Can we Let Go? 01/10/2012
 
I was reading Osho about emptiness, a broad topic that many people like to talk about. Osho said, "empty your cup then I will pouring myself into you"....
emptiness he mentioned here is about letting go out philosophy, our rules and doctrines, our glass cage around us...break it down and letting the vastness of possibility and potential comes...

it is easier to say and read than actually doing it. I said this, not to give lecture or saying this is right and you are wrong. but this is also some kind of reminder for myself to be constantly aware about my mind, my attitude towards other people when they come in the interaction with me.

can we pouring half of our cup to have that "space" of transformation. but the process might not be pleasure - for the birth of something, destruction is needed, the suffering might be there...the master, teacher is just the guide, a person who can ensure you are passing through, to help like a midwife and the whole thing- the whole process of transformation is within you, if you surrender, letting all your doctrines and rules in your head GONE...emptiness...

when we are filled with many things, we may be trapped in our own mind and world. we can't see clear that is the reason women needs chatting, sharing with others and this is the help of the other person who is not inside the situation whom can give advise, perhaps solution or just a warm hug.

therefore we need a "way out" to create those space...some people will do yoga, some will dance and sing, some will paint or write...anything it might be...express the energy within, create the space and surrender ...make emptiness as your friend to be free ...allowing the transformation to come alive...

namaste
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  Life without Frame…

As I have a new habit now, reading Osho talking on Lao Tzu, I found this terms “live your life without frame…let your mind becomes frameless and formless”. The frame are false…the frame that put limitation in ourselves. When you see the sky from the window, the frame of that window limits you from the vast sky.

And when I think of ourselves…do we frame our identity?

“Who are you?” people asked Lao Tzu, “I do not know, he said”. Lao Tzu mentioned that we are emptiness, formless, and frameless…we have that hollow inside us…who we are?

Are we our names? This body? Or race or ethnic?

Just think about it for you (and for me as well)…feel the answer whispering in your ears from within…

And when we do Yoga. We frame it…we called it different names and most people stays and being focus on the names (types of yoga). Some prefers to do this yoga or that yoga. Lets back to where we started…why do people do yoga? Most of people’s reasons are to get some relax and calm.

Yoga practice which actually, trying to connect us again to the inner body, to feel and allowing us to see what is the vast sky inside us, the great potential within. So why do we divide the style and what we prefer? Do we need it so? Could we bring this frameless into our practice? Could we practice as a whole? I mean, could we practice not only the physical body but have a little patience to feel what the body and the energy, how does it flows? Then all the alignments are naturally comes…

If we are searching within, why bother the outside, the physical body?

I don’t mean that we need to ignore it completely, instead taking it really good care for it to be healthy, to be able to do things and sharing…but if there is (or are) postures or asanas we couldn’t do, ask yourself “Does this pose will makes me a better person after I could do it? Does it really matter?”

Yes there will be EGO and desires to reach to certain level or even wanting more and more…what this will lead to? We are already making “frame” to ourselves by saying this pose and that pose…making yoga into lots of frame…ashtanga, hatha, flow and whatever you may called it. It is fine to call whatever, but do not stay with the names…just be there and practice…can be meditation, can be pranayama, can be whatever but be full…be total…and try to find inside…

Frameless….Formless…whatever it could be…open to any possibilities that may come…

Om Shanti…
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Here I am sitting at KLIA McDonalds on my way to home (Bali island) having my breakfast and watching Food Inc.
I think you should watch this and it will change the perspective of your food, or at least you are aware of what you are putting into your body and mind.

Yes the movie is talking about meat production but it is not about that only, it is more about the whole system of our food. So you will not have the feeling that I am teaching and practicing yoga therefore I am vegetarian and I encourage everyone to be vegetarian like me. I am not...but I want people to understand what kind of food they put in, the mentality of those food affects us daily and when you aware you could choose wisely, agree?

Let us start discussion about the Food Inc movie.
It is showing us where is the source of our meat (beef, chicken and pork) comes from, it is a mass production (not a farm where they are eating natural grass, have time to grow naturally and have a space to walk around-not just sit and being fed by food contains of chemicals.
It is really heart breaking to see those animals being harvested in a small rooms, being fed and not having time for all the organs to grow naturally therefore finally they will died because of overweight or the organs just failed, not being able to coupe with the growth from the hormones in the food they take. moreover, the food the animal eat contains of chemicals and this is affected the farmer directly and consumers who buy the end products, indirectly. Now, are you start thinking or agree?

The more facts the movie mentioned was about the money and politics in food industry. The BIG multinational companies who able to direct the decision makers (in USA, the FDA and USDA) of the laws and regulations. All these will be affecting the society's safety. The BIG companies are using many illegal immigrants, making sure that they have no UNIONS, they have less rights and work hard. Many of them being cought by police but who cares? BIG companies do not. They have no respects to the animals and plants, the people and workers, the consumers. What they cares about is growing faster, better, cheaper with as short time as possible. SAD....

Even some death cases in USA could not regulate the safety in food industry. Money and profit are the goal for everyone, sure everyone needs money and profit but as we are practicing awareness and conscious living, we should be taking other things around us into count such as sustainable (not just cheap price), organic (without pesticides, herbicides and all chemicals), and how the symbiotic ecosystem.

So where are the real farmers? Farmers are the big threat to big companies therefore they are in danger of being closed down. All resources and the best lawyers will be at the back of BGI multinational companies to make sure their money and profits will still goes up every year. what are the cost? Consumer's health, society's cost of medical treatment, the dependency of chemicals and Genetically Modified food.

Are you care? watch the movie and try to change daily, every little things you choose in the supermarket, every food you eat and share with others around you...

PS: Louise Sunflower, we have a BIG mission to reach to others about food...

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu (may all beings guided to the "light" to see and having the strength to make a CHANGE)
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There are many times we feel down, needed a support internally or outside world could be overwhelming. That is when you could turn into a mala with your mantra, it is advise that you are able to find sometime during your daily activities to do this practice. I will do my mala on the way to go to work (teaching yoga) or at night before I sleep in front of the altar. Where or when you do is not a matter as long as your heart and mind comes together.

Surely if you could find same time and same place to practice this daily, that would be better. Your vibration will unite with the space, however, if that is not the case, you can still practice. Be flexible to your practice because we are living with family and friends, we should find a balance that we are not selfish by too much focus on the practice (be it asanas or meditation) and disregards others around us.

There are times when I feel really tired of activities or teaching several classes in a day. However, when I started chant the mantras, the energy will come to me and I could start teaching. It is just amazing how the vibrations of those words able to waken up our energy body.

It is so meaningful when we can see and learn from others everyday and at the end of the day, we come back home...our house and our heart...and be grateful of all things happening around us (me) and chant...giving and taking vibrations to all beings...

I normally chants for the White Tara the compassion God:
"Om Tare Tuttare Ture Mama Ayuh Punye Jnana Pustim Kuru Svaha"

Mama means "mine" and indicates that you’d like to possess these qualities of long life, merit, wisdom, happiness, etc. You can of course choose to wish these qualities for someone else — perhaps for a teacher or for a loved one who is ill.

Ayuh is long life (as in Ayurvedic medicine).

Punya means the merit that comes from living life ethically, and this merit is said to help one to live long and happily.

Jnana is wisdom.

Punya and Jnana are known as the Two Accumulations. In order to become enlightened we need to accumulate merit (that is, to develop positive qualities through living ethically and meditating) but we also need to develop wisdom through deep reflection. Wisdom cannot arise without a basis of merit, but merit alone is not enough for us to become enlightened, meaning that becoming a nicer person isn’t enough — we have also to look deeply into ourselves and the world around us and to see the impermanent and insubstantial nature of all things.

Pushtim means wealth, abundance, or increase.

Kuru is a mythical land to the north of the Himalayas, which was said to be a land of long life and happiness (it may have been the original northern home of the aryans). Perhaps the association with the mythical realm of Kuru doesn’t hurt when doing the mantra. But (and with due thanks to Arpad Joo’s comment below) it’s also a verb form meaning “do it!” or “make it so!” (second person singular active imperative or the root k.r if that’s of any interest to you) which is what it means here. The “make it so!” refers back to an increase in wisdom, merit, and long life (for the practitioner). We’re imploring White Tara for these things so that we can gain enlightenment and help all sentient beings.

svaha is an exclamation meaning “hail” or “may blessings be upon” and is a common ending to Buddhist mantras. So after making the rather bold request of White Tara above, we end with an equally emphatic salutation.
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Many times in the practice, spiritual and yoga asanas, we need to come back to the basic...this time, I am coming back to the trees and water in the garden (you can see it in the latest pictures). Sitting surrounded by the trees, watching the water lily and some fishes swimming happily in the morning while drinking my lemon honey water, the feeling is just amazing...

On last Saturday, a new local small orange tree came in and it's huge! It adds on to the positive energy the house has been giving me...yesterday as I took my guitar and started to chant...the wind touched my skin and whispered to my ears a new melody for the sacred chants...

"Hari Om Hari Om Nama Shivaya" and today it told me "Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha"

It is so magical and I resonate to it...I open my heart and my throat...I let my feeling and my fingers playing around with my guitar. That is back to the nature...it will guide you, it is showing you the way...the trees always protect and share its shadow with you...it gives back and never ask for a return...
The water flows, it is always following it's container, it is flexible in it's shape but strong in it's essential quality. Water is the element of creativity, the second chakra (Swadhisthana). Come back to the goal of practicing yoga or spiritual journey, we would love to be like the trees and the water...be open to share and looking deep inside like a water lily....morning blooming and evening withdraw to it's core.

Back to the nature, be like a gardener, and start gardening our heart and soul. Feeding them with love, compassion, positive energy through our walk, talk, food and smile. Let the shine from within radiates to our surroundings....Hari Om Tat Sat
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