Letting go?

The term 'letting go' is neither right nor wrong, but depending on how, when and where the minds use the term 'letting go'.

In the teachings and practice of yoga and buddhism, 'letting go' is coming from the mind itself to itself, to be letting go or eradicating the idea of 'I', or the ego, and letting go or eradicating passionate egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment, comparison and expectation, or letting go the attachment towards the selfless impermanent limited and conditional physical body and the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, being undetermined or undisturbed by the perception of duality, or the impermanent qualities of names and forms, or all the past and present pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable, and enjoyable or non-enjoyable experiences or memories.

Letting go certain unpleasant experiences in the present moment or in the past, and not being determined or disturbed by the unpleasant experiences that is happening, or the remembrance of certain unpleasant experiences that had happened, doesn't mean that one is denying or ignoring the presence of hurtful and damaging experiences inflicted from some others unto oneself. It also doesn't mean that to be accepting, allowing and encouraging others to be continuously and repeatedly behaving badly or hurtfully towards oneself and others, regardless of wittingly or unwittingly.

Meanwhile, certain minds that have been behaving, acting and reacting in a hurtful and damaging way under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities, and they use the term of 'letting go' from themselves to others, to justify one's hurtful and damaging behavior, by telling others who are being affected or hurt by one's hurtful and damaging behavior, to accept, accommodate and forbear one's action or reaction of inflicting such hurtful and damaging behavior unto others, by telling others to let go any complaint, dissatisfaction, disagreement, feelings of hurt, retaliation, anger or resentment towards one's hurtful and damaging behavior, to be forgiving and understanding towards one's hurtful and damaging behavior, while continuously and repeatedly behaving in such way.

Such as, "I am hurting you because you have been bad and you deserve to be hurt," or, "I am hurting you because I want you to be good. It's all because I love you very much. You should be thanking me for hurting you, to reduce your sin," or, "You have made me very upset and angry. You made me do this to hurt you. You should be grateful, and you shouldn't be angry or complain for being punished for your bad behavior." Such deep ignorance.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Detachment...

There's no need to reprogram the mind. We just need to deprogram what has been programming the mind. Reprogram is like take it out from the existing box and put it into another box that we think is nicer. Abandon any box, no matter how 'nice' it seems to be, and be free.

Divert the attention of the mind away from what it thinks is troubling it...

For those who haven't developed a strong foundation of non-attachment and detachment, then whenever they feel that their minds are being disturbed by something, they can try to divert the attention of the mind away from what it thinks is troubling it, by focusing on something else. It can be anything that draws the interest of the mind, like watching a movie that they like to watch, or doing some form of mental or physical activities that they like.

But this is only a momentary relief for the mind to stop thinking about what is troubling it, to stop feeding these thinking, and eventually let these thoughts to eventually die out by themselves. The mind might sway back and forth between different attentions, swaying back and forth between happiness and unhappiness, being restless. It also won't guarantee that the mind won't be disturbed by the same kind of names and forms again, or be disturbed by some other kinds of names and forms. The mind will be forever restless, no peace.

For those who have developed a strong foundation of non-attachment, their minds won't be disturbed by anything. They just let all the perceptions of names and forms to come and go as they are, from moment to moment.

For those who haven't developed a strong foundation of non-attachment, occasionally their minds might generate attachment towards certain names and forms, and be disturbed by these names and forms, but they know what is detachment, or how to let go. They are aware of this disturbance in the mind without association, and they are able to observe the disturbed state of the mind without generate judgment or expectation, just accept the reality as it is, that the mind is being disturbed in this present moment now, have self-control not being over-powered by the disturbed state of the mind to perform actions and speech that will generate more disturbance in oneself or into the surrounding environment. They don't need to runaway from or ignore the disturbance in the mind by diverting the attention of the mind onto something else. But they observe without being determined or over-powered by the disturbed state of the mind, and allow the disturbed state of the mind to pass-away eventually.

Keep practicing. Strengthening the practice of non-attachment and detachment, or letting go.

Om shanti.

Yoga teachers, teaching yoga, and make a living...

Some yoga teachers are disturbed by doubt and guilt about whether it is alright for them to be able to make a living from teaching yoga by giving yoga classes or courses, as some ‘good’ people who are directly or indirectly involve in the world of yoga insist that there should be no fees charged, or there should be very minimal fees charged for giving yoga classes, as some people think and believe that teaching yoga should be a selfless service or charity work, that part of the yoga practice is about performing selfless actions, and not expect anything in return. Even if there are fees charged (small or big amount), then all the profits from running yoga classes and courses should be given away for charity cause. They ‘expect’ yoga teachers should have no living expenses by living in a cave or on the street and maintaining their lives from begging, or they should have some other forms of livelihood or income (but not coming from teaching yoga by giving yoga classes) to support their life of all kinds of living expenses in the modern world. Or else, it is wrong, or it’s a great sin, or bad karma to make a living from teaching yoga.

There are also quite many ‘yoga’ enthusiasts who come from different backgrounds with different social or financial status who are interested to take up yoga classes or yoga courses who actually think and believe that all yoga classes and yoga courses should be free, and they are reluctant to pay some fees, or only want to pay a little amount of fees that they think is sufficient to cover the cost for the yoga classes or courses, as they think yoga teachers should not make any profits or make a living from running yoga classes or courses. And they think and believe that all yoga teachers should be the role models for others to live a 'basic' life with limited livelihood. They believe that yoga teachers don’t really need much money to live life, or don't have any living expenses. And hence, they think yoga teachers don’t need to take or receive any fees from teaching yoga.

People would actually think that it's not okay for any kind of exploitation and slavery in the modern world of civilization, except for those who teach yoga to others, just like those who want to perform charity work or volunteering work. Doing any kind of good actions that would bring goodness to the world should be purely on charity/volunteering basis. Those who want to get involve in activity that help to promote other people's quality of life must also have enough source of income or savings to support their own living, in order to have the money, free time and energy to help others. 'Good actions' should be on charity/volunteering basis. There will not be any 'good' if there is money/payment transaction or profit involved. What kind of logic is that?

There's nothing wrong with those thinking and beliefs, coming from these people's particular worldly point of view. Everyone is free to express what they think and believe, to criticize and to condemn other people whom they dislike and disagree with. But those who truly know what is yoga, they are aware of all the different points of views, but they will not criticize or condemn anyone. If it is the truth, there's nothing to be criticized about. If it is not the truth, it's pointless to criticize anyone who is being ignorant towards the ignorance in oneself.

Here are a few points to let anyone who directly or indirectly relates to this matter to reflect upon this subject and measure it by themselves.

Before we get into these information given below, take note that yoga practice is not limited in a yoga class or yoga course with a particular name and form, or at a particular time and space. Yoga and the practice of yoga is unlimited by names and forms, time and space. It exists everywhere and anytime. Everything and everyone can be teaching us yoga to realize the truth, it’s not necessarily has to be a human being who is graduated from yoga teachers training course who bears the title of ‘yoga teacher’, and is ‘certified’ and ‘qualified’ to teach yoga to others.

1.) Most people who identify themselves as ‘yoga teachers’ in the world nowadays are not really teaching yoga, but they are fitness instructors who teach yoga asana exercise classes under many different styles, names and forms. And so, they are not limited by the above ‘moral observations’ at all. They can charge fees as high as they like, depending on their cost for conducting classes and their ‘qualifications’, ‘teaching experience’, ‘competency’, ‘unique teaching skills and flair’, ‘creativity’, 'types of clients', and of course, ‘popularity’ and ‘demand’. It’s a legal and healthy livelihood. It’s a very meaningful job that can enhance one's physical and mental health and fitness, as well as to encourage many others to have a healthier and active lifestyle by igniting great enthusiasm in these people to do some yoga asana exercises regularly.

They deserve to make some money to pay back their cost of acquiring the knowledge of the yoga asana exercises and learning the teaching skill and technique, and to attain various certificates and qualifications recognized by such and such international yoga affiliations to qualified them to teach yoga asana exercise classes to the public by continuously attending ‘yoga courses’ and ‘yoga workshops’ regularly to maintain and upgrade their professionalism in teaching yoga asana exercise classes, to ensure safe and effective yoga asana exercises, as well as fun and enjoyable innovative yoga asana exercise classes to be delivered to their students or clients. They are constantly being judged and evaluated by the clients as well as the employer, and either unwittingly or wittingly, they need to be competitive enough as they are constantly competing with the other yoga fitness instructors, just like any other forms of career in the world.

On top of that, they need to be able to make more than enough income to support their everyday life expenses on food, living space, transportation, holidays, entertainments, social activities, continuing education and learning, saving, investment, retirement plan, and for some people, they might even need to support their family, or helping out relatives and friends financially. And they also need to have some extra money to allow them to perform charity, or to be able to participate in some forms of volunteering works to contribute to the society once in a while.

There’s nothing wrong, or sinful, or bad karma in this at all.

No one can criticize or condemn them for anything as they are not teaching yoga.

2.) Yoga, the teachings of yoga, the yoga practice and Dharma are not for sale. It is not a trading object that can be exchanged or trade in for something else. It is not possible to make ‘yoga’ into a worldly business and make profit out of it. No one owns yoga, or has authorization over yoga, but it exists in all and everyone waiting to be realized. ‘Yoga classes’, or ‘yoga courses’, or ‘yoga asana exercise classes’ are something different. They can be made into a business to make some profits out of it, whether we think it’s okay, or it’s not okay. And those who really teach yoga don’t identify themselves with any names and forms. Neither will they call or advertise themselves as ‘yoga teachers’. There are no yoga teachers. They are just selfless instruments performing the actions of transmitting the teachings of yoga to others, regardless of in the form of 'organized yoga class' or 'unplanned spontaneous sharing'.

3.) What’s the difference between fees and donations? It doesn’t matter whether they are in the form of money or in some other exchangeable forms, it is something that we show gratitude to somebody who gives us, or shares with us something that is invaluable which cannot be bought with money, whether the receivers are selfless and don’t expect anything in return, or they are not selfless and they expect something in return. Why is it if it’s ‘fees’, it is ‘not okay’, but if it’s ‘donations’, it is ‘okay’? Is it that if we think yoga teachers are supposed to be selfless beings, that they should be performing selfless service, and they shouldn’t expect or receive anything in return, and that allows us to take them for granted?

4.) Many of those who think and believe that yoga teachers should live in poverty and live on charity or begging, are not necessarily that they can’t afford to pay the fees or donations, but they just want to have ‘free’ or ‘cheap’ yoga exercise classes. So that they can keep their money for other expenses to support their social activities and life enjoyments. They think the teacher doesn't deserve more than what they think they want to 'pay'. What are these people with such mentality learning and practicing when they claim themselves as yoga enthusiasts who love yoga (or yoga exercises more precisely) very much and want to learn yoga under a teacher, but they don't respect the teacher or don't know how to appreciate the invaluable yoga teachings and practice at all?

Humility and respect oneself and others are the basis of yoga practice. We need to learn how to be free from arrogance, defensiveness and offensiveness, to respect all without discrimination of personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements based on what our minds believe how things should be like, not to say, to show humility and respect towards someone who teaches and guides us about the teachings and practice of yoga.

Those who are truly humble and sincere to learn yoga from a teacher will naturally want to contribute and support the living of the teacher, even if it's not an obligation to do so. Even when the teacher doesn’t expect or doesn’t want to be respected or served by the students, they will respect and serve the teacher out of their own free will. The students will be performing selfless service to serve the teacher even after they have been contributing something or supporting the living of the teacher. Nowadays, many people who say they want to learn yoga, they don’t know anything about this precious value of yoga – to eliminate egoism. The students complain and criticize about their teachers when they are not getting what they want, or when they are being dissatisfied about something that they don’t like or disagree with. They are not learning or practicing yoga at all. They expect the teacher to be in certain ways with certain professional image and behavior. They expect the teacher to give them something in return that they like and want, which they think it should worth the similar value of money or other forms of contribution that they have given to the teacher. They want the teacher to serve them or treat them with some sorts of customer service and gratifying their desires of craving and aversion, as they have given some fees/donations or other forms of contributions to the teacher.

5.) People who pay some fees for attending yoga classes or courses, may drop out half way of the course when it becomes quite challenging physically and mentally, or when they didn’t get what they expect to be getting from the yoga classes, even if they know that their money will be ‘wasted’. Not to say, those who pay no fees or very little fees for the yoga classes or courses, may easily drop out half way of the course when it becomes quite challenging physically and mentally, or when they didn’t get what they expect to be getting from the yoga classes, as they know they won’t be ‘wasting’ much money.

6.) When ‘real’ yoga teachers who teach yoga by giving yoga classes or courses at a specific time and place to allow people to come together to learn and practice yoga, they don’t sell us yoga or Dharma, or the realization of the truth, or liberation, or peace and compassion. They can’t. Even if someone wants to ‘sell’ us yoga or Dharma, or the realization of the truth, or liberation, or peace and compassion, we can’t ‘buy’ it and ‘have’ it, no matter how much money we have. They can only deliver the knowledge and share their personal experience and realization that served as possible hints that might help us in performing our own practice and self-inquiry.

7.) The fees or donations (whether it is a fixed amount or ‘donate as you wish’) that the yoga teachers receive from those who participate (or not participate) in their classes or courses, are for the time, effort and costs to make the classes or courses available, to show their gratitude and support to the teachers and Dharma by paying some fees or giving some donations that would allow some other people to be able to come together at a particular time and place, to learn and practice yoga or Dharma. And everyone has to work very hard individually and independently to attain their own realization and salvation, regardless of whether the amount of fees or donations is big or small.


It doesn’t mean that if the amount of fees or donations is big, they’ll get faster and more efficient results and greater achievements, and if the amount of fees or donations is smaller, they’ll get slower and less efficient results and smaller achievements. And above all, yoga is not about the results or achievements, and it’s nothing to do with the existence or non-existence of fees or donations.


8.) The fees or donations that we pay or give to ‘real’ yoga teachers who teach yoga, not just some yoga asana exercise fitness classes, is also a form of generosity or an act of charity coming from us to allow these yoga teachers (who allow the yoga classes to be available to us, and to share the great knowledge of yoga of how to be free from ignorance and suffering, to realize unconditional love and peace, it’s not just about doing some fitness exercise routines) to support their living, and for them to have the time and space to perform their personal practice to attain higher realization, apart from giving their time to teach classes to others. They also need to have some sorts of livelihood to support themselves, their lives and all other necessary expenses to perform their duties and responsibilities towards themselves and towards those who depend on them in lives financially, physically or mentally.

9.) Why should yoga teachers (or more precisely, experienced yoga practitioners who teach yoga to others) live in poverty, be homeless, or to survive under poor and insufficient conditions, solely depending on begging or receiving ‘charity’ from other people, to prove that they practice ‘detachment’, or ‘non-attachment’, or ‘non-possessiveness’, or they are ‘super human beings’? What is the real meaning and practice of detachment, non-attachment and non-possessiveness? What does yoga or yoga practitioners has anything to do with ‘super human beings’? Even enlightened beings will also need to maintain and feed their body, and witness or go through the law of impermanence through the existence of the selfless physical body and thinking mind. Their bodies will need constant maintenance, and will decay, experiencing changes, old age, illness, pain, discomfort, and eventually stop functioning (decomposition or death.) There are constant thoughts arising and passing away in their mind just like everyone else. But they are not associated with, or be determined or disturbed by the mind perception of ceaseless changes of names and forms arising and passing away.

10.) Why should the yoga teachers who teach yoga be limited by the above ‘moral observations’, and be criticized and condemned by ‘certain people’ who think they know about yoga more than other people, and they think they have the authorization on yoga and all that is related to yoga, to give them the superiority to condemn those who teach yoga, who are able to make a living and be financially independent from giving yoga classes or courses, and don’t need to spend the rest of their time and energy engaging in a worldly job for livelihood, or don’t need to depend on charity or begging from others? Isn’t that a great thing for people (including those who teach yoga to others) to have a better quality of life with the right livelihood that will benefits oneself and others? While in another point of view, the yoga students are being given the opportunity to perform charity by supporting the livelihood of the yoga teachers by giving some fees or donations to the teachers.

11.) Why would ‘real’ yoga teachers who know what is yoga be bothered or determined by the criticism and condemn by these worldly minded people? Those who have realized yoga, they have gone beyond egoism and worldly image, identification, ideas and values.

12.) Even when ‘real’ yoga teachers give yoga classes or courses to teach yoga to others, whether with or without fees/donations in the form of money, it also cannot guarantee that all the students or clients will be satisfied, or will appreciate, or will be benefited from their teaching, or will be free from ignorance and suffering.

13.) Of course, there are also some ‘yoga teachers’ who do not really interested to teach yoga to others, neither do they care for the well-beings of anyone but themselves, as their main motive or objective to give ‘yoga classes’, or ‘yoga asana exercise classes’, is solely about getting some profits for making a living, to attain name and fame and the sense of achievement. But there’s also nothing to be criticized about that, as some people maybe enjoying their classes very much and are benefited from attending their classes, even though they don’t have any intention to benefit anyone at all. And these people see them as their greatest ‘Gurus’ and they are willingly to give part or all of their money to these people whom they see as their ‘Gurus’.

14.) ‘Real’ yogis who know yoga, they are not obliged to teach yoga to anyone. They don’t have to give yoga classes or courses to anyone even if there are ‘high profits’ in return, or even if we beg them to teach us. And if they do teach us yoga whether in the form of giving yoga classes or courses, or not, and there are fees or donations involved, it doesn’t mean that they are not ‘real’ yogis, or they are ‘bad’ yogis. Some ‘spiritual’ people think and believe that ‘money is evil’, and so, yogis can only take offering in the form of food from begging and should not touch money, or receive money from anyone, or else, they are evil.

Money is like everything else, it is neither evil nor good. Whether touching money, or not, it doesn’t make one a yogi or not, be free from ignorance, or not. Money is just pieces of commercial papers for the convenience of the worldly society to exchange goods and services while living in this materialistic commercial world. It depends on the purity of mind whether the money is being used wisely, or not. Don’t have any money or not having any money transaction also cannot guarantee that one is free from ignorance, egoism, greed and attachment. Having money or using money doesn’t determine that one is not free from ignorance, egoism, greed and attachment.

15.) Does by not taking any fees, or taking less money, or charging lower fees than other people, will make us better yogis or yoga teachers than the others who take some fees, or take more money, or charge higher fees?

16.) Who are we to judge or to condemn anyone, including judging and condemning ourselves?

17.) Why is it that those who don’t really teach yoga cannot be condemned for not teaching yoga the way that we think it should be, as they are not teaching yoga at all, but those who truly teach yoga could be condemned for teaching yoga not the way that 'the moral people' think it should be? It doesn’t make sense in yoga. Though it totally makes sense for the ignorant and arrogant worldly minded ones.

18.) How does selflessness and selfless service be determined by getting something in return, or not? It’s about not attach towards the actions and the fruit of actions. Being undisturbed and undetermined by the fruit of actions to be peaceful, happy, confident, or meaningful, or not. Who says anything about not having anything in return? There will be something in return naturally whenever there are actions being performed, but it might not necessarily be the way that we think it should be or how we would like it to be, and there’s no identification or attachment towards the actions or the fruit of actions to be who ‘I’ am. There is no ‘I’ existing to be the doer of actions. There is no ‘I’ existing to be the enjoyer of the fruit of actions, or to be receiving the fruit of actions. It doesn’t mean that after selfless actions are being performed there shouldn't be any fruit of actions in return. All actions including inactions, will bear the fruit of actions, regardless of whether it's pleasant or unpleasant, expected or unexpected.

19.) Some might think that those who are using the information/teachings from the Scriptures to teach yoga to others, or those who have realized unconditional love and peace through their own self-realization and share the knowledge with others, or those who are using the yoga asana exercises to teach fitness exercise classes, and make a living out of it, is like ‘stealing’ something from ‘God’ and 'selling' it to make profits.

Well, just like some scientists/engineers knew how to harvest the sunlight, the wind and the water to make use of them for mostly good reasons and generate electricity from them, and some people who involve in the harvesting process will make some profits out of that, and some people also can generate some livelihood utilizing the sunlight, the earth, the wind and the water for growing food or doing something, while many people are being benefited from it for enjoying the convenience coming from the availability of electricity in the modern world.

Does that mean everyone who involve with harvesting the elements of fire, wind and water to generate electricity, as well as making use of the earth for growing food for self-consume or trading purpose, and all the consumers of electricity are robbers and sinful?

While there might be people who think that since the resource is coming from ‘God’ or nature, it should be 'free', no one should make any profits from it, we shouldn’t pay anything for using the electricity?

‘God’ must be very proud of these Scientists/Engineers having such creativity/knowledge to utilize the resources from ‘God’ and turn them into something great and beneficial for all and everyone, as well as some people can make a living out of utilizing these resources.

In the modern world, many people's livelihood and everyday living depend a lot on the availability and convenience of electricity being supplied to their villages, cities, homes, factories, farms, offices, schools and shops. Some people insist not to use the electricity for some ethical/environmental reasons, and that is their own freedom of choice.

 

It doesn't mean that when someone surviving on growing and harvesting food that grows on earth utilizing the natural resources for self-consume is okay, but then working hard and expending effort and energy into growing and harvesting food utilizing the natural resources for trading purpose that could bring convenience to other people for their consumption as well as making some profits out of that effort, is not okay.

20.) Some people labelled the yoga in yoga classes being taught without fees as ‘non-commercial’, and the yoga being taught in yoga classes with fees as ‘commercial’. Does that mean the teachings of yoga being taught in both commercial and non-commercial yoga classes will be different, although there might be different intentions behind it? There’s no guarantee that there won’t be any impure intention in the non-commercial yoga classes, or there must be impure intention in the commercial yoga classes. Non-commercial yoga classes doesn’t guarantee that all the yoga students will be free from ignorance and egoism. And it doesn’t mean that all the students in the commercial yoga classes will not be free from ignorance and egoism. If yoga being taught in the commercial yoga classes can bring certain awareness to the society, and more people are becoming more aware of their minds and behavior pattern, and learn how to be kind to themselves and to others, what’s so wrong with the commercial yoga classes then? Unless there are corruptions exist in the yoga classes and outside the yoga classes among the teachers and the students, regardless of whether it is non-commercial or commercial yoga classes, then there’s something going against the teachings of yoga.

Now, it’s up to us, whether to add something else onto these information, or to take away some of these information that we think are irrelevant, to figure out the truth through our own self-inquiry.

Om shanti.

Plunge into your Sadhana, right now...

If you are aware of the state of your mind
is imbalanced,
restless,
swaying back and forth
between satisfaction and dissatisfaction,
between elevation and depression,
between happiness and sadness,
between feelings of love and hate,
between meaningfulness and meaninglessness,
between high confidence and low confidence,
between clarity and confusion,
between affirmation and doubts,
between energetic and low energy,
between motivated and demotivated,
and etc,
it is a sign telling you that you might have forgotten your Sadhana,
and have left your meditation practice far behind.
It's time to pick up your Sadhana and meditation practice again.
No one can do it for you.
No one can tell you how you should live your life or use your time and energy,
or what you should do and shouldn't do.
No one can control you for what you do and don't do.
You'll need to have intense self-discipline and determination to let go of your unnecessary "worldly affairs" which distract you and pull you away from your Sadhana,
and plunge into your Sadhana,
right now.
If you truly want to free your mind from restlessness,
and have peace.
Especially if you think you want to help the world to be a better place.

Om shanti.

"Do you think non-attachment is possible?"

"Do you think non-attachment is possible?" Someone asked.

What if somebody tells us "No."

Does this prove to us that non-attachment is impossible, or unrealistic, or impractical? Nope.

What if somebody tells us "Yes."

Does this guarantee and assure us that we will be free from doubts, attachment, egoism and ignorance, and will not be disturbed, nor affected, nor influenced, nor determined by all the qualities of names and forms? Nope.

What if somebody tells us "It depends on each individual's effort and determination to purify the mind, to free the mind from all kinds of desires, restlessness, egoism and ignorance, to turn the mind inward, to allow the mind to perceive the truth of names and forms as they are, without being contaminated nor influenced by any impurities or conditioned and limited thinking and beliefs. Only through oneself realizing the truth of things as they are, not being influenced by any thinking and beliefs in the mind, then naturally one doesn't even need to practice non-attachment, as there won't be any attachment towards any names and forms will arise in the liberated mind."

Will this answer clear all our doubts and make all our attachment, fear and worry disappear? Nope.


It doesn't matter what answer we get,  we will still need to find out the answer of our doubts, or find out the truth through our own effort, through our own direct experience and realize the truth by ourselves, to clear all our doubts.

Whether other people or our teacher is completely be free from ignorance, egoism and attachment or not, it's nothing to do with our own practice of letting go of attachment, nor has anything to do with our own realization of the truth, or our own liberation from ignorance, egoism and attachment.
That's why in (serious) silent meditation retreat, we are basically being on our own to contemplate upon the truth, through observing noble silence throughout the entire retreat. There's no conversation, nor interaction, nor discussion about this and that. Talking and discussing about non-attachment doesn't free us from ignorance, egoism and attachment, nor will give us liberation.

Whatever doubts we have, the only answer that will remove all our doubts is to turn the outgoing mind inward, and find the answer from within, and it's not coming from somebody else telling us about what they know or don't know, nor it's coming from reading books with all the information about this and that.

Even if a liberated being is right in front of us, and talks to us about Dharma (The truth), it still won't remove our doubts or ignorance, unless we realize the truth by ourselves, through our own effort of self-inquiry or contemplation.

Silent the mind, and meditate...

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.

Keep practice...

A yoga student was very excited coming into headstand after practicing regularly and told his teacher, "Teacher, I can stand on my head now!"

The teacher asked him, "Are you now free from anger, desires and worries?"

The student answered, "Not really..."

The teacher compassionately said to him, "Keep practice..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This is reflecting about peace, desire-less, compassion and wisdom is nothing to do with whether we can stand on our head or not, or whether we are able to do and achieve what we want to do and achieve or not...

"Keep practice" also doesn't necessary mean keep practicing the asana poses until we manage to perform the asana poses, or we can hold the poses longer than before, but what it really means is, keep practicing non-identification and non-attachment, and even after we devote lots of time, efforts and energy into our yoga asana practice, we are not attached to the efforts nor the fruit of the efforts...

What's the point if we are now able to perform the asana poses that we were not able to perform in the past, but we are not free from continue being disturbed and conditioned by anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, ignorance, fear and worry that derive from attachment and identification with the body and mind?

When anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, ignorance, fear and worry are subjugated due to non-identification and non-attachment towards the body and mind, the yoga student doesn't even need to announce that he is now free from impurities... So as yoga asana practice. The yoga asana practice is supposed to be rendering our mind calm and pure, to prepare the mind for meditation upon the Truth... It is not about how good we look and how good we feel in performing the asana poses... it is accepting the physical ability in the present moment now as it is, and knowing that even this condition and the ability of the physical body now whether it is in good or bad condition, it is impermanent... We do not identify with this impermanent condition and ability of the physical body to perform the yoga asana poses... There is nothing to be excited about when our body is able to perform certain asana poses after some practice, and there is nothing to be frustrated about when our body is not able to perform the asana poses even after a long time of practice...

After we are able to catch our feet with our hands in the sitting forward bend, we'll ask, "What next?"

After we are able to balance on our hands in Bakasan or Kakasan, we'll ask, "What next?"

After we are able to stand on our head and our hands in headstand and handstand, we'll ask again, "What next?"

Then we try to stand on the head without hands support, and we'll ask, "What next?"

Maybe we can try to invent more challenging poses then? Such like "one finger handstand" since many yoga teachers like to say that "everything is possible", just need to keep practice... Kindly note that this physical body has its limitations and is conditioned by impermanence. We cannot force the body to go beyond its limitations or else we will be injuring the body, but what the sentence "everything is possible" means, we can go beyond the identification with the physical body and be free from being conditioned by the conditions and ability of the physical body, that we are not determined by this physical body, as we are not this body and this body is not us. It is just an instrument for us to realize this Truth...

This craving for "What next?" can keep going until the moment our body is not able to do any poses any more... Then we'll start to realize that this ceaselessly chasing after the sense of achievement that come from being able to perform the asana poses, is not what we are looking for, after spending years and years in trying to perform all the yoga asana poses...

This voice that keep asking "What next?" is coming from the never satisfied nature of the mind...

That's why even though if our physical body is capable to perform many complicated asana poses, it never bring us to real unconditional contentment, as we have wrong identification with the impermanent body and the dis-satisfactory mind... Always not satisfied, always wanting more and more, just like drug and alcohol abuse, one dose is not giving any effects anymore, we need double dose, and then triple dose, and so on....

As all these achievements in performing the asana poses are "dis-satisfactory" in its nature - impermanence".

If during and after the yoga asana practice, whether we are able to perform the yoga asana poses or not, but we are not identified with the ability of the physical body in performing the asana poses, and there is no expectation whether our body will be more flexible and strong or not after the practice, nor expecting our body will be able to perform the asana poses much better in the next or future practice, nor expecting what are the benefits from performing the asana poses, nor expecting ourselves will be more peaceful and calm... But, allowing all the benefits, strength and flexibility, skills to perform the asana poses, peacefulness and calmness to come by itself naturally as it is, not because we are expecting any of these to happen the way that we want it to be, then this will bring us towards unconditional peace...

In traditional yoga class, the teacher doesn't tell the students what are the benefits when they perform the asana poses, as yoga asana practice is supposed to help us in developing non-identification with the body and mind, and non-attachment towards our actions or efforts, not attaching to or not expecting for the fruit of our actions or efforts. And even if the students don't know what are the benefits from doing the asana poses, the benefits will still be there as it is, it won't disappear nor decrease...

The practice of intention-less which is the key to the practice of non-expectation and non-attachment, is to let go of any intentions, even if it is good intention... If there is a good intention, we attach to the idea of "we are doing something good", and will "expect" someone will be benefited from this good intention, and "expect" something good in return... Attachment is there... We are not free yet.

This is to eliminate the craving habit of the egoistic mind of "I want something good... I don't want something bad..."

And by practicing yoga asana together with the practice of non-attachment in the mental level, will definitely bring us towards freedom, or unconditional peace and real happiness that is not being conditioned by any qualities of names and forms...

This is the yoga practice while performing the asana poses or while trying to learn to perform the asana poses...

Able to accept the condition and the ability of the physical body in the present moment now as it is and allow the benefits to come and improvement to happen naturally as we practice regularly everyday few hours a day, without  identification, attachment, judgment, comparison and expectation...

This is Karma Yoga being perform onto ourselves... Being kind and compassionate towards ourselves by bringing our body and mind to concentrating in a few hours of yoga asana practice daily... As all the yoga asana poses require huge amount of concentration in the present moment now, and this will not let the mind wanders into the past or the future within the time of practice, and there is no opportunity for the body and mind to get involve in immoral or unkind thoughts, actions and speech... During the time of practice, we are controlling and restricting our thoughts, actions and speech, and this is already benefiting the world by not committing any selfish, harmful or negative thoughts, actions and speech into the surrounding environment. This is being kind and compassionate towards the world...

Beside controlling and restricting the thoughts, actions and speech as our main practice by devoting our energy, effort and time into yoga practice as many hours as possible everyday in life, another main reason to perform all the yoga practices (Not limited to Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi, Kriyas, study of the scriptures, chanting and prayers, selfless service, developing divine qualities such like patience, perseverance, will-power, determination, courage, positive thinking, cheerfulness, generosity, truthfulness, straightforwardness, sexual energy conservation and channeling for spiritual realization, acceptance, adjustment, accommodation, adaptation, forgiveness, non-judgment, non-comparison, non-expectation, non-attachment, non-identification, letting go, and etc...) is to purifying, unblocking, balancing, conserving, generating, and channeling the energy fields in the body for spiritual realization or self-realization...

But all these practice has to work with letting go of desires and attachments that come from the ego... Such like, having the idea of "I am doing this practice, so that I will gain such and such benefits or achievements..." or "I am practicing "non-attachment", so that I will be free from suffering and unhappiness..." It doesn't bring us to peace...We can be performing all these yoga practices for many hours everyday for many years, but as long as we have attachment and identification with the doer of the actions and the enjoyer of the fruit of the action, we are not free and be restless being disturbed by what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think...

The body and the mind will be benefited in performing the yoga practice, but... Our true nature doesn't need all these benefits to be what it is or to "make" it peaceful... It is unconditional peace... The mind needs the yoga practice to experience peace, but our true nature is always peaceful...

There is no "I". There is no practice. There is no fruit of the practice. There is no "I" am doing the practice. There is no "I" will be enjoying the fruit of the practice...

The ego gets a momentary excitement and the sense of success or achievement when it gets the benefits or results as what it was expecting while performing any actions... And the ego gets disappointment and frustration and sense of failure when it doesn't get the benefits or results as what it was expecting while performing any actions...

Such like, "I did a lot of yoga practice, and thus I am healthy, strong and flexible and I feel good..." or "I didn't practice much or didn't practice at all, and thus I am not so healthy, not strong and not flexible, and I don't feel good..." As all these identification and expression is coming from the egoistic mind - the idea of "I" and all that "I" experience and all that "I" get and don't get from "my" actions and inactions, good and bad actions... It is the mind feels good or doesn't feel good... It is not us. We are just the observer or the witness being aware of what the mind is experiencing from moment to moment through the body with the functions of the sense organs and the senses, which is being conditioned by impermanence, the qualities of names and forms, thought patterns, actions and inactions, and speech...

So, whether our body can perform all the poses level by level or not, or our body cannot perform many of the yoga poses, it really doesn't matter... As What the body capable to do and not capable to do, it is just the body... And the condition and ability of the physical body to do this or that, is nothing to do with the unconditional real peace that comes from our true nature...

A person who's body cannot perform headstand or handstand can still be selfless, peaceful, wise and compassionate...

Some people ask, "Why some people can do all the "complicated" yoga poses and some people cannot do the "simplest" yoga poses?"

Simply it’s because whether their body can do or cannot do these poses, depends on their individual physical condition and abilities, as well as the state of their mind. Everyone has very different physical condition and physical abilities from one another. Everyone has a different state of mind from one another… And through constant practice, their body will gain physical and mental strength, flexibility, stamina, confidence, faith and courage, and might be or will be able to perform some or all of the asana poses, simple or complicated… But whether their body can do or cannot do these poses, is nothing to do with whether they will be peaceful or not…

Another effect that comes from holding the body being in the yoga poses for a period of time, can help to influence the energy fields in the body effectively, either activating, stimulating, energizing or calming and balancing… And this will make the body and mind feel good during and after the practice, but again this is just the body and mind experiencing some impermanent conditional good feelings… And if the mind is rendered calm and still during or after the asana practice, that is the moment to meditate and contemplate on the Truth, and not getting lost in attachment of craving and clinging towards that good feelings and pleasant effects of the asana practice…

And to render the mind calm and still doesn't need to have a strong and flexible body to perform the most complicated asana poses, but just by performing some very simple poses that even a sick person with weak bones and muscles also can perform will give the same effects of calming and stilling the mind... It is through will-power and breath control...

People who are flexible and strong can be peaceful if they know non-identification and non-attachment... People who are inflexible and not strong can also be peaceful if they know non-identification and non-attachment...

People who are flexible and strong can be not peaceful if they don't know non-identification and non-attachment... People who are inflexible and not strong can also be not peaceful if they don't  know non-identification and non-attachment...

At the end, no need to compare or compete with anybody in the yoga asana practice, as liberation or peace is not attain through comparison or competition... It is not like, "I am better than you in performing the asana poses, and I can do more asana poses than you can, and so, I should be more peaceful, selfless, wise and compassionate than you..."

This is the test - If now everything happened is all good and according to what we wished for, and so we are peaceful and happy... But if one day, we experience some "bad" things that we don't want and don't like in our life, and we will be disturbed or determined by it, and are not peaceful and not happy anymore, then know that we still need to keep practice...

Om shanti.

Letting go of all the worldly identifications, attachments, qualities and dualities... and be free...

If we are sincere in learning and practicing yoga, and want to attain yoga or unconditional real peace, we need to let go of any worldly identifications about what we think we are...

If we still have identification with worldly qualities and conditions of names and forms, and still think that we are somehow more superior or inferior than anyone due to our family background, race, religion, belief, values, spiritual achievement, social status, financial status, job title, political influences, educational background, personal image, professional image, intelligence, talents, creativity, physical and mental health and fitness conditions, physical and mental abilities, lifestyle, popularity, worldly achievements, social contributions or any forms of identity, then know that no matter how long we have been "practicing yoga", or how much "yoga poses" that we can perform perfectly and beautifully, or how much we have heard, read and know about what is yoga and its practice, it shows that we are not really practicing yoga at all...

If we still have this idea or thought about "I am somehow better than somebody" or "I am somehow less good than somebody", or "Somebody is better than me" or "Somebody is less good than me", know that we are not practicing yoga at all...

If we still have this identification about "I am or am not good or bad", "I do or don't do good or bad", "I did or didn't do good or bad", "I deserve or don't deserve goodness or badness", "I receive or don't receive something good or bad" or "I give or don't give something good or bad", know that we are not practicing yoga at all...

If we still have this idea or thought about "Somebody (who is not I) is or isn't good or bad", "Somebody does or doesn't do good or bad", "Somebody did or didn't do good or bad", "Somebody deserves or doesn't deserve good or bad", "Somebody receives or doesn't receive something good or bad" or "Somebody gives or doesn't give something good or bad", know that we are not practicing yoga at all...

Even though everyday we devote a few hours into "yoga and meditation practice"...

Letting go of the identification as the doer of actions and inactions, and letting go of the identification as the enjoyer of the fruit of the actions and inactions, is practicing yoga...

Letting go of attachment and judgment towards all the qualities and conditions of names and forms, is practicing yoga...

Once we truly let go of all these identifications, attachments, qualities and dualities, we will know the truth of ourselves, of who we really are, about what we think is 'I'... And be free...

Just by reading, hearing, knowing and talking about the word "detachment" and "non-identification" doesn't mean anything, doesn't bring us liberation, unless we really practice detachment and non-identification, by letting go of attachments and identifications...

Most of the time, "we" are afraid of letting go of all these worldly identifications because our ego depends or feeds on all these identifications to be "somebody", to be existing... That's why "we" keep attached strongly onto all these identifications and reluctant to let them go, even though we know that the yoga teachings and the practice is there "asking" us to "please let go of all these worldly identifications..."

Om shanti.

Swami Sivananda's words of wisdom - Concentration and Meditation (9)

All physical activities should be completely suspended, all attachments should be ruthlessly cut asunder completely for five or six years, if you want to practice Dhyana Yoga, if you want to realise God through concentration of mind. Newspaper-reading and correspondence with friends and relatives should be completely stopped; as they cause distraction of mind and strengthen the world-idea. Seclusion for a period of five or six years is indispensable.

如果你要实践禅那瑜珈（静坐修定），如果你想通过意识的集中来认识宇宙意识，那么你必须应当完全中止所有的身体活动，所有的执着应该被无情地完全切断为期五，六年。应该完全停止阅读报纸和与亲友的书信交往，因为它们会导致分心并加强世界概念。一个为期五，六年的隐居独处是不可避免的。

Concentration and Meditation - Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda's words of wisdom - Concentration and Meditation (6)

Too much physical exertion, too much talking, too much eating, too much mixing with ladies and undesirable persons, too much walking, cause distraction of mind. Those who practise concentration must abandon these things. Whatever work you do, do it with perfect concentration. Never leave the work without finishing it completely.

过多体力活动消耗太多的体力，交谈太多，饮食过多，太多社交活动,和女士们以及不良好的人物混合一起，行走过多，都会导致意识分散集中力。那些练习专注的人必须放弃这些东西。无论你做任何工作，都要以完美的集中力去做。在工作还没有完成之前不要离开它。

Concentration and Meditation - Swami Sivananda

Swami Sivananda's words of wisdom - Concentration and Meditation (3)

A man whose mind is filled with passion and all sorts of fantastic desires can hardly concentrate on any object even for a second. Celibacy, Pranayama, reduction of wants and activities, renunciation of sensual objects, solitude, silence, discipline of the senses, annihilation of lust, greed, anger, non-mixing with undesirable persons, giving up of newspaper-reading and visiting cinemas, all increase the power of concentration.

当一个人的心中充满了激情和各种梦幻般的欲望，他将是难以集中于任何事物，甚至是一秒钟。独身(限制性活动)，调息，减少欲望和活动，放弃感官的对象，独处，沉默，纪律所有的感官，毁灭欲望，贪婪，愤怒，不与不良的人混合在一起，放弃阅读报纸和到访电影院，这些所有都会增强集中力。

Concentration and Meditation - Swami Sivananda

The fourfold of Sadhana - viveka, vairagya, mumukshutva, shat-sampad

In the great teaching of both yoga and Buddhism, dispassion or non-attachment or detachment is the very important practice for us to advance in yoga and meditation to know the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all kinds of names and forms, or to attain self-realization towards what is 'I'.

The fourfold of Sadhana - The qualities of a Sadhaka (people who are in search for the truth and self-realization)

1.) Viveka (right discrimination) - to know what is real and unreal.

Anything that is selfless and impermanent, constantly changing selflessly under the influence of cause and effect, that doesn't have a permanent self existence to be in control of the changes, are not real. Unreal doesn't mean non-existence. The ignorant minds might misinterpret and misuse "everything is unreal" to be performing any actions irresponsibly regardless of whether it hurts all and everything, thinking that there are no consequences of actions at all, just like in dreams.

2.) Vairagya (dispassion or non-attachment) - letting go what is unreal of what is impermanent and selfless (not 'I'), great contentment being free from dissatisfaction and greed, no egoistic desire, no craving, no aversion.

3.) Mumukshutva (intense yearning for liberation) - the one and only desire that will lead towards true freedom, being free from ignorance and egoism and the suffering deriving from ignorance and egoism.

4.) Shat-sampad (the six virtues) -

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

*The truth of selflessness and impermanence is beyond the belief or disbelief in God existence. Upon self-realization towards selflessness, upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism, upon transcending the selfless modification of the mind, there's no difference between the belief or disbelief in God existence. The truth of selflessness and impermanence or the nature law of cause and effect doesn't change into something else regardless of whether the mind believes or disbelieves in God existence. It makes no difference. Just as suffering is present under the presence of ignorance and egoism, and suffering is absent upon the absence of ignorance and egoism. 'Faith in God' is for those who believe in God existence as they need that to deal with impermanent changes that are not necessarily the way that they desire, as well as to be grateful and thankful for all kind of supports for living and the presence of goodness in life. Meanwhile, for those who disbelieve in God existence is about respecting the law of nature, of selfless impermanent changes governed by cause and effect.

 

**Faith in the Scripture doesn't mean that one should be blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, blind-agreeing or blind-propagating all the teachings from the Scripture. None should be blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, blind-agreeing/disagreeing or blind-propagating towards anything, but under an opened mind, without blind-believing, blind-following, blind-practicing, blind-agreeing/disagreeing or blind-propagating, one should perform all kinds of discipline to purify and quiet the modification of the restless impure mind which will enable the mind to perform self-investigation or self-inquiry towards the truth of everything, including the teachings from the Scripture, or any kind of teachings from anywhere and anyone, to attain direct realization towards the truth of all kind of teachings.

***The Self is not about a super extraordinary powerful individual being/soul/mystical existence of highest purity or quality. It's referring to the nature of selflessness, namelessness, formlessness, attributelessness, and hence, it's beyond purity and impurity, beyond high or low quality, beyond existence and non-existence. It's the selfless, nameless, formless, attributeless nature in all and everything that is unaffected by the selfless impermanent modification of the mind perceiving all kind of selfless impermanent changes of forming, decaying and disintegrating in all kind of selfless names and forms, of ceaseless selfless thoughts/sensations/feelings (births and deaths of countless states of the mind) arising, changing and passing away under the law of cause and effect.

For those who are in search for liberation or emancipation or self-realization, and is disgusted with the fleeting names and forms that are subject to impermanence and is tired of the bondage of ignorance and impurities, cause and effect, birth and death, then the practice of dispassion or non-attachment is a must.

Without dispassion or non-attachment, liberation is impossible.

A "Buddhist" without the practice of dispassion or non-attachment is not really a Buddhist even though he or she is going to the temple everyday and performs a lot of rituals and offerings.

A "yogi" without the practice of dispassion or non-attachment is not really a yogi even though he or she is doing a lot of asana, pranayama, and meditation practice. It's because he or she will be attaching onto the actions and the fruit of actions of the asana, pranayama and meditation practice, attaching onto and craving for the effects/benefits that come from the different yoga practices, being influenced by the egoistic likes and dislikes, desire of craving and aversion, want and don't want, having expectation, judgment, comparison and competition, being determined/affected by the impermanent states of the mind and conditions of the physical body...

For anyone who is not interested in self-realization, and is satisfied and happy with the life condition now of having a limited and conditioned body and mind, then the practice of dispassion or non-attachment or detachment is not an important practice for them. Just live life, eat, drink, sleep, work, play, laugh and cry, indulging in the desire of craving and aversion until this life ends... There's nothing wrong with that... It is everyone's freedom to do what they want to do with their own lives. Enjoy and be happy.

Om shanti.

Thoughts sharing about the wheel of birth and death... (part 2)

"I agree, again. Ultimately, there is no difference between the path of the Arhat or the Bodhisattva. One is the stepping stone for the other to develop and manifest. I believe that you have to be an Arhat first to become a Bodhisattva next.

My own Blog should be viewed strictly in the context of an Expedient Means, just like your Blog serves the purpose of pointing people towards the exist in your own understanding of this vital issue… nothing else matters in the end, since we can not show them what this Reality is really all about.

But I also believe that we truly have to show them the exit – no comeback! That would be the Bodhisattvas job, right? To tell them that leading a Happy go Lucky Life today is only going to prep them for yet another Happy go Lucky Life tomorrow. However, that would in my understanding be a deception, since it is obviously too easy to achieve a happy transition through the Intermediate State of Reality and Rebirth by perpetuating a happy life in this reality? That is straight forward Cause & Effect going absolutely nowhere.

There is no future in this reality; happy or otherwise! We must defeat fundamental Ignorance! One mishap, downfall, misconception, accidental evil deed and we are doomed for a million life times – happy or not. The Tibetan Book of the Dead – Tibetan Buddhism, Chinese and Japanese ZEN in general – are quit clear about the basic function of the Causes & Effects we generate in this life and as represented by our Karma.

I understand that there are Buddhist teachings/ directions/ schools of thought that proclaim that the Six Classes of Beings combined with the Intermediate States exist in the same place and time, perfectly visible to all of us right here, right now. It is possible and probably even likely, as in my understanding, all of these State of Minds are driven by specific Modes of Perception and we can see from just a human point of view how vastly different these Modes of Perception can be.

Sorry, I hope I am not being a bother but my favourite teachers are ZEN Masters Huang Po, Ma Tsu, Hui Hai or Lin Chi…whose approach towards the Teaching of Mind in the context of this Reality is a bit like… a Sledgehammer?

Love & Peace!" - Elk Arne Clausen

"Yes, happy feelings have got nothing to do with whether we will exit the wheel of birth and death or not. A being can be doing a lot of selfish and evil actions and can still be very happy with himself. But that “happy” state of mind doesn’t stop the cause and effect to be effective. “Today” we cause pain for others (whether we are happy about it or not), “tomorrow” we will get the pain upon ourselves. It doesn’t matter if we are being “happy” committing lots of evil doings, we will still have to reap the karma that we had created for ourselves through our thoughts, actions and speech. It doesn’t mean that as long as we are “happy” at the moment of “death”, all our bad karma doesn’t count and we will be reborn into a new happy life without unhappiness and be happy forever… I think that is a great misunderstanding about escaping our karma by being “happy” at the moment of death… Whether being happy or not at the moment of death, we will still have to come back again to reap the karma that comes from our past thoughts, actions and speech.

There must be a reason why Buddha taught us about “don’t do bad” and “do good”, and the law of cause and effect. If we planted a mango seed, a mango tree it will become. If we planted an apple seed, an apple tree it will become. If we don’t want any trees, we don’t plant any seeds…

To annihilate ignorance is the meaning of our practice or the end of suffering. Ignorance is the root of suffering.

The point is, once ignorance is annihilated, or when wisdom is present, “suffering”, “the cause of suffering”, “the path of removing suffering” and “the end of suffering” disappear. What is there to exit? This body is still going to experience old age, illness, pain and death, the mind is still perceiving pleasant and unpleasant experiences, but the witness that is untainted by ignorance or egoism witnessing all these experiences is free from disturbance or suffering.

It is not about running away from suffering, but it is to know the truth of suffering and to observe and to accept the truth as it is, without craving or aversion. Even this perception of the existence of “suffering” is also part of the perception in the selfless mind. At this present moment now, observing this body and the modification of the mind as it is. It is neither something “suffering” nor “not suffering”. It is just being what it is.

If at this present moment now, this is what this body and mind is going through due to its past karma, then respect this present moment now as it is, no craving towards the “good” and “pleasant” experiences, no aversion towards the “bad” and “unpleasant” experiences. All are impermanent. Pleasantness or unpleasantness are all impermanent.

When names and forms disappears, what is “beautiful”? What is “ugliness”? What is “happiness”? What Is “unhappiness”? What is "heaven"? What is "hell"?

There is nothing wrong with people trying to retain good health and youthfulness or to maintain a good quality of life as long as we know the truth about all these things are subject to impermanence and they are not who we really are. When all these things change and are not being the way that we would like it to be, there is no disappointment, frustration or unhappiness. It is the craving and aversion that causes the mind perceiving suffering. The objects of names and forms don’t have the intention or attribute for being “the cause of suffering” or “the cause of happiness”, or to make us happy or unhappy. It is all coming from the mind under the influence of ignorance and egoism, when this mind attached onto names and forms, and recognizing or labeling them with the qualities of good and bad, and generates reaction of craving and aversion.

If the mind doesn’t know the truth of all these impermanent/transitory names and forms (sight, sound, smell, taste, touch/sensations, thoughts), and are being over-powered by the desire of craving and aversion in the mind, being over-powered by the likes and dislikes, wants and don’t wants that come from the idea of 'I', and attached strongly onto this life existence and all the experiences of “goodness” and “badness” in life, in the body and in the world due to the law of cause and effect, then the mind will be experiencing suffering either when it gets the things that it desires or when it gets the things that it doesn't desire.

The mind will be troubled by discontentment, fear and worry all the time, no matter if we have “something” or don’t have “anything”. The perceptive thinking mind is constantly being disturbed by the impurities in the mind (anger, hatred, greed, jealousy, lustful desire, expectation, judgment, comparison, disappointment, dissatisfaction, doubt, anxiety, confusion, depression, aggression, agitation, irritation, frustration and etc…). “I am suffering” is because of the attachment/clinging towards all the “good” and “bad” qualities of names and forms. And this is due to being ignorant (in the absence of wisdom) towards the truth of "the mind"/"who I am"/"names and forms".

The world (whether being peaceful or not peaceful) doesn’t make us suffer or make us not suffer.

This body (whether being strong and healthy or weak and ill) doesn’t give us suffering or take away the existing suffering.

This mind (whether being pure or impure, happy or unhappy) doesn’t change the truth of selflessness and impermanence.

It is when the perceptive thinking mind attached onto all the perceived names and forms and identifying with all the experiences that the body and mind is experiencing, and thus, “suffering” manifests as part of the modification of the mind.

When there is no attachment, “suffering” disappears. It doesn’t matter if the body is still experiencing extreme pain, illness and death. Or when the mind is being disturbed by “this” and “that”.

Even though this body and this mind will still be experiencing pain and agony, but the selfless consciousness beyond the impermanent existence and function of the body and mind never increase or decrease, never gain or loss, never become purer or less pure, never become more peaceful or less peaceful.

Realizing the truth of selflessness and impermanence, and be free, not just by hearing or reading about it, not by understanding or knowing about it intellectually, but attaining oneness/non-separateness with the universal consciousness (selflessness) upon the annihilation of the idea of 'I', or the ego.

Yes, to be truly liberated from birth and death (the selfless impermanent modification of the mind), and be free from the endless restlessness (due to dissatisfaction and endless craving that come from the worldly conditioned ignorant mind along with the selfish ego and the limited intellect), is the ultimate goal of all our practice, but it is not because we want to escape the cycles of birth and death or to run away from “suffering” because we are dissatisfied and unhappy with what we are now, but it is by realizing who we think we are/what is this 'I', and realize all “suffering” are nothing but the attachment and identification towards all the transitory names and forms that are subject to impermanence, including this body, this mind, and the life existence, as well as the never ending craving that generates the chain reactions of cause and effect (endless cycles of birth and death in the form of ceaseless thought current). The more that we “don’t want” to have “birth and death”, the stronger the aversion towards "birth and death", is actually reflecting on how strong is the ignorant attachment and identification towards “birth and death”.

“Suffering” exists in our mind, and will dissolve in the mind as well when wisdom arise. Wisdom is always there, never disappeared nor does it become more or less. It is the veil of ignorance that hinders us/the mind from realizing the wisdom in us. The ego creates the wrong identification of “I” am “this” or “I” am “that”. When we/the mind realize the wisdom in us (when ignorance disappears), this “I-ness” disappears, there is no “I”. Then who is “suffering”?

“Suffering” has a beginning, it will definitely has an end. “Happiness” has a beginning, it will definitely has an end. “Good and evil” has a beginning, it will definitely has an end. This body has a beginning, it will definitely has an end. This life has a beginning, it will definitely has an end. Everything that has a beginning will definitely has an end. But the knower that is knowing everything has a beginning and has an end (even before “the beginning” and after “the end”), who is observing and witnessing all the births and deaths taking place, “that” is causeless, attributeless, beginningless and endless. “That” is Satchidananda – pure existence, pure knowledge, pure bliss, eternal, untainted by cause and effect, good and evil, positive and negative, unaffected by impermanence, names and forms, and elements…

This world exists because the mind exists. When there is no mind, there is no world. Without the mind, we don’t perceive all these names and forms. Happiness and unhappiness come from the mind, and will end in the mind. Good and evil come from the mind, and will end in the mind. Fear and worry come from the mind, and will also end in the mind. Everything springs from the mind, will also dissolve in the mind. Suffering comes from the mind, and will also end in the mind.

Om.

When our mind is full of hatred and aversion towards "suffering" and "the cause of suffering", how could we be possible to transcend suffering? When our heart is full of love and peace, free from hatred and aversion, then that itself is already transcending suffering...

Thank you for sharing great wisdom with us here. Truly appreciate it." - Meng Foong

How to stay detached in any relationships without intentions and expectations?

A question came to me after the yoga class. A student asked how do we stay detached in relationship and how to not having any intentions and expectations in the relationship?

The simplest answer is, simply by not having any selfish intentions (reasons) to be in the relationship and let go of any expectations (conditions of wants and don't wants) from the relationship or from the people who are in the relationship with us. Let the relationship being what it is, not because we want it to be the way that we want it to be, but to accept it as the way it is at the present moment now, from moment to moment. Everything will change due to impermanence. Allow changes to happen and accept the changes as it is.

We will be in disappointment and frustration if we have selfish intention for us to be in any relationships, such like want to have some friends to be there to share thoughts and feelings with us and to be there for us when we need help and support, or want to have a life partner to help us to fulfill our own ambitions or cravings to have a family and children, to share financial and responsibility matters, or want to escape loneliness by having one or many companions, and etc. This is incorrect mentality engaged with selfish intention to be in relationship with anybody and this will only bring us and the people who are in the relationship with us lots of tensions and unhappiness.

We will tend to have expectation towards the relationship and the people who are in the relationship with us. We expect something good and constructive from being in the relationship, such like having somebody there to listen to us, to support us, to share with us, to love us, to appreciate us, to agree with us, to pamper us, to make us laugh, to make us happy, to chase away the loneliness and emptiness in us, to attain intimate care, personal attention, support, respect, reliance, sense of self-worth and meanings of life existence, and etc.

We also expect the people who are in the relationship with us to be trustworthy, to have certain type of personality, to be nice to us, to love us the way that we like it to be, to be there for us whenever we need help and support, to be there to listen to us and share with us, and to be agreeable with our thoughts, actions and speech.

When the relationship and the people are not up to our expectations, we will be so frustrated, upset and unhappy, especially when they don't treat us or behave the way that we want it to be.

This is because we don't really love the people who are in the relationship with us. We only love the image that we created for them or projected onto them that comes from our own mind. We only love the things about these people that reflect what our own mind and ego like about. We are looking for satisfaction that comes from fulfilling our craving for love, care, intimacy, attention, companionship, approval, agreement, respect, appreciation, praise and support, which we hope to get from the people who are in the relationship with us.

We are actually fell in love with the people's thoughts, actions and speech that are agreeable with what our mind likes and dislikes. If the people say and do things that are agreeable to what our mind likes about, we will be delighted to be with these people and are attracted towards the personality and characteristic in them which we like. We thought that we have fell in love with these people, but actually we are just falling in love with the things or the qualities that we like about them. And all these things and qualities are subject to impermanence and changes.

When all these things changed into something that are not agreeable with what our mind likes, and are no longer the same as it used to be, we will stop loving these people and will have dissatisfaction, disappointment, frustration and unhappiness in us. Sometimes the qualities in the people didn't change, but our own mind's likes and dislikes had changed. We don't like the things that we used to like before and are liking something else.

We are only in love with the things that we like and want. We don't really love the people as they are, and accept them as they are at the present moment now, from moment to moment. Such like if we love so much about somebody's appearance, physics, personality and the way that they present themselves, and we will be so disappointed and frustrated when all these things have changed into something else that are different from what it was and that we liked.

We always look at the qualities in the people to determine whether we love them or not. If the people say things that we like to hear, do things that we agree with, and treat us the way that we want it to be, then we will "love" these people. And when the people say things that we don't like to hear, do things that we don't agree with, and didn't treat us the way that we want it to be, then we will not "love" these people anymore.

This is not love. This is selfishness. We only love ourselves for what we like and how we want to feel. We are looking for some sort of satisfaction that come from the relationship hoping that it will chase away the discontentment in us. Or hoping that it will fill up the incompleteness in us to make ourselves feel more complete.

True love is unconditioned and unlimited. It is accepting and loving the people as they are, how they are, where they are and what they are, at the present moment now. We love them as they are, whether they treat us the way as we want it to be or not, whether the things that we like about them have changed into something very different or not, and whether they say and do things that we agree or not agree with.

True love is out of compassion, not out of selfish intention. It is without attachment, without expectation, without craving and aversion. It is not influenced by what the ego likes and dislikes, wants and doesn't want.

We need to be selfless to know what is love.

We need to be truly compassionate to know how to really love ourselves and love others unselfishly.

When we complain about the people whom we love, that they don't love us, we should ask ourselves, do we really love these people? Or are we loving the qualities of what our mind likes about them and are in love with the perfect image of the people that we created for them, and are having selfish expectations towards these people of what they can give us and how they should treat us or behave the way as we want it to be?

If we truly love somebody, there won't be any disappointment and dissatisfaction, even when these people don't love us at all, don't agree with us, are not in a relationship with us, don't like us, don't support us and don't care for us. We will still love them unconditionally, without possessiveness, without judgment or expectation.

Only when we know how to love ourselves and be compassionate towards our own self, able to accept ourselves as we are and forgive our own imperfection, then we will know how to love other people unselfishly, unconditionally, unlimitedly, and will be ready to be in any relationships that will flourish and bring positive progress in our personal growth and spiritual evolution.

All relationships are there to help us to learn about our own self of who we really are and how to accept ourselves and other people as we are, at the present moment now, from moment to moment.

It doesn't matter if the relationships turn out to be very sweet or turn out to be very sour and bitter. We will learn the greatest lesson in life existence about what is unconditional love, selflessness, compassion and non-attachment. Relationships are like a mirror for us to take a look at our own self. We will see our own self in the relationship about whether we are pure or impure, whether we are selfish or selfless, whether we are patient and tolerant, whether we are compassion, and whether we are free from craving and aversion, judgment and expectation.

When the relationship is sweet, we appreciate it without attachment, without craving and clinging. When the relationship is sour and bitter, we observe and accept the truth as it is without attachment, without aversion and let it go peacefully.

Real relationship does not build on the intention and expectation of hoping that the relationship can satisfy our endless craving for love and satisfaction. It is not based on what our mind likes and doesn't like, what our ego wants and doesn't want. It should be free from any selfish intentions and expectations.

Without intention, we give and share. Without expectation, we give and share. Without discrimination, we give and share. Without selfish desire, we give and share. Without attachment, we give and share. Like the sun, the air, the water, the earth and the space. All relationships should build on these selfless compassion, and not build on what the ego wants and doesn't want, and are not being influenced by the craving and aversion in the mind.

Non-attachment doesn't mean that we don't get into any relationships and keep away from everybody, or retreat from the world, or don't care for anything.

It is about being in the relationship without judging ourselves, the relationship and the people who are in the relationship with us, and not let the relationship to determine our confidence and happiness. Knowing that true confidence and true happiness are not coming from any relationships nor attaining all the names and forms in the world. True confidence and true happiness is there when we know who we really are and when we know the truth of what is real and unreal.

It is about being in the world but not being disturbed, nor affected, nor influenced by the world.

It is about not being attached to whatever our mind perceives through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think.

It is about not being attached to what our body can do and cannot do. Not being attached to the condition and limitation of the physical body. Not being attached to the state of the mind. Let the mind be the mind, we are not the mind, the mind is not us. We are the awareness that is witnessing, or knowing, or being aware of what the mind is experiencing at the present moment now.

It is about non-identification with the doer of the actions of giving or receiving.

It is about intention-less and non-expectation.

It is about selflessness and compassion.

It is about non-judging and non-comparing.

It is about being at the present moment now, letting go of the past and the future. Not to let the past experiences or memories and the future imaginations to influence us about the present moment now.

It is about letting go of the selfish ego and letting go of fear and worry. We perform all our duty and responsibility without expectation for the fruit of action but surrender to the universal consciousness to take care of the result.

It is about knowing the truth and are able to accept the truth as it is without judgment, comparison and expectation, without craving and aversion.

May all be happy whether being in a relationship or not being in any relationships at all. The most intimate and important relationship in this life existence is being comfortable with our own self. When we know how to be comfortable with our own self and are compassionate towards our own self, then only we can be comfortable in any relationships with other people or animals, or have a harmonious relationship with nature or with everything else in the entire universe.

When we are comfortable with our own self and accept ourselves as we are, then only we will be comfortable being anywhere, doing or not doing anything, and be comfortable with everyone and everything in the world.

At the end, there is no relationship at all. Relationship dissolves when there is no more separateness of us and the entire existence of names and forms. Everything and everyone is not separated from "us". There is no more craving for love. There is no fear and worry. There is no bad beings or good beings. There is no more loneliness or emptiness. We are full and content. We are love and peace.

If we know what is performing all actions towards ourselves and others without intention, without expectation and renounce from the fruit of action, we will be free from the binding karma of cause and effect, birth and death.

Be happy.