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Monday, July 11, 2022

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.

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

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