Living in the present.
Living in the present moment is not just a psychological trick; it is the essence of spiritual life according to Hindu scriptures. The Rishis, the Bhagavad Gita, and even the Upanishads all emphasise this as the path to peace, clarity, and realisation of the Self. We must live in the present. The past is dead, the future unborn. Only the present is real. He who lives in the present lives in Reality. In other words, living in the present means training your attention to rest on what’s happening here and now — your breath, sensations, surroundings, or activity — instead of being caught up in past regrets or future worries.
Mindfulness is the most effective way to cultivate this awareness. It is the art of touching life deeply in each moment and involves a moment-to-moment awareness that is often cultivated through meditation but can also be integrated into everyday activities. The goal is to observe experiences without getting overwhelmed or reacting automatically, which can help reduce stress and improve well-being.
'Kamany evadikaraste ma phalesuhu kadachana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango 'stvakarmani'
You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction. Here, Lord Krishna teaches that one must act without attachment to the result. This is the very foundation of living in the present to give your full attention to the action at hand, without anxiety for the future or regret about the past.
The Yoga Vasishta contains explicit passages emphasising the power of present-moment awareness. The following sloka is often cited for this teaching:
"Varthamanamanayasma Bhajathbhhiyakshanayadam
Bhoothambhavishyadabhajadyadi Chithamachithatham"
Gently and effortlessly keep the focus on the present moment, without allowing it to drift to the past or the future. Thus, the mind becomes non-mind. Only the present moment is what we have. The Past has already passed, and the Future is yet to come. Worries, tension, depression, anxiety, and all those feelings affect the mind only when the mind travels to either the past or to future. The present moment is bliss only. The present moment is blissful because the mind, intellect, or ego cannot touch the present moment. Mind disappears in the present moment. When the mind disappears, what remains is "I" only. That 'I' is bliss. The text explains that suffering and distraction arise only when the mind moves away from now, and awakening happens when the mind remains anchored in the present.
The following is a short story from the Mahabharata, which illustrates the importance of 'living in the Present'.
In a forest near Kurukshetra, an old woodcutter named Kaushika lived. He was poor but content, earning his living by gathering firewood every day. One day, a wandering monk saw Kaushika resting peacefully under a tree after a long day's work. The monk asked, 'Old man, don't you ever worry about your poverty or about your old age? ' Kaushika smiled and said, Sir, I cut only as much wood as I can carry, and eat only as much food as I can digest. The rest I leave to God. Why should I trouble myself with what is not in my hands? The monk impressed and asked 'So you never think of your future?' Kaushika replied, 'The future is born of the present. If I do my duty now, why should I fear what is yet to come?'
His simple awareness of doing what is before him with full attention made him a saint in the eyes of the villagers. He had unknowingly realised the wisdom of the Bhagavat Gita sloka as stated supra. You have the right to action alone, not to its fruits. When the mind runs ahead or looks back, there is pain. Kaushika's life shows that living in the present is not inaction or indifference; it is perfect action without anxiety. He lived each moment as a sacred duty with Shraddha(faith) and Samatvam(balance).
Sri Ramchandraji(founder of Sahajmarg) said in his writings that "Meditation is the only process which takes us to Reality. In Meditation, we go deeper and deeper into the present".
When you meditate, especially as practised in Sahaj Marg, your attention gently settles on the present moment--on the divine presence in the heart. Thoughts about the past or future may arise, but as you observe them and return to the object of meditation, you are training your mind to remain here and now. Over time, this becomes your natural state even outside meditation. From a scientific perspective, too, meditation reduces the brain's "default mode network"-the part that keeps wandering between past regrets and future worries. When that quiets down, clarity, calmness, and presence increase. So meditation is not only a way but the very training ground for living in the present. The more deeply you meditate, the more naturally you find yourself living each moment with balance and awareness, whether eating, walking, speaking or working.
Comments