Living in the present
is the key to success, happiness and peace of mind.
On a
Monday, during a lecture at a college in Wyoming, Arizona, a physics professor,
with a hundred students before him, suddenly burst out, "I have only one
student present in this lecture of mine!" The abrupt diversion and harsh emphasis
arrested the fullest attention of all the students.
"Why
Sir, we are a hundred!" exclaimed an intrepid backbencher.
The
professor explained, "Out of the entire class only Peter has been paying
attention to what I've been saying. The rest of you have been mentally
wandering in and out of this lecture hall."
We are
all given to walking out (mentally) during conversation and satsang assemblies.
Probably, in the last fifteen minutes you've stretched to places far and wide
and to things way out of your reach. Collaring your mind in faithfully doing
one thing at a time is tough. Real tough! For students, mental wandering drains
concentration and dilutes academic performances.
Joe
Hyams was learning Hapkido from Master Han. Once, he sandwiched his practice session
between business appointments. His performance at the dojo (practice hall) that
day was absolutely poor. In spite of him knowing the Hapkido motions he
performed poorly. Simply because he kept on glancing at the clock after each
motion.
"Your
mind is elsewhere," said Master Han.
Joe
admitted that he was thinking about his next appointment. The master bowed to
Joe, signalling the lesson had ended. On his way out Joe found Han waiting at
the doorway.
"You
must learn to live in the present," preached Han. "Not in the future
or the past. Zen teaches that life must be seized at the moment. By living in
the present you are fully aware of yourself and your environment, your energy
is not dissipated and is always available. By thinking about things other than
what you are engaged in dilutes your present."
The
majority of us fall in the same bracket — split between the things we've done
and the things we are going to do. We leave the present unattended, hence
problems and miseries grow and life eventually breaks down.
Yogiji
Maharaj narrated a telling anecdote of 'Shekh Challi'. The story says a rich
man promised Shekh Challi (a poor man) some money if he would carry a pot of
ghee for him. Shekh Challi agreed. He placed the pot on his head and followed
his master. On the way, Shekh Challi pondered as to what he would do with his
wages "I shall buy a goat with the money. Then, I'll start a small milk
business. And with the profits I'll purchase a cow. With the money I make from
its milk, I'll buy more cows. In no time I'll have a booming dairy business.
Then, I'll have enough money to afford a nice home, get married and have kids.
And when I will be relaxing at home my son will come to call me for dinner. But
I shall refuse."
At this
point Shekh Challi moved his head in refusal. The pot of ghee fell to the
ground and broke spilling all the ghee on the ground. The master fumed with
anger, "You've spilt my ghee you simpleton!"
"But...
you've only lost a pot of ghee and… I've lost a home, a wife and kids,"
replied Shekh Challi.
We all
pay the penalty, like Shekh Challi, of leaping into the future at the cost of
the present. The habit of being fully conscious of the present adds
tremendously to the efficiency and quality of the work assigned to you. But as
soon as you temporarily divorce yourself from your present action you get
tangled in a web of thoughts.
Anchor
yourself firmly to what you do. Concentration is a principal factor in boosting
efficiency and quality of work. The tightrope walker performs his act with single-minded
concentration. He never allows his mind to be swayed by the cheering crowds or
with thoughts of his wife and kids.
Jack
Dempsey was an aggressive and determined American boxer. He said, "I have
had my lips smashed, my eyes cut, my ribs cracked but I never felt any of these
blows. I kept on saying, "Nobody is going to stop me, nobody can really
hurt me..." In his most challenging fight he knocked his opponent flat in
four minutes and earned $.100,000. When he fought he said he never heard the
roars of the crowd.
Immunizing
yourself from deflections and concentrating entirely on the present is what
goes to making a champion.
The
epic Mahabharat describes, in one of its chapters the 'Swayamvar' (competition
for the hand) of Draupadi - the daughter of King Drupad. Kings and princes from
all lands travelled to Kampilyanagar, the capital of King Drupad's kingdom. The
challenge for the hand of Draupadi required the contestants to stand on a pair
of scales, one foot on each pan and pierce the eye of a fish, revolving on a
pole, from its reflection in the pool of water below. Many kings and princes
failed the balancing act on the scales and fell in the pool of water. And those
who succeeded in standing still failed to hit the target. Arjun, however,
stepped confidently on the scales and with singular concentration, pierced the
eye of the fish. Arjun won the hand of Draupadi.
To
those aspiring for success and efficiency the lesson of Arjun's concentration
is of immense inspiration. While he mentally blanked out the entire courtyard
and all stray thoughts the kings were probably split by pride or passion for
Draupadi, or by thoughts of riches and fame. A man can never think sober when
intoxicated with pride, passions, thoughts of fame and riches, hastiness, etc.
Our
daily performances in the academic sphere, business or 'Satsang' world are
foiled by such elements. The less we have of these the less our mind strays
from the object of action. The process of eradicating these hurdles altogether
requires spiritual efforts - prayers, disciplining of body and 'Sant Samagam'.
Temporarily, however, the prescription of arousing an interest in what you do
will help you numb distractions. Once you make whatever you do into an interest
you'll find that intelligence, effort, disciplining of body and mind come easy
to you. The frequency of slipping in and out will decrease. This will help you
in seizing the moment.
