Present Moment, Wonderful Moment is a magnificent book written by Thich Nhat Hanh. He is a Buddhist monk, scholar, teacher, and peace activist.
“When we drive, we usually think the most about how we will arrive and thus sacrifice only a journey for the goal. But Life is in the current moment, not in the future. Maybe when we get to that goal, we’ll only get worse. If we have to talk about the goal, what do you say about the final goal, the cemetery? We don’t want to go in the direction of death; We want to go in the direction of Life. But where is Life?” Say he in this book, and continues: “Life can only be found in the current moment. So every kilometer that we cross, every step we make, we need to get us to the current moment.
It’s a self-defense exercise. When we see the red light on the scoreboard and the “Stop” sign, we can smile and thank him, because that Bodisatwa helps us get back to the moment. The red light is a self-defense alarm. We may have looked at him as an enemy, which prevents us from reaching our cause. But now we know that the red light is our friend, to help us resist the urge to rush and invite to return to the present, where we can meet Life, joy, and peace.”
What if the present moment is not a wonderful moment
We may wonder what if the present moment is not a wonderful moment? It might be one of pain or anguish. We should know that suffering can be transformed, that happiness is possible right here and now. This phrase is correct not because whether what is happening in the present moment is pleasant or unpleasant. It is correct because the awareness of the moment is wonderful itself.
We probably already have more than enough conditions to be happy. Our ability to be “non-discriminating” between the experiences we like (because they are pleasant) and the experiences we don’t like (because they are unpleasant) is a real sign of awareness.
Thay has often also said “no mud, no lotus”. It emphasizes that we learn to focus our mindfulness on all the wonderful lotuses that are there even when there also appears to be a lot of mud at times. Also, it means that Life consists of both mud and lotus. It does not depend on them being beautiful or not beautiful.
The root of true happiness is in awareness, which is only happening in the present moment. Therefore, happiness is possible in every circumstance.
Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment
“Aware that Life is available only in the present moment, we are committed to training ourselves to live each moment of daily life deeply. We will try not to lose ourselves in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or cravings, anger, or jealousy in the present. Practice mindful breathing to be aware of what is happening in the here and now. We are determined to learn the art of mindful living by touching the wondrous, refreshing, and healing elements that are inside and around us, in all situations.In this way, we will be able to cultivate seeds of joy, peace, love, and understanding in ourselves, thus facilitating the work of transformation and healing in our consciousness. We are aware that happiness depends primarily on our mental attitude and not on external conditions, and that we can live happily in the present moment simply by remembering that we already have more than enough conditions to be happy.”
These poetic verses were collected to help children and adults practice mindfulness. Thir design is to use ordinary daily activities such as washing the dishes, driving the car, or standing in line. It is an opportunity to return to a state of mindfulness. Reciting these poetic, yet practical verses can help us to slow down and enjoy each moment of our lives.
We can then return to ourselves and become more aware of each action. Continuing thus our activity with heightened awareness.
We should all strive to become aware of every moment in our lives. Therefore, we will become much happier and fulfilled as a person.
If you want to know more
If you want to learn more about things I write about, check out my books. See also what the goal of this web site is. You can check out my other post about mindfulness, and share your thoughts and comments.
If you like this post, please subscribe here, get a free e-book, we will notify you when future posts are published. Also, share with your friends, like, and follow on social media using buttons below.
Enjoy reading!
Share
