Pitfalls to Now Moment

The motivation for notes to Now Moment

It has taken me  a long time to reach current state of understanding of Now Moment,

It implies slow and  perhaps incorrect approach .

Surely this cannot inspire many to follow this path .

Yet I must have  sensed something special ,very early to pursue  this .

Masters make fine distinction between Enlightenment , Ascension , even multiple levels of higher dimensions etc. For me the Now moment is fundamental first step  to all  of these States.

 Also only Now moment seems intellectually graspable and can be  worked towards.

There are enough Masters and Gurus teaching , but not much of compilation of struggles in this journey.

I note in schools despite great lectures from Teachers , the peer group always has been a great source of learning through sharing of difficulties among students.

While this would be practiced in the monasteries , but I have not seen on the net.

Here is my small effort as a disciple still learning , to share my struggles and my way through them with hope that it will benefit others on this path. 

To re emphasize I am not claiming to be any Guru just a Disciple . 

The Goal

We are referring to the goal of being in Now Moment  .

Further we are referring to psychological time and not chronological time.

Chronological time is by the watch

Psychological time implies mind moving from one state to another . ( I am poor and  I want to be rich )  .

In the Now moment Psychological time comes to a halt, with mind not straying to imagined new state ( to be rich ) . So then the mind is just aware of the current poor state, without desiring  to move away from it. Thus the Psychological time comes to a standstill – A Timeless state !

How do we  normally operate , if not in Now ?

It is easy to observe this in a conflict situation .

We are normally upset and agitated

That by definition is being away from being in NOW. 

We get angry when a desired result is not achieved in a given situation and can get aggressive. We grieve over un-attained goals. End up analyzing, failure and how it could have been averted.

Other situations are more s subtle. One type is

Desire for personal accumulation for pleasure, status, etc

As we experience any new reality there is a sensation and from there we respond with our likes or dislikes

As an example when you see a beautiful car, there is nice feeling and then comes desire to Own it.

Here Desire is a movement  away from NOW with an expectation.

Another more challenging diversion from NOW  is naming and terming

As soon as we see a flower, we say Ah ! that is rose

This naming has also moved us way from the NOW.

For we would soon start judging and add adjectives to it , good bad , stale, etc.

I hope you see the enormous difficulty  of being in the Now

It also tells us why we are permanently judging leading to different feelings and desires

Masters on NOW Moment

Einstein described Psychological time ( PT ) nicely as how times flies when one is  with a beautiful lady.

Many spiritual masters have dwelt on this topic . To refer some Eckart Tolle is famous for his book Power of NOW, Osho also has explained it:

Jiddu Krishnamurthy dwells on this topic  deeply . I shall advise serious learners to read more there.  One quote from him gives its essence

That is, as I am talking about it, silently observe your own process, be aware of the cumulative effect of all your desires to succeed, to gain, to achieve, which denies understanding. Because, the understanding of life, of this total process, does not come through desire- there must be a spontaneous meeting with it.

His teaching are available at

 http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/default.php

I have liked the simplicity of its explanation form Jesus Christ channel at

            http://www.jeshua.net/lightworker/jeshua6.htm   ( four parts )

            http://www.jeshua.net/: ( The center of the sun, under Channeling / through the gate )

Problems created by Psychological time

Desire creates a goal to be achieved , with it comes all negative emotions .

Fear for not attaining the goal, the anxiety , desperation leading to crime also , etc

If you  don’t attain the Goal  , there is sadness  jealously , depression  etc

This desire is a very tricky subject.  Let me clarify a little

Here desire referred is mostly in STS ( Service to Self )  situation

Desire in STO ( Service to Others )  becomes creative and joyful.( so we are not referring to this here)

To want basic needs such as food n shelter is fine , but when you qualify it with more qualities, such as more rich cream in the  Ice cream  , you are getting into Desire STS mode.

If something attacks you , you will defend instinctively , that is fine  , but if you get angry when  a desired results is not achieved  and get aggressive that is part of Desire STS

It applies in this space of spirituality also. This is one of my traps, and  I still struggle with it. When  I Slip into the Now Trance moment ( I call it 5d) , I would greedily want more and soon fall flat . ( I call  it back to 3D ) 

So essentially Desire STS creates all negative emotions

Struggle with Now Moment

In this Now Moment the mind is focused on current experienced reality

It is not trying to chase other scenario ( not desiring )

There are no thoughts of judgement of this reality

You are not even naming this experience

Imagine how a baby will a visual experience without any past memory and language knowledge of what it sees.  That is pure in now moment

 Well that is a lot easier said than done

We are trained to make effort to achieve goal in our daily life , We work hard to make a living and succeed there through effort

So not to will to be in Now moment  , we would respond with  initial shock and disbelieve.

Even if you overcome this , you have to overcome your habit for using your WiLL to make things happen. This is a lot trickier as you subconsciously slip into use of force of WILL to not  to use WILL !

Let me  elaborately this more

Let us look at the angry state of conflict  we referred earlier and see how  we would respond with the power of Now moment. Perhaps due to some failure of meeting our expectation we are upset.

In this case you will first  grapple with the failed results without getting into mind works ( analysis)  Just experience your  intense energy  without giving  into anger, it shall slowly subside giving composed energy to handle all aspect of the failure to work upon it and correct it.

So the immediate benefits are evident in terms to not aggravating the situation ( sometimes irreversibly ) , while gathering yourself to address the cause of the failure. There is little or none of the grieving.

I can only add that intuitively I know the benefit goes far beyond. Perhaps you can understand more only as you experience it yourself.

Let us now consider  another case of thoughts of judgement of a current reality which we said is also a distraction.

Judgement that means mind is in operation, recalling from its memory to judge the current reality. The data in the memory are from the past. 

So mind is comparing current reality with its data base information and then make judgement, that is when the desire for new state arises

Can you stop halfway in process of judgement and stop your mind from further judgement?

Yes we can, but what is involved. ? Who stops judgement ?

Higher mind? Isn't it still a part of mind?

Another way to consider this is, that the mind seeing the  start of judgement halfway , realises that it doesn't like it.

This is the new reality from which the mind wants to move away from!

So we are again straying away from Now hence Psychological time is in and the VOID is filled .

I hope you see that reality itself  is dynamic and changing and you have to be constantly alert to this without mind straying away.

So how do you make effort to be effortless ? 

This is the Paradox to be overcome.

However  any solution to  the paradox  can’t be regimented. As that implies effort. This is another  major challenge as you need to unlearn your lifelong practice of hard work to succeed.

Initially I would run in this circle without realizing it, like a dog chasing its tail.

My first true understanding of this trap came as I started to give up

That means dropping of effort ! Then I experienced a Satori  – Glimpse of NOW Moment .

My  current status is of limited experiencing of NOW moment but much more then just a Satori. I am  now effortlessing to stretch it to a larger part of the daily chronological time

Then how to be in the  Now moment  ?

All this is very subtle. I hope the referred sites above will give you enough material to start  besides others you  may know. But  My mantra  is

 Do nothing , including trying to do nothing.

Just Be

This is simply an anti effort  meditation and I like it, as there is no internal talk or effort involved , which are the keys to being in the NOW

For me this is one way to Slip into Now Moment.

In this moment there is no effort of the mind , you are just observing

It is very likely that the mind will wander away

Should we to try to still the mind and bring back to nothing ?

Well that would be use of WILL  and hence a trap we normally fall into.

WILL is of the mind, which implies use of force to bend ( mind ) to attain a particular state .

So no WILL

Don’t expect results , initially mind wanders a lot due to freedom provided suddenly.

Try to note usually there is DESIRE driving this wandering mind

Track that desire , observe it. It will slow down

One day you  may suddenly find a void of thoughts . I tend to even lose balance while in standing position!

As you recognize it and say Aha !, you have lost it.

Why is that ?

Mind is back in operations , it has recognized and is thrilled

The void is again filled !

So that Aha recognition was your Trap !

Way out of the TRAP

Do nothing

That is the mantra., just observe the  mind naming this experience . It will slowly subside.

Over time you will be more comfortable and stay longer moments in VOID

More Way out of the  Naming and terming TRAP

Naming is so concurrent with visual contact  that it seems near impossible to stop it

I struggled a lot with this before being able to shut it off during my walks.

The beauty of the surrounding greenery would mesmerize me and I would slip into a trance like state , where verbal mind slows down.

I discovered through  google that  scientist  have started to understand some of this.

Our left brain responsible for verbal skills which hands over control  to right brain to experience the visual scene and appreciate  its beauty . In this mode , naming function of the  mind is near absent. !

Dr Jill Bolte Taylor's stroke of insight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU

This is a major break through in my understanding to shut off Left brain.!

Well others may have other sense of triggers  from other artistic activities  such as music, dance,  games etc . You will need to discover what may work for you

 Next Challenge

Initially I thought I had arrived.  But i would hardly remain in my RB when I return back from walk , as stunning visual beauty reduces and life problems fill your mind.

Well for now I have no short cuts . Keep at it, so you will find  more moments in short spans

However as a synchronous event I came across a mental tool , which helps build your awareness . It a Hawaiian healing prayer called the Ho’oponopono

I like it for its simplicity and helping me own responsibility for problems in my life

I am also discovering a better understanding of the following statement

We are all One

Verbal understanding is simple but can you experience it ?

Ho’oponopono has helped me start experiencing  it .

In this practice , you are part of that problem which comes to your notice . As soon as you are informed  of the problem you are involved ! . You need to take owner ship for it and pray to dissolve it.

See a primer on Ho’oponopono below.

NEXT  ARTICLE  

1.      In coming articles I wish to explore the  social impact of Now Moment .

2.      To find ways to speed this process for all in pursuit of Now .

3.      And lastly, any more insights I get .

Ho’oponopono ( Hawaiian ) method for clearing unconscious beliefs )

Hawaiian healing process of Ho’oponopono,  says there’s nobody, nothing, outside of you. What you perceive is your reflection.

When you look at your husband and say, “He’s negative,” you’re saying that a part of you is negative

it’s about personal empowerment and awakening.

 When you take back your power and say, “Okay, the world is of my making, and what I’m seeing here is actually a clue to what I believe,”

you can get a handle on changing it.

This is why Ho’oponopono is so powerful – because you’re taking 100% responsibility and saying,

 “Okay, it isn't my spouse, it isn't my employer, it isn't these people investing with me, it isn't anybody on the outside. They’re mirrors of what’s in me.”

You take it to the Divine, or God, and say,

 “I’m sorry, I don’t know what kind of program is in me that attracted these kinds of people, but they’re here. So please forgive me for being unconscious to my own inner beliefs, as I can see they’re being unconscious. Please forgive me.”

Then you move into thank you by saying,

 “Thank you for taking care of this, thank you for resolving the issue, thank you for handling the negativity within me that I see in others because I know it’s only a perception.”

The fourth phrase (although as I mentioned before you can say them in any order) is,

“I love you.” This is where you move back into the space of gratitude and unconditional love.

So briefly it is

“I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you, I love you.” This is how you can take care of everything going on in your life on a spiritual, core level.

Reference : Miracles Manual / Zero Limits  by Dr. Joe Vitale 

Namaste

The Disciple