Be centered on the Truth, and forget the present moment

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Questioner: Acharya Ji, what are Scriptures? How important they are in Spirituality?

Acharya Prashant (AP): General books are like general conversations, Scripture is like this conversation (the Satsang).

General books are about general things,

Scriptures are about essential things.

In the general books, there are words, even in the Scriptures there are words. Just as this conversation is making use of words, but it is aiming at something of the beyond, it is aiming at something far higher than the general plane, so if you know the importance of this discussion that you are having with me, you very well know the importance of the Scriptures. This very discussion if written down in a book would form part of a Scripture.

You asked, “With what attitude should one read the Scriptures?” With the same attitude as you are listening to me right now.

Questioner: Acharya Ji, Saints have told us to live in the present. So practically, how can we live in the present?

AP: You need to have something very important at your hands that will keep you engrossed. At the same time, the Scriptures do not put any special emphasis on not thinking about the future, or not looking at the past.

You have to be centered on the Truth.

You have to be centered on something large, Immense.

And then that, if it requires you to go into the past or future, that is alright.

Carefully understand this.

It is not about whether you are going to the past or future, it is about where you are going to the past and future from.

If you are well entrenched in your natural seat, if that’s where you are strongly based,

and then from there, from your base you decide to visit past or future, there is no problem.

It’s okay.

The brain has the physical, prakritik (natural) power to look at memories, go into them, analyze them, co-relate a few things, and also imagine the future. And the brain can…