'THE PRESENT MOMENT - by U. Sapukotana
| "Breathing in I calm Breathing out I smile I dwell in the present moment This is the most wonderful moment". The virtues of living in the present moment has been extolled by the Buddha in many Suttas. "The (wise) monk does not dwell in the past, nor does he speculate about the future. He observes with wisdom whatever mental phenomena that arises at the moment". What is so important about the present? Why has much emphasis been given to the present moment in Buddhism? It is the link between the past and the future. The past is gone and there is little that we can do about it. But it is within our capacity to shape our future destiny. We can achieve this goal only by taking control of the present moment. Our past is very long and is immeasurable. In our long sojourn we may have fed into our `Sansaric hard disc' billions of impressions from the time we were born into this Samsara. Every thought, good or bad that arises, passes away (nirujjhati) leaving an impression in our mind. The example given by the Buddha was a cloth strainer used for straining liquids. The liquids flow through the strainer, leaving behind varied stains. Some impressions are light and get erased away through non use and attrition. Some impressions are virtually indelible because we have fed them into our minds continuously for long periods and they remain imbedded in the deepest recesses of our minds. It takes great effort to erase them. For instance, the impression that the association with the opposite sex is pleasurable (subha) has gone into the core of our minds. Similarly thoughts associated with aversion and conflict (patigha) have created deep impressions in our minds. The most difficult impression to erase is the sense of `I' and `mine'. The mind starts revolting against even a distant suggestion that what we call `I' is a myth and that it is a part of an impersonal phenomena, a universal energy (shakti) which is in continuous flux. In order to divert our thinking on a new channel we need to virtually `de-programme' our minds. It is in this context that Buddha commended `Asubha' Bhavana to contain raga (attachment) Metta Bhavana to contain aversion (dosa) and Anicca bhavana to rid ourselves of the feeling of `I' and mine (Asmimana). `Asubham bhavetabba ragassa pahanaya metta bhavetabam patighassa pahanaya Aniccam bhavetabbam asmimanassa pahanaya" - Meghiya Sutta - What we experience at the present moment is the result of all our past accumulations (kamma phala). The challenge before us is to prevent the `Kamma phala' leading to `Kamma Vipaka'. It is a fine operation of splitting the thought containing the `Kamma phala' and introducing a neutralising thought. ( It is as important an event as the splitting of the atom!) It is only in the present moment that we are able to undertake the exercise of non reaction to physical and mental phenomena. Under normal course of events, the thought containing the `kamma phala' would manifest without any hindrance and proliferate (papanchati) itself while nourishing the subsequent thoughts with great intensity. Through this process a mild irritation which is a `kamma phala' can grow into anger, revenge and lead the mind into further misery. On the other hand, if we can intercept the thought associated with the `kamma-phala' through acute awareness (Sati) and inject a neutralising thought, we have suceeded in stopping the inevitable result of the `kamma-phala'. It is like building a dam across a stream. In the same way we divert the water through downstream channels to irrigate the fields, we can divert our thought flow along constructive channels that would lead us to higher goals. Arahant Moggalana, experienced the `Kamma phala' when he was beaten up by the thieves. However, he did not suffer the `Kamma Vipaka' as his mind could not harbour any thought outside `Metta' `Karuna' `Muditha' and `Upekkha'. It is for this reason Buddha placed highest emphasis on `free will' through which each person could work out his salvation. The Tathagata is only a teacher. `Tummehi Kiccam Katabbam - Akkhataro Tathagata'. When the Buddha admonished Bahiya as - `Ditthe ditthamattam bhavissati', sute suta mattam bhavissati mute mutamattam bhavissati vinnate vinnatamatam bhavissati' "In the seen there is only the seen, in the heard there is only the heard etc", he was in fact advising him to concentrate in the present. Similarly he advised the acrobat Uggasena who was balancing his body on the top of a bamboo shaft to balance his mind in the present moment. Both Bahiya and Uggasena were able to quickly reach the final goal through the act of fine balance in the present moment. The present moment does not know good nor bad. It does not know judgments or pre-conceptions. When we are freed from the past and future we experience only the dynamic presence of the flow of energy in the form of inward and outward breath. |