Who or what has a permanent independent individual existence to be under going ceaseless loop of births and deaths?

Upon the annihilation of the ego, or the idea of 'I', that doesn't really exist, but only existing in the form of a continuous stream of thoughts arising and passing away ceaselessly occupying the selfless modification of the selfless mind functioning under the veil of ignorance selflessly that is existing and functioning upon the selfless support of selfless energy and selfless elements, where this idea of 'I' attaching and identifying towards the actions and the fruit of actions, or cause and effect, either enjoying or suffering, or both,

as well as,

Upon the realization towards Selflessness and Impermanence, simultaneously as well, the realization towards Timelessness, Attributelessness, Namelessness, Formlessness, Deathlessness and Birthlessness, upon the annihilation of the selfless modification of the selfless mind, in silence, in stillness, in timelessness, in selflessness, WHO, or WHAT, that has a permanent independent individual existence to be under going the ceaseless restless loop of 'births and deaths' or the restless selfless impermanent changes, in NOW?

If the selfless mind still thinks and believes that there is the existence of a WHO or WHAT that representing itself, or, it's 'I', or 'I' am THAT, that comes with an individual identity under certain attributes, names and forms, that has a beginning which will followed by an end, that has an existence which will followed by non-existence, that means that WHO or WHAT is also conditional and limited, that is subject to selfless impermanent changes, that is under going the ceaseless restless loop of 'births and deaths' governed by cause and effect. It is not real, because it doesn't has a real solid permanent unchanging independent existence.

Similarly, the one, or the selfless impermanent name and form that is under going ceaseless restless loop of births and deaths of impermanent changes selflessly, is something selfless, impermanent, conditional and limited, that is initiating and deriving from cause and effect selflessly, that which enjoys or suffers the effect of cause selflessly. It is not real, as it doesn't has a permanent independent unchanging existence.

If there is something permanent, if that something is permanent that exists independently, it is void of births and deaths, or impermanent changes. What is the ceaseless loop of 'births and deaths'? Who is under going births and deaths? Who is in painful sorrow? Who is suffering? Who is enjoying?

Inquire towards the truth of everything, and be free.

The answer is the questions themselves

"There's no mention of what type of yoga that you teach and what kind of benefits people will be getting from learning and practicing the type of yoga that you teach in your website. There are also no details about the yoga practice style, level, duration, venue, and fees. There's no mention of the affiliation with the International Yoga Alliance or attachment towards any internationally recognized yoga school and yoga association at all. What type of yoga do you teach? What are the benefits? Where and whom did you learn yoga from? How many and what kind of yoga teacher training courses that you have attended in the past? What type of teaching experience, qualification and certification do you have? What level in yoga have you achieved? Without all these details, who will be interested?"

The answer is the questions themselves.

Yoga in life?

Yoga in life is not about doing some yoga exercises or yoga poses anywhere and anytime, beyond the yoga classes/schools/centres/studios/rooms. It's about whether the mind is able to remain equanimous under any challenging conditions and situations, or not. It's about whether the mind is open towards (or unattached onto) all the pleasant and unpleasant, agreeable and disagreeable, desirable and undesirable life experiences being free from craving and aversion, or not. It's about being aware of any impurities in the mind without identification or association with them, without being over-powered by them, without judgment, and allowing them to arise, change and pass away. It's about taking the responsibility to perform necessary actions and making wise decisions in difficult circumstances under a calm mind reflecting wisdom and compassion without fear, fault finding, blame, guilt or regret, beyond the worldly conditioned thinking, belief, and judgment.

It's not about setting positive intention or aspiration, hoping that everything in life or the world, to be the way that we like it to be, or the way that we think it should be.

The varieties of yoga practice that exist under certain names and forms which are limited and restricted by time and space, impermanence, conditions, limitations, conveniences, appropriateness, religious or cultural beliefs, are there to help and prepare the mind to be open - unattaching towards any thinking and belief, and respecting all kinds of different names and forms to be what they are.

If one's mind is not open, then one is not ready yet to receive and practice the teachings of yoga in life. As one's mind will constantly be disturbed by the judgments towards everything based on the worldly thinking and belief under the influence of the personal likes and dislikes, the subjective agreements and disagreements that influence how the mind reacts towards all the desired and undesired experiences or everything that the mind comes in contact with, of what it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks.

Just like when the mind is being conditioned to believe in certain thinking and beliefs about what to think and how to behave, and it expects everyone should also think and behave in accordance to those thinking and beliefs, then this mind will always be disturbed by something that it comes in contact with which it thinks and believes as 'bad', 'wrong' and 'negative', which it doesn't want, dislikes and disagrees with. The mind is disturbed by its desires of craving and aversion. It is disturbed when things are not the way that it likes them to be, or, when things are the way that it doesn't like them to be.

It is the mind's responsibility on how it perceives, interprets, understands and reacts towards all kinds of life experiences, whether it's our own experiences or it's about other people's experiences. If the mind is not open, the mind will be disturbed and upset by some experiences that the mind perceives, believes and judges as 'negative', 'wrong' and 'bad'. It isn't that the objects that the mind comes in contact with are being 'negative', 'wrong' or 'bad' that is causing the disturbance or upset in the mind. It's how the mind being conditioned to react towards all the perceptions of names and forms based on the desires of craving and aversion, the personal likes and dislikes, the subjective agreements and disagreements conditioned by what the mind thinks and believes what things are, and the expectation of the mind towards everything about how things should be like.

If one wants to know what the teachings of yoga in life is about, then allow the mind to be open, and be free from judgment, expectation, personal likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements. Then one will be able to see that everything in life is teaching us yoga and allowing us to practice and realize yoga. One becomes one's own teacher.

There are ceaseless happenings in our life and around us, from moment to moment, whether it's something pleasant or unpleasant, whether it's something desired or undesired, whether it's about ourselves or other people, whether it's someone we know or don't know and like or don't like, and whether it's somewhere near or far away. All that comes to our knowledge or awareness, or all the perceptions of names and forms, is here teaching us yoga and allowing us to practice and realize yoga, to be free from ignorance and realize unconditional peace.

It's all happening in the mind, unlimited by causation, time and space, the worldly knowledge and experiences, the thinking and beliefs, the worldly self-image and identifications, the states of the mind, the impermanent physical conditions, limitations and abilities, the qualities of names and forms, the lineage of yoga, the yoga poses, the yoga mats, the yoga attires and accessories, the yoga books, the yoga classes, the yoga schools, the yoga teachers, the yoga certifications, and so on.

Be free.

The truth is still what it is whether we agree or disagree with it...

The truth, it is not necessarily something pleasant for the egoistic mind, or the way that the egoistic mind would like it to be.

It is the freedom of every mind to have certain thinking and belief, to be conditioning the mind to think in certain ways and to believe in certain beliefs, to influence our action and reaction, or how we behave.

There's nothing wrong for the mind to generate agreement and disagreement towards everything that it comes in contact with, based on how the mind thinks and what the mind believes what things are.

It is the natural habit of the prideful egoistic mind to argue and criticize about something that it disagrees with, for being different from its own thinking and belief, to prove that this is right (my way, my thinking and my believe) and that is wrong (other ways, other thinking and other beliefs). Or else the world would be quiet being free from argument, dispute, criticism and condemn.

Argument, dispute, criticism and condemn coming from the prideful egoistic mind about certain thinking and beliefs are right and good (my way of thinking and my belief), and all the others are wrong and bad (anything else that is being different from my way of thinking and my belief), is subjective and pointless.

The same object, some say it's beautiful, some say it's ugly, based on their own standard of what is beauty and what is ugliness. It is individual projection from each mind to label everything into this and that. The object is just what it is. It is neither beautiful nor ugly. There's nothing wrong with some minds think it's beautiful, and some minds think it's ugly, but it is not the truth of the object.

When we start to let go of attachment towards a particular type of thinking and belief including the thinking and belief in our own minds, as well as all the teachings of all kinds of different philosophy of life existence, we start to see things as they are. There's no right or wrong, good or bad, but just being different. And everyone takes full responsibility for the consequences of their own freedom of choice to take up certain thinking and belief to live their lives, for how they want to think and what they want to believe.

If we expect everyone else in this world to also comply to the same thinking and belief that we attached to, we'll get frustrated, unhappy, angry and hating when they are being different from us. It is coming from our own attachment and expectation, it's not because we are right and they are wrong.

Yoga is about to free the mind from ignorance and egoism through the practice of renunciation, dispassion, desireless, non-attachment, non-identification, and realize non-duality, oneness or non-separateness, or namelessness and formlessness.

Some people including those who think they are practicing yoga or teaching yoga, might dislike and disagree with this teaching and practice. And it's okay.

Those who don't practice yoga because they dislike and disagree with the teaching and practice of yoga, and so, they don't.

Those who love to practice yoga or want to teach yoga, but, they would prefer the yoga that they want to be practicing or teaching, to be the way that they would like it to be, or to be what they think it should be. They don't want to hear or talk about renunciation, non-attachment, dispassion or desireless. And there's nothing wrong with that, and nothing to be arguing about. They have the freedom to think and believe in what they want to think and believe. They are practicing yoga, just that not as what it is, but how they like it to be.

That's the point of what yoga is about. It's oneness, non-separateness, namelessness and formlessness. It is beyond all the different qualities of name and form. There's no prideful egoism, attachment, identification, judgment or expectation, and hence there's no argument, criticism, or condemn.

If someone disagrees with what has been said here, they can't say anything.

Either they say something to argue or criticize, or they don't say anything, not arguing or criticizing, it also shows that there's nothing wrong with this teaching.

If they want to say something about their disagreement on this, and want to argue or criticize about this, it proves that this teaching is true, that every prideful egoistic mind that attached to certain thinking and beliefs, will want to argue and criticize about something that it disagrees with for being different from its point of views based on how it thinks and what it believes.

If they don't say anything, it also proves that this teaching is true, that there's nothing to be argue or criticize about. It is not about what is being said here is true, or not true.

Those who truly practice yoga don't argue or criticize about something that the mind disagrees with for being different from its own thinking and belief, based on how it thinks and what it believes.

Whether the mind agrees or disagrees with something, it is still what it is. Whether we think and believe the apple is tasty or not tasty, the apple is still what it is. It doesn't has the intention or quality to be tasty or not tasty. But coming from each individual's likes and dislikes towards different tastes, different minds have different opinions towards the same taste. It's the same for all the other names and forms of sights, sounds, smells, sensations and thinking.

Any thinking and belief, no matter how good and right we think they are, it is still within the subjective point of views.

Go beyond all the different thinking and beliefs, and realize the universal truth, that everything is just what it is with different names and forms. And beyond all the different names and forms, all is one, there's no separateness. There's no superiority nor inferiority. The mind rests in silence, at peace.

But the ego doesn't like this at all. It prefers the distinctiveness between superiority and inferiority, and ceaselessly strives to make itself more superior than others, and to maintain that superiority. It doesn't like to be in silence, or to be at peace. It enjoys restlessness, stimulation or excitement. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Those who don't like and disagree with this teaching are free to think what they want to think, to agree or disagree with anything, to debate and argue about everything.

May all be peaceful.

Be free.

The restless mind

Whenever there is perception of different qualities of name and form, there will always be somebody with the thinking mind experiences restlessness, showing disagreement, or dislike, or be offended by certain names and forms.

Unless it is attributeless, nameless and formless, then nobody with the thinking mind can perceive something nameless and formless that is beyond qualities of name and form, and nobody will experience restlessness, showing disagreement, or dislike, or be offended by something that is beyond the mind perception of names and forms.

If somebody will be restless, showing disagreement, dislike and be offended by something that isn't there, then that is still within the mind perception of qualities of name and form. The mind is offended by something that it doesn't know. It's like, "I don't know what it is, but I just disagree with it and I don't like it..."

That's how restless the mind can be.

Go beyond the mind perception of names and forms, realize attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, and be free from restlessness, agreements and disagreements, likes and dislikes, offensiveness and defensiveness.

Om shanti.

Letting go of certain thinking, beliefs and superstitions that doesn't lead us to unconditional love and peace...

One of the means of yoga practice is to free the mind from being conditioned by any kind of thinking, beliefs, and superstitions that doesn't lead us to unconditional love and peace, but, instead it generates unnecessary disharmony, fear and worry in us and in our relationships with everyone who comes in contact with us.

It takes a lot of courage and a little bit of insecurity in the beginning to let go of certain thinking, beliefs and superstitions that hinder us from realizing unconditional love and peace. It seems like we 'believe' that as human beings, and being part of the community of the world, we have to hold on to certain thinking, beliefs and superstitions to be who we are, to live our lives, to be existing in this life form.

But once we allow ourselves to step beyond that line, we will see the freedom beyond all the qualities of names and forms.

May all be free.

Realize the truth of non-duality, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, and be free...

When the mind is being negative, whatever it perceives through the senses will be contaminated or influenced by the negativity in the mind. Same as when the mind is being positive, everything that it perceives will be also be contaminated or influenced by the positivity in the mind. But the truth of everything is beyond positive and negative.

Realizing the truth of non-duality, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness is the path to be free from suffering or unhappiness that derives from ignorance which accompanied by dualism, separateness, egoism, attachment, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, craving and aversion.

Just by studying, talking, discussing or teaching about non-duality, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness from the books that we read and from what other people told us and without direct self-realization, doesn't free us from suffering or unhappiness.

Keep purifying the mind, remove egoism, attachment, craving and aversion, until the mind starts to see the truth of everything as it is, without being contaminated nor influenced by any impurities, elements or substances (both positive and negative.)

Om shanti.

Yoga Teachers who teach yoga? Or, Yoga Instructors or Fitness Instructors who teach different types of yoga asana exercise classes?

There are lots of 'yoga classes', or more precisely, 'yoga asana exercise classes under different styles and brand names' everywhere nowadays.

It's very good, as yoga asana exercises are really good for everyone physically, mentally and emotionally.

Even though not many yoga classes are being taught in accordance with the traditional lineage of what yoga practice really is about, which is to eliminate ignorance and egoism, to attain Self-realization, it really doesn't matter.

Even if majority of the people are practicing yoga asana exercises regularly to gain some benefits physically, mentally and emotionally (being disinterested in the upmost important part of the yoga practice), it is still a very good pastime wholesome activity for anyone to be participating in. As during those hours of yoga asana exercises, at least we are not participating in any unwholesome activities.

There is no need to compare between yoga teachers who teach yoga to other people and yoga instructors or fitness instructors who teach yoga asana exercises to other people, as these are two complete different things.

Yoga teachers who teach yoga for conquering the impure egoistic modification of the mind, don't necessary need to be teaching yoga asana exercises, in order to teach yoga to anybody. As peace and compassion is nothing to do with how many yoga asana exercises that we can do, or how good we can perform the yoga asana exercises, or whether we know about anatomy and physiology, or not.

Yoga practice is about non-attachment and detachment (letting go of attachment if there is attachment). It is about letting go of the ego, and the desire of craving and aversion. It is about non-identification with the names and forms that we are not, such like the body and mind. It is about unaffected, undisturbed, uninfluenced, undetermined by whatever the mind perceives through the senses. It is about being aware of the perceived reality as it is, and accept the reality in the present moment now as it is. Allowing impermanent changes to happen as it is, and accept all the changes as they are, from moment to moment, without craving for something that we like but it's not available now, without clinging onto something that we like that is available now, and without aversion towards something that we don't like in this present moment. All these are nothing to do with the physical condition and abilities to perform the yoga asana exercises, even though yoga asana exercises can help us to purify and calm the mind, to prepare the mind for self-inquiry and meditation.

There is no need to criticize yoga asana exercise teachers, or fitness instructors for not able, or not interested to teach the mind disciplinary side of yoga, as even just by guiding people to be doing some yoga asana exercises everyday to many people who are only interested in gaining a better quality of life through doing some yoga asana exercises, is already a great thing to do. The teachers or the instructors themselves are benefited greatly from giving the yoga asana exercise classes, as themselves need to be doing their own yoga asana practice quite regularly, so that they are able to up keep their skills and abilities in performing the yoga asana exercises, in order to lead other people to be doing the similar yoga asana exercises.

Eventually, as we practice yoga asana exercises regularly, naturally the body and mind is being purified to a certain degree that will allow certain shifts in our consciousness unintentionally, even though in the beginning, we might have no interests at all about mind disciplinary, purification and self-transformation. That will ignite us for starting to be interested to know more about the deeper meaning of yoga and its practice.

Yoga teachers who teach yoga, they don't need to call or identify themselves as 'yoga teachers'. They don't need to be qualified, or certified, or recognized by such and such 'international yoga alliance'. They don't need to go through any yoga teachers training courses to study yoga philosophy, to learn to do some yoga asana exercises, to learn about anatomy and physiology, to learn some chantings and prayers, to learn how to do some karma yoga, and to pass any theory and practical examinations, to attain one or many 'certifications' to be graduated as qualified/recognized/registered 'yoga teacher'. They don't even need to be performing any so called 'yoga practice', as they are already free from ignorance and egoism. They are free from impurities, restlessness, or suffering. They are free from attachment, identification, and desire of craving and aversion. They have attained realization towards the nature of the existence of all kinds of names and forms, including the body and mind, which is selfless and impermanent. And all these selfless impermanent names and forms, are merely arising and passing away governed by nature's law of cause and effect. They are all wise and compassionate. They are peaceful as they are, resting upon ATMAN, undetermined by the selfless impermanent changes of both the perceiver and the perceived.

These nameless and formless selfless beings are sharing the knowledge of yoga for realizing unconditional love and peace with other beings who come in contact with them that need some ignition or guidance to realize their own true nature, to be free from ignorance and egoism, without intention, without attachment, unconditioned and unlimited by time, space and causation. Their natural action of sharing the knowledge of yoga is beyond names and forms. This compassionate action of sharing the knowledge of yoga with other beings without intention or attachment, is not different from being actionless - selfless or intentionless actions that are not bound by good or bad karma, and is free from being determined by the inevitable nature's law of cause and effect, birth and death, where there's no difference between birth and death, enjoyment and suffering, where all are selfless and impermanent.

Any beings, any things, any happenings that are good or not good, that are agreeable or disagreeable to us, are our yoga teachers, when the mind allows all and everything to show us the ignorance and egoism in us, to allow us to reflect upon the truth of the mind and all that it experiences, of the perceiver and the perceived.

And so, whether Yoga Teachers who teach yoga, or, Yoga Instructors or Fitness Instructors who teach yoga asana exercises, are all good.

If we ever feel disappointed in those whom we think they are 'yoga teachers' but they are not as perfect as what we think they should be, know that this disappointment is coming from our own egoistic expectation, expecting 'yoga teachers' should be perfect like 'God', as there are not many 'yoga teachers' are perfect and are completely free from ignorance. There are many people are just 'yoga instructors' or 'fitness instructors' who teach yoga asana exercises only.

Most importantly, there is nothing wrong for being imperfect, or is not free yet. Being aware of ignorance exists in one's mind is not something shameful or evil. Ignorance is the reason of all these. Everyone is being there for each other, helping and supporting each other to move towards Self-realization, to be free from ignorance, to be free from all these, that's all.

Only those who haven't realized the truth yet, will only be seeing all the different qualities of names and forms in others, and seeing the defects or imperfections in beings who are not free yet, and generate agreements and disagreements, and have frustration, disappointment, or dissatisfaction in themselves, constantly being affected and disturbed by other people's actions and inactions, or generate aversion and discrimination towards others whom they disagree with.

Those who know the truth, they only see the one same nature in all beings beyond all the impermanent names and forms, which is selflessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, that is unconditioned, unlimited, undetermined and uncontaminated by the different qualities of names and forms possessed by each individual, nor be affected by their actions and inactions, and the consequences of actions and inactions. And this reflects in them (who know the truth, and are free) being naturally compassionate towards all beings without discrimination of good and bad beings.

Om shanti.

Yoga, India, Indian, Hinduism?

Some good yogis think and feel that 'yoga' is being manipulated. They want to protect the lineage of ‘authentic yoga’. They insist that yoga belongs to India, or Indians, or Hinduism. I respect what they think and believe - according to history the practice of 'yoga' did start in India, and was rooted in Hinduism.

But even though the practice of yoga originated in India, it doesn’t mean that yoga belongs to India, or Indians, or Hindus. Yoga is for all humanity. It exists in the universe for all beings to transform the modification of the ignorant egoistic mind, to be liberated from ignorance and suffering.

Being in a place that is being possessed, claimed, and named as India, or being identified as an Indian, or being a Hindu, it doesn't guarantee peace and compassion or enlightenment in anyone. If it did, then every Indian, or Hindu, or anyone in India, would already know yoga and have attained self-realization, there wouldn’t be any ignorant beings, and suffering would not exist in India, or for all Indians, or for all Hindus.

If yoga belongs to 'India' and 'Hinduism', then no one else but only 'Indians' and 'Hindus' can be 'allowed' or 'qualified' or 'authorized' to realize yoga of selflessness, or compassion and unconditional peace, to be free from suffering, while all the others who are not Indian or Hindu will never realize yoga, or be compassionate and peaceful, or be free from suffering. But, yoga doesn't belong to anyone or anywhere with a particular quality of name and form. Just as Buddhism also started in a particular place on earth, but it doesn't belong to and isn't limited by that place or anyone. All and everyone are subject to the suffering of impermanence and selflessness, limitation and conditional, and non-self, and anyone also can realize the truth of selflessness, and be free from suffering upon liberation from ignorance. Just like, if 'God' exist, 'God' doesn't belong to anyone or anything.

Although we all live in different regions in the world, have different nationalities, or skin colour and features, or cultures, or languages, or beliefs, or spiritual and religious influences, all and everything exist being supported by the same source, as well as inter-supporting all and everything to be what they are.

How can we limit and condition yoga to a certain region, place, race, and religion when the basic teachings of yoga is oneness or non-separateness, as well as attributelessness, namelessness, and formlessness? What is the difference between this religion and that religion, or being religion-less? What is the difference between this nationality and that nationality on this tiny little earth compared to all the other planets in the universe? Even though we all have different beliefs, religions (or not), traits, characteristics, personalities, and appearances, we are all living beings sharing the same space in the universe that doesn't belong to anyone or anything, dependent on the elements of fire, wind, water, earth and space to exist. Beyond the different names and forms the nature of all and everything is the same. We are not different nor separated from one another. Discrimination of different qualities is non-existing in nature.

All and everyone and everything of all kinds of different qualities and names and forms, are subject to selfless impermanent limited and conditional momentary existence, or ceaseless changes and maintenance, decay, disintegration, death, decomposition, or ceased existence.

Yoga exists in all beings regardless of where we are, who we are, what we are, or how we are. All are eligible for realizing yoga, depending on one's correct understanding, effort, perseverance and determination.

The teachings of yoga and Buddhism are all about selflessness, non-dualism, oneness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness. Even though the many practices might be different from one another, the end of the practice is not different from each other. If this is not what yoga is - oneness or non-separateness, then I don't want to practice 'this yoga' or share 'this yoga' with other beings. Those who think 'yoga' belongs to them can keep their 'yoga' for themselves.
 
When the Buddha attained enlightenment, he never claimed that he founded Buddhism, neither the teachings and practice of Buddhism belong to any particular race, sect or caste, gender, nationality, or religion, or being. It (the dhamma/the truth of selflessness, impermanence, limitation, conditional, and non-self) always existed in all beings regardless of the differences of names and forms, regardless of whether all beings and objects are separated by and subjected to time, space and causation, and whether we realize Dhamma, or not. The Dhamma, or the teachings of Buddhism, or the truth of names and forms, existed before Buddha realized the truth and became enlightened. Buddha didn't own the teachings of Buddhism or Dhamma. Dhamma doesn't belong to anyone or any place. Anyone and everyone, even the most ignorant beings, or the most evil beings in the universe, can realize Dhamma and attain enlightenment. It is within every being and beyond time, space and causation. There have been other beings in other regions of the world attained enlightenment before and after Buddha.

Even though the Buddha came from the place or region of India, attained enlightenment in India, and taught Buddhism in India, Dhamma didn't originate from India and wasn't limited only within India. Dhamma does not come from a geographical region or era - it is beyond time and space. Dhamma does not belong to anyone or anywhere.

 

Those who claimed yoga belongs to them, or to a particular place, region, race, or religion, they have no idea towards what yoga is. 

Om shanti.

Neti neti - Negating who we are not, is part of our basic yoga practice...

This sounds like being negative, but it is an easy and effective way to realize who we are not, and thus realize who we really are.

I am not this, I am not that.

I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am not the ego. I am not the intellect.

I am not the thoughts, the sensations, the feelings, the emotions, the thinking, the beliefs, the habits.

I am not the dreams. I am not the dreamer.

I am not the memories. I am not the imaginations.

I am not the likes and dislikes, the agreements and disagreements, the craving and aversion.

I am not the breathings, the heartbeats, the energy, the elements.

I am not the good qualities. I am not the bad qualities.

I am not happy. I am not unhappy.

I am not the calmness. I am not the restlessness.

I am not the anger, the hatred, the jealousy, the fear, the worry.

I am not the doer of actions. I am not the receiver of the fruit of the actions.

What is impermanent, constantly changing and doesn't belong to 'I', is not 'I'.

Keep negating until there's nothing more to be negate.

The One and only that we cannot negate after negating everything, is who we really are.

Om shanti.

"Are you a Buddhist?" or "Are you a yogi?" - An invalid question

"Are you a Buddhist?" or "Are you a yogi?"

These questions is like asking, "Are you selfless?"

The basic teachings of Buddhism and yoga are the same. It's all about realizing the truth about names and forms, remove dualism, egoism and ignorance, and transcends suffering.

It's about non-separateness or all is one.

It's about namelessness and formlessness, beyond all the differences of quality and appearance, colours and shapes.

It's about non-identification with the qualities of names and forms.

It's about unconditional peace, wisdom and compassion.

There's no difference between this type of teaching and that type of teaching, if it brings us to realize the truth to transcend names and forms, the egoism and ignorance, and realize unconditional peace, wisdom and compassion.

And so, when somebody ask this question to a person who is really practicing the teachings of Buddhism, or who is really practicing the teachings of yoga, then this question is invalid, just like asking a selfless person, "Are you selfless?"

Whenever we identify ourselves as a "Buddhist" or a "Yogi", we actually generate separateness between 'I' being a Buddhist or a yogi and with those who are not a Buddhist or a yogi.

We can call ourselves anything that we like, and can be anything that we want. But whether we are truly practicing the teachings or not, only ourselves will know.

I can call myself a "Buddhist" or a "yogi", give myself an appearance of a "Buddhist" or a "yogi", and behave like a "Buddhist" or a "yogi" should be behaving, but it doesn't mean anything.

If I am really practicing Buddhism or yoga, I don't need to name or call myself a "Buddhist" or a "yogi".

It is everyone's freedom to call us whatever they think what we are to them.

If people think I am a Buddhist, let them call me a "Buddhist".

If people think I am a yogi, let them call me a "yogi".

But that's not what I really am.

I am neither a "Buddhist" nor a "yogi", nor a "yoga teacher", nor a "good person", nor a "happy person", although from the appearance of what I am doing, I seem to be like a "Buddhist", or a "yogi", or a "yoga teacher", or some people might perceive me as a "good person" or "happy person".

Call myself anything that I like, but that won't change nor determine who I am.

Om shanti.

The truth of things is not necessarily what we think it is...

If our mind is being contaminated or influenced by so many impurities such like anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, pride, arrogance, disappointment, fear, worry, craving and aversion, and etc, then whatever we perceive in the mind through the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, is not necessarily the truth of things or it is not what we think it is... Instead we will project our own imaginations onto things base on what our mind wants to believe or think what it should be, but it's not really what it is...

It is like when one person wears a red tinted glasses will see or perceive something blue as purple colour, and another person wears a yellow tinted glasses will see or perceive something red as orange colour, but it is not the truth of what it really is...

When our mind is being influenced by one or many impurities, then whatever we perceive through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think will be contaminated by these impurities. It is not necessarily what we think or believe what it is...

And so, if our mind is not free from impurities, then how can we judge and criticize anyone or anything with this contaminated impure mind?

And when a mind is pure, is being free from impurities, then this pure mind will perceive the truth of everyone and everything as it is, without any judgments or criticisms... With a pure mind, there is no perception of qualities of good and bad, but everything is just being what it is... All dualities or qualities of names and forms disappear. And hence, what is left is just what things really are. They are not something good or bad. They are not something positive or negative. They are not something happiness or suffering.

When the mind is pure, there is no more craving towards something that was being perceived as "good, positive and happiness" through "the impure mind". There is no more aversion towards something that was being perceived as "bad, negative and suffering" through "the impure mind". And hence, there is no restlessness or unhappiness or fear and worry that arise due to craving and aversion is not being gratified, as there is no craving or aversion...

This is true freedom. This is what all the yoga practice is about. It is for us to purify the mind to eliminate impurities, so that the mind is able to perceive the truth of things as it is, and be free from craving and aversion which derive from ignorance and attachment towards the qualities of things that come from projection of the impure mind onto the names and forms that it perceives, which is the cause of restlessness and unhappiness.

Just by being good doesn't guarantee us peace and happiness if the mind is not free from impurities. We can be doing a lot of good actions and try not to do any bad actions, but still we are not really peaceful or happy because we are still being affected or disturbed by anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, agitation, depression, pride, arrogance, craving and aversion, fear and worry, if we are identified with the impure mind or the ego, and thinking that "I" am experiencing all these reactions of the mind towards whatever it perceives through the senses, as the mind attached to the qualities of these names and forms, and generates craving and aversion towards qualities that it likes and doesn't like... It is only when the mind is free from all these impurities, craving and aversion, naturally peace and happiness is there...

Om shanti.

Be happy.

About yoga teachers and teaching yoga...

"Yoga teachers" are those who had found the inner teacher within themselves, and are free from ignorance and restlessness, and are sharing the path of unconditional love and peace with other beings, out of compassion, without egoism of attachment, identification, craving and aversion, and expectation. They don't need to tag themselves as "yoga teachers" or "certified yoga teachers" or "certified yoga teachers with many years of experience" or "yoga teachers who came from which yoga school" or "yoga teachers who learn under which Guru". As all these names and forms and qualities are irrelevant. There is nothing wrong or bad with all these worldly perception of names and forms and qualities for "sharing" the path towards unconditional love and peace, but they mean nothing to those who have gone beyond names and forms and qualities.

The worldly minded need to see or hear all these names and forms and qualities about such and such, about this and that, but all these names and forms and qualities are meaningless on the path towards unconditional love and peace. Even though all beings have different backgrounds or experiences, and have different levels or degrees of ignorance or realization, but the unconditional love and peace in all beings is the same, no differences. It doesn't change, or increase, or decrease, or disappear due to the different degrees of impurities or ignorance. It is unaffected or uncontaminated by actions and inactions in different life experiences. And hence, there is no judgment towards anyone or anything. As even a so called "good person" who did a lot of good actions and didn't do any bad actions, it doesn't guaranteed that this person is in peace and happiness, or is free from ignorance, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, pride, arrogance, dissatisfaction, disappointment, animosity, hurts, offensiveness, defensiveness, fear and worry.

It is about unattached towards what the mind believe as "good" and "bad".

It doesn't mean that we can do a lot of "bad" actions but will be free from the consequences. Some people misunderstood this teaching and take it as an excuse to justify our wrong doings that will hurt ourselves and other beings, and do whatever we feel like doing but being irresponsible for our actions. But what we didn't know is that we did all the "good" or "bad" actions with the identification as the doer and the enjoyer of the actions, and we have selfish intentions coming from the ego with attachment and expectation towards our actions and the result of our actions. "I did this." or "I didn't do that." or "He/she/they did this." or "He/she/they didn't do that."

Whether our intention or expectation to perform or not to perform any "good" or "bad" actions is to attain some sort of good feelings, or excitement, or satisfaction, or pleasant sensations, or to express unhappiness, dissatisfaction, anger, jealousy, disagreement, or due to reactions out of fear and worry, we are still being affected and disturbed by our/other people's actions and inactions, and the result of our/other people's actions and inactions.

That's why even though if we did a lot of good actions, try to be good and do good and try not to do any bad actions, we can still be not peaceful, unhappy and constantly being disturbed by anger, hatred, jealousy, pride, arrogance, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, restlessness, fear and worry that arise in our own mind, which has nothing to do with all the qualities of names and forms that we perceive through the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind.

We "expect" that, if we do good, we will "receive" something good in return, and we will not "receive" any bad in return. But when this is not happening according to what we think it should be, we will be so disappointed and unhappy. We identified ourselves as "good" people who do good, and being proud and arrogant about ourselves for being good, and we might also expect other people to do good, and if other people don't do good, we'll get unhappy and frustrated, and judge them as "bad" people, and we are "good" people who do good, and we deserve to be here, and those who are "bad", they don't deserve to be here. And so on. Being so unhappy being disturbed by what other people do (bad actions) and don't do (good actions).

Just like in a yoga class while everyone is doing the same exercise but not everyone will be looking the same as everyone has a different body type with different degrees of strength and flexibility and different types of physical limitations. But all these differences of qualities and names and forms cannot determine whether one is peaceful and another one is not. Love and peace is nothing to do with whether we can perform all the yoga exercises in a "perfect body alignment" or not. It is not about if our feet is pointing at certain degrees and angle, and we will be guaranteed peace, or else if our feet is not pointing at that certain degrees and angle, and we will not have peace.

Teaching yoga is sharing the wisdom of yoga with anyone who is looking for unconditional peace, and guiding other beings on how to find the inner teacher within themselves and be free from ignorance and restlessness. If we haven't realized our own inner teacher yet, and have not found peace and are not free from ignorance, then how can we "teach" or "guide" other beings to be free? Even if we have an enlightened Guru sitting in front of us, to teach us or guide us, but it is still our own effort to realize love and peace. If we are reluctant to let go of ignorance, there's nobody can remove ignorance for us, not even an enlightened being can take away another beings suffering or ignorance.

Real yoga teachers don't need the title of "yoga teachers". They don't need to be "trained" to "become" "yoga teachers". They don't need a specific time and space to share and teach yoga. They are naturally "yoga teachers" when they are in peace and they have the "opportunity" to be there guiding other beings towards unconditional love and peace.

Out of compassion, it is a very natural action to share and guide other beings onto the path towards unconditional love and peace.

It is not so much about "I want to be a yoga teacher and I want to teach yoga." or "I want to teach these people and these people will learn from me and will be benefited from my teaching and sharing." and then we go to a yoga school, to learn how to do some yoga poses and some other yoga practice, and learn how to organize a yoga school or to teach a yoga class, and then pass the exam, get one or many recognized certificates, and start teaching yoga or run a yoga school.

There is nothing wrong or bad to have a specific time and space for people to participate in yoga classes performing yoga practice, as the "conditioned" lifestyle in the world nowadays, as well as the "limited" time and space that people have in their working and living conditions, there is a need to have some sort of organized time and space for people to come together to learn and practice yoga. But love and peace is beyond that conditioned and limited time and space of the timing and the hall for performing yoga practice. Yoga practice is happening in our mind wherever we are, at anytime, in any situations and conditions, every moment.

It is not so much like "Oh, it's a one hour class, and it is a "certain style" of yoga, and so, I have to teach this class with these certain practices in such style within an hour." or "Oh, it's the day for "particular" practice, and so, today I perform this "particular" practice." or "Oh, today our intention/Sankalpa is forgiveness, and let's practice forgiveness today."

Beside having a fixed "routine" that we perform everyday to gain maximum result by performing repetitive practice of the same "routine" and to develop continuous and steady mind concentration, to make it into a natural habit for yoga practice regularly, yoga practice is being performed according to the present condition and situation of what the body and mind need in this present moment. It can be very different from moment to moment. If we have nose blocked now, we stop performing heavy asana practice, do some light practice and maybe perform neti kriya to help to ease the nose blocked. And if we are low energy now, we can perform some asana practice that will boost up our energy level. If we are agitated now, we can perform some yoga practice that will calm down our mind and balance the energy field. Maybe in the same class, some people need to do more forward bends, and some people need to do more backward bends, and some need to perform longer relaxation, in that present moment. And all the yoga practice is to develop non-attachment towards the body and mind by letting go of the ego, develop mindfulness, concentration and steadiness, to allow the mind to be quiet to meditate upon the Truth. And this is not limited by specific time and space. It is happening from moment to moment, continuously.

It is also not so much about going to one particular yoga centre and attending one specific type of yoga class, nor it is about going to different yoga centres attending different types of yoga classes, follow whatever the teacher/teachers tell us to do in the class, but it is more about getting to know the practice through our own experience, to know what is going on in this mind and realize the inner teacher within us (The mind is its own highest teacher), and know what we are doing and what we suppose to do, without the need of following instructions from the teacher for us to perform our practice. This requires inner strength and flexibility like self-discipline, patience, perseverance, determination, adjustment, adaptation, acceptance, accommodation, tolerance, cheerfulness, truthfulness, solitude, silence, and etc.

It is not about "I can only practice yoga in a particular yoga centre, in a particular yoga class under the instruction of a particular teacher, or in certain type of comfortable condition and environment, or else I can't practice yoga, or I don't know what should I do by myself."


A real yoga teacher is allowing the students to learn to be their own teacher and stop depending on him or her to practice yoga. This might be contradicted with the policy of many yoga schools and yoga centres as that is part of their source of income, sustaining people to keep coming back for the classes, as well as attracting new people to join the classes and continuing to come regularly. And some might bring up more different types of  new "yoga practice" or "yoga classes" to make more "interesting" courses for attracting more people to "invest" into ongoing refresher courses or further studies. And some like to use the phrase of "There is no ending of learning, and we need to keep learning until our last breath." Well, there's nothing wrong with keep learning, but it doesn't mean that there has to be in a classroom with a teacher giving instructions and a group of people follow the instruction of a teacher to do the yoga practice. And if the mind is free from ignorance and suffering, this mind doesn't need to learn anything or practice yoga or meditation.

Teaching yoga is to allow people to come to a point where they can stop "learning" and "practicing", when the mind is free from ignorance and realize unconditional love and peace.

We need to look for peace and happiness (for example, performing yoga practice), because we are not peaceful and are not happy. If we are peaceful and happy, we don't need to do anything to be peaceful and happy (the end of yoga practice). We are peaceful and happy as we are. It is our true nature. It is not coming or accumulating from doing something or not doing something. It is by stop attaching or identifying with the body and mind, which is not "I".

Teaching yoga is the person himself or herself has realized the Truth about unconditional love and peace from within, and be free from ignorance, and naturally he or she knows what and how to share with other beings who are looking for unconditional love and peace, by guiding them on how to realize the inner teacher within themselves that will lead them towards unconditional love and peace. Yoga teachers cannot "give" love and peace to the students, or "make" them peaceful and happy.

Maybe by showing loving kindness to people can "make" them feel good and being loved, but it won't take away their root cause of unhappiness - ignorance. Everyone has to remove ignorance through their own effort and be free from unhappiness that derives from ignorance, and realize the unconditional love and peace within themselves, and be truly happy as they are. When a person is truly happy from within, then whether other people are nice to him/her or not, he/she will still be happy. Because his/her happiness is not coming from the conditional impermanent objects of names and forms from the outside. When a person has not found the happiness from within, even when other people are nice to him/her, even though he/she is "smiling" and "laughing" in front of other people, he/she will still be unhappy, being dissatisfied or disappointed with himself/herself, or with other people, or with life, or with the world, and so on.

Some people might think that only those who have been practicing yoga for some time and they already know about yoga, and are having a strong and flexible physical body to be "good" in performing most of the yoga poses, are qualified to attend yoga teachers training course. But it's not really like that. Anyone who doesn't know anything about yoga, or have never done any yoga practice before, or doesn't have good physical strength and flexibility, can go to a yoga school or ashram and participate in a yoga teachers training course, as the objective is not about trying to become a yoga teacher, but to learn more about yoga and its practice, and devote ourselves into the practice and realize the effects or benefits of the practice through our own effort and realization, and to realize unconditional love and peace from within, and be free from ignorance, and then naturally we'll know how to guide other beings on how to be free form ignorance and realize unconditional love and peace.

We don't "learn" to "become" yoga teachers, or "learn" how to teach yoga, or "learn" how to "become" a "good" yoga teacher. We don't need to call ourselves "yoga teachers", or judging/tagging ourselves as "good" or "bad" yoga teachers. If we still have doubts in our own practice, then obviously we are not ready to "teach" or "guide" others towards liberation from ignorance, but of course we can still teach other people to perform some yoga exercises for attaining health and fitness benefits. If we know what we are doing, then even though we are not "perfect", we can share our knowledge and experience with others, as we are walking on the path of yoga together, learning, practicing and sharing at the same time. At one moment, one might be the teacher of the others, and vice versa. There is no superiority or inferiority.

Everyone and everything is our teacher to teach us about the universal truth of impermanence and selflessness, it's not only human beings in a specific manners and background can be our teachers, nor only things that are in specific conditions can teach us something. But above all, look beyond all these qualities of names and forms, and find the inner teacher (the higher Self) within the mind (the lower self), who is the only one and always there every moment with us, for us, guide us towards unconditional love and peace. When we realize this inner teacher within us, all and everything is our great teacher (including the people and things that we don't agree with and don't like).

It is not about teaching a yoga class according to the guidance and information written or printed in the yoga books, or teaching the class by imitating some other yoga teachers' styles of teaching, but teaching the yoga class with the wisdom that we realized from our own sincere practice, knowing what are the effects of the yoga practice through our own direct experience, and how these yoga practice can help us in realizing the unconditional love and peace that is already there in us. It is not about "Well, according to what the teachers said or what the books told us, and this is the Truth we should all believe in and follow and practice."

If we still need to rely on doing something, or experience something, or possess something, or attain something, or eat something, or drink something, or smoke something, or see something, or hear something, or smell something, or taste something, or feel something, or think about something that we like and agree with, for us to feel good, or to be happy, or to be confident, or to feel meaningful, then know that we still need to keep practice or keep purify the mind to realize the wisdom of unconditional love and peace that is not coming from all these external worldly names and forms with different qualities that our mind likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with.

Teaching yoga and practicing yoga is not about to feel good, or to be happy, or to be confident, or to feel meaningful. It is going beyond the attachment towards the yoga practice with intention and expectation to feel good, to be happy, to be confident and to feel meaningful. The one who needs to feel good, to be happy, to be confident and to feel meaningful, is the ego. And yoga practice is to free the mind from this ego and egoism.

Here is a link to a blog post written by one of the students who is now teaching and sharing yoga with many others - http://yogakee.blogspot.ie/2012/06/becoming-yoga-teacher.html

Om shanti.

Retreat ourselves in everyday life, not just during silent retreats...

What are we doing in silent retreats?

We practice intense or serious non-attachment...

Retreat from the worldly attachments in our life. Retreat from names and forms that we always see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think... Retreat from our everyday worldly activities, actions and speech... Retreat from our conditional behavior pattern or familiar routine... Retreat from our daily life worries and cares... Retreat from worldly interaction, communication, discussion, debate, argument, expression, reaction, expectation, wanting, talking, mingling, socializing, mixing, gossiping, criticizing, judging, comparing, justification, worldly sensual pleasure and enjoyments, and etc...

We stop giving the mind what it wants and likes... We stop gratifying the desire of craving and aversion of the mind... We move the mind away from its usual activities and enjoyments... This will not be easy or comfortable for the mind... It will reject and resent... It will experience irritation and frustration... It will want to runaway from the retreat and go back to its usual habits, familiar activities and enjoyments...

Meditation is not about making the mind to become creative and artistic, no doubt that many people who practice meditation regularly will naturally be developing the creativity and artistic side of the mind... They will have many creative ideas and imaginations... But, this is not the purpose of meditation. It is just one of the side-effects of meditation... Those who are not careful about this, will tend to attach onto the "side-effect" of meditation, attach onto the increasing creativity and ideas, and hence, spending their energy and time into worldly social activities...

Meditation is freeing the mind from the longing towards stimulation and creation. It is about absorbing or entering into silence, into birthlessness, deathlessness, beginninglessness, endlessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness... There is no colours, no shapes, no forms, no qualities, no sights, no sounds, no smells, no tastes, no sensations, no thinking, no thoughts, no creativity, no ideas, no imaginations, no interactions, no passions, no desires, no perception, no reaction, no happiness, no unhappiness, no good, no bad, no birth, no death, no fear, no worry, no gain, no loss, no ignorance, no excitement, no depression, no enjoyment, no suffering, no cessation of suffering, no ego, no mind, no intellect, no body...

The mind absorb into its source - The selfless consciousness or the universal consciousness.

There is no meditator, no meditation, no fruit of meditation... And this practice should not just be practice during or being limited in silent retreats... It should be practice in our everyday life moderately, if we really want to be free from the bondage of birth and death, be free from inevitable suffering that co-existing with the existence and function of the body and the mind...

Talk less... If we really need to talk, may it be the speech of Dharma or the Truth... Even though most of the time, the Truth is not something that the egoistic ignorant minds want or like to hear... Sometimes, the Truth can be hurtful and painful for the egoistic minds, but it will help to free the minds from further and heavier suffering and ignorance...

Reduce or limit worldly passionate activities, socializing, interacting, gathering, stimulation of the mind...

There is no more attachment or clinging onto worldly materials, relationships, objects and affairs... There is no more craving for love, care, support, acknowledgement, approval, recognition and attention from the world or relationships with anyone... There is no more depending on any worldly qualities and achievements to be confident, to be happy, to be somebody... Not even depending on any spiritual qualities and achievements to be confident, to be happy, to be somebody... The one who is beyond all names and forms, is a free being... Those who retreat themselves moderately in everyday life but still living amid the busy and "interesting" world, might be criticized by worldly minded people as loner, non-sociable, unfriendly, strange, arrogant or care-less, but it doesn't matter... Because the wise will not argue with the ignorant, and will not mind about worldly perception, judgment, criticism and comment coming from the worldly minded... They will only be compassionate towards the beings who are over-powered by ignorance... In those who had tasted the joy of detachment and dispassion, only they will know and appreciate the joy of fearlessness that comes from non-attachment and retreating from worldly passionate activities... And they are not interested to attain some sort of momentary satisfaction or happy/meaningful feelings that come from worldly passionate relationships, connections and activities...

They will spend their existing energy in their own practice and to help the world in silence, without getting any attention, acknowledgment or appreciation from the world... They are the beings who really know how to help the world but without being known of who they are and what they do, and without being affected by the world and the result of their selfless compassionate actions...

It is common that during or immediately after a silent retreat, we will be able to taste the momentary joy of retreating ourselves from worldly passionate activities and relationships, experience care-free and worry-less, but very soon once we step back into our daily life in the worldly society, we start to attach onto our worldly activities and relationships, and move away from detachment and dispassion, and be restless and miserable again... Om shanti.

Teaching yoga asana class - Put ourselves into the student's physical condition and abilities...

There are different people with different physical fitness levels and physical limitations that come to a yoga asana class. Some of them might be very flexible and some of them are not so flexible. Some of them might be very physically fit and have no physical limitation, and some of them are not so physically fit and might have some physical limitations. It doesn't matter what are their fitness level, strength, flexibility, stamina, ability, and physical limitation, everyone has to perform the asana exercises according to their own physical conditions and abilities.

Even though everyone is doing the same exercises, but, not necessarily that everyone will be looking the same in the exercises. Some might need to adjust a little with the feet slightly point out or the hands slightly turn out. Some might need to keep their legs slightly apart, while some might need to keep their legs together. Some might not be able to keep their body and head at the exact “angle” like what the teacher demonstrates. Some might not be able to extend their leg completely straight. Some might not be able to sit up right, maintaining the spine as straight as what the teacher usually ask them to be. And it’s okay.

Yoga, or in another terms – peace, is nothing to do with whether our body can perform the yoga exercises “perfectly” or not. So called “perfect” asana poses cannot determine or guarantee a person will be free from ignorance and suffering or not, or will be peaceful or not. If a person can be free from ignorance and suffering and attain self-realization by being very strong and flexible physically, and is able to put the body in many different types of complicated positions, then all the world class athletes, gymnasts and contortionists would already be free from ignorance and suffering and are peaceful, and be free from impurities, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, pride, arrogance, animosity, ill-will, fear, worry, or suffering. Maybe some of them are liberated from suffering and are peaceful, but it isn’t coming from their physical conditions and abilities. Because if the peacefulness is coming from certain conditions and abilities of their physical body, then this peacefulness will change according to the impermanent changes of the condition and ability of the physical body. It is not the real peace that is unconditional.

We don’t have to be physically “perfect”, or healthy, or fit, or strong, or flexible, to have peace. Peace can be realized by anyone under any conditions as long as they know what is non-attachment, selflessness and compassion, when they know how to go beyond their own body and mind, not identifying with the body and the mind as ‘I’, and be free from craving and aversion and all sorts of impurities and ignorance. Real peace is being free from anger, hatred, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, animosity, envy, jealousy, pride, arrogance, ill-will, ill-thinking, feelings of hurt, guilt, regret, doubt, offensiveness, defensiveness, agitation, depression, fear and worry.

Whether we can stand on our head or not, we all can have peace.

Whether we can touch our toes with our hands or not, we all can have peace.

Whether we can put our heels down on the floor completely or not, when we perform the downward dog, we all can have peace.

Whether we can bend our body forward with our body and face completely resting on the legs or not, we all can have peace.

Whether we speak the same language or not, have the same cultural practice and religious belief or not, we all can have peace.

Whether we live a simple lifestyle or a luxurious lifestyle, we all can have peace.

As long as we know what is non-attachment.

Whether we are thin or fat, looking good or not looking good, smart or not smart, fit or unfit, flexible or not flexible, strong or not strong, healthy or not healthy, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, success or failure, young or old, men or women, single or not single, being alone or with many people around us, have an easy life or a difficult life, being here or there, doing something or not doing anything, being able to see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think, or read, or write, or walk, or sing, or dance or not, and so on, we all can have peace.

Real peace is nothing to do with all these impermanent qualities of names and forms. Peace is already there in everyone, unconditioned and unlimited by all the qualities of names and forms. Ignorance is what makes the mind thinks it is suffering or not peaceful. We just need to free the mind from ignorance and all sorts of impurities, and go beyond the ego, the intellect, the conditional worldly thinking and belief, and be free and be at peace, resting in the one selfless, attributeless, nameless and formless nature of all the names and forms.

People who cannot sit up right due to certain physical limitations, or who cannot move their body or their limbs to perform any yoga asana poses, also can have peace if they want to, and know how to be in peace. And if a person can sit up right and perform many yoga asana poses, but doesn’t know anything about non-attachment, he or she cannot “find” peace even though he or she is “looking” for peace.

While teaching yoga asana classes, naturally I will put myself into the student’s physical conditions and limitations. I demonstrate the positions and movements in the way to suit the condition of the students physical body and their physical limitations. Such like some of them might have back problems, or knee problems, or neck injury, or muscle tightness or soreness, or flu, or nose blocked, or headache, or any physical discomforts and limitations, or just simply being unfit, lack of stamina, strength or flexibility, or have fear, I will guide them to perform the poses or movements according to their physical conditions and abilities.

The physical condition and ability in this present moment now is impermanent, it will change from moment to moment. Sometimes the body is more energetic, more strong and flexible, and sometimes the body is less energetic, less strong and flexible. We need to perform the exercises according to the condition of the body at that present moment and according to the needs of the body and the mind in the present moment.

Maybe the body needs to do more forward bending to calm down the energy field. Maybe the body needs to do more backward bending to stimulate and energize the energy level. Maybe the body is recovering from certain injuries, and we need to make some adjustment to adapt the poses or to modify some of the asana exercises. Maybe we were able to perform certain poses easily and comfortably in the past, but in the present moment, our body cannot do it comfortably. Maybe certain exercises that we didn’t feel comfortable doing in the past, but in this moment, our body can do it easily and comfortably. We let go of all the pre-judgment about what our body can do and cannot do from the past experience, and be very open-minded for what the body can do and cannot do in the present moment.

We can’t be teaching the same variations of yoga asana exercises to all the students and ask them and expecting them to be able to perform all the same asana exercises according to the “standard” of what is called “perfect asana poses or sequence”. There is no “perfect asana poses or sequence”. Everyone is “perfect” in their own way of doing it and is “perfect” being able to accept themselves as they are, and respect their body as it is, and be comfortable and relaxed in all the asana exercises, being in the present moment, be free from the past and the future, be free from judgment, comparison, expectation, craving and aversion, and be in peace.

Performing all the asana exercises or poses without judgments, comparisons and expectations, no matter what types of conditions of the physical body is, in the present moment. And from moment to moment, the conditions of the physical body is constantly changing, impermanent. We are able to observe and be aware of the present condition of the body, and are able to accept the condition of the body as it is, that in this present moment now, this is what the body can do and cannot do. Knowing that this is impermanent, without attachment towards the physical condition and ability in the present moment, we allow all the impermanent changes to be there as they are. Not comparing ourselves with anybody, not even with our own self in the past experiences.

Everyone performs the exercises or the yoga asana practice according to each individual’s present condition of the physical body, out of selflessness and compassion, without any intentions or expectations to gain any benefits from doing the practice, but allow the benefits to be there as they are, not because “I” want to gain some sorts of benefits, or want to become more healthy, or more strong, or more flexible, or more peaceful, or more happy. Not even longing to become more wise and compassionate. Wisdom and compassion is not “something” that we can gain or learn from the outside, but it’s through realization of the truth, when all the impurities and the ego is annihilated. Merely by performing the asana poses “perfectly”, or “precisely”, or in “perfect alignments”, cannot guarantee nor determine that we will be free from impurities or the ego, and be free from suffering.

Most of the time, I won’t be demonstrating the asana poses as what I usually do in my own personal practice. I will put myself into their position. I will demonstrate and perform the exercises according to what their body are capable to do and be comfortable at, allowing them to be able to relax into all the exercises without trying to imitate or compare with the teacher who are more strong and flexible than them physically. And allow them to gradually develop courage, faith, physical stamina, strength and flexibility as they practice from time to time. By showing them that even if I “cannot” extend my legs completely straight or even if I “cannot” reach forward “properly” in a forward bend, it is okay, and it doesn’t mean that we are not good at yoga, or we are not suitable to practice yoga asana exercises. We still can be in peace even though we cannot perform the yoga asana exercises or poses “nicely” or “perfectly”.

When the students are able to accept their body as it is, and be comfortable with themselves in doing the yoga asana exercises without judging themselves or comparing with anybody, and they are able to relax into the asana poses without forcing or struggling to go beyond their physical limitations, I will then show them that as they practice, the physical strength and flexibility will be improving, and they will be able to stretch their body and limbs further, and slowly they will be able to come into the asana poses which require certain degree of strength, flexibility, stamina, faith and courage.

As yoga teachers, we are there to guide the students for what their body can do in the present moment, and it changes from moment to moment. It’s not about showing them what we (our body) can do.

We cannot set a goal for the students, telling them that they have to be able to do this and that after a specific time. Everyone takes their own time to develop the fitness level of the physical body and the skills to perform the exercises. Everyone takes their own time to let go of fear and worry. Yoga asana practice is not some fitness training that everyone sets a goal for themselves, that they want to be able to achieve “such and such results” in a certain period of time. Realization won’t “happen” even though if we set ourselves 3 months, or 3 years, or 30 years time to attain realization, if we didn’t practice with the correct understanding, attitude and mentality. If we perform the practice with the right understanding and attitude, realization of the truth will happen naturally even though we didn’t have the intention or expectation to attain self-realization.

Just like when we do the yoga exercises, even though if we don’t know anything about the benefits of the exercises, the benefits will still be there. The benefits won’t change, or become more when we have expectation for the benefits. The benefits won’t disappear or become less, even if we don’t know what are the benefits of doing the exercises and without any expectation for the benefits. It will still be there.

I’ll explain to the students before they start learning and performing the yoga poses and exercises, about the pose or the exercise itself, is not something “easy” or “difficult”. It is subject to our own each individual physical condition and ability. When our body can do it and feel comfortable, our mind will judge “this is easy”. And when our body cannot do it and feel uncomfortable, our mind will judge “this is difficult”. But, the same exercise everyone is doing, some will say it’s “easy” and some will say it’s “difficult”. But, the exercise itself has no intentions or qualities to be easy or to be difficult. It is all coming from the subjective judgment in our own mind upon how our body and mind react towards the exercises. By understanding this, we learn to let go of any judgments towards everyone and everything in the world. That they are not something “bad”, and they are not something “good”. Everyone and everything is just being what it is.

After the class finished, there is no “good class” or “bad class”, as all our experiences in the class is different in each individual. Some might say its a “good class”, but, some might say its a “bad class”. Again that is nothing to do with the class itself. It is coming from each individual state of their mind. Positive mind projects everything positively. Negative mind projects everything negatively. Those who know how to go beyond positive and negative, they project everything neither positively nor negatively.

Whether it is a “good class” or a “bad class”, it is not coming from the teacher or the class. Even if the teacher taught a “great” or “awful” class.

There are many conditions that will “influence” each individual whether they will think or “judge” it is a “good class” or not. For example, maybe some people still don’t know how to let go of the ego yet, having judgment, comparison and expectation while doing the exercises, and forcing themselves to go beyond their physical limitations, and struggling in performing the exercises without respecting the conditions of their own body. They get discomfort, pain and soreness, and building up more tensions during the practice, instead of letting go of tensions and be relaxed and peaceful during and after the practice. Some people might have some physical and mental purification process going on, and they experience so much discomforts or resistance during the practice, instead of being in peace and harmony with the practice.

If we experienced a “good class” and “gain” some mental peace or physical relaxation from the practice in the class, we appreciate that present moment of how the body and mind feels, but without attachment, without craving or clinging. Know that even that peaceful moment and good feeling is momentary, it’s impermanent. It will change, be disturbed and disappear.

If we experienced a “bad class” and not “gaining” any mental peace or physical relaxation from the practice in the class, we don’t have to force ourselves to appreciate that unpleasant experience, but, just be aware of it without attachment, without generate aversion towards that “bad” experience, and let it go. Know that no matter how unpleasant it is, all are impermanent. It will change and disappear.

This understanding will lead us to be undisturbed, or unaffected, or uninfluenced, or undetermined by what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think. Because all the names and forms are not something “good” or something “bad”. “Good” and “bad” is coming from our own mind, it’s not coming from the objects.

This will lead us to true happiness and real peace that is unconditioned and unlimited by any qualities of names and forms or impermanence.

With this unmovable peaceful state of consciousness or awareness, we are able to perform lots of selfless compassionate actions in the world to help ourselves and the world to evolve, but, without being disturbed, or affected, or influenced, or determined by the world and the law of impermanence, and all the conditional qualities of names and forms.

Out of compassion, we perform selfless actions, and let go. Without attaching to our actions and the fruit of the actions. Without attaching to our yoga practice and the result of the yoga practice. Allow the fruit of actions and the result of the yoga practice to be there as it is. Without judgment, comparison or expectation. And be free.

Om shanti.

Neither "vegetarian" nor "non-vegetarian"...

I came across many times hearing some “yoga practitioners” who have became vegetarian after taking up yoga practice, criticizing other people who are not vegetarian. They think that they are better human beings and they are good yogi after they have changed from meat eating “non-vegetarians” to become “vegetarians”, and boast about being "vegetarian"…

In yoga practice, the observation of not eating any meat or fish and eat fresh fruit and vegetables is to help us to calm down the mind and to practice love, peace and compassion…

The point is, if we are still being affected very much by what we eat and drink, we need to choose what we want to eat and drink to feed this body and mind. For example, if eating meat and fish and drinking coffee will increase the impurities in our mind, and we don't have self-control over our own thoughts, actions and speech, and are identified with the impurities in our mind, then by not eating meat and fish and not drinking coffee will help us in the path of yoga and meditation for self-inquiry and attaining real peace... But, it loses its meaning for not eating meat when we are being "vegetarian" but we are still being over-powered by lots of impurities in the mind, which do not just derive from meat eating but also derive from some other elements. There's no meanings when we are over-powered by egoism, attachment, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, pride, arrogance, dissatisfaction, disappointment, fear, worry, passionate desires, craving and aversion, even though we don't eat meat products at all... (Such like wanting everything to be the way that we want it to be, and having fear of losing the "good" thing or separation from things and people that we love, and fear of getting the "bad" thing, old age, decay, sickness, injury, pain, discomfort, and death...)

There are some “vegetarian yogis” are getting frustrated by what they want to eat, and being disturbed by what other people eat and don’t eat, and getting so frustrated when they couldn’t get the so called “healthy”, “loving”, “pure”, “environmental friendly”, “organic” types of vegetarian food to feed their body…

I didn’t eat meat products for quite a few years before, during my first few years of yoga practice to help me in my practice, but I never called myself a “vegetarian”, and I never criticized other people who eat meat products. Merely being a "vegetarian" doesn't make me a better person than those who are not "vegetarian". And now, I don’t just eat fruit and vegetables, I also eat some meat and fish. I don’t mind eating meat and fish as I never categorize “meat and fish products” as “bad” and "disgusting" food, nor do I judge anyone by “eating meat” will make someone a “bad” person.

I do not complain when “meat and fish” are not available or when “vegetarian food” are not available. I don’t complain if fresh fruit and vegetables are not available when I want to eat some fresh fruit and meat-less meal. I don’t complain if only meat are available for maintaining this body. I appreciate and be grateful for everything that I eat even though some of the food that I eat might be categorized as “unhealthy” and “inappropriate” by many “health conscious people", “yoga practitioners”, “rich people who can afford imported organic food” or “environmental friendly people".

Merely by eating vegetarian doesn’t give me liberation nor true happiness. Some people might be naming themselves as “vegetarian” and being “vegetarian” for many years, but it is not necessarily that they are peaceful and happy, and be free from ignorance, greed, anger and hatred. It is by controlling my own mind and eliminate the anger, hatred, jealousy, pride, lustful desire, fear, worry, craving and aversion that gave me the true freedom for being who I am, and be truly content, peaceful and happy… It is the practice of non-attachment that free myself from unhappiness and “suffering”.

Slandering, vandalism, gossiping, anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, lustful desire, attachments, pride, arrogance, craving and aversion are worst than meat eating.

It is not only non-meat eaters are good and kind human beings, nor do people who are not vegetarian are bad people. There are many good and kind people who eat meat and non-meat products, who don't call themselves “vegetarian” for certain days when they don't eat meat, nor call themselves "non-vegetarian" for certain days when they do eat meat.

It is not that only vegetarian will be peaceful, being loving and compassionate, and it's not necessary that there is no loving kindness and compassion in those people who are not vegetarian. It is not by eating fruit and vegetables without meat products that will guarantee us enlightenment and be free from suffering. It is not by eating vegetarian food, we’ll become happy and peaceful...

It’s because there are people who named themselves as “vegetarians” are being so angry, unhappy and frustrated by other people who eat meat products… I don’t see any calmness, peace and happiness in these people who don’t eat meat and only like to eat fruit and vegetables, and being so “proud” of what they eat and don’t eat.

Do the people who are “vegetarian” do not kill any insects, like mosquitoes, cockroaches, spiders, ants, worms, bugs and etc? Aren’t all these little lives also living beings who need to breathe and eat, just like us?

Some people even said that "Cows are so cute, I don't eat them..." But, they love to eat fish... (Well, maybe fish is not as cute as cow to them...)

Do all the vegetarians are completely be free from greed, anger, hatred, jealousy, fear and worry, craving and aversion? Not necessarily as what we can see around us...

I know some people who don’t like to eat meat or fish, and love to eat fruit and vegetables only, but they will be so angry and frustrated when somebody in the kitchen accidentally put some meat or fish products into their food. Where is peace, calmness, tolerance, patience, forgiveness and compassion in these people who are “vegetarian” shouting at the waiter, “I’m a vegetarian! I want my vegetarian meal to be served without fish or meat! You are stupid idiot!”

Some “vegetarians” are full of hatred towards meat products and towards people who eat meat… “Vegetarians” are “supposed” to be very calm, peaceful and cheerful according to the yoga practice. Even Buddha never told people that to practice Buddhism, we have to be “vegetarian” and to hate eating meat… There are many Buddhist wandering monks are not “vegetarian” nor “non-vegetarian”. Whether it is non-vegetarian food or vegetarian food that is being given to them when they go out to beg for food for the day in the village, they eat with gratefulness and thankfulness. And they do not choose what they want or like to eat. They eat without the craving and aversion towards the taste of the food, or the choices of food.

When we eat without craving and aversion, then food is just food, it is not something "vegetarian" nor "non-vegetarian". It is beyond names and forms, beyond "vegetarian" and "non-vegetarian", beyond "tasty" and "not tasty", beyond "healthy" and "not healthy".

I am grateful and thankful for all the meals that are being served on the table whether it is vegetarian or not... As there are so many people out there who are starving and dying from hunger every day. There are homeless people who just eat whatever they found in the rubbish bin. There are many people who don't have a choice for what they will eat everyday, and struggling to survive day by day...

Being a “vegetarian” or being a "non-vegetarian" does not guarantee a person to be humble, to be enlightened, and to be peaceful, compassionate and happy, and be free from pride and arrogance, anger and hatred, craving and aversion…

Of course we have the freedom of choice to eat "healthily" or not... That is up to us. Sometimes the so called "healthy food" are not necessarily good for our body... And at the same time we also respect other people for what they want to eat... Be happy.

There was a famous human race mass murderer in the history who liked to eat vegetarian food, and he loved animals especially dogs… Even so, I don’t need to “hate” this person either… Whatever he did was nothing to do with whether he was a vegetarian or not, or whether he liked animals or not…

I never condemned those who eat meat when I didn’t eat meat. I respect those who don’t eat meat when I eat food that is being categorized as “non-vegetarian”. I respect everyone has their choices and freedom to choose what they prefer to eat and to put into their body.

I enjoy eating fruit and vegetables, and I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables but I’m not a “vegetarian”...

I don’t need to name myself as “vegetarian” when I don’t eat meat, and I don’t need to name myself as “non-vegetarian” when I eat meat products. I am neither a “vegetarian” nor a “non-vegetarian”. I am who I am.

I’m happy and contented with what I eat no matter it is being categorized as “healthy” or “unhealthy” food. And I respect those who don’t like or “hate” to eat meat and fish or so called “unhealthy” food. Be happy.

It loses the meaning of being a vegetarian to attain peace and to be compassionate, when we want to be “vegetarian” and eat only “vegetarian” food but, we are not really peaceful and happy, constantly being affected and disturbed by the craving and aversion towards what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think, and we don’t have self-control over our own mind and being over-powered by impurities like anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, pride, arrogance, fear, worry, passionate desires and attachments in the mind.

Where is peace and compassion when we eat only vegetarian food but, we do things and say things that are hurting other people feelings, and have anger and hatred toward things that we don't like and don't agree with?

Where is peace and calmness that supposed to be the result of eating "healthy" vegetarian food and not eating "unhealthy" meat products, when we are so frustrated and unhappy about what we want to eat and don't eat, and what other people eat?

When we practice namelessness and formlessness, what is “vegetarian” and what is “non-vegetarian”? What is “healthy food” and what is “unhealthy food”?

When we practice non-identification with the body and the mind, what is good condition and bad condition of this physical body?

Even Buddha taught us about the Dharma of impermanence by showing us that this body is impermanent. He taught us about namelessness and formlessness by showing us that our true nature is beyond the condition of this impermanent body. He taught us about there is no "I", there's nobody there to experience good or bad experiences, it is just the body and mind experiencing some conditions that are impermanent. Even after his enlightenment, his body still had to go through impermanence, changes, discomforts, old age, weakness, sickness, and death... But, he was not affected nor determined by the changing condition of this body... He was fearless and worry-less. He was beyond "good" and "bad", "birth" and "death"... There's no fear of old age, sickness and death...

Yoga is unconditioned and unlimited by names and forms and qualities...

Yoga is the knowledge, teachings and practice that leads to the realization of attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, as well as the realization itself.

Yoga is unconditioned and unlimited by any names and forms, or qualities, or boundaries. It doesn't need anybody, or authorization, or association, or affiliation, to give permission to anybody to share the experience in the path of yoga with any beings who need yoga, or who are sincerely interested in learning and practicing yoga according to the teachings of yoga in search for the Truth of names and forms to transcend suffering that arise due to ignorance and impurities. Neither does it bound by any so called "legal" business licensing law that is created by human beings, nor does it required any religion body, or local council, or government's approval to be existing in the universe.

Realizing unconditional non-discriminative love and peace, as well as sharing the knowledge of how to attain this universal love and peace has nothing to do with having a recognized certificate and qualification, or not, or having a "legal license", or not. 

Nobody needs or requires a business license, or internationally recognized yoga teacher certification or qualification to be sharing the path of yoga with any beings who need yoga and who are sincere in treading the path towards Self-realization, or the path of transcending the mind, or the ego, or ignorance, or suffering. One can't share or teach yoga to anyone if oneself doesn't have the knowledge and direct experience or realization of the teachings and practice. One can't share or teach about unconditional love and peace if without realizing or knowing what is unconditional love and peace in oneself.

None needs to be certified, or be qualified, or be authorized and legalized by somebody or some organization for being peaceful, wise, kind and compassionate, or to be allowed/disallowed for being peaceful and wise, and be kind and loving towards all non-discriminatively and unconditionally.

Those who are free from ignorance and the suffering deriving from ignorance, who have realized the truth of selflessness and unconditional love and peace, they can share the knowledge of yoga that leads towards the realization of selflessness and unconditional love and peace with anyone at anytime, at anywhere, if it's necessary. Just that due to having a building or a space to conduct yoga classes for teaching yoga to some others at a particular place in the world is being bound by the local administrative law of rules and regulations, it makes teaching yoga becomes something that required permission and license to be able to conduct yoga classes at certain place. But yoga is not bound by anything even though the physical act of teaching yoga classes at a particular place is being bound by certain "law", "rules" and "regulations" in the local community. If there are some "rules and regulations" in certain places that do not allow certain people of certain race or religion to learn and practice yoga, or the "rules and regulations" do not allow certain yoga centres or yoga schools to accept certain people of certain race or religion to learn and practice yoga in that place, but that can't and won't stop anybody to share the knowledge of yoga with everyone, and it won't stop anyone from learning and practicing yoga.

It's because yoga is not limited in a place and space of a yoga class or yoga centre. Yoga practice is everywhere and it's within the practitioner every moment, it's not just limited in performing some external form of physical movements, or postures, or chanting and prayers. 

Yoga is always there in every beings regardless of the differences of appearance, race, gender, sects, caste, behavior, personality, social status, financial and educational background, religion, culture, nationality, or any names and forms and qualities, whether we know and practice yoga, or not, or have heard about yoga, or not. Yoga exists in every beings from the moment the body and mind exist impermanently and selflessly.

Love and peace is universal. Every beings have love and peace in nature.

Whenever there is misery and suffering that arise due to ignorance in the mind, yoga practice exists to help the beings to transcend suffering and be free, be liberated from suffering. 

Unconditional love and peace as well as suffering exist in every single being, except for those who had transcended their own mind or their ego, they are free from suffering. 

If people who only interested in learning and practicing the physical exercises taken from the yoga asana practice, but they refuse or do not really interested in learning and practicing the philosophy/teachings of yoga (partly due to the philosophical part of yoga might be contradicted with their existing religious teachings, or mainly because they are not ready yet to practice non-attachment or non-identification with the body and mind, or because their mind and ego cannot accept that the nature of all and everything, the Self, is identical with 'God' or the ONE universal consciousness, or simply because of ignorance hinders them from getting rid of the ego to attain Self-realization, or any other reasons), then they can just do the exercises. Be happy. There's no harm. There's nothing wrong. It is a very good and beneficial physical and mental activity to engage in life. But when they approach a yoga teacher with their strong attachment towards their ego and what they want and don't want based on their particular thinking and belief, and "telling" the teacher that they only want to learn and practice the yoga asana and pranayama, but they are not interested at the teachings of mind evolution approach in yoga, and they do not want to hear anything about the philosophy, or the chanting and prayers (because it might be contradicted with their religion or what they believe in), they want to learn and practice "yoga", but they are conditioning and limiting themselves and the teacher about what the teacher should and shouldn't teach them.

There are many yoga teachers would be just teaching the physical exercises of the yoga asana practice and do not want to get involve with the teachings of yoga (about dispassion and the annihilation of the ego and egoism of non-attachment, non-identification and desire of craving and aversion), or the chanting and prayers. It's fine. Then those who just want to do some physical exercises with the asana practice can approach these yoga teachers and yoga centres to learn and practice the "pure asana practice" that doesn't "involve" the teachings of yoga that will contradict with their religion or belief.

Anyway, a yoga teacher who teaches all the aspects and elements in the traditional yoga practice will not force anybody to take up any teachings or practice that they are not comfortable with and they do not expect everyone to agree and accept the teachings of yoga. No one should blind-agreeing, blind-believing, blind-following, or blind-practicing anything, but to inquire the truth of everything by oneself.

The "yoga students" have the freedom to refuse or reject the essential teachings and practice of yoga, but how can they limit and condition what the yoga teacher should and shouldn't teach? Everyone has the freedom to disagree with and doesn't like 'the inevitable truth of selflessness and impermanence of decay, old age, illness and death', but none can stop the 'disagreeable and undesirable but inevitable' truth being what it is, or change the truth of selflessness and impermanence to be something else, even under the latest scientific research and highest technologies. It's only through self-realization towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all the names and forms, and transcending the selfless mind perception of an impermanent world of names and forms, that liberates the perceptive mind from suffering deriving from ignorance and egoism.

In the asana practice itself, it's already containing the philosophy in it whether the teacher mentions about it, or not. It is the physical and practical part of the philosophy. It is part of the entire path of yoga. They are not separated. You hold the handle of a knife to cut something, you are taking the entire knife on your hand, you do not separate the handle from the blade. A knife handle without the blade cannot cut anything. A blade without a handle is inconvenient to cut anything. Merely hearing the philosophy without practical practice is of no use. Even when there is no hearing of the philosophy or chanting and prayers involved in the yoga asana practice, but the asana practice is still a very powerful practice that can purify and stimulate the energy centres and energy channels in the body for higher realization. And Self-realization can happen in anyone regardless of all the differences of religion, race, sects, caste, culture, sex, social status, financial and educational background, behavior, personality, nationality and any other names and forms and qualities.

The only difference is the one who can let go of the attachment and identification towards the body and mind, or let go of the identification with the ego, or the idea of 'I', will attain Self-realization easier than the one who identified with the ego and attached strongly towards the body and mind. 

Yoga exists for transcending the ignorant lower self individual consciousness and realizing the nature of the universal consciousness, or God consciousness. It is about realizing our true nature or true Self is not separated from the universal consciousness or God consciousness.

When the mind is functioning under the veil of ignorance, being over-powered by ignorance or impurities, or 'I'ness, the perceptive mind or the perceiver is ignorant towards the selfless non-dual nature of all and everything, or the Self, or Atman, or Brahman, the unborn non-dual universal consciousness, and hence, there's separation of the perceiver and the perceived, where the mind perceives a delusive separateness of "I am an individual being and I am separated and different from all the others." Once ignorance or impurities vanished, or the modification of the mind is annihilated, Self-realization takes place, where there's no separateness of an individual perceiver and the perceived, where the nature of all the impermanent and selfless names and forms isn't separated or different from the universal consciousness, or God consciousness.

It's like the space that resides within the pot, as well as the space inside and outside the pot is ONE same space. The pot is selfless and impermanent, where it exists, changes and ceased existing. But the space is infinite, unlimited and unchanged, never increase nor decrease, even though all kinds of impermanent names and forms that appear to be different from one another constantly existing, changing and ceased existing through the space.

This is the essence of Self-realization, the path of yoga and meditation. How can we deny 'God' consciousness or universal consciousness in everyone and everything when everyone and everything depend on the support of external energy and elements to be existing? This 'God' consciousness or universal consciousness being mentioned in the teachings of yoga is nothing to do with the personalized 'God existence' that belongs to different cultural, spiritual or religious belief, where people believe that 'God' is the 'authority' of the universe, who 'consciously' and 'intentionally' creates, controls, judges, blesses or punishes all and everything.

The realization of "Seeing 'God' in all and everything" that will free the mind from dualism, discrimination, prejudice, violence, suffering, painful sorrow, grief, fear, worry, anger and hatred is upon the mind realizing or knowing the one same nature of all and everything is not separated from the 'God' consciousness or universal consciousness, transcending all the different names and forms.

The people who don't want to hear, or learn, or practice the philosophy of yoga, have this strong resistance or fear, in getting to know the true nature or true Self of all and everything, including what they think is the existence of themselves, or 'I', where attaining Self-realization or knowing Thyself, that there is no 'I', is the mean of all yoga and meditation practice.

Yoga is about Self-realization. It's about realizing the nature of everything is none other than the universal consciousness, or God consciousness. It's about letting go of who and what we think we are. It's about letting go of all the delusive false identifications with names and forms and qualities. Such as "I" am good, "I" am bad, "I" am happy, "I" am suffering, "I" am successful, "I" am failure, "I" gain, "I" loss, "I" am 'certain religion', "I" am 'certain race', "I" am 'certain sect', "I" am 'certain personality', or "I" am this or that, and etc.

It's about attaining real peace, unconditional and unlimited peace, that is already existing within the nature of the Self or Atman. It's about knowing what is real and unreal. It's about getting to know the Truth and be able to observe and accept the reality as it is.

For people who cannot perceive or does not want to know anything about the teaching about Brahman is real, the world is unreal, the individual soul/consciousness is identical with Brahman, but still want to practice yoga asana practice and telling themselves and other people that they are practicing "yoga", is only deceiving themselves.

There is nothing wrong with people just want to enjoy doing the yoga asana practice, but refuse to inquire the teachings of yoga, or do not want to hear anything about the yoga philosophy. Be happy and enjoy doing the yoga asana practice. It is good for anyone to do the exercises that are beneficial for health and mental peace. 

The Truth will always be the Truth. The Truth is always within everyone. There is 'God' or universal consciousness in everyone and everything. There is unconditional love and peace in every beings. The mind just need to remove ignorance or impurities from itself, to realize the Truth of all and everything in this impermanent selfless worldly existence.

These are the teachings of Yoga. Even if some people do not want to relate themselves with the yoga teachings, or yoga philosophy, or yoga practice, but if they know selflessness and compassion, if they have unconditional non-discriminative love and peace, then it is not any different or separated from yoga. It is just a name and form. We don't have to call it "yoga" or any names.

It doesn't matter we have a religion belief and practice, or not, whether we think we belong to any race and culture, or not, we all have a thinking mind that functions under the impure intellect and the assertive ego, deriving from and influenced by ignorance. And the mind that has transcended the modification of the mind, the impure intellect and the assertive ego, no matter through what type of practice, it's all not separated or different from yoga.

In certain countries, some meditation centres are not allowed to accept certain people of certain race and religion to come to these centres to learn and practice meditation. But there are many other meditation centres in other places in the world that are not limited by these local "authorities" restriction. People who are sincere in learning and practicing meditation can go to these meditation centres to learn and practice meditation. At the end, yoga and meditation practice is in our heart, unlimited and unconditioned by time and space, names and forms.