Realizing the Divine Within: embracing presence

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Have you ever experienced a moment of complete clarity? When everything made sense, every action, every person, every object seemed exactly as it should be? It’s a strange feeling, seemingly paradoxical, but incredibly rapturous. Some describe the quality as surreal. In actuality, it is an intense alignment with the now, the eternal present, or ‘what is.’ In that moment you are no longer, man or woman, husband or wife, father, son, mother, daughter. You simply are.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, God proclaims himself “Yahweh,” which means “I am that I am” or simply “I am.” Sound familiar? God, the oversoul, the universe, Buddha, Tao, the eternal present—whatever it is you like to call it, are all encompassed within the spirit, within you and me. When you embrace presence, you are accessing the divine within yourself. Furthermore, Jesus said, “Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” Again, break this down. God’s kingdom is where he resides. If God is or resides in the eternal present, then he is within each of us. Only you can enter this most beautiful of spaces. No one else can do it for you.

Now, how does one DO this. Well, by not doing of course! Let me explain. The Buddha said, “Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” We humans have a bad habit of constantly hanging onto things gone by, and anxiously worrying about what’s next. But these are fantasies. They do not exist except within our minds. You cannot relive the past, and the future never comes. The only truth, the only reality is NOW. It’s all we ever have. And it is so deliciously rich and beautiful if you allow it into your life. Understand, you do not have to DO anything. You must allow your consciousness to align with the eternal present. And “That’s why the wise soul/ does without doing,/ teaches without talking,” proclaims the Toa Te Ching.

PRACTICE

It’s all well and good to conceptualize this, but the most important thing is putting it into practice. The simplest and most accessible way is to notice your breath. This takes thirty seconds and can be done at any time of day. Simply focus all of your attention on the passage of air in and out of your body. If your mind wanders, gently lead it back to the breath. Try to practice this 3 times a day: morning, afternoon and evening. You’ll see how far those thirty seconds will reach into the rest of your day. If you have more time and motivation I always recommend meditation. Ten minutes a day can literally change the way you see the world. Find a practice that works for you. Other possibilities are contemplation, prayer, yoga, and living meditation.

For more information on realizing the divine within take a look at these articles: YogaSoul, Yahweh, Kingdom of Heaven Within.

Allow yourself to be present today. Peace to all.

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By Terence Stone