Alive In This Moment

ALIVE IN THIS MOMENT

I just read a very touching article in the March 2010 issue of O. Oprah is interviewing a Buddhist monk by the name of Thich Nhat Hanh. Though, I’m a Christian, the way he spoke was meaningful to me. I will quote him: 

“Enlightenment is always there. Small enlightenment will bring great enlightenment. If you breathe in and are aware that you are alive – that you can touch the miracle of being alive – then that is a kind of enlightenment. Many people are alive but don’t touch the miracle of being alive.” 

“It is possible to live happily in the here and now. So many conditions of happiness are available – more than enough for you to be happy right now. You don’t have to run into the future in order to get more.” 

“Happiness is the cessation of suffering”. 

“If you are fully present, you need only make a step or take a breath in order to enter the kingdom of God. And once you have the kingdom, you don’t need to run after objects of your craving, like power, fame, sensual pleasure, and so on. Peace is possible. Happiness is possible.” 

He speaks of being mindfully present in each moment and in each activity we do.  He speaks of deep listening: 

“Deep listening is the kind of listening that can help relieve the suffering of another person. You can call it compassionate listening. You listen with only one purpose: to help him or her to empty his heart. Even if he says things that are full of wrong perceptions, full of bitterness, you are capable of continuing to listen with compassion. Because you know that listening like that, you give that person a chance to suffer less. If you want to help him to correct his perception, you wait for another time. For now, you don’t interrupt. You don’t argue. If you do, he loses his chance. You just listen with compassion and help him to suffer less. One hour like that can bring transformation and healing.” 

There is much more that I took from his words, but this is all for now, from me. When my daughter was 11 and fighting cancer, I gave up a friend I’d had for years. I was so deeply hurt that she had been my friend for so long and yet, was not “there for me” in any form in my time of very deep pain. 

On the other hand, I met a woman, very briefly, who looked at me like she was looking into my soul and after she listened, she simply said “I can’t imagine what you’ve been through.” It wasn’t what she said, but the fact that she listened, and did respond, simply but deeply. She felt my pain through listening and took some if it upon herself for me. Thanks, Bev. 

I challenge myself to listen more deeply and be present. Nhat Hanh says “When you love someone, the best you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there?” 

Are you alive in this moment? Are you there?