Be free. Be happy. Be peaceful.

May all be free from ignorance

May all be free, be happy, be peaceful

 

Fine as you are, happy as you are

So many people in the world growing up being conditioned and empowered by certain ideas and values, at home, in school, in workplace, or in the society, about "You need to strive to be like this or that, think like this or that, behave like this or that, do this or that, achieve this or that, possess this or that, become this or that, be empowered, be competitive, be outstanding, be charming, be beautiful, be attractive, be strong, be fit, be healthy, be positive, be optimistic, be inspired, be ambitious, be successful, be rich, be powerful, be famous, be acknowledged, be recognized, be respectable, be proud of, and then you will be blessed with satisfaction, happiness and meaningfulness," or "Do something that will make you happy," or "Do something meaningful with your life existence," or "Do everything that you want to do before you die, enjoy life to the maximum, so that you won't regret when you die."

While in the process of accomplishing all that, one would do anything regardless of hurting oneself and/or others, as well as the surrounding environment, either intentionally or unintentionally, directly or indirectly, in order to achieve one's aspiration of being 'somebody good enough or successful enough' that is 'deserving' satisfaction, happiness and meaningfulness, so that one can live a pleasurable lifestyle and comfortable life with many physical and mental enjoyments and conveniences, so that one will be satisfied and happy, feel meaningful, and won't regret about anything.

* * * * * * * *

You can be happy as you are, if you want.

You don't need empowerment.

You don't need to be empowered/competitive/outstanding/strong/fit/healthy/beautiful/attractive/inspired/ambitious/successful/rich/powerful/acknowledged/respectable, or do and achieve anything in order to be satisfied and happy, feel meaningful, or have no regret.

You don't need to to be living a pleasurable lifestyle with many physical and mental enjoyments and conveniences that exploit many people and the surrounding environment to the maximum in order to appreciate life and be happy.

You don't need to be somebody with particular quality/achievement/possession/recognition to deserve something.

You don't need to be 'deserving'.

You don't need to be 'good enough' or 'successful enough'.

You don't need to be special or extraordinary.

You don't need to be a hero.

You don't need to be proud of yourself.

You don't need others to be proud of you, not even your parents.

You don't need any encouragement, praise and compliment, understanding, acceptance, validation, appreciation, sympathy or empathy, from anyone.

You don't need anyone to make you happy. None can make you happy if you want to be unhappy.

You don't need to make anyone happy. None can make others happy if they want to be unhappy.

You are fine as you are. You are happy as you are.

It's the freedom of being what you are, as you are, that no one can give you or take away from you, even though all is impermanent.

What you are, is impermanent.

How you are, is impermanent.

What you think and how you feel, is impermanent.

You can be as successful as you can be, do and achieve anything that you desire, if it's possible, if you want, within your current capability, without hurting yourself and/or others and the surrounding environment, but all these actions, abilities and achievements are not you, and they are impermanent.

Above all, there's no 'You'.

It's just selfless impermanent names and forms, arising, changing, and passing away, even though there's cause and effect.

There are ceaseless changes, ups and downs, laughter and tears, people coming and going, togetherness and separation, sunny days and rainy days, hot and cold, comfort and discomfort, pain, injury, sickness, weakness, old age, decay, and disintegration.

And it's okay.

Happy as it is.

And if you want, inquire the truth of everything without blind-believing, blind-following, blind-agreeing, blind-practicing, and blind-propagating.

My daily asana practice 2020 (2)

This is part of my daily asana practice.

Wishing everyone peace during this time being.

My daily asana practice 2020

This is part of my daily asana practice.

Wishing everyone peace during this time being.

Life is uncertain and Death is certain

Life is uncertain, but death is certain.

Death is a great teacher of life existence. The healthiest, the strongest, the happiest, the wealthiest, the kindest, the greatest, the most intelligent and knowledgeable, the most talented, successful and famous, or the most loved and respected, will also have to bow down to DEATH.

There's no guarantee about anything in this worldly life existence of uncertainty, but for sure, death will come one day, sooner or later, regardless of whether it's natural cause or unnatural cause, intentional or unintentional, expected or unexpected, slowly or instantly, wittingly or unwittingly, having none/few/many friends, having an easy life or difficult life, being ignorant or wise, have done none/few/many good actions or bad actions, have been good or bad/right or wrong/positive or negative/happy or unhappy/healthy or unhealthy. Everyone is dying immediately following the moment of birth, but most people either don't realize this or they trying to be positive and hope for the best. Death is not a bad or negative thing at all.

"Tribute to my big brother who had lived a difficult but great honest life, who was content and generous, who was forbearing and forgiving, who had been smiling through all the hardships, who had delivered all his duties and responsibilities as a great son, a great brother, a great husband and a great friend to many beings, who had been sacrificed greatly to be looking after our family during the difficult time, and looking after our beloved bedridden father unconditionally for many years until he left the world. And now, my big brother had left this world without any painful suffering but with a smile on his face on the 30th of June 2019. Thank you brother."

Long Residential Yoga Holiday in Langkawi at Yoga Now Malaysia

 The view in front Yoga Now Malaysia during rainy season

Long Residential Yoga Holiday at Yoga Now Malaysia

If you are looking for a calm and peaceful environment to practice and learn yoga and meditation Yoga Now offers exactly that. We are a very small-scale operation and will run retreats even just for one person. Better still, you don't need to choose from a list of fixed dates - you can start your yoga retreat whenever you choose, any day of the week, any time of the year (subject to availability). We keep our retreats and workshops deliberately small to ensure you receive individual attention. All retreats are suitable for all including complete beginners.

Yoga Now Malaysia in Langkawi has been running ongoing flexible dates retreats for the past ten years for those who only have a few days of short holiday to be participating in a short concentrated retreat to be learning and practicing yoga and meditation as much as possible within a few days that enable them to develop the basic understanding towards the teachings and practice of yoga, which also allows many of them to develop self-discipline and self-reliance that is very important in developing self-practice wherever they are.

From time to time, we also get some requests for longer retreat with moderate daily yoga and meditation practice over a few weeks time.

Some people would like to have some quiet solitude time for themselves over a period of time to be kind to themselves, to look after their mind, to be quiet, to have some space for oneself, to be contemplating, or to be able to see things in different perspective.

Some people might want to learn and practice yoga under a teacher's guidance, but at the same time, they would also like to have the free time and energy to perform their own self-practice making use of the time and space staying at the accommodation at Yoga Now for a few weeks.

Some people might have some physical health/fitness limitation that doesn't allow them to be attending the standard full day retreat practice sessions, but they are very keen to join a yoga retreat to be learning and practicing yoga at Yoga Now Malaysia.

Some people would like to participate in a yoga retreat to learn and practice yoga with us, but they would prefer just joining one yoga/meditation/pranayama practice session everyday over a few weeks time, such as a few weeks long 'free and easy' yoga holiday where they can do some yoga and meditation practice everyday while be able to have more resting/personal time, or have some free time and energy to enjoy some other activities that they would like to do, or to enjoy and explore all that Langkawi has to offer.

Some people would like to take a few weeks time off from the hustle-bustle in everyday life to have some quiet solitude time for themselves away from social affairs, interactions and activities, to stay at the one and only accommodation at Yoga Now Malaysia, to do some guided yoga and meditation practice under the teachers everyday, but without the need of joining the standard full day retreat sessions.

Some people would like to spend a few weeks in a quiet secluded environment with as little distraction as possible, to be doing things that require certain degrees of focus and solitude, such as to do some writing, while also be able to do some guided yoga and meditation practice everyday that could help in terms of being attentive towards what they want to do under a calmed and focused mind.

And hence, a free and easy yoga retreat program - Long Residential Yoga Holiday is now being introduced by Yoga Now Malaysia to meet such requests, where the duration of the retreat can be ranging from 11 days/10 nights up to 21 days/20 nights.

For more details please visit our website -  http://www.yoganowmalaysia.com/yogaholiday.html

A short video of Yoga Now Malaysia in Langkawi -



*Most people join our yoga retreats for calm and quiet introspection. Please note that despite the relaxed and friendly atmosphere at Yoga Now our retreats are not suitable for people expecting lots of social interaction and activity.

How to see the truth of everything as it is and be free

People grieve and cry for the death of someone or something that they think and believe as good and right, that they love very much, that they think it doesn't deserve to die. People feel glad and cheer for the death of someone or something that they think and believe as bad and wrong, that they hate very much, that they think it deserves to die.

Death is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither happiness nor suffering, neither right nor wrong. It's all about what we like and don't like. When we feel grief and cry for 'death' is because we are losing something that we like. When we feel glad and cheer for 'death' is because we are getting rid of something that we don't like.

Whenever we feel angry, upset, disturbed, hurt, sad or disagree about something, it's not because people or things are being 'bad', 'wrong', 'negative', or 'suffering'. It's because we come in contact with something that we disagree with based on our thinking and belief of what is right and wrong, good and bad, or we are not getting what we like and want, we are losing what we like and want, and we are getting what we don't like and don't want.

People mourn for the death of those whom they love, that matter to them (people or animals or insects), and don't mourn for the death of those whom they have no likes or dislikes, that don't matter to them, and cheer for the death of those whom they hate and disagree with.

And hence, this allows us to understand that 'death' is neither good nor bad, neither happiness nor suffering, neither right nor wrong, neither positive nor negative. It's all subjective reactions influenced by attachment towards the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, based on a particular personal thinking and belief.

It's the desire of craving and aversion that generates unhappiness, disturb, hurts, resentment, painful sorrow and suffering in the mind. It is ignorance that causes the mind to think and believe that unhappiness, disturb, hurts, resentment, painful sorrow and suffering are caused by something bad, wrong, horrible, inhumane, negative or suffering.

Perform this inquiry into everything that our minds perceive and judge as good and bad, positive and negative, right and wrong, happiness and suffering.

Everything is just what it is. People are just being what they are. Things are just what they are. The world is just what it is.

There's no clinging, craving, aversion, discrimination, hatred, fear, painful sorrow, or suffering.

There's no good death or bad death. Everything is just arising and passing away.

If one doesn't know this, one doesn't know what is compassion, even though one identifies oneself as a compassionate being, and tries to be compassionate or practice compassion or perform compassionate actions.

Allow the mind to be open and see things as they are, uninfluenced by the conditioned/limited/subjective personal thinking and belief, egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, and ceaseless autonomous reactions of impurities.

If people don't like or don't agree with this, that's their freedom of thinking, belief, actions and reactions.

Be free.

Peace and love to all...

May all be free, be peaceful, be happy.

May all realize unconditional peace and love.

Unhappy about something that we don't like or disagree with?

Look into our mind, and see what's really happening when we feel unhappy (about something that we don't like or disagree with).

When we think we are unhappy because of something that we experience, or what we perceive through the senses of what we see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think, it is coming from our own mind's reaction towards the names and forms based on what the mind likes and dislikes, agrees and doesn't agree with, it is not coming from the names and forms that the mind thinks is what causing the mind to be unhappy.

This is different from people who suffer from depression. People who suffer from depression is depressed or unhappy is not because they come in contact with something that they don't like and disagree with, or aren't getting something that they like and want. They just feel down and depressed most of the time without any particular reasons, even when everything in life is good and fine. Those who don't suffer depression can never truly understand what is happening in the mind of the people who suffer from depression. We should be compassionate towards people who suffer from depression as they couldn't help themselves for how they feel, and accept them as they are.

For most people who are being unhappy because they are getting something that they don't like and don't want, or they are not getting what they like and want, that is due to ignorance, egoism, attachment, craving and aversion. We also can be compassionate towards these people who could be happy, but they chose to be unhappy because they are under the influence of ignorance.

Om shanti.

Do something that will make us happy?

We hear this "positive and motivational" message very often - "Do something that will make us happy."

There's nothing wrong about want to make ourselves (or the mind) happy by doing something that we (the mind) like to do, that will give us (the mind) some sorts of satisfaction and happy feelings, or to get rid of dissatisfaction and unhappy feelings. But know that if we need to depend on doing something that we like to do, or depend on certain qualities of names and forms to be happy, then it is not what yoga practice is about.

Yoga practice is unattached towards any qualities of names and forms, and be free from craving and aversion which is the cause of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. When the mind is free from dissatisfaction and unhappiness, when the mind is not being dissatisfied or unhappy, it doesn't need to do something to get rid of dissatisfaction and unhappiness, or depend on any qualities of names and forms to be happy.

It's about knowing how to be happy as we are, undetermined by any qualities of names and forms, impermanent changes, what we do or don't do, and what we have or don't have, to be happy, or not.

Om shanti.

Love as it is, happy as it is

Most minds want to love

But also love with conditions and expectation

Most minds expect to be loved

But also be loved the way that they like it to be

Most minds want to be happy

But also only be happy when things are the way that they like it to be

Most minds want to learn and practice yoga

But also learn and practice yoga in the way that they like it to be

Be free

Love as it is

Be loved as it is

Be happy as it is

Learn and practice yoga as it is

Do cheerful people only have happy feelings and don't have any unhappy feelings?

Being cheerful doesn't mean that there is not any unhappy feelings and there's only happy feelings all the time.

There's nothing wrong with happy and unhappy feelings. It's part of the normal function of the mind to react upon coming in contact with the objects of the senses that the mind likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with. Or, due to mood swing caused by hormones imbalanced. But cheerful people know that all these feelings are impermanent. They do not have clinging or craving towards happy feelings, or aversion towards unhappy feelings. When happy feelings are absent, they are still cheerful as they are. When unhappy feelings arise in the mind, they are still cheerful as they are.

Those who know non-attachment towards happy and unhappy feelings, they are not being determined by all these fleeting happy and unhappy feelings to be who they are, to be happy or not, to be confident or not, and to feel meaningful or not.

Cheerful people might have unhappy feelings when their minds come in contact with the objects of name and form that the mind dislikes and disagrees with, or when they are not getting the names and forms that the mind likes and wants. Or, when their hormones are imbalanced. But, they know how to let go of unhappy feelings more easily and quicker than those who have attachment towards all the perception of names and forms to be determining them to be who they are, to be happy or not, to be confident or not, and to feel meaningful or not.

The lesser and weaker attachment towards any names and forms, there will be less reasons or lower chances to be unhappy, and vice versa.

Those who have less demand and less expectation, who are less fussy and easily content, who are patient, tolerant, generous, forgiving, adaptable, adjustable and accommodating will have less trigger of unhappy feelings, and vice versa.

Go beyond the identification of 'happy being' and 'unhappy being'.

Keep practicing non-attachment without expectation until the mind is completely be free from any impurities that derived from ceaseless reactions towards objects of name and form influenced by the desires of craving and aversion.

We will realize unconditional peace that is beyond all kinds of happy feelings, and undetermined by any qualities of name and form, when we are free from the desire of want to feel happy and want to be a 'happy being', or don't want to feel unhappy and don't want to be an 'unhappy being'. But, allow all the happy and unhappy feelings to come and go without generate attachment or identification, without craving or aversion.

Love ourselves as we are even though the mind is not being happy all the time.

Be free.

Anger and hatred in love relationship?

Some people came to this blog with the search word "Anger and hatred in love relationship"

If someone feels very unhappy, disturbed, or depressed being in a relationship, and has anger and hatred towards the partner by blaming his or her partner as the one who is responsible for his or her unhappiness, constantly thinking and believing that his or her partner doesn't love or care for him or her, or is being abusive towards him or her, at the same time, out of anger and hatred, he or she is constantly bitching about his or her partner to his or her friends, then there is something not quite right in this relationship.

If the partner is truly so bad and nasty, this person has a choice to step out from this relationship, move on and be free from all the unhappiness for being in that relationship with that partner. But then if this person tells himself or herself and other people, that he or she 'loves' the partner very much, and doesn't want to let this relationship go, then there is something really not right here with this relationship.

There's nothing wrong with being angry towards something that we don't agree with, don't like and don't want, but there's something not right if we have persistent anger, hatred and fear towards the person who is in the relationship with us, and we need to bitch about our partner. How can we say we love our partner very much when we bitch about him or her out of anger and hatred? This is not because our partner doesn't love us. But we don't really love ourselves and neither do we love our partner. We are unhappy, angry and hating is because we couldn't get the relationship the way that we want it to be, and we couldn't get our partner to behave and treat us the way that we like it to be. We didn't get what we like and want, but we are getting something that we don't like and don't want from being in the relationship. It's all about my desires, my happiness, my satisfaction, what I like and what I want.

It's like, "I love this relationship because it gives me certain things that I want, and I don't want to let it go. I also hate this relationship because I couldn't get some other things that I want for being in this relationship."

If the partner is truly so bad, doesn't love or care for us, and being in the relationship is so unhappy and disharmony for us, but for some reasons, out of personal interests or desires, we still want to be in that relationship or being reluctant to let go of the relationship, it shows that there is a problem, but it is not with the partner, it is with us.

Move on. If truly our partner doesn't love us, and is abusing and hurting us whether physically, or mentally, or emotionally. It's meaningless to continue to be in such relationship.

Move on. If life is so miserable by having this relationship, or life can be happier without this relationship.

If we realized that it is our own responsibility, and we think we love our partner, and we still want to be in the relationship, then we need to work on ourselves, learn how to love and accept ourselves as we are, without expecting the relationship or our partner to fulfill our desires.

Be happy.

May all be free, be peaceful, be happy...

May all be free, be peaceful, be happy...

Know our minds...

The mind never showed interest in something that was always there until the moment it sees, or found certain qualities that it likes, or admires, or attracted to, which directly or indirectly existing along with that particular thing, it starts to show great interest in that thing.

Just like in any kind of relationships among people, including friendships. We never showed interest in some people whom we know for a long time, until the moment we start to see, or found certain qualities that we like and interested in, which directly or indirectly existing along with these people, and then we start to show interest in these people.

This indicates that we don't really like or interested in these people as they are, nor interested in these people for being who they were in the past, or who they are in the present moment, but we only like and interested in some qualities that we like, and which drawn our mind's attention and interest.

Look within, and rest in our very own nature of unconditional love and peace. Love all beings as they are, be free from craving, longing, attachment, possessiveness, projection and expectation. We will never feel disappointed and hurt, or be disappointed and hurt by anyone or anything, when we start to understand how the mind works.

Only those minds that are free from ignorance and egoism know how to love others and be loved by others as it is unconditionally, in any relationships. All the others are just loving their own desires for what they like and want, selfishly...

Be happy.

Discrimination or hatred towards those who discriminate others?

We are not any different from those whom we think they discriminate others, when we discriminate them for discriminating others.

And hence, if we truly are against discrimination, how can we discriminate anyone?

Embrace silence. Rest in silence.

Be happy.

What happens when we feel 'touched' or 'moved' by someone or something?

We might think it is because we are admiring or appreciating some 'nice' qualities in others that is deeply 'touching' or 'moving', or we think it is because other people show us and others unconditional friendliness, assistance, acceptance, forgiveness, loving kindness, or simply being nice to us, which we didn't expect to be receiving, that make us feel 'touched' or 'moved'.

What happens is, in that 'touching' moment, we are reconnecting with those 'nice' qualities that exist in us but somehow we might have forgotten, or suppressed, or denied for some time, most probably because we think and believe that we have to be selfish, defensive, aggressive, hard and mean, when things get rough in life, or when we feel threaten by someone or something. We are actually being 'touched' and 'moved' by the unconditional love that was always there in us. And that allows us to 'see' or 'recognize' those 'touching' qualities in others, and generate such admiration towards other people having such 'touching' qualities that actually comes from within us.

When we think we are 'touched' by someone or something, it is not the intention of that person or that thing to touched anyone's heart, but it is coming from ourselves realizing the similar qualities in us that allows us to reflect them on another person or onto something.

That's why within the same situation, some people feel touched, but some others don't.

Om shanti.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow (3)

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back. Thanks to India, the people, the nature, and all the animals. May all beings be happy.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow (2)

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back. Thanks to India, the people, the culture, the birds, the animals, the plants, the buildings, the mountain, the desert, the scenery, the arts, the colours, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, the weather, the life, the incredible diversity and yet all mixed together as one in peace and harmony sharing everything provided by nature. May all beings be happy.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back.

Thanks to India and the people.

May all beings be happy.