By: B. Rajeshwari
Our mind has a proclivity to run in multiple directions. Under the different pretexts, it wanders to the past, reveling in happy moments of yore or dissecting some old traumatic memories, and alternatively, it hurtles towards an unknown future, weaving pleasurable daydreams or fretting about imaginary catastrophes. These ruminations around ‘what was’ or ‘what will be’ push us into a state of psychological haze and consequently, we neglect what is real — our ‘here and now.’ Interestingly, we can neither change what had happened in the past nor we can exercise complete control over what is going to unfold in the future. What we have is just the present moment. Emphasizing the immense value of this tiny moment, Sai Baba has once said, “Be happy for this moment by contemplating on God. Think of Him. This moment is your life.”
Why is this so important? Sai Maharaj instructs us that the present moment is the only space where we can perform actions to change ourselves and the world around us. If we lose this moment, we lose precious time and priceless opportunities. Foundations for a better future can only be laid down in a thoughtful present.
And the present is always moving away fast. The moment when you began reading this article has already become past. Therefore, we must be anchored in the present with all our attention and concentration and make good use of our time. Many among us realize this but find it daunting to put it into practice.
Sai Maharaj’s advice of mindfulness can help us in remaining grounded in the present moment. A mindful person observes his sensations, emotions, and thoughts with openness and without any judgment. In other words, he has
witnessed what is happening, leaving all burdens on Lord Sainath, without any attachment or aversion.
About mindfulness, Baba stated, “All things can be mastered by concentration on the Almighty and His grace.” By developing this heightened state of awareness, we realize that all aspects of our subjective emotional experience — whether pleasurable or painful are ephemeral in nature. And consequently, we stop attaching too much significance to the ever-present background noise and mental chatter in our life. The shift in perspective helps us in knowing our mind, transforming our consciousness, achieving liberation from our dysfunctional mental constraints.
Developing mindfulness is easy. You can start with putting small reminders in your to-do lists, in your daily life, focusing on your breath. Whenever you notice that a thought has driven your attention away from your breath, acknowledge it as ‘mental chatter,’ and bring your attention back to the breath. It is crucial for you to not judge your thoughts and emotions, neither you should indulge in them and nor you should suppress them. With repeated practice, the breath anchors your attention to the present moment, and you start living mindfully. As a result, you achieve liberation from negative thoughts, emotions, and self-perceptions and you stop suffering.
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