The Art of The Moment

When I think of “The Moment” I think of what is going on exactly right now. In reality, the moment is all that we have in our lives, and in my opinion, all that we should focus on.

One may be thinking about the future and what they would like to do in their life, but those thoughts are just what they are, thoughts. If someone wants something, then the only way to actually achieve it is to go out and start working towards it, in this present moment. On the other side of things, too many people are still caught up with the past and what has happened, or what could have happened. When you think this way, you start to create an unnecessary uneasiness with how you believe your life is going. You start thinking your life could be better if only you had made these different, smarter decisions. When consumed in thinking about your past, you are giving up potential opportunities for enjoying what is going on in life at this present moment.

Every single thing, happens for a reason. And whether this statement is “true” or not, this belief helps one to be satisfied with all their past actions, and hopeful and happy with their future interactions. The concept of everything happening for a reason ties with the belief that this universe is unfolding in a “divine plan”. When scientists question the topic of god, they look deeper and deeper into what we are made of. They have scaled us down to cells, all the way down to atoms. But when the question arises of what makes up these particles in the atoms, scientists reply “protons”. Okay, then what are protons made of? The scientist replies, “quarks”. But when the scientist is finally asked, what are quarks made of? there is no answer. So to one level or another, we must submit to the fact that we did not create this universe, this universe was created, by some force outside of us. The moment, for me, is a beautiful display of art given to me by the universe, the creator, god.

Although Buddhists do not consider the moment as a display of God like me, Buddha stated in the Lotus Sutra right before attaining Samadhi that the universe is governed by the “Mystic Law” (The highest source). The Buddha taught that questions on the origin of the world are not completely useful for ending suffering. Instead, Buddha focused on ending greed, hatred, and delusion and over all the removal of all desires.

The state of enjoying the moment is called mindfulness in Buddhism. When I enjoy and monitor what is going on in my thoughts and around me right now, I feel I am more connected with life. Being in the moment is being mindfully aware when and why thoughts of the past or future arise, and how it can be more beneficial to release them. Focusing on what is going on right here and right now helps you tune into the true nature of reality, and what I believe as most important.