Now Is The Time To Be Free

About 2500 years ago the Buddha gave a short teaching titled An Auspicious Day. He instructed a group of monks to reside in the 'now' and told them to not get taken in by thoughts of the past or future, and to not get taken in by qualities of the present moment.

We hear people talking about being in the moment, being in the now, or being present. In the scheme of things such people are still relatively few in number. Even those who are genuinely interested in the now might be unaware that the present moment is not a point in time. Like most subtle spiritual teachings the words point to something more significant.

The now is a gateway in consciousness, somewhat like the parable of Jesus, where he taught that it is easier for a camel than a rich man to pass through the eye of a needle. On first hearing you assume that the rich man is someone who is wealthy with money and property, but it is a matter of attachments. You can have a large store of attachments to renunciation, to poverty, to various ideas, opinions, emotions and attitudes. It has nothing to do with how your unique wealth is valued by society, yet it will prevent you from passing through the eye of the needle, or through the present moment.

It's not just a question of renouncing material forms such as people and objects, or intangible forms such as ideas and feelings - although some shedding of material and mental 'noise' can be helpful. There is a letting go that involves the passing away of things and there is also a letting go that involves seeing through things. That is why it is important to be very present to whatever you are doing, or to whomever is with you, in this very moment. This is a real training of the heart and mind because it can be practiced anywhere, at any time, no matter what you are doing.

Through concentration you often let go of extraneous thoughts and emotions. You do this naturally attending to something you enjoy, and many attachments are temporarily unravelled. When done as a discipline, focusing on something that does not interest you, it can be challenging until your mind develops a habit. When in good company, when chanting, meditating, with like-minded friends, immersed in the contemplation of these things, the transition from busy mental activity, to concentration, to meditation can be seamless.

You might have taken up mindfulness, meditation or chanting to relax, to improve your health, to be more spiritual, to have greater control of your mind, or for any number of reasons. The practice of these things indicates that you are breaking through the perceptions of past and future. The momentum of habituated thoughts can seem like an overwhelming obstacle, but it can also propel you into greater realisation. Sooner or later you see that both past and future are actually qualities of the present moment, as is everything else.

Being free in the now and free of concepts does not mean you have to renounce thoughts or people or objects. You can also let go of them by seeing through their form into their true nature. Then you are no longer at the mercy of every thought or person that demands your attention. There is simply an awareness of whatever arises before you, and then you either attend to it, or ignore it. Clinging to what arises subsides because you realise that it is, in reality, impossible to remain attached to anything. Look at your body as an example. Where is your body of yesterday? It's gone, you have let go of it without even realising, and you had no say in the matter. Then one day, possibly after some years, you notice how much it has changed.

Without a deeper awareness of the now your attention flows along infinite lines of possibility. Although it might seem purposeful or intelligent, in the spiritual sense it remains unconscious mental activity. Stop and ask yourself any of the following questions. From where is this thought arising? From where is this feeling arising? From where is this perception arising? Listen for the silent answer as you near the portal of the present moment.

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