Guru?

The mind that identifies itself as a 'Guru' to some others is not really a Guru.

The mind that identifies an external 'Guru' as its greatest Guru still hasn't found the Guru yet.

The one and only greatest Guru is the selfless mind itself.

The external Guru is anyone and anything or any experiences that enables the mind to see the one and only Guru from within (of knowing Thyself), or to see the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, where all and everything are the teachers and the teachings or Dhamma, transcending all kinds of names and forms or duality.

Be free.

Yoga is universal

Regardless of whatever the different minds want it to be, yoga is universal.

Yoga is beyond spirituality and non-spirituality. It is neither spiritual nor non-spiritual. There's neither "I am spiritual" nor "I am non-spiritual."

The minds that are sentimental or believing in spirituality, then yoga can appear to be something sentimental or spiritual for them.

The minds that are non-sentimental or non-believing in spirituality, then yoga can appear to be something non-sentimental or non-spiritual for them.

As regardless of whatever is happening within the modification of the mind, whether the mind believes or disbelieves in spirituality, whether the mind is sentimental or non-sentimental, whether ignorance is present or absent in the mind, whether the mind is intellectual or non-intellectual, whether the mind is pure or impure, or whether the mind is peaceful or non-peaceful, yoga is beyond the limited conditional selfless modification of the mind, or the different states of the mind.

Yoga of selflessness, oneness, non-separateness, or the selfless universal consciousness, is beyond the selfless impermanent existence and function of all minds, and/or beyond the mind perception of all the different impermanent qualities of selfless names and forms.

All kinds of yoga practice that served the purpose of disciplining, calming, purifying, and quieting the modification of the mind, to eradicate the idea of 'I' and egoism, is to prepare the mind for meditation, and to perform self-inquiry towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence, to attain self-realization.

Upon the attainment of self-realization, where the mind realized selflessness and absorbed in silence (the annihilation of the modification of the mind), there is neither spiritual nor non-spiritual.

Yoga is merely the selfless reflection reflecting what all and everything are, selfless and impermanent, ceaselessly arising, changing, and passing away upon the changeless, timeless, causeless, limitless, nameless, formless, attributeless, actionless, birthless, deathless, beginningless, endless, selfless consciousness, that is uncontaminated or undetermined by any selfless impermanent quality, or duality, or name and form.

All minds can attain self-realization via self-initiative, self-purification, self-determination, self-independence, self-discipline, self-effort, and self-inquiry, except the minds that are expecting and waiting for an enlightened being or Guru to give them 'miracle touch' or 'mystical healing', and/or even give them enlightenment or liberation, and that's their freedom of thinking and desire.

All kinds of external teachings and teachers/gurus are merely providing some guidance to the minds for them to reflect upon, or showing the path/direction that leads the mind onto the practice, but the only teacher/guru that can free the mind from ignorance, is the mind itself. No any other teachers, or gurus, or liberated minds, can remove the ignorance in any minds, but the mind itself, alone.

The idea, or the notion, or the thinking, or the understanding, or the identification of, "I have a Guru," or "I don't have a guru," or "I am a yogi," or "I have been practicing yoga for how many years," or "I am a qualified and certified yoga teacher," or "I am advanced and highly experienced yogi/yoga teacher," or "I am an enlightened yogi/yoga Guru," or "I am a master trainer of yoga teachers," or "I am the founder/member of a yoga organization," or "Yoga came from and belongs to particular religion, country, place, community, organization, authority, and etc," doesn't mean anything. All these are merely indicating that the mind is still functioning under the influence of ignorance, the idea of 'I', and egoism.

The mind is the one and only teacher/guru that teaches and liberates itself, by itself, alone.

Renounce the world of MAYA, of 'I'-ness, 'mine'-ness, ignorance, egoism, passion, admiration, glorification, pride, hypocrisy, untruthfulness, desire, greed, ambitiousness, restlessness, selfishness, possessiveness, discrimination, self-righteousness, blind-believing/following/practicing/propagating/worshiping, superstition, story making/telling, petty-mindedness, jealousy, anger, hatred, fear, power, and violence, is the key to self-realization.

Transcending or going beyond all kinds of so called 'beautiful', 'out of the world', 'amazing', 'magnificent', 'magical', 'mystical', or 'transcendental' mind perception of names and forms, or the play of sights, lights, colours, sounds, smells, tastes, or sensations. None can force or influence another to renounce the world. It's the mind's own self-initiative and determination.

Inquire the truth of everything.

The suffering minds don't really need love, but Dharma / Dhamma

This teaching isn't opposing 'love' or 'loving kindness' among all and everyone.

It's about how to truly help the suffering minds to be free from suffering efficiently, where they are receiving the gift of Dharma or Dhamma, that allows them to be free from suffering by removing the root cause of suffering, by themselves.

There's no suffering even if 'loving kindness' from some others is not available for some reasons. There is no need to receive 'loving kindness' from anyone, in order to get momentary relief from suffering, as there's no suffering upon the removal of the root cause of suffering. Although there's nothing wrong with 'loving kindness' exists in the world, and it's better than the existence of 'selfishness, anger and hatred' in the world.

By showing loving kindness to the suffering minds will definitely help to relieve certain amount of suffering, but suffering will always be there, if the root cause of suffering is not being removed.

There's nothing bad or wrong to get momentary relief from suffering by receiving loving kindness from some others as well as receiving certain medical treatment that might also give momentary relief from certain suffering, but then, suffering will always be there because the root cause of suffering is still there, if the minds don't know what is the root cause of suffering, and don't know how to be free from the root cause of suffering.

No Guru, or Buddha, or doctor, can remove the root cause of suffering in anyone else, but only by oneself. While the success of those who attempt to remove the root cause of suffering is very much influenced by their own will-power, determination and perseverance.

It's everyone's freedom whether they just want to get some momentary relief from suffering, but suffering is always there, or they want to be free from suffering by knowing what is the root cause of suffering and how to be free from the root cause of suffering.

Those who are interested in realizing and eliminating the root cause of suffering, can take a look these blog posts and see if it can give some reflection to be reflecting upon -

https://mengfoonglai.blogspot.com/2018/09/love-upon-realization-of-selflessness.html

https://mengfoonglai.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-importance-of-renouncing-worldly.html

Practitioner / Adhikari vs follower / disciple / worshiper / admirer / supporter

Those who truly want to practice yoga to free the mind from ignorance to know thyself, they need to know how to free the mind from the egoistic tendency of unwittingly becoming a passionate follower/disciple/worshiper/admirer/supporter.

Be a dispassionate 'practitioner' or 'Adhikari' of the teachings of yoga, inquiring the truth of everything, including whatever the teachers/gurus/scriptures teach, attaining self-realization via self-effort and self-inquiry, and not to be a passionate 'follower', 'disciple', 'worshiper', 'admirer', or 'supporter' towards the teacher/guru/yogi/saint/sage, or the scriptures/teachings of yoga, or the stories of many great minds/teachers/gurus/yogis/saints/sages.

By following, or becoming a disciple of, or worshiping, or admiring, or supporting the teacher/guru/yogi/saint/sage, or the scriptures/teachings of yoga, or the stories of many great minds/teachers/gurus/yogis/saints/sages, and awaiting/requesting/expecting 'answers', or 'blessings', or 'miracles', or 'transcendental experiences' from the teacher/guru/yogi/saint/sage or from 'God', doesn't free the mind from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance. There's attachment that gives rise to the sense of separateness/duality between 'I' and 'the teacher', or 'the guru', or 'the teachings', or 'the practice', or 'the experience', or 'the fruit of practice'.

Practically practicing the teachings of yoga in NOW, this very existence of the mind functioning perceiving a life existence of names and forms of cause and effect/impermanence/selflessness, of disciplining the mind, quieting the mind, purifying the mind, freeing the mind from egoistic worldly/spiritual attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation, refraining the mind from going out through the sense organs chasing after the objects of the senses, renouncing worldly egoistic passions/desires/objects/activities/social interactions and connections, silencing the modification of the mind, and upon the annihilation of the veil of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness completely, and knowing thyself - Selflessness/egolessness/'I'lessness, or YOGA of oneness, non-separateness, namelessness, formlessness, attributelessness, birthlessness, deathlessness, beginninglessness, endlessness, there's no separateness of 'practitioner/action of practice/fruit of the practice' or between 'I' and what is not 'I' or 'the perceiver and the perceived' to be found in the selfless, nameless, formless, attributeless, birthless, deathless, beginningless, endless universal consciousness (Atman).

This is nothing to do with the worldly attachment/passionate love and 'heroic' ambition/aspiration of the egoistic thinking minds desire to be 'saving the world' by making/changing/influencing the world to be 'a better place than what it is', but just do one's best focusing on freeing one's mind from ignorance to attain self-realization, is the greatest and most efficient way to contribute to 'a world free from ignorance and the by-products of ignorance', selflessly, desirelessly and intentionlessly, being free from disturbs, disappointment, dissatisfaction, hurts, offensiveness, anger, hatred, aggressiveness or violence to fight against what the mind dislikes and disagrees with, that the mind thinks and believes as 'bad', 'wrong', 'hurtful', 'negative', 'unjust', 'disappointing' or 'meaningless'.

Real teacher or guru doesn't attract/recruit/accumulate 'followers', 'disciples', 'worshipers', 'admirers', or 'supporters'. They are just being what they are, just like the sun, the air, the water, the earth and the space. They don't even have any intention/aspiration/desire to be 'teaching'/'sharing'/'helping'/'uplifting' anyone, not to say to be 'saving the world' to make/change/influence the world to be 'a place different from what it is'.

"He is extremely humble. He appears to be quite an ordinary man. He never advertises that he is a Sat-Guru or a knower of Brahman. He never says, "I am an illumined sage. I am an Avatara. I will give Mukti for many persons. I possess many Siddhis." He is perfectly desireless. He has no craving for money or name and fame. He has no desire to establish cult or Ashram. He simply works for solidarity of the world and elevates people. He says, "I have neither followers nor disciples, neither possession nor Mutts of my own." He has no attachment to any person or any object. He never tries to establish cult or Ashram. He is absolutely free from 'I-ness' or 'mine-ness'. He never allows those around him to tell people that he got Siddhis, that he is a great Mahatma. He does not like to come in the lime-light of publicity. He always hides himself. If he becomes famous in a place, he leaves the place at once. If a man says, "I am a Mahatma, I am a realised soul, I am a Sat-Guru," if his disciples advertise that their teacher is a Sat-Guru with many Siddhis, that he has exhibited many Siddhis, know that this man is an empty vessel that makes much noise. The Sruti emphatically declares "He who says 'I know Brahman' does not know Brahman, he who says 'I do not know Brahman' knows Brahman." This world abounds with psuedo-Gurus. Beware of such persons. They exploit the innocent and credulous and throw them in the dark abyss. They will mislead people. It is like a blind man leading the blind. Siddhis keep a man far from God and God-realisation. Do not be carried away by the Siddhis of a man." - Swami Sivananda

"Jnana is the greatest purifier. There is no salvation without knowledge. Knowledge of Atman destroys ignorance, pain, sorrow and stops the wheel of births and deaths.

Attain this knowledge through Satsanga, service of the Guru, study of Vedantic books, hearing of Srutis, reflection and constant meditation.

Sorrow is for one who has the notion of self in the body, not for the sage who identifies himself with the all-blissful Atman." - Swami Sivananda

"Neither charity, nor sacrifice, nor fame, nor fasting, nor begetting a good son, nor control of breath, nor victory over the enemy, nor the society of friends, nor Siddhis like Anima can stand in comparison with realisation of the Self.

You may cross the sea by walking or float in the air or support on hands the great mountain Maha Meru or drink poison like milk or eat fire like fried grains or fly in the sky or stand on fire or break iron or get wealth by the power of magic ointment. Yet can all these give you liberation?

You can become a king or Indra or a Sannyasin. You can stun others by Mantra-sakti or aim accurately or know the past, present and the future.

You can reduce anger by destroying lust or eradicating greed. Yet can all these help you in the attainment of liberation?

You might have conquered pride, delusion and envy. You might have dwelt in Brahma-loka or Vaikuntha-loka or Kailasa. Yet can all these stand in comparison with liberation? He is fit for liberation who regards all these as nothing.

You took bath in the Ganga, you did all the sixteen kinds of charity. You did crores of Japa. What is the use of all these things if you do not attain Self-realisation?

Can you acquire eternal bliss and supreme peace from the attainment of vast erudition or from possession of immense wealth or from the enjoyment of beautiful young ladies? No. The supreme undying bliss can be obtained only by realisation of the Self.

Who is wife? Who is son? Who are you? Wherefrom did you come? How wonderful is this Samsara? How are you related to one another? Think deeply on these matters.

Who are you? Who am I? Wherefrom have we come? Who is mother? Who is father? Think deeply on all these. Leave off this world which is a dream and seek the eternal.

Vairagya is the rein by which the uncontrollable mind is restrained. Ripe Vairagya is intense attachment to Atman bliss and strong dispassion for anything other than Atman.

If one considers even the position and happiness of Brahma as the dung of a cow, then only he has developed a real lasting Vairagya. Temporary fleeting dispassion is not Vairagya. It will not help the aspirant in the attainment of Self-realisation.

It is common to have dispassion for some particular objects by some cause or other. But by having dispassion for all objects at all times, one will get knowledge of the Self. You may get Atma-Jnana soon by the grace of the Guru, by devotion to him, and by practice of what he instructs." - Swami Sivananda

"Life is short and fleeting like that drop of water on the lotus leaf. This mundane life is filled with egoism, delusion and diseases. When will you be free from all these? The deer falls a prey to the sense of sound; the elephant to that of touch; the moth to that of form; the fish to that of taste; and the bee to that of smell. But man falls a prey to all these five senses. Therefore how difficult it is for man to free itself from the clutches of these five senses and obtain liberation? When wells and ponds are full in rainy season, the water is muddy and not fit for drinking. In summer the water gets decreased and is sweet. So also when the mind is filled with Vasanas, it is clouded with Tamoguna. When it is free from sensual desires by the practice of dispassion it is filled with pure Sattva." - Swami Sivananda

Looking for 'Guru' in this era?

Is it important to have a Guru? Yes. But not looking out. Look within.

The one and only real and reliable 'Guru' is the mind itself through persist mind purification and self-inquiry/reasoning the truth of everything to attain self-realization, not someone puts on a 'Guru/Yogi appearance' in the public who claimed to be enlightened 'Guru' with 'supernatural healing power' that can take away your doubt and ignorance to give you 'shortcut' to enlightenment, or heal your pain and suffering. This one and only 'Guru' is with you all the time, you (the mind) just didn't/haven't realize it yet.

There are plenty of 'Dharma teachers' and so called 'certified yoga teachers' in the world nowadays to give people some kind of guidance towards the path of transcending the mind perception of names and forms/births and deaths, but this mind itself is the only real and reliable 'Guru'.

If there is an external 'Guru' of yours, the 'Guru' will come to you when the cause is ripen, without the Guru's intention to be coming to you and without your intention to be looking for someone to be your 'Guru'. If someone comes to you and try very hard to persuade you to believe that "I am your Guru", then you should runaway from this person/being as far/soon as possible. Because real 'Guru' doesn't need to do anything to persuade anyone that this is your Guru. One will know that "This is the Guru", when the time has come. If you still don't know and have doubt, that means the time hasn't come yet.

If people still think and believe that there's somebody who 'looks' and 'acts' like a 'Guru' with some kind of 'supernatural healing power' is a great 'Guru' somewhere in this world, and hoping that this 'Guru' will free them from suffering, or lead them towards enlightenment, that's their freedom of thinking and belief.

Some desperate suffering minds take those with dreadlocks on the head and tattoos all over the body and either be naked or wear orange robes while put themselves in a particular 'yoga pose' or perform some sort of ritual and dance, who are stoned smoking ganja most of the time as 'Gurus'. While some others take those who are the leader of a particular 'yoga community' or 'yoga organization' or 'yoga school' as 'Gurus'. That's their freedom of thinking and belief and action.

Seek the 'Guru' within by developing the basic foundation of self-discipline, self-control, self-inquiry, right discrimination and self-independence, and contemplate upon the instructions from the ancient Scriptures to guide one's mind onto the path of yoga, refrain from misconducts, drugs and intoxicants, practice dispassion and renunciation, retreat into solitude and seclusion, to silent the restless modification of the mind, to move the mind away from worldliness, to annihilate egoism, to contemplate upon the truth of everything and attain self-realization of the truth of Dharma, to realize the one and only 'Guru' which is the mind itself.

It's only those who reluctant to let go worldly ideas, activities, objects, desires, enjoyments, comforts and all kind of relationships will try to find an external superhuman 'Guru' with 'supernatural healing power' in the world in this era.

Those who are passionate, who don't like 'unpleasantness' or 'hard work', and always looking for 'miracles' or 'easy way out' or 'shortcuts' or 'magic pill' to solve all their 'problems', while still indulging in their everyday life worldly activities without letting go their worldly enjoyments, relationships, comforts, desires, habits and ideas, will try to look for an external 'superhuman Guru' to show them 'miracles'. And that's how people are easily be manipulated and exploited in this world that is full of ignorance, greed and lust.

Inquire the ancient teachings and practice of yoga - "NO PHYSICAL TOUCHING", "OBSERVE CELIBACY", "DISPASSION", "RENUNCIATION", "DESIRELESSNESS", "SECLUSION", "SOLITUDE" and "SILENCE".

Take a look at the world of yoga nowadays, is all about 'hugging' to show love and care, and 'touching' especially in the yoga asana class to make 'physical adjustments/corrections' for the students, and then continuing 'hugging' and 'touching' each other outside the yoga class as a form of love sharing and healing process, or even giving and receiving 'special healing touch' or 'special healing massage'.

People say, "All beings need love, touches and hugs. All beings will be sick and die out of touchlessness, huglessness, lovelessness and loneliness." That is part of the worldly idea, belief and practice. It's not what yoga teaching and practice is about.

When the mind is pure and free from lustful desire, there's nothing wrong with physical 'hugging and touching', but how many minds in this world are pure and free from lustful desire? Very few indeed.

How many desperate suffering confused minds were/are being taken advantage or being exploited and abused physically/mentally/psychologically/sexually/financially by greedy lustful people because all these desperate suffering confused minds try to look for and depend on a 'superhuman Guru' to 'guide' them onto the path of enlightenment, to liberate them from pain and suffering, or to 'heal' them from something that they think it has to be 'healed' by a 'Guru' with 'supernatural healing power'?

Everyone was/is looking forward to be 'touched' or 'healed' by a 'superhuman Guru'. And they got/get what they want, in a different way - Some people were/are physically 'touched/molested/raped' by lustful people who claimed themselves as 'Gurus' with 'spiritual enlightenment', where people are being sexually taken for granted/assaulted, wittingly or unwittingly. This is pure ignorance of both parties - People who are looking forward to be 'touched' or 'healed' by someone who claimed to be a 'Guru' with 'supernatural healing power', and those lustful people who claimed to be 'Gurus' who can 'touch' or 'heal' what people believe that need to be 'touched' or 'healed'.

Knowing that all desperate suffering confused minds that are under the influence of ignorance want to be someone 'special' in the world, to be loved by 'someone special', to be treated/healed with 'special love and care' and 'miracles', these 'superhuman Gurus' manipulate and take advantage of the desperate suffering confused minds to satisfy their lustful desire and greed.

When people have the intention to go to a 'superhuman Guru', they have something that they want/expect from the 'superhuman Guru'. "Oh Guru, please bless me this and that." While pseudo 'Gurus' also want/expect something from them, as well.

Those who are peaceful being free from suffering, ignorance and egoism of attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion and expectation, who are desireless, who don't need to see/experience 'miracles', there's no need to go to a 'superhuman Guru'. 'Miracles' and 'superhuman Guru' are useless to them.

For those who have intense yearning for liberation, all and everything that the mind comes in contact with will naturally become 'the Guru' that allows the mind to see/reflect upon itself (knowing thyself) and seeing the Dharma/the truth of impermanence and selflessness in all the names and forms. 'The Guru' manifests in all and everything, when the mind is ready to 'see'. Be patient, be persevered, while keep purifying and disciplining the mind. Without intention/expectation to find a 'Guru', the Guru is (already) here.

Your own mind and all your mind perception/experiences of everything, your perception/experience of painful sorrow and suffering, your actions and the consequences of your actions, and the self-realization of the selfless impermanent changes within the body and mind through self-inquiry, is your greatest Guru, your real Guru. None other than this mind and the realization of the truth from within, is your 'Guru'.

Yogi? Guru? Yoga schools? Ashrams?

A (real) yogi is not determined by all the qualities of names and forms, nor to be judged by their actions and speech, personality or behavior, physical conditions or appearances, attires or accessories, actions or inactions...

If anyone try to look out for a yogi, or try to identify a yogi, and start looking at all these qualities of names and forms to judge and determine whether this or that being is a yogi or not, or is a "good" yogi or not, then we will never find it...

The real search is to realize the "yogi" in ourselves... It is not looking out to see who is yogi and who is not... It is finding or realizing the highest teacher in us, and it's not looking for teachers from the outside to set as an example, or to give us a lift, or to motivate us, or to enlighten us, for us to realize what we are here for.

That is what yoga practice is about. It is for us to realize the attributeless selflessness unconditioned by the qualities of names and forms, in us, beyond our egoistic thinking mind, conditioned and limited physical body, impermanent physical conditions and abilities, appearances, features, shapes, colours, language, personality, characteristic, actions and inactions, short lived or long lived, being in solitude or being among the world, real or unreal, where all are nothing but impermanent and selfless names and forms arising and passing away, governed by the nature law of cause and effect...

Real yoga practice is not necessarily to be found and learned from some other people (so called yoga teachers, or Gurus, or yogis), or from yoga schools, or from Ashrams. The entire (timeless) teachings of yoga is already within us, as the nature of all is identical with the universal selfless consciousness... This is the fundamental essential teachings of yoga. Before the realization of selflessness, our higher pure Self will guide the impure lower self when the time is right. And when the lower self is purified (the ego is eliminated) and it becomes one with the higher Self, there is no more separation or duality. There is no pure or impure self, higher or lower self, teacher or student, inferiority or superiority, good or evil, wise or ignorant, selfish or unselfish...

All the pleasant and unpleasant experiences through this body and mind, of whatever we feel, see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, are our Gurus. When we experience suffering and painful sorrow, when we experience selfless impermanent changes, that is where the teachings and practice is. We don't need to ask somebody else to inflict pain or suffering onto us, for us to learn about something or to realize about the universal Truth of Selflessness and Impermanence. Our own ignorant impure egoistic mind itself is the origin of all sorts of pain and suffering.

It is not about looking out at other beings, trying to find out, or judge, or determine each and everyone as good beings or bad beings, as saintly beings or evil beings, as selfish beings or unselfish beings, as enlightened beings or ignorant beings, as compassionate beings or discompassionate beings, as yogi or not yogi, as pure yogi or impure yogi, as Guru or not Guru, as real Guru or fake Guru, as yoga teacher or not yoga teacher, as good yoga teacher or bad yoga teacher, and so on...

Look within. That is the only real and pure yogi, Guru, Ashram, yoga teacher, yoga teachings, yoga practice that we can rely on...

Take care of our own mind, our own actions and speech, why be bothered or be disturbed by other people's mind, their actions and their speech?

Om shanti.