Om, Yoga, & Vipassana – 3

Sometimes we go for vipassana for 10 days, for 7 days, or 21days.

In those days, in the old days when I was young, minimum was 21 days, now they cut down.

Go for vipassana and then you come out from the retreat, and you feel that you are somebody.

Every single person that you meet on the street, you tell them I have been to vipassana. Nobody is interested whether you’ve been to vipassana. But you make a point to tell them, “I’ve been to vipassana”.

And if you listen to Buddha. Coming back to buddha when He used the word ‘vipassana’. It was used as a generic term. He did not use in the way we’re using it now. He didn’t use in that way. Vipassana was go within. Have an inside, look within!

It was a generic pointing to the way, just look within. It was not the matter of 10 days or 21 days. Look within, go inside!

Same word. You know we are bored of Jesus. So Buddha is very much syllable in the west now, because you’ve got used to Jesus for 2000 years. So we want something a nobelty. So now buddha is trendy. But what buddha said, exactly the same word Jesus said.

Metanoia: turn around. The sufis uses another word, touba. Touba is turn around.

Jesus never said conversion. He said, “Turn around, turn within”. And the word metanoia from the greek bible has been translated, mistranslated in English as conversion. He never said conversion. He said, turn around, go within! Buddha said the same thing. The sufis says the same thing, go within.

So when we understand, we understand what is the inner significant of om.

You are made of om. I am made of om.  We are all made of om.  We are all made of om. There is absolutely no difference and yet the difference is there. On the physical level there is a difference, on the mental there is a difference, on the intellectual level there is a difference, on the social level, financial level of course.

We are different on so many other layers, but so many other levels. But within, when you come to the pranava. The cause of life.  The cause of life force. Then we  are all one. If you understand that nityam dhayanti yoginaha.

If you keep reminding yourself that essentially we all are one.

om karam bindhu samyuktam. You see bindhu, digits.  You are made of so many digits. I am made of more digits perhaps, because I am big.

But it doesn’t make much difference. Difference of 100 pounds does not make much difference, it’s flesh and all is digits.

So, digits different. You have got so many digits, I may have got more, or you may have got more, or I may have got less.

Digits wise – we are different.

But pranava wise – life force wise, omkar wise, we are the same. If you remember this in Bhagavad Gita. Krishna says , “if you know the secret that all the differences which are apparent which you can see on the outer layer. All the differences means nothing actually. Because essentially you are one. If you know this through the practice of yoga, then your ultimate desire for moksha is attained. You can reach that ultimate freedom”.

It is a beautiful prayer.

Those of you are staying here (Anand Ashram Ubud) make a point to attend the chanting in the morning. It’s a very good time to do chanting.

And try to memorise those prayers, those chants. I think there’s a small book upstairs (Chapel). You can follow those prayers/chants.

We have chosen some of the most essential. Some of the most important.

They are not actually prayers. They are affirmations.

Like the one I am explaining to you now. Omkaram bindu samyuktam.

Transcripted by Ray / Edited by Tara Galih

Om, Yoga, & Vipassana – 2

If you realise, Oh Yogi.

If you realise through yoga and yoga is not; I keep reminding myself. I keep reminding you guys, that

Yoga is not standing on your head. Yoga is not having a certification, that you have done for 200 or 500 hours. Yoga is a lifestyle. Either you live yoga or you are merely a yoga teacher/instructor.

In sankrit tradition, in the yogic tradition there is no such thing as yoga teacher. So the certification that we have got may mean nothing, from the original yogic point of view.

There are yoga acharya; the practicioner. You practice yoga and then you share yoga. You can not teach yoga nobody can certify you. Nobody can certify you that you are living yoga 24 hours a day, 24/7. Nobody can certify you.

If i am to certify you i’ll be bullying myself, be lying to myself how do I keep a watch on you.

I am not omnipresent. I am not omnipresent that I can look at you and I can get i to your bedroom and see whether you are making love in a yogic style.

Nobody can do that. Nobody can certify you. It is you know, toilet paper is better than your certification. You can still use your toilet paper. Certification for what? It is no use at all.

You have to practice, we have to practice yoga. And when you come to practice of yoga then we have to understand what yoga is. Moderation. Buddha said the wise people they always live in the manner of yoga. in the yogic way. The wise live in the yogic manner, in yogic way. And a lot of buddhist they don’t want to translate this.

 

They have translated the word yoga, from Pali as meditation. buddha was very clear, when he want to speak about meditation, He use another word. He used  dhayana, zen, chang. That is dhayana, variations of dhyana.

Yoga: you have to live yoga. And living yoga means what?

All these aspects of yoga are one set. You can not pick just the Asana. Oh, I want to start with Asanas first then I get there. No . Patanjali, the yoga maestro is very clear, either you take it as a package or you don’t take it. Either you take yoga as a package or you don’t take it. Because it becomes very very dangerous.

That’s there in 3rd chapter of yoga sutra Patanjali. You can get all kind of siddhis, all kind of powers.

You just look at the stars! You don’t have to sit, you don’t have to stand on your head. Just look at the stars for 4 hours 20 minutes and you become omnipresent. Patanjali says, “Try it!”.

I am not. You can’t know everything. But you know there are so many siddhis which you can acquire. There are so many powers that you can acquire from yoga, from asanas. What happens?

My master told me, once you become egoistic as if everybody else is stupid. You are a yogi, you are a yogi!

Transcripted by Ray / Edited by Tara Galih