Living in the present

In our limited capacities to experience happiness, we just need to do one thing- we need to live in the present moment. It may seem quite simple to many but very difficult indeed to follow. The first thing that needs to be done is regulation of our thoughts. It would help us to focus our energy on the work at hand and do justice to it. In short, letting go of the experiences of our past (after learning from them of course) and letting go of our apprehensions about our future will bring peace to us. Most of us have the habit of facing life as it comes by reacting to it. A proactive approach, wherein we make progressive improvements in ourselves, would assist us in reacting better. If we further learn to live without expectations and surrender all our activities to the pious feet of the Supreme, we would indeed live a much better life. Living a human life is an invaluable experience- a gift. The sacred texts of Hindu religion talk about the purpose of a human life-self realization. Bhagavad Gita further talks about the three ways in which it could be done- through our karma, through learning or jnana and through dedication or bhakti to Lord. Essentially any one path can be followed. The spirit soul bewildered under the influence of false ego thinks itself to be the doer. Know that the world was functioning just fine and will continue to do so, even in your absence. This does not mean your actions are not important. It just means that you are just a small part of this wonderful creation we call the universe. A wise man understands how to act in inaction and vice versa. A life of surrender to the Lord gives us enormous strength to face the adversities of life. Drawing from such an infinite pool of strength, depends on the amount of faith you can develop in this limited life of yours. When we live in the present moment and not worry our minds with the past and the future, we indeed are focussing our energy to the maximum possible extent, on what is in our hands. Isn’t that a wise thing to do? For, what has gone is gone and what will be shall depend on what you do now. Therefore, without any attachment to the fruits of action, one must act as a matter of duty and move closer to attaining the Supreme. Know that wisdom or knowledge is power but with every power, you have responsibilities. To accept them and do justice to them without any expectations is the act of a yogi. Indeed, lord Krishna rightly says to Arjuna in the battlefield, “As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.” A person living in the present experiences contentment in its true sense. Such a person is the same in happiness and grief. He neither celebrates life and nor does he mourn the dead. Such a person’s mind is already established in sameness and equanimity. Know that he has already conquered birth and death. He does not have to establish anything else in this world and is already situated in the Brahman. Living even partially in the past or the future is the act of an ignorant person. Such a life brings misery in its most dreaded form. Know that all material associations bring misery and that all sensual pleasures have a beginning and an end. It is only wise to let go of them and work with utmost devotion, surrendering the results of our actions to the Supreme.