Being and Living the Moment

I'm reading the book A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle and about to finish now. This book is surprising interesting although it is not easy to understand. For some reasons, I can relate to the book; partly due to the author himself and mainly due to my belief in the Baha'i Teachings and Principles.

Ego, the paradox of time and consciousness presented here hold a lot of truth. Take the paradox of time for example. I am someone who is always ponder about my past and think about my future. The thoughts in my mind occupy my time more than what's happening at the present moment. I also think too much and act too little.

According to Eckhart, the purpose in life always lie with the moment. For example, I am now sitting in front of my computer and writing this blog, this is my purpose. My thoughts should not wander to thinking about other things. If my phone rings, then my primary purpose becomes to reach for the phone while the secondary purpose is to answer it.

I find this idea particularly empowering because it keeps us focused in whatever we do. Believe me, when we are totally engrossed with whatever we are doing, we will produce surprising high quality results. In other words, we are living life to the fullest. In psychology, this is called flow, a mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement and enjoyment in the process of the activity. Notice the words 'full involvement' and 'enjoyment'.

As a Baha'i, I believe that my life purpose is to know God and to worship Him. To know and to worship imply actions and to worship God can be further broken down to many actions such as work, serving others and pray etc. These actions are inseparable from our daily lives. Worship also implies presence and focus. Combining presence in our daily lives and focusing in whatever we are doing, we are living the purpose of our lives. Being totally present, we are in the joy of being.

The Baha'i prayers often touch on the protection on vain imaginings and corrupt desires, both are inseparable from thinking and ego. Not to get me wrong in the sense that we should just do and not think. Rather, the awareness and consciousness should come first.