Ever-Present Presence

While we often hear the word "presence" and imagine it to be a kind of state we must learn to get ourselves into through various practices, this meditation invites the listener into another kind of presence, a presence that never comes or goes, a presence that need not be practiced or cultivated but simply recognized to be always the case, always here as the ever-present presence of whatever is being experienced.

Transcript

If you've meditated before,

You've likely heard that meditation is about becoming more present,

More aware or mindful of what's happening.

Not surprisingly,

When we hear such things,

We imagine there's something we must do in order to create this greater awareness or sense of presence.

But as it turns out,

We can actually realize greater awareness and presence without doing anything.

Let's explore this now.

Just settle into a comfortable position,

Eyes open or closed.

As you settle in,

I'd like you to consider this.

Right now,

You are awake,

Right?

For most of us,

We don't even have to think about the answer.

It's an automatic yes.

And this yes stems from an undeniable awareness that's here.

And this awareness that's here is present without you having to do anything to create or sustain it.

Being aware is completely effortless.

Notice this,

That awareness need not be sought or practiced,

For it is already happening.

You are already aware.

Being present is another phrase that we hear.

There are moments when we feel present,

And moments when we feel that we are not.

And then there are moments when we discover we're no longer as present as we think we ought to be,

And we do something to return ourselves to the present.

That's one way of understanding presence,

And it's a perfectly fine way to approach it.

But there's actually another type of presence,

One that requires no effort or work to achieve.

This is the presence of what's already here.

What do I mean by that?

What I am pointing to is a presence that can't actually go away.

It's the presence that is always on.

This presence doesn't require any work or practice to realize it.

I invite you to notice this,

The simple presence of whatever is being experienced right now.

In this moment,

Is there a thought,

An instant of feeling something,

A momentary sensation?

Regardless of how the moment may be appearing,

It's always here,

Right?

That is a presence I'm talking about,

The presence that's always changing,

But that never disappears.

No matter how this moment may be appearing or feeling to you,

It is present.

And so just allow yourself to relax into that,

This presence that never goes away,

The presence that is effortlessly showing up as each instant of life.

As we bring this meditation to a close,

Consider the way in which this presence can always be counted on.

We can trust this presence,

Trust the fact that it is always with us.

Even if experience looks and feels different in each instant,

The flow of experiencing itself is always present.

And so just allow yourself to relax into this ever-present presence,

The presence you can never be removed from,

The presence that is always here,

Appearing as each moment of life.

Reviews

Hi, John. I have seen you at Zoom meetings with Peter Brown. Nice reminder about presence. Never not here (even if sometimes I don’t like what’s present; then there’s always something else present besides what I don’t prefer. Taking refuge in that does seem to require a shift in philosophical perspective, from that I must do something to change the situation fast to it’s better to recognize presence first. Be well.

Interesting, thought provoking, simple.

This really helped me to slow down and be more aware, thank you

Great insights which bring a sense of peace and understanding. Thank you.

Very cool shift in perception: simple and miraculous