the minds from ignorance and egoism, but it's empowering ignorance and egoism, unwittingly.

That's why renunciation is an important observation in one's yoga practice, particularly for the passionate egoistic minds to be developing the fundamental practice of dispassion, detachment (Vairagya) and right discrimination (Viveka), in order to free the mind from unwittingly being conditioned by all those worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, to reason, think, behave, act and react.

Renouncing worldly affairs, connections, interactions and activities, embracing seclusion and solitude, moving the mind away from the company of the passionate egoistic minds, including those in the world of yoga, minimizing distraction and disturbance arising from coming in contact with the ceaseless ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world, to be conserving energy and focusing on one's yoga practice for quieting the restless modification of the mind, disciplining the outgoing tendency of the mind that restlessly chasing after the objects of the senses, and purifying the intellect or reasoning power, to be performing self-inquiry or investigation towards the truth of names and forms, free from the influence of worldly passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice.

After the mind has developed the basic foundation of dispassion, detachment and right discrimination, this mind can choose to come back into the world to perform selfless service that help to bring correct understanding into the world, or not, but it is no longer being determined, influenced, affected or disturbed by all kinds of ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world as well as selfless impermanent changes, upon coming in contact with all kinds of qualities of names and forms.

Such 'yogi', 'Sadhaka', or 'the teacher of yoga', that doesn't attach towards or identify with any names and forms, doesn't need to attend 'Yoga teachers training courses', to be attaining, possessing and carrying 'Internationally recognized yoga teacher qualification and certification affiliated to International yoga alliance/association', and doesn't need to introduce or advertise oneself or one's action of delivering the teachings of yoga with all kinds of worldly egoistic qualities of names and forms, of 'Certified yoga teacher', or 'Internationally certified and accredited yoga courses', or 'Yoga teacher and yoga school affiliated to such and such yoga alliance or yoga association' that comes with the intention/aspiration/desire to be attracting more people to be interested in learning and practicing yoga from oneself.

If the mind is still being determined, influenced, affected and disturbed by certain names and forms upon coming in contact with the objects of the senses, particularly the ignorance and the consequences of ignorance in the world, it means that it still hasn't developed the important basic foundation yet, regardless of how many internationally recognized qualifications and certifications that it has been attaining, possessing and carrying, or not.

Some minds might even argue that it's non-appreciation, ungratefulness and disrespectful towards all those teachers, teachings, courses, organizations and qualifications. What kind of teachers or teachings is that, if it would be 'disrespected' and 'depreciated' by certain action or inaction from anyone?

Guru/Buddha/Dhamma/Teacher of Dhamma doesn't need to be receiving respect, gratitude or appreciation from anyone through any action or inaction, for being what they are.

If certain 'Guru', or 'Buddha', or 'Dhamma', or 'Teacher of Dhamma' can be 'disrespected' or 'depreciated' and be 'offended' or 'hurt' by certain action and inaction of someone, especially the one who would claim 'authorization' to be 'threatening' and 'punishing' anyone who appeared to be 'non-appreciative' and 'disrespectful', by saying that "This is your karma for being ignorant, bad and wrong," then it's not Guru, or Buddha, or Dhamma, or Teacher of Dhamma.

Coming from the mind itself, to be freeing itself from ignorance and egoism, is the greatest form of 'needless' respect, gratitude and appreciation towards Guru/Buddha/Dhamma/Teacher of Dhamma.

Upon the realization of selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, what is 'qualification', 'dispassion', 'renunciation', 'Guru', 'Buddha', 'Dhamma', 'Teacher of Dhamma', 'respectful', 'disrespectful', 'grateful', 'ungrateful', 'appreciation', 'depreciation', 'positive', 'negative'?

Whether someone wants to practice yoga, or not, is practicing yoga, or not, and will be free from ignorance and egoism, or not, it's its own freedom and effort. It's nothing to do with right or wrong. Neither it has anything to do with any teachers or teachings. Without any advertisement of one would be receiving specific benefits/results/effects/healing from doing specific practices, or one would be free from ignorance and suffering after how long and how much one has been performing certain practices, or any kind of guarantee towards what people will experience or don't experience, and without any 'positive words of motivational encouragement', trendy fashionable branded yoga attires, props and accessories as well as ongoing yoga event, celebration, festival, or community social gathering that empower the egoism, the students of yoga learn and practice yoga as it is.

Some 'yoga practitioners' think and say, "I have been practicing yoga under my yoga teachers for many years using specific props. Without the specific props while doing the yoga asana, pranayama and meditation practice, I cannot and will not practice yoga. I don't want to hurt myself from practicing yoga without the props. It's so unprofessional that there are no props available in the yoga class." That's their freedom of thinking and action/inaction. However, it only indicates the ignorance and egoism in the minds of the teachers and the students, even after many years of so called 'practicing yoga' or 'teaching yoga'.

It doesn't stop one from practicing yoga of self-inquiry and self-realization, of the elimination of ignorance and egoism, even if the body is being restricted by certain limitation for doing many of the yoga practices. One doesn't need to be doing any specific yoga practices that are being restricted by certain limitation, and still can be free from ignorance and egoism, if one knows what is practicing yoga. By using many different props that help to reduce certain limitation/discomfort and allowing the body to be doing certain yoga practices more comfortably with lower risk of injury, and getting the specific benefits from performing those yoga practices under the help of props, also doesn't guarantee that the mind is or will be free from ignorance and egoism, even after many years of doing all those yoga practices under the help of props, enforcing strong attachment, identification, craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation.

Before attending the yoga class - "Oh, you'll need to get some high quality yoga attires and accessories, yoga mat and props, especially those bio-organic ecological environmental friendly type of material and production, that will make your practice more comfortable and efficient, and you will achieve maximum results that you desire. Oh, you will also need to get some healthy bio-organic yogic dietary supplements and put on some mystical incense and music in your practice space, maybe download some yoga apps as well, that will detoxify and cleanse your body, mind and soul as you practice yoga in your yogic space." No, you don't need all those things. You just need some basic understanding and common sense to start learning and practicing yoga, and be able to let go, to be free from ignorance and egoism.

Swami Sivananda - "Do not hoard disciples. Do not build ashrams."

Inquire towards the truth of everything.