Healing in the Present

 

 

 

Hello, my name is James Hyman and I have been asked to contribute an article to this very fine and interesting publication.  As I write these words, it is five o'clock in the morning here in Los Angeles California.  It is mid-August, and the light of this new day is just emerging. 

We live in such an interesting time.  It is a demanding time.  It is a time that will require the highest, the best, the intuitive, the critical, and the love and patience that is in us all.  In case we haven't noticed, it is a great blessing to be here at this time, to be on a spiritual path, and to be committed to the awakening of consciousness that actually ensures that there will be future generations.

Many of us around the world have been on a spiritual path most of our adult life and yet many more people are just now emerging into this energy of awakening. It is important to remind ourselves that we are not actually doing the process of awakening.  The process of awakening is actually working us, moving us and molding us along the path of liberation, not just for our personal gain but for the evolution of conscious awakening on planet Earth.

Understanding this experientially allows us the great freedom of letting go so that we can relax and experience this "present-time” freedom of being.  “Letting go” you say, what does that mean and what does that look like.  When we look at and contemplate the world outside of ourselves, we can become very perplexed, almost paralyzed.  We can become discouraged, and often times feel powerless to affect any real change in the world in a way that supports the peace, the love, and the light of consciousness that we are so ardently looking for.  And so we look away pretending that if we don't pay attention to the world it won't affect us.

 

The problem lies not in the world, but in our believing and having faith that the world exists as a separate entity outside of us.  We are the world.  The world is inside of us.  And we as individuals, each see the world in our own special and unique way.  We live in a dream of separation powered by our own personal hallucination of how we think the world is according to our beliefs, perceptions, and projections, and how the universe came into existence.

The ego “I-ness”, that entity which is perpetually talking to itself in your head, is a projection of that which we think we are into the field of real-time experience of life.  In reality, we can't get out.  Our mind and our ego cannot figure a way out of this mess so it pre-occupies itself with self-improvement as a way of dealing with our anxiety about life and the idea of financial security.  We feel anxious because that which is always changing we want to stay the same, and that which is eternally present and never changing, i.e. our awareness, we generally have a not so good relationship with.

It would be far more beneficial to come to the full realization that there is nothing to improve upon and one would fair far better if we mastered “financial insecurity” instead of accumulating more in order to feel safe.  No amount of money as an idea of a fixed quantity will ever satisfy the root anxiety that we carry as human beings around the idea of survival.  We definitely have issues that keep us from experiencing our fundamental freedom.

The root insecurity that we feel around life has to do with our survival and general security.  It just so happens that in our world, money as an idea represents everything from survival to freedom.  Self-worth, and how we see and measure ourselves in the world, too often is rooted in our anxiety around money, self-image, and purpose. 

In my own process concerning this anxiety around survival, money, work, relationship, health, and spiritual enlightenment, I came to this profound realization that as long as I think and relate to life as a continuum of a past, present, and future timeline, my reality will be forever fear-based.  The idea of future immediately triggers all subconscious fears that whatever I have today as a necessary resource to life will diminish with time and ultimately run out.

Tip: as soon as I become aware of a future thought around money and of any anxiety that accompanies that thought, I center myself, take a breath, and immediately summon the mantra that is printed on the back of our money.  “In God we trust”.  Until my nervous system and my cellular consciousness, fully embody the truth, that God is my source, I can never be truly free.  So, in the present moment I feel the truth, that in this moment, beyond a shadow of a doubt, my life is perfectly handled by spirit.  In the past-present-future matrix I will undoubtedly project fear into the future.  As soon as I collapse that matrix into a Now matrix I am free to witness the magnificence of the perfect manifestation of this present moment beyond anything my mind wants to tell me that is not in alignment with the highest truth.

In relationship to spiritual practice, if I am not truly anchored in the present moment, no amount of meditation or yoga or any other spiritual practice can ever serve my awakening in some future moment.  Being anchored in the present is a unique and special practice.  Because that includes everything, whether I am engaged in spiritual practice, meditation, eating, working or especially doing nothing, just Being, the “I”, the me, the awareness, the I-Am-ness is right here, right now, is applying full attention and awareness to breath, body, and the spaciousness of mind.  Even if I am in suffering of some kind, I at least have the opportunity to convert and transmute all information in the present moment into the energy of true spiritual awakening by staying very focused, and constantly transmuting everything into spiritual process right here right now.  If it's really bad, I may have to go in really deep and totally surrender this process over to Life and to Forces far greater than me and my ego and my concerns.

Therefore, my life and thought process are centered on securing “the future”.  Even the idea of mastering the laws of manifestation embodies this fundamental anxiety because we are perpetually trying to manifest in the future.  But, if the future does not exist outside of our imagination we will remain forever frustrated.  We can only manifest life in the present moment!  I feel compelled to repeat that.  We can only manifest life in the present moment.

If we dedicate ourselves to the present moment, to witnessing the ever present, “moment to moment” unfolding of the conscious life force energy through our awareness, our perception, our emotions, our reactions, and our fantasies held in mind's inner landscape, and yes, our internal dialogue, everything that we are looking for, everything that would satisfy our soul's craving for life exists right here right now.  Unfortunately, the mind and the mind's perpetual conversation about life, if left unattended, is generally anywhere from negative not so positive.

Awareness and attention are only tools that we need, at least at first to get the hang of this meditation.  The meditation upon the present moment, real-time, experience of that which we call our life “happening right now” and only right now, because that is the only possibility that has have ever existed in all of the infinity of time.  All that is happening is the Now, right now.

For the process of “witnessing of life in the present moment” to become fully activated, in addition to applying attention and awareness, we must also apply intentional gratitude.  Through intentional gratitude and by consciously appreciating what the senses are showing us of the world, we can become fully engaged in this process of conscious living-ness in the now, and experience the ultimate expression of our desire, which is to be truly free and in love.

We can only be free in the present moment when we experience being fulfilled, satisfied, appreciative, whole and complete, right here right now.  How often has your mind allowed you and afforded you that experience in the mundane, day-to-day experience of life?  And that is because the mind is constantly drifting, almost aimlessly, through past and future reference points and projections.  Stop!!!

Break the spell.  Generally speaking, the mind is lost in a self-generating trance of delusional thought.  The world is this way, my life is that way, I want this I want that, I'm getting older, things are changing etc. etc. etc.  And we believe it and accept it as real and therefore the truth.  It may be the truth to the mind in a relative sense, but it has no reality in the present moment.  

Focus on the Now.  Breathe!  How do you feel right now?  Where's the tension in your body?  Relax!  Take a nice, slow, deep, long, full breath and feel it.  Settle into the present moment.  Bring your awareness from outside inside and feel.  Relax.  Say to yourself internally, “I am the creator.  I am the witness to all of this”.  Settle more into the feeling aspect, which is always an anchor into the present moment.  Now feel one breath as you create a very subtle sense of softly smiling and generate the awareness of gratitude.  Think and repeat to your mind internally, “thank you, thank you, thank you, I love you”.

Open your eyes and look around.  Just notice what you see and where you are.  Notice the sky, the room, the space and so on.  Take a breath, feel.  What does it mean to be aware?  What does it mean to be unconditionally happy?  Self generated happiness as a result of the intentional application of attention, awareness, perception, feeling, sensation, and an appreciation for breath and the ever present Now, as the subtler qualities of being in this present moment. I AM!!!  Haleluya!!!

This is the real essence of spiritual path work.  To separate awareness and the "I am" presence that is watching, from the mind's perpetual internal dialogue that is judging criticizing and generally projecting the pain body back into reality.

At the same time, when we move beyond just the intellectual and conceptual process of understanding of the Now, we begin to realize that the true practice of meditation is not disengaging from reality but fully engaging the present moment.  This is so vital to understand, to experience, to practice, and to actualize.

It is the end of seeking.  It is not the end of learning.  In some ways, it is the beginning of acquiring true knowledge.  When we learn to I-dentify the silence that is at the core and the foundation of our being and reality, the energy of the discursive mind begins to dissipate naturally.

It is the end of thinking that there is something wrong.  It is the end of our denial of our true Self.  Wouldn't it be grand to be free of the anxiety around change and uncertainty?  Wouldn't it be wonderful to never have to worry about money again?  And how about having the confidence around health and radiance so that you could truly enjoy your life and physical embodiment to the very end?

Well, we all know on some level that life is a b*tch.  The end is guaranteed.  It's timing and circumstances are a profound mystery.  And for most of us, until that time when we say goodbye, we must continue to secure our survival. These circumstances alone, usually lead a person into years of contemplation that looks and feels like worry.  Generally, our mind is fixated anywhere but on the present moment until something goes wrong and we are in some kind of pain or crisis.

So in summary, dedicate yourself to the present moment.  Become a scientist of the present moment.  Notice what is going on in your internal world in the present moment.  Pay attention to the world outside of yourself, the world of your senses.  Notice what is showing up moment by moment.  Become clear about your self and “what you are”, not so much about “who you are”.  Who you are is generally defined by the ego.  Explore what is true about yourself by nature.  Explore what is belief and what is perception in the present moment.  Is your mind in control of your life, or are you well seated in the “I am awareness of the present moment” witnessing the process of life, and the mind's conversation with itself is just another one of those processes.

Once you dedicate yourself to the study of the present moment, you need to be lighthearted I have a good sense of humor.  Remember, Don't Worry, Be Happy, Have Fun.

One final thing, if you create the intention of a subtle smile, your body will think you are actually happy and should behave accordingly woo hoo woo hoo woo hoo.  Why think differently.  Good luck!

Well, I guess that's all for now.  The light a new day has arrived, and it promises to be another magnificent day in which to play in the field of experience of now-ness, to breathe, to feel, to be grateful, to love, and to be fully human and en-joy this divine drama.  To celebrate my freedom to be Me.  To know that the universe exists because I exist and it is my birthright to be a conscious channel for peace, love, and light.  Blessings!

-James Hyman