Anantha Varthamanam - The eternal "Now"

What is the instant? That is what we have to discover through a moment of concentration. What is the moment? This brings awareness to the "Now"

Just as an example, how many times have you gone to the temple without being fully there? Part of you was there, part of you was living in the past, part of you was trying to live in the future; and there you were, emoting over the things that happened that should never have happened, and fearful of things that might happen in the future, which probably won't happen unless you continue being fearful of their happening until you create them!

Do you know that the ability to live right now, in the instant, is a spiritual power, reflecting the awakening of the soul and requiring a subconscious control of the mind? Your soul is never bothered with the things that disturb the rest of the mind! The mind lives in the past, and the mind tries to live in the future. But when you quiet your mind, you live in the present. You are living within your soul, or the higher state of your mind which is undisturbed by the things of time.


When you continue in the consciousness of the eternal now, something mysterious and wonderful begins to happen -- your soul, your superconscious, begins to work out your spiritual destiny. When you quiet your mind, and only when you quiet your mind, you give your soul a chance. What difference does it make if you do have problems? They will work themselves out if you can keep the confusion of your lower states of mind out of the way.


When you find yourself with your mind calmed, your future automatically works itself out. It takes the average person some time before he can bring his entire mind and all his actions into the focus of the eternal now. Just hearing about it is not going to give you a birth into that state of consciousness. You will have to struggle and strive to hold the eternal now. It will take constant practice of spiritual principles to permeate the grosser layers of the mind with the clarity of the eternal now.


The Practice


As the first attempt in finding the infinite reality of the eternity of the moment, sit quietly, draw all of your faculties into the center of your head and try to see the glowing white light there. When this light is seen, a high-pitched sound might also be heard, and you are then in the eternity of the moment. Bringing oneself to the repetition of this practice successfully and systematically, day after day, month after month, year after year is the yoga to be practiced to merge awareness deeper and deeper into superconsciousness.

Below is a beautiful poem (Courtesy : http://busker.net/text/lyrics/collectedlyric.htm) describing the eternal now from Buddhism

all is one
joy is to be sung
life has just begun
in eternal now

for eternal now lies in between each thought
but the ego lays its' traps and we are caught
held in its web of suffering
and the only way to freedom is within eternal now

So love while you can
every child of man
life is not - 'I am'
in eternal now


So love while you may
all that comes your way
life is for today
in eternal now


but thanks can be given
till this world is riven
life is just for living
in eternal now