Truthfulness?

The path of yoga and Buddhism is about realizing the Truth and respecting the Truth as it is, regardless of whether the Truth is being perceived as something pleasant or unpleasant, agreeable or disagreeable, desirable or undesirable to the worldly impure egoistic minds.

Many minds/people like to talk about 'truthfulness' and see it as an important value of life, but then ironically, most minds/people don't welcome and can't handle certain 'truthfulness' or 'the truth' being something that they don't like and don't want. Many people prefer themselves and everyone else to be playing a game of 'untruthfulness/lies/hypocrisy/pretension/acting' in all forms of relationship that would portray "Everything being the way that they like and want, that would appear to be all good and positive and nothing bad and negative", or they would try to ignore, or deny, or hideaway whatever that they don't like and don't want, such as "Don't tell me about it. I don't want to know anything about it." so that they can have 'the peace and harmony' in their lives, in their relationships with their family, relatives and friends. There's plentiful of untruthfulness/lies/secrets/manipulation in all kinds of human's relationship except in the rare ones that are free from the influence of the ego and egoism. Back-biting exists in many relationships as well, where people pretend to be nice to one another in front of everyone, saying only nice and positive things in front of people in order to maintain 'peace and harmony' in the family, work place, friends circle, personal relationship and the society, but then, many minds/people couldn't avoid back-biting behind people's back to express and/or release their frustration, dissatisfaction and disappointment towards what they don't like and disagree with.

The mind can never avoid some kinds of interaction that involve certain 'untruthfulness/lies/hypocrisy/manipulation' dealing with all kinds of human's relationship.

There's nothing wrong with trying to present many different images of certain 'quality' on different occasions that conform to the many different thinking and beliefs of the many different minds/people that one comes in contact with and interacts with, in order to please everyone, to not offending anyone, to not making anyone feel unhappy, dissatisfy, disappointed or upset, to maintain 'peace and harmony', or to be surviving in a competitive world of names and forms, or to gain love, liking, help, support and comfort from others, but that would be supporting and empowering ignorance and egoism in oneself and others, while yoga practice is mainly to free the mind from ignorance and egoism.

The minds that would be disturbed, offended and upset easily by what the minds don't like and disagree with, or what the minds perceive as unpleasant, disagreeable, bad, wrong, negative or inappropriate, is due to ignorance and egoism. None need to be untruthful, hypocrite, lie, pretend or act while being or interacting with other minds that are free from ignorance and egoism, as these minds won't be disturbed nor offended nor upset by all kinds of name and form that are being perceived by the worldly impure egoistic minds as unpleasant, disagreeable, bad, wrong, negative or inappropriate.

In Buddha or Satguru, or any beings that are free from ignorance and egoism, the mind is undetermined and undisturbed by all the selfless impermanent names and forms, being free from the desire of craving and aversion and expectation towards all and everything to be in certain way. All kinds of suffering/unhappiness/painful sorrow/hurts/depression/loneliness/meaninglessness don't exist in them, as there's neither craving for something pleasant and agreeable nor aversion towards something unpleasant and disagreeable. And hence, there's needless of the existence of any other being or family and friends being there to be loving/liking/supporting/helping/comforting them, although they would allow anyone to be kind and friendly supporting or helping them and/or other beings in many ways, while without encouraging or empowering the ignorance and egoism in the beings, but allowing the beings to also realize selflessness and compassion, being free from all kinds of suffering/unhappiness/painful sorrow/hurts/depression/loneliness/meaninglessness, being undetermined and undisturbed by all the pleasant/unpleasant, agreeable/disagreeable, desirable/undesirable names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, where the need of gaining love, liking, support, help or comfort from some others is absent, and without egoistic intention to be making and accumulating 'family ties and friendships', they can be 'kind' and 'friendly' towards all and everyone unconditionally without discrimination of 'friends or not friends', 'family or not family' and 'good or bad beings', without the need or craving of gaining love, liking, help, support and comfort from others.

Real peace and harmony is unconditional, derived from the absence of ignorance and egoism, being undisturbed by the mind perception of names and forms through the senses that is subject to impermanence and selflessness. It's being free from all kinds of suffering, restlessness and impurities upon the annihilation of ignorance and egoism. 'Peace and harmony' that is subject to the existence and non-existence of certain quality of names and forms, being determined by certain condition and situation that the mind desires, likes and agrees with, that is achieved and needs to be maintained through certain actions, is not real.

Those who are free from being conditioned by worldly thinking and belief would understand this and are free from the sense of loneliness and meaninglessness. Those who are being conditioned strongly by worldly thinking and belief wouldn't or couldn't understand this and would be perceiving the sense of loneliness and meaninglessness from time to time or most of the time. And hence, the importance of renunciation to free the mind from being conditioned by worldly thinking and belief for sincere yoga practitioners.

One can choose to perform certain actions in the world and be engaging in certain forms of relationship and interactive activity with some others selflessly without any attachment, but not because of one thinks and believes that one has to perform such actions in the world and must be engaging in certain forms of relationship and interactive activity, as one would think and feel bad, wrong, negative, meaningless, unhappy or suffering if one doesn't or couldn't perform such actions in the world, or doesn't engage in certain forms of relationship and interactive activity with some others. That is freedom in yoga or Buddhism.

Selfless actions influence others without the intention to change or control others

Selfless actions could influence others as well as the condition or situation in the world, but without the egoistic intention to change or control others and the condition or situation in the world to be the way that the egoistic minds would like it to be, or think and believe how it should be.

There's no disappointment, frustration, anger, hatred, or depression when things are not 'being' or 'changing' to be the way that the egoistic minds would like it to be, if actions that could influence others and the condition or situation in the world are being performed out of selflessness and compassion, selflessly and intentionlessly, without 'good intention' to be performing 'good actions' that the egoistic minds 'desire' or 'hope' to 'change' others and the condition or situation in the world to be 'good' the way that the minds think and believe what is good.

Similarly, most of the time, when 'good minds' have 'good intention' to tell the truth of 'something not good' about somebody or some organization might provoke the dissatisfaction, frustration, anger and hatred in the egoistic minds where their desires or agendas are being affected directly or indirectly by 'the intentional good action' of 'telling the truth of something not good'.

Just look at our everyday life interaction with people around us, especially those whom we know. When we see someone whom we know does something that we think is wrong out of ignorance, we might have 'good intention' to tell the truth of 'someone is doing something wrong out of ignorance' and the consequence of that is usually very 'unpleasant' as either the person might react with feelings of hurt, shame, guilt, regret or self-blame towards oneself if this person suffers from low self-esteem, depression or over sensitive, or this person might react with feelings of being insulted, humiliated, belittled, intimidated, anger and hatred, if this person suffers from pride and arrogance. Unless the minds are free from ignorance and egoism, and be able to see, or hear, or coming in contact with the truth and allowing the truth to be what it is, but if people would do something wrong/bad out of ignorance it also means that they are not free from ignorance. And the minds that are not free from ignorance don't have the 'understanding' and 'ability' to deal with 'the truth' openly and peacefully.

Most of the time, 'the truth of something not nice' told by others appears to be something hard, or harsh, or cruel, or dislikable, or disagreeable, or offensive, or hurtful, or insulting, or humiliating, or inappreciative, or ungrateful, or unsupportive, or negative, or unloving, or unkind to the egoistic minds, including knowledgeable and intelligent minds. Most egoistic prideful minds prefer to hear 'nice things' or 'kind words' about themselves. Many people say, "Don't say anything 'not nice'."

And hence, 'the truth' must be self-aware or self-realized.

More importantly, the truth is just what it is. It's neither positive nor negative, neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad, neither nice nor not nice. But impure egoistic minds that are functioning under the influence of duality interpret everything as positive and negative, right and wrong, good and bad, nice and not nice, and react spontaneously and emotionally influenced by the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements coming from the egoistic mind based on the thinking and believe in the mind to judge and react towards all the perceived names and forms or experiences, to feel pleased or displeased.

That's why the relation between 'the truth' and 'silence'. And hence, the practice of 'silence' is very important and relevant in the path of yoga and Buddhism of self-inquiry and self-realization of the truth to attain liberation from ignorance and suffering.

This 'silence' doesn't mean intentionally not seeing, not hearing, not smelling, not tasting, not feeling/sensing or not thinking 'something that the mind thinks and believes as bad/wrong/negative/not nice', or not performing any necessary actions. This 'silence' also doesn't mean intentionally denying 'the truth of something'.

Without any of the senses functioning, or without the idea of denying 'the truth of something', or being unable/unwilling to perform any physical or verbal actions doesn't mean that the mind is free from the suffering of ignorance, egoism, restlessness and impurities. But, there's no ego or 'I' being there to ceaselessly act and react out of 'intention' or 'aspiration' to change or control others or the world to be in certain ways, to be attaining or not attaining 'certain qualities of names and forms' that the ego desires or doesn't desire to be identifying with or to be possessing when there is an ego, or the idea of 'I', existing and identifying with the modification of the mind, attaching onto and identifying with the actions and the fruit of actions (being passionate towards one's actions and there's attachment, identification and expectation towards the fruit of one's actions.)

Be free from the idea or thinking of "I want others and the world to be like this and I don't want others and the world to be like that."

Go beyond the sense of contentment, joy and meaningfulness

This teaching is for those who want to go beyond the limited mind perception of 'good and bad', 'right and wrong', 'meaningfulness and meaninglessness', who are interested in transcending worldly life existence of the function of an impermanent and selfless physical body and the mind perception of names and forms that is subject to the suffering of ignorance, egoism, impurities, restlessness, birth, hunger, thirst, ungratified desires, separation from people and things that one loves, coming in contact with people and things that one dislikes and disagrees with, impermanent changes, decay, old age, illness and death, but somehow, the mind is still being determined by the qualities of names and forms, and be disturbed by the situation in the world that is not the way that the mind would like it to be.

Those who have already gone beyond 'goodness' and 'badness', 'meaningfulness' and meaninglessness', being peaceful as they are, being undisturbed or undetermined by all the qualities of names and forms, they don't need this teaching.

Those who are aware of the truth of impermanence and selflessness, but they are not interested in silencing the modification of the mind to transcend the mind perception of a worldly life existence of restless ceaseless births and deaths, instead, they just want to enjoy life to the maximum. That's their freedom.

Those who are not interested in transcending the worldly life existence of a body and mind that is subject to suffering, who believe in positive thinking/mind power to change the world to be a better place, who attached onto the presence of 'goodness' or 'meaningfulness' and the absence of 'badness' or 'meaninglessness', to feel good, content, happy and meaningful in life, they don't need to take up this teaching and practice. Be happy.

The teaching and practice of yoga to eliminate ignorance and egoism is beyond the desire of craving and aversion towards names and forms. There's neither clinging onto pleasant/desirable worldly life experiences nor aversion towards unpleasant/undesirable worldly life experiences. But merely seeing the truth of impermanence and selflessness of the body and mind as it is, and making use of this worldly life existence as the precious platform to transcend the mind perception of a worldly life existence of an impermanent selfless body and mind that is subject to the suffering of ignorance, egoism, impurities and restlessness.

One can develop great tolerance and forbearance to endure suffering when suffering arise, repeatedly, without aversion, but one doesn't have to endure any suffering at all. Suffering doesn't exist upon the annihilation of the cause of suffering - The modification of the mind under the influence of ignorance, egoism and impurities.

There is hidden attachment that bind the mind to worldly life existence that is unaware by the mind that attached onto 'goodness' and 'righteousness' that give rise to the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' towards the 'achievement' of "I am living a good and meaningful life doing the good and the right things. Life is good and meaningful."

Just as the impure mind easily falls in love with or attached onto the objects of names and forms that appear to be good, pleasant, attractive, beautiful, lovable, enjoyable, fun, or cute. The mind naturally attached onto the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' deriving from "I am doing the good and the right thing" achieving what the mind perceives as 'goodness' and 'righteousness'.

There's nothing wrong with appreciating 'goodness' and it's very good to feel 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' due to the presence of 'goodness' and the absence of 'badness'. Just that the mind could unwittingly attached onto the presence of 'goodness' that give rise to the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness', where the mind will be disturbed/disappointed/dissatisfied when the presence of goodness is disturbed/interrupted/unavailable.

Many people like to engage in community works because the minds can easily find the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' working or serving in a particular community, to be able to contribute to the community and seeing others getting the help/assistance that they need to achieve a similar goal. This is very good especially for those who suffer depression.

Within a particular community, even though everyone is not perfect and there might be conflicts of different opinions and personal desires of want and doesn't want, but all are following the similar values, thinking and belief, and are doing their best to work their way towards the same goal under the same vision of that particular community. For example, a Buddhist engaging in selfless service/karma yoga to serve the others in the Buddhist community, or a Muslim engaging in serving the others in the Muslim community, or a Christian engaging in serving the others in the Christian community, or someone engaging in serving a particular community in need of shelter, food, love and care.

It's even better, as what most people would hope for, if regardless of all the different religious/cultural/spiritual/social/national/political thinking and belief, everyone has one similar universal goal of achieving the similar 'good and meaningful life', where everyone works together to maintain peace and harmony in the diverse world of different groups of communities with different thinking and belief, values and way of life, while respecting each other for being different from one another without interference/intrusion towards others who are different from 'I' or 'my thinking and belief' and 'my community of a particular values, thinking and belief'. That would be so nice, a world without fear, discrimination, prejudice, hatred, unrest, animosity, invasion, intrusion, clashes, violence, wars, killings, and etc.

But the reality is not necessarily the way that the mind would like it to be. For those who don't know yoga/dharma, this is depressing and negative. For those who know yoga/dharma, this is not depressing or negative. It's just the truth of the world of impure minds functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

The different communities of different thinking and belief, values and way of life, goal and vision that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism will most likely being protective/defensive towards their own community out of survival instinct, discriminating/condemning/bullying/attacking others who are not from one's community, and treating the other communities that are different from oneself as potential enemies that might generate threats to one's community. There is always unrest, distrust, offensiveness, animosity, tension and fear towards the others might offend/intrude/invade/conquer oneself. This is truly unnecessary, but that's the way it is in this world due to ignorance and egoism.

It's not difficult to attain the sense of 'contentment, joy and meaningfulness' while serving in a particular community that has the similar goal and vision, thinking and belief, even though everyone is not perfect. But when come to the reality of a world of diversity, of different communities with different thinking and belief about what is right and wrong/good and bad, having different ways of cultural/religious/social/spiritual practice, different values and ways of life with different goals and visions that give rise to different meanings of 'good and meaningful life', where most of the minds are not free from the influence of ignorance and egoism, there will be many challenges and difficulties and frustration.

The mind would feel disappointed, tired, frustrated and depressed about the situation in the world that is under the deep influence of ignorance and egoism, that is not in the control/desire of 'I' about how 'I' would like it to be, no matter how good 'I' am, how much good actions/sacrifices 'I' have done, how positive/optimism is my mind, or how much 'I' want to help to bring peace and harmony into the world.

The mind will be in great disappointment, tiredness, frustration and depression, if one has 'wishful thinking' or expectation towards all beings in the world should put aside all the differences and work together towards living in peace and harmony among all the different communities.

If the mind can be free from attachment and 'wishful thinking' or expectation, and goes beyond that 'disappointed, tired, frustrated and depressed' reaction in the mind, and starts to see the truth of the nature of the impure minds and understand that this is the nature of the beings in the world under the influence of ignorance and egoism, it will let go the 'wishful thinking' of hoping everyone will be free from selfishness to work together to make the world a peaceful harmony place that is free from fear, discrimination, hatred, prejudice, unjust, corruption, violence, bullying, oppression, invasion, intrusion, killings, wars and all sorts of human religious/cultural/racial/national/social/political tension, clashes and conflicts.

When the mind is free from ignorance and egoistic attachment, there's no difference between 'good life' and 'not good life', or 'meaningfulness' and 'meaninglessness'. Life is just what it is. It's neither good nor not good, neither meaningful nor meaningless. This mind will be free from disappointment, tiredness, frustration and depression towards the reality of a world of diversity under the influence of ignorance and egoism that is not necessarily the way that it would like it to be based on certain thinking and belief about what is 'good and bad', 'right and wrong' and 'meaningful and meaningless'.

Once the mind is free from the attachment towards a particular thinking and belief about 'goodness or badness' and 'righteousness or wrongfulness', this mind can serve the world of different diversities, without attachment towards a particular thinking and belief, without discrimination/interference towards the different thinking and beliefs, without being disturbed by the reality that is not necessary pleasant or nice. There's neither contentment nor discontentment, neither meaningfulness nor meaninglessness. The world is just what it is. Minds are just what they are, mostly behaving under the influence of ignorance and egoism restlessly.

Even those who are highly educated are not necessary free from ignorance and egoism that generate discrimination, prejudice, hatred, violence, or intrusion towards others who are different from them whom they disagree with and dislike, as they attached onto their own thinking and belief about what is 'goodness and badness' or 'righteousness and wrongfulness' to judge and condemn everyone and everything. And that's their freedom. But they have no peace due to the egoistic reactions and impurities in their minds towards names and forms that they dislike and disagree with.

One can be doing lots of selfless service/karma yoga to serve others in a community under one similar thinking and belief (not too challenging), or serve others in the world of different communities under different thinking and belief (extremely challenging), but one is undetermined or undisturbed by one's action and the fruit of action.

Not even attached onto, "Even if I can bring joy/goodness/happiness/meaningfulness/awareness to just one person, and change this person's life, it's already good enough." Let it go.

There's no disappointment, tiredness, frustration or depression, if the world is still full of fear, discrimination, hatred, prejudice, unjust, corruption, violence, bullying, oppression, killings, wars and all sorts of human religious/cultural/racial/national/social/political tension, clashes and conflicts everywhere, even though one has done a lot to serve others in the world, to bring awareness, peace and harmony into the world.

Words of wisdom are neither good nor bad

Words of wisdom are neither good nor bad. They are just what they are. They have no intention or quality to be useful or useless, to be meaningful or meaningless, or to be enlightening or disturbing.

Words of wisdom can be useful and meaningful and enlightening for those who are aware of ignorance in oneself, but they are useless and meaningless and disturbing for those who are not aware of ignorance in oneself.

All minds that are under the influence of ignorance and egoism are being conditioned or influenced by many different types of egoistic thinking and belief that are being imprinted into the mind since the birth of this life existence coming from family and cultural background, religious background, parenting, schooling, social mixing and interaction, social medias, commercial values, political influence, and all kinds of information sources, to live life, to think and feel, to act and react.

Most of the time, we don't really inquire the truth of everything that were passed down to us from generation to generation, and everything that we come in contact with, and we usually put our 'trust' onto 'reliable' or 'respectable' sources to feed or occupy our minds with many different information and ideas, until we start to doubt about something and then we would question or investigate the truth of it, to find out whether it's true, or not. But that usually won't happen until we got into trouble and suffer for the consequences of our own 'incorrect' or 'ignorant' understanding, thinking, belief, way of living, conduct and behavior.

If people don't question the truth of everything, everyone just live life, think and feel, act and react as how they were being told, or educated, or influenced by the elders, parents, caretakers, friends, society, communities, groups, associations, gangs, politicians, religious authorities, school teachers, philosophers, business people, and so on.

In Yoga and Buddhism, one has to question the truth of everything including all the teachings or scriptures of yoga and Buddhism, of what all the teachers said and taught. The real teachers won't be insulted, or disrespected, or humiliated when the students neither agree nor disagree with what the teachers taught them, but being independent and diligent to perform self-practice and self-inquiry to realize the truth of the teachings through self-effort and self-realization.

It's okay if we don't know many things. It won't do any harm if we don't know everything and we are aware of we are ignorant, or don't know the truth of something. But it would be very harmful to oneself and others, if we blind-believe in and blind-agreeing with and blindly sharing information and ideas that we don't know whether they are true, or not.

So as there are many 'yoga teachers' teach yoga to other people according to what they have learned, studied and heard from the yoga courses and yoga books that they have attended and read, just because the books/scriptures/teaching manuals and their teachers say so. Some people don't mind if the teachings are true, or not, as long as they have some ideas of yoga poses practice sequences with some technical information and interesting spiritual stories to teach in the yoga classes to satisfy the people's enthusiasm and intention of joining the yoga classes, and earn a living. And there's nothing wrong with that, and it's everyone's freedom. One is willingly to present something that one doesn't really know what does it really means, while others are willingly to follow something that they don't know where it would lead them to.

The wise never aspire or intent to make other beings to see what they see, or to know what they know. The teachings are everywhere for everyone to take it (practice and realize), or leave it.

Be free and be happy.

How to see the truth of everything as it is and be free

People grieve and cry for the death of someone or something that they think and believe as good and right, that they love very much, that they think it doesn't deserve to die. People feel glad and cheer for the death of someone or something that they think and believe as bad and wrong, that they hate very much, that they think it deserves to die.

Death is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither happiness nor suffering, neither right nor wrong. It's all about what we like and don't like. When we feel grief and cry for 'death' is because we are losing something that we like. When we feel glad and cheer for 'death' is because we are getting rid of something that we don't like.

Whenever we feel angry, upset, disturbed, hurt, sad or disagree about something, it's not because people or things are being 'bad', 'wrong', 'negative', or 'suffering'. It's because we come in contact with something that we disagree with based on our thinking and belief of what is right and wrong, good and bad, or we are not getting what we like and want, we are losing what we like and want, and we are getting what we don't like and don't want.

People mourn for the death of those whom they love, that matter to them (people or animals or insects), and don't mourn for the death of those whom they have no likes or dislikes, that don't matter to them, and cheer for the death of those whom they hate and disagree with.

And hence, this allows us to understand that 'death' is neither good nor bad, neither happiness nor suffering, neither right nor wrong, neither positive nor negative. It's all subjective reactions influenced by attachment towards the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, based on a particular personal thinking and belief.

It's the desire of craving and aversion that generates unhappiness, disturb, hurts, resentment, painful sorrow and suffering in the mind. It is ignorance that causes the mind to think and believe that unhappiness, disturb, hurts, resentment, painful sorrow and suffering are caused by something bad, wrong, horrible, inhumane, negative or suffering.

Perform this inquiry into everything that our minds perceive and judge as good and bad, positive and negative, right and wrong, happiness and suffering.

Everything is just what it is. People are just being what they are. Things are just what they are. The world is just what it is.

There's no clinging, craving, aversion, discrimination, hatred, fear, painful sorrow, or suffering.

There's no good death or bad death. Everything is just arising and passing away.

If one doesn't know this, one doesn't know what is compassion, even though one identifies oneself as a compassionate being, and tries to be compassionate or practice compassion or perform compassionate actions.

Allow the mind to be open and see things as they are, uninfluenced by the conditioned/limited/subjective personal thinking and belief, egoism of attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion, judgment and expectation, and ceaseless autonomous reactions of impurities.

If people don't like or don't agree with this, that's their freedom of thinking, belief, actions and reactions.

Be free.

The yoga poses are neither easy nor difficult, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, neither safe nor unsafe

The yoga poses or exercises are just what they are. They are neither easy nor difficult. They are neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. They are neither safe nor unsafe. They have no qualities nor intention to be easy or difficult, to make anyone feels comfortable or uncomfortable, to be safe or unsafe. It is coming from each individual physical condition, ability and limitation, the states of their mind, and how different bodies and minds react differently towards the poses and exercises that project the quality of easy or difficult, comfortable or uncomfortable, safe or unsafe onto every pose, or position, or exercise.

While doing the same poses or same exercises, some say it's easy, some say it's difficult. Some say they feel comfortable, some say they feel uncomfortable. Some don't experience any injuries, some experience some injuries.

It is true for each individual about that is how their body and mind reacts towards the poses or exercises, and that is how they feel and experience while doing the poses and exercises. It is their personal truth and individual perception of reality. But it is not the truth of the poses or exercises.

Injuries occur while doing the poses or exercises if the practitioners don't know their own physical ability and limitation, and they push their body to go beyond its limitation. Injuries don't occur while doing the poses or exercises if the practitioners know their own physical ability and limitation, and they don't push their body to go beyond its limitation. And yoga practice is really not about pushing the physical body to go beyond its limitation.

By pushing the body to go beyond its limitation, making the body more strong and flexible, and be able to do many of the yoga asana poses nicely, beautifully and in the perfect 'correct' alignment, doesn't guarantee us peace and compassion, or liberation from ignorance and egoism. It's about non-attachment, non-identification, desireless, non-craving, non-aversion, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, patience, forbearance, tolerance, and be free from ignorance, egoism and impurities, that lead us to peace and compassion. And all these has nothing to do with the physical conditions and abilities and skills to do the yoga poses or exercises. It's nothing to do with the different types of benefits of the yoga poses and exercises either.

If the truth of the poses or exercises is they are something easy or difficult, comfortable or uncomfortable, safe or unsafe, then everyone who do the same poses or same exercises will react and feel the same. But, everyone would react and feel and experience differently from one another while doing the same poses or exercises, and everyone would react and feel and experience differently when doing the same poses or exercises on different practice session.

The poses or exercises are just being what they are. They are neither easy nor difficult, neither comfortable nor comfortable, neither safe nor unsafe.

Different minds perceive the world differently because different minds project different qualities onto names and forms that they perceive under the influence of different thinking and beliefs. Some perceive the world positively and some perceive the world negatively, but the world is neither positive nor negative. No one could debate with one another about their own personal perception of different reality that different minds perceive under the influence of their own personal thinking and belief, as that is what their minds perceive and understand, but, the different perceptions of different minds are not necessarily the truth of what things are.

The world is just what it is. It is neither good nor bad. Everything is subject to impermanence, arising and passing away. Realize this and be free from attachment, pride and arrogance about 'I', 'my' thinking, 'my' belief, 'my' actions and the fruit of 'my' actions.

By understanding this, we let go of judgment or expectation towards everything and everyone. All the names and forms are neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither happiness nor unhappiness, neither right nor wrong. It's just different qualities being projected onto all the names and forms based on each individual mind being conditioned to think and believe about what things are, but it's not the truth of all the names and forms.

Those who don't see the truth or couldn't understand this, they will want to argue with everyone whom is different from them, who has different perception of reality from them, who has different thinking and belief from them about what things are. They will want to prove that they are right and others who are different from them, are wrong. They want to prove that what they believe as good and bad, right and wrong, is true, while any contradictions with their belief about good and bad, right and wrong, is false. 'Good people' who think or label themselves as 'good people', they are not free from ignorance if they think and label those whom they think are bad, or those whose thinking and behavior are different from their own thinking and behavior, as bad people.

Be free.

Om shanti.

Neither positive nor negative, everything is just what it is...

The teaching of yoga and Buddhism is about seeing the truth of things as they are, and allow all the names and forms to be what they are, without generate clinging or craving towards what the mind wants to think and believe as positive, good and happiness, without generate aversion towards what the mind wants to think and believe as negative, bad and unhappiness.

Everything is just what it is. It is neither positive nor negative, neither good nor bad, neither happiness nor unhappiness.

The truth is still the truth, whether we know about it, or not; whether we like it, or not; whether we agree with it, or not. Everything is subject to impermanence. This life existence comprising the body and mind is subject to changes, discomfort, old age, sickness, weakness and death, or decomposition. The truth doesn't change according to whether our mind is being positive or negative, good or bad, happy or unhappy.

Being super positive, super good and super happy, while denying something that the mind recognizes as negative, bad and unhappiness, won't bring the dead back to life, nor prevent the body and mind from experiencing pain or unpleasantness, or else there won't be painful sorrow exists in the world due to losing someone whom we love very much. It won't make other beings to be free from negativity, anger and hatred, or stop being bad and unhappy.

The positive and optimistic people need to be positive and optimistic shows that they do perceive and recognize something as negative, bad and unhappiness, but they want to convince that everything that they are going to experience will be all positive, good and happy, and they don't want to experience something that they perceive and recognize as negative, bad and unhappiness. They are not free from the perception of duality, craving and aversion. Or else, they don't need to be positive and optimistic at all, if truly there is no negative, bad and unhappiness existing in their mind perception.

Impermanent changes are always there. 'Good' things are changing. 'Bad' things are changing. They change due to their respective cause and at their own pace. If somebody who claims to be having the 'super mind power' to influence and change something to be all good and nothing bad, then the world is already all good and nothing bad.

There are many 'good' people everywhere in the world always wishing or praying for the best and goodness in oneself and in others. It's very good, but it doesn't stop 'bad', 'miserable' and 'undesirable' things and happenings continue to be existing here and there. It doesn't make all kinds of suffering and painful sorrow to disappear from everyone's life. It doesn't remove ignorance and egoism in all beings. Or else, every beings in the world will be selfless, peaceful, wise and compassionate.

Practicing yoga or Buddhism is not about to be positive and optimistic, but to see the truth of things as they are (whether it is something pleasant or unpleasant, whether we like or dislike, agree or disagree with it), without attachment, craving or aversion, without identification with the impermanent body and mind to be who we are, without being affected or determined by all the impermanent qualities of name and form to be peaceful, happy, confident and to feel meaningful, or not.

Before we see the truth of things as they are, we need to stay positive and to counter negative thinking with positive thinking, so that we won't be 'drowned' by negative thinking. When we see the truth of things as they are, there is no need to be positive or to have positive thinking.

Be free from ignorance, egoism and all the modifications of the egoism is the ultimate freedom. It's not about denying or keep away from something that the mind perceives and recognizes as negative, bad and unhappiness, or changing something that we don't want into what we would like it to be.

Om shanti.

Truth?

Truth is always there as it is, whether we are aware of it or know about it or not, whether we like and agree with the truth or not, whether we believe in the truth or not. It never increase nor decrease, it never change.

The truth is not necessary something that we like or can agree with. Whether we like it or not, can agree with it or not, it is still the truth and won't change into something else.

The truth is not a belief. A belief will be influenced by time, space and causation. But the truth will never change, uninfluenced by time, space and causation. And hence it means nothing when we say "I believe in the Truth."

Even when we want to believe in something that we believe is the truth, this believing in "something" itself is what binds us. We are not free.

If we know the truth, we don't have to believe in it, but we will live in the truth even though the truth, or by knowing the truth won't give us what the ego desires, or what it wants. But by knowing the truth will free us from suffering or unhappiness that derived from ignorance and egoism.

The Truth doesn't need anyone to acknowledge it or believe in it, nor does the Truth need to justify itself. It is still the Truth as it is.

If we think we know something about "the truth" by knowing lots of knowledge or scientific facts about this and that, but then we are still influenced very much by ignorance and egoism, and be disturbed, affected, influenced and determined by impurities like anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, feelings of hurts, pride, arrogance, fear, worry, craving and aversion, then that "truth" is not really the truth that we are searching for through yoga and meditation practice to transcend suffering.

Liberation is not coming from anybody or teachers telling us about the truth, it's not coming from books talking about the truth, but it's coming from self-realization of the truth from within ourselves.

And hence, it's pointless to ask somebody "What is the truth?" But ask ourselves and find the answer from within.

One simple universal truth that everything is subject to impermanence and non-self (there is no "I" existing) that some people might hear or read from somebody and somewhere at some time, but it doesn't liberate us not until we realize it from our own realization.

Om shanti.

If we truly believe in God and love God, we will love all unconditionally...

If we truly believe in God existence, and God is almighty, then God doesn't need anyone to defend or protect God from any insults or damages, as there is nobody can insult God, or can cause any damages to God, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Unless God is like a human being, with an ego that is being defensive, and easily being offended, disturbed and getting angry towards the things that the ego doesn't like and doesn't agree with.

How can anyone insult God and cause damages to God, if God is almighty?

If there is no insults and damages can be done onto God as God is almighty, then there is nobody needs to be punished by God for 'generates' insult or damage, as there won't be one. Then who are we to judge and punish anyone in the name of God?

God doesn't need to be angry at anyone, nor hating anyone or being discriminating, if God is almighty and loves all unconditionally. Then why are we being so angry and hating some other beings, for we think God is being insulted or damaged by someone or something, while God is undisturbed, nor affected, nor hurt, nor contaminated by anyone or anything?

If we truly believe in God and love God, we will see God in everyone and everything. We will love all unconditionally. We won't be discriminating, nor being angry or hating anyone and anything.

If we think we believe in God wholeheartedly, and we love God very much, and out of intense love for God, we want to protect God from any insults or damages, we get angry with and hating some beings whom we think they are insulting God or are causing damages to God, and we want to punish these beings in the name of God, then very obvious that we don't really believe in God's almightiness, nor do we love God at all. As all these anger and hatred are coming from our own selfish egoism, and definitely it's not coming from God, who is almighty and all compassionate.

It we think God will be insulted and damaged by some actions or speech from some human beings, then we don't really believe in God's almightiness. If God will be easily insulted or damaged by someone or something, and has discrimination and loves with conditions, then why do we still want to rely or believe in this 'God' that can be easily insulted and damaged by someone or something?

Same as Dharma, or the Truth. It doesn't need anyone to defend, or protect it from any destruction or contamination, as Dharma, or the Truth can never be destroyed nor contaminated by anyone or anything, even if the world stops existing.

If we think Dharma can be easily destroyed or contaminated by someone or something, then why do we still want to rely or believe in this 'Dharma' that can be destroyed and contaminated easily?

Om shanti.

How the mind reacts based on what the mind believes what things are...

If we think we are good and righteous people that we can judge another person's behavior as right or wrong based on what our mind believes what things are, and we think and believe that 'bad' people should be punished as what they deserved, and seeing 'bad' people being punished by somebody else, or by ourselves, will make us feel so good or better, then this is not in accordance with the teachings of Yoga or Buddhism about non-violence, wisdom and compassion anymore. As it will make us not any different from those whom we think that they are ignorance, and cause suffering onto us, or other people out of ignorance.

The mind reacts based on what the mind believes what things are, but it is not necessarily the truth of what things really are.

The story below is to explain sometimes what we see, or perceive, and understand, and react in accordance to what our mind believes what things are, or how we should be reacting, is not necessarily the truth of what things really are. And no matter what, we shouldn't react with violence to fight against violence, no matter how much we 'disagree' or 'angry' with other people's violent behavior that we think and believe as 'wrong' and 'bad'. As that makes us not any different from those whom we think and judge as wrong and bad.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

A and B was fighting. B got knocked out in the fight.

C, who happened to know B, saw this, and 'understood' that A had hurt his friend, B.

C reacted by getting 'angry' with A, and wanted to get revenge for B, and attacked A physically. A was hurt by C.

H, a foreigner who didn't know A, B or C, came in trying to stop C from hurting A, as he thought C shouldn't hurt A, but it turned into a fight with C, as C thought that H was one of A's affiliates, since H was trying to 'help' and 'rescue' A.

By then, another passer-by, D, who didn't know what had happened, came and saw that A and B were injured on the ground, and it 'looked like' H was hurting C, and maybe A and B as well. D reacted out of righteousness, and wanted to stop H for his 'wrong' behavior, and attacked H physically.

E, F and G came along right after D. What they saw and 'understood' was that H seemed like the 'bad' person and was hurting so many people, while they believed that D was the righteous brave man who fought the 'bad' guy to stand up for the other 'victims'. They were cheering when they saw H was being punished and hurt by D, as they think H should be punished for his 'wrong' behavior, and they also joined in to beat up H as well.

Here was what had happened in the beginning before A and B started fighting each other.

B started to attack A physically out of an argument. A fought back out of self-protection, and unintentionally B was hurt physically. H happened to be there and witnessed what was happening.

Then C showed up when B was injured by A out of self-protection, not knowing what happened before that, and reacted immediately in anger to beat up A.

E, F and G were locals who have prejudice and discrimination towards foreigners like H. They think and believe that all these foreigners are 'bad' people who commit crimes in their country.

H, a foreigner who couldn't explain what had happened in the locals language, came forward trying to stop C from hurting A, whom H thought was the 'victim' of the whole scenario, and got into the fight with C, until D came along with E, F and G who were being righteous, thought that H was the 'bad' guy hurting so many people, and joined together to attack H.

The teaching in this story is -

Do not react out of anger or righteousness recklessly before knowing the whole truth, nor react out of the conditioned prejudice discrimination coming from our mind towards other people, as what our mind perceives, thinks and believes are not necessarily what things really are. We must be free from violent thinking, action and speech, in order to help other beings to be free from committing violence, as violence cannot resolved by violence, but will generate more violent reactions or consequences. How can we expect the world to be free from violence when ourselves react violently towards violence?

When our behavior is causing suffering onto other beings, it is because of ignorance. Nobody can remove ignorance from another being. We cannot change or control other beings to be free from ignorance. It has to come from each individual's own realization, and remove ignorance from oneself. We cannot change the world to be free from ignorance, but each being has to free oneself from ignorance, then the world will be changing naturally.

When we are free from ignorance, we are being compassionate towards all beings including ourselves. As we won't hurt ourselves anymore, and won't be hurting other beings out of ignorance.

Ourselves is free from being conditioned by ignorance, and other beings also will be free from being affected or disturbed by the ignorant behavior from us if we are conditioned by ignorance.

Om shanti.

Knowing the truth of things as it is and be truly happy...

By coming in contact with many things and knowing a lot of things through reading, seeing, hearing or experiencing cannot guarantee us liberation from restlessness and suffering, and to be in peace and happiness...

It is by knowing the truth of things as it is, that will free us from being conditioned by the qualities in names and forms, and free us from restlessness and unhappiness that derive from attachment towards the qualities in names and forms due to being ignorant about the truth of things as it is...

That's why it is not by studying and reading many books and philosophies, or by hearing many teachings, philosophies and stories from this person and that person, or by experiencing "good" and "bad" happenings in life, that will free us from restlessness and unhappiness...

We can be reading many books on philosophies and teachings coming from different enlightened beings or spiritual teachers, but we will still have doubts and ignorant about the truth of things because all those knowledge are not coming from our own realization...

We can be seeing and hearing about other people's experiences about this and that, but still we are not being liberated from fear and worry, pride and arrogance, anger and hatred, dissatisfaction and greed, craving and aversion, and etc...

We can be experiencing many "good" and "bad" things in our life and in our spiritual path in search for liberation, but still, we are not being free from the impurities and suffering that arise in the mind whenever the mind comes in contact with the objects of the senses. We are identifying with the doer of the actions and inactions, identifying with the enjoyer of the fruit or the result of the actions and inactions, and identifying with the one who is experiencing all the "good" and "bad" experiences...

Even though Buddha had told us about the Four Noble Truth about suffering, and we may have heard about it many times from books or from people who talk about it, but we are still being conditioned by attachments towards the qualities in names and forms, being over-powered and determined by the perception of "good" and "bad", "happiness" and "suffering", "positive" and "negative", "auspiciousness" and "inauspiciousness", "respectfulness" and "disrespectfulness", "appropriateness" and "inappropriateness", "praise" and "insult" and etc, that derive from the function of our conditional thinking mind, the ego, the intellect, the body and the senses...

We still have craving towards the qualities of names and forms that are being categorized or recognized as "good", "happiness" and "positive" and etc, and have aversion towards the qualities of names and forms that are being categorized or recognized as "bad", "suffering" and "negative" and etc...

Many people had heard about the teaching about non-dualism, namelessness and formlessness, but, how many people are actually be free from being conditioned and determined by all these qualities in names and forms, and still attached strongly to all the perceptions about good and bad, happiness and suffering, positive and negative, auspiciousness and inauspiciousness, respectfulness and disrespectfulness, praise and insult,and etc...

Many people talk about it, preach about it, teach about it, but, how many people are still caught up in attachment towards the perception of names and forms (sights, sounds, smells, taste, sensations and thoughts), the body, the mind, the ego and the intellect?

May we keep practice non-attachment... And if there is attachment, we practice letting go of attachment...

At the beginning, we might need to go through many unsuccessful attempts to not attach to names and forms, but there's no judgments, keep practice letting go, and non-attachment... Until one day, the practice will become effortless, when we start to develop insights about the truth of things as it is... Then there is no need any efforts at all to not attach to any names and forms and be free...

When we know the truth of things as it is, there is no anger, no frustration, no dissatisfaction, no disappointment and no unhappiness even though when we see, or hear, or experience something that is "bad" or "wrong", and when something that is "good" or "right" is not happening...

There is nothing wrong if we still be angry, frustrated, dissatisfied, disappointed and unhappy when we see, or hear, or experience all these "bad" and "wrong" happenings, and when we don't experience any "good" and "right" happenings... The one who is being angry, frustrated, dissatisfied, disappointed and unhappy is our selfish and arrogant ego that was being challenged, and it doesn't like or disagree with certain names and forms when the mind comes in contact with the objects of the senses...

But, know that by being angry, frustrated, dissatisfied, disappointed and unhappy cannot help to improve anything or to make things become better... It is meaningless and wasting energy...

When we still being disturbed and affected by the "good" and "bad" qualities in names and forms, it indicates that we are still attached towards our mind, our ego and our intellect... No matter how many years of yoga and meditation practice that we have did in the past, it didn't free us from restlessness and suffering... Because we are never in peace constantly being disturbed and affected by all the names and forms due to not knowing the truth of things as it is and have attached onto these names and forms...

May all beings be happy. Be truly happy... Real happiness is not something to be experience or to be found later in the next moment, or next day, or next week, or next year, or next life, or next birth, or after death, or after we did a good action, or when we are being judged as "good" people or "good" beings... But it's right now, in this very present moment... By knowing the Truth of things as it is, and not attach to any names and forms, and not being disturbed, nor affected, nor determined, nor conditioned by the impermanent qualities in names and forms...

When we are free from attachments, we will be undisturbed, unaffected, undetermined and unconditioned by the qualities of names and forms, and thus being free from restlessness and unhappiness that derive from attachments... And then, we can help ourselves and other beings to evolve towards higher consciousness, out of compassion, without any intentions, judgments, comparisons, expectations or attachments towards the fruit or the result of the actions... Just like the universe, allowing and accepting everyone and everything to be exist in the universe... The universe has no intention to be "good" or "bad", or judging this is "good" or "bad", or expecting this will be "good" or "bad"...

Real "yogi" or "Buddhist" or "yoga teacher" does not need to name or label themselves as "yogi" or "Buddhist" or "yoga teacher", and are not determined by how much "yoga practices" or "Buddhism practices" or "yoga classes" that they have been performing, are performing and will be performing... But, they are free from restlessness and suffering by knowing the truth of things as it is, in this present moment now...

There is no doer of the actions... There is no action being performed... There is no enjoyer of the fruit or the result of the action...

There is no yogi, no yoga practice, no fruit of yoga practice...

There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path of transcending suffering...

There is no yoga teacher, no teaching yoga, no yoga students, no fruit of teaching yoga...

Om shanti.

Yoga practice exists to transcend ignorance and suffering...

Yoga practice exists for beings who are in suffering and who wish to transcend suffering...

If somebody who is peaceful, who is free from suffering, then this being doesn't need to practice yoga... Because this being already knew the Truth about suffering, which is the end of yoga practice...

If our body is sick, then we need to consult a medical doctor and take some medicine to cure whatever sickness that we have and be free from sickness... If our body is not sick, we don't need to consult any doctor or take any medicine to cure anything...

We are not peaceful and not happy, that's why we are looking for peace and happiness... If we are already peaceful and happy, we don't need to look for peace and happiness...

Suffering derives from ignorance...

Ignorance is not knowing the Truth of things...

If we know the Truth of things, there is no ignorance, there is no suffering, there is no need of yoga practice...

If we are free from suffering and are in peace, we don't need to learn or practice yoga... We are already one with yoga, not separated from yoga...

If we are peaceful and happy, we don't need to do something or not doing something to have peace or to attain peace...

We will be peaceful and happy no matter what we do or don't do...

The looking, searching and craving for peace and happiness have come to an end...

Yoga practice is there to help us to remove ignorance, to transcend suffering... Without ignorance, there's no suffering... Without suffering, peace is there...

If we have been performing a lot of yoga and meditation practice, but as long as we are not completely be free from ignorance, we will still be conditioned by unhappiness and suffering because we have craving, clinging, aversion or attachment, that derive from not knowing the Truth of things - being ignorant of the Truth of things...

And the greatest ignorance is being ignorant of ignorance...

When the mind is full of impurities, and is agitated and not calm, then we need to practice yoga and meditation to help to purify the mind and to render it calm and still... If the mind is free from impurities and is calm and in peace, there is no need of any "actions" or "practice" to make the mind pure and calm... It is pure and calm...

When the body and the mind is full of tensions, we need to perform some "actions" or "practice" or "relaxation" to help to release tensions in the body and the mind... If there is no tensions in the body and the mind, there is no need of relaxation or practice or "actions" to release anything... We need relaxation because we are not relaxed... If we are relaxed, do we still need "relaxation" to be relaxed?

And beyond the impermanent forever changing states of the mind, beyond the conditional momentary peaceful calmness of the mind that derives from performing yoga practice, pranayama practice, concentration and meditation practice, is our true nature - unconditional and unlimited real peace that is always there, unchanging, untouched by all states of the mind... It is neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither happiness nor suffering...

The peaceful calmness feeling that comes from the mind after some yoga, pranayama, concentration and meditation practice is impermanent... It will be disturbed and will disappear...

If we are able to go beyond this peaceful state of mind and not attached or clinging onto it, just be aware of the mind being calm or not calm, we are free from being conditioned by any names and forms that the mind is experiencing from moment to moment through the body and the senses of what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and think... We are always peaceful... That is our true nature, unconditional peace... This peace doesn't exist nor stop existing... It is not a quality that arise, change and pass away... It is beyond birth and death, beyond existence and non-existence...

There is no craving for peacefulness or happiness... There is no aversion towards unpeacefulness or unhappiness... It is full, content and whole...

Om shanti...

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...

A little story about human's behavior...

In Malaysia, most people will take off their shoes and wash their feet before entering the house or the temple. This is to avoid dirts dirtying the house or the temples (as sacred and pure places). This is also to show respect to the people who live in the house. We are usually bare-footing inside our house. This has became an automatic behavior for most people.

But in most business centres, shops, schools or offices, we do keep the shoes on. There are many Malay's shops still keep this tradition of "No shoes in the shop". And we would and we should respect this traditional culture.

One day, I went to a photo shop in Pantai Cenang near our house to photocopy some documents.

It has been a very long time since the last time I went into this shop (more than a year ago).

I saw many pairs of shoes in front of the entrance of the photo shop and some people are inside the shop waiting to have their photos print out and to photocopy their documents.

Without any doubts I took off my shoes and stepped into the shop. Immediately my feet could feel the dirts on the floor. But I didn't bother about it. It's not surprised that there would be sand and dirts on the floor because here is a beach area. Sand would follow our feet and came into the shop.

I found a chair to sit down and wait for my turn. It was quite busy in the shop then.

Well, I could still barely remember that when the last time I was there, I didn't have to take off my shoes. Out of curiosity I started to look at the photo shop's owner's feet to see whether he had his shoes on or not. Well, he did had his shoes on.

But then I had another thought that maybe he was wearing a separate indoor shoes for working in the shop. And so, I went out and take a quick look at the door and the wall in front the shop to see whether he had a sign board stating like "Please take off your shoes" or "Please remove your shoes before entering" or "Barefoot inside" and etc...

I found no signs at all.

And so, I wore back my shoes and went in again, and sat down.

I continued to observe some more customers that came into the shop. No matter they were Chinese, or Malay, or even foreigner, they all took off their shoes automatically before entering. There were more shoes outside the door then.

This had shown that how many people would show respect to other people's culture, and also how many people are being very nice and obeying the rules in this Malaysian society. This is nothing wrong. But there's another thing here for us to reflect is, human beings are imitating creatures and easily being influenced by other people's behavior...

No body and no sign board was there to tell anyone to remove their shoes, but everyone would automatically removed their shoes just because they saw other people's shoes were outside the door. And we would think, "Okay, seems like no shoes are allowed inside, I need to remove the shoes before entering the shop then."

It all begun with the first person who took off the shoes (I guessed this person must have the habits to remove shoes before entering any buildings). And then the next person and all other people would automatically followed this same action to show respect to the culture. This is one of the patterns of the human's behavior or mind's reaction.

When it was my turn for photocopy my things, I took the chance to ask the shop owner whether it was a new rule now that shoes are not allowed in the shop? He smiled and shook his head saying that there is no need to take off the shoes to come into the shop. Because if it was a new rule, then I would apologized to him and leave my shoes outside the shop then.

Well, maybe I was the odd one there to reason should I do as all other people are doing (even though at the beginning I took off my shoes when I saw there were many shoes outside the door, to show respect to the shop owner for keeping his shop clean).

I guess, lots of people will think, "Well, since majority people are doing the same thing, then it must be something right and good for us then... And we should follow what most people are doing."

This is what happening in our society nowadays, isn't it? There are lots of violence, crimes, hatred and killings everywhere in the world now...

When one person points at a man and shouts out loud in a big crowd, "Hey! That man is a rapist and a murderer! He is evil!" Some people would start to react and spread the words from mouth to mouth, and everyone might start to believe that this man is really evil and get fired up (since everyone are also talking about it, it might be true then), and might be beating up this man to death even before reasoning about the truth...

Om shanti.