Q. How to achieve a state of complete presence and connection to life, moment to moment? A. Not humanly possible.

We offer two four day residential trainings during our 12-month Mindfulness Teacher Training Course (MTTC). See info at foot of post.

I invite trainees to ask a question relevant to the teachings.

Here is a transcription, edit and adaption of my response from the recording in the Waldhaus Buddhist Zentrum, near Andernach, Germany in August 2024 to a question during the MTTC sessions.

1972. Thai and Western monks and nuns. Vipassana teacher, Ajahn Dhammadharo. This wallah sits to the Ajahn’s right. Taken in Wat Chai Na monastery, Nakornsridhammaraj, Thailand. What was the present has become the past.

Q. HOW TO ACHIEVE A STATE OF COMPLETE PRESENCE AND CONNECTED TO LIFE, MOMENT TO MOMENT?

A. NOT HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

Summary of Response to a Question

Christopher discusses the tension between being fully present in life's moments and recognising the limitations of being present.

He says embracing the temporal nature of life can lead to a broader perspective, while letting go of dependency on experiences can bring true freedom.

He questions the priority given to being present, suggesting that it can limit our view of life and the feasibility of always being connected to life, moment to moment, given that no one has achieved it.

Benefits of reflecting on limitations of experiences can open up our heart and mind.

Teachings on making the priority the here and now are not worth holding on to due to what did arise or might/will arise at some point require attention.

Christopher sees a timeless freedom from dependency on past, present and future as supremely precious.

Response to Question

Christopher: Such questions about complete presence in the here and now are frequently posed in the context of meditation practices or as a result of engaging with teachings. The question is understandable in the context of the priority given to teachings by certain teachers on retreats and in public taks. Some will give the highest importance to the present.

Is the first priority to becoming fully present all the time and connected to the task at hand in each moment? Is the highest priority to see the here and wow as the Ultimate Reality? No single individual on Earth has achieved abiding permanently in the present. Such a goal stands beyond reach. If we have never met anyone who abides in such a state, nor know it ourselves, why offer a teaching impossible to achieve?

This approach does not accommodate the human situation, nor the necessity of permanent causes and conditions to make it possible to abide constantly in the present. There is also a dependency of the extent of our efforts, meditation practices and insights. The goal of the Present Moment does not seem a viable solution to spiritual engagement.

If we consider this objective to be the primary objective and examine it in detail, we will surely conclude that our position remains untenable and unreasonable. In light of the above, we might ask ourselves: “Why should I be any different?” The Buddha did not promote such a goal. Why should I make it the priority?

We explore deeply the human experience. Reflecting and meditating on this, we can recognise and experience the genuine value of being fully present, fully established, moment to moment - for the period of time this experience lasts.  Such an experience has immense benefits – harmony of body/mind/oneness with the world, inner peace, clarity and more. That does not make it the ultimate objective. The benefits need to include an a sense of the bigger picture rather than a feeding a desire to abide constantly in such a state.

Practices and experiences open up of the heart and mind to much more than being in the now. This allows us to adopt an expansive view not tied down to the present while encompassing calm and clarity. Application of calm and clarity applies in our relationship to the past, present and future. What factors contribute to what arose and what views arose about the present?

By tracking these factors, we can gain insight into what arose, what is arising and what will or might arise. Past events influence the present. Without a clear understanding of the recent past, it is impossible to comprehend the present and future. The further we go back in time and the further we go away from the present, the greater the possible of inaccuracy with memory and interpretation. The current arising remains under the influence of past and future perceptions. We can witness the potential implications of the present upon the future.

Yes, there are occasions when total focus on the present matters, but that does not make it a requirement to always dwell in the present moment from one moment to the next. Inner movements of choice show the limits of our power to remain permanently in the here and now. The past exerts an influence on the present. There is no evidence in the present moment to confirm we should hold on to the present as a daily life priority.

The here and now does not offer a reliable anchor point due to its dependency on conditions of the past and views of the future. In light of our life experience, we know the transitory nature of contact with the present. Given our position at the forefront of consciousness, we need a comprehensive and realistic awareness on the three fields of time — namely what has arisen, what is arising, and what will and might arise. Three fields of time also depend upon formed views that arise subject to change.

Clarity witnesses the inter-activity of the three fields of time.  

As stated, the three fields of time are causally related, so the present cannot be unconditioned. This perspective allows us to identify what was, is and will or might be. It provides a framework for exploring the potential and possibilities within these scenarios, without being constrained by the limitations of time.

Confirmation of the living present arises through our perception of sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and feeling tones/thought processes.

An Insightful Perspective Allows us to See and Know the Timeless

The Timeless abides devoid of the characteristics of past, present and future, birth, ageing and death, . The Timeless reveals itself as free from the limitations of these attributes of time, life death.

Yes, we can engage in meditation to be fully present in the moment as an important contribution to deep calm and equanimity. It is also crucial to recognise the importance of non-clinging to time. Freedom from dependency on time accommodates all expressions of time. Dependency reveals clinging to the past, clinging to the present moment and clinging to views of the future.

Authentic freedom goes beyond being dependency on anything, including the entire field of human experience and the constraints of time. This allows for a clear recognition and understanding of all contents of the mind. Knowing and seeing the Timeless becomes as obvious as knowing the hand is on the end of the arm and seeing colours with clear eyes.

If we use the language of goal, I believe the goal of realising the Timeless, the Unconditioned, surely seems worthwhile for the joy that emerges and the liberated wisdom for engagement with the world.

Thank you.

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