Esoteric Teacher  & Adviser

for Expanding consciousness

  Melinda Ann P e t e r s on

"Being Present"

January 2018

There is a saying from the 60's - "Be Here Now"

(Ram Das) that is still tossed around today by people

who contemplate ideas concerning "being". Being is a

unique, action verb that plays a powerful position in

language - both spoken and written. It infers the act of

existing in space, in time. It draws forth images of

reality from the unseen world of the mind into the

physical plane that appears to be solid.

One could look at acting as the way "being" manifests within time. This idea then divides time into two categories -being and not-being. In ancient esoteric texts, such as theBhagavad Gita and the Tao te Ching, being/not being, doing/not doing are concepts that are basic to understanding the moment. For example, by making a choice to do a particular act, you simultaneously choose not to perform all other acts. Your choice is made in your mind and then played out by your ego in your physical "now". Spirit provides the necessary matter/energy, consciousness and ability to evolve that sustains existing ( Vishnu).

So what happen when you keep referencing what is happening "in the moment" with what has happened to you in your past? Does not this choice eliminate your opportunity to be "present" - to be keenly aware of "what is" happening right now? Yes, it does and most people believe they are who they were yesterday and the day before, etc......   People love to define their present reality by describing their past experiences: I am fearful because I have been hurt in the past; I am anxious because I don't know what is going to happen next; I am depressed because I see no reason to live.....

My point is: the only place you truly exist is in this present moment: NOW. You are occupying space that is defined by your perception of time. Your present moment is uncertain until you make a choice. In fact, when we think of the now existing in the space/time continuum, your interpretation of reality is like a flexible fabric that can stretch and contract, based on how your consciousness directs "awareness function"

(the attribute of consciousness that focuses on one object/thought and attaches concept of reality to it). For example, American society defines time into days; a day is defined as 24 hours or 1,440 minutes and there are clocks (symbols) everywhere to impose this limitation on our existence. However, how an individual defines a day is reflective of that person's perception of time and his/her actions reflect this perception.

One person's reality may closely mirror society's interpretation and thus, this person will be "on time" when performing actions in the outside world. However, another person may seldom be "on time" since his/her fabric of "space/time" is expanded beyond society's boundaries and thus, this person is always late and panicking to be "on time."

Both individuals are "being, but having divergent experiences of the now.

So what is "NOW?" It is the present moment that lies ahead of your past and behind your future. It is the moment of choice. It is constantly presenting itself like a blinking universe and lasts no longer than a glimpse by your mind. If you link it with your past, your "now" will be a continuation of your past. If you link it with your future, you are leaping into the unknown (which is a scary proposition for most). If you are  meditator, you have trained yourself to be be "present" in "being" by withdrawing your senses from the outside world, single-focusing your mind in your inner space and knowing how to rest in stillness within. You experience "being" in harmony with the space/time continuum of this universe, known as "dharma" in Yogic text, the "Tao" in Taoist texts. You rest in the unchanging reality that is the source of "All That IS". When you open your eyes and envision the world around you, you are seeing "NOW". 

It is a profound experience that deepens your knowingness, broadens your view of the world and provides a sense of "centeredness" from which you make choices and act upon them in a new way. Do yourself a big favor and "Be Here Now!"

​                                                            Cheers!


"Origins Final Destiny"  by Melinda Peterson 2005/ Charcoal

Private Collection/ copyrighted


"No one, not even for an instant, can exist without acting: all beings are compelled, however unwilling, by the three strands of Nature called "Gunas".*

                                                  Bhagavad Gita - Chapter 3

                                                   The Yoga of Action