Sunday, August 8, 2010

NOW

What does NOW feel like?

Since it's always NOW - what does that feel like?

It feels like breathing, butt in chair, various perceptions, the breeze from the A/C on the arm.

But those feelings change.  What does NOW feel like?  NOW is the persisting state required for any of these experiences - so what does NOW feel like?

Does it have a feeling itself?

We might say it's the combination of perceptions and sensations presently known.  So NOW is what IS, right now, in terms of experience.  

But NOW is more than that.  It's the fact or reality while the content changes.  NOW is an ineffable fact which even contains thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow.  NOW contains anything that is NOT-NOW.

NOW is the fact - the content changes constantly - NOW is invariable.  NOW is like an opening or container for the content.  NOW is an invariable stateless state which contains all states.  NOW is always the absolute context no matter the content.  NOW is not a thing yet all things are dependent on it for their existence.  Nothing exists outside of NOW.

What is this NOW?

None of the experiences, the sensations or perceptions, can be removed from NOW, can be outside of NOW, can be separate of NOW.  NOW and the content of NOW are inseparable.  Yet NOW is also not dependent on the content - as the content changes, NOW remains.  As thoughts come and go, chattering about yesterday or tomorrow, they come and go NOW.  

So what the Hell is this NOW?

It is YOU.  You are NOW.  You are the invariable fact which always IS while the passing content merely appears. You are the stateless state or context within which the content arises.  You are the opening or capacity which unconditionally allows all content to be as it is, even while the mind objects, resists, and presents conditions.

NOW is the peace being sought after, however it's never sought NOW.  We think it will come tomorrow or next year, once our spiritual search has been completed.  But that Peace isn't found anywhere outside of NOW.

It IS NOW.  It is YOU.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Wow! NOW! Thank you Randall. Very clear. Love this.

Ben

No One In Particular said...

Marvelous.

Rudolf said...

Hi Randall,

is the Now/Awareness/that etc. the "feeling" (knowing) that I exist? I can somehow put my attention to this feeling/knowing that I exist. I wonder if this is what is being pointed to(?)

But, there is no realization that i am that. So I just keep focusing on this knowing as much as possible. I want to discover if this is indeed what I am. Although I do not see anything else (bodily sensations, thoughts) that I could be, there is somehow no certainty here that I am this knowing of being. I think I am still operating as I would be body/mind.

The investigation does not seem to stop it yet. So I just keep investigating?

Rudolf

Randall Friend said...

Rudolf,

Hello my friend. Good to hear from you.

You are the subject of all experiences, yes? So can you know the subject objectively? Can the subject be something objectively known? Any feeling is objective and requires a subject - therefore the subjective can't be a particular feeling or experience - the subject is experiencing - the fact of experiencing or knowing.

The realization is not there because of the habitual turning outward - looking for some experience or feeling to validate. Does knowing need validation? Are you knowing right now? Does it require effort? Is it conditioned in any way?

The subject of any experience is always what we call "awareness". See if this isn't so. You come to realize that it IS so - that you must be the subject and the subject can't be anything but the knowing.

Give all thought to this one matter - don't get lost in the endless nonduality concepts. When you say "I AM" you are confirming that presence, that subjective presence, are you not? It is an assertion of being - being is knowing.

Have a good look.


love
randall