Want to Be in the Present Moment? Congratulations, You’re Already There!
I keep noticing lately all the attention being paid to “being present”, “living in the present moment”, “being in the now”, or however one might phrase essentially the same notion. Once Oprah gets into the game, you can be sure to find it becoming ubiquitous within pop culture. While it is a positive sign that the nature of presence is gathering such attention in the search for essential truth, there is also a fundamental yet common misconception at play in the mix. Namely, that there is any possibility one could be anything other than radiantly present in this moment.
I’ll make this as simple as I possibly can. There is only the present moment. There is no other time and no other place (in fact, there is no time or space at all, but that’s another topic). So where else could one be but here and now? That’s right, it’s impossible. The troubles begin when one thinks there is an alternative (i.e. past or future). It is precisely the concern over the past or future that we label as “not being present”, when in fact, this phrase is an oxymoron. And so to summarize, the key to “being present” is to understand deeply that you already and always are.
If you don’t believe what I’m saying here, try this little experiment. First notice in any moment that you are aware. Then ask yourself the question, “does awareness require any effort at all, or does it occur naturally without intervention?” Then notice whether awareness occurs in the past, present, or future. You should be able to see clearly that awareness is as naturally occurring as a heartbeat, always there, always in the present. The past and future are made up of thoughts (within present awareness) and nothing else.
Also, I should point out that I’m not writing this to be a smart aleck or wow you with my logical brilliance. There is a tremendous benefit to really getting what I am saying here. It is precisely what is needed to actualize the teachings of all the sages and authors who speak of the benefits of being in the present moment.
So congratulations! You’re present, always have been, always will be. Just don’t think otherwise.