Written by: Jack Blackburn
The following is excerpted from the Practical Presencing classes I have been teaching in Japan. Developing a personal practice of presencing can be compared to training for an extreme sport. The more we practice presencing the more inner and outer changes show up in our lives. This first article describes some of those changes. It is very challenging to remember to be present throughout the day. The signs of presence bring us evidence that the background phenomena we usually overlook: silence, stillness, no thought, no time, and mu, play a central role in shifting human consciousness.
Presence - The Lost Quality
Deeply imbedded in Japanese culture, deep in the religious traditions of the past, lies probably, the greatest power for the full enjoyment of our time on this Earth. This quality, this lost way of being, is reflected all around us by nature, by our loved ones, by the special occurrences in every moment, and by our own bodies. We have gone to sleep and are dreaming a false dream - a dream of a world decaying, a world losing the qualities that assure the continuation of life. Our species is dreaming a nightmare of sadness, hatred, and fear. We feel disconnected from one another, disconnected from other species, and disconnected from life itself. This lost quality is readily available, and can be restored any moment - How about right now?
Presence available in any moment:
We can move from the domination of time Chronos, which run our lives, to the experience of no-time Kairos in which all the qualities of life become available to us now. Perhaps it seems surprising that this lost quality requires no preparation, no college degrees, no training in specialties, and no management skills. And yet by choosing to acquire this lost quality we can achieve more than we ever dreamed, more than we can imagine, and success beyond measure.
And this quality costs nothing, does not require physical prowess or personal merit. It is by coming fully into this moment that we can experience this quality. Notice it right now as I am speaking with you. Notice that you can embrace this moment. It is like passing under the torii. On one side we dream of fear and pain. On the other side we feel happiness and love. The ancients knew of this experience. The ancient teachings of all religious traditions tell us that we can awaken from the dream of separation.