The Mind is Not Free to be Happy…Happiness is in the Present

In order to experience happiness, we will need to learn live in the present without the pain, bitterness, anger or guilt of the past or the anxiety or fear concerning the future. If we examine our unpleasant emotions we will discover that they are 95 % based on the past of future.

All of our pain, bitterness, anger, shame and guilt have to do with memories – even if those memories are about yesterday or this morning. If our memory was erased, we would not have any of those emotions. We have experienced them because we are allowing something that we are remembering (consciously or subconsciously) to stimulate those feelings. Without a past, there can be no pain, anger or guilt.

Anxiety and fear are about what might or might not happen in future, even if the future is one hour from now. The present does not have such emotions.

There is no other reality than the present. We cannot go to store to buy something yesterday. Nor can we go now to buy something tomorrow. We cannot act in the past or in the future. We can only act in the present. Only in the present can we make decisions or respond to events or challenges.

Only in the present can we exercise free will to change our lives. The only point of power to create our lives is the present. There never was a time that was not NOW. There is no other time.

When our mind is preoccupied with the past or present, we lose the joy and creativity of the present. We have less energy and clarity with which to make decisions and to perform our tasks. If we feel that we have less power in the present, it is because it is being lost in the past and future.

In order to enjoy the present, we will need to reconcile with the past and feel safe about the future. We have already discussed this to some degree in some of my other posts. We need to realize that the past was a perfect stimulus for our evolutionary process and forgive others and ourselves for all that happen. We need to move into the future feeling totally safe that we live in a loving universe and that we are much stronger than we could ever imagine.

Living in the present is enhanced by focusing on the stimuli in the present such as our breath, our energy, our senses and our consciousness. We can learn to cultivate our ability to be witnesses of our breath, energy, senses, thoughts and emotions and experiences. This state of awareness allows our consciousness to experience a degree of detachment from our thoughts and feelings so that we can experience the peace and bliss that are behind and beyond the mind.

Our senses are another point of reference in the present. When our senses are stimulated we usually temporarily let go of focusing consciously on the past and future. The subconscious of course will still be preoccupied with the past and future, until it is healed of this tendency.

Creativity is another way to experience the present. Although our minds can wander at times when creating, usually such activities engage our mind in the present as we enjoy the creative process. Creativity also leads to states of inspiration that bring excitement and happiness.

Another anchor to the present is the awareness of our energy body. We can focus of the energy in and around our bodies while is a state of relaxation, so that even while moving we are aware of that energy. Being aware of the energy in and around our body allows us to be in the present, but it also is a window to pure consciousness, which is behind and beyond our mind.

As we begin to access our pure consciousness, which is awareness without an object of awareness we begin to feel peace in the present. Our consciousness is pure, immutable and blissful. It is the basis of happiness without any external cause. In this present moment of awareness of our inner bliss lies our true lasting happiness. All other forms of happiness are temporary and fragile because they are dependent on external factors, which are constantly changing and, which in general, we cannot control.

Consciousness is our essence and is always in state of peace and bliss but is usually masked by disturbances of the mind. That peace exists even when there is disturbance in the mind just as the white light behind the film of the projector remains white and formless no matter what is appearing on the screen. The mind will need to be silenced in order to experience that peace.

Thus in order to experience a steady form of happiness, we will need to let go of the past and future and develop awareness of the present and of ourselves as consciousness rather than as bodies and minds.

We will also want to experience the present as it is and not distorted by our beliefs, fears, emotions and prejudices. In general we do not see what is but rather what we believe is. Our beliefs distort our perception of reality and interpret it in subjective ways dependent on our subconscious conclusions based on our previous experiences. Our beliefs limit the beauty of the present with these subjective interpretations.

If we want to experience the joyful divinity of every present moment we will need to let go of those beliefs that limit and distort it. One basic obstacle to that experience is the illusory feeling of separateness created by our senses when in fact we are one spirit, one energy and even one matter. This feeling of being separate from others and the forces around us cause us to fear and develop defense mechanisms that seriously obstruct our happiness.

We will need to free ourselves from the control of these emotions cause by our defense mechanisms, which develop into addictions that auto-repeat themselves. When we are lost in our emotions, we are unable to experience our present environment. Some people can create an inner chaos, even in the most pleasant external surroundings. We can have many people who love and care for us, but feel deeply unhappy because one particular person we believe we“need to love us” does not. By setting this particular condition which if it is not fulfilled, we refuse to feel happiness, even if we are loved and accepted by everyone else, except this person we have singled out as our only source of our happiness. Many of our emotions distance us from our happiness. We will never find the answer to these emotions solely with logic.

Another trap is to base our happiness on something that will happen in the future, which means that we are waiting for something to happen so that we can be happy. The idea that “I will finally be happy when ……….” is an illusion, because that happiness will last only a certain length of time. It is like traveling to a place for our vacation where we are expecting to be happy and not allowing ourselves to enjoy the scenery or be happy until we get there. So we think, “when I have that spouse, that child, that job, that house, lose that weight, have more money, etc. I will be happy.” But our happiness remains in the future.

The truth is that lasting happiness will be achieved only when the mind itself has let go of its need to find external sources of safety, self-worth, freedom or fulfillment, or happiness. Otherwise we will live in fear, pain, disappointment, anger and guilt until we begin to believe in and eventually experience all of these within us. When we feel safe within ourselves and love ourselves, we will be much happier and much more pleasant to be with. In reality we will find happiness when the mind is transcended and we experience the peace and that bliss that are beyond the mind.

Loving ourselves and others is a basic prerequisite for happiness. Some fear loving because the of the mistaken belief that love leads to disappointment, hurt, suppression, abandonment and other painful experiences. The truth is that love has never ever been the cause of pain. The cause of pain in those situations is expectations or attachments and the need to have love or attention or approval form the other.

May we all learn to love unconditionally without expecting anything at all. It is the most effective way to experience happiness. In this way we enjoy loving while not needing anything external or from the other and it is then we will find true and lasting happiness.

…… Love and Light Christina

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