Approaching a teacher asking to be accepted as student of yoga

Traditionally, when someone is interested in finding a teacher to learn, study and practice yoga and meditation under the guidance of this person (the teacher), one needs to approach the teacher humbly asking to be accepted as a student of yoga under this teacher, serving the teacher without asking/expecting "What am I getting from learning yoga under you?" or "What can you (the teacher) give me in return for offering fees/donations to you to be learning and practicing yoga from you and serving you?"

The teacher will then observe and test this person to see whether this person is fit to be a student of yoga. Once the person is accepted to be a student of yoga, this person will live closely to the teacher for many years, where in the first few years are merely doing some random 'work/service' in daily life, such like housekeeping/cooking/gardening/cleaning/washing serving the teacher (very important/efficient initial purification to eliminate worldly habits of egoism and impurities) before being initiated into the practice. There's high degree of segregation/non-physical contact among the teacher and the student. It's not like nowadays, most people are looking forward to be touching and hugging as the way to show friendliness, love and care.

The teacher doesn't advertise/boast about "I am a certified/qualified/experienced/internationally recognized/affiliated yoga teacher" and "What kind of benefits/certification/qualification/result/achievement you will get if you attend my classes/courses learning yoga from me." but instead, "It's a hard-work. There will be lots of unpleasantness/pain and hardships/obstacles that you need to deal with by yourself. You have to walk the path alone by yourself. You need to be determined, persevered and vigilant to discipline your own mind until you attain self-realization." And the students of yoga will be determined to finish their learning under the teacher no matter how much difficulties and obstacles arise during the physical/mental/emotional purification process, while developing discipline and independence in their own practice, as one day, they will have to leave the teacher, or the teacher will leave.

It's not about to be 'qualified' as 'yoga teachers/masters', be 'affiliated' with 'yoga alliance' to be 'conducting yoga classes' to teach 'yoga classes' or 'conducting yoga courses' to be 'training yoga teachers to teach yoga or conduct yoga classes/yoga courses to other people'. As a 'yogi' who knows yoga doesn't need to be 'trained' to be 'qualified' to be 'certified yoga teacher' and 'affiliated with' such and such 'yoga organization/alliance' to be 'recognized/authorized' to teach yoga to anyone. It's neither about 'correct/proper physical alignments', 'teaching techniques', 'effects/benefits of the yoga practice', 'healing', 'connecting', 'sharing', 'hugging' and 'touching'.

Nowadays, this tradition is no longer be seen/practiced/appreciated. One of the reason would be the existence of 'sincere teacher of yoga' and 'sincere student of yoga' is very rare now.

In this modern commercialized world of 'higher education and higher quality of life with worldly social values and practice', the 'yoga teachers' have to 'advertise' or 'boast' about their 'certification/qualification/recognition/affiliation/experiences/achievements' and 'to be presenting' something 'unique, enjoyable, innovative and attractive' to attract people to be interested to come to attend the 'yoga classes' or 'yoga courses' conducted by them, while gratifying the people's desire of craving and aversion, by giving them what they want/like and don't give them what they don't want/like, to make them feel treasured, appreciated, valued, pampered, satisfied and empowered. Both the teacher and the students also want to develop and maintain an inter-dependent 'connection/relationship' where the students ceaselessly need to receive attention, love, care, support, acknowledgement, advice or feedback from the teacher, while the teacher wants to 'be close' to the students, 'be there' for the students, 'be connecting' with the students, or 'be loved/needed/glorified/supported/respected' by the students.

Because most egoistic impure minds are being conditioned deeply by the worldly thinking behavior pattern, almost all of the 'yoga enthusiasts' or the 'prospect/potential students/clients' of the 'yoga school/yoga studio/yoga centre' will have some kind of 'request' or 'expectation' towards the 'yoga school', 'yoga studio', 'yoga center', 'yoga classes', 'yoga courses' or 'yoga teachers' to meet up their 'requests' and 'expectation' in terms of the 'quality' of the 'professional profile/image', 'qualification', 'certification', 'recognition', 'affiliation', 'organization', 'experience', 'achievement', or 'result orientation', and above all, "How much and what do I get from paying this amount of 'fees'/'donation' to the 'yoga school'/'yoga studio'/'yoga centre'/'yoga teacher' for attending the 'yoga classes'/'yoga courses'."

Many of the untrained worldly egoistic impure minds will have doubt/insecurity towards their own 'determination' being determined by whether they will like/enjoy 'the teacher's over-all presentation/image/charm/professionalism/credibility/teaching style' or 'the classes' or 'the practice', or not, where they are unsure/unwilling to pay fees in advance which might be 'non-refundable' if they want to 'give up' when they experience discomfort or difficulty, or when they 'don't like/enjoy' the 'teacher/classes/practice', while the truth of the purification process deriving from performing 'serious/intense/persevered yoga and meditation practice to eliminate ignorance/egoism/impurities/restlessness' is inevitably 'unpleasant' and 'painful' physically/mentally/emotionally for all egoistic impure minds. Even before the students come to the 'yoga school/yoga studio/yoga centre' to begin learning and practicing yoga under the teacher, the test/obstacle derived from the purification process already started. All kinds of obstacles manifest in the form of physical/mental/emotional discomfort and doubt.

Unfortunately, there are quite many stories of 'impure yoga teachers' existing in the world 'taking advantage' of the attention/love seeking 'yoga students', where people looking forward to be 'touched', creating many forms of 'corruption', and then there are 'impure yoga students' who didn't get what they like and want from the teachers and they criticized and bitched about the teachers with the intention to hurt/damage the teacher's reputation, that makes it even harder and more challenging for 'yoga enthusiasts' to 'surrender' all doubts/insecurity, to be opened to approach a teacher to ask to be accepted as 'student of yoga' and to 'serve' the teacher without attachment, identification and expectation, to be effectively purifying and eliminating egoism and impurities, to free the mind from restlessness and the veil of ignorance.

There's neither right nor wrong, neither good nor bad. It's just how things are in this world.

Anyway, 'sincere teachers of yoga' and 'sincere students of yoga' will meet each other in due time and due cause. There's no 'attachment', 'identification' or 'expectation' towards each other. The students/practitioners 'serve' the teacher humbly for years, surrendering the ego and worldly passionate desire/ambition/thinking/belief/social behavior pattern, and developing self-discipline. After learning/receiving the teachings from the teachers, the students retreat into seclusion and solitude, working diligently and independently towards purifying and silencing the modification of the mind, to perform self-inquiry upon the truth of everything, to attain self-realization and total annihilation of the mind or the mind perception of an impermanent and selfless worldly life existence of countless 'births' and 'deaths' of names and forms (thoughts/feelings/emotions/relationships) arising and passing away, of ignorance, egoism, impurities, restlessness and suffering.

 "You are left alone now." - Swami Sivananda

The great impact of what the yoga teachers deliver to the people in the yoga classes

What the yoga teachers deliver to the people in the 'yoga asana exercise classes' generate a great impact on how the people understand about yoga, especially when they teach yoga asana exercise class as merely a fitness exercise class to attain some benefits for health and fitness to look good and feel good, in oppose to teaching yoga asana practice as one of the many yoga practice to discipline the ignorant, egoistic, impure, passionate and restless mind, to prepare the mind for meditation to attain self-realization.

There is a difference between "Yoga is just a physical exercise" and "Yoga asana practice is a physical exercise".

There's nothing wrong with "Yoga asana practice is a physical exercise" because yoga asana practice is a form of physical exercise/postures, but it is beyond just a form of physical exercise for attaining health and fitness benefits, because it is one of the tools in yoga to serve the purpose of influencing the state of the mind, to render it calm and quiet, to prepare the mind for meditation upon the truth of names and forms.

Meanwhile, Yoga is not a physical exercise at all. It's a profound knowledge and practice or wisdom for all beings who seek ultimate liberation from suffering, to transcend all kinds of suffering from its root cause - Ignorance and egoism.

There are 'yoga teachers' and 'yoga medias' deliver the message about "Yoga is just a physical exercise". It's ignorance feeding deeper ignorance. They are responsible for why many people think that they are 'practicing yoga' and that they love 'yoga' so much because they have been attending 'yoga asana exercise class' regularly for many years with the understanding that "yoga is just a physical exercise" because that is what the 'yoga teachers' and 'yoga medias' have been delivering to them. And when they come in contact with the teachings and the traditional practice of yoga, especially the parts that their minds dislike and disagree with, they generate aversion, dissatisfaction and disappointment, and complain that "This is not yoga (that they think what it supposed to be)".

When these people who think they love 'yoga' (actually what they love is the 'yoga asana exercise' and the effects and benefits of the yoga asana exercise) have the chance to experience the traditional yoga practice that integrate the entire teachings of yoga of the elimination of ignorance and egoism into the yoga classes (where yoga asana practice is just a small part of the yoga practice), these people will be in great shock. Some of them might open up their mind to relearn what yoga is about, but many of them generate great aversion towards what yoga really is, and think, "This is not yoga!" or "This is not the yoga that I know that I want!". Not just that they don't like yoga as it is, which actually is quite an unpleasant purification process/experience/journey for many egoistic impure minds conditioned by worldly cultural, religious, social and personal thinking and belief, they also condemn yoga (not the 'yoga' that they think it should be), the yoga practice of eliminating ignorance and egoism, and the people who teach yoga (those who deliver yoga as it is).

Especially in the traditional ashrams or yoga retreats centres that provide the facilities to conduct yoga courses and retreats for people who want to learn and practice yoga following the tradition of yoga in an environment that allow the people to immerse into the traditional yoga practice to eliminate ignorance and egoism, it is not about 'commercialized yoga retreats centres' doing 'yoga business' where the 'customers' paying 'money' to receive some 'customer service', 'special treatments' and 'pleasurable enjoyments'. But, it is about the peace seekers contribute some 'fees' to make use of the facilities and programs provided by the ashrams and retreats centres to immerse into the yoga practice where it's about letting go of pleasurable enjoyments of receiving special treatments and customer service, but to give their 'service' to serve themselves and other people by observing/purifying/disciplining their own minds as well as to help to maintain the entire place to support Dharma and other people who come to the ashrams or the retreats centres to learn and practice yoga.

During the course or retreat, one practice yoga of changing the egoistic habits of the mind. If there is attachment and identification, let them go. If there is craving or aversion, let them go. If there is pride and arrogance, let them go. If there is defensiveness and offensiveness, let them go. If there is dissatisfaction and disappointment, let them go. If there is anger and hatred, let them go. If there is intolerance and frustration, let them go. If there is fear and worry, let them go. If there is petty-mindedness and covertness, let them go. And so on.

In a simple term, peace seekers come to the ashrams or retreats centres and 'pay' to learn and practice "How to take care of oneself or one's mind". They learn to develop self-awareness, self-discipline and self-independence to perform their yoga practice, maintaining the tidiness and cleanliness of their own living space and practice space, mind their own practice/minds, and most important is to observe silence and solitude to reduce inputs and outputs of the mind, to silent the restless outgoing mind.

There is also a huge difference between the message of "Yoga asana practice is a physical exercise for health and fitness" and "Yoga asana practice is one of the many yoga practice to discipline the impure restless mind to prepare the mind for meditation to be free from ignorance and egoism to realize the truth of names and forms, to transcend suffering and realize unconditional love and peace, or selflessness and compassion, as the greatest meanings of life and greatest form of contribution to the world to serve humanity".

It's everyone's freedom for what they want and don't want, and whether they want to practice yoga as it is, or not. Yoga teachers should teach/deliver yoga as it is, and allowing everyone to decide what they want or don't want to practice. It's okay if people don't want to practice yoga but only want to do some exercise for health and fitness benefits, but with the correct understanding about what is yoga.

Be free.

The mind only knows what it knows, and what it doesn't know, it doesn't know...

What is precious for the dispassionate is being perceived as worthless for the worldly minded, and what is meaningless for the dispassionate is being perceived as meaningful for the worldly minded.

Noble yoga practice such like renouncing the world being dispassionate and disinterest towards worldly matters, activities and social interactions, and the observation of noble silence, seclusion and solitude restricting the mind's inputs and outputs quieting the restless mind, to divert the entire energy and attention onto the sublimation of the mind, is being recognized or seen as 'abnormal', 'wrong', 'not good', 'uncivilized', 'outdated', 'rude', 'selfish', 'unfriendly', 'uncaring', 'inhuman', 'crazy', 'unhappy', 'suffering', and so on, by the worldly minded and so called 'civilized' society especially family, friends and relatives, including some of those who think they like yoga and are practicing yoga.

Everyone has the freedom of thinking, belief, opinion, expression, action, speech and way of life. What is 'abnormal' to the society, is very much based on something that is unfamiliar and unenjoyable for the majority, or something that is being different from the majority. Such like most people live a 'normal' life of mingling, mixing and socializing with other human beings building relationships, networks, connections, engaging in social interactions and activities. That is what they think is the progressive way of life to build a progressive world and society.

Meanwhile, there are some people who prefer to live a quiet life without mixing into the society. They have no intention to be different from anyone else, neither do they object or criticize other people's way of life that are different from them. They are happy as they are and they don't have to be doing something 'fun' or 'enjoyable' to make them feel happy or enjoying life. But those who attached strongly onto their particular thinking and belief and the way of life that they think is 'normal' and 'good', they might not know how to respect other human beings who are different from them, who live a way of life that is different from the majority. They expect every human beings should also follow the way of life that they think is 'normal' and 'good'. If others are not interested in the way of life that they live, they will criticize these people who live a different way of life as 'abnormal', 'not good' or 'wrong'.

They think that those who renounce the world, who stay away from the society to observe silence, seclusion and solitude, and being dispassionate and disinterest in worldly matters and social interactions and activities must be 'mad', 'mentally sick', 'unhappy', 'miserable', 'lonely' and 'suffering' people, because themselves don't enjoy or don't like being in silence, seclusion and solitude, or being by oneself without social mingling and interaction with some other human beings. They are like fish out of water. They will feel so uncomfortable, unhappy, miserable, lonely and suffer if they have to be away from mingling, socializing and interacting with some other human beings for a period of time. And so, this makes them think that those who observe silence, seclusion and solitude must be 'crazy', 'mentally sick', 'unhappy', 'miserable', 'lonely' and 'suffering'.

The worldly minded expect all human beings should conform to their worldly thinking and beliefs about all human beings should act and react or behave according to what they believe as socially acceptable behavior and proper way of life.

Such like, they think and believe that people should live life passionately towards worldly social life and activities which they believe that is what a meaningful and happy life is about, or else, life must be meaningless, dull and unhappy for those who are dispassionate and disinterest towards worldly objects of names and forms. They think that people should be doing something that they believe as 'fun' and 'enjoyable' or achieving something that they think and believe as something 'good and meaningful' to be happy and meaningful, that will make them and other people to feel proud of themselves. This is nothing wrong and it's their freedom of thinking and belief and what they want to do with their life.

"It's abnormal to not mix into the society and not having 'friends' to socialize with or not being passionate towards anything. You must be so miserable and lonely." People said.

"It's crazy to not interact or do things with other human beings. It's so ridiculous to not do something 'fun' and 'enjoyable' that will make you happy. You must be so unhappy and suffering." And they said.

"It's rude to not talking to another human being. This is so wrong, uncivilized, unfriendly and selfish behavior." So they said.

These are so called 'normal' thinking and belief of the worldly minded. They label those who don't think like them or don't believe in what they believe, who don't live life or do things like them, who don't act and react or behave like them, as 'abnormal', 'crazy', or 'uncivilized' people.

Different minds find their own paths to transcend the modification of the mind. Different minds eliminate egoism and ignorance through different paths. Some yearn for ultimate liberation, while many don't. And it's okay.

There's nothing to be argued about.

The mind only knows what it knows, and what it doesn't know, it doesn't know. And it's okay.

Those who see the preciousness of renouncing worldly ideas, passionate desires, social interactions and activities, and turning the mind inward and enjoying the silence, have nothing to be argued about with those who don't see what they see. They respect everyone to be what they are and have the freedom of thinking, belief, expression, opinion, judgment, behavior and way of life.

If majority people observe silence and take care of their own minds, and be free from egoism and ignorance, being free from desires, lust, greed, jealousy, resentment and fear, the world will be more peaceful having less human's discrimination, prejudice, clashes, conflicts, arguments, crimes, hatred and violence, that are due to impure minds under the influence of ignorance and egoism. And this has nothing to do with 'God' or 'religions' or 'spirituality'.

Om shanti.

"Let the world have its own ways. Mind your own affairs. Clean your mental factory. That man who does not interfere with others is the most peaceful man in the world." - Swami Sivananda

How to identify the ego and how to eliminate the ego...

To encourage and motivate others to do better and achieve higher goal in whatever fields, is indeed very kind and uplifting. It is a 'positive' action to encourage others to be positive, to do better and to be better. There's nothing wrong with looking forward to a better personality and higher achievement. It is much reasonable and better than being 'negative' to discourage others to do better and to be better.

Yet, the one who needs to be better, and who needs 'positive' encouragements and motivations to do better, to be better, is the ego. By being 'positive' to give encouragements and motivations to others to do better and to be better is actually empowering the egoism in others.

It seems like the spiritual teachers in the traditional lineage are very hard and cold, as they seldom project expressions like 'thank you', or 'very good', or 'I'll give you something nice after you do this', 'well done', and etc... We criticize the teachers or people who seldom or never express 'positive' encouragement, or motivating actions and speech, praise and compliments to the students after they did 'well' and 'achieved something'. But, these are the great teachers who are actually helping the students to be aware of their ego, to identify the ego, and to be able to eliminate the ego effectively.

For example, in many family cultural bringing up, and in any educational or motivational courses, we believe that it is very wrong and impolite if we do not express 'thankfulness', and to give praise and compliments to others to encourage others to do better and to be better. From young, we were being motivated by 'positive' encouragement, praise, compliment, gratitude, appreciation and 'rewards' from our parents and teachers for us to be doing something good for ourselves. Or else, without any appreciation, acknowledgement, accreditation and promised 'rewards', we would be lack of motivation to do it. For example, the parents like to say "We will give you what you want if you are good," or "We will buy you what you want if you get all 'A' for your exam," or " We won't give you what you want if you don't do or behave as we told."

We will criticize and be disappointed with certain teachers for not saying 'Very good!', or 'You did very well!', or 'Well done!', or 'I'm so proud of you!', or 'You should be proud of yourself!', when we think we did something right and good, as we (the ego) need affirmation from somebody to acknowledge us that 'Yes! I did something right and good' to feel good and to boost up our confidence, and to motivate us to do better and to be better. When we (the ego) don't receive any 'positive' encouraging words, or praise and compliments that we expect to be receiving, we (the ego) will feel disappointed and lack of motivation to do better or to be better. There's endless craving towards receiving acknowledgement, appreciation, attention, love and support from some others.

In traditional yoga practice, we learn to let go of the ego, and no longer need any 'positive' encouragements, praise and compliment, or rewards to motivate us to do better or to be better. Neither will we be demotivated by non-acknowledgement, ungratefulness, inappreciation, 'negative' discouragement, criticism and condemn to be performing all our actions, duties and responsibilities. We do not need to hear 'Thank you!', 'Very good!' or 'Well done!' to affirm us, to feel good and confident about ourselves, nor do we need all these 'positive' encouragement to motivate us to be good or to be better.

Some people complain that the teacher was not good or the class was not good after attending certain yoga classes where the teacher didn't give any 'positive' feedback, encouragements, praise and compliments to anyone on whether the students did well or not. Or, after we did something nice for others, we didn't hear anyone say 'Thank you!', or 'Very good!', or 'Well done!' to us.

Yes, 'dispassionate' yoga classes like that are quite boring and lack of motivations for the worldly passionate egoistic minds. But, yoga practice is indeed transforming the passionate egoistic mind to be dispassionate and be free from the ego and egoism.

What we don't know is that, these are the great yoga classes and great teachers teaching what yoga practice is about - To eliminate the ego. Stop feeding the ego. Stop empowering the ego. Stop giving what the ego wants and likes. Stop gratifying the desire of craving and aversion of the ego. It is starving the ego to its elimination.

Those who have transcended egoism, they don't need anyone to show gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation or acknowledgment for their selfless actions. Neither will they be disturbed or get upset if there's nobody showing gratitude, thankfulness, appreciation or acknowledgment for their actions being performed. They also are not being disturbed or determined by any non-acknowledgement, inappreciation, ungratefulness, and negative criticism or condemn.

We show gratefulness and thankfulness for everything that the universe provides us out of our own free will. But the selfless/egoless universe isn't looking for any gratitude, appreciation, acknowledgment, praise and compliments for all its selfless actions being performed ceaselessly and intentionlessly supporting everyone and everything to be existing.

The elimination of the ego reflects the state of non-duality, going beyond what our worldly mind perception and belief about good and bad, positive and negative, success and failure, praise and condemn, gain and loss, happiness and suffering, meaningfulness and meaninglessness, and this will free us from the egoistic desires of craving and aversion, which is the source of restlessness, unhappiness or suffering.

None and nothing can 'hurt' or 'insult' the mind that has transcended egoism and renounced the fruit of actions, who has realized non-duality, selflessness, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness.

Om shanti.