Free ourselves from anger and hatred, if we would like to contribute to world peace and harmony...

We cannot make or control or change the world to be peaceful as what we like it to be, but we can contribute to the effort for attaining/sustaining world peace and harmony, by having peace and harmony in ourselves, which means letting go of anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, pride, arrogance, agitation, depression, fear, worry and all other impurities in ourselves and stop generate impurities into the world... The world will be in peace and harmony naturally when everyone is peaceful and harmony in themselves...

It is like, we don't like the environment to be dirty with rubbish everywhere, we want a clean world, but we keep generating and throwing rubbish into the environment and we complain that the environment is dirty, full of rubbish?

How can we expect the world to be in peace and harmony when we ourselves are not in peace and harmony?

Why are we not in peace and harmony? It is because our ego has likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, craving towards what our ego likes and agrees with, aversion towards what our ego doesn't like and doesn't agree with... When this craving and aversion is not being gratified, when our ego comes in contact with the things that it doesn't like and doesn't agree with, and when our ego doesn't come in contact with the things that it likes and agrees with, it gets irritated, frustrated, disappointed, dissatisfied, unhappy and angry... The mind is in a state of restlessness... There is no peace, no compassion, no wisdom... Due to ignorance (absence of wisdom), not knowing the truth of things, we allow ourselves to be disturbed, affected, influenced and determined by our experiences in the world that our ego likes and doesn't like, agrees and disagrees with...

To help and to contribute to world peace and harmony, it is not necessarily by performing "actions" that try to "clean up" or get rid of the existing happenings that we think and judge as "bad" and "evil", but most important it is, we ourselves purifying the impurities in our own mind, have self-control over our own thoughts, actions and speech, and stop generating "impure" thoughts, actions and speech through our own body and mind... It is not about try to stop other people from performing "bad" and "evil" thoughts, actions and speech, or try to control and change other people to behave the way that we think they should be behaving, or to be the people that we want them to be...

When we ourselves are full of impurities, are being over-powered by our own impure thoughts, actions and speech, how can we expect or try to change the world to be free from impurities?

It is like, we don't like it when our clean shirt is spilled with some curry sauce, we'll get frustrated and upset, and we'll react by try to get rid of the curry sauce by wiping it with a clean cloth, with the intention to remove the stain... But, what happens is, the curry sauce on the clean shirt spreads out to a wider surface makes it more messy, as well as the clean cloth that is being used to "remove" the curry sauce is also stained by the curry sauce...

To avoid this, either we eat the curry with full attention and carefully to avoid spilling onto ourselves or other people (concentration and mindfulness), or we can enjoy eating curry with an apron over our clean shirt or wear a shirt that we don't mind if it will be stained (wisdom), or we don't mind at all if the clean shirt will be stained by some curry sauce, it doesn't matter if the shirt will be stained or not (accepting the reality as it is and non-attachment), or we can eat something else that doesn't stain or wash the shirt later on without getting frustrated by it (adjustment, accommodation, adaptation)...

There's another situation is like, we didn't eat curry, but the person beside us ate curry and spilled some curry sauce over our "favorite" shirt whether intentionally or unintentionally, and that's the time for us to practice accepting the reality as it is, forgiveness, letting go and compassion... We cannot undo something that had happened... Even if we express our dissatisfaction and frustration with anger and hatred, it won't undo what had happened, it won't help to make the situation to become better, it won't benefit anyone, not us, not the shirt, not the one who had spilled the curry sauce over our "favorite" shirt...

What we can do is, without frustration and unhappiness, we can see if the stain can be remove by some washing liquids... If it is possible, good, we can continue enjoy wearing our favorite shirt... If it is not possible, either we can let go of the stained shirt or we can continue to wear it even if there's a stain on it, treat it as a special design... Or donate the shirt to many countries where people don't even have a proper shirt to wear... Why bother getting upset about it, harming our own body and mind, for somebody's ignorant action whether intentionally or unintentionally?

If we continue to be angry and unhappy about it, know that this anger and unhappiness is not coming from the action of that person, nor it is coming from the incident about the shirt is stained by some curry sauce... It is coming from our own ego attached strongly to that shirt, it is the attachment towards this is "my favorite shirt", that has caused that anger and unhappiness in us... Imagine if that shirt is just a shirt that we don't mind so much, we won't be as angry as the one which is "my favorite shirt"... It is our own attachment towards the things that we like, that causes us unhappiness, it is not what is happening, or what other people do...

If somebody's things are being damaged by accident or by carelessness or by natural disaster, we won't be reacting the same way as if it is "my" things that are being damaged... It is the attachment towards "I", "my" and "mine" that has caused us unhappiness, anger and hatred...

"This is my world, my country, my people, my family, my friends, my partner, my children, my house, my car, my shirts, my things, my jobs, my reputation, my feelings, my money, my effort, my intention, my students, my teacher, my practice, my achievements, my thinking, my opinions, my believe, my rights, my freedom, my success, my failure, my sadness, my happiness, my way of doing things, it's all about my, my, my..." But when come to something happens and we are not happy about it, it will become "You this... you that... he this... he that...they this... they that..."

Yoga and meditation practice is to allow us to realize the truth of what causes us unhappiness and suffering, and start to take full responsibility for our own happiness and unhappiness... It is not the world making us unhappy or unpeaceful... It is our own selves, our attachment, our ego, our pride and arrogance, our ignorance that cause us unhappiness and unpeacefulness...

The world is not a suffering place nor a happy place... The world is just being what it is... It is our own mind being in a state of suffering due to ignorance, and we project the world as a suffering place...

If everyone can look within ourselves and work on removing ignorance in ourselves, purifying our own thoughts, actions and speech, and stop trying to control other people's good and bad actions (you should do this and you should not do this), naturally the world will be benefited and be peaceful and harmony...

By stop generating impure vibrations into the world, the world will be free from impurities, and there is no need actions of "cleaning up"... As actions of "cleaning up" are not necessarily helping the world to be peaceful but it might be generating more unrest, anger and hatred... Especially "actions" that derived or motivated from anger and hatred towards the happenings and people that we think they are the cause for our suffering and unhappiness, will not help the world to be better but it generates more tensions and clashes into the world causing more anger, hatred and disharmony...

How can we expect the world to be a happy peaceful place if we ourselves are not happy and not peaceful, being over-powered and occupied by resentment, anger, hatred, dissatisfaction and disappointment?

We think and judge ourselves as "good people". We think and judge those who are different from us, who don't think and behave like us are "bad people". We have strong aversion towards all these "bad people" and "bad happenings". We are angry and hating these "bad people" and "bad happenings". We think we "own" this world, that this world "belongs" to us (the "good people") and we want "our" world to be free from all these "bad people" and "bad happenings"... And we try to perform some actions that can get rid of all these "bad people" and "bad happenings"... With the expectations that the world will become as "clean" and "nice" as what we want it to be...

We think that it is the world being not peaceful that makes or causes us disharmony and unpeacefulness, that our suffering and unhappiness is contributed by the "bad happenings" and "bad people" in the world. We think that we are "good people" who "do" many "good actions", "don't do" any "bad actions" and we deserve to be happy and peaceful, but those (the "bad people") who are different from us don't deserve to be happy and don't deserve to be in this world...

We felt disappointed, mistreated, betrayed, hurt, disturbed and threatened by "bad" people and happenings that we don't like, don't want and don't agree with... We think they (the bad people) should be punished or disappeared from "our" world, so that we can be peaceful and happy, or "our" world will be peaceful and harmony...?

All these "judgments" and "thinkings" coming from our own minds, make us not any different from the "bad people" who we think and judge that they are "bad"... What make us qualified to judge them as "bad people" when we are not different from them? And if we are perfect and qualified to judge anyone, we won't be judging anyone anymore...

We cannot change the world to be the way that we want it to be, but we can contribute to help the world to be a better place by changing ourselves...

Stop having anger and hatred, but fill ourselves and the environment with peace and compassion... Real peace and compassion is free from anger and hatred, free from discrimination, likes and dislikes, agreement and disagreement... If we think that we are compassionate people who try to make the world a better place, but we are angry and hating the "bad" people and happenings that we think they are the cause of the world's suffering and unpeacefulness, then that is not compassion at all...

Compassion is when we are aware of what is good and what is bad, we do good and don't do bad, but we accept that there are other beings that are different from us, who might not do good and might do bad... This doesn't mean that we agree with them or support them... But we don't have to be affected or disturbed by them... We don't have to get angry and have hatred towards them as this is only harming our own body and mind, but doesn't help to improve anything nor will stop them from doing what they are doing...

Out of wisdom, we know that some beings don't do good and do bad, are due to ignorance, and they are in suffering. They are not peaceful and not happy, that's why they reluctant to do good, and they do bad to try to attain some sort of excitement, happy sensations or satisfaction, to get rid of suffering, dissatisfaction and unhappiness...

Out of compassion, we are compassionate towards these beings that are over-powered by ignorance and who are in suffering...

We cannot change other people or control them to be the way that we want them to be, or to behave the way that we want them to behave... Everyone has to realize peace and compassion within themselves, remove ignorance and change themselves...

Ask ourselves, how do we feel and react, when somebody doesn't like us the way that we are, doesn't agree with what we think and do, and this person try to control or change us to be the way that he/she wants us to be? We won't be happy... Especially if this person is full of anger and hatred towards us, shouting at us, beating us, just because he/she wants us to be the way that he/she wants... We will fight back with resentment...

We can only change ourselves... When we ourselves changed and have love, peace, wisdom and compassion, then only we can help the world with this unconditional peace and compassion to help other beings to realize the unconditional love, peace, wisdom and compassion in themselves through their own effort and own will to change themselves, to free themselves from ignorance and suffering... When they are free from ignorance and suffering, when they are in peace and harmony, they will be naturally not doing any actions that will cause harm and disharmony into the world...

If we are peaceful and truly compassionate, we won't be affected nor disturbed nor influenced by other people's ignorance and suffering, and out of compassion and with wisdom, we can help them, by helping them to realize their own ignorance and be free from suffering... Without the expectation that they will be benefited by our "actions of helping", nor they will change due to our "actions of helping", nor they will be grateful or thankful for our "actions of helping"... Just perform our "actions of helping" and let go... Perform all our actions out of compassion, and not attach to our actions, not attach to the result or the fruit of our actions...

If we are being affected or disturbed or influenced by other people's ignorance and suffering, we cannot help anyone, as we ourselves are over-powered by ignorance and are in suffering... We cannot help the world to be free from anger and hatred when we ourselves is full of anger and hatred... We cannot help the world to be peaceful when we ourselves is not in peace...

When we are angry and unhappy, it is our own responsibility allowing ourselves to be over-powered by anger and unhappiness that derive from our own ignorance - not knowing the truth of things. It is not the people or the happenings out there that cause us anger and unhappiness... It is our ego, our pride and arrogance, our attachment towards the qualities of good and bad, our ignorance that cause us being miserable, upset, disappointed, frustrated, angry, hating, agitated, disturbed, depressed and so on... We were being conditioned and controlled by our own craving and aversion... It is this craving and aversion coming from our ego that causes us suffering, disappointment, unpeacefulness and unhappiness...

If we ever feel disrespected or insulted or intimidated by somebody's speech, actions, reactions, opinions, behavior, conducts, believes, performance or personality, it is coming from our own ego, pride and arrogance which exists side by side with low self-esteem...

For example, if i hear or read about some opinions that my ego doesn't like or doesn't agree with, there will be some reactions coming from my ego...

Either my ego will choose to :

- Attach to it and try to do something about it, but being unpeaceful, full of frustration and anger, be disturbed and affected by it...

- Or attach to it and try to do something about it, but peacefully without being disturbed by it...

- Or not attach to it and let it go, be in peace undisturbed by it, as everyone has their freedom to express their opinions which are different from or contradict with my opinions...

It is up to myself, my own choice and responsibility, if the ego choose to be disturbed and be unhappy or frustrated about something that it doesn't like and cannot agree with, and make a huge debate or drama out of it, trying to convince and prove that my opinions are superior, better and "right", and any other opinions that are contradicted and different from mine are inferior, less good and "wrong"...

Or I can be aware that my ego doesn't like it and cannot agree with it, I don't have to force myself to like it or agree with it, but I can respect and allow any other opinions that are different from mine to be co-exist with my opinions in this universe... I don't own or possess this universe, I respect and allow all and everything that is different from my way of thinking, opinions, speech, actions, reactions, behavior, conducts, believes, performance or personality to be exist in this same space of the universe along with "me" and "my" way of everything...

Or I can be aware that my ego doesn't like it and cannot agree with it, I don't have to force myself to like it or agree with it, but out of compassion, without getting unhappy or frustrated, I can do my best to share my opinions with the world, as I believe my opinions might can help the world to improve, to be better, but without the expectation that the world will be improved or changed to be the way that I think it should be...

Why upset ourselves, hurting and harming our own body and mind by somebody's opinions and behaviors that my ego doesn't like or doesn't agree with? I did the "good' and "right" thing and didn't do anything "bad" or "wrong" according to what I believe is good or bad, right or wrong, but why do I allow myself to be hurt and harmed by other people's opinions and behaviors that are according to what my mind believes is bad or wrong?

We cannot force anyone to be the same like us... We cannot expect other people to behave the same way like us... We cannot change or control other people to think, speak, act and react the same way like us...

If we ever felt angry and disappointed by somebody's behavior, we are actually being angry and disappointed by our own expectation towards other people, that we expect them to be behaving like this or like that... When they don't behave the way according to what we think they should be behaving, we get angry and unhappy... It is not the behavior of the people that has disappointed us or made us angry... We are selfish... We want to control everything to be the way that we like it to be...

We were hurt, upset and disappointed by our own selfishness and ignorance, when we try to control or change other people to think, to speak, to behave, to act, to react the way that we would like or want them to think, to speak, to behave, to act, to react... And if they don't, we will feel hurt, upset and disappointed... And this turn into frustration and anger... We get frustrated and angry, being agitated and unhappy, thinking that it is other people's "misbehavior" that is disturbing us and is causing us unhappiness and unpeacefulness, and want to make or change or control other people to behave the way that we like and agree with... And we'll get more frustrated and unhappy as we cannot control or change anyone other than changing ourselves...

We are hurt and disappointed by our own selfishness as we cannot allow other people to be different from us... We want "our" world to be the way that we want it to be... We "expect" other people also will have the same ideas and desires for the world to be "the way that we like it to be"... When other people don't show co-operation to make the world the way that we want it to be, we get frustrated, angry and hating towards these people that we think they are "selfish" because they don't want to give support to our "mission", or they don't go along with our "brilliant" ideas and believes... We ourselves is being selfish but we judge other people who are different from us and disagree with us as selfish beings...

Do our best for what we think is "good" and "right", and let it go... Have peace, be in peace and share this peace without expecting the world will become peaceful... Allow the result of our "good" and "right" action to come by itself and to be what it is... Stop being angry and hating towards what we think is "not good" and "not right"... Peace will be there when we stop generating resentment and restlessness into the world... The world will be in peace by itself naturally, when we have peace in ourselves...

This is compassion... Just like the sun, the air, the water, the earth and the space... They are always performing the action of giving, providing and supporting to all beings to be exits in the universe... But they have no intention to be giving, no discriminations, no likes and dislikes, no craving and aversion, no anger and hatred, no judgments, no comparisons, no expectations, no identification as the doer of the actions and the enjoyer of the actions, no attachment towards all actions and the fruit of actions...

Real compassion is unconditional...

There's no anger or hatred, no disappointment or unhappiness, if we are truly compassionate...

We will be compassionate towards all beings whether wise or ignorant, rich or poor, good or evil, young or old, happy or unhappy, pure or impure, beings that we agree or disagree with, beings that we like or dislike, no differences...

Be kind and compassionate towards all beings including ourselves is also one of the beings...

Be free from anger and hatred is being kind and compassionate towards ourselves... If we can't even be kind and compassionate towards ourselves, how can we be kind and compassionate towards other beings, and how can we expect other beings to be kind and compassionate towards us?

Forgive ourselves and accept ourselves for being imperfect... Forgive others and accept others for being imperfect... This is compassion towards all beings...

We don't have to agree with "evil and wrong" doings... We are not supporting "evil and wrong" doings... But we don't have to be angry and hating towards evil doings...

Anger and hatred cannot dissolve anger and hatred... Anger and hatred can only be dissolved in compassion... Without compassion, there's no real peace and happiness as we will always be disturbed by what we don't like and disagree with...

Be happy.

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.

Be free from anger and hatred...

When compassion exists, there's no anger and hatred...

If anger and hatred exist, there's no compassion...

There's no peace...

If we "think" we are good beings and are hating other beings that are not as "good" as we are, then obviously compassion is not there, even if we are "good"...

No matter how much we want to show our love to the "good things" that we love, and think that we are good beings and are being "compassionate", but at the same time, if we are hating other beings who are damaging the "good things" that we love, then what we thought was "compassion" in us is not really compassion at all...

Maybe we are good and want to promote "goodness", but it's not necessarily that we are being compassionate, if there is anger and hatred in us towards something that what we think is "bad" and "evil"...

There's no peace if anger and hatred exist in us even if we are "good" and love being "good"...

We try to, and want to be compassionate, but where is compassion when we are over-powered by anger and hatred?

We try to, and want to be in peace, but how can there be peace, when anger and hatred is there...

When anger and hatred disappear, compassion is there, peace is there...

Peace is never separated from compassion...

They exist together, they "come" together and they "leave" together...

Compassion and peace don't belong to "good" nor "evil"...

Compassion and peace are beyond good and evil...

It's beyond all the qualities and dualities of names and forms...

********

May all be in peace...

Be free from anger and hatred...

Where does happy feeling or sensation comes from when we feel happy?

When the mind is being one-pointedness being in the present moment now, at that moment the mind is free from the past experiences/memories and free from the future projections/imaginations/anticipations. And thus, there is no judgments, comparisons and expectations, free from duality of good and bad, positive and negative, pleasantness and unpleasantness. And thus the mind is free from craving and aversion, doubts, fear and worry... At that moment, peace is there. Blissful feeling of happiness is there...

The truth is, it is not the objects or happenings out there that give us the state of mind of peace and happiness. It is not what we do or don't do that make our mind feel happy or unhappy.

All the objects, happenings, names and forms (sights, sounds, smells, taste, touch, thinking/thoughts) out there, they have no qualities or intentions to make us happy or not happy, peaceful or not peaceful. It is the one-pointedness state of the mind that is free from craving and aversion, free from greed and dissatisfaction when we do the things or get in contact with the things that we like and want, that generates the (momentary) peace and happiness in the mind. When the mind loses it one-pointedness due to impermanence or disturbance from other objects, names and forms, that momentary peace and happiness will be disturbed and fade away. Emptiness or dissatisfaction/greed/craving for some other satisfaction and happy feelings immediately take over the experience of momentary contentment, peace and happiness that comes from one-pointedness or concentration of the mind.

That's why different people find (momentary) peace and happiness in many different ways by doing the things and getting the objects that they like and want. Some people feel good from doing good actions and enjoy doing good actions. Some people feel good from doing evil actions and enjoy doing evil actions. It is not the good actions or the evil actions that give us the good and happy feelings. It is the one-pointedness state of mind while doing any actions that gives us the momentary state of satisfaction and happy sensation in the mind.

We often hear people say that there are many different ways or methods of how to be happy in life. There's nothing wrong with this saying. We do get (momentary) happy feelings or sensations when we are able to do the things that we like to do, when we can get the things that we like, when we can enjoy some precious moments with our family and friends, when we can do some charity works helping other beings, when we can contribute to the society and the world through many ways, when we can live a good quality and healthy lifestyle, when we can enjoy active social life and interactions with one another, when we can live our life meaningfully by doing the things that we like to do and want to do, achieve our goals and dreams, or attain some sort of power, material belongings, name and fame, and etc...

Definitely, there will be momentary happy feelings and satisfaction coming from doing or attaining all the things being mentioned in the above. In the teachings of yoga and meditation, this type of momentary happy feelings and satisfaction is called conditional happiness and satisfaction that is conditioned and determined by the qualities of the external objects, happenings, names and forms. It will be disturbed by some other objects, greed, dissatisfaction, craving and aversion, and it will fade away. This momentary satisfaction and happy feeling is conditioned and determined by what we like and dislike, want and don't want, and what we agree and disagree with. When our craving for certain things is being gratified, our mind experience contentment and feel good. And when the craving is not being gratified, the mind experience discontentment and doesn't feel good.

There is no doubt that there are many ways and methods to be happy in life, but what really generates the happy feelings or sensations in us is because of the mind is being in the present moment, free from the past or the future, free from craving and aversion for that time being when the momentary satisfaction arise due to we are able to do and getting the things that we like and want, or when we come in contact with the objects that we agree with.

This type of momentary conditional happiness is not the unchangeable real happiness that the teachings of yoga and meditation talk about. Those who really practice yoga and meditation will not waste energy in chasing after all these momentary happiness and satisfaction that are impermanent, changeable, dissatisfying, and are conditioned and limited by the different qualities of names and forms. The real peace and happiness is already there within us, never increase nor decrease, never disappear, undisturbed or unaffected or undetermined by impermanent conditional external objects, happenings, names and forms. We just need to purify our mind to remove impurities and ignorance, calming the restless agitated state of mind, and we will realize this true and eternal peace and happiness that is always there with us and never leave us.

Realize this Truth, we will stop looking out for momentary peace and happiness and we will rest in peace and happiness that is already there in us that is unconditional, unlimited and undisturbed by any external objects, happenings, names and forms.

It also means that, no matter what is the condition of our body and the mind, or the condition of our life, the environment and the entire worldly existence, we will always rest in peace in our true Self or true nature. That is the means of yoga and meditation practice...

All the names and forms are just being what they are. They are not something good or bad, positive or negative, happiness or suffering...

The pure and calm mind that is free from the influence of the ego and the intellect (being free from selfish intentions, judgment, comparison, expectation, craving, aversion, dissatisfaction, greed, pride, arrogance, anger, hatred, jealousy, fear and worry, and all sorts of impurities) will be able to perceive the reality of everything as it is, not necessary the way that we want it to be or the way that we think it should be...

There is no craving for something that is being categorized by the intellect as good, positive and happy. There is no aversion towards something that is being categorized by the intellect as bad, negative and suffering.

Suffering disappears. Unhappiness disappears. Fear and worry disappear.

When there is no suffering, unhappiness, fear and worry, there's no need to looking for peace and happiness, because peace and happiness is already there...

The moment when the craving for peace and happiness, as well as the aversion towards unpeacefulness and unhappiness stop, that moment is peaceful...

Peaceful feeling or sensation that comes from being with the people that we like and agree with, by getting or coming in contact with the objects that we like and want or desire, and being in a pleasant environment, it's conditional, it's limited, it's impermanent. It will change, be disturbed and disappear. It is dissatisfying in its nature.

When we stop attaching to this peace and happy feeling or sensation that are conditioned and limited by external objects, happenings, names and forms, we will rest in the unconditional and unlimited peace in our true nature.

If we depend on certain good conditions or objects to feel peace and happiness, then very soon we will be disappointed and being unhappy when impermanence strikes.

The essential teachings in yoga and meditation is to realize the Truth about we are not the body, we are not the mind. This body and this mind don't belong to us, and they are not us.

There is not a thing that is "I". There is no "I" am performing some actions or not performing any actions. There is no "I" there to go through birth, growth, decay, old age, sickness, and death. There is no "I" there being happy or unhappy.

It is just the body and mind being existing, changing and eventually will stop existing.

There is no "I" there to experience all the perceptions of sights, sounds, smells, taste, touch and thinking/thoughts. It is just the body and mind experiencing all these impermanent names and forms.

There's no "I" there to experience all sorts of emotions, feelings and sensations, pleasant and unpleasant experiences.

There is no "I" being good or not good.

There is no "I" there to have fear, worry, doubts, dissatisfaction, craving, aversion, pride, arrogance, to be happy or sad, to be praised or censured, to be positive or negative, to be healthy or sick, to be strong or weak, to experience success or failure, respectful or disrespectful, auspiciousness or inauspiciousness, completeness or incompleteness, and to be loved or to love...

All the qualities, dualities, names and forms disappear.

There is no arguments, criticisms or justifications.

The mind is resting in silence...

That is when we realize the Truth of ourselves and the entire worldly existence...

Om shanti.

No matter what we do or don't do to find peace and happiness in life, true and lasting happiness is there when we are free from being conditioned and determined by all the external objects of names and forms, and when we are free from being determined by judgment and expectation coming from our own self and other people, and when we are free from the attachment towards our actions and the fruit of our actions...

Swami Sivananda's words of wisdom - Concentration and Meditation (1)

Keeping the balance of mind in pleasure and in pain, in heat and in cold, in gain and in loss, in success and in failure, in praise and in censure, in respect and in disrespect, is real wisdom.

在喜悦与痛苦之中，在热与冷之中，在收获与损失之中，在成功与失败之中，在赞美与毁谤之中，在尊重与不尊重之中，得以保持平衡的心态，是真正的智慧。

Concentration and Meditation - Swami Sivananda

my yoga asana practice part 8

Here is part 8.

Om shanti.

my yoga asana practice part 6

Here is part 6.

Om shanti.

my yoga asana practice part 5

Here is part 5.

Om shanti.

my yoga asana practice part 4

Here is part 4.

Just practice. Keep practice. No judgment. No comparison, No expectation. No craving. No aversion.

Om shanti.

my yoga asana practice part 3

Here is part 3.

For the leg lift exercises usually I do as many times as my body can do. Sometimes I do more, sometimes I do less. There's no need to count how many times. It is not important how many times we can lift the legs up, and it's not that every one can keep the legs completely straight nor can open the legs as wide as some people do, it's fine. Everyone has a different body type, different physical limitation, and different flexibility and strength. If the lower back is not strong enough or there's some back problems, then put the palms down side by side under the buttocks to support the lower back. If there's some injuries or physical limitations that you cannot perform certain exercises, then don't do it or make some adjustments. Even if your body cannot perform any of the exercises or poses, you still can practice yoga.

Love and peace has nothing to do with whether our body is strong and flexible or not.

Yoga is not determined by how strong and flexible our body is. Yoga is not determined by how many times we can lift the legs up, nor how long we can stand on our head, nor how far our fingers can touch the toes. It's about developing non-attachment and accepting the reality as it is at the present moment.

It doesn't mean that we are "bad" or "weak" in practicing yoga if we can only do 5 leg lifts, and it doesn't mean that we are very "good" or "strong" in practicing yoga if we can do 200 leg lifts. Just do whatever your body can do at the present moment when you are doing it. Every time or every practice it might be different. Sometimes the body is more energetic and sometimes it is less energetic. Sometimes it is more flexible and sometimes it is less flexible. That is the nature of impermanence.

Learn to be comfortable in all the exercises, not struggling and not forcing our body to go beyond its limitation. Relaxed into all the poses and hold as long as you can comfortably. Slowly the body will build up strength and flexibility.

Even if the body still not strong or flexible to perform certain poses after many years of practice, it's fine. That doesn't determine that we are good or bad in practicing yoga.

Learn to accept the condition of our body as it is, and be comfortable with our body as it is at the present moment now. Not comparing ourselves with our own past experience. Not projecting into the future what we want our body to become. Let the result or the benefits come naturally. Allow the strength and flexibility to come naturally. Even though we don't know what are the benefits from doing the exercises or not having any expectation from doing the exercises, the benefits will still be there. It won't increase when we know about it or have expectation. It won't decrease nor disappear when we don't know about it nor not having any expectation. Not comparing with other people nor try to become somebody else that we are not.

Be comfortable with ourselves for who we are, what we are, how we are, where we are, what we are doing and not doing, what we can do and cannot do. There's no craving nor aversion. There's no craving to become more strong, more flexible, more happy, more wise, or more peaceful... Because "we" are not determined by all these qualities... We are eternal peace itself. We don't become peaceful or unpeaceful, that impermanent changing "peacefulness" and "unpeacefulness" is just the impermanent state of the mind... We are not the mind, but we are aware of all the states of the mind. There's no aversion towards what we are now, how we are now, where we are now, what we are doing or not doing, what we can do or cannot do.

Peace is always there in us. It never increase nor decrease. This peace is not determined nor conditioned by the impermanent condition of our body or the ability of our body to do this or that...

Om shanti.

my yoga asana practice part 1

This is a sample of my daily yoga asana practice to share with those who want to know what I usually do for my personal asana practice.

Asana practice is an important practice in the path of Yoga to help us in purifying and controlling the mind, to render the mind calm and being at the present, as well as rendering the body strong and flexible preparing for meditation and to perform selfless service.

During the asana practice we learn to let go of judgment, comparison and expectation towards ourselves and other people. We learn to accept the present moment now as it is. We learn to accept ourselves as we are. We learn to accept the reality of the present moment now as it is, not necessary the way that we want it to be or the way that we think it should be.

It will not be the same in every session of asana practice (even if we perform the same asana routine). We learn about impermanence and allow impermanence to happen and accept the impermanence as it is. We learn to accept the ever-changing condition of the body as it is. We learn to let go of craving and aversion. We learn to let go of the ego.

When the body needs rest from the asana practice, I don't do any asana practice for that time being. But yoga practice is always there continuously, in every moment, never ceased.

Here the asana poses were being held for a shorter period of time during the video recording and the resting time in between the asana poses was being edited for suitable viewing.

In my daily personal practice, it takes about 2 and a half hours to 3 hours to complete one session of asana practice. The asana poses are being held as long as my body feels like holding comfortably. The sun salutation is repeated minimum 10-20 rounds up to as many rounds as my body feels like doing. The resting time or relaxation in between the exercises or the asana poses is at least 15-30 seconds up to a few minutes depending on what type of exercises or poses and also depending on how my body feels after the exercise or the asana pose. The final relaxation is as long as my body wants to be completely at rest.

Om shanti.

An advice to a yoga teacher

At some point, no matter you have a full time job or just teach yoga, you will need to have your own time to concentrate on your own practice and not doing any jobs or teaching classes. You must remember this - teaching yoga is not an obligation. Never feel bad if one day you are not teaching any classes and only do your own practice. Because your own practice will always be more important than to help others to do their practice. If we ourselves have not been "there", how can we tell other people how to get "there". If we have no peace, how can we share and guide others how to be peaceful?

Everyone's biggest duty or responsibility is upon our own self, our own path, our own practice, our own liberation. After we ourselves found "that", then only we can share "that" with others.

If Buddha didn't go away for many years for finding his own liberation and became enlightened, attained peace and have the knowledge of wisdom, how could he came back to the world to share his path and guide other people to the path of liberation or enlightenment?

One should not feel bad or guilty because he or she has to let go of their everyday duty or responsibilities towards their family and friends and the society to concentrate on their own practice in search for liberation. It is a noble action to find liberation in our own self first. Only the fool and ignorant minds will criticize those who let go of everything (worldly activities and worldly responsibilities) to do their own practice.

Teaching yoga comes later afterwards after we know what is yoga. We cannot teach yoga if we don't know "exactly" what is yoga. We teach yoga classes and share yoga with others it's not because we "want" to teach or "want" to share or "want" to help other people, or to make money, but it naturally happens at anytime, anywhere, anyhow, even if we don't have any intention to share or teach yoga. Even when we are alone by our own self, not doing anything or teaching or sharing, the sharing and teaching is still there. We our own self, this body and this mind, is also one of the beings that need to be helped, need to learn, need to be taught, need to be compassionate towards at, need to be taken care of, need to perform spiritual practice, need to be purified, need to be liberated. That's why "yourself" always come first. You are your own first and last student. Everyone and everything can be our teachers, but you are your own one and only highest teacher.

If we know yoga, whatever we do or don't do, is all yoga.

There's nothing wrong with people who want to learn to become a yoga teacher to teach yoga classes to make money for living. Everyone also can teach yoga as long as they have the sincerity to teach yoga whether mainly for sharing, or to make a living, or for both reasons (yoga teachers need to be able to take care of their own living so that they can be free from anxieties that come from economical difficulty. The living income either is coming from teaching yoga classes or from having some other worldly jobs). But, there is a progression from not knowing yoga -> want to know about yoga -> learn and practice yoga -> knowing yoga and attain the knowledge of yoga -> to share the wisdom of peace or teaching the knowledge of yoga and its practice to others.

"Usually" a person should start with being a yoga student first to learn about yoga and commit into yoga practice, and then, gaining experience and benefits from the yoga practice before he or she aspires to become a yoga teacher to share his or her experiences with other people. There is a progression from never come in contact with yoga or heard about yoga -> come in contact with yoga or heard about yoga -> want to know about yoga -> want to practice yoga -> gaining knowledge of yoga -> gaining experience and benefits from yoga practice -> want to share yoga with others -> want to know how to teach a yoga class -> learn to teach a yoga class -> know how to teach a yoga class -> teaching yoga classes to others.

The fact is, when a person truly knows what is yoga, he or she doesn't need to learn how to teach a yoga class. It's because naturally he or she will know what to share and how to guide others to perform the yoga practices through his or her own experiences. A real yoga teacher doesn't need to go to a school to learn to become a yoga teacher or to learn how to teach a yoga class. It's because a "yoga teacher" is not something that we learn to become. Naturally, we will share the knowledge of yoga with others when we know what is yoga.

The sharing or the teaching is absolutely natural, it's not by learning from the books and teach accordingly to what the books tell us about how a yoga class should be, what to say or what to do, nor by imitating other yoga teachers on how to teach a yoga class. Even though this is possible.

It is possible also if somebody who are teaching yoga classes but they have not much experience in yoga practice but they know the yoga poses and they know how to give instructions on how to perform the yoga poses, and they have not yet knowing what yoga really is about, but in their process of teaching classes, they are learning as well and gaining benefits and experience while teaching classes, and eventually they'll know what is yoga and attain the state of yoga.

Maybe some yoga teachers are not so efficient in giving explanations and are not so confident in giving instructions in a yoga class. But, that is because they have not know what yoga is about. They have not fully attain the knowledge of yoga yet. That's why they don't have the confidence in teaching classes or teaching yoga to other people. They themselves have doubts. They have fear and worries. They have not yet known what is non-attachment and they are not free from ignorance yet. And there is nothing wrong about this either.

Being yoga teachers who are still not free from ignorance yet but having the opportunity to try to share the knowledge of yoga with others and encouraging other people to practice yoga according to the teachings of yoga which they learned from the books or from their yoga teachers at yoga schools, is absolutely possible. It's because it is possible that even though the yoga teachers are not enlightened yet, but one, or some of their students might be benefited from attending these yoga classes conducted by them, and these yoga students can still attain enlightenment through their own understanding, efforts, discipline and realization. This is because the enlightenment is not coming from the teacher. It is from within. Our own Self is our highest and ultimate Guru above all.

Yoga teachers, whether enlightened or not yet enlightened, are just an instrument for the universal consciousness for expounding the teachings of yoga to all, to attain Self-realization through each individual efforts, to be free from suffering and ignorance, to be liberated.

If enlightenment is coming from an enlightened teacher, then all the students of any enlightened teachers would be enlightened already, but it's not. Swami Sivananda was an enlightened Guru, but it is not by being his disciples will guarantee enlightenment. It is up to the aspirants themselves to realize the Truth through their own practice and efforts. A teacher who have not yet enlightened but has learned the teachings of yoga can still share these informations of yoga practice (teachings of yoga) with others even though he or she has not yet grasp the essence of the teachings completely. Buddha was enlightened, but he could not give enlightenment to other people except through sharing and guiding others to practice sincerely by themselves to attain enlightenment. Of course if Buddha himself had no experience at all in the path of enlightenment and had no knowledge about the path of liberation, how could he share the path with anybody?

It is through our own practice, experience and realization that indicates whether we can guide other people to perform the yoga practice "efficiently" and "correctly" or not. We go to a yoga school is because we still don't know what is yoga. If we already knew what is yoga, do we still need to go to a yoga school to learn what is yoga? And so, going to a yoga school is for our own self to learn about yoga and to know how to perform the yoga practice correctly and efficiently from the other experienced yoga teachers. But whether we can teach yoga classes or not later on, it is all up to our own experience and realization. It will come naturally as we practice. Even though we don't call ourselves "yoga teachers" or we don't think that we are doing any teaching, but the sharing will always be there when we come in contact with anybody who needs yoga, out of selflessness and compassion. Forgive anyone who had hurt us or insult us, is sharing yoga with others. Controlling our anger, greed and jealousy is sharing yoga with others. Keep silence and not save hatred with anyone who had been criticizing us is sharing yoga with others. Be patient and cheerful, and endure any difficult situations is sharing yoga with others.

That's why we should concentrate on our own practice, do our own practice sincerely, and let other "things" come naturally, it's not because we "want" to teach yoga class and that's why we go to a yoga school to learn how to become a yoga teacher to teach yoga class.

The entire path of yoga is a journey of learning, practicing, growing, realizing and sharing. And hence, never criticize or look down on any yoga teachers who seem like not yet enlightened and who cannot teach very "good" yoga class.

There are no such things as "I" taught a "good" or "bad" yoga class, "I" am a "good" or "bad" yoga teacher, "I" have how many years of experience in practicing or teaching yoga, or "I" have "good" or "bad" yoga students, in a real yoga teacher.

Some people may have many years of experience in yoga and meditation practice but that doesn't guarantee anything... Some people may not have much experience in yoga and meditation practice, but that doesn't determine anything either.

Some people may be enlightened just by listening to one discourse of the Dharma or during one sitting of meditation. Some people may be going for many discourses and sitting for meditation for many times but still not enlightened yet... Just keep practice. No judgment.

Om shanti.

May all be free...

It is not after how many hours or years we have practice yoga and meditation that will guarantee us peace and freedom... We can sit there try to meditate for thousands of years, but if there is attachment, attaching to the intention, attaching to the experiences, attaching to the expectation, attaching to the actions and fruit of the actions, and that very moment we are not free. We are conditioned and limited by this attachment...

It is in this instant moment if we are not attach to this body, this mind, this ego, this intellect, this entire perception of names and forms, peace is here, freedom is here... We are not free it's because we have attachment towards the perception of names and forms through the function of the mind. We attach to this body, this mind, this ego and this intellect... In this present moment, if we let go of this attachment, in this very moment we are free!

There's no meanings in our yoga practice if we are constantly being disturbed by the object of the senses...

It doesn't matter for how many years we have been doing yoga practice, or sitting for meditation everyday, there's no meanings in all these practice if we are constantly being disturbed or affected or influenced or determined by all the names and forms that our mind perceives through the senses of what it sees, hears, smells, taste, touches, and thinks...

We may go for yoga classes regularly, or go for some yoga retreats or yoga courses for many times, or do our own self-practice at home everyday, or teaching yoga classes to many other people for years, but if we didn't practice non-attachment towards all the names and forms that our body and mind is experiencing from moment to moment, and are constantly being unhappy and complain about things that we don't like or don't agree with, and constantly criticize other people who think, speak and act differently from us, then we are not practicing yoga at all...

Pride and arrogance is one of the characteristics of the ego...

To practice yoga is to annihilate the ego. And to annihilate the ego is to eliminate the pride and arrogance in us...

Guarding our own eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind is our every moment yoga practice and meditation...

Not generate craving and aversion towards the names and forms that the mind likes and doesn't like, agree and disagree with...

This is our yoga practice.

When there is no more pride and arrogance, we will find that there's nothing to be complained about in our life.

Be humble, be patient, be grateful and be forgiving, if we want to see improvement in our life...

Be humble, be patient, be grateful (content) and be forgiving, and you will see your life moving towards brightness and happiness...

Be arrogant, be impatient, be ungrateful (discontent or greedy) and be hating, and you will see your life moving towards darkness and unhappiness...

If we practice humility, patience, gratefulness and forgiveness, we will see the condition of our life gradually improve and will have "less" problems and obstacles... Not that by being humble, patient, grateful, or forgiving will give us the superpower to change everything to be the way that we desire, like and agree with, or to make all the bad things disappear, but it's because our mind is opening up.

The truth is, problems and obstacles will always still be there, but it is our mind perception of things has changed... Being humble, patient, grateful and forgiving, or not, doesn't change the truth of things being what it is - Selfless and Impermanent. Things will still be happening as it is, if there's a cause ripening for it to be happening. Things that were usually being perceived as "problems" and "obstacles" are no more being perceived as problems and obstacles now, they are just some impermanent names and forms arising and passing away, forming and disintegrating. We don't see them as problems and obstacles anymore and not rejecting them, but allowing them to be exist just like we allow "good" and "happy" things to be exist, sharing this space of the universe...

We have problems, tensions, fear, worry and unhappiness, it's because we try to retain the "good" and "happy" things (which are impermanent and subject to changes), and try to push away the "bad" and "unhappy" things (which are impermanent and subject to changes as well)...

Contemplate on this and free ourselves from being conditioned by our own mind perception that we only want to have "good and happy" things and don't want to have "bad and unhappy" things.

It is up to the mind whether things are "good and happy" or things are "bad and unhappy". The things themselves are just being what they are, they are not something "good and happy" nor something "bad and unhappy". They have no quality nor intention to be good or bad, to make us happy or unhappy...

A positive mind perceives everything as something positive...

A negative mind perceives everything as something negative...

A mind that has gone beyond positive and negative, perceives everything as it is, it is not something positive nor negative...

Be happy.

Want to learn and practice yoga? Learn to put down the ego first...

In the old times when a person approached a yoga Guru or yoga teacher with the intention to learn about yoga and wanted to practice yoga, he would be very humble and patient to serve this Guru or teacher for many years.

It was actually a great process of purification for the mind, as well as eradicating the ego.

The Guru or the teacher didn’t teach him any so called yoga and meditation practices, not until his ego was eradicated and his mind was free from impurities. He would only be asked to observe some code of conducts (morality) and to do any works in the house or in the ashram as selfless service or Karma yoga (unattached to the action and the result of the action), to purify the mind and to eradicate the ego – This is also the practice of non-attachment.

By this stage, he had actually finished most of his yoga practice (attaining the state of selflessness), which was through purifying the mind, and be free from the ego and impurities. Naturally he would already have the wisdom and a clear mind to digest and absorb whatever the Guru or the teacher wanted to teach him.

And with a desire-less, pure and calm mind that didn’t wavering here and there, he could easily meditate in a firm and steady asana seat, his breath was naturally rendering calm, he could observe the mind and go beyond the mind effortlessly, not being disturbed by all the names and forms (sights, sounds, smells, taste, touch and thoughts), and attain the highest state of pure consciousness, pure existence, pure knowledge and pure bliss.

That’s why Sat Guru Swami Sivananda taught us to mind our own fundamental practice of purifying the mind and eradicating the ego, and everything will fall into place for us naturally when the mind is free from impurities and when the ego is eradicated.

When the mind is free from impurities and the ego is eradicated, we are our own Guru, our very own teacher… Here is where the path of Self-realization begins.

If we still need a Guru or a teacher to tell us and guide us what do we need to do or to answer the doubts in our mind due to ignorance, then we are still on the outside of the path of Self-realization.

Yoga = Selflessness = Ego-less = Unconditional and unlimited compassion and wisdom = Eternal peace = Yoga

If our “yoga and meditation practice” did not bring us towards ego-less or selflessness, compassion and wisdom, then that is because we haven’t go through the initial process of purification of the mind and eradication of the ego yet. It’s like a container without a closing bottom underneath, no matter how much water we pour into the container, the container can never hold any water in it.

If we put some very tasty food into a bowl that is full of dirts and impurities, then the food will be contaminated and doesn’t taste good anymore. Clean the bowl first, then we can put any food into it, and the food will be free from contamination of dirts and impurities, and will taste as good as it is.

Purify the mind, and all our doubts about everything will be disappearing by itself. The Truth will reveal itself to us naturally when the mind is calm and free from impurities. We will perceive everything as it is, not necessary the way that we want it to be perceived, or the way that we want it to be…

When the mind is pure, there is nothing can affect, or disturb, or influence, or determine us. We are what we are, as we are. We are not “this”, we are not “that”. We are not “happy” nor “suffering”. We are not “good” nor “bad”.

Want to be able to control or to change everything to be the way that we like it to be? Think again...

Though not everyone, but most people feel that we are born to be powerless, limited and not free, because by having this conditional impermanent physical body with the ignorant impure mind functioning in this world, experiencing dualism that comes along under the mind perception of names and forms, having craving and aversion towards the pleasant and unpleasant experiences, going through many encountering and situations which are not what we like and want, nor what we can agree with and are acceptable. And thus, we feel frustrated, depressed, suffered and unhappy being conditioned and limited by many things that are not in our control as what we think how it should be or what we would like it to be.

That's why many of us (the ego) wanted to rebel. We (the ego) resist to be limited and conditioned by "things" that are not in our control and "things" that we don't like and don't want. We want everything to be the way as what we want them to be, or else we are not satisfied, not happy, not peaceful whenever we see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think about names and forms that we don't agree with, don't like and don't want...

In fact, we think that if we want to be free from being controlled by "things", then what we have to do is, to be able to control "things" to be the way that we like them to be. To be the one who is in power and in charge of "things", instead of "things" being out of our control, which makes us (the ego) feel weak, defeated and insecure.

That's why some people tried to practice some sort of "psychic power" in order to "make" all their wishes come true (good or evil), and they (the ego) will feel - "Yes! We are the one who are in control of everything as what we want them to be..."

We think that if we can "make" other people to be agree with us, to like us and love us, then we will be happy. If some people who we want them to like us, but they don't, we will try to "make" them to like us, or else we are not satisfied. There is nothing wrong with other people to like us, but it should be coming naturally from their own free will, not because we want them to like us, and we'll try to "make" them to like us...

We think that if we don't want to be the loser (the weak one), we have to be the winner (the strong one). We think that we will be free from being "controlled", if we can control "things" to be the way that we like them to be. We want to fight against the law of nature, to stop impermanence. We think that if we don't want to be "bullied" by somebody, we have to "bully" that somebody. But this is incorrect thinking that brings us more tensions, frustration, disappointment, depression, guilt, fear and worry.

Some people tried many ways to fight against the law of nature (impermanence). They wanted to avoid the "suffering" of having a conditional and limited life existence with the function of a mortal physical body that is conditioned by growth, changes, pain, discomforts, injuries, old age, decay, sickness and death... They tried to retain youth, strength and health, and if possible to become "disease-less", "non-decay", and "deathless"...

Even some yogis also tried to "make" this limited adjunct (the mortal physical body that depends on elements and energy to be exist) to become a super human being that can go against the law of nature, to stop aging, to prevent decaying and death...

The result is, we'll get so frustrated and disappointed, because the more we try to control "things" to be the way that we want them to be, and yet "things" are seem to be out of our control... It's because we can't control "things" to be the way that we want them to be. Even enlightened being like Buddha, also didn't want to control anything. If he wanted, or if he could, he would have removed everyone's unhappiness and diseases, and made every beings be enlightened and there would be no more ignorance in everyone, and there would be no more unhappiness and suffering to be existing in the world.

In yoga and meditation, we wanted to attain spiritual enlightenment in order to be free from all the conditions that derived from having a life existence (a physical body being conditioned by birth and death, or impermanent changes). This actually means, "To attain Samadhi (the complete annihilation of the mind, the intellect and the ego) through deep meditation in order to transcend the restless wheel of birth and death, and not coming into life existence again of having another impure body with the mind being "occupying" by ignorance and egoism, which is the cause of all suffering. And this "freedom" is nothing to do with challenging the physical body to go beyond its limitations and to become a super human being that can fly, or float, or having psychic power, or can be forever youthful and beautiful, doesn't get old and decay...

All the practices are there for us to be prepared (purifying the mind) to meditate and to enter Samadhi (The void of ignorance, impurities, qualities, dualities, names and forms. Synonymous with the annihilation of the modification of the mind, the intellect and the ego). But some yogis had attached so much toward this physical body and this life existence, and tried to challenge their physical body to go beyond its limitations and conditions, by doing lots of "yoga practices" to try to make the physical body immortal, to go against the law of nature, to become the strongest, the most flexible super human being, and to attain psychic power to manipulate other people to be in their control...

But how is the world going to be like, if everyone practice yoga and meditation, and becomes physically immortal and have psychic power to have all our wishes (whether good or bad) to be materialized?

It will be a complete disaster... We'll have to be very careful of all our thoughts, because every single thought will be materialized (especially coming from an impure mind). It'll be so exhausting and what a huge responsibility...

There are also some people who don't want to fight, or to evolve, or to make any effort to transcend "suffering" or "birth and death". They prefer to indulge in pleasurable sensual enjoyments as much as they can while still living in this world... They don't mind if the world ends now or will end later...

While some other people chose to be depressed and unhappy about everything and have no will power to try to evolve or to transcend "suffering" or "unhappiness"...

There is nothing wrong at all with people who want to transcend "suffering", or people who just want to enjoy life as much as possible, or people who just want to be depressed and unhappy and do nothing about it...

Everyone has the freedom and choice to do what we want to do with our life, our body and mind, our life existence... At least this is one of the things that we think that we are capable to be in control, to make decision, to decide what we want to do and what we want to "be"...

But why do we want to control things? Why do we want to "be" something?

It requires so much effort to try to control "things" and to "be" something... But it doesn't require any effort at all to let go and not to control anything, nor to "be" something.

We ourselves are so unhappy being controlled by other people or being conditioned by "things", but why didn't we think that the people and "things" that we want them to be in our control, will reject to be controlled and be conditioned as well?

We think that if we want to get rid of unhappiness, we need to have happiness. We also think that to have happiness or to be happy means, "things" should be the way that we like them to be, or else we will not be happy or there won't be happiness...

That's why we (the ego) are very unhappy when "things" don't turn out the way as what we like them to be... And thus, we started to think of any ways to "make" all our wishes come true including try to practice psychic power or black magic to control "things" to be what we want them to be... For example, when our lover doesn't love us anymore, but we couldn't accept that the people that used to love us have stopped loving us and are going to leave us, and we'll get so unhappy and will try some "hypnotism" or "black magic" to "make" our lover to "like" and "love" us again by "external force"...

What's the meaning when we want to "possess" somebody who doesn't want to love us, by using hypnotism or black magic to "force" or "make" them "love" us, not out of their own free will, and to "keep" them in our life, doesn't want them to leave us or doesn't want them to love somebody else (we'll get so jealous and angry if somebody who we want them to love us but they don't love us and they love somebody else instead)? It's such an ignorant and crazy idea...

This is one of the plays of the ignorant selfish egoistic mind... And if there is identification with this ignorant selfish egoistic mind (action and reaction being performed under the control and influence of ignorance and egoism), we have no idea how ignorant we can be when "things" are not what we like them to be, and when we want "things" to be the way that we want them to be...

Even somebody who is very smart and intelligent, and well-educated, will still be over-powered by this selfish egoistic mind, being the slave of the mind that is full of lustful desires and cravings, and will do things that are so ignorant and selfish in order to please this selfish ego, to get what it wants, to get rid of what it doesn't want, to make the ego feels superior, satisfy, to be in power, to be in control, to feel strong, good and happy...

We want to be free to go wherever we wanted to go, to do whatever we wanted to do, to say whatever we wanted to say, and etc... We don't like to be controlled by other people or be controlled by "rules and regulations"... If we ourselves don't want to be controlled by other people of how we should think and feel, how we should live our life, how we should behave, to think, to feel, to express, to walk, to sit, to stand, to talk, to eat, to play, to sleep and etc, then how does other people would feel when we try to control or to change them to be the way that we like them to be?

We think that we are the "good" people that are the one who is contributing to the world, and all other people who are "bad" are the one who is destroying the world...

And we think we have the right to be what we think we should be (to be "good") and other people have no right to be what they want to be (to be "bad")... And we want to change these "bad" people to be as "good" as we are... We think we are the "heroes" that are saving the world from getting worst...

Well, at least we tried to be good and do good. That's nothing wrong with that. But the problem is that we wanted to "change" or to "control" other people who are not the same as us to "be" like us... We think that we are right and they are wrong... But how true is that?

We think that if there is no more "bad" and "evil" people in the world by killing them or locking them in jails or "reprogramming" their behaviors, and there will be no more suffering and unhappiness in the world and this will make the world to be peaceful and happy... But how true is that?

The world will still be the same "dissatisfying and imperfect" place for us even when there are no more "bad and evil" people out there, because we (the ignorant egoistic impure minds) have incorrect thinking even though we try to be good and do good... Ignorance and selfishness are still there in our mind... Anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, agitation, depression, disappointment, dissatisfaction, fear, worry, craving, aversion, attachment are still there in our mind...

It is the mind not at peace, it's not the world being unpeaceful...

We are not peaceful, and we try to make the world peaceful, but we'll be so disappointed because we can't attain peacefulness by making the world "peaceful", because it is our mind not peaceful, not contented and not free...

Wherever we go, we bring along this discontented, selfish, unpeaceful, disturbed, confused, impure mind with us. And we will be unpeaceful being anywhere even at a place where there is not any external disturbance... We (the mind) will be complaining that it is too quiet, too calm, too bored, and we need to have some happenings, excitement, interactions or debates...

The point is, we don't have to control "things" at all...

"Things" never have the intention to control anything. "Things" didn't want to control us at all...

It is us who attached to "things" and hence, be controlled by "things" that are merely being what they are, being selfless and impermanent...

Nature or God doesn't even bother to control anything... Or else it will be so exhausting, isn't it? There is no rest day at all, every moment have to be governing everybody's "business", or else many unwanted "accidents" will be happening everywhere at the same time...

If nature or God is controlling everything, then maybe one day, nature or God, is so tired of governing the universe and to control everything as what they should be, and wants to take a holiday, and appoints one of us, the "super human being" who is the mightiest, smartest and possibly immortal in the world, to be in charge of governing and controlling the entire universe, what will that be like?

It will be a disaster!

We thought it will be so great if we are being given the duty and power to rule the world to be the way that we want it to be... But with an impure ceaseless thinking egoistic mind, we can't even make a small decision without any selfishness, doubts, guilt, fear and worry, not to say to control the world to be what we want it to be...

Then we will start to think that maybe it is not a good idea at all to be in charge and be able to control everything to be the way that we want them to be...

We think that if the human beings can go against the law of nature and impermanence, and become perfectly the way that we desire in life existence, that there will be no decay, no growth, no old age, no sickness, no unpleasant experiences, no pain, no hunger, no thirst, no war, no killings, no unwanted natural disasters, no accidents, no injuries, and no death, and everyone will be living in peace and harmony... But it's not.

Imagine if everyone is immortal and keeps multiplying in population, what will happen to this world?

This universe needs the law of impermanence to function smoothly... Old hair need to go, in order for new hair to come out... Finger nails can keep growing if we don't cut them, but they will become very troublesome if we let them continue to grow longer and longer... Old cells dying and disappearing, and new cells being born and growing...

We think that if we have the power to control or to change the world to be the way that we think it should be, and if we can eliminate (by killing or jailing) all the evil minded and bad behavior people in the world, and the world will be in peace and everyone will be happy and peaceful... But it's not.

Imagine if we are the one who is controlling our heart beats and breathing all the time since we were born into this world, we'll be so exhausted and we have to be awake every moment, or else the heart stops beating and the lungs stop breathing...

The world is not "unpeaceful"... It is in our own mind, that we are not at peace...

The world is not "suffering"... It is in our own mind, that we are suffering...

We don't like to be conditioned by the law of nature, of course the nature will not "like" to be conditioned or to be "reconditioned" by us (which we human beings did try to reconditioning everything if possible)...

We think that we are so smart and intelligent to be smarter than the law of nature or what many people believe as "God", and interfere with the law of nature and impermanence, but we actually had created great disturbance and disharmony in the universal natural energy fields. The world is getting "sicker" when the human beings had invented so many high-tech conveniences for our worldly living conveniences and life enjoyment that come along with lots of side effects damaging the Eco system of the world...

We thought the world is not in "good form", and we are being so compassionate, we wanted to heal the world to prevent it from getting "worst", and we invented lots of "medicines" or "methods" trying to make the world a better place, but instead the world is getting more "sick", because we are actually interfering with its natural cycle of self-healing process and the law of nature...

Take a look at our own physical body. It has its own natural healing process, if we allow it to be as "natural" as it is... But we don't. We want to interfere with its natural healing process and natural aging process, and try to put in many external artificial "things" into it, with the intention to make it healthier, stronger, younger, better looking, and "age-less" if possible...

Sometimes the physical body feels upset, in pain, having cramps, soreness, fever, cold, coughing, sneezing, vomiting and diarrhea, we thought that our body is "sick" ("somebody" told us that we are sick) and we need to feed it with some "medicine" to cure the sickness. But actually all these symptoms are its own natural healing process to combat diseases. And we purposely fighting with this natural healing process of the body by feeding it with "medicine" that "kills" this natural healing process, and we still think that we are so "smart" and are so kind to take care of the body...

We don't have to control anything, but to let everything to be the way that they naturally should be like... And allow ourselves to be the way that we naturally should be like...

Just be what we are at the present moment now as it is, and not trying to "become" someone or something that we are not at this present moment now. And "this", what we are now, it is also impermanent and is constantly changing, and allow that impermanence and changes to happen naturally...

No fear of old age, decay, sickness or death...

When this body needs to "go", we'll be grateful and let it go in peace...

The moment that we let go of trying to control "things" to be the way that we want them to be (even when we have the good intention of wanting everything to be good), we are free!

It's because even "good" things are also impermanent, and will be gone... We cannot attach to "good" things, or else we will be unhappy, unpeaceful and disappointed by our own attachment towards "good" things, craving for the "good" things, clinging onto the "good" things...

The nature will take care of everything in its own way, performing their duties without attachment, intention, judgment, or expectation... That's why nature is the mother or the source of everything in the universe...

It is the ego that wants to have the power to control "things" to be what it likes them to be... But our true nature doesn't need to control anything...

The mind is the projector of the world, and the destroyer of the world. When there is no mind, there is no world...

An impure world was born out of an impure mind.

A suffering world was born out of a suffering mind.

A peaceful world was born out of a peaceful mind.

Have control of our own mind by not being controlled by it, and persistently purifying and quieting our own mind, eradicate the ego, eliminate the veil of ignorance, and annihilate the modification of the mind, is the real freedom. It is not by trying to control "things" or to change the world to be the way that we want them to be...

Tame this mind, and the "world" will be tamed...

This is what the enlightened saints and sages had been trying to teach us...

Om shanti.