Swinging maniacally from the past to the future, from reveries and regrets to fears and fantasies, our thoughts obscure the present with a thick cloud of fog. Little wonder then, that our customary state resembles that of a zombie.

We are often locked into the past by many events that continue to bother us. A troubled childhood, divorced parents, a handicap, create worries and fears that we project into the future. Suma Varughese shows the way to shed our emotional baggage and live in the vibrant present.

No matter how preoccupied we are with the fuss and flurry of ordinary life, the turn of the year awakens in most of us an awareness of the passage of time. We momentarily introspect, assess our dreams and goals and evaluate our present progress. We resolve to take life more seriously, to develop the skills we have long put off and try to shed some of our bad habits. For the first few days of the year, we strive to live consciously, aware of the crisp newness of the moment and take great care that we do not spoil it with our customary carelessness and indifference.

However, our attentiveness dissolves before the week is out and we return to our complacent selves, slaves to custom and habit. For the seeker, though, the goal is to live consciously moment to moment, recreating the newness with every breath. Her goal is to dissolve every last hold of habit and absentmindedness, so that she can keep her sights steadily fixed on the present. How lofty such a goal is becomes clear when we realise that in order to stay serenely and peacefully in the present, we must transcend all thoughts, for our thoughts compulsorily come between ourselves and the reality of the present. Swinging maniacally from the past to the future, from reveries and regrets to fears and fantasies, our thoughts obscure the present with a thick cloud of fog. Little wonder then, that our customary state resembles that of a zombie. It explains why the Buddha, with his face glowing with the light of enlightenment, was asked by dazzled villagers whether he was a God. "No," he replied with supreme gravity, "I am awake."

It is this state of wakefulness, extreme alertness, and a deep and unshakeable equanimity that the seeker hopes to attain through enlightenment.

What might such a state be?

Everything simply is: The mind's habitual pattern is to judge and dissect. Its two primary positions are craving and aversion. We cling to the people, objects and situations we like, while repulsing those we dislike. The very thought of an overseas holiday makes us weak with longing. Mention examinations, though and our stomachs tighten with fear and revulsion.

However, in the enlightened stage, the mind's movements are stilled. Instead of judging, analysing, dissecting, drawing close to or distancing, it simply observes the given situation with no preference whatsoever. Everything simply is. If it rains, it rains; if the sun shines, it shines. If we make a fortune, we make one; if we lose a fortune, we lose one. There is simply no drama about any of this, no rapture, no anguish, no resistance, no attachment.

Suma Varughese, a regular Verve contributor, is the managing editor of Life Positive magazine. Readers, with a spiritual bent, may write in to soul@verveonline.com.