Superiority and inferiority vs neither superior nor inferior

There is a bridge that is made only to hold certain limited weight, and that can only accommodate a single person to cross over the river at one time.

Under the influence of the veil of ignorance, many minds are being conditioned by the worldly egoistic idea, belief, values, and practice about the existence of superiority and inferiority (ranking/title/position/power/authority/caste/family background/lineage/social status/skin colour/gender/physical appearance/mental state/physical and mental ability and disability/accomplishment and non-accomplishment/success and failure/educational opportunity and achievement/nationality and citizenship/spirituality and religion/etc), where the minds would discriminate and acknowledge and identify themselves and others as 'who is superior and who is inferior', or 'who is more or less superior and who is less or more inferior than the others'.

The ones that identify themselves as more superior than the others, would think and believe that they rightfully have the priority to cross the bridge first before the others who are more inferior than them, while the others who think and believe that they are more inferior than the others should autonomously let the others whom they think and believe as more superior to cross first.

Most of the time, the ones that identify themselves as more superior than all the others (from both sides of the river) are all insisting that they themselves have the priority and that they should cross first, and hence, all of them cross the bridge at the same time and end up getting stuck in the middle of the bridge, and if out of pride and arrogance, where none of them would retreat, the bridge will eventually collapse and so are all those prideful arrogant minds.

Meanwhile, the ones that identify themselves as more inferior than the others (from both sides of the river) are all insisting that they themselves shouldn't cross the bridge not until the other cross first, and hence, none of them would cross the bridge, and just wait for the others from the other side of the river to cross first.

The minds that are free from the sense of superiority and inferiority, where they don't identify themselves and/or others as more or less superior or inferior, they would acknowledge one another and cross the bridge one after another, regardless of who goes first, without any problem.

The bridge doesn't belong to anyone, even if the bridge was built by someone, under the initiation, effort, support, idea, and design of someone.

There is neither more priority nor less priority in anyone.

All and everyone respect one another. 

All and everyone just take their turn to cross the bridge, one after another.

All and everyone would show thankfulness to each and everyone upon crossing, one by one, one after another, smoothly.

All and everyone would also look after the condition of the bridge that benefits all and everyone to cross from both sides of the river.

Needless to have superiority and inferiority, or more and less priority.

Needless to fight against one another (bullying, over-powering, sabotaging, and conquering one another).

Needless to have pride or shame.

Needless to have arrogance or humility.

But all and everyone just be kind and help one another (from being dependent to become independent).

There are many minds might think and believe that this is merely an unrealistic ideology/philosophy, that it doesn't work or cannot exist in the world of human beings that is strongly being empowered and rooted in selfishness, pride, sense of ownership and belonging, possessiveness, greed, endless accumulation and hoarding of wealth and enjoyment, as well as 'governed by' the sense of superiority and inferiority, in order to survive and prosper, is merely because they are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance.

Just as there are parents/teachers would think and believe that the children/students need to be brought up/disciplined/moulded/conditioned by force under the presence of threatening painful physical and mental intimidation and punishment, if not, by temptation under the presence and absence of reward, in order for them to become 'good' and 'obedient' and 'successful' and 'giving back' in the way that the parents/teachers expect them to be.

Just as many minds would think and believe that they need to be the bully that bully others, in order not to be bullied by the others.

The world of human beings doesn't need to be like that, at all.

Sustainable survival and prosperity (sufficiency, neither insufficiency nor abundance) for all and everyone will be there as it is, naturally, upon more minds are free from the influence of the veil of ignorance, under the absence of the sense of superiority and inferiority (even if there are many existing inevitable differences and conditions as well as there are different degrees of livelihood or financial development, opportunity, and status among all and everyone in different regions and areas), when there are more kindness and generosity while less cruelty and selfishness, under the absence of pride, sense of ownership and belonging, possessiveness, greed, endless accumulation and hoarding of wealth and enjoyment, or boundless ambitious aspirations and ambitions that exploit and destroy all and everyone and everything to the maximum, where the minds understand that none and nothing belong to anyone or anything, while all and everyone has the basic universal common sense or conscience to be kind to and look after oneself as well as one another, in order to support and develop and empower a conducive healthy living environment and condition for all and everyone, indiscriminately and unconditionally.

The ones that cross the bridge before or after one another, it's not because of who is more superior or inferior, or who is younger or elder, or who is male or female, or who is darker or fairer skin colour, or who is more or less beautiful and attractive, or who is more or less successful and contributing, or who has more or less priority, or who deserves more or less respect, or who has higher or lower ranking/title/caste/power/authority, but all and everyone naturally and wittingly coordinate with one another to create a smooth flow of movement or traffic under the presence of correct understanding or clarity.

Under the presence of certain emergency situation, the ones that have the need or urgency to go first will go first, under the acknowledgement and understanding of all and everyone. Such as on the road, where all drivers will autonomously move their car aside and allow the ambulance to pass urgently.

That action or behavior should come from the presence of basic universal common sense, or conscience, or kindness/generosity, deriving from the presence of correct understanding or clarity in the mind, not because of there is the existence of manmade law and order or rules and regulations that the drivers are being threatened and will be prosecuted with certain type of prosecution and punishment, if they don't obey the law and order about all drivers should move their car aside to allow the emergency ambulance to pass smoothly.

If all the minds in the world are free from the influence of the veil of ignorance, where all minds are functioning under the presence of correct understanding or clarity, there is needless of all those manmade worldly egoistic rules and regulations or law and order that only serves very little or completely no effect of 'controlling' people's activity and behavior in certain way and not in certain way, where the minds, especially those so called 'world leaders or law makers that were either self-proclaimed or being given certain power of authority by the people that impact all and everyone and everything directly and indirectly', that are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance will still be acting and behaving ignorantly regardless of whether they will be prosecuted and punished under the presence of local and global international law and order, or not, and whether their ranking/title/power of authority will be stripped off, or not. These minds that are functioning under the influence of the veil of ignorance will still be continuously acting and behaving ignorantly in the way that hurt all and everyone and everything, due to the absence of correct understanding or clarity in these minds.

That is why the upmost important element or the core pillar/foundation/structure to build, or support, or empower a relationship, or a family, or a community, or a country, or a world, or the highest duty of all humanity, is about the mind conquest, or the mind conscious evolution, or the annihilation of the veil of ignorance in the mind, by the mind itself. 

The king is a powerless 'king' upon none see and acknowledge him as the king. The power of a king is given and empowered by the people.

The bully is a powerless 'bully' upon none play along 'the game of the bully and the victim of bully' with it. The power of bully is given and empowered by the ones who accept the bullying, that entertain the bully, and that give attention, acknowledgement, and importance to the bully and its bullying.

The belief and values is nothing upon none believe in it or practice it.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

It has to come from the mind itself to let go and be free

If all minds can let go all kinds of attachment, identification, desire, possessiveness, or the past, there will be peace in the world.

It's not about eliminating ignorance, egoism, impurities, selfishness, greed, fear, anger, hatred, resentment, vengeance, or violence in the world. It's impossible.

Peace in the world is the reflection of peace in the minds.

It has to come from each and every mind themselves, to let go and be free from the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness, and have peace.

None can tell or advise another mind to let go and be free.

It has to come from the mind itself to let go and be free from all kinds of attachment, identification, desire, possessiveness, or the past.

All kinds of fear, anger, hatred, resentment, vengeance, or violence don't exist in the mind that doesn't hold onto any attachment, identification, desire, possessiveness, or the past.

Whatever happened and is happening in the world, especially under the era of higher and higher advance science and technology, it only indicates how much unnecessary destruction and suffering that the human minds can generate into the world under the influence of the idea of 'I', ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

Inquire the truth of everything, and have peace in oneself, regardless of all kinds of madness in the world of ignorance and egoism.

Love without attachment and possessiveness

"How can a person being engaged in any kind of relationship with someone, and appreciates and loves that person sincerely, but then at the same time, one is not being determined by the absence and presence of agreeable and disagreeable, desirable and undesirable, pleasant and unpleasant interactions and events that occur in any form of human relationship, regardless of whether it's relationship with family, friends and lover or spouse?"

The passionate minds that are being conditioned by worldly egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice, would have great difficulty in understanding towards "One can love and appreciate some others in different type of relationship in life very much, but won't be feeling "losing/missing someone or something that oneself loves and appreciates very much" upon the absence of that person and/or the relationship."

The passionate minds think and believe that, all kinds of love, can only exist along with attachment and possessiveness/the sense of belonging, where the amount of love is being determined or measured by the degrees of attachment and possessiveness in any kind of relationship.

The minds that truly understand towards the truth of selflessness and impermanence in all and everything, would understand that there's nothing or none belonged to anything or anyone.

One knows how to love all and everyone without attachment and possessiveness, where one doesn't own any kind of existing relationship as well as the person(s) in the relationship with oneself.

Without attachment and possessiveness towards the relationship and the person(s) in the relationship with oneself, it doesn't mean that one doesn't care about or doesn't take the relationship and the person(s) in the relationship with oneself seriously.

One appreciates all the different kind of human relationships existing in the present moment now, as they are, not necessarily all desirable and agreeable, as well as loves the person(s) in the relationship with oneself unconditionally as it is, without the idea of "You are my family," or "You are my friend,", or "You are my lover/spouse," or "You belonged to me," or "You are mine," or "This is my family/my friend/my lover/my spouse/my relationship." And hence, one doesn't loose anything and/or anyone, upon the absence of the relationship and/or the person(s) in the different type of relationship with oneself, upon impermanent changes that are not necessarily being the way that how everyone would like it to be. Upon the realization of selflessness, there's no 'I' being there to be claiming, "I am losing something or someone," or "I don't want to loose something or someone that is upmost important to me," as well as, there's nothing or none to loose, as nothing/none belonged to anyone.

"Loving others unconditionally, as they are" doesn't mean that one should be blindly agreeing with everything and saying "yes" to everything, or one wouldn't be having any dislike or disagreement towards any kind of ignorant thinking and behavior, or shouldn't be saying "no" to any kind of demands, or allowing oneself to be mistreated or abused by other people's ignorant hurtful behavior repeatedly, encouraging and empowering such ignorance. However, one is not being determined by the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, and pleasant or unpleasant affairs and events that occur in any kind of relationship. One can choose to move away from such ignorance, if necessarily, if possible, not to be encouraging and empowering such ignorance.

The passionate minds would react and feel disappointed and dissatisfied, upon one's desires/demands/cravings are not being gratified, as well as would react and feel disappointed, confused and hurt, if someone in any kind of relationship with oneself telling oneself about, "There's nothing to loose in any kind of relationship with anything and anyone," or "You are free to love me, or not, and you are free to stay or leave as you wish," or "I love you as you are, even if you don't love me and/or are not in a relationship with me," as they would interpret that as "You don't love me. You don't appreciate me or our relationship. I mean nothing to you. I am not important to you. Our relationship doesn't mean anything to you," not understanding that, that is unconditional non-possessive type of love.

The minds that feel disappointed and hurt by someone in any kind of relationship because one's desires/demands/cravings are not being gratified by those in any form of relationship with oneself, would react in the way that would hurt oneself and those in certain type of relationship with oneself, out of disappointment, resentment, or rebelliousness. Such minds don't even love themselves, not to say, they don't really love those whom they think they love very much, as they would do things that would hurt anyone, including themselves, upon not getting what they like and want, and/or are getting what they don't like and don't want. They only love their desires of what they like and want.

The minds that know how to love themselves and others unconditionally won't do anything that would hurt oneself and/or others deliberately, out of disappointment, resentment, or rebelliousness, upon the non-gratification of their desires or demands. Such as when the parents reject their children's demands for something, the children might react and behave in the way that would hurt themselves and their parents deliberately, out of disappointment, resentment and rebelliousness. Or, one would react and behave in the way that hurt oneself and the partner/spouse intentionally, out of disappointment, resentment and rebelliousness, upon one's demands towards the partner/spouse and the relationship are not being gratified.

Most minds don't appreciate such unconditional non-possessive type of love, instead, they would rather be chasing after passionate possessive type of love, where there is intense attachment, identification, possessiveness, clinging and craving towards one another, to receive attention, love, care, support, comfort, encouragement, companionship, interaction, acknowledgement, agreement, appreciation, praise and compliment from one another, to boost the sense of self-esteem, goodness, happiness, accomplishment, positiveness and meaningfulness.

The minds that realized selflessness and impermanence transcend all these names and forms, not being determined by all these names and forms to be 'I', transcending the sense of self-esteem, goodness, happiness, accomplishment, positiveness and meaningfulness, where they don't need to feel confident, good, happy, accomplished, positive or meaningful at all, not to say, to be building and boosting the sense of self-esteem, goodness, happiness, accomplishment, positiveness and meaningfulness out of all kinds of selfless impermanent names and forms, being determined and empowered by passionate egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, comparison, judgment and expectation.

Many minds would think and believe that, "Good friends, or friends, are those who regularly meet up with one another, visit each other, spend lots of time together and doing something together, or keeping in touch, talking to and sharing with each other all the time. Otherwise, they are not good friends, or they are not my friends at all." These minds cannot understand that, "True friends are not necessarily have to be regularly meeting up with one another, visiting each other, spending lots of time together and doing something together, or keeping in touch, talking to and sharing with each other." They cannot comprehend that, "friends" are those who will always be a friend even after many years not meeting up with one another, not visiting each other, not spending lots of time together and not doing something together, or not keeping in touch, not talking to and not sharing with each other, either with or without any reasons.

Most passionate egoistic minds have no such understanding, and they would feel disappointed, unhappy or lonely, if they think they don't have any friends to interact, socialize, share and play with, then know that it's due to the attachment and possessiveness towards 'friends' and 'friendship', as well as the craving towards the presence of friends with the interactions and activities, and the aversion towards the absence of friends and the interactions and activities, are not being gratified.

To truly understand this dispassionate unconditional non-possessive type of love, one must perform self-inquiry towards what are "selflessness in all and everything" and "attachment and possessiveness", as well as what is "love without attachment and possessiveness" or "dispassionate unconditional love," to attain direct realization towards all these terms.

"Love without attachment and possessiveness" is nothing to do with the passionate engagement in multiple intimate love affairs or relationships with many different people/lovers/partners on different timing or at the same time, while thinking and believing that that's what unconditional love and care towards all and everyone is about.

Non-attachment and non-possessiveness is nothing to do with non-commitment, or non-seriousness, or non-appreciative, or irresponsibility towards any kind of human relationship. One can be seriously and genuinely engaging in as well as being responsible and appreciative towards all kind of human relationship, as well as being contented with having one single committed intimate love affair or relationship with someone, but without any attachment or the sense of possessiveness, respecting all kind of impermanent changes as they are.

However, unconditional love that is void of attachment and possessiveness is highly being misused by the passionate minds, including some yoga practitioners or yoga teachers, as the 'spiritual' excuse to justify one's irresponsibility towards one's existing relationship with family, friends or lover/spouse/partner, or to justify one's greedy discontented lustful desire to be enjoying or engaging in "many different intimate love affair/relationship with different people at different timing," or "multiple committed/uncommitted intimate love affairs/relationships with different lovers/partners at the same time," or "any kind of sexual misconduct," using the excuse of 'love sharing' or 'spiritual healing' to be engaging in intimate love/sexual affair/relationship with the disturbed minds that are longing to be comforted, loved or healed by some others, while thinking and believing and propagating that, "unconditional love without attachment and possessiveness" means "I have so much love and care (lust) that needed to share with as many people as possible, without being limited by any commitment or responsibility," as well as, using the excuse of "unconditional love without attachment and commitment" to be expecting one's lover/spouse shouldn't be disturbed or hurt by one's greedy lustful desire that needed to be shared with many other different lovers/partners, thinking and believing that it's what unconditional love is about, but not really. That's their freedom of thinking and behavior, however, it's completely nothing to do with yoga.

One can be loving one's lover/spouse unconditionally, but it doesn't mean that one should be encouraging or empowering such ignorant thinking and behavior of the lover/spouse that is over-powered by greedy lustful desires, where one can let go such "relationship" without any disappointment or resentment, loving the lover/spouse as he/she is, being ignorant and behaving ignorantly, thinking and believing that he/she loves his/her lover/partner/spouse very much, but he/she would do things that hurt those whom they think they love very much out of greed, discontentment and lustful desires, or out of disappointment, dissatisfaction, resentment or rebelliousness, due to ungratified desires. One doesn't need to stay in such relationship, but more importantly, one is not being determined or bothered by such ignorance and ignorant behavior of the lover/partner/spouse that is being ignorant towards his/her own ignorance and ignorant behavior. It's only due to the presence of attachment and possessiveness as well as the desire of craving and aversion, most people can't let go and would feel disappointed, hurt and disturbed for being in any relationship with anyone that is under the influence of ignorance with the presence of ignorant behavior, but then oneself also reacting and behaving in the way that would be hurting oneself and those in the relationship with oneself, intentionally, out of resentment and rebelliousness.

"You hurt me, I'll hurt you back" is not love at all.

Some people might not be doing anything hurtful directly to the lover/partner/spouse, refuse to communicate and have better understanding among one another, but then would go behind their back saying and doing many things that would hurt them. That is more evil and hurtful than those who express their disagreement directly to their lover/partner/spouse to communicate about any issues or misunderstanding. However, it seems to be part of certain cultural practice to not express any disagreement directly with the person involved, but to go behind people's back to complain, bitching and hurt the person, to seek support and agreement from other people towards one's disagreement towards the lover/partner/spouse, to relieve one's dissatisfaction and unhappiness. By complaining and bitching about one's lover/partner/spouse whom oneself dislikes and hates so much, with or without the intention of getting other people's support and agreement towards oneself, so that other people will also dislike and hating one's lover/partner/spouse for something that oneself dislikes and disagrees with, while thinking that oneself is a 'victim' of the bad behavior of one's lover/partner/spouse, it only shows that oneself doesn't love the lover/partner/spouse at all.

Yoga practitioners need to stay away from such ignorant thinking, belief, values and practice, while not encouraging or empowering such ignorance.

Many yoga teachers might think and believe that they are doing the right thing or the compassionate action to be 'helping' and 'comforting' other people's unhappy mind by being a sympathetic/empathetic listener and supporter to other people who need to be complaining about what they think and believe is their relationship problem and unhappiness, not being aware of that is actually empowering the ignorance in such minds. These minds themselves don't really love themselves, not to say, they don't love their lover/partner/spouse at all, but they only love their selfish desire and expectation towards their lover/partner/spouse and their love relationship to be in certain way, and out of one's dissatisfaction and disappointment, when they don't get what they like and want, and are getting what they don't like and don't want, upon the lover/partner/spouse and the relationship is not being the way that they expect and desire it to be, they felt 'disappointed', 'unhappy' and 'hurt', and need to be complaining to other people about all kinds of bad and terrible things about their lover/partner/spouse, while thinking and believing that they love their lover/partner/spouse very much, but they are being 'disappointed', 'disturbed' and 'hurt' by their lover/partner/spouse who is bad and terrible, "Oh, I love him/her so much, but he/she is so bad and terrible. I am a victim of his/her bad and terrible behavior, but I can't, and I don't want to let go this relationship because I love him/her so much. I feel so hurt and unhappy because of this bad relationship, and I need sympathy, empathy, comfort and support from other people, acknowledging that my hurt and my unhappiness is due to my lover/partner/spouse is so bad and terrible."

The minds that understand, if one truly loves someone, there's no hurt or disappointment arising in oneself regardless of all kinds of undesirable and disagreeable interactions and happenings in the relationship, and there won't be such 'need' to be complaining to other people, to be seeking sympathy, empathy, comfort and support from some others to justify about "I am loving, good and right, while he/she is unloving, bad and wrong." One can choose to remain in the relationship that is not all desirable and agreeable, or let go any relationship that involved ignorant and hurtful behavior that keep hurting oneself and those in any kind of relationship with oneself out of ignorance, without disappointment or resentment.

If yoga teachers truly want to help the disturbed suffering minds that are under the influence of ignorance to be free from all kinds of disappointment, disturb, hurt and unhappiness due to ignorance, it's not by comforting and supporting their ignorant thinking or incorrect understanding, to be encouraging and empowering their ignorance, but it's guiding and allowing them to see the ignorance in themselves that give rise to such disappointment, disturb, hurt and unhappiness. Even though it's an unpleasant process, and most minds don't like such confrontation to be seeing and acknowledging the ignorance in themselves as well as all kinds of incorrect thinking and understanding that hurt themselves and those whom they think they love very much, but that's liberation for oneself and those in any kind of relationship with oneself.

Sincere yoga practitioners who really want to practice yoga and realize yoga, need to have the basic wisdom to inquire towards the truth of everything, and not being conditioned by any kind of passionate egoistic thinking, belief, values and practice in the world of ignorance and egoism, as well as not being 'deluded' by any kind of impure understanding and intention that exist in the world of yoga.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

Om shanti.

Non-possessiveness & non-attachment...

Non-possessiveness is being practiced side by side with non-attachment. In fact they are not separated from each other. There is non-possessiveness in non-attachment, and there is non-attachment in non-possessiveness.

In non-possessiveness, we understand that nothing belongs to "I". We also understand that there is actually no "I" being there to possess anything. The body and mind is just the product or combination of elements. Without fire, water, wind, earth and space, this body and mind doesn't exist.

Without the function of the mind, the body and the senses doesn't perceive any names and forms.

It is not the eyes who see, it is the mind sees or perceives sights through the function of the sense organ of eyes. It is not the ears hear, it is the mind hears or perceives sounds through the function of the sense organ of ears. And so on with all the other sense organs. If the sense organ of eyes doesn't function properly or doesn't exist, or in the absence of light, the mind doesn't sees or perceives sights, colours or shapes. And so on, with the other sense organs. If energy depleted, even there is a body with all the sense organs, the mind doesn't function. There is no perception of anything. And without energy, eventually the body with the sense organs will decompose. Who am "I"?

If there is an "I", then this "I" is totally power-less and has no control over the existence and the function of the mind, the body and the sense organs. This "I" doesn't possess the mind, the body and the sense organs. As if the mind, the body and the sense organs belongs to this "I", then they should be under the control of this "I". But, it is not in the control of this "I" at all about what the mind can perceive and cannot perceive, want to perceive and doesn't want to perceive. It is not that "I" only want to feel good and happy, think only positive thinking and experience only pleasant sensations, and do not want to feel bad or unhappy, nor think about negative thinking, nor feel any unpleasant sensations. All these feelings, emotions, thoughts and sensations don't belong to "I". They come and leave as they like and without asking for permission from this "I" to come or to leave.

As well as all the reactions in the mind towards what it perceives through the senses, or when the mind comes in contact with the objects of the senses, are just the intellect and the ego functioning, which is part of the function of the mind. The intellect analyzes all the objects of the senses that the mind perceives, and the ego asserts like or dislike, agreement or disagreement, and generates craving and aversion towards all the experiences, and feels good or bad, happy or unhappy when this craving and aversion is being gratified or ungratified. The one who thinks it is "I" who is experiencing all these experiences, is the ego.

The function and the existence of the body and mind is totally depending on energy and elements. They belongs to energy and elements, they don't belong to "I". Then how can this "I" possess the body and mind, and all the relationships with everything else that come in contact with this body and mind in this life existence?

And thus, "I" can't even own or possess this body and mind, how can "I" own or possess anything else beyond this body and mind. All the ideas of "my mind", "my body", "my family", "my parents", "my children", "my partner", "my friends", "my relationships", "my country", "my world", "my universe", "my feelings", "my emotions", "my hurts", "my disappointments", "my injuries", "my job", "my wealth", "my health", "my things", "my name", "my fame", "my power", and etc, don't really exist and it's coming from incorrect understanding, not knowing the truth. All these things or objects exist in life existence, but none of them belongs to "I", nor in "my" control how "I" want them to be.

Everything is just fleeting momentary impermanent experiences. They don't stay forever unchanged. We can be aware of all these experiences whether they are pleasant or unpleasant, when they exist in the present and being what they are, and let them go when they change and stop existing, without being influenced nor determined by all these good or bad experiences in this life existence.

And hence, through the correct understanding of the truth, non-attachment happens naturally without any efforts. (Many people say it is not possible or it is very difficult for them to practice non-attachment in their everyday life or in what they think is "reality", it is incorrect understanding and the veil of ignorance that make them feel and think this way. There are also people practicing yoga and meditation for long time, but still being disturbed and affected very much by restlessness or anxieties that derives from ignorance and attachment. There's nothing wrong with this, but just need to keep purifying the mind to deeper level.)

There is no attachment towards all the experiences that the body and mind is experiencing from moment to moment. There is no attachment towards what the mind perceives through the senses of what it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks.

There is no attachment towards what the mind believes what things are, what the mind feels and thinks.

As all these things that are going on in the mind are not necessarily the truth of what things really are. It is just a projection coming from the mind about things. If the mind is not pure, then whatever the mind projects will be contaminated by impurities in the mind, it is not the truth of things.

And so, purification of the mind is the most important thing to be happening all the time. So that the mind is free from impurities, and allow it to see or know the truth of things as they are, and not being influenced nor contaminated by any impurities or the veil of ignorance.

The mind will be free from suffering or unhappiness that arise due to the incorrect understanding of things or being ignorant about the truth.

Peace is there, when the mind is free from anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment. frustration, irritation, agitation, depression, anxiety, low-self esteem, pride, arrogance, craving, aversion, clinging, longing, imagination, anticipation, fear and worry, and etc, when it sees or knows the truth, being free from ignorance.

Contemplate on these teachings, and realize the truth by ourselves, not just by hearing or reading from somebody or some books written by some great beings, and be truly free. As just by knowing about the teachings by hearing or reading about the truth of things doesn't liberate us from suffering or unhappiness. The mind will still have doubts and be influenced and determined by the veil of ignorance and impurities that arise due to ignorance. The mind will still be disturbed and over-powered by fear and worry, anger and hatred, greed and jealousy, agitation and depression, being over-powered or determined by craving and aversion towards what the mind likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, wants and doesn't want.

When we practically in one with the truth, we will know how to love and accept everyone and everything out of compassion, without possessiveness. We will be able to allow the reality of everything to be what it is, without attachment, interference, judgment, expectation, nor try to control or change the reality that the mind doesn't like or doesn't want to be what it likes it to be. We just do our best for the well-being of everyone, and let go the result or the fruit of all actions.

There is no "I" being there to perform any actions. There is no "I" performing good or bad actions. There is no "I" giving or receiving something good or bad.

Be free.

Om shanti.