[1] There is only "Now”

(a)

If we look and check the facts, it's clear that the only moment which actually exists is “Now”. The past and future don't really exist except as a sort of mental imagination. If we think back to what we were experiencing 2 weeks ago, we can indeed give some mental existence to this memory but only if we bring this memory into the “Now”. It can only be remembered, or re-experienced in the imagination, by bringing it into the “Now”. And the same applies, of course, to the future. We can imagine something happening in the future, but the only existence it can ever have is if we bring this imagined future into the “Now”.

(b)

Using an analogy, it's as though “Now” is like the light lighting up a stage in a theatre. On the stage a play's various events unfold, but each event only exists fleetingly while 'lit' with the Light of “Now”. The play's events that have passed and no longer exist only had existence when they were in the Light of “Now”. The play's events which have yet to come will only have existence when brought into the Light of “Now”. So, without the Light of “Now” it is clear that no play takes place or can have any existence at all!

(c)

So the fact is, this “Now”, like life (as I remember a comedian once saying), is clearly something that is very difficult to avoid! In fact, “Now” cannot be avoided at all because this is where our life actually happens. “Now” is the only moment which actually exists and is the only moment we ever really have. “Now” is the rock-solid solid 'Rock' that is always present, as opposed to the shifting sands of the ever-changing thoughts, perceptions, feelings and sensations that make up the totality of our lives. We only have to check the facts of our experience to see the truth of this. Is this not your and everyone else's' experience?

[2] “Now”, the Ever-Present 'Context' in which experiences ('content') come-and-go

(d)

So it's clear that “Now” is always present. It's not something that comes-and-goes as the perceptions, thoughts and feelings that make up our lives come-and-go. This 'content', so to call it, of our lives certainly comes-and-goes, but not this ever-present “Now”. This “Now” is rather the 'Context' in which every experience we've ever had has come-and-gone. It's the one thing that's never actually changed at all. “Now” is Unchanging. It is ever the same. It's always the same “Now”. It's true that the 'content' of this ever-present “Now” is changing all the time, but the 'Context' which is this “Now” is in itself Unchanging.

(e)

“Now” is a bit like the space in a room. The Space itself is unchanging, but the contents of the room change over time as items and possessions in the room come-and-go. Or, to choose another analogy, this “Now” is like the screen in a cinema. The Screen itself is unchanging, but the images on the Screen are constantly changing. This ever-present “Now” is a bit like this, though with this last analogy to make it more accurate the 'Screen' would have to be 3D rather than 2D. [But that's the trouble with analogies. They never quite fit. They can only ever be indicative or suggestive.]

(f)

So it is clear, this “Now” is rock-solidly Ever-Present and Unchanging. Check out the facts and the truth of this in your own direct empirical experience! Is this in fact not the case?

[3] What we 'have' & what we 'are'. Body/mind & the ever-present 'Context' “Now”

(g)

Right! So what exactly is our connection to this Ever-Present “Now”, given that it is clearly something we cannot possibly avoid. In fact, the only way to avoid this “Now” is for us to not exist at all! And this fact, very tellingly, gives us a very big clue as to our precise connection to this Unchanging “Now”. First of all, however, let us consider what we have been conditioned to think we are before we check the facts of what our actual direct experience is: We have been brought up to identify very strongly with our bodies. When we look in the mirror we regard what we see as ourselves. This is what we think we are, at least to some degree. To an even greater degree most of us are even more strongly identified with our minds and personalities. We think of ourselves as some sort of person type entity, the main identifiable feature of which is the face we see in the mirror every day. So this is what we usually think we are. We think we are a combination of body and mind. Or, if we have spiritual or religious tendencies, we would say we are in essence a soul or spirit. But this last is speculative and more of the imagination than what's apparent in our direct experience.

(h)

In our direct experience, we can certainly see and experience we have a body. The important word here is 'have'. That is, we 'have' perception and feeling sensations that suggest the presence of a body. I 'have' those and I guess you 'have' too. Also, in our direct experience, we can certainly see and experience with our 'minds eye' (or cognitive capability) that we have thoughts and feelings which suggest the presence of a 'mind' or, more accurately, the presence of mental-psychological functioning. Again, it's something we 'have'. We 'have' a mental-psychological functioning happening within or to us.

(i)

Now there's an important distinction between 'have' and 'are'. One is to do with possessing something and one is to do with being something. We 'have' a body and we 'have' a mental-psychological functioning, but is this what we 'are' fundamentally? Clearly not, as both these 'haves' are possessions. So, apart from these two, what else is clearly present? Well, clearly, what is present is this ever-present 'Context' of “Now”! Now the question is, is this “Now” something we 'have' or is it in some sense what we 'are'. Well, “Now” is certainly not objective as the perception of one's own body or a passing thought or a feeling is objective. “Now” is rather the non-objective 'Context', as said, in which perceptions, thoughts and feelings arise and pass (content). “Now”, therefore, can only be the Subject. In other words, it's what we 'are' fundamentally. Without the “Now” not only do we not exist, but there is no existence of any type at all!

[4] We are this “Now”. We are this “Here-Now-Awareness”

(j)

So, this “Now” and our existence, our being, are intrinsically intertwined. In fact, more than this, they are one and the same thing. “Now” is not something we 'have'. “Now” is something we 'are'! And is this “Now” something dead and inert? Or is it something that is alive and aware? Clearly, this “Now” that we 'are' is awake, alive and aware. So, if we expand our understanding of what “Now” refers to, we can see that the term “Now-Awareness” more accurately captures the truth of our actual direct 'experience' (or rather self- evident apperception). And as “Now-Awareness” is always 'Here', in the sense of the centre and heart of our being, we can expand “Now” even further to give “Here-Now-Awareness”.

(k)

So, this is what we really actually 'are'. We 'are' this “Here-Now-Awareness” which is always here. We 'have' a body and we 'have' a mind (or mental-psychological functioning), but what we really truly 'are' in our essential essence is this very plain and very obvious “Here-Now-Awareness” which is indeed always present. No-one in any way can avoid it, because this “Here-Now-Awareness” is what we actually truly 'are'! In an image, if we say that the body and mind is like a car and its various control-systems, then “Here-Now-Awareness” is like the conscious and awake driver of the car. Or looking at this in different way, for those so inclined, you could call this “Here-Now-Awareness” our 'soul' or 'spirit' or 'inner being' or 'real being' or 'essential being' or whatever. But in terms of direct empirical experience what we 'are' in reality is simply this extraordinary and amazing and very undervalued and underrated “Here-Now-Awareness”.

[5] This “Here-Now-Awareness” we are, as it is always present, is of the Eternal

(l)

This “Now”, this “Here-Now-Awareness” we really actually are, is always present and is only present as the immediate present moment. It is therefore not part of time as the past and future are. It is therefore Timeless. And being Timeless this “Now”, this “Here-Now-Awareness”, is of the Eternal.

(m)

So what we really truly are, in our essential essence, is of the Eternal. We may indeed 'have' a bodily and a mental-psychological functioning system, but what we 'are' is this “Here-Now-Awareness” which, if we check the facts, is always present and has therefore an Eternal aspect.

(n)

We need to Recognise this, for the sake of truth and for our sanity and peace of mind. Not Recognising our true essential identity and being identified with our surface transient identity, our bodily and mental systems, can ultimately only lead to distress and unhappiness. So we need to see clearly the distinction between the ever-changing 'shifting-sands' of our transient, ephemeral surface nature and the 'Unchanging' rock-solid Presence of this ever-present “Here-Now-Awareness”, which is our true Eternal nature and identity.

[6] We are all One in our essential identity as “Here-Now-Awareness”

(o)

Finally, we can go on to reflect that although on the surface of things we are all unique and individual, having different body-mind systems and different life experiences, as the characteristics of ever-present “Here-Now-Awareness” are the same for everyone, in our true nature and identity we are therefore all essentially One.