Home cooked vegetarian food recipe - Tomato Sauce

Tomato Sauce

1 kg tomatoes, washed. Cut a small cross on the base of the tomatoes, grill in oven for 20 minutes with the base facing up, then peel and blend.

1 medium size onion, chopped finely

(Optional) 2 small red chillies, remove seeds and sliced

2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped coarsely

2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar

Salt & black pepper to taste

A bit of cooking oil

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

Heat up the non-stick wok in medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil.

When the oil is hot, sauté the onion, (optional chillies) and garlic until soft and fragrant.

Add in the tomatoes. Lower the heat once the tomato puree starts to boil. Stir occasionally until the tomatoes are well-cooked and the sauce thickens. This takes about 45-60 minutes.

Add salt, black pepper and balsamic vinegar. Stir well and remove from the heat.

Allow to cool, then blend into a smooth paste.

Use fresh or freeze for future use.

It's all about our own practice, it's not about how and what other people practice...

Yoga practice is a self-cultivation through one's effort, self-control and self-discipline based on one's temperament, characteristics, needs and requirements. It has nothing to do with how much or how often other people perform their practice, or what do other people practice or don't practice, or how other people perform their practice, or what do other people achieve from their own practice.

We can't even compare with, or try to imitate the people who teach and guide us to perform our yoga practice (our yoga teachers). How do the teachers perform their practice, or what the teachers practice or don't practice, and what do the teachers achieve in their own practice, has nothing to do with the students own practice and achievements. It is not about the teacher being a role model, so that we can become like the teacher.

Just like medical treatments or prescriptions. Every patient is not necessarily having the same type of disease, nor will be receiving the same type of treatment or prescription. A doctor cannot prescribe one single treatment and drug for all types of disease, nor give the same dosage of drug for everyone with different types of condition. It is based on individual conditions, needs and reactions towards the medical treatments and prescriptions. And the doctor's personal health condition has nothing to do with the patients' health conditions.

By looking at other people eating some food, doesn't remove our hunger. What other people can digest with their body, and how other people react towards the same food, has nothing to do with our own digestion and reaction towards the same food.

By looking at and knowing about the teachers' yoga practice doesn't remove our ignorance, egoism and attachment, nor make us be free from suffering and unhappiness.

Om shanti.

Complain and blame others for our unhappiness?

When we complain about something that we experienced, where this experience was something that we didn't like and didn't agree with, and we feel disturbed and unhappy about it, it won't undo what had happened. But this action of complaining and blaming others for the unhappiness in us will generate more disturbance in oneself and in others whom we complain to, whether those who were involved directly or indirectly, or who were not involved at all in what we complain about.

It is one's own responsibility when we feel disturbed and unhappy about something that we don't like and disagree with. The thing is just being what it is. It has no intention nor quality to disturb us or to make us feel unhappy.

When we want to be happy, no one can stop us from being happy. No one can make us unhappy if we want to be happy.

If we want to be unhappy, no one can stop us from being unhappy. No one can make us happy if we want to be unhappy.

It is our own choice and freedom.

Observe. Let go. Have peace in oneself. Allow others to have peace. There's nothing to complain about.

Be happy.

Home cooked vegetarian food recipe - Mango & potato red curry

Here is another vegetarian dish that sometimes we prepare for our yoga retreat guests here in Langkawi.

Mango & Potato Red Curry (serves 2-3 people)

5-6 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into big chunks. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes with 1 tablespoon of salt. Drain.

The flesh of 2 peeled slightly under-ripe mangoes cut into chunks.

2-3 tablespoons red curry paste - http://mengfoonglai.blogspot.com/2014/04/home-cooked-vegetarian-food-recipe_14.html

150 ml coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon of Mango Powder

1 cup of water

Salt & black pepper to taste

A few Thai Basil leaves or Laksa leaves (Optional)

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

Heat up the wok, add coconut milk. Cook until the coconut milk is boiling. Add the red curry paste, stir evenly on a low to medium heat until the paste and coconut milk is thick and fragrant.

Add water and stir evenly for everything to mix well until boiling.

Add potatoes and stir well.

Add black pepper and salt.

Stir well on a medium heat until the sauce thickens. Stir in the mangoes. Cooked for about 1 minute and turn off the heat.

Add the Thai Basil leaves or Laksa leaves if available.

This is a dish with a thick and rich sauce that coats the potatoes.

Serve hot.

It is very nice accompanied with fresh salads.

Bon Appétit!

Yoga?

The student said to the teacher, "For me, yoga is a fitness exercise. It is a business deal. I pay the money and I expect the customer service that I want. I don't want the real yoga like the one they do in the Ashrams in India. I don't agree with the teachings of yoga. I am a Christian."

The teacher replied, "Be happy. There's nothing wrong if anyone disagrees with the teachings and the practice of yoga, and don't want to practice yoga. Even if you have given some money or something to the teacher, the teacher cannot teach you anything, because you don't allow and don't want the teacher to teach yoga, as you don't want to learn and practice yoga. There are other people who come here to learn and practice yoga. The yoga classes here is about yoga. You don't have to attend this yoga class, if this is not the "yoga" that you want. You can take your money back and leave the yoga class now, if you wish."

Om shanti.

Ignorance?

Ignorance?

• The root cause of suffering and unhappiness.
• Identifying with the impermanent qualities of names and forms as who we are, which we are not.
• Seeing the unreal as real, and seeing the real as unreal.
• Not knowing the truth of who "I" am.
• Forsake Dharma (which is in harmony with the law of nature), and embrace Adharma (which goes against the law of nature).
• Attachment towards worldly self-image or worldly identity that attached to and identifies with certain qualities of names and forms.
• Attachment towards all our actions and the fruit of the actions.
• Natural habit of the mind which constantly and autonomously reacts without awareness towards the objects of the senses, being influenced by egoism, attachments, likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, craving and aversion, dualism, selfish desires, selfish intention, selfish expectation, and impurities like anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, pride, arrogance, feelings of hurt, animosity, ill-will, fear and worry.
• Seeking freedom, satisfaction, confidence, meaningfulness, love, peace and happiness from without (of the impermanent qualities of names and forms).
• Being ignorant about ignorance.

Ignorance has nothing to do with the amount of accumulated worldly knowledge, level of intelligence, level of education, religious beliefs, living skills, physical condition and abilities, years of yoga practice, years of teaching yoga, years of studying about the teachings of yoga, social status, financial status, achievements in life, academic, career or relationships. As ignorance, egoism, attachment and impurities are not determined by all these qualities of names and forms. It doesn't matter who or what we think we are and how we are, we still can be influenced very much by ignorance, egoism, attachment and impurities, and have no peace, constantly being disturbed, affected, influenced and determined by all the qualities of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses of what it sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks/believes.

We only know what we know, and see what we see. What is beyond our knowledge and sight, we don't know and we don't see. We cannot argue with anyone who doesn't know what we know, who doesn't see what we see. When we realize what others haven't realized, when we see what others don't see, there is no argument with anyone nor criticism about things that others don't know and don't see.

Be open-minded. Be free.

Om shanti.

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra

Om Tryambakam Yajamahe
Sugandhim Pushtivardhanam
Urvarukamiva Bandhanan
Mrityor Mukshiya Maamritat

Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih

Take a break, have a silent moment...

"What do you do for recreation?"

"What do you do to relax or unwind yourself?"

If we know how to avoid underusing or overusing the body and the mind, there's no such need to relax or unwind the body and the mind.

The well-trained mind unattached to the qualities of names and forms, it will not be disturbed nor affected by the objects of names and forms that it perceives from moment to moment, it won't be in a state of stressed nor being restless, it doesn't need to be relaxed or to be unwind. If the mind is being in the present moment now, free from craving and aversion, free from duality and separateness, there's no boredom or loneliness. It doesn't need to be doing something "special" or "additional" for recreation, stimulation or entertainment to get rid of boredom and loneliness, or to feel good and meaningful. The mind is at ease and content as it is. The mind doesn't run outward to chase after objects of names and forms.

There are so many things going on in the untrained mind, constantly receiving inputs and sending outputs through the senses, sense organs and the organs of action (mouth, feet, hands, organ of excretion and organ of procreation), as well as it keeps wandering to the past memories and future anticipations.

We might think we are like this, "I don't talk much. I am a quiet person. I like quietness..." But, in truth, our mind is so noisy. We can't stop talking most of the time, whether verbally or mentally. The mind is so busy, so wild, so passionate, so restless, so stimulated, so ambitious, so many plans, so much desires, so many things wants to say, so many things wants to do, so many things wants to achieve, and so on.

If we truly want to conquer our own mind to realize unconditional peace, especially if our mind is the type that easily be disturbed, and gets irritated and annoyed by what the ego doesn't like to see or hear, or easily be offended by what the ego doesn't agree with, then it will be conducive for us to reduce talking, or minimize engaging in social conversation, as our mind will be influenced and disturbed by the action of talking, and be disturbed, agitated or depressed by the content of the conversation due to the undisciplined egoistic mind reacts towards what it likes and dislikes, agrees and disagrees with. The mind is in the state of restlessness all the time, being busy thinking, analyzing, judging, comparing, remembering, longing, anticipating, speculating, projecting, expecting, and so on.

The ego wants to assert itself and be acknowledged, "I have some opinions and points of view. I have something to say. I agree with this, and I don't agree with that. I think it should be like this. Listen to me. Why won't you listen to me? Why won't you agree with me? Why won't you believe me? Why do you want to argue with me?" And so on.

If we truly want to practice yoga and meditation, then be persevered and determined to quiet the mind. Allow the mind to have a break from restlessness. Talk less. Reduce the mind activities. Concentrate the mind on fewer objects for start, and then render it to be one-pointedness concentrating at one single object in time. Silent the mind. And peace will surface.

Om shanti.

Home cooked vegetarian food recipe - Stir-fried long-beans

Here is another new vegetarian cooking recipe for our yoga retreats guests here in Langkawi.

Stir fried long-beans (serve 2-3 people)

300 grams of long-beans. Washed and cut into 3 cm long strips.

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 handful curry leaves

2 dried chillies. Washed, dried, cut into half and deseeded.

1 heap teaspoon ginger paste

1 level teaspoon turmeric powder

1 level teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cooking oil

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

Heat up the pot at medium high heat. Add a bit of cooking oil.

When the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chilies. Stir evenly until the oil fragrant. Add in turmeric powder, stir well and add in long beans, salt and black pepper.

Stir evenly for about 2-3 minutes. Do not cover.

Turn off the heat.

Do not over cooked the long bean. It should be a little bit crunchy.

Serve hot with rice.

Bon Appétit!

Worldly knowledge?

There's nothing wrong with accumulating worldly knowledge about this or that. Although worldly knowledge doesn't guarantee us peace and compassion, or be free from ignorance, egoism, impurities, unhappiness or suffering.

We can make good use of the knowledge that we have, to be doing something great and meaningful for ourselves and other beings in this life.

Worldly knowledge allows us to be able to create something, or to be doing something, which will give us certain degrees of satisfaction and meaningfulness, but it doesn't guarantee us that we will be free from being disturbed or determined by qualities of names and forms, and be free from anger, hatred, jealousy, pride, arrogance, disappointment, dissatisfaction, feelings of hurt, ill-will, ill-thinking, fear and worry.

For example, it is very good and useful, if we have the knowledge and skill to design and build a house. After building a functional house for ourselves or for somebody else, we will feel there's some happiness, joy, achievement, success, satisfaction and meaningfulness. The house can provide shelter for those who live in it, but, it doesn't guarantee us peace and happiness, nor will make all our doubts, craving, aversion, fear and worry disappear. No matter we have a big house or small house, luxury house or simple house, or we have no house at all, we will be peaceful as we are, if we are free from ignorance, egoism and attachment. But, if we are not free from ignorance, egoism and attachment, then no matter we have a big house or small house, luxury house or simple house, or we have no house at all, we will not have peace.

Knowledge is neither good nor bad. It depends on how we use it and the purity of our mind. We can be using knowledge to be doing something beneficial, creative and constructive for ourselves and others, but sometimes we can be using knowledge to be doing something that will generate disharmony or hurt to ourselves and other beings.

Make good use of the knowledge, but not being determined by the knowledge to be who we are. Be free from egoism, attachment, pride and arrogance.

Om shanti.

"Do you think non-attachment is possible?"

"Do you think non-attachment is possible?" Someone asked.

What if somebody tells us "No."

Does this prove to us that non-attachment is impossible, or unrealistic, or impractical? Nope.

What if somebody tells us "Yes."

Does this guarantee and assure us that we will be free from doubts, attachment, egoism and ignorance, and will not be disturbed, nor affected, nor influenced, nor determined by all the qualities of names and forms? Nope.

What if somebody tells us "It depends on each individual's effort and determination to purify the mind, to free the mind from all kinds of desires, restlessness, egoism and ignorance, to turn the mind inward, to allow the mind to perceive the truth of names and forms as they are, without being contaminated nor influenced by any impurities or conditioned and limited thinking and beliefs. Only through oneself realizing the truth of things as they are, not being influenced by any thinking and beliefs in the mind, then naturally one doesn't even need to practice non-attachment, as there won't be any attachment towards any names and forms will arise in the liberated mind."

Will this answer clear all our doubts and make all our attachment, fear and worry disappear? Nope.


It doesn't matter what answer we get,  we will still need to find out the answer of our doubts, or find out the truth through our own effort, through our own direct experience and realize the truth by ourselves, to clear all our doubts.

Whether other people or our teacher is completely be free from ignorance, egoism and attachment or not, it's nothing to do with our own practice of letting go of attachment, nor has anything to do with our own realization of the truth, or our own liberation from ignorance, egoism and attachment.
That's why in (serious) silent meditation retreat, we are basically being on our own to contemplate upon the truth, through observing noble silence throughout the entire retreat. There's no conversation, nor interaction, nor discussion about this and that. Talking and discussing about non-attachment doesn't free us from ignorance, egoism and attachment, nor will give us liberation.

Whatever doubts we have, the only answer that will remove all our doubts is to turn the outgoing mind inward, and find the answer from within, and it's not coming from somebody else telling us about what they know or don't know, nor it's coming from reading books with all the information about this and that.

Even if a liberated being is right in front of us, and talks to us about Dharma (The truth), it still won't remove our doubts or ignorance, unless we realize the truth by ourselves, through our own effort of self-inquiry or contemplation.

Silent the mind, and meditate...

Om shanti.

Freedom of thinking, action and speech?

We want to be able to have freedom of thinking, action and speech. That's what most people fight for from ancient until now. When we want to be able to express ourselves through thinking, action and speech freely, do we also allow other people to express themselves through thinking, action and speech freely, even though we might not like and might not agree with their thinking, action and speech? Do we easily or automatically be disturbed, offended, angry and unhappy when we hear or see something that we cannot agree with or we think it's insulting or disrespecting? Do we want to be free from disturbs, anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction, restlessness and unhappiness? Do we really want to have peace? Or, do we actually enjoy all the disturbs, anger, disappointment, dissatisfaction, restlessness and unhappiness, and don't really like peace (as it seems to be quite boring without excitement and stimulation.)

There's nothing wrong with expressing our thinking and points of view about our agreements and disagreements, about what we believe as right and wrong, and to discuss or debate about certain subject freely. That's the natural habit of the mind. That's what a mind does to 'feel' being existing, to be acknowledged by itself and the world of its existence.

 

It's not just about we want to have freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech, but we must also understand that all actions will bring desirable/undesirable or expected/unexpected consequences of action. There will be agreeable/disagreeable and pleasant/unpleasant reactions coming from other people of different backgrounds reacting towards our thinking, action, expression and speech.

When we only allow ourselves to have freedom of thinking, action and speech, to believe in whatever we want to believe, to do whatever we want to do, and to express or say whatever we want to express or say, even if it appears to be insulting/disrespecting/offensive towards certain things for certain people of different background, but at the same time, we don't allow other people to have freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech, or to react in certain way towards our thinking, action, expression and speech, and we want to 'correct' their thinking, action/reaction and speech to be the way that we think it should be, the way that we like and agree with, and that is what the world is happening now - it starts with disagreements, then arguments, clashes, unrest, hatred, violence, wars, killing, torturing, and etc.

If someone needs to 'change' or 'be corrected', it has to come from oneself being aware of there's something in oneself that needs to be 'changed' or 'corrected', and willingly to 'change' or 'correct' what needs to be 'changed' or 'corrected' by oneself, and it's not coming from other beings trying to 'change' or 'correct' another being.

When we practice yoga and meditation, we are changing the habits of this mind (our own mind, not other people's mind). We are silencing the mind. When the mind is silent, turning inward resting in the chamber of the heart, wave-less/action-less, what is freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech?

Taming and quieting the busy outgoing self-righteous expressive mind is our yoga and meditation practice. The rest are just 'toys' to bring the attention of the mind into this present moment.

That's why the observance of silence is the most important practice in meditation retreat. It doesn't matter whether we are intellectual or not, it doesn't matter we are whom we think we are, it doesn't matter how healthy, strong and flexible is our physical body and what it can do or cannot do, it doesn't matter we have been to a yoga school or not, or have studied and learned under which Guru or which school, it doesn't matter how long we have been studying and practicing yoga and meditation, it doesn't matter how much we know or don't know about this and that, it doesn't matter what we believe what things are and how things should be, we all do one same practice. We silent/withdraw the thought-waves (the mind), the organ of action (the body) and the organ of speech (the expression).

When we see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think about something that we like or dislike, agree or disagree with, we observe, be aware. Just observe and be aware, without identification, without attachment, without reacting, without judging, without anticipating, without craving, without aversion, without clinging, without rejecting. This practice might take some time to be effortless. But then our mind will taste freedom and peace. Real freedom and unconditional peace. Freedom from ignorance, egoism, attachment, desire and impurities (in short, suffering).

Freedom of thinking, action and speech is there when we have the clarity and understanding to decide or choose what we want to think, act/react, express and say, or not. Being able to decide/choose what to think, act/react, express and say, and what not to think, act/react, express and say, is the real freedom of thinking, action, expression and speech. It's not about being able to think, act/react, express and say anything and everything freely, even if it will cause painful sorrow/suffering to ourselves and/or other beings.

 

Just like we can choose to keep our hands away from contacting with fire directly because we don't want to suffer injury or pain from being burnt by fire. It doesn't mean that we are lack of freedom of action when we choose not to perform certain action that will cause injury or pain to oneself and/or others, thinking that freedom of action means, "I want to be able to do whatever I want to do, such as be able to put my hands into the fire for as long as I want and I expect myself not getting injury or pain from being burnt." That's ignorance, not freedom at all.

Om shanti.

Home cooked vegetarian food recipe - Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry)

Here is another new vegetarian cooking recipe for our yoga retreats guests here in Langkawi.

Chana Masala (Chickpea curry) (serve 6-8 people)
This is a recipe I learned and modified from Manjula's Kitchen

400 grams of chickpeas, soaked over night and then cooked in pressure cooker for 15 minutes after it starts to steam. Turn off the heat. Wait until the steam completely released, then drained the chickpeas.

8 tomatoes, grilled in oven for about 15 minutes, peeled and blend into a puree.

2 teaspoons cumin seeds (jeera)

3 tablespoons gram flour / chickpea flour (Besan)

3 teaspoons ginger paste

2 red or green chillies, chopped

6 teaspoons coriander powder (dhania)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder (haldi)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons chilly powder

2 heap teaspoons salt (adjust to taste)

1 and 1/2 teaspoons garam masala or chana masala

Cooking oil

2 cups of water

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

Heat up the pot at medium high heat. Add about 4 tablespoons of cooking oil.

When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, gram flour. Stir evenly until the gram flour turn slightly brown and fragrant.

Add ginger paste, tomato puree, chopped chillies, coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder.

Stir evenly until the paste well-cooked and fragrant.

Add in the chickpeas, garam masala or chana masala and salt. Add water, cooked until boiling. Switch to low heat and cover. Cooked for 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot with rice or bread, or as a snack on its own.

Bon Appétit!

About what is "allowed" and "disallowed" in Yoga...

Lately there was search word like "What is allowed and disallowed in yoga?" came to this blog.

Well, if by taking up "yoga practice" will generate a lot more inconveniences and problems in life, making our life and other people's life more complicated, then personally I have no interest to be practicing this yoga. As anyone also can be happy and peaceful as they are, it's not necessarily has to be coming from practicing yoga.

Most of the rules and regulations exist for those who don't have self-control and self-discipline to help them to develop these two elements to help them in their practice towards conquering their own mind.

For those whose minds are liberated, they don't need to practice yoga, nor to observe any observations, nor be bound by any rules and regulations.

Here are some of the observations to be engaging yoga practice in everyday life:-
- Have strong self-discipline.
- Do our best in whatever we do without forcing or hurting the body and mind beyond their limitation, and renounce the fruit of actions.
- Accept and respect all beings as they are.
- Talk less.
- Conserve energy.
- Be moderate in food intake.
- Take up Sattvic diet that helps in calming the mind.
- Be adjustable, adaptable and accommodating.
- Be kind and forgiving.
- Be truthful and straightforward.
- Be humble and generous.
- Contemplate on the teachings of yoga.
- Live in the present moment.
- Don't give up, keep practice.
- Don't judge, compare, expect.
- Don't discriminate any beings based on our personal thinking and beliefs, likes and dislikes, agreement and disagreement.
- Don't waste time and effort in vain talk, boasting, gossiping, slandering, condemning, scheming, complaining, mourning, and etc.
- Don't waste energy in too much worldly physical and mental activities.
- Don't take too little or too much food, and don't take food that will either agitate or depress the mind.
- Don't hate or save hatred.
- Don't tell lies or be hypocrite.
- Give up the identification with the worldly self-image.
- Give up possessiveness and jealousy.
- Give up pride and arrogance.
- Give up anger and hatred.
- Give up fear and worry.
- Give up dissatisfaction and disappointment.
- Give up offensiveness, defensiveness, aggressiveness and animosity.
- Give up craving and aversion.
- Give up ill-will and ill-thinking.

By observing these observations can help in purifying, taming and controlling the mind, to help to free the mind from ignorance, egoism, distractions and passionate desires. But it is not a guarantee of liberation or enlightenment. As even by observing these observations, it still doesn't determine that we will be free from ignorance, egoism and attachment. For example, we might still have attachment towards identification of "I" am observing all these "observations", and "I" am a good yogi.

It's not that if we didn't manage to have strong self-discipline, or we like to talk a lot, or if we like to judge, compare and expect, or we spent lots of effort and energy in many worldly physical and mental activities, or if we are not vegetarian, or if we are influenced by passionate desires, anger or depression, that will determine that we are "bad" beings, or we are "evil" beings, or will be guaranteed that we won't be happy and peaceful.

There's no such thing as things or behaviors that are "only be allowed" and "strictly disallowed" if we know what is yoga. If there is something that is "allowed" and "disallowed" in yoga, does that means if we do something that we aren't allowed to do, we will be judged and punished accordingly? Or if we didn't do what we are supposed to be doing, we will also be judged and punished accordingly? And then we will not be allowed or be disqualified to practice yoga, now and forever? If this is happening in what we think is the world of "yoga", then this is not yoga at all. Even if somebody had committed some serious crimes whether intentionally or unintentionally, this person also can practice yoga, and attain liberation through one's own effort. Of course there will be consequences of actions coming from our behavior that we have to be responsible for.

As yoga and Buddhism is a practice by freedom of choice. It's not a religious practice or cult that we have to be observing certain rules and regulations. Or else if we don't follow exactly the rules and regulations, or if we fail to meet up to certain observations or expectations, then we will be judged as "sinful", "bad" and "evil", or we will be punished by some "higher authorities" and be condemned to hell. It is our own freedom of choice and our own responsibility of whether we will be peaceful or not. Maybe some people don't want to be peaceful, they enjoy being restless all the time. That's their freedom and choice. There's nothing wrong with that.

If anyone wants to be good and do good, it's everyone's freedom. If anyone doesn't want to be good or do good, it's also everyone's freedom.

Yoga is about realizing the truth of oneness, non-separateness, non-duality, fearlessness, unconditional peace, unconditional love, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness. It is everyone's freedom whether they want to take up the practice or want to leave the practice, as they wish. There's no contract, no agreement, no punishment, no sin or condemnation if we don't practice yoga the way that some other people are practicing, or we don't observe certain rules and regulations that some other people are observing, or if we want to stop practicing yoga for any reasons.

If we are interested in yoga practice, and we practice yoga sincerely and realize the truth through our own effort, at our own pace, it's coming from our own self.

If we don't want to practice yoga and are not interested in any forms of practice, it's our own freedom. It doesn't mean that we are any less good, or less peaceful and less compassionate than those who take up some forms of yoga, or spiritual, or religious practice.

Or, we want to practice yoga but somehow we haven't realize the truth, and we are not free from suffering, ignorance and egoism, it's also coming from our own self.

Be free.

Om shanti.

Home baked Carrot Cake

This is a smaller size of the usual carrot cake. Serves 4 portions.

*I use mug as I don't have a cup at home.

Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius. Depends on your oven, you might need to increase the temperature to about 200 degree Celsius.

Beat 2 eggs, 1 block melted palm sugar - gula melaka (or 1/2 mug brown sugar), 65 gm melted butter until all mixed well.

Shift 1 mug cake flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon powder, 2 teaspoons nutmeg powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Mix the flour mixture, I mug grated carrot, 1/2 mug raisins, 1/2 mug walnuts and some grated orange zest into the eggs batter.

Pour the mixture into a medium sized greased baking mould, and bake for about 45 minutes. Take out from the oven.

Stand for 10 minutes. Remove from the baking mould.

Serve warm.

Control other people's mind?

Quite often this search word "how to control other people's mind" came to this blog.

If we really want to control other people's mind, well, we need to know how to control our own mind first.
And when we are able to control our own mind, then naturally we won't have this desire of want to control other people's mind.

Om shanti.

We are annoyed and disgusted by our own annoying and disgusting mind...

Whenever we feel annoyed, or disgusted, or bad, or unhappy with something that we see, or hear, or smell, or taste, or touch, or think, as those things are something that our mind perceives and believes as "bad", "disgusting", "dirty", "ugly", or "inappropriate", then know that, this is because our mind is full of qualities or stuffs that are bad, disgust, dirty, ugly and inappropriate.

A positive mind perceives all the names and forms positively.

A negative mind perceives all the names and forms negatively.

A pure mind perceives all the names and forms as something pure.

An impure mind perceives all the names and forms as something impure.

A liberated mind that is free from qualities, perceives all the names and forms as they are. They are neither pure nor impure, neither good nor bad, neither positive nor negative, neither happiness nor suffering, neither appropriate nor inappropriate.

All the names and forms have no power nor quality to make us feel annoyed, disgusted, bad or unhappy, but it is the thinking and beliefs in our own mind that cause us to feel annoyed, disgusted, bad or unhappy.

Be free.

Om shanti.

Yoga practice is not a tool to satisfy our personal desires of wants and don't wants...

Yoga practice is a tool for transcending ignorance and egoism, so that we are able to know the truth, and be at peace unconditionally being unaffected, undisturbed, uninfluenced, and undetermined by qualities of names and forms that the mind perceives through the senses from moment to moment.

When we realize the truth, there's no good and bad, positive and negative, happiness and suffering, right and wrong. Everything is just being what it is. And hence we are able to be at peace, whether the reality is something pleasant or unpleasant, something that we like or dislike, agree or disagree with. We will allow the reality to be what it is. We do our best for the best interest of all beings, but we do not attach to our actions and we renounce the fruit of actions, unaffected, undisturbed, uninfluenced, and undetermined by the fruit of actions, or how others perceive and react towards our actions and the fruit of our actions.

Yoga practice is not a tool to attain some sort of "wishing power" so that we can attain all that we desire and don't get what we don't desire in life. It is not about wish that we will only experience something that is pleasant, enjoyable, good and happy for us, and will not experience anything that is unpleasant, suffering, bad and unhappy for us. It is not about looking forward to change the world to be the way that we like it to be, or to be the way that we think it should be, but it is to go beyond the world of names and forms that is full of good and bad happenings, happy and unhappy happenings, positive and negative happenings, right and wrong doings, that is subject to impermanence, and is limited and conditioned by time, space and causation. It's not about desire or hope everything to be all good as what we believe what "good" is, and desire or hope all the things that we believe as bad, negative, suffering and wrong to be disappearing from the world. We cannot change the world to be the way that we like it to be. The world will change by itself when each and everyone changes themselves, whether towards better or worst.

This doesn't mean that we are agreeing and supporting all the things that we believe as bad, negative, suffering and wrong, but we don't have to be disturbed, nor influenced, nor determined by all these things in order to show love and care for the world. We are dissatisfied, angry and unhappy is because we can't have the world the way that we like it to be. It is about our desire is not being gratified. It's not really about there are bad people and bad things existing in the world. We can't really help the world to be better or improve if ourselves is being disturbed, influenced and determined by what is happening in the world, being angry, hating or depressed.

Yoga practice allows us to see the truth of things as they are, and be free from being conditioned by duality, where the intellect categorizes all the names and forms into different qualities of good and bad, positive and negative, happiness and suffering, right and wrong. Then the ego asserts likes and dislikes, agreements and disagreements, and generates craving and aversion towards what our mind believes as good and bad, positive and negative, happiness and suffering, right and wrong, and be affected, disturbed, influenced and determined by these perceptions of dualities, and the ego reacts towards all these qualities of names and forms upon coming in contact, or not coming in contact with all these objects of names and forms, and generates satisfaction and dissatisfaction, happy and unhappy feelings, and be disturbed, influenced and over-powered by impurities of anger, hatred, jealousy, greed, dissatisfaction, disappointment, pride, arrogance, feelings of hurts, depression, aggressiveness, offensiveness, defensiveness, animosity, fear and worry, and etc that arise to act and react.

When we practice yoga in most yoga classes, we often hear some resolutions in the yoga classes about may our yoga practice brings us good health, success, strength, youthfulness, wealth, happiness and things that we desire, and to be free from sickness, failure, weakness, aging, poverty, unhappiness or things that we don't desire. There's nothing wrong with this, but this is not really why yoga practice exists in the world.

Yoga practice exists for us to realize yoga, or realize the truth of oneness, non-separateness, non-duality, attributelessness, namelessness and formlessness, birthlessness and deathlessness. There's no suffering. There's no fear towards suffering. There's no aversion towards suffering or unhappiness, nor craving towards sensual enjoyment and happiness. All the happiness and suffering that the mind experiences in this world via the existence and function of the body and the mind, is subject to impermanence and is conditioned by time, space and causation, karma, cause and effect, birth and death. We allow all the pleasant and unpleasant experiences to be there as they are, without attachment.

We think we are good people, and other people who are not the same as us are bad, we think we are right and other people who are different from us is wrong. And this happen the other way round as well. Those whom we think are bad and wrong, they think we are the one who is bad and wrong, and they are good and right. The things that we want, are something that they don't want. The things that we don't want, are something that they want. And hence argument, frustration, anger, hatred, animosity, war, fear, worry, unhappiness, suffering, restlessness arise among all the different thinking and beliefs, because each one try to interfere with, or try to control, or try to change one another.

We all share the space of the universe. We don't own this space of the universe we are existing in. We are being "selfish" when we only want to allow beings whom we like and agree with to be sharing this space with us, and we try to change all the beings whom we dislike and disagree with to be the way that we like and can agree with, or else, we want to get rid of them from the world that we are living in. Even if we think we are good and righteous beings, and we want to protect the world from being destroyed by all these bad and unrighteous beings, but we behave not any different from those whom we think are bad and wrong. We cannot allow nor accept other beings who are different from us to be who they are, what they are. We think we are so good and right to have the right to judge other beings, to control and change them to be the way that we think they should be. And when we behave like this, we are not any different from these beings whom we judged as bad and wrong.

When we practice yoga, or any other type of spiritual or religious practice, we like to say we practice love, unconditional love, that we are loving and kind human beings, but how come most of the time, we only can love those whom we like and agree with, but we are angry with and hate those whom we dislike and disagree with, we want them to be punished, to suffer for what they've done, or be condemned to hell? It doesn't sound "right", isn't it? If we are able to love unconditionally without discrimination or hatred, there's no dissatisfaction, disappointment, unhappiness or suffering in us. There is less a being in the world being unhappy and generate disturbing vibrations into the world.

How can we expect a peaceful world when ourselves are not peaceful? How can we spread peace, if ourselves have no peace?

Be free.

Om shanti.

Let go of I, my, mine...

Let go of all these identifications and qualities of I, my and mine,

I am good.

I perform my good actions.

I'll receive my good rewards in return.

I am a yoga teacher.

I am teaching yoga to my yoga students.

My yoga students will be benefited from my teachings.

This is my body.

My body is healthy and strong.

My body will stay healthy and strong.

This is my family.

My family is good and happy.

My family will stay good and happy.

In the kitchen,

In my garden, I collect my vegetables, and then back in my kitchen of my house, I use my hand to cut my vegetables with my knife on my chopping board, and put them into my pot, mix them with my salt and pepper, and my favorite olive oil and my homegrown organic herbs, and stir them with my spatula, and put them into my oven. I hope my guests will enjoy eating my cooking.

In truth, none of these things belong to me, they belong to their own cause and effect, belong to the elements that formed them to be what they are. They are subject to impermanence. They will change and disappear at their own cause. They are not mine, and I don't even exist.

Be free.

Om shanti.

Go beyond the ego and its good and bad intention, and be free...

The ego is neither good nor bad. It's just being what it is, constantly acts and reacts upon the perception of names and forms of what the mind sees, hears, smells, tastes, touches and thinks.

Both good and bad intention that leads to good and bad actions is coming from the ego.

To go beyond the ego and its plays, we free the mind from both good and bad intention.

Contemplate what is intentionless. As when the ego is eradicated, there's no intention to be the cause of action. Actions are being performed out of compassion.

Actions that derived from good or bad intention bind us to good and bad karma.

Actions that are free from intentions, are not different from inaction, they do not generate good or bad karma.

Contemplate on this :-

Does the water bound by good karma, when we enjoy and consume the water for survival, drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning, gardening, and etc? Does the water bound by bad karma, when properties and lives are lost or damaged by flood, or tsunami?

Does the air bound by good karma, when we utilize the wind for generating electricity, and breathe in oxygen for survival? Does the air bound by bad karma, when properties and lives are lost or damaged by hurricane or tornado?

Does the earth bound by good karma, when we live on it, build home on it, and harvest minerals out of it? Does the earth bound by bad karma, when properties and lives are lost or damaged by earthquake or land slide?

Same as the sun and the space. Do they bound by good and bad karma while performing ceaseless contributions or actions of giving, providing and supporting everything to be existing, while somebody or something is damaged or destroyed by all these elements?

Nope.

Why? It's because they have no intention to be good or bad, they have no intention to be doing something good or bad.

They exist for everything to be exist. Everything will also cease existing because of them. It's just the law of impermanence of existence.

There's no good or bad karma.

And why are we, human beings with the thinking mind, with the egoism, are bound by good and bad karma coming from our actions? It's because we perform all our actions out of intention, or actions are being performed out of good or bad intention, to be getting something that we desire, or do not want to get something that we don't desire.

No one can give us an answer that will clear our doubts or ignorance, and free us from the binding of karma.

Contemplate and find the answer from our own self-realization.

Realize the truth, perform all actions out of compassion, without attachment towards the actions and the fruit of actions.

Be free.

Om shanti.