Death – all try
to avoid death. But human adults all know about mortality. We know that we can
be or have been suddenly given the full time job of engaging in active dying or
fighting death in ourselves or someone we love.
What most people
ask of themselves at such times is “how have I spent my time?” Most judge that
they have misspent their time and cared about the wrong sort of things.
Although we know such an epiphany inducing moment is imminent, we tend to live
like we live forever.
There are ways to
live in the moment (bring high value to the time we experience). It is a
reality of our mental life that it is always NOW.
Caveats: It is
not now in the visible universe (what we experience as now occurred in some
cases 13.5 billion years ago) and not now in neurological or neurochemical
understanding (it takes a minimum of tens of milliseconds to process and
register a perception). However it is a liberating truth about our own minds
that can make us happy [wrong word i.e. that we can attribute as worthwhile --
time well spent – leading to increased wellbeing and mental equilibrium]. Past
memories are thoughts arising presently and likewise the “future” is a thought
arising now. We forget this truth, and succeed in fooling ourselves by looking
over our shoulders and attaching undue value to a memory [that is usually
deeply flawed] or give time to the illusion of what is coming next [Luke 12:27 "Consider
how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even
Solomon in his splendor was dressed like one of these.”]
To enjoy [wrong
word i.e. optimize the mental construct of our existence] whatever is true of
life in the present requires a change in both attitude and awareness to
experience each now, each present moment fully.
JRH
Commentary – When we undergo the transformation in attribution, attitude, and
awareness like Harris’s puts forward the moral stakes change. And I don’t mean
we cannot and must not make reasoned global judgments about the gains or losses
that arise throughout the transition, but I believe that a
discipline/practice/focus on being fully present with each moment we are
granted is, on balance, a boon to our wellbeing.
It is not
without costs. Engaging in this practice changes our viable options. This truth
holds for any and all disciplines, e.g. going to church regularly, daily
devotions, playing a musical instrument, regular physical exercise, paddling
along IN rivers. Unexpected consequences or hidden outcomes are unpredictable but
may include the following: you falsely attribute present pain with future gain;
you forgo unfettered Sunday mornings when you could do chores or surf the web;
you selfishly sequester time for yourself on a piano bench or in a canoe away
from other high priority activities or venues such as wife, family, internet,
etc. So being in the eternal present can bring with it subjectivism, hedonism,
self-centeredness, and a collapse of the transcendent – but it needn’t do that.
Reflective practice can bring awareness to the conditions of our awareness and can
make the “invisible” [things we are blind to] manifest.
When applying
invectives like hedonistic, airy fairy, selfish, etc. it seems to me we paint a
time-tested option for spiritual formation with an overly broad negative bias.
Isn’t the “bottom-line” of Christian spiritual practice your worthiness in Gods
sight? Practicing eternal presence means that in each and every moment we are
given the opportunity to breathe in grace and each acknowledged heart beat
gives life irrespective of our striving. You now are everything that is!
“All this
universe to the furthest stars
all beyond
them is your flesh, your fruit [your NOW]
Take your
practiced powers and stretch them out
until they
span the chasm between two
contradictions
…. For god wants
to know
himself in you” Rilke
