“The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive.”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh is a Zen Monk living in France. He has written over 100 books, poems and essays on mindfulness. In the mid 1960's he formed The Order of Interbeing at a time when the Vietnam War was escalating and the teachings of the Buddha were desperately needed to combat the hatred, violence, and divisiveness enveloping his country. From its inception and into the present, the Order has been comprised of all four membership categories of the original Buddhist community: monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen. Members of the Core Community of the Order have made the formal commitment to practice the Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings. The seventh of these is:
7. Dwelling Happily in the Present Moment
Aware that life is available only in the present moment and that it is possible to live happily in the here and now, I am committed to training myself to live deeply each moment of daily life. I will try not to lose myself in dispersion or be carried away by regrets about the past, worries about the future, or craving, anger or jealousy in the present. I will practise mindful breathing to come back to what is happening in the present moment. I am determined to learn the art of mindful living by touching the wondrous, refreshing and healing elements that are inside and around me, and by nourishing seeds of joy, peace, love and understanding in myself, thus facilitating the work of transformation and healing in my consciousness.
These tenants as demonstrated by the teachings of Venerable Hanh do not just apply to Buddhism. Let's be open minded for a moment! All spiritual paths require us to be mindful. Some espouse this tenant more than others but no matter, we can all benefit from being mindful. How does that work? By dwelling happily in the present moment no matter what activity you are engaged in. Whether you are drinking coffee, eating, manual labor, intellectual endeavors you can choose to be mindful. Why? Because becoming mindful increases your focus, lowers your physcial stress level and makes you feel gratitude just to name a few of the benefits.
One of my favorite examples of dwelling happily in the present moment is represented in the above photograph. When is the last time you took a moment to appreciate a rain drop, marveling in its exquisite beauty? Go ahead, try it- it only takes a moment to appreciate the beauty! And the benefits of one moment of mindfulness can last all day long!
