Living in the Now: How Presence Leads to Joy and Liberation

As such, we can’t really go back to the past or leap ahead into the future. So how do we end up living in the past or the future? It’s because of our mind — our monkey mind. Just like a monkey jumps from branch to branch, our monkey mind jumps from thought to thought, from the past to the future. It compels us to live with the regrets of yesterday, creating shame, guilt, stress, anxiety and misery. It takes us back to the wrongs done to us, agonising us with feelings of hatred, anger and vengeance.

This article is authored by AiR Atman In Ravi - Happiness Ambassador and Spiritual Leader

Embracing the Moment: How Presence Cultivates Lasting Joy

From Restlessness to Stillness Through Meditation and Silence

Therefore, we must make our monkey mind, a monk by meditating, practising silence. When the mind becomes still,we reach the state of mindfulness, consciousness, awareness where the intellect is activated. Our focus shifts to the present. It is in this state that we experience peace and bliss. It is also in this state that a seeker of God can attain Enlightenment.

Life is about the choices we make. We must choose to live with Positive Energy Power (PEP) instead of Negative Energy Poison (NEP). We must choose positive emotions like love, compassion, gratitude, forgiveness, acceptance rather than resentment, anger, vengeance. We must not cling to the wrongs done to us or regrets of the past. It is best to let go. What is done is done. We can try to make amends for the wrongs we have done. And for the wrongs done to us, we must forgive and forget. This is the way to peace and healing, to freedom from misery.

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Similarly, if we continue to be bound by the worries of the future or the fear of what may come, we will lose the joy of the present moment. This is where FAITH — Full Assurance In The Heart, TRUST — Total Reliance and Unconditional Surrender To the Almighty and HOPE — Having Only Positive Expectations play a significant role. So, believe in God, the Supreme Immortal Power, live with enthusiasm doing your best and understand that life is nothing but the unfolding of Karma. Surrender to the Divine Will and realize that life is just a drama, a show and we are actors who come and go.

When we are ‘present’, we experience reality without distortion and disturbance. We notice the warmth of the sunlight, the beauty of a sunset, the smile of a stranger. We hear the sound of the waves, the whistling of the wind, the rustling of the trees, the songs of birds. These small, often-missed details are where joy quietly resides. Unlike fleeting pleasures tied to achievements or possessions, this joy is grounded and lasting—it arises naturally when the mind is still, attentive and peaceful. Never forget that peace is the foundation of happiness!

Thepresent moment is all we have. By embracing it fully, we not only enrich our daily experience but also tap into a deep well of joy and liberation that has always been within us. Letting go of the need to control the future or fix the past, we find that what remains—this moment—is more than enough. This moment is perfect. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is not yet born—all we have is today! Finally, we must make the most of today by realizing the purpose of life: who we are and why we are here. This opens the doors to a life of eternal peace and bliss and eventually to complete liberation, Moksha, freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth.

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