D DAlmost all spiritual leaders speak about awareness. But what does being aware actually mean?
Sadhguru, for instance, speaks about sitting peacefully and observing our breath—the rhythm of inhaling and exhaling—as a way of becoming conscious of the simple fact that we are alive. In doing so, the body settles, the heart rate may slow, and the mind becomes quieter.
But is that all awareness means?
Without any intention of competing with Sadhguru or any other spiritual leader —or even defining something so deeply personal—I have begun to feel that perhaps awareness is something much larger.
Perhaps awareness is simply knowing that every minute of this human life is precious.
Think about how we travel. When we know we have only a few days in a new place, every minute is planned. We decide where to go, what to see, when to eat, when to rest. Even rest is scheduled because we want to make the most of the limited time available.
What if we approached life with the same awareness?
If only we knew exactly how much time we had on this planet, perhaps we would spend it more judiciously. Because time, unlike money, cannot be saved for later. Every minute spent is a minute that will never return.
But then comes the obvious question: How do we make the most of life?
Spend more time with the people we love?
Perhaps. But even that has its limits. Our loved ones have their own lives, routines, responsibilities and rhythms. Our sudden, constant presence may not always bring them joy. Sometimes, despite our best intentions, we disrupt their lives—and they disrupt ours.
So did we really make the most of life? Or did we simply complicate it?
This is where I find some wisdom in the Jain thought: “Par thi khas; swa maa vas”—move away from the lives of others and dwell within yourself.
Perhaps awareness begins there.
By turning our attention both inward and outward, we may slowly begin to understand how we are actually spending our lives. Almost like the battery-usage screen on a phone, which tells us where our battery went, awareness might show us where our life is going.
What is draining us?
Which battles are worth fighting?
Which ones should we simply walk away from?
What deserves our time?
How much should we celebrate a moment of joy?
What should we hold on to—and what should we finally let go?
Maybe awareness is not merely sitting quietly and watching the breath.
Maybe it is watching our life.
Watching where our attention goes. What consumes our time. Watching what gives us energy and what takes it away. Also watching what we chase, what we fear, what we love, what we tolerate and, ultimately, what we choose to spend this one irreplaceable life on.
If only we knew the exact date on which our journey would end, perhaps we would have started differently. We would have navigated the path differently. We would have been less concerned about some things and far more concerned about others.
But we don’t know the ending.
And perhaps that is why, ages ago, wise people told us to live life as though there is no tomorrow.
For the first time, it has started to make sense to me.
It took me 43 years.
What’s your count?
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