Feel disturbed by other people's behavior that the mind thinks as 'inappropriate' or 'wrong'?

There's nothing wrong with people feel disturbed by and be unhappy about other people's behavior that the minds think as 'inappropriate' or 'wrong', that are different from one's cultural practice and belief.

Those who practice yoga are aware of the different types of behavior that the minds think as 'inappropriate' or 'wrong', that are different from one's cultural practice and belief, but they will not be disturbed by it or be unhappy about it.

Go beyond the conditioned worldly thinking and belief. Allow all the worldly thinking and beliefs to be there and to be what they are, but without attachment or identification, craving or aversion towards any of these worldly thinking and belief, no matter how 'good' or 'bad' the mind think they are.

The truth is always here as it is, when the mind is free from being conditioned by worldly thinking and belief.

See how the ego reacts, and tame this ego, not other people's thinking, belief and behavior.

If one doesn't know this, and is constantly reacting with craving or aversion towards all the perceptions of names and forms whether wittingly or unwittingly, be disturbed by what the mind doesn't like and doesn't agree with, and trying to 'influence' or 'control' or 'change' other people's thinking, belief and behavior, then even though one might thinks one loves yoga and is practicing yoga for a period of time by doing some form of yoga practice, but one is not practicing yoga at all.

Everyone is free to think, believe and behave about how they want to think, believe and behave, whether they practice yoga, or not. Or whether those who practice yoga are truly practicing yoga, or not. If people think they rather be disturbed by things that they don't like and don't agree with than to have peace, and that they prefer not to practice yoga, but be happy with the restless mind of dissatisfaction, disappointment, anger, bitterness, hatred, envy, defensiveness, offensiveness, fear and worry, that is their freedom.

There's no intention to 'influence' or to 'inspire' anyone to improve, or to be better, or to do good and be good, or to be free from suffering, the teachings of selflessness and compassion are being disseminated without attachment and identification, but allowing everyone whether to develop their own awareness and realization of selflessness and compassion, or not.

Be free.

What do we practice in yoga?

Observing the mind and guarding the outgoing tendency and impurities.

The untrained impure mind needs to be trained, disciplined and purified.
The pure mind doesn't need any training, or disciplinary, or purification.

Counter the negativity in the mind with positive thinking.
Positive thinking is needless when the mind is free from negativity.

Render the busy restless mind to be quiet.

Annihilate egoism - the idea of 'I', attachment, identification, desires of craving and aversion.

Live in the present.

Be in peace.

Be happy.

Yoga as it is...

The means of Buddhism teachings and yoga teachings are not different from one another. It's about purification of the mind, control of the mind, self-awareness, self-control, self-discipline, purification of thoughts, actions and speech, non-blind-faith, non-follower, non-duality, non-separateness, wisdom, compassion, selflessness/ego-lessness/I-lessness, non-identification, non-attachment, desireless, namelessness, formlessness, self-inquiry and self-realization of the truth, and be free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, craving, aversion, and all sorts of impurities, and transcend suffering.

Some people think yoga and Buddhism practice is a form of religious practice belongs to a particular religion and culture, as they often see some yoga and Buddhism practitioners perform some sorts of rituals here and there, where all these rituals are coming from a form of religious and cultural practice.

There's nothing wrong with some/most of the yoga practitioners perform rituals and religious ceremonies as part of the yoga practice, but yoga is undetermined by whether there is any rituals and religious ceremonies as part of our yoga practice, or not. As by performing rituals and religious ceremonies doesn't determine that one is practicing yoga, or not. And by not performing any rituals or religious ceremonies, it doesn't determine that one is not practicing yoga, and it doesn't stop one from practicing yoga.

Beyond all the influence of personal cultural practice or religious practice that was mixed into the yoga practice in different parts of the world, yoga is beyond all the cultural practice and religious beliefs and rituals. It's the same for Buddhism practice.

Yoga is right here, in this moment, when the mind is free from the influence of any qualities of names and forms, egoism, identification, attachment, conditioned thinking and beliefs, dualities, desires, longing, craving, speculation, anticipation, expectation, judgment, and impurities.

When the mind is free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, identification, craving, aversion, desires, intentions, expectations, qualities of names and forms, one doesn't need to perform any rituals with any intentions. Although one still can be performing rituals and religious ceremonies selflessly, without attachment, identification, intention or expectation.

Go beyond all the names and forms, and rest in silence.

Take a break, have a silent moment...

"What do you do for recreation?"

"What do you do to relax or unwind yourself?"

If we know how to avoid underusing or overusing the body and the mind, there's no such need to relax or unwind the body and the mind.

The well-trained mind unattached to the qualities of names and forms, it will not be disturbed nor affected by the objects of names and forms that it perceives from moment to moment, it won't be in a state of stressed nor being restless, it doesn't need to be relaxed or to be unwind. If the mind is being in the present moment now, free from craving and aversion, free from duality and separateness, there's no boredom or loneliness. It doesn't need to be doing something "special" or "additional" for recreation, stimulation or entertainment to get rid of boredom and loneliness, or to feel good and meaningful. The mind is at ease and content as it is. The mind doesn't run outward to chase after objects of names and forms.

There are so many things going on in the untrained mind, constantly receiving inputs and sending outputs through the senses, sense organs and the organs of action (mouth, feet, hands, organ of excretion and organ of procreation), as well as it keeps wandering to the past memories and future anticipations.

We might think we are like this, "I don't talk much. I am a quiet person. I like quietness..." But, in truth, our mind is so noisy. We can't stop talking most of the time, whether verbally or mentally. The mind is so busy, so wild, so passionate, so restless, so stimulated, so ambitious, so many plans, so much desires, so many things wants to say, so many things wants to do, so many things wants to achieve, and so on.

If we truly want to conquer our own mind to realize unconditional peace, especially if our mind is the type that easily be disturbed, and gets irritated and annoyed by what the ego doesn't like to see or hear, or easily be offended by what the ego doesn't agree with, then it will be conducive for us to reduce talking, or minimize engaging in social conversation, as our mind will be influenced and disturbed by the action of talking, and be disturbed, agitated or depressed by the content of the conversation due to the undisciplined egoistic mind reacts towards what it likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with. The mind is in the state of restlessness all the time, being busy thinking, analyzing, judging, comparing, remembering, longing, anticipating, speculating, projecting, expecting, and so on.

The ego wants to assert itself and be acknowledged, "I have some opinions and points of view. I have something to say. I agree with this, and I don't agree with that. I think it should be like this. Listen to me. Why won't you listen to me? Why won't you agree with me? Why won't you believe me? Why do you want to argue with me?" And so on.

If we truly want to practice yoga and meditation, then be persevered and determined to quiet the mind. Allow the mind to have a break from restlessness. Talk less. Reduce the mind activities. Concentrate the mind on fewer objects for start, and then render it to be one-pointedness concentrating at one single object in time. Silent the mind. And peace will surface.

Om shanti.

Freedom of thinking, action and speech?

We want to be able to have freedom of thinking, action and speech. That's what most people fight for from ancient until now. When we want to be able to express ourselves through thinking, action and speech freely, do we also allow other people to express themselves through thinking, action and speech freely, even though we might not like and might not agree with their thinking, action and speech? Do we easily or automatically be disturbed, offended, angry and unhappy when we hear or see something that we cannot agree with or we think it's insulting or disrespecting? Do we want to be free from disturbs, anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction, restlessness and unhappiness? Do we really want to have peace? Or, do we actually enjoy all the disturbs, anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction, restlessness and unhappiness, and don't really like peace (as it seems to be quite boring without excitement and stimulation.)

There's nothing wrong with expressing our thinking and points of view about our agreements and disagreements, about what we believe as right and wrong, and to discuss or debate about certain subject freely. That's the natural habit of the mind. That's what a mind does to 'feel' being existing, to be acknowledged by itself and the world of its existence.

 

It's not just about we want to have freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech, but we must also understand that all actions will bring desirable/undesirable or expected/unexpected consequences of action. There will be agreeable/disagreeable and pleasant/unpleasant reactions coming from other people of different backgrounds reacting towards our thinking, action, expression and speech.

When we only allow ourselves to have freedom of thinking, action and speech, to believe in whatever we want to believe, to do whatever we want to do, and to express or say whatever we want to express or say, even if it appears to be insulting/disrespecting/offensive towards certain things for certain people of different background, but at the same time, we don't allow other people to have freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech, or to react in certain way towards our thinking, action, expression and speech, and we want to 'correct' their thinking, action/reaction and speech to be the way that we think it should be, the way that we like and agree with, and that is what the world is happening now - it starts with disagreements, then arguments, clashes, unrest, hatred, violence, wars, killing, torturing, and etc.

If someone needs to 'change' or 'be corrected', it has to come from oneself being aware of there's something in oneself that needs to be 'changed' or 'corrected', and willingly to 'change' or 'correct' what needs to be 'changed' or 'corrected' by oneself, and it's not coming from other beings trying to 'change' or 'correct' another being.

When we practice yoga and meditation, we are changing the habits of this mind (our own mind, not other people's mind). We are silencing the mind. When the mind is silent, turning inward resting in the chamber of the heart, wave-less/action-less, what is freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech?

Taming and quieting the busy outgoing self-righteous expressive mind is our yoga and meditation practice. The rest are just 'toys' to bring the attention of the mind into this present moment.

That's why the observance of silence is the most important practice in meditation retreat. It doesn't matter whether we are intellectual or not, it doesn't matter we are whom we think we are, it doesn't matter how healthy, strong and flexible is our physical body and what it can do or cannot do, it doesn't matter we have been to a yoga school or not, or have studied and learned under which Guru or which school, it doesn't matter how long we have been studying and practicing yoga and meditation, it doesn't matter how much we know or don't know about this and that, it doesn't matter what we believe what things are and how things should be, we all do one same practice. We silent/withdraw the thought-waves (the mind), the organ of action (the body) and the organ of speech (the expression).

When we see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think about something that we like or dislike, agree or disagree with, we observe, be aware. Just observe and be aware, without identification, without attachment, without reacting, without judging, without anticipating, without craving, without aversion, without clinging, without rejecting. This practice might take some time to be effortless. But then our mind will taste freedom and peace. Real freedom and unconditional peace. Freedom from ignorance, egoism, attachment, desire and impurities (in short, suffering).

Freedom of thinking, action and speech is there when we have the clarity and understanding to decide or choose what we want to think, act/react, express and say, or not. Being able to decide/choose what to think, act/react, express and say, and what not to think, act/react, express and say, is the real freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech. It's not about being able to think, act/react, express and say anything and everything freely, even if it will cause painful sorrow/suffering to ourselves and/or other beings.

 

Just like we can choose to keep our hands away from contacting with fire directly because we don't want to suffer injury or pain from being burnt by fire. It doesn't mean that we are lack of freedom of action when we choose not to perform certain action that will cause injury or pain to oneself and/or others, thinking that freedom of action means, "I want to be able to do whatever I want to do, such as be able to put my hands into the fire for as long as I want and I expect myself not getting injury or pain from being burnt." That's ignorance, not freedom at all.

Om shanti.

Control other people's mind?

Quite often this search word "how to control other people's mind" came to this blog.

If we really want to control other people's mind, well, we need to know how to control our own mind first.
And when we are able to control our own mind, then naturally we won't have this desire of want to control other people's mind.

Om shanti.

Yoga asana practice and some other wholesome activities to bring positive supports in mind control...

Especially when the mind cannot sit still quietly to turn inward yet, it keeps running outward and has to be doing something, or else it gets agitated or bored, then we need to engage the mind with some wholesome activities that will bring positive development and improvement in mind control, so that it doesn't has the 'room' to be engaged in some unwholesome activities that will bring distraction or obstruction in mind control.

It is the same as self-control or self-restraint - performing wholesome activities that will promote peace and harmony in oneself and in others. While refraining from performing unwholesome activities that will promote unrest and disharmony in oneself and in others.

Yoga asana practice, Pranayama, meditation, Japa, chanting, praying, house cleaning, gardening, laundry washing, studying the Vedanta or Bhagavad Gita, performing karma yoga or selfless service, performing all our duties and responsibilities, are some activities that we can keep the mind busy, so that it doesn't has the spare time and space to be engaging in any unwholesome activities like gossips, slander, criticism, ill thinking, speculations, fearful imaginations, worries, building castle in the air, and etc.

If we engage the body and mind with a short yoga asana practice, even if it's only for 5 minutes, there will be less a being in the world to be committing or generating negative or evil thinking, speech or actions into the world within that 5 minutes.

Imagine if 10% of the world population are engaging in yoga asana practice (with correct attitude) at the same time for 5 minutes, the whole world will have 10% less negative vibrations within that 5 minutes, not to say that usually in the traditional yoga asana practice, it will take about 2 to 3 hours for each practice, although duration is not the point at all... It doesn't mean that the longer we practice yoga asana, we will be guaranteed to be free form ignorance, egoism and suffering.

Same as all the other wholesome activities that we can do to keep the mind busy with wholesome activities that will bring peace and harmony in oneself and in others. People who cannot perform yoga asana practice, or are not interested in yoga asana practice can keep the mind busy with some other forms of wholesome activities in life. It is not necessarily has to be yoga asana practice, to bring positive development or improvement in mind control.

It's about what is most practical and convenient for us in that present moment. It can also change from time to time. Some days we are more enthusiastic to perform yoga asana practice, but some other days we might not have the same enthusiasm to perform yoga asana practice, but we can sit quietly observing the breath, mental thought waves or physical sensations. Or we can do some Pranayama, Japa, chanting and praying. Or engage in any activities that allow the body and mind to be purified as much as we can.

For those who are serious or sincere in the path of self-inquiry, we perform all the above activities as much as we can everyday to engage the mind only with activities that will encourage and support mind control, or elimination of the ego, or self-realization, or transcending ignorance or suffering, or realization of unconditional love and peace.

By having self-control or self-restraint, and not generating negative vibrations into the world through thinking, action and speech, is already benefiting the world. It is not necessarily that we have to be completely free from ignorance or suffering to be able to benefit the world. Beside not generating negative vibrations in ourselves and into the world, we can make good use of our talents, abilities, body, hands, feet, mouth, ears, eyes, nose, tongue, speech organ, mind, creativity, or merely loving kindness, to share what we have and what we can do, to bring some positive and cheerful vibrations into the world.

Om shanti.

Observe our own mind and know how the mind works...

A man had a dream. In his dream, he felt he was in danger, and so, in the dream he screamed loudly for help. This resulted he was screaming loudly in the middle of the night.

His house-mate came to wake him up and asked him was he having a "bad" dream.

He told the friend, "It was not a "bad" dream. It was just a dream. In the dream, I screamed for help as I felt being in a danger situation in the dream, that's all..."

But the friend insisted that it must be a "bad" dream if he had screamed so loud in sleep (according to what his mind was being conditioned to believe about what things are/should be. Everything has to be labelled as either "good" or "bad"...)

This is a little life story to teach us about our mind perception about things are being conditioned by what the mind being conditioned to believe or what the mind wants to believe, even though it is not necessarily the Truth of things. In a same happening, some people perceive it as something "positive", some people perceive it as something "negative", but the happening itself, it is not something "positive" nor "negative", it has no qualities or intention to be "positive" or "negative"...

Anyway, the person who had the dream, didn't perceive the dream as something "bad", the "scream" was just a spontaneous reaction coming from him shouting for help in his dream, and he was not disturbed by the dream at all when he woke up from the dream... But the other person who has nothing to do with the dream, who had heard the "scream", had attached to his own perception about "It must be a "bad" dream..."

This friend insisted that what himself perceived is true, is right, and he also thinks that other people should be thinking the way as how he thinks... Or the mind is being conditioned by "How can there be other different ways of thinking other than this one". And even if there are different ways of thinking, then all those thinking must be "wrong", because the mind believes that its way of thinking is right, if there is something different from this one, it must be wrong. The mind is being conditioned to think, "Chillies are spicy, how can chillies be not spicy?", or "Good people should be in happiness, how can good people be in suffering?", or "He was a bad person, how can he be a good person now?", or "He was a good person, how can he be a bad person now?"....

When the friend heard him said that "It was not a bad dream...", the friend cannot accept that he could perceive differently from his friend's perception... The mind is being conditioned by "It was a bad dream, how can it was not a bad dream, he must have perceived it wrongly", and so, the friend told him to "correct" him, "How can it was not a bad dream? It was a bad dream since you screamed in your sleep..."

This simple happening or interaction between two minds also reflects about, the mind is not just keep imposing the qualities of "good" and "bad, "positive" and "negative", "happiness" and "suffering" onto its own perception of what things are or what the world is, but it also wants to impose its own way of thinking onto other people's thinking, or being "nosy" about how other people mind should perceive or behave or function or react, the same way as how it perceives or behaves or functions or reacts according to what it thinks it true, is right and real...

And thus, arguments, conflicts, frustration, disappointment, dissatisfaction, anger, hatred, and etc, arise in that mind itself due to it cannot accept any other way of thinking other than its own, if the mind attached strongly to what it thinks or believes is "true" and "right", and anything that is different from this one must be "wrong" and "false"...

Like wise, there will be no arguments, conflicts, frustration, disappointment, dissatisfaction, anger, hatred, and etc, arise in that mind itself due to it is ready to accept the many possibilities of different ways of thinking other than its own, if the mind is aware of the thinking process in itself and doesn't attach to its own thinking or believes about what is "true" and "right".

The mind can function as it is or think the way that it thinks, or to believe what it wants to believe, but the awareness that is knowing or being aware of what is going on in the mind, is beyond the mind's thinking process, and this awareness stands as a silent witness or the observer watching the mind, without attaching or identifying or associating with the mind perception of names and forms, without judging the mind as "good" or "bad", without expecting the mind to behave in certain ways... And this awareness will also allow other people's mind to function as they are, or think the way that they want to think, or to believe what they want to believe, without trying to argue or to control or to change something that is different from what our own mind thinks and believes.

This awareness is untouched or uncontaminated by whether the mind is thinking about something "good" or "bad", "happy" or "unhappy", "right" or "wrong"... This awareness is also untouched or uncontaminated by the "good" and "bad" actions that derived from this life existence of the body and the mind... The awareness is being what it is, it is not affected nor determined by the "good" and "bad" actions performed by the body and mind, nor will it change, increase or decrease according to the impermanent changes of the body and mind, nor being influenced by the impermanent changes of the qualities of names and forms that the mind perceives from moment to moment...

This is real freedom...

The mind is doing some thinking, while the awareness is being aware of the mind is doing some thinking without react towards the thinking. This awareness is also being called the Higher Self or the higher mind. The higher mind is observing the lower mind. Or The pure part of the mind is watching the impure part of the mind. The mind is watching itself, controlling itself, purifying itself, transforming itself through dedication of consistent "yoga and meditation" practice... This will benefit the whole universe even though when the mind has no interactions with the "world" at all... As the entire worldly experience exists when the mind starts functioning and perceiving sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches and thinking. When the mind ceases from "moving" or "going out" through the senses, when the mind is silent, worldly experience doesn't exists...

What is "happiness", what is "suffering"?

Some people perceive the world as a "suffering" place, as the mind is being in a state of "suffering"... Some people perceive the world as a "happy" place, as the mind is being in a state of happiness... Some people perceive the world as neither a "suffering" nor "happy" place, it is just being what it is, as the mind has gone beyond the qualities of names and forms about "happiness" and "suffering"...


Be aware of how our own mind functions, and free ourselves from this conditioned way of thinking in the mind. We will stop judging anyone or arguing with anyone on different points of views, it doesn't matter if it is something what the mind strongly believes in about what is "good" and "bad", "right" and "wrong"...

This is nothing to do with whether we are being a "good" person or not...

Yoga and meditation practice are here to help us to change this habit or condition of how the mind thinks, in a gradual process... From being impatient transforming into less impatient. From being selfish transforming into less selfish. From being attached to names and forms transforming into detachments from names and forms. From being angry and hating transforming into forgiving, accepting and compassionate...

Restrict the mind from desires, wants, craving and aversion. Restrict the mind from reacts immediately towards whatever it perceives through the senses from moment to moment. Allow the mind to pause for a few moments before placing any judgment about things... At the end this few moments of pause will become longer until there is no need of reaction at all...

The thinking about "I am this or that", "I am good or bad", "I am happy or unhappy" is just a conditioned way of thinking in the mind, it is not who or what we really are... The mind also imposes the same qualities and judgments onto other people, perceiving this person or that person as "He is this or that", "He is good or bad", "He is happy or unhappy", but that is not who or what he really is...

Here's another example in life. While driving on the road, some of us "expect" the other drivers also drive according to the rules and regulations that we follow, and we get angry when other drivers didn't follow the rules and regulations like we do... And some of us know that and accept that other drivers might not be following the same rules and regulations as we do, we don't expect other drivers to drive like us, and we don't get angry when other drivers don't drive like us... We pay full attention on the road without expecting the other drivers on the road will follow all the rules and regulations like us...

We perform all our duties and responsibilities accordingly, but we do not expect other people will also be performing all their duties and responsibilities accordingly...

Love and peace to all of you. May all of you be free from the conditioned way of thinking in the mind.

Om shanti.

What does "friends" means on the path of compassion?

In the path of yoga and meditation or Buddhism or compassion, friendliness is part of our practice. But we might get confused as at the same time, we also always read or hear about the practice of seclusion or retreat from active sociable lifestyle, for any sincere Sadhakas to be able to go deeper into our yoga and meditation practice.

At some stage in our life, we will need to let go of our worldly duties and live a secluded life to concentrate on our own Sadhana.

Being "friendly" towards all beings on the path of compassion, is different from the worldly perception of what "friends" means. In the worldly perception or understanding, "friendships" might means getting to meet up with other people, to know and interact with other people, making and accumulating "friends" with those who can share with each other, to care for each other, to support each other, to hang out with, to spend time with, to do some activities with, to eat, drink, play and chat with, to cry and laugh with, somebody to talk to, somebody whom we can count on and lean on, to help each other during difficulties, to be there for each other during good and bad times, to celebrate or to mourn together... Or we can only be "friend" with people whom we like and agree with, and we cannot be "friend" with whom we don't like and disagree with... Or "friends" means those who have similar believes, thinking, point of view that can "work" or "do things" together... And, anyone who are not in these "categories" or if they are very different from us, then they are "not friends" or they are "enemies". There are conditions in looking for "friends" or being "friendly" towards another being.

We have attachment towards "friends" or "friendships". We have so much expectation towards what a "friend" or a "good friend" or a "true friend" should be like... Such like when something not very nice happens, we would likely to say this, "You are "my" friend, why you treat me like this? You shouldn't do this to me..." We'll get disappointed by "our" friends many times, but that disappointment is coming from our own expectation towards how "our" friends should behave or treat us. It is not coming from "our" friends being not nice or not friendly to us or not being a "friend" for us... If we like "our friends" very much, we enjoy the times being together, we will generate clinging and craving towards this "friend" or this "friendship"... If we don't like "our friends", we didn't enjoy the times being together, we will generate aversion towards this "friend" or this "friendship"...

In the path of compassion, yoga, meditation or Buddhism (all these different names and forms are not different from each other - it's all about realizing egolessness or selflessness to transcend "suffering"), "friendliness" towards all beings means not having any ill-will or hatred or discrimination towards all beings whether "good or bad" beings, "human or non-human" beings, without judgment, expectation, likes and dislikes, agreement or disagreement... We are able to be kind and compassionate towards all beings...

In another terms, all are "friends" to us, we are "friends" for all beings, whether beings I like or not, whether beings I agree with or not, whether beings I know or not, whether human or non-human beings, whether "good" or "bad" beings, there is no difference... And not limited to social "friends" whom we like, whom we agree with, whom we know, whom we spend time with, share life with, do things with, hang out with, get together with, chat with, eat with, drink with, adventure with, growth with, enjoy with, suffer with and so on...

It also means, it is not necessarily that there have to be some people in our life whom we can hang out with, do things with, share life with and so on, to have "friends", to be "friendly"...

And there is a greatest friend or "being" for us to love, to share with, to be there for good and bad times, is ourselves... But, how many of us know about this friend... We keep looking out for another being as "friend" who will love and care for us... And when we try to "love" ourselves, we tend to become selfish, only think and concern about our own feelings, desires and benefits... We "love" ourselves with selfishness which is the cause of our own unhappiness...

If we know this selfless "friend" who is there with us all the time, there is no loneliness whether we have "friends" or not...

That's why being "friendly" to all beings and live in seclusion is not contradict with one another on the path of compassion...

Some people get confused with or reject towards some teachings or advice coming from some great Gurus or Yogis or saints and sages in the past telling us about practice "friendliness" and be "friendly" towards all beings, but don't "mix" with people or don't "make friends", live a secluded life concentrate on performing our own Sadhana... What it means is, treat all beings equally, respect all beings, have no ill-will or hatred towards any beings, no differences or separation between those I categorized as "my friends" or "not my friends"...

All these great saints and sages, those who were living in the world, doing a lot of karma yoga (selfless service) serving the world, being with and dealing with different types of beings, they were friends to all beings, but they "didn't" desire to make or accumulate "friends" to spend time with, to hang out with, to do things with, to chat with, to eat and drink with, to play with, to enjoy with, to share with, to practice with, and so on... And yet they are sharing with all beings all the time, they are "friendly" towards all beings, close or far away, known or unknown, be seen or unseen, in actions or in inactions...

The practice of seclusion, it doesn't mean that we have no more friends and be lonely being alone by ourselves without any friends... But there is no loneliness and all are friends, without the "necessity" of having a so called "social life" which means having some "friends" or people whom we missed without their presence in our life, whom we want to spent time with or hang out with or do things with, for us to attain some sort of excitement or to remove unhappiness or loneliness... There is no distractions of anything that can cause restlessness... There is no vain talks, gossips, slandering, back-bitting, criticisms, judgments, discriminations, complaints, hypocrisy, lies, untruthfulness, politics, exploitations, and etc that generate disharmony in ourselves and in others...

Our Guru Swami Sivanandaji told us to be "care-less" in order to succeed in our Sadhana, it doesn't mean that we don't care for other beings, but it means "Care for all beings without attachment, without being disturbed, nor distracted, nor affected, nor influenced by other beings and social activities, which derives from knowing what is real "friendliness"... He also mentioned in his books or teachings repeatedly many times, about don't make or accumulate "friends" or do not mix, as one of the important observations in order to be succeed in meditation, it is not contradictory with the practice of "friendliness" and compassion at all, as "friendliness" and compassion is not about having a social life or accumulating "friends"... It is free from ill-will or hatred towards all beings whether they are "good" or "evil", whether we like them or not, agree with them or not, or whether they like us and agree with us or not...

Evil is "evil" as it appears to be opposite to what is "good and kind" to allow us to be justified as good and kind, and so, "evil" is not really evil... And "good" is not really good when there is hatred towards "evil" as hatred is associate with "evil"...

Of course, there is nothing wrong with having a "social life" and involved with "social activities" as long as there is no attachment... As social life and activities don't give us "distractions" unless we (the mind) are being distracted and influenced by them...

As we can be having many "friends" in life, but not necessarily that we are completely be free from ill-will or hatred towards other beings... By making and accumulating many "friends" also doesn't guarantee that we will be free from "loneliness" or we are being "friendly"...

We might be "friendly" towards those whom we like and agree with, but we might not necessarily be "friendly" towards those whom we dislike and disagree with, especially those whom we "think" that they are "bad" or "evil" or "wrong", those who are not nice and not kind to us and others, and those who hurt us and others physically or emotionally... Look at ourselves, how often that we are easily being disturbed or angry with somebody that we don't know personally, nor who comes in contact with us personally, but whom we "think" or "heard" that they are "bad and evil" beings who perform "bad and evil" actions but it is not necessarily the truth as what we think it is...

Restlessness, anxieties, agitation, depression, fear, worries, disturbs, troubles, conflicts, arguments, debates, anger, dissatisfaction, disappointment, violence, ill-will, energy deprivation, jealousy, envy, desires, distractions or lack of concentration that derives from worldly "social life" and "social activities" which are the main obstacles in the path of yoga and meditation, can be reduced to minimum when we practice seclusion from "social lifestyle" and yet living in the world performing actions serving the world without attachment and distractions... Especially those of us who are still easily being distracted, or disturbed, or influenced, or affected, or determined by other beings and social activities due to lack of non-attachment or detachment, lack of wisdom and compassion... As we are still being over-powered by ignorance, desires, craving and aversion and all other impurities like anger, hatred, greed, dissatisfaction, jealousy, pride, arrogance, fear, worry, expectation, and etc...

We can try to meditate everyday but still, our mind is restless, our ego is strong... We continue to experience suffering or unhappiness, and be miserable... We keep judging ourselves and others as good or bad... We keep having expectation towards ourselves and others about this and that... We still have ceaseless desires to be fulfilled, to be satisfied... Forever restless...

Until one day, when the ego and selfish desires have completely vanished, then there is no difference at all whether having an active social lifestyle or not, as by then we are no longer being distracted or influenced by anybody or anything, and we can mix freely with anybody whether positive or negative beings, active or inactive beings, wise or ignorant beings, happy or unhappy beings... We are always full of energy and yet be in calmness... We might be performing actions in life for other beings, but we also have time and space for our own Sadhana, not neglecting ourselves nor being distracted from perfoming our own Sadhana...

Not performing any actions for other beings doesn't mean that we didn't perform karma yoga as part of our practice. It's because by taking care of our own Sadhana is the greatest karma yoga selfless service being perform onto ourselves and will be benefiting other beings naturally, when we have peace and compassion in us.

Again, this practice is only an advice to those who are sincere to transcend "suffering", to be free from restlessness, discontentment, low self-esteem, anger, hatred, fear, worry, and etc...

Om shanti.

Be happy.

Who is practicing yoga and meditation?

The one who needs to perform yoga practice and meditation is the impure restless mind... If the mind is free from impurities and restlessness, there is no need of any yoga practice or meditation to act as purification "tools" to "purify" any impurities or to "calm down" any restlessness in the mind, as there is none...

The one who has no self-control needs to develop "self-control" to control itself... But the one who is already self-controlled doesn't need any act of "self-control" to control itself...

The mind is not peaceful and is not pure, and thus it needs yoga practices and meditation to be peaceful and to remove impurities.

The mind is affected and influenced by impurities and ignorance, and thus the mind needs to be free from impurities and ignorance.

The mind is affected and influenced by energy and elements, and thus it needs to be purified and be controlled through choosing what types of inputs or influences that have certain types of energy and elements...

The mind is experiencing restlessness, dissatisfaction, low confidence, unhappiness, fear, worry and is suffering, and thus the mind needs to attain peace, contentment, confidence, happiness, to be free from fear and worry, and to be liberated from suffering...

The mind needs spiritual practice such like yoga practice and meditation to be peaceful, to be pure, to feel good and be good, to be positive, to be happy and to be liberated...

The mind is affected or disturbed or determined by whatever it perceives through the senses. It is affected or disturbed or determined by what it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks... But the selfless consciousness is not affected nor disturbed nor determined by all the names and forms that the mind is experiencing or perceiving from moment to moment...

If there is no mind, there is no perception of names and forms, there is no world, there is no happiness and suffering, there is no good and evil, there is no positive and negative, there is no liberation and non-liberation...

The selfless consciousness is unconditional, unchanging, and is beyond qualities of dualities (it is neither pure nor impure, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative), it doesn't need any spiritual practice like yoga practice or meditation to make it pure and good, or to make it peaceful, or to make it positive, or to make it happy, or to give it liberation...

The selfless consciousness is unaffected nor influenced by energy and elements, and thus energy and elements have no influence power to influence or contaminate or change what it is...

The sentence about "We" need to practice yoga and meditation to attain purity, wisdom, compassion, peace, and to be liberated from unhappiness and suffering, is just the mind (As "we" are the idea of 'I' identified with the modification of the mind, and so, "we" need to practice yoga and meditation to attain liberation or peace...).

The minds that realized the Truth of selflessness, and know the selfless consciousness, and have gone beyond the modification of the mind, they don't need to perform any yoga practice or meditation to attain "anything", as the selfless consciousness is all peace, and it is beyond all the qualities of pure and impure, good and evil, positive and negative, happiness and unhappiness... It is not tainted and not contaminated by any qualities of dualities in the mind, which is not "us", and thus it doesn't matter the mind is pure or impure, positive or negative, good or evil, happy or unhappy, it has nothing to do with the selfless consciousness...

The selfless consciousness doesn't need to be purified... It doesn't need to be good or do good or feel good... It doesn't need to be peaceful and happy... It doesn't need to be positive or strong... It doesn't need to develop wisdom and compassion...

The selfless consciousness is not bound by the presence of ceaseless births and deaths, of selfless impermanent changes, which is the nature of all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms, where inevitable suffering of restlessness arise in the restless mind under the veil of ignorance, and so, the mind needs to attain liberation, but there is no suffering of restlessness in the selfless consciousness, and so, it doesn't need to attain any "liberation"...

The selfless consciousness is not being affected, nor influenced, nor disturbed, nor determined, nor tainted by good and evil, positive and negative energy, actions and inactions that come from the body and the mind... And thus it is not bound by all these things, or objects, or experiences, or relationships, or names and forms that are related to this selfless impermanent life existence under the functions of the limited and conditional body and mind...

Realize the selfless consciousness of what all and everything are, and the mind will realize that there is no need to perform any spiritual practice to be liberated... And there is no "I" in all and everything... There is no "I" am experiencing "this and that"... There is no "I" am good or evil... There is no "I" am positive or negative... There is no "I" am pure or impure... There is no "I" am happy or suffering... There is no "I" am peaceful or not peaceful... There is no "I" am performing actions or inactions... There is no "I" am enjoying the fruit of "my" actions or inactions... There is no "I" am liberated or need to be liberated...

This "I" is the non-existing idea of 'I' or the ego, occupying the selfless modification of the selfless mind... And the mind is conditional and limited, selfless and impermanent...

As long as there is still an idea of 'I' identifying with the body and the modification of the mind, and attached to this life existence as "I" and "All that "I" am experiencing, who is performing actions and inactions, and who is enjoying the fruit of "my" actions and inactions...", then this mind needs all kinds of spiritual practice such like yoga and meditation to be liberated from ignorance, impurities, restlessness and suffering...

The body and the mind will be benefited from the yoga practice and meditation, to be healthy and peaceful... But, the selfless consciousness doesn't need any benefits from the yoga practice and meditation. It is all peace, without birth, changes, growth, decay, old age, illness and death...

By bringing the body and the mind to perform yoga practice and meditation, is being kind and compassionate towards this body and mind... When the body and mind is in harmony and peace due to the effect of the yoga practice and meditation, naturally it will be benefiting the world, as there is less a being in the world to generate disharmony and unrest into the world due to the mind is in a suffering state of unrest and disharmony...

Om shanti.

Yoga is about eliminating the ego to realize selflessness, but how?

Teaching yoga, not about teaching some yoga asana poses or exercises as fitness exercise class, but teaching and guiding the minds on how to develop non-attachment, non-identification, letting go of the ego, and how to transcend the mind and the body, transcend “suffering”, “restlessness”, “dissatisfaction”, “unhappiness”, “fear”, “worry”, and etc, via yoga practice (not limited to yoga asana and pranayama practice), to realize the one same nature of all beings – selflessness, that also lead to the realization of real peace that is unconditional, is not like doing a business selling a “product” or “service” to the people such like in the fitness, health and beauty industry, or in the modern “yoga” industry where there are so many varieties of “yoga classes” and “yoga accessories” on the “yoga market” to satisfy the different interests or desires of the mind… But yoga is only one…

It is not a religion that trying to convert other people to believe and to follow its teachings, or else “God” will punish anyone who does not believe in its teachings and does not follow the practice accordingly… Every beings has the choice or freedom whether to follow the path and take up the practice, or not… Some people take up the complete practice, but many people only want to take up certain parts of the teachings and practice that they like and agree with… And there is nothing wrong with that…

It is our freedom whether we want to be egoistic and ignorant, or if we want to realize selflessness, and be free from ignorance… It is our freedom whether we want to be in peace, or we don’t mind at all if we are not in peace…

We cannot make anyone to understand, or to practice, or to realize according to what we understand and practice and realized.. It is everyone’s freedom…

If someone doesn’t enjoy the food that is not the taste that he likes, then even if somebody want to be nice to him and give him “very good” food for free everyday, it is not going to make him satisfied and happy… Because it is not something that he wants and likes… Some people like to live in restlessness, or else they’ll feel like fish out of water… That's their freedom.

Yoga (selflessness) is not a thing that we can “pay” with some “money” to buy and possess… But it is realizing the Truth of the 'I', by letting go of the ego (giving up pride, arrogance, desires, identities, attachments, likes and dislikes, craving and aversion, and etc). The truth is always here, in this present moment… We don’t need to “buy” it from somebody or from some organizations who claim that they can “make” us “become” anything that we want to be… We are what we are, why do we need somebody else to make us to become “us”?

No doubts that by practicing yoga asana exercises everyday will make our mind feels good, make our body strong and healthy, and be able to enjoy a higher quality of life, but there is no guarantee that all minds that are learning and practicing “yoga” will be liberated, and be free from ignorance, impurities, unhappiness or “suffering”, and is peaceful being undisturbed or undetermined by the impermanent qualities of names and forms… It depends on the presence and absence of non-attachment towards the modifications of the mind, or whatever the mind is perceiving and experiencing from moment to moment, or towards any names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, that will lead us to peace, or not…

It is just the body and mind experiencing some momentary conditional good feelings and good condition as part of the effects of the yoga exercises, but we are not the body, we are not the mind… The body is not “I”, the mind is not “I”. As long as there is still an identity in the mind identifying with the body and mind as 'I', which are impermanent and constantly changing and are subject to conditional circumstances to feel good and happy, or not, being over-powered by the craving towards “good condition” and the aversion towards “bad condition”, then we will never be free… Our sense of well-being swaying up and down according to the conditional changes of qualities… Forever restless… Maybe some people just want to keep working on satisfying the cravings of the body and mind, and enjoying that momentary satisfaction or sense of achievement when they get what they want, and are not interested to go beyond that, it is nothing wrong. Be happy.

It doesn’t guaranteed that we will be free from ignorance after how long and how much we had performed the “yoga practice”… But it doesn’t matter, because regardless of whether we’ll realize the one nature of all beings, or not, it doesn’t change the Truth about what we think we are… Even if we don’t know or realize that the nature of all beings is selflessness, the embodiment of unconditional peace, and even if we are not peaceful in the present moment now, this nature of selfless unconditional peace is always there…

Some beings never done any “yoga practice” before but they are liberated and are free from ignorance… Some people do not practice “yoga” at all, but they are selfless, peaceful and compassionate… Some people did a lot of yoga practice everyday for years but still are not free from ignorance yet… Even if they are learning yoga from some “famous” yoga gurus or teachers… It is not the responsibility of the teachers for anyone’s liberation… Teachers are just being there to show the way (either the right way or the wrong way)… Liberation is coming from the minds themselves, and through their own effort (how much they are ready to give up or let go of attachment towards worldly attachments, identities, possessions, passion, desires, craving and aversion)…

The real yoga practice is about purifying and quieting the mind, where many impurities will arise to the surface of the mind during the process of mind purification, it is not a “nice” and “comfortable” experience in the journey towards true freedom… We’ll start to see the “ugly” side of our personality, or thinking, or behavior, or reaction, when we don't get what we want and are getting what we don’t want… The ego doesn’t like to know or admit about its own selfishness and foolishness… Most “minds” will try to runaway or avoid this uncomfortable purification process, and give in to the desires of craving and aversion (always looking for pleasant experiences, and rejecting unpleasant experiences, to gratified all its desires of likes and dislikes, wants and don’t wants)…

There is nothing wrong if a real yogi who knows the Truth and what is yoga, but does not “interested” or “desire” to “teach” yoga to the public. That doesn’t mean that they are selfish and don't want to share the greatness of yoga with other beings… They don’t “have to” share yoga with other beings intentionally, but that won’t stop them from radiate peace, wisdom and compassion into the universe… Even if they are interested to share and “teach” yoga to the public out of compassion, it is really depending on the minds themselves whether they will be willingly to let go of their ego and egoism, desires, pride and arrogance, and letting go of the identification with the body and mind and worldly self-image, to be open-minded to inquire the truth of everything, and be really humble to practice “yoga” sincerely, or not, and realize yoga by themselves…

There might be many so called "yoga practitioners" and "yoga teachers" in the world nowadays on the yoga "market" or "industry", but how many of us are really a "yogi"? Many who call ourselves "yogis", "yoga practitioners", "yoga teachers" and talk about the teachings and practice of yoga and teach other people to perform the yoga poses, but how many of us are sincerely practicing non-identification with the body and mind, letting go of the ego, practicing non-attachment towards all the qualities of names and forms, realizing the Truth of non-duality, and are desire-less and selfless? How many are truly practicing "yoga" or are just doing some "yoga exercises" for many hours everyday, but not knowing how to be free from being conditioned by the qualities of names and forms, craving and aversion, egoism and ignorance? How many are so called "in love" with "yoga" but continue to indulge in worldly passionate desires, gossiping, slandering, boasting, self-glorifying, telling lies, hypocrisy, mocking, back-biting, complaining, and condemning the yoga teachings that they don't agree with? Some people only fell in love with certain parts of the yoga practice that they like, but criticizing the other practices or teachings that their "ego" doesn't agree with and doesn't like...

Not all of the "experienced" yoga practitioners have already transcended names and forms, and many are still being over-powered by the ego and egoism, still have attachment towards spiritual achievement, physical and mental achievements, attached towards their actions and inactions, and the fruit of their actions and inactions, not to say, those who are still struggling in the ocean of ignorance... Even a well-trained great mind like Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita was once deluded by ignorance, and needed the guidance of Krishna...

A sincere "yoga seeker" who is interested in looking for a yoga teacher to learn and practicing yoga will come to a "teacher" with a humble heart and opened mind, to learn and "serve" under the teacher for purifying the mind and eliminating the ego... During the time of living closely to the teacher and learning from the teacher, the students of yoga will be asked to do a lot of Karma Yoga - selfless service, performing all duties and responsibilities without attaching towards the actions and the fruit of the actions... This will help the students to let go of the ego and egoism of attachment, identification, desire, judgment, expectation, or intention... And when the student's mind is matured enough, when the mind is free from egoism, impurities, desires and restlessness, when the ego is eliminated through performing selfless service without attaching towards the actions and the fruit of the actions, without expecting anything in return for all his actions, allowing the fruit of actions being there as it is, the teachings or the Truth will arise in the pure and serene mind naturally.

The teacher doesn't need to say anything or teach the students anything, but only guides them in daily life performing selfless service for many years to purify the mind and eliminating the ego. As the truth is already there in everyone "waiting" to be realized, it is not coming from or attaining from the outside. All the mind needs to do is removing all impurities and eliminating the ego... Yoga practice like Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana and Dhyana, or so called a glance of stillness in Samadhi, don't lead to "freedom" when the mind is still full of passionate desires and attachments... If the mind of the yoga students is full of impurities and desires and being over-powered by the ego, then no matter how much yoga practice and teachings that the teacher tries to teach to the yoga students, it is useless... It is like a dirty bowl, and we want to put the best clean and tasty food inside it... The food will be contaminated by the dirtiness or impurities...

The basic qualities in a yoga "seeker" are -

1.) Viveka (discrimination of real and unreal)

2.) Vairagya (dispassion or detachment)

3.) Mumukshutva (intense yearning for liberation)

4.) Shat-sampat (consists of the six virtues as below)

   a.) Sama - tranquility of the mind

   b.) Dama - self-restraint or control of the senses

   c.) Uparati - cessation from worldly activities

   d.) Titiksha - forbearance or power of endurance

   e.) Sraddha - faith in God, Scripture and the selfless Self, or the selfless universal consciousness

   f.) Samadhana - concentration or one-pointedness of mind

If a being doesn't have or doesn't develop all these qualities while performing the yoga practice, then by performing the yoga practice doesn't really bring them to peace, but instead it will be empowering the ego, pride and arrogance, desires of craving and aversion, which will lead to more restlessness (the opposite of peace) - Such like "I am a 'lovely princess' after I practiced yoga and everything is the way as I desire, and I am an 'evil monster' when I didn't practice yoga and everything is not the way as I desire..." That is the state of mind changing according to the momentary conditional influence from performing the yoga practice. It is not the unconditional real peace...

When the yoga students perform selfless service in the Ashram, nobody will come and tell them, "Hey, you did a good job," or "Thank you," or "You are a good yogi," or "Well done, keep it up," and etc... This is to starve the ego, not feeding the ego with what it wants... As the one who is longing for or depending on all these response or reaction of appreciation, acknowledgment, compliment, thankfulness, encouragement, agreement, and etc, to make the mind feels good about what it had done, and to motivate itself to perform actions, is the ego... The ego will grow stronger and stronger, if we keep feeding the ego with what it wants...

Without anyone showing appreciation and thankfulness in names and forms, or even, if there is criticism or condemn for their efforts and contributions, it doesn't mean that all efforts and actions are "meaningless"... The sun is always there shining ceaselessly providing light, heat and energy to the universe, whether the beings acknowledge or don't acknowledge about the contribution of the sun... Same as water, air, earth and space... It doesn't matter human beings are being grateful or ungrateful towards their intention-less selfless contribution to the universe, they are always there providing and supporting all and everything to be existing in the universe... They exist for all and everything to be existing without the intention to be there, to exist and to give. Neither there is expectation towards everything will be existing and be grateful because of their existence for all and everything to be existing... And they don't need to be existing at all if nothing exist...

The real appreciation and gratefulness is nameless and formless beyond thoughts, speech and actions... When someone knows how to perform all actions selflessly and compassionately without attaching to the actions or the fruit of the actions, without expecting any response of appreciation, acknowledgment, compliment, thankfulness, or encouragement coming from anybody to feel good about what he had done and to be motivated to perform actions, then this person is free from being conditioned by the ego... This mind is living in the present moment, and radiates peace and compassion without any intentions, and will not be disturbed by the impermanent qualities of names and forms perceived in the mind through the senses...

This practice of renouncing from the fruit of action is being practiced when we are performing all the yoga practice such like yama, niyama, yoga asana, pranayama, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation, chanting, studying the scriptures, and etc.. We do not expect any benefits or rewards in return from our efforts and actions... But we allow all the benefits to be there naturally as it is, not because we expect the benefits to be there the way that we want it to be... There is no identification as the doer of the actions and the enjoyer of the fruit of the actions... The ego needs some kind of benefits or rewards to motivate it to perform actions, but the selfless nature of all beings doesn't need any motivations to be what it is...

When the ego is eliminated, there is neither good or bad, happiness or suffering, positive or negative, success or failure, praise or condemn, appropriateness or inappropriateness, auspiciousness or inauspiciousness, pleasantness or unpleasantness, action or inaction, birth or death, gain or loss...

When the mind is free from the ego, there is no hypocrisy in this mind... Pretentiousness and untruthfulness is completely vanished and absent in this...

Although there are not many real yogis are interested in "teaching" yoga to the public, this doesn't mean that there are no real yogis sharing the wisdom of peace and compassion in the world... Real yogis are not necessarily to be recognized through "fit and strong and flexible" physical body, nor being determined by the skill in performing some yoga asana and meditation poses, or teaching some "yoga classes", nor being determined by how much charity works under certain names and forms that they had performed... They might not be doing any yoga poses or talk about anything about "yoga"... But they are not separated from yoga and meditation every moment... They are meditating beyond names and forms, ceaselessly from moment to moment, and are already identical with the selfless universal consciousness - Selflessness, or Yoga... And without intention, they radiate love and peace to all beings unlimited by names and forms, time and space, without discrimination, judgment or expectation...

Anyone who is completely selfless and compassionate is a real yogi... They do not need to perform "yoga practice" under certain names and forms to purifying and calming the mind, as their mind is already pure and calmed... Anyone who can perform a lot of yoga asana poses beautifully, but is not free from the ego yet, is still being over-powered by impurities, desires, craving, aversion, pride, arrogance, attachments, identifications, judgment and expectation, and has not realized the real nature of selflessness, unconditional peace and compassion, is not necessary a yogi... They are just striving to be a "yogi"... And real yogis don't need to call or tag themselves as "yogis"... There is no identification with any qualities of names and forms...

Selflessness and compassion is nothing to do with physical appearances or the physical and mental conditions and abilities to perform the asana poses. It is not defined by actions and inactions. A real yogi is beyond actions and inactions... A perfected Yogi is also a Jnani, there's no distinction between a yogi and a Jnani, they both are selfless, peaceful, wise and compassionate, and they both can be having certain illness, like chronic disease or cancer, or they might be short-lived, but they are not touched or determined by the sickness/weakness/imperfection of the physical body or the impermanent states of the mind, neither are they perceiving suffering due to the impermanent conditions of the physical body that is inevitably decaying from moment to moment...

Once the mind realized selflessness from performing Karma Yoga - renouncing the fruit of actions, naturally this mind is also devoting to the selfless universal consciousness (Bhakti Yoga), it is radiating wisdom (Jnana Yoga), it is the master of its own modification of the mind (Raja Yoga)... All these paths are not separated from each other when a mind realized selflessness...

In fact, there are plenty of these "yogis" out there disseminating love and peace into the world without posing as "Jnani", "yogis" or "yoga teachers"... They don't make "noise" or "advertise". They don't intentionally show an "image" of "Jnani" or "yogis" or "yoga practitioners" or "yoga teachers" to the world. They might not mix with the "yoga community" or the "yoga association" or the "yoga affiliation" or the "yoga organization" or the "yoga movement"... They might not announce themselves as "yogis". They might not announce themselves as "yoga teachers". They might not give "yoga classes". They might not take "yoga students"... They might not possess recognized "certifications" and "qualifications"... But they are the ego-less liberated compassionate wise beings who transmit the vibration of unconditional love and peace into the universe every moment unceasingly, just by being presence, without any intention or expectation to benefit the world, or try to change the world to be a "better" place, or try to control anyone to behave "accordingly", or "hope" and "expect" the world will change into the way that they want it to be...

In the traditional lineage of yoga, the teacher doesn't really "give" the students what they "want" or "desire" or "expect", but will give them what they need to be free from the ego and ignorance, allowing them to deal with their egos whenever they are not getting what they want or desire or expect... Even if they'll get angry or frustrated because the teacher does not "please" them by giving them what their egos want to see, or hear, or experience, but those are the great moments for them to recognize and root out their egos and to free themselves from the ego... Until their ego is eliminated, their mind is tamed, and is free from the desires of craving and aversion... Meanwhile, the selfless universe will provide all and everything with what they need, without their expectation or "wanting" anything...

In the traditional yoga lineage, the teacher seems like is being "very hard" on the students (more precisely - hard on their egos), but it is all out of compassion... At the end, without the teacher showing us anything in names and forms, our ego melts away. Upon the absence of the veil of ignorance, the Truth reveals itself to us... It is not easy to be a real yoga teacher... But the real yoga teacher doesn't mind. The "yoga teachers" who mind, they are not free from the ego yet...

Om shanti.

Let go of attachment towards this impermanent physical body... But with appreciation for it...

Yoga is not about challenging the physical body to go beyond its limitation, to become super strong and flexible, but it is about going beyond the identification with the body and mind, and going beyond the impermanent conditions and limitations of the body and mind...

This physical body is mortal. It is subject to impermanence, growth, changes, old age, decay, sickness and decomposition (death)... This is the Truth of this physical body, and no matter how much we spend our life time, money and effort to train the physical body to make it strong and flexible, and no doubt that we can make good use of this strong and flexible body as much as possible in our life, but we cannot change the Truth that this physical body will be losing it strength and flexibility (whether instantly due to accidents and injuries, or gradually due to the decaying effect of old age) and one day this body will stop functioning (decompose)...

Look at all the yogis in the past except those who left the world at young age... Most of them had developed the incredible super human strength and flexibility to perform all the complex yoga asana poses when their body was still young, but as their body grew older, their body were no longer as strong and flexible as they were before, and slowly losing their strength and flexibility, and their body started to show decaying effects, losing their youthfulness, losing their muscles tone and skin elasticity, losing their teeth and sense of taste and smell, losing their hearing and eye sight, losing their memory, losing their stamina, and gradually their body stopped functioning (decompose)...

That is the greatest teaching from all the yogis in the past, about the Truth of this physical body is impermanence, and it is conditional and limited...

There is a greater meaning for performing the yoga asana practice beside developing physical strength and flexibility, which is to render the body and mind pure and still for meditation, for higher spiritual realization, to be liberated from having birth and death, from having a mortal physical body and impure egoistic mind that is being conditioned and limited by impermanence and qualities of names and forms...

The physical strength and flexibility that come from the yoga asana practice is only one of the "side-effects" of the practice, it is not the main objective of performing the yoga asana practice...

It is the self-discipline and self-control that we develop by devote ourselves into the daily yoga asana practice that will change the habits or the thought currents of the mind... That is the objective of performing the yoga asana practice... It is the different body positions stimulating different energy centres (not coming from the physical strength and flexibility), the concentration and stillness being in the asana poses, and the breath control that is influencing the energy fields and thus influence the state of the mind...

The entire yoga asana practice is a process of purifying, stimulating, balancing, conserving, calming, unblocking and channeling the energy fields for approaching the source within, to go back to our purest consciousness before the existence of the body and the egoistic impure mind...

This is nothing to do with whether our body is super strong and flexible or not... It only requires a minimal strength and mobility to put our body into the different yoga asana poses, and we will still get the same effects of purifying, stimulating, balancing, conserving, calming, unblocking and channeling the energy fields. We don't have to be super strong and flexible to do some complex asana poses to have these effects... Even if some people have no physical strength and flexibility at all to perform any asana practice, through visualization and the chanting of OM verbally or mentally will also have the same effects of doing the yoga asana practice...

A strong and flexible body is just an instrument for us to be able to perform selfless service for ourselves and other beings to evolve towards higher consciousness, apart from having a better quality of life... There is nothing wrong with enjoying a better quality of life and having better condition of health, minimize illnesses, and extend youthfulness and life span to the maximum, but these are not the main objective of performing yoga practice...

Just by having a physical body as strong and flexible as a world class athlete, cannot guarantee to liberate us from ignorance, birth and death and suffering...

Even if the physical body is extremely strong and flexible, and able to perform many complex yoga asana poses, it doesn't guarantee that this mind is in good condition... And even if the mind is in a good condition in this present moment now, it is still subject to impermanence... It will change... That's why we are practicing non-attachment to go beyond all the impermanent states of the mind, and not identifying with the mind...

Just like the conditions and abilities of this physical body is subject to impermanence, this egoistic thinking mind is also subject to impermanence, changes, experiencing feelings and emotions of up and down, having reactions and attachments towards the qualities of names and forms, having likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants, craving and aversion, being ignorant of the Truth, having doubts and wrong identification with the body and mind, and being conditioned by the perception of names and forms, having endless dissatisfaction, disappointment, agitation, depression, greed, desire, anger, hatred, jealousy, pride, arrogance, fear and worry... Constantly being in a state of restlessness...

Unless we start to deal with the mind... Then only we can be free from being conditioned by our own mind and the physical body, whether our physical body is strong and flexible or not...

Being a physically fit world class athlete with super human strength and flexibility doesn't liberate us from suffering, birth and death... It is being free from impurities like egoism, selfishness, attachment, ignorance, anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, pride, arrogance, desire, dissatisfaction, disappointment, agitation, depression, anxiety, craving, aversion, fear and worry, and etc, and be free from being conditioned by impermanence, that will liberate us...

It is realizing that there is nobody there that exist as "I", there is nobody there to accumulate and possess wealth, health, knowledge, happiness or love, but the only existence is the awareness of being aware of the present moment now...

Attachment... What a great ignorance... A great impurity that will bind us without us being aware of its bondage... We think that we are being loving and kind, and we are showing love and affection towards the "object" that we love... But actually it is mere attachment towards the object of the senses...

There is a huge difference about being compassionate towards "something", and being attached to and show affection towards "something".

If it is mere compassionate loving kindness, there is no attachment. No disappointment. No expectation. No possessiveness. No unhappiness. No suffering... There is no sense of possessiveness, like "This is my... and it is mine...". There is no desire or expectation of getting any sense of satisfaction, achievement, acknowledgment, appreciation, pride, interaction, love and attention from any objects...

When the mind gets in contact with any objects of the senses that it likes, whether it is a human being, an animal, an insect, a plant, a shirt, a phone, a car, a house, a pillow, a movie, a photo, a piece of music, a cup, an apple, a view, a scenery, a sensation, a memory, a book, a letter, a finger nail, a yoga mat, a yoga pose, a feeling, a relationship, a friendship, a brand of something, knowledge, personal image, or anything that we can think of, within the body and outside the body, the mind will generate attachment, clinging and craving, and will want to possess these objects and show affection and love for these objects... But, all these objects are impermanent. They don't stay unchanged forever as what the mind like it to be... They will change into something different that the mind doesn't like nor appreciate... The mind starts to get dissatisfaction and disappointment due to the impermanence of all these objects. It wants something else. It keeps looking for new attachments that will bring some pleasant sensation of satisfaction... But, it will never be satisfied... When something happens to the objects that it loves, it becomes so annoyed, angry, upset, disappointed and unhappy...

The mind feels satisfied and happy now, because something that the mind likes and wants is there... But, when this object that the mind likes and wants is not there anymore, or when this object changed into something that the mind doesn't like and doesn't want, will the mind still be satisfied and happy? Nope... It becomes very disappointed and unhappy or depressed...

The stronger the attachment or "love and affection" towards any objects, the stronger the disappointment, dissatisfaction and unhappiness will be...

For example, if I broke a cup, just a normal cup, not "my favorite cup", not "somebody else's favorite cup", then I won't be unhappy about it and there's no body is going to be bother about it... But, if somebody broke "my favorite cup", or "somebody else's favorite cup", I might get very upset and angry, or somebody is going to be very upset and angry about it... That's the power of attachment...

Another example, somebody else's son passed away, we will feel sympathy and will let it go very easily... But, if it is "my son" had passed away, I will be very upset and depressed, and not so easy to let it go... And if there is somebody who is responsible for "my son" to passed away, I am not just upset and depressed, but I will also be very angry and hating towards that person who is responsible for "my son"s death... That's the power of attachment...

And the Truth is we don't own anything, we don't possess anything, not even this body and this mind... It is a complete delusion of having the idea that "This is my..." and "This is mine..."

All we can do is, appreciate the present moment now, for what we have and where we are and how we are...

The entire path of yoga and meditation is about letting go of attachment... Letting go of the body, the mind, the ego, the intellect, the objects of the senses, all the names and forms, sights, sounds, smells, taste, touch (sensations) and thinking (thoughts)... But with appreciation of all these things...

And the biggest attachment since we were born into this world, is the attachment towards our physical body and our egoistic thinking mind... Once we let go of all these attachments, we are what we are, we are not determined nor conditioned by any qualities of names and forms, including this body and this mind...

It is from the attachment towards the body and mind, all impurities, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, desires, pride, arrogance, craving, aversion, agitation, depression, restlessness, fear and worry arise...

When there's no attachments, there's no impurities...

When there's no impurities, peace is there...

Fully appreciate and make good use of this physical body for us to be here to learn, to experience, to evolve, but without attachment...

Be free...

Om shanti.

The importance of Mauna & Uparati - The practice of silence & renunciation from worldy activities

This practice of silence and renunciation from worldly activities is applicable for those who sincerely want to tread the path of entering into silence or attaining Samadhi - the ultimate freedom and real peace transcending the ego and the mind, transcending the perception of the world of names and forms, dualities and qualities, and be free from desires, greed, craving and aversion, and thus be free from ignorance and suffering. This practice will come naturally for those who already have the right discrimination about what is real and unreal. Naturally they will let go of chasing after of the unreal, and will know to appreciate and utilize the existence of this body and mind for what is real...

Any names and forms that is formed through combination of energy and elements, it is not real... It has a beginning and an end... It exists and will stop existing... It is conditioned by qualities of names and forms... It is impermanent and constantly changing... It is non-Self. There's no existence of 'I' in the names and forms to be in control of all these impermanent changes.

What is real, is beyond qualities, names and forms... And thus it doesn't has a beginning or ending. It doesn't exist or stop existing. It is attributeless, it is not conditioned by qualities of names and forms. It is not affected by impermanence and it doesn't change...

This practice of Mauna and Uparati is not just applicable and limited to the so called monks and nuns who leave the world to concentrate on their own Self-realization. The real renunciation is not conditioned by any names and forms, but it is happening in the mind, and it can be at anywhere and anytime, and in anyone...

People who know real renunciation can live in the midst of the world but will not be affected, nor influenced, nor determined, nor disturbed, nor conditioned by the world of names and forms... They are free from ignorance, egoism, anger, hatred, greed, desire, dissatisfaction, craving and aversion, anxiety, restlessness, fear and worry. Out of compassion and wisdom that they realize from Self-realization, they can perform so much works or actions to help the other beings to be free, to transcend the ego and the mind, ignorance and suffering... But without being affected by the fruit of their actions.

For people who really wish to attain success in the path of yoga and meditation, the practice of Mauna (silence) and Uparati (cessation from worldly activities) are very important practice to turn the outgoing tendency of the mind inward, in order to render the mind calm and be free from restlessness and unnecessary anxieties, cares and worries for Self-introspection or Self-inquiry.

The practice of Mauna and Uparati maybe seen as "anti-social" in the eyes of the worldly people, but it is a must if we really want to go deeper in the path of yoga and meditation to know the Truth of our existence and to attain real peace. Those whose minds are wild, incontrollable, restless and passionate are not yet ready to meditate, to contemplate upon the Truth... There is nothing wrong or bad about the mind being restless and passionate... Just keep practice purification of the mind and strengthening self-control...

That's why all the (serious) meditation retreats for people who live in the busy world to immerse themselves in meditation practice for purifying and calming the mind, and to contemplate on the Truth, they have two most important observations which are, to observe silence or Mauna (to stop any interactions and communications with the world verbally, mentally and physically) and to refrain from worldly or daily habitual activities throughout the entire retreat. This is to allow the mind to quiet down, to take a few moments of "rest"... Within that few moments of "rest", the mind is calm and quiet, be free from anxiety, restlessness, imaginations and speculations, and naturally, without any intention to know the Truth, the Truth will reveal itself...

Only a calm and pure mind can reflect upon the Truth without the influence of the ego, the thinking, impurities, judgments and expectations...

For people who really devote this life existence for Self-realization, and they know self-control, non-attachment and renunciation, they can live in the busy world, but being undisturbed, unaffected, uninfluenced, unconditioned, undetermined by the world, and practice meditation entering into silence. The world is always restless, but they are not influenced by the world. Their mind is at rest all the time... They are different from those who need to go to retreat centres repeatedly to have some sorts of "momentary" self-control, non-attachment and renunciation in the retreat centres, to find some moments of peace, but when come back out into the world, there is no self-control, nor non-attachment, nor renunciation, and there is no peace...

In the path of yoga (mind control), these two practices are unavoidable if we really want to know about this mind (the existence of "I" (the perceiver) and all the enjoyments and suffering (the perceived) that comes along with the existence of this "I"), and to be able to go beyond this mind and to transcend the ego, craving and aversion, and ignorance or impurities, as well as transcending all the qualities of names and forms (the state of duality that derives from the perception of names and forms).

Fear and worry, anger and hatred, greed and dissatisfaction, envy and jealousy, doubts and ignorance, craving and aversion, passionate desires, the attachments towards the body and mind, the attachments towards all the names and forms that are being perceived through this mind and body with the functions of the senses and sense organs, the wrong identification with the body and mind, the sensations, the feelings, the thinkings and the egoistic "I-ness" and "mine-ness"... - All these impurities "disconnect" us from our true nature, the eternal unconditional, attributeless wisdom, bliss and peace.

We think we are "this" or "that" with certain names and forms, behaviors, believes, religions, educations, cultures, habits, hobbies, talents, characteristics and personalities. We think we have something called "self-esteem" that is being determined by who we are and what we are, what we do and don't do, what we can do and cannot do, and what we judge ourselves and others. We think we need to have certain qualities to create or develop something what we name as "confidence" in us.

The truth is, once we know this mind and what is this ego, then all the so called "self-esteem" and "confidence", and all the other qualities of good and bad, happiness and suffering, names and forms that we use to judge ourselves and everyone and everything in this world, they all will disappear... They don't exist at all...

There is no "I"... There is no "self-esteem" or "confidence"... There is no need to have "self-esteem" or "confidence" to feel that we are "somebody" or to make us become "somebody"...

"Self-esteem" and "confidence" exist when we think we are this body and mind, and we are "somebody" with certain qualities, names and forms...

When we truly know our true Self, the existent of "I" with certain qualities, names and forms, will disappear... Our true Self is nameless and formless, beyond names and forms... There is no good and bad. There is no positive and negative. There is no happiness and suffering...

In order to know our true Self, not just from reading books written by enlightened beings, or having heard from past saints and sages, or from some existing teachers or Gurus telling us about "who we really are", we need to be able to observe the practice of Mauna and Uparati in some stage in our life... Just to take some "time off" from worldly activities and interactions... For the mind to have the opportunity to be free from restlessness, unnecessary cares and worries, to concentrate and focus inwardly for introspection, for self-inquiry, for self-realization, for experiencing the real inner peace, for knowing the Truth of existence and suffering...

Note that this real inner peace is not the momentary peaceful good feeling that comes from doing some meditation, asana and pranayama practice, or by not encountering any discomforts, pain and illnesses, or by doing the things that we like to do, or by getting the things that we want, where by this type of peaceful good feeling is conditioning and limited by the qualities of names and forms, and it is impermanent, it will change and disappear...

The real inner peace is unconditional, unlimited, undisturbed and unchanging... It is always there. Never increase nor decrease... Never exist nor doest it stop existing...

This renunciation is not selfishness as some people might think that it is... This is definitely not running away from our duties and responsibilities... It's because the biggest duty and responsibility in this existence of "I", is to know who am "I"... If we don't know "who we really are", we will have no peace, no wisdom, no compassion... And we cannot help other people to have peace, wisdom and compassion, if we ourselves are not peaceful, not wise, and not compassionate... If we want to help the world, we need to help ourselves first...

When this mind is restless, wild and uncontrollable, it makes us think that we are experiencing all the enjoyments and suffering in this world of names and forms with qualities of good and bad, pleasantness and unpleasantness...

When the mind is pure and be free from all sorts of impurities and ignorance, we'll know that there is "nobody" there to experience "anything"... The world is just being what it is being "projected" from this mind... It is the mind projecting the "world"... When the mind stops, the world disappears... When the mind ceased existing, there is no "world"...

Impure mind projects impure world of names and forms... Positive mind projects positive world... Negative mind projects negative world... Fearful mind projects fearful world... Angry and hating mind projects angry and hating world... Compassionate mind projects compassionate world... Calm mind projects calm world... Pure mind projects pure world... No mind, no world...

The world is just being what it is. It is neither good nor bad, neither pure nor impure, neither positive nor negative, neither a happy place nor a suffering place.

Yoga and meditation is to "annihilate" the mind, to "eliminate" the ego, the thought waves or the mind activities...

It doesn't matter if some worldly passionate minds think that this practice of Mauna and Uparati is impossible, contradictory, unnecessary and means no more "fun" in life... Everyone has the freedom to choose what to do in life and what way of living... Be happy.

The meanings of life and ways of living are vary in everybody...

The Buddha and all the other saints and sages chose to live a simple, self-controlled, desire-less and non-attachment way of life and find that entering into silence and attaining real peace is the meaning of life... And some other people choose some other forms of lifestyle and find that by attaining another form of excitement, enjoyment and happiness as the meaning of life... There's nothing wrong... Be happy.

Contemplate on this teaching and be free...

Om shanti.