The Wisdom of Now

Rather than asking why life hurts, the way forward is through mindful response, inner transformation, and fully living each moment

- By ANIL BHATNAGAR

Suddenly, a poisoned arrow comes whistling through the air and pierces a man’s chest. What happens next is unexpected. Instead of pulling it out, he demands to know who shot it, from where, and why.

The Buddha used this striking parable to show how we waste our lives in speculation while the real work—living wisely—waits to be done. The wise, he said, do not analyse the shooter or the motive; they pull the arrow out immediately. He shifted the question from ‘Why are we here?’ to the only one that truly matters: ‘How shall we live this moment?’

The Wisdom of Natural Beauty

True beauty, wherever found, has no purpose beyond its own being. Flowers, clouds, rivers, peacocks, and butterflies could have evolved to function perfectly well without such ethereal embellishment—yet they remain so unexplainably beautiful.

A butterfly doesn’t flutter to please anyone; it simply expresses its natural impulse.

A river doesn’t flow to entertain, yet its movement soothes the heart.

The koel’s effortless summer song is not for applause; it is simply its expression of being.

So why should human life be any different?

Life has no grand purpose; to live it as it unfolds is its purpose. If so, why not live it—prudently, mindfully, and practically—to celebrate our gifts, serve others, and make a better world?

By living in the present moment meaningfully—with awareness, gratitude, integrity, and compassion—we can meet what lies beyond this life.