The Here and Now
by: Jedi Kidodin
QUI-GON: Don't center on your anxiety, Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs.
OBI-WAN: Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future...
QUI-GON: .....but not at the expense of the moment. Be mindful of the
living Force, my young Padawan.
The Here and Now by Jedi ArwenHere Qui-Gon is trying to teach Obi-Wan that Jedi need to live in the present so that we don't miss what the Force is trying to tell us through nature, our surroundings and other people. Living in the present helps us to enjoy life better too. Why should we be stressed out about the future? Why should we be burdened about the past?
We should be aware of the signs of nature, which can be very subtle. For example: Are the birds singing? Are the crickets chirping? Is everything or everyone acting normal? How do we feel right now? What are we really seeing? We have to learn to read the signs of nature, but if we are mentally off in the future planning next week's activities, it won't be possible.
When you are driving your car in a new city for the first time and you are not exactly sure which way to go, you are probably living in the present. You turn off the radio and pay attention to what is going on because you don't want to get lost. You see what is ahead of you, what is to your sides and what is behind you. This is a good example of living in the present.
You can also learn to live in the present by watching animals. Their thoughts and energy are only in the present. Animals seem to enjoy each moment of existence, unless they sense some danger. After the perceived danger is gone, they immediately return to savoring life again. They don't dwell on past traumatic incidents either. They don't carry the baggage of the past with them like humans do. They make living in the present seem easy. Young children still live in the present too, and that is probably why they seem happy and carefree most of the time.
The problem seems to be that our brains are too big and too active and our thoughts are always dashing to the future or the past. The only true reality is the present. The future is only a `mental concept' that humans have developed in order to make plans for survival. The past is no longer reality and is forever gone and unchangeable, and is not worth dwelling on either.
Of course we have to be realistic about this. Sometimes we have to plan ahead for careers, finances, retirement, and other activities. We have to remember past events too. However, we shouldn't become obsessed with the future or the past. The present is where the living Force is. The present is where we need to keep our consciousness.
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