“Excerpts from Master Oneness’s Lecture at the TransformationArt, Round 1, in Lam Ha, Lam Dong”
DAY 2: THE JOURNEY TO BREAKING THE LOOPS AND FINDING FREEDOM
Connecting with the Sun - The Energy Source to Purify the Ego
The morning of the second day began with a profoundly meaningful practice: connecting with the sun. Without the sun, there is no Earth; without the Earth, there are no plants and no human beings. The sun not only brings us health but is also the key to melting the ego, the rigid shell we have built over the years.
Yogis in the Himalayas have turned connecting with the sun into a daily ritual. The practice is simple yet profound: we look at the sun with the whites of our eyes instead of the pupils. The sun’s energy acts as healing waves, helping us to cleanse depression, emotional blockages, and the feeling of loneliness hidden deep within our souls. During the 5-minute practice, we can close our eyes to rest if we feel tired, and then continue to open them to receive the light.
The Mind’s Loops - The Invisible Trap from the Past
After the sun practice, the Master led us deeper into exploring the mind’s loops. We often don’t know how to escape these loops because, since childhood, we have been programmed by family, society, and culture. These loops silently govern our lives without us ever knowing.
Many people turn to karaoke, coffee, or fishing to temporarily escape these loops. They think they are meditating, they are relaxing. But this is a misunderstanding of meditation. These enjoyable activities only help us relax temporarily, but they don’t help us find the root of the problem. True meditation is a tool to help us escape the loops in the mind, not just simple relaxation.
Control and Loneliness - Two Sides of the Same Coin
The loops are essentially resistance, expectation, and control. They make us feel safe, but safety or insecurity are just feelings in the mind. The paradox is that you can control everything to feel safe, but the side effect is that you will feel lonely. All your efforts to control push you further away from life and the people around you.
No matter how well you have controlled your life, one day the universe will shake you. The universe always knows how to shake things up, whether through a failed business, the passing of a loved one, or unexpected events. But why does the universe do this?
The Universe Shakes Us to Expand
The universe shakes you not to punish you, but because the universe wants you to break your state of control; it wants you to expand and step out of your comfort zone. The universe wants you to upgrade, because everything in this universe is expanding and evolving, and you are no exception. This is an invitation for us to mature, to overcome the limitations we have set for ourselves.
Therefore, we need to practice TransformationArt to escape the loops in the mind. When practicing, do not choose to like or dislike, do not try to control the flow. When the Master says jump, jump; when he says sing, sing—without hesitation, without analysis.
Returning to the Original Innocence
When we were children, we didn’t have these loops in our minds. But as we grow up, we gradually individualize. When we were young, we didn’t cling to anything, label anything, or have conditions in our minds. When we have too many conditions in our minds, we react easily and become stressed.
The Master wants us to immerse ourselves completely in the flow with objective observation to break the conditions in our minds and escape the loops. Let’s make the most of the opportunity of being here—the Master’s time, your time, and the volunteers’ time. There is a saying: when you are ready to take one step, the universe will support you for the next thousand. When you are ready, the Master will also be ready to accompany you.
The Trekking Session - Exploring Human Nature Through Nature
In the afternoon, we embarked on a meaningful trekking trip. Amidst the majestic nature, the Master shared the fundamental difference between humans and animals. Animals do not have the capacity for transformation; only humans have the capacity for transformation, enlightenment, and awakening. Animals cannot awaken because they still live a life of survival and cannot change their habits.
When we cannot change our habits, we are living a limited life of survival. A life of survival means always chasing, struggling, and protecting our safety. Worry, insecurity, and sadness further thicken the conditions within us. The TransformationArt helps us escape the survival and victim mindset by exploring the laws of nature.
Observing as It Is - The Key to Unlocking Potential
Observe everything as it is, not as you want it to be. If we nurture the ability to observe everything as it is, we will discover a lot of hidden potential. Let us not live within limits, living a life of survival. To do this, observe everything as it is.
We try to earn money to be happy, but we only experience a brief period of happiness before chasing other goals. The life we are living is the dream of many others out there, but even when they have what they want, they may not necessarily be happy. This is because there is an unconscious guidance within—these are the mental grooves.
The Art of Letting Go - Nothing is Ours Forever
Self-mastery is knowing how to break old habits, knowing how to harmonize life and emotions so that life unfolds naturally without being influenced by money or emotions.
For example, we put a lot of effort into building a company or raising children, so it’s easy to be attached with a sense of “mine.” But looking at the other side, these things are not ours. Children are brought into your life but can also be taken away. Similarly, the breath we have can leave us at any moment. We are happy, then sad; these are loops. Self-mastery is breaking these unconscious patterns.
Thought Patterns - Invisible Blueprints Governing Life
Hesitation, resistance, and reaction create patterns and mental grooves. These patterns govern decision-making. Husbands and wives have their own patterns. Employers and employees also have their own patterns.
If you can master your own pattern, you master yourself. If you can guide others to break their patterns, you are their Teacher. Self-mastery is not being indifferent, thinking, “I already know this,” but the ability to deeply detach yourself to reach your own essence.
The Gap in Awareness - From Ant to Human, From Human to Enlightenment
An ant also has its awareness, which is why it can move, but that awareness is not like ours. The gap between the awareness of an ant and a human is like the gap between the awareness of an enlightened person and us. If we see these things, we will no longer feel lonely.
Just like a sponge absorbing water, our unconsciousness is also absorbed and pulls us back. Our mind always finds others hard to believe, always judging. We all come from a mother’s womb, breathing the same air. It is only the different unconsciousness and ego that make us separate.
The Art of Letting Go - Nothing is Ours Forever (Repeated Section Title)
If we feel different, it is only adding to our unconsciousness. Before we learn to practice flexibility and adaptability, we judge others very easily—that is a loop of the mind.
Unconscious resonance happens all the time: I hate this person because my friend hates them; I am Vietnamese, so I hate Chinese people. Unconsciousness is resonated from family and nation, so we must continue to practice and practice.
Why Work with the Unconscious? Maximizing Human Potential
Someone asked: “Why should I work with the unconscious? I am very happy right now!” All animals are happy. Here, we are not just living happily and joyfully, but the question is whether you have utilized your highest potential.
If we utilize our full potential, we allow cosmic intelligence to flow within us. Otherwise, one way or another, we will contribute to the suffering of the world, and we will have to face the consequences. We need to clearly see how the unconscious limits our lives. We do not receive the Master’s teachings as mere knowledge; instead, we will work with our unconsciousness.
Tragedy in Relationships - The Consequences of Expectation and Control
A couple comes together to live a happy life, but one or two years later, the drama begins. The relationship becomes complicated, leading to tragedies and trauma. These tragedies come from expectation, such as a wife wanting her husband to earn as much money as the neighbor. This is just one example of the unconscious; there are many others.
The wife and husband begin to distance themselves, feel lonely, and seek alternatives. Tragedies happen and do not stop until each person sees their own unconsciousness. What makes a relationship hurtful is expectation, control, lack of trust, and the patterns we absorbed from our families previously. Some unconsciousness is absorbed and stored at a cellular level.
The Core of The TransformationArt round 1 (TA1) - The Unconscious is Not You
The core of TA1 shows us that these unconscious patterns, however deep, are not who we are. Thoughts, views, and perceptions can change through practice. We might see them as karma or an unchangeable fate, but no—if we just break the unconscious, everything will change.
There are two scenarios: the poor trying to make money, and those who have everything feeling bored. Regardless of the circumstances, there are distractions. The fact that we still follow our habits is a common problem for everyone, leading to sadness, worry, and insecurity.
Flowing Instead of Being Swept Away - The Path of Freedom
Don’t be swept away by rambling thoughts; allow yourself to flow. To do this, there will be activities like spontaneous dancing, playing, and other exercises. Immerse yourself completely in the activities.
Check how your current relationships are. If you feel lonely in most relationships, it is because of the conditions and loops of the mind. Our lives can change quickly, just like nature—sunny one moment, rainy the next—and we think, “Oh no, what should I do, I will get sick.”
Unconditional Practice - The Key to Going with the Flow of Life
When we break our unconscious patterns, we no longer confine ourselves to any type of person; we can be anything we want. At that point, we become flexible and unconditional.
Practicing TA1 means we are practicing being unconditional as much as possible. Even with things we don’t like, we immerse ourselves completely. Only when we are unconditional can we go with the flow. This is the path for us to return to freedom, to our own flowing and limitless nature.
