Wednesday 4 May 2011

LIVING IN THE PRESENT

A couple of years ago,I read a wonderful book entitled,"Power of Now"authored byEckhart Tolle.
Its seminal ideas come to my mind.Perhaps,I can share them with you.Some of us have grandiose plans and big desires.One wants to earn enormous wealth.He keeps on planning.Can I do this or that?Spends all his time in feverish imagination.Do you know the story of a woman with a milk pot on her head imagining her wonderful future when she will be prospering more and more only to find that she hit on some stone,tumbled and broke her pot spilling all the milk.As some people are greedy for wealth, some are greedy after knowledge.They keep on purchasing tomes and tomes of books without having the time to read even one page.The stupid thing which makes these people happy is just the thought that they are going to be rich or knowledgeable.In their futile pursuits,they miss out one thing.That is LIVING IN THE PRESENT.What is the point in just only looking at the bank balance and remaining so miserly to the extent of depriving oneself of even the normal pleasures of life?Death comes unasked.When one lives with the expectation of future happiness, the present is sacrificed.On the other hand,if we develop the habit of living HERE and NOW  ,there is absolutely no need of obsessive preoccupation with the future.


Dinner is before you.Why don't you enjoy it?Where is the need for thinking about some future profit which you are likely to get?You lose the immediate enjoyment.Zen masters say,"When you eat, eat.Don't do any other thing.I experimented on this and honestly I say that I never get bored.When I go to a library, I don't waste my time browsing all the books.I settle down to one book and start reading it.I never feel how my time passes.I get absorbed in that moment.It saves me from futile thoughts.
Perhaps you can also try this approach.
o

POWER OF CONCENTRATED THOUGHTS

Man is a thinking animal.The achievements of civilization are nothing but the culmination of the thoughts of human beings.A beautiful structure with pleasing architectural style is a concrete form of thoughts which inhabited some human mind.When thoughts are well directed in a particular area,wonderful things are accomplished.All men are not achievers.Most of us are mediocre.The reason is very clear.Our thoughts are scattered.Every second,our thoughts change.This minute I am thinking of the loss I incurred in the purchase and sale of shares.The next minute,I feel bad about my missing of a TV programme.And so on.Our thoughts jump from one subject to another.The pollen grains suspended in a liquid exhibit random motion.The liquid molecules push them hither and thither.The motion of the pollen is known as Brownian motion in physics.This was studied by Albert Einstein.The movement of our thoughts is similar to Brownian Motion.Few persons are able to discipline their thoughts.When thoughts are disciplined,seeminly impossible things become possible.All scientific accomplishments are the results of singleminded pursuits of individuals in their areas of interest.
Education should help us develop the capacity of  concentrated thinking on various subjects and issues of life.Mere collection of information and memorization of facts is not education.