Meditation, Mindful & the Moment
I sometime back thought that the pursuit of Spirituality is tough as it lacks a tangible measure like say fitness or some other pursuits. I was wrong. I realise that the spiritually successful person actually lives in the moment and is aware of its treasure and the others live in an abstract future.
Thich Nhat Hanh recounts a nice story or a King who always wanted to make a right decision and asked himself 3 questions
1. What is the best time to do each thing?
2. Who are the most important people to work with?
3. What is the most important people to do at all times?
The answers came back but were different from what he expected them to be. The important time is Now, the most important person is the one you are with Now and the most important is to make that person next to you happy.
One of the finest UN General Secretaries ever, Dag Hammarskjold used to say that it is easier to voice a commitment to great causes in the abstract future than making a difference to an actual human being next to you. Is the choice then to give up grand schemes or is it as naïve as it seems? No! It is to focus on the present moment which is the beginning of real effectiveness. The other benefits of being fully living in the present is getting back to the simple joys of life, because sadness and worry comes from the thoughts of the past or the future.
The best way to get to the above is to meditate. Find your own comfort zone and method, dedicate 15–30mins everyday with no cheat days and soon you will find that you are reaching the above state, faster than you think. You will see the sudden feeling of oneness beyond what you have felt before.
Let me conclude with a Persian proverb — “Seek truth in meditation & not in books. It is the same like looking into the sky for the moon and not in a pond”. The blog is the pond.
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