When the mind is lost and doesn't know what to think or do

In this present moment

Either standing, or sitting, or lying down, or being in any position that is comfortable

Closing the eyes gently

Staying still for a few moments

It's okay, if the body needs to move and change position

Focus on the space below the nostrils above the upper lip

Be aware of the breathing

Be aware of the air coming in and going out

The air coming in is slightly cold

The air coming out is slightly warm

The mind might wander away

It's okay

Gently bring the mind back onto the breath

No matter how many times the mind wanders away

Gently bring the mind back onto the breath

If the breath is slow, let it be slow

If the breath is fast, let it be fast

If the breath stops coming and going, let it be

Allowing the breath to be what it is

Allowing the mind to be what it is

No judgment

No expectation

It's okay, if the mind is lost in this present moment

It's okay, if the mind doesn't know what to think or do in this present moment

All and everything are impermanent

The breath is impermanent

The calmed or disturbed state of mind is impermanent

The comfortable and uncomfortable sensations are impermanent

The positive or negative thinking is impermanent

The pleasant or unpleasant feelings and emotions are impermanent

The good and bad experiences are impermanent

No clinging towards what is here, that is pleasant and agreeable

No aversion towards something that is here, that is unpleasant and disagreeable

No craving towards something that is not here

Even this, is impermanent.

Be free from fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity through understanding

Just like all the other kind of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity are selfless and impermanent.

All kinds of impurities or thought activities are not 'I', and they are impermanent.

All kinds of impurities or thought activities are just what they are. They are neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, and neither right nor wrong, especially if there is certain degrees of self-awareness, correct understanding, non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation in the thinking mind, where the mind is aware of all these impurities or thought activities (regardless of whether they are pleasant or unpleasant/desirable or undesirable) arising, changing, and passing away in the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, without attachment, identification, craving, aversion, comparison, judgment, or expectation towards all kinds of impurities or thought activities that are selfless and impermanent.

Such minds have self-control of not being over-powered by any kinds of impurities/feelings/emotions/ideas (thought activities) that ceaselessly coming and going in the mind, and not generating any actions/reactions/speech/expression under the influence of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind that are selfless and impermanent, that would hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment.

It is only when the mind is functioning under the veil of ignorance and egoism, where the mind doesn't know what is non-attachment, non-identification, non-craving, non-aversion, non-comparison, non-judgment, and non-expectation, and hence, the mind is being determined and over-powered by all kinds of impurities or thought activities, and would generate actions/reactions/speech/expression under the influence of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, that might hurt oneself and/or others and the surrounding environment.

Like all kinds of impurities/feelings/emotions/ideas (thought activities) in the mind, the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity in the modification of the mind is something normal and common in most minds. However, if without correct understanding, self-awareness, and self-control, the mind will be over-whelmed and over-powered by the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, that gives rise to all kinds of unnecessary unrest, violence, and cruelty in the world of diversity that doesn't belong to anyone, that is related to selfishness, pride, possessiveness, hoarding, greed, separateness, discrimination, anger, hatred, offensiveness, defensiveness, and so on.

Many minds would think and believe that by acquiring and possessing success and wealth will chase away fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, but it doesn't.

If without correct understanding, even the wealthiest and most successful or powerful people in the world are also being over-powered by fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, being the slaves of all kinds of impurities. Those that are free from fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, they are devoid of discontentment and greed, and they wouldn't be hoarding wealth that gives them the status of wealthiness, that they don't need at all, even if they are highly successful and capable of generating abundant wealth, but they would be using their generated wealth to benefit all the others. However, most minds in the world are not in having such understanding. That's why the world is being what it is, full of all kinds of unnecessary selfishness, discrimination, hatred, unrest, corruption, violence, and cruelty.

The minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism, that are being over-powered by all kinds of impurities or thought activities in the modification of the mind, would attack and hurt some others out of selfishness, pride, possessiveness, hoarding, greed, separateness, discrimination, anger, hatred, offensiveness, defensiveness, and so on, under the presence and influence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, even when others have no intention to hurt anyone or anything.

The minds that have correct understanding towards the selfless impermanent modification of the mind, they understand that fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity towards certain outcome or reality that might be unpleasant or undesirable don't and won't change the outcome or reality being what it is, but they are the unnecessary hindrance that would affect/impact/disturb/limit/oppress/reduce the performance of the body and mind while performing certain actions or activities, which definitely will hinder the body and mind to perform at its highest and possible ability, that would affect and determine the outcome/the result/the fruit of action/the reality.

Since fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity doesn't change the outcome/reality to be something else that it is not, or it doesn't help to make the outcome/reality to become better than what it is, but it would definitely affect/impact/limit the action in the present moment to be less efficient/productive than what it could be, that influences and determines the outcome/reality to be less efficient/desirable than what it could be, and hence, why still entertain and empower the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity, allowing fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity to affect and over-power oneself and one's performance? Under such understanding, the presence of fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity will become less and less, and eventually, it will vanish from the modification of the mind.

All types of yoga practice require attentiveness. Being attentive and careful while performing any actions, duties, and responsibilities will minimize or avoid many unnecessary energy wasting, mistakes, damages, or injuries. Fear, worry, and the sense of insecurity doesn't and cannot exist upon the mind is being fully attentive/focused/concentrated towards what is in now, in the present moment.

Fear and worry doesn't exist in the mind that knows and respects the truth of selflessness and impermanence, where there is no past or future, there is only now. One can do one's best in whatever one is doing, while allowing the fruit of action being what it is. There is no attachment or identification towards the action and the fruit of action. That is freedom.

Inquire the truth of everything, and be free.

The practice of being in the present

In this present moment, focusing on what is here now, or what is needed to be done now.

If the body and mind is at work, the mind focuses on what is here at work.

If the body and mind is at home, the mind focuses on what is here at home.

If the body and mind is having a meal, the mind focuses on having the meal.

If the body and mind is performing some yoga practice, the mind focuses on performing the yoga practice.

If the body and mind is having an interaction with another, the mind focuses on the interaction with another.

If the body and mind is driving a car, the mind focuses on the driving.

If the body and mind is here doing some reflections about something, then be attentive towards the reflections in this present moment, and not while doing something at work, or doing some housework, or having a meal, or performing some yoga practice, or interacting with someone, or driving, and so on.

The mind doesn't think, anticipate, fear and worry about something else at somewhere else, but being attentive to what is here now, or what is needed to be done now. If there are a few things that needed to be done, then focusing on one at a time, even if it is needed to be done as fast as possible. Paying full attention towards what we are doing, doesn't necessarily mean doing everything very slowly.

It's something in common among many minds that the mind doesn't focus on what is here now, or what is needed to be done now, and keeps wandering here and there and everywhere while doing something in the present moment, that give rise to many unnecessary disturbance, anticipation, imagination, fear and worry, and even mistakes, injuries or accidents that could have been avoided.

By having disturbance, fear and worry in the mind towards something or anything regardless of it's here or somewhere else, regardless of it is something that had happened, or is happening, or not yet happening, it doesn't change the things being what they are.

If there are certain necessary actions that needed to be done in this present moment to be dealing with something or anything that is here or somewhere else, then just focus on whatever that are needed to be done in now, without anticipation, imagination, fear and worry.

Actions that are being done under a disturbed state of mind being distracted by fear and worry wouldn't be as efficient as being done with full attention without fear and worry.

There's no fear and worry, if the mind knows how to be in the present, and hence, the actions that are being done with full attention in this moment void of fear and worry will be more efficient.

That's why the practice.

Inquire the truth of everything.

Frustration and disappointment due to lockdown?

During this global epidemic situation in the world, other than anxiety of fear and worry towards contracting illness and confronting death as well as uncertainty towards the aftermath if one survives this epidemic, many people are getting frustrated and disappointed due to the unpleasant/undesirable social/physical distancing or movement restriction undergoing the upmost important process of lockdown for a prolonged period of time to help to contain the epidemic efficiently. Some worry about their family and friends, some worry about their future, some worry about the economy going down and many other things.

There's neither right nor wrong. It's just how different minds think, feel, act and react or behave differently. Everyone has the freedom for how they think, feel, act and react.

The worldly egoistic minds are getting frustrated and disappointed is due to they are unable to be as free as they used to be, to go wherever they want to go, to do whatever they want to do, to eat and play at anytime and anywhere as they like, or to enjoy what they want to enjoy. And they have the rights to feel frustrated and disappointed as much as they like. Some even get angry/furious for certain 'reason' that they think and believe as the cause of this epidemic, blaming this and that for causing them many inconvenience, loss and suffering.

This modification (behavior/reaction) of the mind is merely the reflection of the untrained/undisciplined minds that are functioning under the influence of ignorance and egoism where the minds are being over-powered by egoistic attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion and expectation. It's normal that the untrained egoistic minds don't like discipline/restriction or be disciplined/restricted.

The frustration and disappointment that exists in many people is due to their 'normal' habitual routine of constantly gratifying the gross and subtle physical/mental/emotional desire of craving and aversion, whether consciously or subconsciously, is being disrupted mildly or heavily, but also more angry particularly when they think and believe that 'the disruption' is caused by other people and happening that has nothing to do with them. The mind (the ego) doesn't like it and doesn't want this. And that's their freedom of thinking, feeling, action and reaction.

There's no frustration and disappointment, or anxiety of fear and worry towards contracting illness and confronting death, or uncertainty towards the aftermath if one survives this epidemic in the minds that have been well-disciplined, being free from egoism and ignorance, being free from attachment, identification, desire of craving and aversion and expectation, being in the present moment, being aware of the mind perception of a worldly life existence of impermanent and selfless names and forms powered by cause and effect.

One just do one's best to observe this process of lockdown to help to contain this global epidemic, without attachment, identification or expectation, regardless of if there are some others who don't understand the importance of this process and behaving in the way that they behave, while some others are merely being rebellious disrespecting the process of lockdown or quarantine, and some others might think and believe that they are being 'caring and loving' insisting to go visiting their family and friends, especially those who are elderly and lives alone, whether intentionally or unintentionally, under the influence of ignorance and egoism.

Fear and worry?

Usually when we have fear and worry, it is because we are imagining or anticipating about something that we don't like and don't want that may or may not happen on us, or onto the people and things that we strongly attached to.

We generate so much unnecessary tension in ourselves and onto other beings who come in contact with us, when we are over-powered by intense fear and worry.

Fear and worry consumes and drains lots of energy from us, physically and mentally, resulting in physical and mental illness.

By having fear and worry, won't help at all, in the 'attempt' of trying to prevent the things that we don't want to experience to be happening, if they are meant to be happening. It will still be happening, no matter how much we don't want it to happen. By paying too much attention and focus onto things that we don't want to experience, it distracts or hinders us from doing and achieving what we actually can do and achieve.

If it's just some imaginations and anticipations about something that won't be happening, but then we are over-powered by fear and worry in the present moment now, being 'disturbed' by something that won't be happening at all. It is so meaningless and wasting energy.

And hence, why do we 'hold on' to fear and worry, wouldn't let them go?

Most of the time, fear and worry exists or manifests in the mind, when the mind wanders to the past memories thinking about certain unpleasant experiences which don't exist in the present moment, or when the mind wanders to the future imaginations and anticipations which also don't exist at all in the present moment now.

If we are living in fear and worry all the time in the present moment, being affected, disturbed, influenced and determined by our past memories, future imaginations and anticipations, we cannot pay attention or concentrate in our relationships with other people, we couldn't be efficient in what we are doing in the present moment, we can't enjoy our life in the present moment, as the mind is being over-powered by fear and worry, occupied by fearful imaginations and anticipations.

We have fear and worry is because we are ignorant towards the truth of things. Out of ignorance, we generate attachment towards our body and mind, towards the impermanent conditions and qualities of names and forms, towards all the objects that we come in contact with, and towards all the relationships with other beings. We have craving and clinging towards the things and relationships that we like, and afraid of losing them. We have aversion towards the things and relationships that we don't like, and afraid of coming in contact with them. We generate 'protection shields' over our body and mind, and the things and conditions that we like. We have fear towards what our mind believes as 'bad', 'negative', 'painful' and 'suffering'. We have fear of losing what our mind believes as 'good', 'positive', 'pleasurable' and 'happiness'.

If we are over-powered by fear, we cannot be truly compassionate, even if we want to be compassionate. As we will generate actions and reactions that might cause harmful effects onto ourselves and other beings out of fear. If we have fear towards certain people, insects and animals, we will attack and hurt these people, insects and animals first, even when they don't have intention to hurt us at all.

Be kind and compassionate towards ourselves and other beings by letting go of fear and worry. Relax, and allow things to be what they are. Accept the reality as it is, not necessary the way that we like it to be, or how we want it to be.

There is no fear towards losing the 'good' conditions, or towards experiencing the 'bad' conditions, when we realize the truth of impermanence and selflessness. There is no fear towards separation from our loved ones, losing the things that we like, or old age, illness, weakness, injuries, immobility, and death. This will allow us to be truly appreciate and be grateful for the good conditions that we have, and make good use of the good conditions to be performing actions that will be benefiting ourselves and other beings, but without attachment, fear and worry. When the good conditions change, or disappear due to impermanence, we are able to let them go in peace.

Nobody can remove fear and worry in us. Only ourselves can free ourselves from fear and worry by willingly to let it go, through the realization of the truth.

Free ourselves from unwittingly hurting ourselves out of fear and worry in the mind, and free other beings from being affected and hurt by the fear and worry in us, either intentionally or unintentionally.

A message to a yoga student...

"I'm enjoying every paragraphs you have written, all of them are really nice and meaningful. How I hope I could let the universe to decide where should I be staying too.. I wanted to stay in Australia but then I am worried of both my parents.. So undecided... Everything is like left hanging in the air"

This was a message from one of my yoga student... And this is what I replied to her.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hi there,

It is very normal that we will be apart from our family and friends at some stage in our life.

When we love and care for someone, we don't have to be together in the same place or be together all the time, but appreciate each other when we are being together, and continue to care for each other when we are apart, but without worrying...

Worry doesn't bring any positive changes to anything, but will make us loose the concentration on where we are and what we are doing at the present moment. It doesn't benefit us and the other person whom we worry about.

When you start to accept that in this present moment now, you are being there and your parents are being here, physically you are apart from each other, but actually there is no separation at all between you and your parents. Space and time cannot separate you and the people that you love. Space or distance doesn't exist when you accept yourself being where you are and not thinking about why you are not being at some other places now?

Imagine that if you are here living in the same house with your parents, do you always be with your parents every moment all the time? No... You need to get out of the house and be in the office, or meet up with your friends, or go for a movie or shopping... Or your parents want to have their own space to do their own things. But will you start to worry about your parents when you are not with them during those time that you are not being together?

Most of the time for people who live in the same house, they don't really see each other very often... In fact they'll start to feel that they need a distance from the people who live together in the same house, or have some privacy without some other people around them.

Whether it is being close together touching each other, or being 1 foot away, or 1 Km away, or 100 Km away, or 10000 Km away from each other, it makes no difference when you truly love and care for somebody, but without want to possess the physical togetherness or want them to stay close to us all the time.

If your parents are going to be fine, why should you worry for them?

And if your parents are not going to be fine, then by worrying is not going to help anything. If you really want to see your parents, anytime you can just come home, let go of your job for a few days, for a few months, or a few years, if your parents are so important to you... Even if you are going to loose your job for seeing your parents, why not? If your parents are really that important to you... It is just an excuse if we think that we cannot see our parents because of "something" that stops us from doing that...

If you think that because of your job, you cannot come home to see your parents, it means that your parents are not as important as what you think they are to you. Your job is more important then.

Even if you come back to where your parents are, it is not necessary that you will be living in the same house or at the same neighbourhood. Should you be still worry for your parents then, just because you are not living together?

And if you are living together with your parents in the same house, are you going to stop worrying for them? Do you still worry for your parents if you going to leave them and do your own thing for a few hours, or for a few days, or for a few months?

And so, worrying is not about how far you are apart from each other, and it is not about how long you will be apart from each other. It is not about whether you are living together or not, or living in the same country or not?

It is not that being closer, it will be less worry. And being further apart, it will be more worry... It is not that you'll be apart for a short time, the worry is less, and if you'll be apart for a long time, the worry is more...

If somebody we love had passed away, we will miss them but we won't worry for them... If you will worry for somebody who had already passed away, then you will be worry for everything no matter where you are...

And so, why worry? Even if the people whom we love are still alive but are not well, being worry won't make them better... Worrying is meaningless... Wasting our energy and time but doesn't benefit anything.

It is about whether you want to worry (go ahead and start worrying, it's your freedom to worry) or let go of worrying (stop worrying, it's in your control to let go of worrying)...

Be happy wherever you are, you still can care for somebody who is very far apart from you physically but you are never separated from them in your heart...

Love connect you and the people you love. You are always "together" with the people you love... And you don't have to be with them to stay close together physically and seeing them all the time.

And if you really want to be with your parents, want to spend time with them while they are still healthy and alive, then you can just come back and be with them for as much as you want. It is all up to you.

Most of the time, we are just giving a lot of excuses to ourselves about we cannot do this or cannot do that because of "this" or "that"... And making ourselves feeling confuse about what we really want.

The best gift that we can give to our parents to show love and gratitude to them is by taking good care of ourselves and be peaceful and happy... So that our parents don't need to worry for us at all. And so, why do we want to worry our parents by worrying for them?

But if one day, our parents need us to be there for them, then there shall be no excuse at all that why we are not being there for them... Unless we had tried our best to be there but it didn't happen, then we have to forgive ourselves and let go...

Wish you all the best.

Om shanti.

Meng Foong