Receiving compassionate love and actions from compassionate beings is not necessarily something that we would like it to be...

Receiving compassionate love and actions from compassionate beings is not necessarily something that we would like it to be, or the way that we expect it to be...

Some people might think that being compassionate and performing compassionate actions mean showing sympathy towards other beings' suffering and unhappiness, or to show loving kindness to suffering and unhappy beings is by giving them whatever they like and want, to make them feel happy by satisfying their desires of wants and don't wants.

But being compassionate towards other beings' suffering is not about giving them what they like and want to satisfy their desires of likes and dislikes, wants and don't wants, to give them momentary satisfaction and happy feelings, but it's about provide them with what they truly need, which is the gift of Dharma or wisdom, that will free them from the root cause of suffering or unhappiness, which is ignorance and egoism. And the practice of Dharma or knowledge to be free from suffering is not necessarily something that they like and want, nor it is something that they can agree with due to the deep rooted ignorance, nor it is an easy and pleasant journey for the egoistic mind in the process of eliminating ignorance and egoism. The ego will resist and reject.

A compassionate teacher of Dharma has no fear to give something that is good and beneficial but it might appear to be something quite unpleasant or disagreeable to the students, for the well-being of the students and the entire universe. The Dharma teacher doesn't take away the things that the beings think and believe are what making them unhappy and suffering, to make them stop suffering or stop being unhappy. The Dharma teacher also doesn't give the students what they like and want to make them feel good and happy by satisfying their desires of wants and don't wants, which will be detrimental for the well-being of the students by promoting and strengthening the ignorance, egoism, attachment, desires, greed, craving and aversion. Even though the students might be unhappy, dissatisfied, angry and hating the teacher for not giving them what they like and want. This might appear to be something really unpleasant for the student, but this is real compassionate love from the teacher to the student. Although the student might not see it as an act of loving kindness, as they will be dissatisfied and unhappy about not getting something that they like and want.

The only way to be free from suffering and unhappiness is to allow the beings to know the truth through their own effort and self-realization, to be free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, desires, greed, craving and aversion.

If the 'teacher' is impure and has selfish desires, and is attached to his or her actions and the result of the actions, then this teacher will give the students whatever they desire, like and want, to make them feel happy and satisfied, so that the teacher will be able to get something in return that he or she likes and wants from the students, whether the teacher is aware or unaware that this will be detrimental for the well-being of the students. The students might feel happy and satisfied for getting what they like and want. The students might see it as an act of loving kindness, because they are getting what they like and want, but indeed it is exactly opposing to what wisdom and compassion really are.

It's up to the students whether they want to have strong determination and will-power to let go of their desires of craving and aversion, and self-disciplining themselves for their own good. Or they can continue to fulfill their never ending desires of craving and aversion to get momentary satisfaction and happy feelings, but the root cause of dissatisfaction, unhappiness and suffering is still there.

A father out of passionate love for the child, might gives the child whatever the child likes and wants, as the father doesn't want the child to be unhappy, and the child might be happy and satisfied after getting what the child likes and wants, but this will be detrimental for the well-being of the child.

A father out of compassionate love for the child may not give the child what the child likes and wants that will be harmful to the child, not that the father wants the child to be unhappy, even though the child might be unhappy and dissatisfied for not getting what the child likes and wants, but this will be beneficial for the well-being of the child.

A compassionate being who has realized selflessness and compassion, who is free from ignorance and egoism, might be criticized by those who are unhappy and dissatisfied because they are not getting what they like and want, but this compassionate selfless being has no fear, nor be affected, nor disturbed, nor determined by both the positive and negative reactions coming from any beings towards the selfless compassionate actions being performed for the well-being of all beings.

Om shanti.

Know the difference between Sattvic and Tamasic...

Know the difference between being Sattvic and being Tamasic.

In Sattvic beings, they perform all the necessary actions, duties and responsibilities, but remain equanimous undisturbed nor determined by dualities, being free from desires of craving and aversion, being unaffected nor influenced by the actions and the fruit of actions.

In Tamasic beings, they think they should be just relaxed and chilled out by not performing any actions, duties and responsibilities, but unable to remain equanimous being disturbed and determined by dualities, being over-powered by desires of craving and aversion, being affected and influenced by the actions and the fruit of actions (including actionless).

And so, check the dominant Guna in our mind, and reflect upon our thinking and behavior. Do not mistaken ourselves being Sattvic but actually we are being Tamasic.

Om shanti.

Money cannot buy love, peace, compassion and wisdom... Let go of stinginess and be generous...

Yoga and its practice are not meant to be some kind of pleasurable sensual enjoyment such like paying some money for getting some service like spa treatments. It is a practice to develop dispassion or disinterest in pleasurable sensual enjoyment to let go of craving and aversion.

Yoga and meditation practice is a process to change the old habits of the mind that have been there deep rooted for a long time influencing the mind for as long as we live. It is stop giving what the mind likes and wants. It is calming the mind and stop stimulating the mind. It is quite unpleasant for the mind in the beginning of the yoga and meditation practice as it takes some time for the mind and the body to adjust, to adapt, or to get use to something that it wasn't familiar with, or to develop interest in something that it never interested before. As well as it is unpleasant for the mind to be not having something that it was addicted to, or used to familiar with. It is about letting go of desires of wants and don't wants. It is not about fulfilling the desires of wants and don't wants. The mind will resist. The mind will want to runaway.

If our will-power is weak, we will give in to the desires of the mind, and give ourselves many reasons or excuses why we should not continue the yoga and meditation practice temporary or permanently, and instead we look for some other activities that the mind enjoys, likes and craves for, to make the mind feels pleasant, stimulated, or excited.

We often hear many 'yoga' enthusiasts say, "I love yoga. I want to practice yoga. Yoga makes me feel so good." But then when they experience some discomforts or unpleasantness physically, mentally and emotionally, they want to runaway. They complain this is not the yoga that they were expecting, that the yoga and meditation practice is not the way that they think it should be. They say they only want yoga that will give them pleasant sensations and which is enjoyable. They don't want yoga that doesn't give them what they want and like. Be happy. In the end it is our own freedom for what we want for our life, and what we want to do with our body and mind. We take full responsibility for the consequences of our actions derived from our desires of wants and don't wants.

In order to allow the physical body to be able to perform the yoga asana poses comfortably, our body and mind will have to go through some unpleasant purification process while developing the skills, stamina, strength, flexibility, patience, perseverance, determination, forbearance, tolerance, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, concentration, non-attachment, non-identification, non-expectation, non-judgment, non-comparison, faith and courage to be able to perform and hold the yoga asana poses comfortably for a period of time effortlessly without struggling. And this will allow us to realize selflessness and compassion. It is not at all about how good we look and feel during and after the yoga asana practice, nor what type of benefits we are going to get from performing all these yoga asana poses.

Money cannot buy love, peace, compassion and wisdom. It takes some efforts, self-control, self-discipline, patience, perseverance, determination, will-power, tolerance, forbearance, acceptance, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, for us to eliminate egoism, attachment, desires, greed, craving and aversion from the mind to be free from ignorance and impurities, and to realize unconditional love, peace, compassion and wisdom.

Greed is also associated with stinginess. It's like, "If I can just pay as little money as possible and get as many things in return as possible, that would be very nice..."

Even highly intelligent or educated people might be influenced by stinginess and greed, and are not free.

Before we start practicing yoga, we need to learn to let go of stinginess and start to be generous.

If we cannot understand why we should let go of stinginess and be generous before we start to perform any yoga practice, we can never realize what is selflessness and compassion, even though we can be attending many yoga classes or yoga courses to learn and perform some forms of yoga practice, or if we have been practicing yoga asana for many years and our body has developed the skill, strength and flexibility to perform many yoga asana exercises beautifully in perfect alignment. All these qualities of names and forms have very little to do with what yoga really is.

Om shanti.

Yoga is for everyone, but there are different expectations coming from different people towards what they want from yoga...

When the 'yoga practice' appears to be something that they like and can agree with, they feel happy and satisfied, and they say this 'yoga' is very good. As they are getting what they want and like from this 'yoga' the way that they like it to be, or the way that they think it should be.

When the 'yoga practice' doesn't appear to be something that they like or can agree with, they feel unhappy and dissatisfied, and they say 'this' yoga is not good. As they are not getting what they want and like from 'this' yoga the way that they like it to be, or the way that they think it should be.

Sweets are something very nice to taste, but they can cause damage to our health. Medicine is not something nice to taste, but it can cure or relieve sickness. It's our own choice and freedom about what we want and don't want, but we also will be responsible for the consequences of our actions derived from our desires of want and don't want.

People who are interested in the yoga asana exercises the way that they like it to be, but they are not interested in the teachings of yoga, they will feel like fish out of water when they come in contact with serious yoga practice. They say they like yoga. They say they want to practice yoga. But actually they only like and want the type of 'yoga' the way that they like it to be, and the way that they think it should be. They don't really like yoga as it is, nor do they want to practice yoga at all.

They expect the yoga practice to be adjusted to accommodate their desires of want and don't want, rather than letting go of the desires of want and don't want, and allow the yoga practice and the result of the practice to be what it is. When they expect the yoga practice to give them certain pleasant sensations or certain results the way that they like it to be, but what they experience is not the way that they expect it to be, they complain and demand the yoga practice to be the way that they like it to be. They are completely over-powered by ignorance, egoism, attachment, desires, craving and aversion. There's nothing wrong with that. Just that they are not practicing yoga at all.

Yoga is just being what it is. It doesn't have intention to please anyone, to meet up everyone's expectation, nor to satisfy their desires about what they want and don't want from the yoga practice.

Be happy.

Stories of a very special girl...

This is a true story of a little girl named Jacqueline.

She is going to be eight years old by end of this October.

We never had the chance to see her again after the first two outings that we brought her out to the countryside and to the beach when she was two years old, until few years later, we met her once during one of the Chinese New Years, but she couldn't remember us at all. And then I saw her once briefly when I was visiting this family, but the nanny had taken her away as soon as she arrived at the house. I didn't manage to talk to her. She only said to me, "Who are you? Can you bring me to your home? I want to go to your home."

This week, I got the chance to spend some time with her on this two hours visit to this family.

I kissed her cheek, and wanted to hug her, but she felt awkward and resisted. It reminded me that growing up in this family, there were no kisses or hugging.

She looks exactly like her mother when she was a little girl. She carries most of her mother's characters and behavior patterns.

But, she is not her mother. She is different. She is who she is. Their lives are different.

They don't live together, since she was born.

She was born into this world not by planned when her mother conceived her at fifteen years old. The father was a jobless teenager as well. Her parents were being told to get married just to get her birth certificate paper works done. They divorced not long after that. Her father left her with the mother. The mother didn't know what to do or how to bring up a baby. She found a job somewhere in the city, and she left Jacqueline with the grandmother.

She was brought up and living with her grandmother until she reached schooling age, then things started to change.

Jacqueline's mother met another young man when Jacqueline was still learning how to speak, and she married this young man later. Today, Jacqueline has a step sister and a step brother that she hardly meets, as Jacqueline was not welcome in the new family. Her mother's present husband and his family don't like Jacqueline, nor allow Jacqueline to live with them. Her mother didn't take Jacqueline with her into this new family. Maybe it is better to be like this, as there are problems in this new family, as Jacqueline's mother's husband was arrested and locked up by the police not long ago for some illegal matters.

When Jacqueline told me that she has a sister and a brother, she was in silence afterwards. She didn't mention about her mother or her father. She looked a bit sad and teary, but she didn't cry. She didn't manage to cry.

Due to the difficult life condition in this family, her grandmother could no longer commit to take care of her for full time. She was left with a nanny for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, who's job is only to feed her, send her to school, and bring her back from the school, and put her to sleep. Nothing else.

Once in a while the grandmother will come to see her, when the nanny needs to go somewhere and can't look after Jacqueline for that few days. But not once her birth parents would come to visit her. When the grandmother came to see her, she didn't go to school for days as the grandmother was busy in life, and she has to take Jacqueline with her wherever she goes.

Jacqueline told her great grandfather, who is paralyzed, and her granduncle who love and care for her very much, that they are not her real family. She seldom sees them, as she is 24 hours a day being with the nanny. When she has the chance to come over to the great grandfather's house, she doesn't talk to them, nor wants to be near to the great grandfather. She would argue with him over what TV channel he or she wants to watch, and argue over the volume of the TV, as the great grandfather needs to sleep most of the time. She said to 'Tai Goong', the great grandfather who adores her very much, "You are not my real 'Tai Goong' and you are not my real family." She thinks that the family from her birth father side, is her only real family. She puzzles everyday why her real family never come to see her. She feels unhappy, but she doesn't really know how to express her feelings and emotions, as nobody guided her on how to express herself.

She doesn't know what is sharing, or thoughtfulness, or thankfulness. We can't blame her, as she was never been taught about sharing, thoughtfulness and thankfulness.

She took and opened one of the few packs of biscuits that I gave to her, and she ate the biscuits by herself without knowing to say 'thank you', nor did she offer to anybody in the house. Then she said to me while pointing to another pack of biscuits, "I don't like this biscuit. I ate before. I didn't like it and I threw it away. Hahaha! Disgusting biscuits!" And she left the packaging on the chair after eating without knowing to throw rubbish into a rubbish bin. We can't blame her, as she was never been guided to do so. I gently told her to put the rubbish into the rubbish bag hanging on the wall. And she listened to me and put the rubbish into the bag.

I said to her, if she doesn't like any food she has, she shouldn't throw it away but to give to some other people. I also told her that when she receives something from anyone, she needs to say "Thank you.", and she should try to offer the food to people around before she start eating the food by herself. She didn't want to look at me at that time. She was pretending that she was ignoring me. But, after that I came back from the toilet, I saw her bringing the pack of biscuits that she didn't like to the great grandfather. She is a very smart and good kid. All she needs is some love, guidance and patient from everyone, and she'll be fine.

Her granduncle was taking a nap, and he snored quite loud while sleeping. Jacqueline started to complain that his snores were very noisy and disturbing. Then his phone rang, but he didn't wake up to answer the phone. Jacqueline went beside him and suddenly punched him really hard in his stomach. He jumped up in shock and shouted at her, "Hey! Why did you do that?" She shouted back at him, "Your phone was ringing! It was so noisy! And your snores were very noisy and disturbing!" And then she kicked and punched the granduncle a few more times.

If she ever did something naughty, she would only be shouted at. She was told not to behave like this and like that, and everyone told her that she is a 'bad' and 'naughty' girl, but she never understands why, as nobody in the house knows how to guide her patiently even though they wanted to love and care for her, as everyone said she is so pitiful being abandoned by her parents, that her parents didn't even come to visit her, nor bring her out, nor buy her anything.

The granduncle told me that she started to steal things from his shop lately. Why? Just because she wanted to bring something to give to her classmates in school, so that she might get some friendships in return. I told her to ask people if she wants something, but do not steal. She didn't want to look at me. At least she knew it was not okay to steal, or to take things that don't belong to her without asking permission.

She didn't know how to cry. She was not allowed to cry. She would be shouted at if she cries. She only knows how to react violently or aggressively whenever she feels upset, frustrated, or unhappy. But I can see that she is just a lost child.

I told her it was her great grandfather and granduncle's birthday. She said, "Why I didn't know it is their birthday today? Nobody tells me it is their birthday." I told her that she could wish "Happy birthday!" to the great grandfather and granduncle. In the beginning she didn't want to say anything. But afterwards, she got up to the granduncle and said, "Happy birthday!", and then she went to the great grandfather, and said, "Happy birthday!". Then she sat down in front of me, and said, "My birthday is in October." I said, "I know. It's 26th of October, right?" She nodded.

She is really intelligent and attentive on something that will interest her.

I brought her some drawing and painting materials when I arrived at the airport. She was very happy and told me that she likes drawing and painting. She was so excited when I asked her to draw and paint something on an exercise book that was available. She sat down and asked me what could she draw. I said, "You can draw anything that you like. What do you like?" She was thinking for a while, then she nodded her head, and started drawing. She drew a cat, a pond with a fountain and some fish. She drew carefully. She accidentally painted the colour outside the drawing. She said, "I made a mistake." I said to her, "It's okay. You are very good. You can draw and paint very nicely. I am amazed." I asked her if she likes cats. She said to me, "Yes! I like cats very much." She paid full attention from the beginning of the drawing until the end. She didn't leave the chair until she finished drawing and painting, nor did she was distracted or looked around on other things.

After she finished painting, I guided her to clean up the table and put things back in order. She listened and followed all the instructions.

I told her that I love her and I will come back to see her again before I left. She didn't want to say goodbye nor looked at me, when I left the house.

When I came back, I told Marc about everything. And we went to get her some new clothes, shoes (her shoes was broken when I saw her), and I did this video to send to her with a letter to tell her that we love her and she is always welcome to live with us during her school holidays, and sent to her together with some biscuits that she likes, and more painting materials.

We wish her lots of love and happiness. Hope to see her again soon.

The teachings/theory of yoga and its practice...

The teachings/theory alone without practice is useless. But, without the teachings/theory to based on, the practice will be like a car without functional indicators, brake lights or head lights, and is driven by an incompetent driver on the hilly road under a stormy condition. The teachings/theory and its practice exist together to support each other. Via the practice based on the teachings/theory, we allow the mind to investigate upon the truth of the teachings/theory, while purifying the mind until it realizes the truth through its own realization.

Without the teachings to support the practice, what are we practicing then?

If we perform 'yoga practice' without implement the teachings of yoga about non-identifications with the worldly self-image or the impermanent qualities of names and forms, about elimination of the egoism, about letting go of attachment, craving and aversion, into the yoga practice and our everyday life experiences, then no matter how much physical and mental benefits we will get from performing the 'yoga practice' regularly, we still won't be free from ignorance, egoism, attachment, craving and aversion, and be disturbed by restlessness and impurities that arise due to the reactions of the egoistic mind towards all the perceptions of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, constantly being disturbed and determined by what it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks, and have no peace.

Just by hearing, reading, studying, preaching, talking and discussing about the teachings/theory of yoga without materialize them into practice is useless. Just by performing some forms of 'yoga practice' without implement the teachings/theory into it, the practice doesn't serve its purpose.

We can be performing 'yoga practice' for a long time, but our minds might still be influenced and over-powered by ignorance and egoism, and have no peace.

Om shanti.

Yoga, meditation, retreats?

We never advertise nor promote yoga and meditation practice or yoga retreats as something luxurious pleasurable enjoyment. As when we truly practice yoga and meditation, it is quite an unpleasant and painful experience for most people physically, mentally and emotionally, to deal with the purification process, as well as to take full responsibility for one's happiness and suffering, to confront with the ignorance and egoism in our mind, and to let go of the ego, are the most unpleasant and challenging experience in the path of yoga and meditation, to attain real and unconditional peace.

Om shanti.

Eating by oneself? Enjoy the silent moment and be aware of the eating process...

We think and believe that eating by oneself is somehow 'not right' or 'not healthy'. We think there should be some kind of social conversation or interaction with some other people while having meals. We don't feel 'happy' to be having our meals by ourselves. We think it is strange and anti-social to be having meals by oneself.

But nobody would think and believe that when we do big and small 'business' in the toilet by oneself is anything 'not right' and 'not healthy'.

In the Ashram, we eat in silence. Even though there might be many people eating together at the same time in the huge dining hall, we should maintain silence and concentrate on our eating process. We don't talk nor socialize while eating. Same as during chanting session, yoga asana practice, or meditation practice, we don't talk or socialize. We don't think there's any anti-social elements in it. We don't think it is 'not right' or 'not healthy'. There must be reason why it is conducive for our yoga and meditation practice to be in silence most of the time.

When we realize what is oneness and non-separateness, beyond names and forms, there's no separation between ourselves and everyone and everything, even when we appear to be alone by ourselves in this moment now.

Minds...

The importance of self-reliance on the path of yoga and meditation

The teachings of yoga in the scriptures has all the instructions and guidance that one needs for any yoga enthusiasts to progress on the path of yoga and meditation for Self-inquiry.

An untrained mind that is under the influence of ignorance and impurities, the impure intelligence is not able to fully understand or comprehend all the teachings of yoga. And hence, all the yoga practice are here to help us, to allow us to purify the mind to remove impurities and ignorance for us to realize the truth.

There will be doubts and confusion arise from time to time when we progress on the path of yoga and meditation for Self-inquiry.

Sometimes we might feel despair and have doubts in the teachings of yoga and the practice. We might want to attain help from somebody who might be able to clear all or some of our doubts, or to give us a lift on the path.

But, the answers that can clear all our doubts have to come from one's self-realization.

We have doubts because our mind is under the influence of ignorance. If we are free from ignorance, there's no need to seek any helps from anyone or anywhere to remove any doubts, as there is no doubt.

Even though somebody who has realized the truth is here to expound the Dharma to us, we will still have doubts about whether whatever this person said is true or not, due to ignorance. Same as even if we have read many books written by some enlightened beings about what they have experienced and realized from their yoga and meditation practice about selflessness, wisdom and compassion, but it still doesn't remove the ignorance, egoism, attachment, craving, aversion, impurities, or suffering in us. Nor does it give us peace, or make us become compassionate.

Even if someone is speaking the truth, we still need to investigate the truth of it, through our own effort and inquiry, to find out whether it is the truth.

As all these information or knowledge are coming from other people's realization. It's not coming from our own direct experience or self-realization. And so, we will still have doubts being ignorant about the truth, continued to be disturbed and determined by duality that derived from the mind perception of different qualities of names and forms. The mind is still under the influence of egoism, attachment, identification, desires, craving, aversion, impurities and suffering. It continues to generate ceaseless reactions towards all the names and forms that it perceives through the senses based on what it likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with. It is over-powered by the desires of wants and don't wants, being in a state of restlessness, swaying between satisfaction and dissatisfaction most of the time. It performs actions under the influence of egoism, subjective thinking and beliefs, judgment, expectation, selfish desires, craving and aversion. It is determined by the fruit of actions.

The answers to our doubts must come from one's self-realization, then all the doubts will be cleared.

When our minds start to let go of egoism, attachments, desires, judgment, expectation, craving and aversion, be free from impurities and restlessness, naturally it starts to be able to connect with some of the teachings of yoga when hearing somebody expounds the teachings of yoga, and it starts to see the truth that it couldn't see before, this is coming from the mind itself, seeing the truth as it is. It has nothing to do with the person who expounds the teachings, nor has anything to do with the teachings.

The teachers and the teachings are like the light, illuminate the space without intention nor expectation. They are just being what they are, exist without intention to illuminate particular space, nor expectation towards anything in return for their illumination.

In the dark, we need the presence of light to allow us to see. The light allows us to see, but it has nothing to do with what we see and don't see. That's why some might see the truth, while some others might still be ignorant about the truth, even though they all are hearing the same teachings, at the same time, from the same person.

Without the organ of eyes and the sense of vision, we can't perceive sights. Without light, having the best vision in the world also can't see anything in the dark. If the organ of eyes and the sense of vision doesn't function properly or has some damages, we can't see clearly or properly. If the vision is blocked by some other objects in front of it, we can't see what is hindered by the blockage, even if the the organ of eyes functions properly and there is presence of light. We need to make effort to remove any blockages in front of us, or keep the eyes and vision function properly, so that we can see clearly or properly under the presence of light.

The light is just being what it is. It has no intention to be good or bad, to make anyone happy or unhappy, to allow anyone to see something or don't see something. Some will make good use of the light to see what they want to see. Some don't like the light, complain that the light is too bright or too dim not the way that they like it to be, or feel that the light is disturbing them, or complain that the light exposes something that they want to keep in the dark.

Yoga enthusiasts who realized the truth through self-realization, with or without the help of some teachers and the teachings, they become one with the light. There is no separateness between the teachers, the teachings and the students. All are one, when ignorance disappears. And the light continues to be what it is. Without intention nor expectation, some will make use of the light, some won't make use of the light. Some like to be in the light, while some like to be in the dark. Some are grateful and appreciate the light, while some don't show gratefulness nor appreciation. But all these won't affect, nor disturb, nor influence, nor determine the light for being what it is.

As long as we still have doubts, then keep practice, without judgment, comparison, nor expectation.

Om shanti.

Minds...

Minds.

Always busy. Constantly reacting towards what it perceives. Can’t stop thinking, constructing ideas and words, expressing and talking.

It either doesn’t know how to be quiet, or it doesn’t like to be silent even just for a few moments.

It’s interested in engaging interactive conversations with some other minds that it comes in contact with.

It expects some sorts of response or interaction in return.

It expects and thinks, as a ‘normal behavior’ in a society, there is obligation to engage and interact in a conversation whenever somebody started a conversation.

When there’s no response or interaction in return the way that it expected it to be,
It puzzles.
It feels abnormal.
It feels offended.
It generates different assumptions and judgements.

‘Why won’t you talk back to me when I am talking to you?’
‘Hello?! I am talking to you. Why don’t you say something or answer my questions?’
‘Are you angry with me?’
‘Are you unhappy?’
‘Is there something bothering you?’
‘Don’t you know how to be polite and response when somebody is talking to you?’
‘Don’t you know how to have a social conversation?’
‘Such an arrogant and rude person!’
‘Such a strange person.’
‘Ah! So frustrated and uninteresting to have a conversation with you!’
‘No fun talking to you!’
‘I’m not going to talk to you!’
………….

Defensiveness and offensiveness coming from the egoism...

"I felt you were very contradicting with what you said in the class this morning. You said about non-judgment, but you kept judging me by telling me 'Do your best.' and 'Don't give up easily.' I felt it was very confusing."

"Nobody judged you. You felt being judged. Nobody said you were not doing your best. Nobody said you were not good enough. The teacher was just giving encouragement to everyone in the class to support their practice. Your ego felt offended as you thought the teacher were personally pointing at you, and saying that you were not doing your best or you were not good enough. Your ego reacted and felt you were being judged, and the ego didn't like it and got upset about it. If the teacher didn't give any encouragement in the class, your ego might also be offended and upset, thinking that the teacher were not being encouraging or supportive enough. There's nothing wrong with your ego reacted in such way. Just that when the ego is strong, you will be easily offended by anyone or anything out of sensitivity towards other people's action and speech even though other people have no intention at all to judge you, or to offend you. The mind will not have peace and always be unhappy about something. If you are able to let go of the ego, then your mind won't be easily offended by anyone or anything even when other people intentionally want to judge you, or to offend you. Your mind will have peace and be happy always."

In the same yoga class, hearing the same teachings and doing the same practice, everybody reacts differently coming from the different states of the mind.

Yoga practice is here to allow us to look at our own mind, to know about this egoistic mind and its modification, and to develop non-attachment and non-identification towards the egoistic modification of the mind, and be aware of the reactions coming from our egoistic mind, and learn to let go of craving and aversion towards what the ego likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with.

Some people feel very glad to practice letting go of egoism, but some minds will be very defensive and have strong aversion towards letting go the egoism. It is everyone's freedom and choice about what they want to do with themselves, their life, their mind, and the ego and egoism.

Be happy.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow (3)

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back. Thanks to India, the people, the nature, and all the animals. May all beings be happy.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow (2)

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back. Thanks to India, the people, the culture, the birds, the animals, the plants, the buildings, the mountain, the desert, the scenery, the arts, the colours, the sounds, the smells, the tastes, the weather, the life, the incredible diversity and yet all mixed together as one in peace and harmony sharing everything provided by nature. May all beings be happy.

Video - Happy journey in India photo slideshow

This is a collection of the photos that I took while traveling in India a few years back.

Thanks to India and the people.

May all beings be happy.

Agreement and disagreement...

There's nothing wrong with having agreements and disagreements towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses, of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, sensations and thinking. It is a common worldly minded cultural practice about as an individual human being, we need to study, survey, research and interact, to accumulate data and information, to develop a strong personality with our own personalized thinking and belief, to have individual opinions and points of view, to react towards all our experiences, to assert agreements and disagreements, to show likes and dislikes, to comment and to criticize, to have desires of wants and don't wants, to be passionate and aggressive, to live life, to exist.

Or else the mind ceased existing. This is the ultimate means for the path of yoga and meditation, about annihilation of the mind, but it's contrary for the worldly minded. Yoga and Meditation is quieting or silencing the mind, subdue all the modifications of the mind.

Agreements and disagreements are coming from the egoistic mind based on what the mind thinks and believes what things are. And the thinking and beliefs in the mind about all the names and forms are not necessary the truth of what things really are. All these thinking and beliefs are very subjective. They are ethnically, culturally, religiously and individually influenced and modified.

Agreements and disagreements in the mind cannot disturb nor influence us to be peaceful, happy and confident, or not, as they are just being what they are, and have no intention nor quality to be something good or bad, positive or negative, right or wrong, unless we give meanings and values to them, and we attached to all these thinking and beliefs in the mind to be who we are and to react towards everything that we experience in life, and generate craving and aversion towards the likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, wants and don't wants coming from egoism. And thus, our minds will be in a state of restlessness, being elevated or depressed, as the ego constantly reacts towards all the names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses.

If the mind is trained to allow and to be aware of all these thinking and beliefs to be there in the mind as they are, but without attachment towards all these thinking and beliefs, agreements and disagreements to determine to be who "I" am, nor reacts towards the objects of names and forms based on these thinking and beliefs, then the thinking and beliefs are just some modifications of the mind, and they cannot influenced nor determined the mind to be peaceful, happy and confident, or not.

If the untrained mind attached strongly towards the thinking and beliefs in the mind to react and judge everything that it perceives in everyday life experiences, especially if it is something contradicted or different from what the mind believes what things are and how things should be like, then our minds will be easily disturbed, affected, influenced and determined by the egoistic reactions towards all these disagreeable names and forms, and have no peace. The egoistic mind will be easily dissatisfied, disappointed, insulted, agitated, irritated, frustrated, offended, feels hurt, or depressed, when comes in contact with the things that it doesn't agree with and doesn't like, that it believes as bad, negative, or wrong.

All the names and forms are just being what they are, it doesn't matter our minds aware of them or not, like them or not, agree with them or not, based on what our minds think and believe they are good or bad, positive or negative, happiness or suffering, right or wrong. They don't have intention nor quality to give us satisfaction or dissatisfaction, to give us good or bad feelings, to give us confidence or not, to give us peacefulness or not. It's all coming from our minds react towards all these names and forms, and generate craving and aversion towards what it likes and dislikes, what it agrees and disagrees with, based on what the mind thinks and believes what things are.

Contemplate on this, and be free.

Om shanti.

Criticism?

If what others say or criticize about us is true, why are we unhappy?

If what others say or criticize about us is not true, then we shouldn't be unhappy at all.

And so, either what others say about us is true or not true, there's no reason for us to be unhappy.

It is just a reaction coming from the egoism if the mind feels unhappy about something, it's all because it is something that the ego doesn't like, doesn't want, and doesn't agree with.

A well-trained mind free from egoism will not react the same.

Be happy.

Suffering?

When someone says "There is suffering." He isn't lying.
When someone says "There's no suffering." He also isn't lying.

Both statements are true and don't contradict each other, even though they are the complete opposite of one another.

When there is ignorance, suffering exists.
When ignorance disappears, suffering doesn't exist.
Om shanti.

May all be peaceful, be happy...

May all be peaceful, be happy...

When we have hatred towards some other people or some teachings that our mind disagrees with, the one whom we hate and disagree with will not be affected nor determined by our hatred and disagreement, but ourselves will be disturbed and hurt physically, mentally and emotionally by the hatred in our mind.

May those who are very unhappy and have hatred towards some teachings that they disbelieve, or towards others whom they don't like and disagree with, be peaceful and be happy.

It doesn't matter if we think we are better human beings than others, or we think we have better values and understanding than others, or we think we have higher realization than others, as long as we have hatred in our mind, we are not free.

Om shanti.

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

May all beings be peaceful...

Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti...

"Professional profile" of a yoga teacher or a yoga school?

"How long have you been practicing yoga?"

"How long have you been teaching yoga?"

"Where and whom did you learn yoga from?"

"Who is your yoga teacher or Guru?"

"What type of recognitions, certifications and qualifications do you have?"

"What type of yoga do you practice or teach?"

"What is the level of this yoga course or yoga class?"

"What type of certifications I can get from attending these yoga courses or classes?"

"What type of results or benefits I can get from attending this yoga course or yoga class?"

All these are the common questions coming from most people who want to practice yoga or to teach yoga. But yoga is nothing to do with all these names and forms...

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

Normally, when people are looking for a yoga school or yoga teacher to learn about yoga, or to do some yoga exercises, most of us will want to know the "professional profile" of the yoga school or the yoga teacher, to know what are the qualifications, certifications, affiliations, past experiences, achievements, types of courses, classes or services of the yoga school or the yoga teacher.

Same as when a yoga school or a yoga teacher wants to "promote" their classes or services, naturally, they want to have a "professional image", and to give a "laudable", "highly recommended", "reliable", "professional", "expertise", "highly experienced", "outstanding", "competent", "recognized", "affiliated", "updated", "distinctive", or "beautiful" type of profile to show to the respective "clientele" or yoga enthusiasts who might be interested to take up yoga courses, yoga classes or yoga exercise classes at this yoga school or with this yoga teacher.

There is nothing wrong with this universal worldly idea and practice in the process of getting a "product" and promoting a "product". Just that, all these "identifications" that identify with certain qualities of names and forms has nothing to do with the practice of yoga and meditation, or the realization of the Truth, or the propagation of Dharma, which is about annihilation of ignorance and egoism, realization of selflessness, fearlessness, oneness, namelessness, formlessness, compassion and wisdom, and transcend suffering, birth and death.

As liberation, or selflessness, or compassion, or realization of the Truth, is undetermined by all these qualities of names and forms that consist of worldly minded business marketing standards, ideas and strategies, qualifications, certifications, affiliations, achievements, past experiences, excellent and extensive services.

All these identifications with qualities of names and forms are irrelevant to what yoga is, or the teachings and practice of yoga, or the realization of yoga, or the beings who learn, practice and realize yoga, or the liberated beings who share the wisdom of yoga with other beings.

Here are some examples of a common profile of most yoga schools and "professional" yoga teachers who provide yoga courses, yoga classes, or yoga exercise classes :-

"Want to teach yoga? Want to be certified as an internationally affiliated and recognized yoga teacher? Come to us, let our professional yoga teachers trainers to train you to be a qualified professional yoga teacher and be certified and recognized internationally"

"Our yoga school is a Yoga Alliance 200 Hour & 500 Hour Registered Yoga School."

"Our yoga school has been established for how long."

"I am a Yoga Alliance 200 Hour & 500 Hour Registered Yoga Teacher."

"I have been practicing and teaching yoga for how many years."

"I have been to such and such yoga schools."

"I had learned and graduated under such and such yoga teachers and gurus."

"I have attained such and such qualifications and certifications recognized and issued by such and such organizations, or alliances, or affiliations."

"I am a qualified and certified yoga teacher, I teach such and such types of yoga classes."

"The type of yoga classes and practice that I teach will give you such and such benefits and results."

"I am an advance yoga practitioner and yoga teacher, I practice and teach advance yoga."

"I am experienced, knowledgeable and well-trained yoga teacher. Come to my yoga class. I teach you yoga. I teach you yoga exercises."

"I have how many years of teaching experiences."

"I have taught yoga classes in such and such (creditable) yoga schools."

"I am a good, happy, healthy, experienced, knowledgeable, fit, strong and flexible yogi and yoga teacher."

And so on...

There is nothing wrong with all these worldly thinking, ideas, qualities and identifications, and most people want or need to see all these qualities to find what they believe is a "good" and "reliable" yoga school or yoga teacher, that will give them what they want after they have paid some fees to be getting something that they are looking for. As well as most yoga schools and yoga teachers also think and believe that they need to have such qualities to convince themselves and the world that they are experienced, qualified, knowledgeable and good enough to give or provide some forms of services, courses or classes to those who pay them some fees for some services or results in return.

But, yoga is nothing to do with all these worldly image or identifications, or worldly ideas of marketing strategies, business exchange of services and achieving results.

All these names and forms have no meanings or values for beings who truly practice yoga and meditation to transcend suffering, egoism, ignorance, names and forms.

Who is being there to identified with all these qualities of names and forms, to acknowledge ourselves and others that "this" is who I am, what I am, what I do, and what I can give you?

Those who had realized selflessness, who have gone beyond the qualities of names and forms, who are free from egoism, and who can guide anybody towards selflessness from their own direct experience and realization, out of compassion, undetermined nor limited by any worldly individuals or organizations to qualified or certified them to be sharing love, peace, compassion and wisdom with anybody, without intention, without identification, without discrimination, without attachment, they are not determined nor limited by any qualities of names and forms, nor will they strengthen the worldly ideas and attachment towards the qualities of names and forms, when the basic teaching and practice of yoga and meditation is to go beyond all these qualities of names and forms, and realize selflessness, namelessness and formlessness.

Those who are suffering, and are determined to be free from suffering, they will either meet the teacher, or the teacher will come to them naturally, when the time is right, to guide them, to show them the way. And the teacher is not necessary in a form of human beings who bear the title of "experienced, qualified and certified yoga teacher".

Everything else is just a play of some worldly ideas and egoistic desires.

The Truth or Dharma, is always here as it is. It doesn't belong to anyone or any organizations. It is not limited in yoga schools, yoga courses, yoga classes or yoga teachers. It's not tradable nor exchangeable. It can't be sold nor be bought. It is whether we realize it, or not.

Om shanti.