The Church of Reality

Tricycle

Home

Table of Contents

I wonder what I'll find out next!

This is Magger Frane's 'blog.

Living in the Moment

(I wrote this on January 10, 2003)

As y'all know, every so often a Buddhist insight comes crashing through my head ... here's today's, about "living in the moment":

A few times recently I've heard or read a friend saying, "I need to try to live in the moment more often," as though it were a New Year's resolution sorta thing, like going on a diet.

Well ... you are already living in the moment. You don't have to "try" living in the moment, it happens anyway. All you have is this present moment, whether you like it or not. If you are thinking about tomorrow, you are ... surprise! ... still living in the moment. If you are thinking about yesterday, you are still living in the moment! The moment doesn't go away. You don't go away. You are stuck here.

So, meditation practice is not about trying to live in the moment. Meditation practice is about realizing that you are stuck living in the moment. Realizing that this present moment is all you really have. Realizing that when you think about tomorrow or yesterday, you are simply distracting yourself from the present with fantasies and selective memories.

[Previous entry: "Relationships and Control"] [TOC] [Next entry: "We were both already "special", got it?"]

TERMS OF SERVICE: All the original contents of this web site are copyrighted by Magger Frane as of the date of publication. You expressly understand and agree that your use of this 'blog is at your sole risk. You expressly understand and agree that Magger Frane shall not be liable for any damages resulting from your use of this 'blog. Any dispute, controversy or difference arising out of, in relation to, or in connection with, the foregoing, which cannot be settled by mutual agreement, shall be ignored.

DISCLAIMER: Use of semi-advanced computing technology does not imply an endorsement of Western Industrial Civilization (nor does it imply that I believe this technology was reverse-engineered at Roswell).