Now and here or nowhere?

GAUTAMA Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, was, with his disciple Ananda, passing through a town. He was talking to him when suddenly a fly came and sat on his forehead. As he was talking, he moved his hand over his forehead to chase the fly away. Suddenly he realised that the movement of his hand had been unconscious, mechanical. As he was talking consciously to Ananda, the hand had chased the fly away mechanically. He stopped and although the fly had gone, he moved his hand again consciously over his forehead.

Ananda asked his Master: What are you doing? The fly has gone away. Buddha replied: The fly has gone away... but I have committed a sin, because I did it in unconsciousness.

The word sin was used by Buddha in its right meaning. The word sin originates in the roots of the word, which means forgetfulness, unawareness, unwatchfulness, and doing things mechanically. Our whole life is almost mechanical — like robots. I tell you, never allow a mechanical feeling to take possession over you. Do everything watchfully. This is the only secret of transformation.

When you do everything consciously, you become a luminous phenomenon. When you act without awareness or in an unmindful manner, you miss the world of light; you are like a blind man. The man of watchfulness is really the man who has eyes of awareness. When you understand and practice this mindful living, you will understand the power of now. Your life is more now; more in every way: physically, emotionally and spiritually. When you understand that life is now, all your physical pains and psychological pains disappear. You will see that a tremendous sense of freedom happens in you.

Buddha says, “The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, nor to anticipate troubles, but to live the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

If you don’t live now and here, you will reach nowhere. When you live in the now and here, you will never bother about the next moment. Every moment is going to come to you only as now, here. If you can manage now, here, you can surely manage the next moment which comes as now, here. Every moment takes birth only from this moment. Life is a succession of moments. To live each one in the now is to succeed.

Be Blissful!