Embrace the Present Moment: A Path to Awakening

Imagine for a moment that you don't seek another time or place, but rather, you let go of all preconceived notions and knowledge right where you are. By doing this, you will find yourself in harmony with the great teachers, the enlightened ones, the patriarchs, and the buddhas. This approach is the most immediate way to connect with existence itself.

You don't need to pray to a deity, believe in a savior, have faith in sacred texts, or undergo rigorous disciplines. All you need to do is be fully present in this very moment. Stay alert and awake. When you do this, whatever is happening around you becomes a part of your experience. You listen to the birds' songs not as "birds singing" but as pure, unmediated sound. You relish the melody and let it become part of your being without reducing it to mere words.

If you adopt this way of life—this style of existence—then anytime you are fully attuned and completely present in the here and now, a profound transformation can occur.

Look at the beautiful trees around you, but resist the urge to label them as "beautiful." Is simply looking at them not enough? Is it necessary to articulate their beauty with language? Try to enjoy the wonders around you directly, without filtering them through words. Each day presents thousands of opportunities to practice this.

Even in the noise of a bustling marketplace, you can pass through it alert, without making any judgments. Surprisingly, you may find that the sounds which once seemed disruptive now possess a unique beauty and life of their own. Whether you are sitting, working, chopping wood, or carrying water, be fully aware of everything happening around you without translating it into knowledge.

Words and knowledge can act like dust on your eyes, obscuring your vision. Clear this dust away, and you will see things as they truly are. This unfiltered reality is the only authentic name for God. It is not a distant goal but is always available to you; it is you who must become available to it.

The practice of meditation, dhyan, chan, or Zen, is simply about making yourself available to the ever-present existence. It's about meeting and introducing yourself to the reality in which you live. This process is simple and obvious, yet profoundly transformative.

When you become fully present and awake, all your miseries, afflictions, and agonies will vanish. They were merely nightmares occurring while you were asleep. Now that you are awake, the nightmares disappear, leaving only the beauty and clarity of the present moment.

Peace and Abundance Always,

Dr. Abundant