Presence,
A word we often hear in psychological and spiritual circles,
Tends to be spoken of as if it were some special,
Rarified state,
Distinct from other states,
And definitely not what we're currently experiencing.
Presence tends to get framed as some special realm or dimension of consciousness that we must somehow locate,
Cultivate,
Practice,
Rest in,
Commit ourselves to,
And so on.
But rather than assuming this to be true,
Let's look to see if it's actually the case.
Consider the following.
Has there ever been a time when presence was in fact absent or missing?
Is that even possible?
Hasn't something always been present?
Hasn't something always been here?
Look and see if you've ever lost or been separate from presence.
Teachings may proclaim that such experiences as thinking or the sense of being a separate person somehow veil or keep us from realizing presence.
But whether we call it thinking or feeling a sense of separation,
The presence of any experience is by definition still present.
The experiences we label as stuck or twisted up in knots,
Frustrated,
Lost,
Grasping,
Or annoyed,
Are nothing but pure,
Unadulterated,
Sparkling,
Alive presence.
The truth is that presence need not be sought or practiced,
For there is nothing but presence,
Even if that which is present is constantly changing from moment to moment.
Now while something is clearly present,
Notice that we can't at the same time say precisely what that something is,
Since what's present is really beyond any and all definitions.
Try right now,
Feel what's here experientially,
Feel whatever is arising in this oh-so-fleeting moment.
You may have many different names for it,
But see that no conceptual labels apply,
For whatever is present cannot be collapsed into any description or category.
Thinking,
Sensing,
Feeling,
The seeing of light,
The hearing of sounds,
The deepest sorrow,
The greatest joy,
While undeniably present,
None of these labels is capable of adequately conveying the infinite,
Indefinable nature of what's actually here,
The pure presence and utter mystery of this.
The most obvious quality of this that is present is that it is.
Whatever is here,
However we might conceive of it,
Is all pure vitality,
Pure aliveness.
While the diverse forms,
Shapes,
Colors,
And textures this can take are absolutely staggering,
That it even exists at all seems the most astounding miracle.
This is.
Wow,
How is that even possible?
How is it that anything is actually present?
That anything is.
Feel that.
Whatever shape reality might be taking,
Feel the awesome power and vitality that is its very existence.
Feel the undeniable,
Inescapable,
Potent presence of presence.
The here of here.
Notice that it's not presence on one side,
Knowing,
Watching,
Or being aware of something else over there.
No,
It's all presence.
No inside,
No outside,
No here,
Nor there,
But simply this that's present.
There isn't anything else.
For after all,
What else could there ever be?
If something else were to appear,
Something else were to become known,
It would still be just this,
Presence.
Were we to become aware of some other dimension,
Some other realm or reality,
We would still be right here,
Knowing and feeling the presence of it.
We could travel to the farthest reaches of the cosmos,
Have the most mind boggling transcendental otherworldly experiences,
And it would still be just this,
This very presence.
