Beware the cult of ‘The present moment’ and ‘mindfulness’

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

Questioner (Q): How can we, in daily life, go closer to the Truth? Is that through sitting, walking, working, meditation, by living mindfully in the present moment? Isn’t mindfulness taught by the Buddha himself?

Acharya Prashant (AP): Which Buddha are you referring to (asking the questioner)? The Buddha of the West’s construction, the Buddha of the neo-spiritualists and neo-advaitians, the newness movement, the mindfulness movement? Which Buddha are you referring to? Show me where is Buddha talking of mindfulness? Show me. It is a cult, it is an extremely foolish, but dangerous cult, ‘the cult of mindfulness’. Please be very very cautious of it. In the name of mindfulness, at worst, you can get caught in a universe projected by your own mind, and at best, you will start concentrating on the things that your mind likes or dislikes.

No scripture ever talks of the present moment. Never, never. It is a fake spiritual philosophy emanating from industrial roots. It is driven by nothing but escapism and consumerism. It is both ineffective and impractical. And it is dishonest to boot.

If you are the one, who has been living a debauched life, how will the burden of your past not haunt you?