INTERRUPTIONS

A radiant smile lit up Maya's face as she prepared for her workday. Today was a special day, marking the arrival of a small Krishna idol to her newly established home temple. The pristine white shrine, now home to the deity, seemed to infuse the entire house with an energy that hummed with peace and joy.

Later that evening, as Maya was immersed in her work, a sudden darkness enveloped her surroundings. The electricity had tripped. Initially dismissing it as a minor inconvenience, she soon realized the power outage had affected the entire neighborhood.

A hush fell over the city as the familiar hum of appliances and electronics faded away. Maya settled onto her sofa, gazing out of the window into the gathering dusk. The silence deepened, amplifying the stillness of the moment.

As the darkness outside mirrored the quiet within, Maya's thoughts drifted to simpler times. Just two decades ago, power failures were a frequent occurrence, even a way of life in some rural areas. The thought spiraled into a deeper contemplation about time itself.

Perhaps, she mused, time wasn't linear at all. Maybe it was a construct, a human invention to measure and organize existence. Her soul, she felt, transcended the limitations of time, just as the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita spoke of lives on different planets and evolved beings beyond human comprehension. If time was fluid, if past and future were mere illusions, then the present moment was the only reality.

Suddenly, the lights flickered back to life, jolting Maya from her reverie. Time resumed its relentless march forward, but her perspective had shifted. The power outage, a momentary disruption, had illuminated a profound truth: the present moment is a precious gift, the only certainty in a universe of infinite possibilities.

In the relentless pace of life, we often overlook the present moment, caught up in the past or worrying about the future. But true wisdom lies in recognizing the preciousness of "now," for it is the only reality we truly possess.