A Day on the Road to Enlightenment

I slowly open my eyes; I have returned once more from that eternal place of nothingness. Upon waking up, my thoughts surge forward like a vortex. They say: “Uhhh, I was so comfortable and warm! Let’s snooze a bit more!” Automatically, a counter thought occurs: “No! You have to get up and work, work, work!”

I have learned the many ways of the ego. It manifests itself through these incessant thoughts. Never satisfied; never eager to enjoy the moment. I have learned its ways, and thus I stay in bed for a couple moments, being completely aware. I hear my thoughts and feel their manifestation as emotions in my body, yet I am not them. I am the one who witnesses and the one who observes; I am not them.

Thus, I am calm. Thus, I am fully present in the eternal now. Inside my room, it is warm and quiet. Outside, the light is slowly making its way through the dark. I soak in the moment a bit more, then gently get up.

I am still and at peace.

I have learned that the best way to start the day off is slowly. No rush. I get up, use the restroom, wash my face; the water feels refreshing on my skin. Thoughts continue. They are now suggesting I check my phone: what if there has been an emergency? I need to check Instagram and my inbox. I observe them, and I am detached from them. I do not judge them.

After I wash my face, I do a bit of yoga and stretching on the mat in front of my bed. Everything is done in awareness. I am fully absorbed in the Now. I feel my bones vibrate, and my skin and muscles stretch. I feel wonderful, and at peace.

I have problems. I have pain. These things will always be present. I do not judge. In the state of eternal awareness and presence, these things lose their power.

I walk to the kitchen, my feet embracing the cold tiles. I fill a cup of water, and slowly drink it. I feel it flowing down my body as it quenches my thirst. Then, back to my room for a bit, where I sit on a chair and read my book.

This is my time. I have devoted this chunk of my day to creating peace and joy; nothing can intrude for I am always aware. I read my book, absorbing its words. After, I head to the kitchen, throw fruits, vegetables, walnuts, and peanut butter into a mix, top it off with milk, and make a shake.

At all times, I am aware. The mind chatter does not stop; I do not judge. I accept. I find my mind drifting away from time to time, but I catch myself, and gently bring it back to the present.

No, I am not evading my problems and responsibilities. Whatever needs to be taken care of, will be taken care of in due time. As for the things that I can not change, I do not worry or stress. Everything is accepted as it comes; judgement is released.

I drink my smoothie, slowly, mindfully, aware of the moment. Slowly, all life awakens. The birds outside begin to chirp; the cars swish by. I put on my socks, jeans, belt, shirt. I put my laptop, plug, and kindle into my bag. Close it.

At all times, I am mindful and aware. This is the route to unconditional and eternal peace, love, and joy; to enlightenment. This is an essential point. Through habit — through constant awareness, mindfulness, learning, and acceptance — we find enlightenment. But it takes time, and it takes effort. Yet there is nothing more important in life.

My friend has arrived in her white Jeep. Outside, the sun is slowly making its ascend. In the distance, yellow flowers bloom on an old, grey tree. Inside the car, she tells me about her incessant workload at graduate school; I sense the anxiety.

Sometimes, listening is the most important thing you can do. So I listen. Mindfully.

We drive through the traffic, to school. I find it harder to keep my attention on the present moment when I am surrounded by more and more stimuli; nevertheless, I always gently bring myself back to the now. This is the training; every time we come back to the Now — to awareness — we strengthen the connection. One day, being aware and present will be the natural state of being.

We park at the garage, walk down the stairs, hug and split up; I walk to the library. Now, I begin to tackle what’s on the agenda. But these aren’t problems; no, they are tasks and situations. There is no negative label attached to them.

Many confuse the spiritual way of life as running from real life; but the ones who truly understand realize that the spiritual way of life is the real life. It doesn’t mean that we have to secede from life and become hermits. No, in living a spiritual life we still live life; the only thing that changes is our mode of being. This makes all the difference.

I still take care of everything that needs to be done. I still feel emotions. I still hurt when I see the destructive nature of the ego manifesting itself in our society. This is the only thing I have lost — the connection to the ego. It is still there, as it always will be, but it has no power.

But, oh, what I have gained. I have more patience for the old woman who cut me off; more compassion for the bitter clerk at the store. I still feel angry and frustrated, among other things, but whenever I do so, I simply come back to awareness. This quickly clears up the fog that the ego has cast.

Thus, I return to the eternal peace, love, and joy. These are the fruits of this mode of being.

I take care of my responsibilities at the library, eat, and we drive home. When I get home, I take a few moments to soak in the moment. I come back to awareness; back to the present. I go for a jog, come back, and take a relaxing shower. Then, I slowly begin to unwind.

I eat, read a bit, and write. I then think about the day and the lessons I have learned. Today, I think back to an encounter I had with a pretty girl on campus. She was standing outside of the library speaking about capitalism and social issues; things I have been extremely interested in recently. I wanted to speak to her about these things and ask her some questions, but found myself a bit too shy and anxious.

I feel frustrated and guilty. These are signs that the ego is present; I come back to awareness automatically. I observe the thoughts and emotions, and how these things manifest themselves into physical sensations throughout my body. Frustration and anger make me feel tense and warm. I don’t judge.

My awareness, like a sun piercing an overcast sky, soon dissolves them. I embrace the Now.

Peace, love, and joy; these are the fruits of enlightenment. All else is ego.

I turn the light off, take in the moment once again. My thoughts are always there. I observe them with minimal effort. Slowly, my eyes begin to close, and I drift off to sleep.