A very big aloha.
My name is Rev.
Cindy Palos and I wanted to talk about the gift that is so often talked about,
Being here now.
I was blessed to be friends with some wonderful teachers throughout my life and Ram Dass was one of them and he talked a lot about being here now and it was interesting.
His mind was very expanded in the time when it was,
You know,
A lot of acid,
Right?
He wrote a lot about it.
It was pretty interesting,
Actually,
In his life.
That was a whole thing going on,
Right?
And it was so long ago that it was actually legal when he began to explore there.
But the being here now concept evolved with him and I was blessed to know him and do many interviews with him over time,
Some on the radio and some by recording it on video.
And one,
It was a blessing,
Was with him and Ram Dass was so,
So beautiful that he would often talk to other wonderful people I knew.
And it was,
It was always fascinating.
He'd had a stroke in his latter years and what happened with him was that it slowed him down a lot to talk.
He would be limited in his vocabulary and would only say a few words,
But the words developed into a lot more meaning in just the simple words we're used to.
They became multi-dimensional words in ways because that was what he was seeing and translating and saying in his limited capacity of having only the ability to say a few words.
And I relate to that very well because I had a stroke and thank God it didn't affect the way I talk because obviously I talk a lot.
But it did affect me in the way that I can't read anymore.
And when you lose one of your abilities,
It's interesting how the other ability kind of takes on more capacity.
And I think this happened with Ram Dass and his being here now during that time in those years when he was talking after the stroke changed quite a bit from the way he was before the stroke.
And I think that he became deeper in many ways and he certainly was as beloved if not more beloved during that time as I remember it.
I remember the time that he was close to passing away and then shortly afterwards when I was told it was close that he passed away.
And the first day there were not a lot of people then the word came out and then there were a lot a lot of people at his place here on Maui.
And it was interesting how people reacted and I still find it fascinating that his energy was very present but people were fascinated with seeing his body.
And to me it was very clear that he was not in his body but the energy of his body was certainly present.
And he still was here now.
His being here now was still in that state.
And it was still strong.
It was still really powerful.
And it was pervasive.
You could feel it.
I mean so clearly and so strongly.
I was closing my eyes and meditating at that time.
And when I started there weren't a lot of people in the room.
I opened my eyes.
I don't know how much.
It might have been an hour later or an hour and a half.
The room was packed full of people at that point.
And the energy of the meditation was pervasive throughout the room as well.
And it was an interesting gift of his presence reaching and touching so many people.
Because he was there now.
And I think that in some ways even thinking about him in that time brings him here now as well.
And I think that is a gift that we can learn in so many ways.
So many levels to that being here now.
And that being here now has many lessons in it.
One is not to let the mind to wander.
To just directing that mind back.
That mind back to where you are in this very moment.
And then delving into that.
So I'll take a few moments here to meditate with you.
If you can just close your eyes and relax.
And put a beautiful brilliant white light all around you.
Above you and below you.
In front of you and behind you.
And just allow that beautiful brilliant white light to be there with you here now.
And just breathe in and slowly let yourself be completely present with where you are here and now.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Getting your body comfortable from head to toe.
Totally present here now.
Breathing in and out.
Now where does that presence of being here now take you?
Right here and now.
If you were to expand that beingness of you here right now.
How expansive is this moment of you right here right now?
I don't sense any limitations in this presence here now.
I sense this energy field.
Lovely beautiful energy field.
And as I allow myself to be present here now.
This energy field embraces me and enfolds me.
Totally brings my awareness to many levels at once here now.
Many levels of consciousness in one very beautiful moment here now.
And if we breathe it in.
Allow this presence.
This precious beautiful moment of being here now.
To not be limited but unlimited.
Unlimited energy.
Unlimited light.
Precious beautiful energy and light.
And unbelievable unlimited love that is present right here and right now.
It's beyond controlling.
It has its own energy field which we can participate in and be aware of.
Be grateful for and share together here now.
What a wonderful gift this present of being here now is.
How wonderful that we are given that precious gift.
I bow in gratitude to this presence of being here right now.
And slowly allow that beautiful energy field to permeate through all levels of your consciousness.
All parts of your beingness.
Your awareness.
Your mind.
Your body.
So all together here now.
So many levels.
So deep.
So beautiful.
So very precious.
Now if there's anything that you can remember in that experience of being here now.
Take a moment and write it down.
And I always like to suggest this because it helps bridge the awareness from the writing mental mind to that part of you that is unlimited in that awareness.
And I want to take a moment to also be so grateful to you for being present.
For being part of this energy.
I bow to you in gratitude and love.
Thank you.
