It is said that one of the qualities of an enlightened being is their ability to live in the present moment. It may sound simple, but few have mastered this art.

Some people think of enlightenment as something miraculous that only gurus and other evolved spiritual leaders can achieve, but enlightenment is available to each and every one of us at any given moment in time, as is the ability to live in the present — and you need not be living in seclusion in a cave or have long hair and a beard, either!

The inevitability of the present moment

Imagine you’re in rush hour and you’re stuck in your city’s worst traffic jam. The delay means you’re going to be late for a very important meeting.

You have choices (you always do). So in this instance, what do you choose? Do you choose to worry yourself into a frenzy and arrive not only late but stressed? Or do you choose to accept the reality of the moment as it is, in all its inevitability? In which case, you could then relax and take whatever action you possibly can to improve the situation. Chances are you’ll arrive calmer and more centred than you otherwise would have been.

Whenever we wish that the moment we’re in were different, something other than what it is, conflict and resistance arise in the mind and prevent us from experiencing the freedom and lightness which comes with being able to accept situations as they are. This acceptance is not a passive, laidback, “so what?” attitude; it’s a realisation that only through accepting what is can the mind be calm, clear and free of worry. Once the mind is calm, creative ideas about how to deal with whatever challenge you’re facing can arise more easily. A stressed or worried mind doesn’t easily come up with creative solutions.

Very few of us are aware or present enough to choose acceptance over non-acceptance. Often, what we do instead is react rather than respond, but the ability to respond can enable us to affect adverse situations positively rather than to be adversely affected by them. However, it takes some degree of awareness and stillness in the mind in order to be present and remain calm in any given situation. So how can we become more aware, more present?

The vacillating nature of the mind

German-born Eckhart Tolle, author of the bestseller The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, spent two years sitting on park benches “in a state of the most intense joy” after an epiphany. He emphasises the importance of being aware of the present moment as a way of not being caught up in thoughts of the past and future. In his view, the present is the gateway to a heightened sense of peace. He states that “being in the now” brings about an awareness that is beyond the mind.

Just observe your mind when it’s dwelling on the past: is it happy? A mind stuck in the past is either regretful (“I wish it hadn’t happened like that”), angry (“It shouldn’t have been that way”) or trapped in glorifying the past (“It was so wonderful”).

It’s obvious the first two states are joyless, but what about the third? Let’s take a closer look. While initially this may seem like a positive mindset, a mind that’s glorifying the past inevitably moves towards regret (“But it’s not like that now”), typically coupled with feelings of sadness.

Now observe your mind when it’s focused on some future event: what state is it in? A mind in the future tends to be anxious and concerned about whether things will turn out the way we want them to.

Very few people think, “I know my future will turn out just right and everything will be wonderful.” We tend to think we’ll be happy when something happens to us. The word “when” keeps our happiness postponed to sometime in the future: “When such-and-such happens to me, then I will be happy.”

A person without a job thinks, “When I get a job then I’ll be happy,” but a person with a job often thinks, “When I get a promotion, then I’ll be happy.” Someone who is single thinks, “I’ll be happy when I find my soulmate and get married,” but a married person may think they’ll be happy when they have children, but those with children often postpone their happiness to a time when their kids have flown the nest.

As long as we link our happiness with some future event we are throwing away our freedom and preventing ourselves from connecting with the joy of the present moment.

When we’re away from the present moment, it puts a lot of strain on our nervous system and lowers our level of prana (our subtle life force energy), often to the degree where we feel tired, run down and totally depleted. Living in the present moment increases our energy and enhances our ability to be joyful, content and peaceful.

Happiness in the future is an illusion. Happiness can only be met when we shake hands with and embrace the present moment. We have heard it time and time again. All the sages and wise people over the millenniums have said it — “Live in the Present Moment” — and these days we hear the Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar saying it. But how can we do this?

If someone tells you to live in the present moment, are you able to? No, the mind cannot be controlled by the mind alone. Our mind is like a monkey, grasping at this and that; it’s very difficult to control. Try it out right now: just look around for any object and observe it. Now close your eyes for a few moments and try not to think of that object. What came to your mind? That which you don’t want to think of, right? This is why it’s useful to have a few tools which can help bring our mind into the present moment.

Techniques to dwell in the moment

Chanting and singing: When we sing or chant, especially in a group situation, our mind becomes focused and calm and thoughts decrease. One of the most beautiful experiences I ever had was when I first went along to a satsang, where a group of people come together and sing devotional songs. I was amazed by how still my mind became and how totally present I was during that hour of singing. In between each song we’d sit with our eyes closed for a few moments, in silence, and I could sense how still everything was in my inner world. It was later explained to me that when a group of people are sitting together there are so many thoughts in that one room; each person has so many thoughts in just one minute. But when they start singing together, all the minds unite and become one — one mind. In this space of unity, all the minds automatically move into the present moment.

Doing what you love: Have you noticed how when you’re doing something you love you become so totally immersed in the present moment? During these times, thoughts of the past or the future don’t come into your mind very much, and if they do they pass away more quickly. The more we do what we love and love what we do, the more our mind becomes anchored in the moment.