Ibn ul-Waqt, Sahib-ul-Waqt – Mastering the present moment
Affan Yesvi is a Sufi scholar, columnist, and entrepreneur. As a descendant of the 11th-century Sufi saint, Khawaja Ahmed Yasawi - a mystic, poet, and founder of the Yasaviyya Sufi order in Central Asia - Affan carries a rich spiritual legacy. LESS ... MORE
Do not occupy the present with the preoccupations of the past and the future, said Sufi master Hazrat Abu Abd al-Sulami (947-1034), also called Shaykh (spiritual guide) of the Awliya (saints). To worry about the affairs of the past and to be preoccupied with the affairs of the future takes the blessing out of life, he advised.
Blessings flow when one is able to anchor oneself in the present moment. Such steadfastness has always been sought by the seekers. Through the ages, Sufi mystics have laid emphasis on mindfulness and awareness of the present moment in order to find true peace and contentment. In our current times, self-help books that teach how to anchor oneself in the present moment become bestsellers. Corporate groups spend huge sums in engaging motivational speakers to take wellness classes for their employees, training them in how to stay mindful of the present moment and live it to the fullest.
Living the present moment without being burdened by the past or the future has been one of the most profound teachings of the Sufi saints. Hazrat Abu Bakr Shibli (573-674), referred to with the honorific title al-Ṣiddīq – One who speaks or represents the truth – had said, 'More precious than a thousand years past and a thousand years to come is this present moment for you. Be not deluded by anything material. Know that in the realm of the soul, the past and future are the same as the present.'
If one is able to develop the mindfulness of living in the present, steadily the mind gets centred. The seeker is able to focus his concentration on the Almighty and is able to immerse himself in remembrance (zikr) and meditation on the divine presence. The illusions of the ego can be dropped only if the mind is able to master the present moment through total watchfulness.
Sufi mystics have emphasised upon the practice of muraqabah – an Arabic term which denotes the watching, the observing. Constant practice of muraqabah initiates the seeker into deep awareness and mindfulness of the fragrance of the Divine in one's inner being. Constant remembrance of the divine in the mind blossoms into one's thoughts, actions and character. It elevates the seeker to achieve a transcendent union with the Almighty through vigilant and mindful self-reflection and open one's being to divine love.
Hazrat Rumi (1207-1273), the greatly loved Sufi mystic and poet, used terms like 'Ibn ul-Waqt' (offspring of the present) and 'Sahib-ul-Waqt' (master of the present) for the one who is able to live in the present.
The Sufi masters have given us the ilm (knowledge) that we need to steer our life in the right direction. The question is – are we willing to invest our effort and our passion into understanding their teachings and making them a part of our life? Are we willing to drop the regrets, burdens and sorrows of the past to fully live in the present moment? Are we willing to drop the fears and anxieties of the future so that we can find peace and contentment in the present?
The wisdom and spiritual insight of the Sufi masters shall help us if we are willing to let their teachings guide our understanding of life. If we choose the path of convenience always and do not work at elevating ourselves, we shall not make the gains that our soul seeks. Are we willing to move out of our comfort zone and make the effort? Often, it has been observed that man is content to stay in his safe haven and does not want to give up his luxuries and make the effort which may make him evolve.
An old Sufi story of a man who wanted a lion tattoo illustrates this point well.
'I want a lion tattoo, here, on my shoulder,' the man said to the tattoo-artist. 'Make it a big one!'
'Certainly, I shall do so,' the artist responded.
But when the tattoo artist started his work, the man wasn't willing to bear the sting of the needle and the pain that it caused him. 'Stop!' He shouted at the tattoo artist. 'You are hurting me. What are you doing with it?'
'I am making the lion's tail,' the artist told him. 'I don't want the tail,' the The man shouted. 'Leave out the tail.'
The artist started to make the rest of the lion, but the man screamed with pain again. 'What are you doing now? Why are you hurting me so much,' he shouted at the tattoo artist.
'I'm making the legs,' the artist replied. 'Leave them out. I don't want the legs,' the man shouted. One by one, the man dropped all body parts. No tail, no legs, no belly, no mane. And finally, no lion.
The tattoo artist knew the man didn't have the will or the strength to go through with what he had chosen. 'You are not ready for a lion,' the tattoo artist scoffed, and he drove away the man from his shop.
There is no wisdom in dwelling constantly upon what may or may not happen. Worry and stress pull away our mind from feeling gratitude for the present moment when one is healthy and blessed. It is only in the present moment that life can be lived and experienced in all its richness and glory.
Sufi saints have taught us that the present moment holds the bounty of joy, gratitude and the potential to work towards evolution of the self. The Sufis have taught us that every moment is blessed by God; every moment carries His Divinity. We must be vigilant and ready to receive them.
As Hazrat Rumi said, every moment we are dying and returning to Him. Every moment, the world is renewed, though, to us, because of the swiftness of its renewal, it appears continuous. If we are not aware of the constant renewal of the world, it is because the renewal and the change is too rapid for our perception.
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