A few years ago I had the opportunity to spend a week with a peasant family from the municipality of Camotán, department of Chiquimula. At night after dinner I would sit with the man of the house on some pieces of old logs to pass the time, of course. there was light in that house there was no possibility of watching television. In addition, the house was in the highest part of the mountains of that region and was removed from the municipal seat, for this reason we could not move there to distract ourselves.
The first days that I sat in the dark with that person in my head the following phrases were repeated: “how boring is this place”, “what do people do to distract themselves”, “what a bad time I am having”, “right now I was in my bed with the television on watching a good movie. While I was hooked and ruminating those thoughts within me, discontent and discouragement exploded, with which without realizing I lost my state of well-being and emotional balance.
On the third night, tired of listening to my thoughts and remembering everything I missed, I dedicated myself to seeing the man and noticed that he remained calm, very peaceful, in a state of absolute conscious presence, dedicated to observing the night, the sky and the stars. Reflecting on the man’s attitude and disposition, I realized why he remained calm as opposed to the emotional discomfort I felt. The understanding was as follows: the peace that emanated from that man was due to the encounter with himself, that is, the look of the night from the depths of being, the feeling of appreciation for what is without having conflict with the images of human desires. In addition, I understood that he flowed with that present moment that life gave him to sit down, to share with me the silence and scenery of the night. I can affirm that in that moment of spiritual ecstasy that person felt at peace. With that mental clarity I realized that this man was not looking at the deficiencies that I had created with my discontent.
During those nights, the secret to having personal well-being was revealed to me: An attentive look at the present moment is the door to freedom from mental and emotional ties.
In the following nights I concentrated on absorbing what life gave me and I came to these conclusions:
- In the silence of the mind there is inner peace.
- Personal well-being is achieved in the encounter with oneself.
- Emotional stability is achieved by freeing yourself from negative thoughts.
- Spirituality is the experience of the here and now.
- Conflicts are resolved without past memories or future expectations.
- Happiness or unhappiness depends on me.
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André Armas, Educator and Wellness Counselor
Aligning with the energy of the universe and nature brings calm.