“I was regretting the past
And fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking: “My name is I Am.” He paused.
I waited. He continued,
When you live in the past
With its mistakes and regrets,
It is hard. I am not there,
My name is not I WAS”.
When you live in the future With its problems and fears, It is hard. I am not there. My name is not I WILL BE.
When you live in this moment, It is not hard. I am here.
My name is I AM.
LIVE IN THE PRESENT
I AM - POEM BY HELEN MALLICOAT
Few discussions over past week this idea of living in the present came up few times. Which prompted me do this write-up.
What is Present? We can think like a moment in time, “now”! But the moment I say “NOW” it is already past, there is no real now. Hence present can be defined as “Continuous Now”. Which can be also interpreted as infinite. You will find this reference to infinite in very much all of the scriptures, religions.
We are all conditioned by past and working for the future. This eludes us from living in the present; reason - our minds are very much time bound always conditioned by past and transactional in nature as we anticipate results of our actions in the future. In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna says we should not be seeking results (fruits) of the actions (Karma phala). From a normal standpoint how is it possible, my action is always with an anticipation of the result?
When mind goes beyond its transactional nature, then it becomes selfless, and then we are in a state of true non-attachment, devoid of desire (because there is not any future anticipation). If that present is imbued with a spiritual condition then one can only imagine such a state of existence. But this is only a first rung in spirituality.
Babuji’s well-known dictum “When religion (means transaction) ends spirituality begins”.
Back to the question what is living in present really means? Or How to live in present?
I happened to read a book on Time management (forgot the author) very small book about 10 pages. In that book the author says to be in the present we must have a GOAL and we work in the present to meet or achieve the GOAL. Then the question is am I not working or living in the present to meet a future GOAL. Absolutely but that is only one perspective. Spiritual science gives a completely different perspective. To be a true performer in both material and spiritual aspects one has to take a quantum leap inwards. In material world we must aspire (not desire) and in spirituality we must realize the GOAL. We must realize because it is always there. It is just that we are not acknowledging it, not feeling it because of our extravert transactional mind.
Its like in the story a thief and a rich businessman with lots of cash were traveling by train on a long journey for three days. Thief thought to himself when the businessman sleeps he will steel his moneybag, which he normally keeps under the pillow. In the night, thief searches under the bed, under the pillow everywhere with no luck. This repeats for all three days. When they are getting off from the train, the thief confesses to the businessman. Can you please tell where you hid your moneybag? I never failed like this in my work. The businessman says I suspected you might be that famous thief and every night when you go to the toilet I hid it under your pillow. I am sure that is the last place you would be looking. You see our minds have become so extravert that which can be found in our own hearts we have been searching outside. When we could not find it outside we made the representations of it and deluding ourselves thinking that it will be revealed to us and we can feel its presence (we are going to have the darshan of the LORD according to our whims and fancies).
KAIVALYA UPANISHAD MANTRAS 23&24 न भिमू रापो न च वि#र%&त न चािनलो मऽे $%त न चा#बरं च । एवंिविद$वा परमा%म&पंगहुाशयंिन#कलमि'तीयम ॥् २३
अनने !ानमा%नोित ससं ाराणव& नाशनम ।् त"मादवे ं िविद$वनै ं कैव$य ं पदम$तु े कैव$य ं पदम$तु इित ॥ २४॥
To me there is neither earth nor water nor fire, nor air, nor ether. Thus realizing the nature of the Parmatman(supreme soul)- the one who is in the cavity-of-the-heart, who are without-parts, without- a-second, the witness-of-all beyond both existence and non-existence – the seeker attains very nature of atman(soul).
Note: Above verses are referred in Ashtavakra Gita – Commentary by Chinmayananda. I recommend everyone to get this book and read diligently.
The above verse reveals all the secrets. We are a mere witness, a witness to what’s happening within and outside. This is what meditation is all about. In meditation I become a witness; witness to the inner essence and thus realize what I have to become. Once my mind is associated with this essence then expansion of consciousness begins, the true awareness begins. Then the intellect begins to discriminate the real (atma) vs. unreal (anathma). Here unreal is not the opposite of what is real; Unreal is a transitory state which is the manifestation of the real itself. The goal of this transitory state is to merge back in to the real. This is the culmination of the YOGA.
Mind by itself do not have the ability to rest (sthita in Sanskrit) on the higher essence just because we are in meditation. The Brahman (in fact I am referring to the state which is beyond Brahman) is not perceivable and is not knowable. Hence the only way possible is by mind acquiring the nature of Brahman or become identical to it. This is the work of Pranahuti (transmission or yogic energy). In Heartfulness practice of meditation, to invoke
this transmission from within is the role of the Guru. This makes it easy for the practitioner to develop that feeling which enables the mind to associate with the Brahman eventually go beyond it. This higher essence, the Brahman which is also referred to as expansion which is nothing but continuous, that which is not attached to anything but it is Omni-present, that which does not change anything but its Omni-potent. When mind begins to hold onto such a thing and drawn into it, assumes a state of continuous now. Babuji referred to such a state as non-attached attachment. Though we are performing actions according to the demands of life, interacting with people, dealing with relationships, cherishing life, feeling sorrow yet in a state of non-attachment. You see all this is possible with the aid of meditation and Pranahuti(transmission or yogic energy).
For a spiritual aspirant attitude plays major role. Let me recount a story.
A saint was meditating under the tree and saw Narada was passing by. Saint pays him respects and asks where is he headed. Narada responds, I am going to Kailash (the abode of Lord Shiva) and will be meeting the Lord. Saint says can you please ask the Lord when will I be attaining Moksha (liberation or salvation). Narada says sure I will ask him for you. A farmer who overheard the conversation asks Narada, can you also please find from the Lord about how many more births left for me before attaining moksha. After few days Narada on his way back meets the Saint and farmer. Saint was happy to receive him and asks him if he got the answer. Lord said it would take three more births before you get liberated, replies Narada. Saint is very disappointed and says I have been doing all these penance and meditation so religiously and still need to go through three births. He was completely disheartened.
Narada looks at the farmer and says it take as many births as the leaves on this tree before you attain moksha. The farmer was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to the Lord that someday it will certainly happen. Something unthinkable happens; the farmer is instantly liberated. You see while spirituality helps us to associate with the brahman , surrender takes further in our journey. In the above story the saint is diligent in his practice but his mind is still transactional, where as the farmer took the attitude of SURRENDER and said may the lord doeth what he deems appropriate. Surrender takes us further in to the realm
of reality. This is what Babuji said when spirituality ends reality begins. The beginning of the reality is nothing but the state of surrender, the beginning of the state of prapanna(means state of surrender). Surrender is not an act of submissiveness, as people normally perceive. Surrender is attitude, it is a state of existence, and it is intense craving to be one with the beloved. This is what is referred in our scriptures as the Tivra Mumukshatva (ardent desire to be one with the ultimate). At this state one cannot bare even the slightest difference between the ultimate and the state of once existence. Here there is no place for anything ( Babuji calls it rekistan a desert) , mind transcends all the opposites, because ultimate has no opposite. While there is a deep longing, craving also on the contra there is a complete state of balance. Babuji refers utmost intensity in our approach and lord Krishna in Bhavagad gita refers it as sthitha pragna (total balance). Both states co-exist. It is intense because at this stage ego and mind is at verge of complete annihilation and it is at balance because it’s completely drawn into the brahman.
This journey from the state of transactional mind to the state of surrender and beyond one experiences or goes through in every meditation. That is why heartfulness is a practical path for Living In The Present with the purpose of attaining oneness. All are welcome to make use of this wonderful system and use it to realize the GOAL.
-SK.