2007-10-31 06:57:17 · 27 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
Where is life? Here. Now. The “isness” of this moment. The now seems so small at first, a little segment between past and future, and yet all of life’s power is concealed within it.
The present moment, at best, is a means to an end, a stepping stone to the future, because the future promises fulfillment, the future promises salvation in one form or another. The only problem is the future never comes. Life is always now. Whatever happens, whatever you experience, feel, think, do - it’s always now. It’s all there is. is simple: living in the present moment is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment.
2007-10-31 23:08:46 · update #1
Hi Skycat,
This is good. This really is one of my most important mantras.
A very smart man, for whom I hold in the highest esteem, shared a comment with me, after some time, it clicked. I asked him the very question you posed on this website.
I asked, "How can it be possible to live in the moment?
He replied, "Picture this somewhat vulgar analogy, if you will. This may illustrate the ease of how to acheive this way of living, and also it may also show you just how equally easy it is to get caught up in yesterday and tomorrow, those two eternities, for which are forever out of our control.
He stood up with legs apart like at a driving range.
Then as he looked at his legs, he then said to me,
"When you have one leg "standing in yesterday,
& when you have the other "standing in tomorrow,
you see how you are pissing on today !!!
Now, I know this is not an elegant analogy of the
crystal clear point, he was trying to get across, however, I saw EXACTLY what he meant. I knew
EXACTLY how to put that dirty, tasteless analogy
into the context of how I was living my life.
So, in a nutshell, if my mind is thinking about yesterday, and my mind is also thinking about what may happen tomorrow, how much of our THOUGHTS, ATTENTION AND FOCUS IS HONESTLY,TRUTHFULLY, LIVING IN TODAY ?
Not much, is there buddy. That's why the people of Alcoholics Anonymous have many credos and mantras. One of the deepest and most loved mantra of A.A. is "Live, one day at a time"(today).
Kind regards from Toronto, Canada.
2007-10-31 07:46:12 · answer #1 · answered by Hemispheres 2 · 3⤊ 2⤋
This questions is a bit flawed since we are always living in the moment we might be thinking about the past while in the moment. I think that your question is what is the secret to enjoying every moment? Well there is no way that one can enjoy every moment since inevitably there will be always moments of regret sadness frustration and so on the secret is to feel the feelings and accept them not try to deny them alter them or change them when we are in touch with our feelings true joy will be recognized and then we can relish it then we can enjoy that moment so the secret is to allow our soul to feel.
2007-10-31 14:47:59 · answer #2 · answered by stalin 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can not answer this question with my own knowledge. The following link is a good start to realizing living in the moment. It is a Buddhist teaching on the Five Aggregates that make a human being.
"When the Bodhisattva Avalokita looked deeply into the reality of the Five Aggregates, he saw the emptiness of self, and he was liberated from suffering."
Thich Nhat Hanh
2007-10-31 14:21:41 · answer #3 · answered by LibraryTech 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I think the secret is practice - meditation practice. Meditation is really anything you do that brings your consciousness to the present moment. The more you do it, the more you literally train your brain into that habit of perception (it has been shown that your brain activity pattern actually changes with meditation and gets into that state more easily the more you practice it). Acceptance and fearlessness follow from that. There isn't really any secret to keeping yourself in the moment -- it is one of those things you can't do just because you want to. That's why I think people practice meditation (or prayer or whatever you call it) on a regular basis.
2007-10-31 15:02:10 · answer #4 · answered by zilmag 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Stay active, and whenever you catch yourself obsessing over the past in your mind, or talking about it, make yourself stop until it's a habit not to. But everything in moderation. You want to live like you'll die tomorrow, and plan like you have 100 years. The future is worth considering at the appropriate time. Don't live in the moment so much that you only think of shallow things and miss the important stuff.
2007-10-31 14:03:51 · answer #5 · answered by Mrs. Eric Cartman 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Knowing that you have a good plan for your future and that you have proved in the past that you are capable, and worthy, of being living. You can't 'live in the moment' if you might starve in the next moment, or day.
2007-10-31 14:38:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Be aware of what it feels like when you bring your full attention to only that which is physically present, as what do I see, smell, feel, taste and hear. You will feel an immediate relief of stress and a sense of peace. That feeling will remain until you again return to things of the past or future.
2007-11-01 00:46:21 · answer #7 · answered by stedyedy 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Living in the moment
Lets split the phrase
Living :: what do u understand by life ?
when a jet fighter comes back alive after a deadly dog fight, in which his plane was crashed,if u ask him about his experience, he 'll give u the detail of every single moment, spent during that time, every good detail, like his breath, heart beat, the sensations his body might have felt, what made him to survive the crash, from where he got the strength
some answers are obvious,
the pilot was strong,intelligent, had presence of mind...........
but if go to the core his heart,
then we get
1). passion for life,
2). courage to be a winner .
3). Love for his loved ones.
4). Desire for doing his duty.
The ingredients to live a wonderful life are, passion, courage love desire,but its up to u let ur desires, passions to take control of u, or u control them
Once u learn to take control,then every moment is yours.
I have explained the concept of life, now its ur turn to create the moments & be in them. & hence live in the moments
I love to introduce you to a song sung by Bryan Adams
http://video.music.yahoo.com/up/music/music/?rn=1301797&vid=21785135&stationId=&curl=http%3A%2F%2Fmusic.yahoo.com%2Far-291769-videos--BryanAdams
2007-10-31 14:51:18 · answer #8 · answered by the catalyst 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Act like the past never happened and the future never will
2007-10-31 14:04:15 · answer #9 · answered by Godwas1ofU$ 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Being centered in the figure-8 flow between earth and heaven octaves, where you and your heavenly Father are One.
"I Am" he cried (as the song goes).
This intimation of "I live in Eternity now" is being-cognition as Self-realization. Http://www.yogananda-srf.org is one example which teaches it.
"Climb the Highest Mountain," Mark Prophet, "Watch Your Dreams," Ann Ree Colton, and "Man, Master of His Destiny," O. M. Aivanhov, all teach to this "oneness" as well.
As one is centered, one's energies are pulled to the periphery by at-tensions, in-tensions, misqualified foci of energy, etc. This is a condition of being-in-the-world (but not "of" it), so a daily prayer/meditation session helps align and realign, so that one is more able to "be here now."
cordially,
j.
Occasional guests on http://www.coasttocoastam.com radio talk of this, and "The Field," Lynne McTaggart, and http://www.tiller.org and http://www.divinecosmos.com are also relevant to developing, sustaining, and increasing one's inner focus. The love aspect, loving God, is key for centering.
2007-10-31 14:18:23 · answer #10 · answered by j153e 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋