One of the most powerful things we can discover in life,
And something that meditative inquiry can help us to discover,
Is the way in which thoughts are not capable of telling us the whole story about whatever may be happening in life.
Let me give you an example of this as it relates to meditation.
If you've had any exposure to meditation practice,
You've undoubtedly heard that because of our tendency to get carried away by thoughts about the past or future,
It's necessary to engage in various practices in order to return ourselves to the present moment.
The largely unquestioned belief is that something must be done in order to get back to the here and now.
But let's examine this assumption a little more closely,
Exploring whether the belief that we could ever leave the present moment is actually true.
Right now,
Just notice that no matter what the mind might be doing,
Regardless of how seemingly far into the past or future we seem to have traveled,
It is absolutely impossible to ever exist in any time but now.
See that you can't possibly leave this moment.
Try it right now.
Try to get out of the present moment.
It's not really possible,
Is it?
No matter what past or future time you seem to wander off into,
It always remains now,
Doesn't it?
For sure,
The moment is always changing.
What's appearing is always fresh,
Always remaking itself.
But no matter what shape or form the present moment is taking,
It always remains the present moment.
And so,
Instead of making some effort to get ourselves more into the moment,
We can simply notice that it's impossible to ever get out of the moment,
For there is only ever this moment.
Through the power of thought,
We seem able to visit the past or venture off into some imagined future.
But thinking is actually powerless to remove us from the here and now.
Your thoughts about the past,
When do they happen?
Right now.
Thoughts about the future,
Where and when do those occur?
Right here and right now.
The truth is that it doesn't matter what we're thinking about the past or future,
It always remains now.
And because of this,
We could say that the present moment is in a very real sense indestructible.
The moment can't possibly disappear.
And by recognizing this,
By seeing that it always remains now,
We discover a kind of freedom from what was or what might be.
We come to realize that the past and future exist only in imagination,
And that imagination is always taking place right now.
So just recognize the simplicity of this.
The fact that there is only ever this moment.
See that no practice is required in order to get yourself more into the here and now,
For you are already right here,
And it is always right now.
After all,
There is no other time you could ever be in but now.
No other place you could ever be in but here.
There is only ever this moment,
And that is where you always are.
Right here,
Right now.
Feel the truth of this,
That no matter what the mind might be claiming,
The simple fact is that the present moment is all there ever is.
As we bring this meditation to a close,
Just let yourself feel the power and simplicity of this.
The fact that there is only ever right now,
A now that no action or thought could ever destroy.
