Presence - our theme for May

Presence is the first habit of happy people which we will be exploring in the Beachcomber Meditation monthly subscription - A Year of Meditation. 

So why is presence, in other words being here and now, so important for happiness?

In your whole life have you ever experienced anywhere other than here? 

Maybe in response to this question you bring to mind some of the places you have been. However, you are not in that place, it is just that your mind is creating a mental image of that place by thinking happening in the mind. 

In your whole life have you ever experienced any moment other than now?

Maybe in response to this question you bring to mind a memory from the past. However, that memory is created by thinking happening in the mind. It is the same if you imagine the future. The imagined future is created by thinking in the mind.

So, the only experience we can ever truly have is here and now. This is why presence is so important. It is a portal to what is real.

This month in our year of meditation course we will first of all explore, while being present, some different types of mental activity happening in the mind. 

First we will be present to notice some mental activities that make up our direct experience. We will notice breath and body sensations, thoughts and emotions as mental activities happening in the mind. 

Second we will be present to notice some mental activities that make up our attitude to our direct experience. We will notice preferences and judgements about our direct experience as mental activities happening in the mind.

Third we will be present to notice that which knows the mental activity, in other words we will notice awareness. We will notice how this awareness is unchanging, peaceful and happy and never impacted in any way by mental activity. 

Presence, in other words being here and now, is the portal to awareness. The portal to genuine peace and happiness. Once we notice awareness, we recognise that our true nature is  awareness and we abide as awareness. This is not an exotic or difficult process, it is available to all of us, because it is what we realy are. 

Here and now are the only place and time that is ever experienced, the rest is just created by the process of thinking in the mind. We come to recognise that, in the same way, awareness is what we are. What we are not what we ‘think’ we are. 

Want to give it a try? Then please subscribe to A Year of Meditation at £9.99 per month. You can cancel at any time.