Live this moment here and now

SOME of us may think that we have no bad habits because we do not smoke or drink. We may think that we do everything perfectly right. Let me tell you, you all have a secret mental addiction! That addiction leads you into doing all kinds of things. In fact, it prevents you from doing many things. No, you will tell me. No, Master, I have nothing like that.

Listen to me. You are addicted to postponing every action. You have acquired the taste of postponing every task. You have created a mindset that allows you to put off everything. Yes, that is your secret addiction.

Listen to the chatter of your mind. It is always busy collecting arguments, or listing reasons about why you should postpone some tasks. It has such power over us that we will never enter into the act itself. There are many things, which we say we shall do that tomorrow. The tomorrow becomes another tomorrow and tomorrow continues to grow. Today never comes. You can accomplish a task if you do what you have to today.

The present moment is not a reality to many of us. The speculative future seems to be our reality. We prefer to while away our time in the fantasies of the future rather than focusing on the reality of the present moment. A small Zen story: A man went to the Master and asked: When will I become enlightened? The Master said: Now

The disciple could not understand: Now, how can I become enlightened now? I need a lot of practice. It needs lot of methods. It needs lot of meditation. How can it be now? Then the Master says: Never, go away. Do you get the meaning of this story? It is the story of how mind works or tricks us. Remember this story whenever your mind says: You are not good enough unto yourself. You are not complete by yourself. You are not full by yourself.

It will always be telling you the same thing. It has been telling you the same thing. Today your mind will say: I have to do that meditation or this meditation, this practice or that practice to be enlightened. Only then I can become enlightened; only then I can realise my self. Only then I can achieve the goals of my life.

Tomorrow also it will be telling you the same thing. It will never let you feel that you have reached somewhere or that you have achieved something. Couple this with the idea of postponing. It is a disaster. You know, this addiction has a simple cure. Live this moment now. Live in the here and now. Your future is in this present moment. What you cannot do now you shall never be able to do anytime. Go on. Try it.